I’m not even in the mood to write about Michael Vick, the details of his plea agreement or his suspension. Maybe I will in a few days. Instead, I’ve been pondering the journey of the offensive lineman.

Two recent news items led to the pondering. First, the Jets traded disgruntled guard Pete Kendall to the Redskins for a middle-round draft pick. Kendall wanted his contract renegotiated, the Jets refused, Washington needed a lineman, the deal was made.

Second, All-Pro guard Alan Faneca said there were no new talks with the Steelers. Faneca, unhappy with Pittsburgh’s contract extension offer, has said he would leave the team after his contract expired this season.

Linemen unhappy with their contracts seem to be a somewhat recent phenomenon. In the history of holdouts, it’s usually the rookie, the quarterback, the star defensive player. Then free agency happened, and the worth of the offensive lineman multiplied. Teams realized spending money to sign an experienced quality offensive lineman was a solid investment. As a result, O-linemen, the most anonymous guys on the field, command more clout than they ever had. No, teams won’t bend over backward to appease a disgruntled lineman like they will for a star running back (see Larry Johnson’s new deal), but they can’t afford to ignore their big guys either, Steelers and Jets notwithstanding.

I guess what occurred to me is how anonymous offensive linemen are to the average NFL fan. With the primary action — meaning, someone else has the ball — happening elsewhere, it’s easy to forget they are there, unless one is praised by the broadcast crew or one blows his assignment as the quarterback gets sacked. We know who the good offensive linemen are more on reputation than what we see on Sundays. So I’m going to try paying closer attention to the line this season, to see why the Steelers should be paying Alan Faneca more. Of course, if I have Willie Parker on my fantasy team, it will be difficult not to be watching him first.