(Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

It's hard to argue that the biggest area of weakness for the Steelers is the offensive line.  Most people say that it is the worst offensive line to ever win a Super Bowl.

There are a lot of different factors involved.  The key loss of Alan Faneca to the New York Jets last offseason and the injuries to Marvell Smith and Kendall Simmons could also be mentioned.

Then there is the fact that Max Starks was transition tagged, then franchise tagged, and then franchise tagged again, and he couldn't even take the starting right tackle job from Willie Colon.

However, if you looked at how Mike Tomlin and Kevin Colbert approached the offseason, you can see they believe in this young group.

LT Max Starks

After an early season injury to Marvell Smith, Starks came in and replaced him.  Starks improved over the season, leading the Steelers to franchise tag him for the second consecutive season.

If it was important enough for the Steelers to pay the kind of money they did to keep Starks around, it was important for salary cap reasons to get a long term deal signed.

Starks recently signed a four-year deal worth $26 million. This freed up $3 million in cap space.

LG Chris Kemoeatu

There was no one on the line that had a more difficult job than Kemo.  Having to replace All-Pro regular Alan Faneca is a hard enough job, but when the players to the right and left of you both change, it makes it that much harder.

Kemoeatu did an above average job in his first year starting.  So much that the New York Jets tried to do with Kemo that they did with Faneca, steal him away.

Unlike Faneca, Kemo was willing to take less money to stay with the Steelers signing a five-year deal worth $20 million.

The left side of the offensive line has come to terms with the Steelers for the next four seasons.  These are the most important positions when you have a right-handed quarterback.  Especially when you are paying that QB over $100 million.

C Justin Hartwig

Hartwig came to the Steelers as a free agent pick up from the Carolina Panthers last offseason.  Hartwig replaces Sean Mahan, who was traded back to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the signing.

Hartwig, as the center, is required to call the offensive protections at the line, which is the most important job on the line.

As he spent training camp with the team, the pieces around him fell.  Marvel Smith was lost for the year after a Week Three back injury, and Kendall Simmons was lost in Week Four to a knee injury.

The players that this new player had, now changed and they had to learn each other's strengths and weaknesses.

As the season went on, they got better, but they never had the time needed to mesh together.

RG Darnell Stapleton

In his second year, after being picked up as a rookie free agent, Stapleton had the task of replacing former first-round pick Kendall Simmons.

Though he struggled at times, when a player comes to the team undrafted, he should not be expected to take over as a starter in his second year.

Either because the Steelers don't have faith in him, or plan on moving him to center (he did play center in college), they drafted Kraig Urbik in the third round out of Wisconsin.

Urbik has size on his side. At 6'5", 323 lbs, he is more of a mauler than a finesse blocker.  He comes from a school that likes to run the football. 

I expect Urbik to push for serious playing time this year and to take over as starter by 2010.

RT Willie Colon

The Steelers selected Colon in the fourth round of the 2006 draft.  It was believed that he would have been a second or third round pick, but two college incidents where Colon was thrown out of contests for fighting made his stock drop.

When Pittsburgh selected him, they hoped he would turn out to eventually be a staple at the right tackle position.  That he has done.

Colon recently signed his one-year tender offer from the Steelers to remain with the team. 

After starting 14 games in 2007, Colon kept franchise player Max Starks from becoming the starter at right tackle, and will battle also recently re-signed Trai Essex for the starters job at camp.

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