I can’t see them being any worse than they were at times last year and I think the FO deserves the benefit of the doubt on this line all things considered. I know that a lot of fans really really really have been down on the O line and especially Colon, BUT they are young and relatively inexperienced and oh i nearly forgot…they won it all with this shitty line! hahahaha GOSTEELERS and i for one am expecting big things outta these men

Hummmm, I think I am one of the more vocal people concerning our OL, and as much as I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, I just can’t.

Big Ben is getting $102m and is on his butt it seems like every passing play. Our OL did not win us the Super Bowl, Big Ben won the Super Bowl. Running around, bying time, dodging defenders and finding WRs down field.

You know, what happens if we have Manning back there instead of Ben, ALL of you would be SCREAMING for a new OL. He would have been sacked at least 80 times! Instead, you are willing to overlook a glaring need because we won the Super Bowl? We won in spite of them, not because of them! We could not run, we could not convert on 3rd and 4th downs, and all of that led to our beloved D spending more time on the field than they should have!

We have 3 OL in the final year of their contract. Hartwig, Colon, and Starks. Starks lost his job, only to get it back because of an injury, and we are happy with him protecting Ben’s blindside? And at $8.45m!

Hartwig gave up more sacks than any other C last year, and had a huge holding penalty in the Super Bowl that almost cost us the game (thank God for Ben), and we are happy with him getting manhandled by Ngata each and every snap!

Colon, at least if you play him at G maybe he can keep from getting false starts. I am okay with him as a G.

Now, is this the line we want to keep. then have to sign or tender next year? I think not! Get guys in now, we have an easy schedule, they can learn, play some and be ready for next year. We can not afford to allow this line time to gel when Ben is getting battered and bruised!

I would draft Alex Mack int he 1st, and Fenuki Tupou in the 2nd, and I would go into training camp with the following:

RT Fenuki Tupou, RG Willie Colon, C Alex Mack, LG Justin Hartwig, LT Max Starks.

I would also draft Joel Bell from Furman in the 4th or 5th round. He is big and nasty! He is a LT and with a year of coaching and developing maybe he can replace Starks next year.

and if the pick or picks from today won’t even play much this season, I’d still be for picking some for the future. I just think that by the end of this season we may be getting some pretty good o-line play and be able to get a yard or two any time we need it. I know that’s one thing we can all agree on needing.

Hartwig helped them work on the chemistry by having the offensive linemen get together on a regular basis to have dinner and watch film in the evenings. For a group so new to each other, it was perfect.

Although it’s kinda sad when your 1 year journeyman free agent is the best you’ve got.

The guy just doesn’t get it

"He loves us, we love him back," said Colon of the relationship the line has with him. "He understands we get a lot of undue criticism. It is what it is. We don’t complain. At first we were upset about it. We were taking so much heat. But if you give up as many sacks as you do and don’t run the ball effectively, you are going to get that criticism.

Are you kidding me? The criticism is deserved. Step up your game, not your self-congratulatory BS.