"Guard Trai Essex is one of the Steelers' 11 unrestricted free agents, and he hopes to return in 2012. Among his reasons: He doesn't want to miss out on the fun.

Essex is among those in the organization who think the offense has a chance to take off next season.

"The sky is the limit," said Essex, who was drafted by the Steelers in 2005. "Once we get a consistent o-line and stop getting hurt all of the time, we will be fine."

That may be easier said than done, given the Steelers' continuity issues up front. But addressing offensive line questions this offseason, one that will bring more change than usual to one of the NFL's most stable franchises, could be the key to unlocking the offense's potential."