The facelift continues in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers are parting ways with another longtime veteran.
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NFL.com's Aditi Kinkhabwala, citing a team source, reported the Steelers released offensive guard Willie Colon on Wednesday, and the team later confirmed the move. The Steelers have designated the cut as a June 1 release, clearing $5.5 million off the books and allowing the Steelers to stretch Colon's salary-cap hit over the next two seasons.
This comes one week after Colon's agent, Joe Linta, said the Steelers told him they weren't planning to do anything with Colon's contract and had yet to request a pay cut. Colon has started 62 games for the Steelers over seven seasons.
The 29-year-old lineman has struggled with injuries and started just 13 games over the past two years after signing a five-year, $29 million contract in 2011. Pittsburgh has injected youth into its offensive line, and the Steelers feel good about David DeCastro and Kelvin Beachum inside.
Colon now hits the street as an unrestricted free agent, but he shouldn't have trouble finding work. When healthy -- and that hasn't been often of late -- he's a versatile lineman who brings experience at multiple positions along the line.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
