Steelers GM Colbert says the offensive line's youth is a 'double-edged' sword

Excitement is abound about the Steelers' young offensive line unit that looks to be a future pillar for the team to rely on for offensive success should they develop properly. This season - barring any unfortunate preseason injuries hamper any of the starters - marks the first chance for the Steelers' recent high draft picks to be able to play a full season together. Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, Marcus Gilbert and even recent stabbing victim Mike Adams all seem healthy and primed to start the season together.

Whereas this has sparked a lot of conversation in anticipation of seeing how the unit performs in 2013, general manager Kevin Colbert brings warning that the youth of these lineman does have a second element to it that may not be cause for celebration just yet.

During a chat with 93.7 The Fan, Colbert accurately desbribes the youth of the Steelers projected starters at the offensive line as, "double-edged." He claims that while their youth points to their athleticism and ability to generate momentum on the line of scrimmage, it also means that they will need time to gel together as a full line.

Colbert knows that an effective offensive line operates with the concept that five men act as one. It takes a significant amount of time for even professionals to gain the synchronization to make steps all at the same tempo in order to properly execute a blocking scheme.

The good news is that these lineman have a lot of time to gel. Colbert's point is that they will take time to gel for us to see domination this season, but in the long run this will be a great asset for the Steelers.

Imagine in 2015 if the Steelers can afford to keep this unit together, the experience they would have and the technical advantages they would have from being a unit for that long. That coupled with their high potential for being imposing forces at the line of scrimmage, gives a lot to look forward to.

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