The Pittsburgh Steelers have used this offseason to aggressively patch up an offensive line that stood out as perhaps the team's greatest weakness in 2011.
First-round pick David DeCastro is an immediate starter at right guard. The team's second-round pick Mike Adams is penciled in at tackle, along with their second-round pick of 2011, Marcus Gilbert.
That means changes for veteran Willie Colon, who confirmed Wednesday he'll shift from right tackle to the inside.
"I've made the transition to left guard. I like it. It's just a matter of learning the verbiage," Colon told Mike Prisuta of WDVE-FM in Pittsburgh.
Colon is embracing the switch and his size (6-foot-3, 315 pounds) makes him a fit. His one request was ample time to prepare: "My only issue would have been 'Don't move me midway through camp,' " Colon said, before telling Steelers fans to expect frequent pulling in Pittsburgh's man-power blocking scheme.
Colon's first order of business is proving he can finish a season after missing 31 regular-season games since 2009. He tore his triceps last season after missing the entire 2010 campaign with a torn Achilles' tendon. Colon insists he's healthy and ready to contribute to keeping Ben Roethlisberger upright. This time around, he won't be asked to do it alone.
