PITTSBURGH - Duce Staley didn't mince words when asked how the Pittsburgh Steelers won him over in free agency.

"Just knowing that Coach (Bill) Cowher's committed to running the ball," Staley said.

Staley played in the last three NFC Championship Games, all with the Philadelphia Eagles, who ran the ball 36 percent of the time in three losses.

"I've been in three NFC Championship Games where we did not run the ball and we did not get a chance to advance," he said.

He joins a team coming off its worst rushing season in Cowher's 12 seasons. The Steelers ranked 31st in the league and rushed the ball 44 percent of the time.

After spending all seven of his NFL seasons with the Eagles, Staley signed a five-year, $14 million contract with the Steelers on Tuesday.

Staley will earn base salaries of $660,000 (2004), $2.15 million (2005), $2.5 million (2006), $2.69 million (2007) and $2 million (2008).

He'll count $1.46 million against the cap this season, and the cap-strapped Steelers are expected to pay for him by releasing or trading Amos Zereoue, who's due to make $2.2 million this season.

Cowher didn't announce any such plans, but left out Zereoue when he said that Staley would "come in here and compete with Jerome (Bettis) and Verron (Haynes)."

Staley has rushed for 4,807 career yards on 1,200 carries. He's also caught 275 passes with an average of 9.1 yards per catch.

He's the Eagles' third all-time leading rusher, but started only four games last season after holding out during training camp. He regained his job in the playoffs after Brian Westbrook was injured in the regular-season finale. Staley gained 124 yards on 18 carries in two playoff games.

"I'm here now, so that's all that really matters. As far as what went on last year, that's time in the past. I'm looking to turn over a new leaf and move on."

Cower said Staley's hands were as good as those of any back in the league, but added that it was his attitude that impressed him most.

"The thing I like about him is when you talk to him and players around him, he's very competitive, but he's very unselfish," Cowher said.

Although Staley is a native of Columbia, S.C., and played college football at South Carolina, his agent, Leigh Steinberg, said the Steelers were Staley's favorite team growing up.

"I got a chance to walk past four Super Bowl trophies. That's the closest I've ever been to those trophies," Staley said at the Steelers' practice facility Wednesday.

The Steelers followed up the Tuesday signing of Staley by signing defensive tackle Travis Kirschke on Wednesday to a four-year contract worth $6.4 million, including a $1.1 million signing bonus.

A 6-foot-3, 292-pound veteran of seven NFL seasons, Kirschke started 15 games for the San Francisco 49ers last season, registering 43 tackles and 1.5 sacks.