Taylor's take: 'Wherever you put me, I'm going to make home'

After eight seasons in black and gold, Ike Taylor's future with the Pittsburgh Steelers remains uncertain, but the free-agent cornerback isn't sweating it.

"Time will tell," Taylor told The Times-Picayune on Friday. "I've been (in Pittsburgh) for eight years. I've been in that city more than any other city in my whole life, but time will tell. I see myself being anywhere I need to be. Wherever you put me, I'm going to make home."

Taylor, a two-time Super Bowl champion, played the final year of a four-year, $22.5 million deal with the Steelers last season. He's open to a ninth campaign in Pittsburgh, but the NFL lockout has dropped free agents into an abyss. Taylor believes he already would have signed somewhere if not for the labor drama.

"I just leave it up to my agent (Joel Segal) and Pittsburgh," Taylor said. "When it comes down to getting serious, I'm sure my agent is going to call me. Other than that, he'll let me know when the time is right. When you get into this profession, you already know that's part of the business. You don't know what's really going to go on. There's nothing in our business that's guaranteed anyway, so that's how I look at it."

Taylor has gone through his usual offseason regimen with personal coach Tom Shaw, whom he met during his freshman year at Marion Abramson Senior High School in New Orleans. Taylor was among more than 20 players, including New England running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who traveled from Shaw's training site in Orlando, Fla., to suburban Atlanta in May to work with some Oakland Raiders at a players-only minicamp.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Holmes seeking multiyear deal from Jets -- or 'wherever'

Santonio Holmes says he's taking a wait-and-see approach to his NFL future, but he won't sign his one-year tender from the New York Jets if he's ultimately classified as a restricted free agent.

"I probably wouldn't sign it," the star receiver told the New York Daily News on Saturday. "Because I played five years to wait for my contract to come up in my sixth year. And that's what I want. I don't want to sign for a one-year deal. I don't want to play anywhere for one year. ... I wouldn't do it. If I sign a contract, it's going to be for multiple years. It won't be for one year."

The five-year veteran, who would earn around $3.5 million as a restricted free agent if the 2010 rules are applied to 2011, called the contract "out of my hands."

"I'm a free agent this year," Holmes told the newspaper. "Whatever my agent brings to the table -- the best deal for me -- I'm pretty sure that's where we'll end up. I would love (to play for the Jets). But whatever happens, happens. I don't know. I've never been in this situation before. I really don't know how to explain it to anybody. Whatever happens ... I'm happy to be wherever I end up at."

Holmes told his Facebook friends last month that he wants to return to the Jets. His announcement came soon after fellow wideout Braylon Edwards told reporters in March that he also wishes to remain with the team.

"That (Facebook post) wasn't supposed to be put out without my permission," Holmes said. "My friend did it on his own. That's why I never responded to anybody when it got put up ... because it wasn't supposed to be put out in that aspect."

Holmes told the Daily News that he doesn't plan to participate in quarterback Mark Sanchez's workout sessions in May in Southern California because of family and personal reasons.

Holmes also touched on his disappointment about January's 24-19 AFC Championship Game loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, clarifying to the Daily News that he was upset because he started the contest on the bench. Holmes said after the game that was frustrated by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's play-calling.

"I was frustrated," Holmes said. "I was very upset that I didn't play for 10 plays in the game. So it probably made the biggest difference in how we played."

Holmes, whom the Jets acquired from the Steelers before the 2010 NFL Draft, had 52 catches for 746 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games last season after wrapping up a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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