Steelers coach Bill Cowher had his long-awaited conversation Saturday night with rookie receiver Santonio Holmes. "We had a good talk," Cowher said yesterday. "He's got a lot of work to do but he's committed to getting caught up to where he will feel comfortable." Holmes has to make up ground off and on the field because of two arrests in May and June, and after he missed most of the Steelers' spring drills because his Ohio State classes were still in session. Hines Ward predicted Holmes will do so off the field as well. The Super Bowl MVP spent the week leading to training camp with Holmes. They worked out together at the Steelers' UPMC complex and ate dinner together. "I hung out with him," Ward said. "He's a good kid. The misconception of what's going on off the field, that's not really relevant to us. We understand the situation, we really know kind of what's going on with everything."