The Steelers placed starting right offensive tackle Willie Colon on injured reserve earlier this week, less than a month after he was lost for the season when he tore his Achilles tendon during off season agility workouts.

To bolster their flagging offensive line the Steelers signed veteran journey man offensive lineman Adrian Jones.

The New York Jets drafted Jones in the 4th round of the 2004 draft and, and he started 16 straight games at left tackle in 2005. His stint as a starter with the Jets ended there however, as he played in 16 more games during the next season, but did not register a start and the Jets cut him towards the end of the 2007 season.

From there Jones signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008, where he started 10 games at right guard. He latched on with the Houston Texans in 2009, but did not make their final roster.

How Adrian Jones Fits In

If nothing else, the addition of Adrian Jones gives the Steelers another player with position flexibility on the offensive line. It is doubtful that he will push for a starting role, but he could potentially provide valuable depth.

The fact that Jones sat out 2009 is not encouraging of course, but Kevin Colbert has a good record with “street” free agents. As noted by Steel Curtain Rising previously, in both the 2000 and 2004 seasons unheralded Colbert protégés such as Larry Tharpe and Keydrick Vincent played key roles in stabilizing the Steelers offensive line.

Thanks for visiting. You can follow Steel Curtain Rising on Twitter at @SteelCurtainRis.