I’m reluctant about making any plans via the draft because you don’t know how things are going to fall.  If there’s a run on OL like last year and the Steelers can’t/won’t move up, I’d rather they take Best Player Available.  If a future Pro Bowl DL or CB is sitting there, it’d be stupid to take an OT with late 2nd round talent just because that’s their need.  They will address the OL but I’m not going to say “They have to take a starter with their first pick this year” because we can’t assume such a player is going to be there waiting for us.

I do like your idea about Colon, though.  He can’t possibly be worse inside at G than he showed out at RT.

As for Stapleton, his first 3-4 games were atrocious.  He got steadily better as the season progressed and I think he was okay by year’s end.  Not good but mediocre.  He’s decent in pass protection (better than Kemo by far) but very sub-par as a run blocker due to his size.  In a perfect world, yeah I’d like someone better but barring this Colon move, a Simmons/Stapleton combo seems preferable to Simmons/Kemo.

I sincerely believe that Steelers should take a OT in the 1st round, and move Colon inside to G, opposite Simmons. 

An OL of Starks, Colon, Hartwig, Simmons, 1st RD Pick looks a LOT better than the garbage we put out there this year.  I still can’t believe we won the SB with that OL.  They were to Super Bowl winning offensive line play what Trent Dilfer was to Super Bowl winning quarterback play.  We need to improve DRAMATICALLY in that area if we want to have any realistic hope of competing for SB XLIV.

You have to admit Ben’s support of his o-line is pretty admirable considering the beatings they allow him to take.  Still, they’re not very good.  As much as I hate to say it, I’m glad Arizona upset the Iggles.  I shudder at what might have happened if they had to face an above-average pass rush.

The breakdown in the running game definitely has a lot to do with the bad OL play.  They just don’t move people back.  Kemo is particularly useless.  For such a huge guy, he gets surprisingly little push where Faneca was a beast.  Add in the fact we don’t have a decent fullback anymore and no wonder “Steeler Football” went awry this season. 

Thanks for the vote in the tournament, Todd.  I appreciate it along with all the excellent comments you leave us here.  

Although, I do have to give them credit for not being as porous as they have been earlier in the season.  They did well enough, I think, although our run-blocking still needs serious help.