Essex rejoins Steelers' jumbled offensive line

Three Super Bowl appearances over the past six years, three different starting centers for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Three different right guards, left tackles and right tackles, too. In fact, along the Pittsburgh's offensive line, only left guard has had a modicum of stability over the course of Super Bowl wins following the 2005 and 2008 seasons and even through last season's Super Bowl loss to the Green Bay Packers. In a league - and on a team - in which stability, chemistry and cohesiveness are valued in constructing an elite offensive line, the Steelers have managed to consistently remain among the NFL's best despite constant change. This preseason, the reigning AFC champions have auditioned no fewer than four candidates for the job of starting right guard, and virtually every prominent player on the unit has missed practice time due to injury and/or contract issues. The depth has been questioned enough that the team brought back six-year veteran Trai Essex less than a month after coaches had determined he was too out of shape to re-sign as a free agent. Yet somehow, the Steelers aren't all that concerned. After all, they've overcome it before.