FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – Restricted free agent Rodney Bailey officially joined the Patriots on Thursday after the Pittsburgh Steelers declined to match New England’s offer sheet.

The 24-year-old defensive end agreed last week to the Patriots offer sheet that guarantees him $650,000. The Pittsburgh Steelers had until Thursday to match the Patriots’ offer or receive a sixth-round draft pick as compensation.

Bailey said Thursday that he didn’t know whether Pittsburgh would match the offer sheet, and said he was “honored to have this offer from the Patriots.”

“All those guys in Pittsburgh, they play hard and they play well,” Bailey said. “When the opportunity came for me to get on the field, it was just important for me to play hard. You know, it’s just another opportunity that I’m very excited about, and I’m ready to get started.”

The 6-foot-3, 300-pound Bailey, a sixth-round selection out of Ohio State in 2001, has appeared in every Steelers game in the past three years, with one start, and recorded 9 1/2 sacks.

Bailey is the fourth restricted free agent the Patriots have acquired in their history, and the first since 1996, according to the team.

AP-ES-03-11-04 1939EST