By Josh Svetz
Since getting his own radio show, Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor has not been afraid to give his honest thoughts over the airwaves.
Taylor continued this Tuesday morning on Trib Live Radio’s “The Ike Taylor Show”, when he was asked to weigh in on new Steeler signee, Lance Moore. Initially, Taylor had positive things to say about the former New Orleans Saints wide receiver.
“Before (New Orleans tight end) Jimmy Graham, the red zone king was Lance Moore for Drew Brees.” Taylor expanded on his thoughts. “He works the middle of the field well out of the slot.”
However, when asked about if Moore could replace the production of Jerricho Cotchery, he was a bit skeptical.
“If you want to talk about (Moore) replacing Jerricho Cotchery, it’s to be seen. He (Cotchery) had 10 touchdowns and gave the defense problems especially towards the end of the season. Cotchery had the stats and he proved himself year in year out over the cold winter, and that’s something Lance will have to do.”
It’s not surprising to see Taylor not jumping for joy over the Moore signing. While Moore has been a very productive receiver over his NFL career totaling 346 receptions for 4,281 yards and 38 touchdowns over nine years pro (seven as a starter), there’s no indication that he will be able to stay healthy or be productive for Pittsburgh.
Cotchery was a class act and a warrior on the field that had gained a ton of respect in the Steelers locker room as well as proving his worth on the field. Replacing someone who caught 10 touchdowns last year is hard to do and Taylor’s skepticism is not surprising.
Once camp starts and Moore works with head coach Mike Tomlin, offensive coordinator Todd Haley and receiver’s coach Richard Mann, he can prove that his signing was well worth it.
Till then, skepticism about his ability to stay healthy and be productive will surround Moore. However, with Moore being a guy who has always had a chip on his shoulder, he has plenty of motivational material to prove himself on the field.
Overall, hopefully Moore uses the skepticism to his advantage and out does his expectations on the field, just like Cotchery did.
