Battle visits Monday; Sweed's status in air
Sunday, March 07, 2010
By Gerry Dulac, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Uncertain about the future of Limas Sweed and looking to add depth to the position, the Steelers will entertain their first free agent Monday when San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Arnaz Battle will visit the team's South Side facility.

Battle, 30, has spent seven seasons with the 49ers after being a sixth-round draft pick out of Notre Dame in 2003. He has 178 catches, 2,150 yards and 11 touchdowns in his NFL career. His best season was in 2006 when he had 56 catches, 686 yards and 3 touchdowns.

He had just 29 catches for 358 yards and no touchdowns in 24 games the past two seasons, including five catches for 40 yards in 15 games last season.

Battle (6 feet 1, 208 pounds), who played quarterback at Notre Dame, might also visit with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Steelers will not visit with any free agents before Monday because coach Mike Tomlin and his coaching staff are on a weekend retreat at one of the area mountain resorts.

Battle would provide depth at wide receiver because veteran Joey Galloway, signed late in the season, is an unrestricted free agent who will not be re-signed. Also, it is not known what will happen with Sweed, a second-round draft choice in 2008 who missed the final three games last season because of undisclosed personal issues.

The Steelers finished the regular season with free-agent Tyler Grisham, who spent most of the year on the practice squad, as their fourth wide receiver.

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