Mar 7, 2016 3 min read

PITTSBURGH – With the NFL free agency period set to begin Wednesday, the Steelers made moves Monday to keep a pair of their own players, signing safety Robert Golden and wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey to three-year deals.

Golden will receive $5 million over the course of his deal, while Heyward-Bey’s contract is worth a reported $3.8 million over three seasons.

Both deals are modest but will keep a pair of crucial special teams players with the Steelers. Golden and Heyward-Bey are also both well respected in the team’s locker room.

Golden, the team’s special teams captain the past two seasons, signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona in 2012. Golden, 25, has appeared in 72 games with the Steelers, making three starts, all of which came last season at strong safety in place of injured Will Allen.

Allen, who will be an unrestricted free agent Wednesday, is not expected to be re-signed, and Golden, who had 40 tackles and one interception last season, will be given the opportunity to compete for the starting strong safety position.

Heyward-Bey, 29, joined the Steelers in 2014 after stints with Oakland and Indianapolis. The eighth-pick in the 2009 draft by the Raiders, Heyward-Bey’s best season came in 2011 when he had 64 receptions for 975 yards and four touchdowns.

With the Steelers, however, he’s flourished as a special teams player and reserve receiver, though he did start four games in 2015 when Martavis Bryant was suspended to open the season.

Heyward-Bey finished the 2015 season with 21 receptions for 314 yards and two scores.

Their signings, coupled with that of long-snapper Greg Warren a few weeks ago, still leaves the Steelers with a number of key pending free agents, including a number of players who have been key contributors: Allen, nose tackle Steve McLendon, guard Ramon Foster, left tackle Kelvin Beachum, fullback Will Johnson and cornerbacks William Gay, Antwon Blake and Brandon Boykin.

The Steelers are expected to attempt to keep several of those players, with the highest priority being on McLendon and Gay. Teams were permitted to begin negotiating with potential free agents on Monday but cannot sign them until 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Prior to signing Golden and Heyward-Bey, the team had approximately $10 million in salary cap space. Monday’s signings should leave the Steelers with around $8.5 million in cap space heading into the free agency period.

Also on Monday, it was announced that All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown will compete on the 22nd season of “Dancing with the Stars.”

Brown will be the third player with ties to the Steelers to have competed on the popular network television series, joining receivers Hines Ward, who won the show’s championship when he competed in 2011, and Jacoby Jones, who finished third in 2013 prior to playing a handful of games with Pittsburgh last season.