Being a rookie in the NFL is hard. Being a rookie left tackle who was a first-round draft pick with high expectations placed upon him is even harder. That is what Pittsburgh Steelers LT Broderick Jones is dealing with at his first-ever NFL training camp. Luckily for Jones, he has the entire offensive line unit in his corner to help him out, even incumbent starting LT Dan Moore Jr.
When Jones arrived at Saint Vincent’s College today he was asked about his and Moore’s relationship with the two are set to face off in a battle for the starting job. Like he has all offseason, Jones showered Moore with praise for how welcoming he has been and even mentioned how all of the offensive linemen have gone out of their way to help him.
“Dan is a good guy,” Jones said in a video posted to Steelers.com. Ever since I stepped foot in Pittsburgh, he was the one who talked to me the most. Dan, Chuks [Okorafor], Isaac [Seumalo], you know, all of the older cats who’s been in it for a while. They took me in, telling me things that I need to know, things I need to stay away from, things I need to do the most. [I’m] just looking forward to getting back in the room with those guys, just soaking up all the little nuggets I can from them.”
Jones is a high-ceiling player who could potentially go down as the best left tackle in team history but there is obviously a way to go. Only making 19 starts for Georgia in college, Jones is a raw player and it will take time for him to adjust to the NFL. He probably won’t come out of the gate as a very polished player but what is important is how he develops.
Having players in his corner, including Moore who improved a lot from Year One to Year Two, is going to be immense in his development. While from a fan perspective it can be easy to say “Oh, well obviously you want to help your teammates so you can win,” we have to remember that Moore is fighting for his starting job. NFL athletes are uber competitive and no one wants to give up their starting job. Despite that, Moore is going out of his way to help Jones adjust to the NFL and a new city, and that should be applauded.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line is not elite by any means but it does have veterans who have been playing in the league for a while. They know the tricks of the trade, like Okorafor and Seumalo, and can help out Jones try to cut down rookie mistakes. In addition, offensive line coach Pat Meyer’s system is different from many others and the unit last year struggled to adjust early on. Players like Moore and Okorafor have experience playing in it for a year and are sharing that knowledge with Jones so that he doesn’t look like a fish out of water come the start of practices.
It will likely take some time for Jones to really turn some heads; coming out of Georgia it was often said he was a raw prospect. The fact that many of his teammates are going out of their way to help him should cut down on some of the leaning curve for him. Not only should we give Moore a ton of credit for his character, we also should praise the culture head coach Mike Tomlin and the Rooney family has built in Pittsburgh.
