Continuity on the offensive line is a diminishing commodity in the NFL, but the Green Bay Packers have managed to achieve it by re-signing unrestricted free agent left guard Mike Wahle to a new contract, keeping intact a young and effective blocking unit.

	Wahle

Precise financial details were not yet available, but it is believed that Wahle's three-year deal is worth $7.5 million.

Wahle, still just 24 years old despite having played four seasons already, preferred a shorter-term contract because it will make him eligible for free agency again at age 27.

The retention of Wahle means the Packers will return one of the NFL's best young units, as he will be joined again by center Mike Flanagan, left tackle Chad Clifton, right guard Marco Rivera and right tackle Mark Tauscher. The starting quintet averages just 26 years of age and the oldest, Rivera, is just 29.

None of the five will be eligible for unrestricted free agency before 2004.

"It's pretty rare to be able to start the same guys even two years in a row anymore," said Packers offensive line coach Larry Beightol. "This is really great for us, being able to keep all these guys together, because they really do feed off one another."

Wahle drew considerable interest in the first week of free agency and it didn't appear the Packers would be able to keep him. But he canceled scheduled visits to Green Bay and Kansas City, the latter on Friday, and chose the Packers over the San Francisco 49ers.

The 49ers wanted him to replace left guard Ray Brown in the lineup. Cleveland and Kansas City both regarded Wahle as perhaps being able to play tackle, a position at which he struggled early in his career.

The former Naval Academy star was chosen by the Packers in the second round of the league's special 1998 supplemental draft. He started only 19 games in his first three seasons but settled into the left guard spot in 2001 and performed well.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com.