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Hines Ward was smart. By not trying to break the Steelers' bank, Ward signed a fair contract that will allow him to retire a Steeler.

The five-year, $27.5 million deal includes a $9 million signing bonus, a $1 million option and an additional $2.5 million in incentives. Sure, Ward would have liked to receive the $8 million a year given to Marvin Harrison and Randy Moss. Who wouldn't? But those type of numbers don't fit the way the Steelers do business. Ward was smart enough not to hold out into the season hoping for more than $10 million in a signing bonus.

This was the perfect compromise. Ward can look at the new money he is receiving and feel as though he's getting more than $6 million a year. The Steelers can look at his total payout over five years and feel he is in line with their salary scale. Something had to be done before the start of the regular season, though, because the Steelers don't do extensions when regular season games are being played. That's team policy.

• Quincy Morgan's release from the Cowboys was expected once the the team officially signed former Falcons WR Peerless Price. Morgan was fast, but he didn't fit into the Cowboys offense. For one, he let less experienced Patrick Crayton outwork him in camp and dropped to the No. 4 receiving option. The Browns clearly got the best of the deal that sent Morgan to Dallas for Antonio Bryant. Bryant has been better than the Browns expected and forms a talented receiving duo with first-round choice Braylon Edwards.