The N-O-Line in Pittsburgh: What the Steelers Can Do To Fix the Holes

Big Ben spent the 2007 season running for his life behind a line plagued by poor performance and offseason discord: Last May in a heated statement, Alan Faneca made it clear that the 2007 season would be his last as a Pittsburgh Steeler. He also questioned how much of his heart he could put into the season. Add to that the retirement of Pro Bowl center Jeff Hartings, and things up front were not very good. Just ask Ben, who was sacked 53 times during 16 starts. It's hard to complete passes on your back. So as a result of last season's poor performance and free agency, this offseason the Steelers will need to completely revamp their offensive line. Sean Mahan's performance at center last season was abysmal, and the Steelers need to make protection of Pro Bowl quarterback Roethlisberger priority-one. Obviously, the Steelers will need to address the position of center first, but probably not through the draft- their large deficiencies elsewhere make that an unlikely scenario. More likely, Willie ... (link)