In what was clearly an important move given the state of the depth chart behind him, the Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed cornerback Ike Taylor to a four-year deal. Taylor hasn't been a top performer by PFF measures, totaling an atrocious -9.6 rating over the past two seasons, but his combination of experience, athleticism and durability makes him more valuable to the Steelers than he'd be to just about any other NFL team.
Taylor will once again line up opposite Bryant McFadden, and at 65th and 66th overall in the 2010 PFF CB rankings, they are without question the poorest-performing starting cornerback tandem in the NFL. However, because they're playing in Dick Lebeau's intricate blitz-heavy defense, their shortcomings are minimized and their strengths are accentuated. While Taylor isn't an elite-level corner by PFF standards, the Steelers have fared quite well with him serving as their #1 shutdown corner.
Behind Taylor and McFadden are a slew of relatively unknown quantities – Keenan Lewis, Crezdon Butler, Curtis Brown, Cortez Allen, Tuff Harris (RFA), and Niles Brinkley – a key reason why bringing Taylor back was so very important. He'll serve as a valuable mentor to the young corners on the roster, and he's got plenty of experience playing in Lebeau's defense.
Fantasy Spin:
Taylor hasn't been a big fantasy factor since 2007, when he racked up large numbers of tackles and passes-defensed. He isn't particularly adept at catching the ball, and so his fantasy production is seriously curtailed by a dearth of interceptions. He's racked up only four interceptions over the past three seasons, and only 12 picks over the course of his eight-year career. Unless he suddenly gets more involved as a tackler – unlikely, given the solid state of the Steelers' linebackers – he isn't more than a bye week option at this stage. Look for Taylor to finish 2011 with 55 tackles, 10 passes-defensed, and two interceptions. In most formats, that means (at best) CB3 numbers.
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