Once speculation surfaced that the Pittsburgh Steelers were moving toward a zone-blocking scheme on offense, it was assumed that hulking free-agent guard Ramon Foster was as good as gone.
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As it turns out, that's not the case. After the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears expressed early interest in Foster, he re-signed with the Steelers for three years. The deal was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.
A 42-game starter in black and gold, Foster has been a solid if unspectacular pass blocker while struggling at times with pulling duties in the run game.
The signing immediately raises the question of veteran guard Willie Colon's future in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have been playing coy with Colon's agent, saying only that they have no plans to touch his contract "at the moment."
Now that Foster is under wraps as the starter opposite 2012 first-round draft pick David DeCastro, Colon's $5.5 million is a luxury the Steelers can't afford after three consecutive seasons ended by injuries.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
