When it rains, it pours. The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2011 season got off to an inauspicious start beginning with a 35-7 drubbing at the hands of Baltimore on Sunday, followed by the news on Monday that Willie Colon had torn a triceps muscle and would likely be shut down for the year on Injured Reserve.
Of course, the Steelers are no strangers to adapting to these types of circumstances and setbacks. Sean Kugler worked a minor miracle in 2010 with the offensive line, and there’s no reason necessarily to think that the team can’t successfully adapt again.
So where might the Steelers turn for outside help at tackle? According to Ed Bouchette, the Steelers have made preliminary contact with Flozell Adams’s agent.
Agent for OT Flozell Adams, Jordan Woy, tells me he had discussions with #Steelers today but nothing imminent.
The big question is whether Adams is still in anything that resembles playing shape. If he is, I would count on The Hotel being back in Pittsburgh some time this week, and perhaps ready to play as early as Week 3 in Indianapolis.
That’s speculation on my part — as Bouchette noted, ‘nothing is imminent.’ Max Starks is another option. But according to one source, Starks and Mike Tomlin have never been on the best of terms because of fundamental personality differences. That tells me that Tomlin would rather go with Adams than Starks, even though Adams is 36 years old and Starks is 29.
Apparently Starks has lost weight though since being released, so if Adams demands more money than the Steelers can afford, than perhaps Starks might still being back in the black and gold sometime soon.
We’ll find out soon enough.