PITTSBURGH — Wide receiver Hines Ward apparently will get his wish to finish his career with the Steelers.
Ward, about to enter the final season of his contract, agreed Saturday to a contract extension that will pay him a lower salary than the $5.8 million he was to make this season but will make up the money in a signing bonus.
The deal was being finalized Saturday between the Steelers and Ward’s agent, Eugene Parker, but is expected to be worth about $22 million over four seasons, although only a portion of that would be guaranteed.
The Steelers were only about $2 million under the salary cap last week, not enough money to sign their draft picks, and they have been working to create cap room since signing All-Pro linebacker James Harrison to a $51.75 million, six-year contract.
In addition to reaching terms with Ward, they restructured cornerback Ike Taylor’s contract for the second year in a row.
Taylor will make less in base salary than the $3.5 million he was to make but he will be paid a signing bonus that can be spread out for cap purposes over the length of the contract.
Draft online.
Several teams embraced the most modern technology, either posting their picks on their websites or on Twitter.
The Chargers scooped even commissioner Roger Goodell in announcing their pick of Northern Illinois linebacker Larry English on their website before Goodell announced it in New York.
The Chargers then interviewed general manager A.J. Smith and had English on a speakerphone interview.
Jets owner Woody Johnson announced first-round news with a tweet, saying: “We have selected Mark Sanchez. Go Jets.”
Timely picks.
The first round of the draft took 3 hours, 23 minutes, far less than some of the interminable rounds of the past.
The NFL clearly has sped up the process by limiting teams to 10 minutes in the opening round, seven minutes in the second, and five minutes in the other five rounds.
