The NFL combine is complete, but we still have no resolution on if there will be a lockout and how the labor situation affects potential Steelers’ free agents.

Before discussing the draft, one thing is obvious: The Steelers have a deep and veteran squad poised for another Super Bowl run in 2011, but I doubt Pittsburgh would even be a playoff team in the top-heavy and quarterback-dominant AFC if it allows veteran cornerback Ike Taylor to leave via free agency.

Taylor is that important to the league’s best defense, in large part because a hypothetical starting cornerback combo of the slow-hipped Bryant McFadden and physically limited William Gay (who could be an unrestricted free agent if a CBA is reached soon) might be the worst combo in the NFL, with neither capable of matching up against top-flight receivers in man-coverage............

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