“Me and Chuks are the only two left”, Pittsburgh Steelers T Dan Moore Jr. recently told reporters, via Dale Lolley writing for the team’s website. “That’s how it is”.
He is referring to the fact that, in just his third season, only himself and the team’s right tackle, Chukwuma Okorafor, remain from the offensive line room he first stepped into just two and a half years ago. Every other face is new to the team, even if some are experienced veterans.
Much had already changed a year ago, though there were more holdovers who are no longer here. The Steelers traded two former starters at the end of last month, sending G Kevin Dotson to the Los Angeles Rams and C Kendrick Green to the Houston Texans. Another holdover from that season, reserve C J.C. Hassenauer, signed with the New York Giants in free agency.
Even last year’s roster was fairly different. Just add 2022 free agents Mason Cole and James Daniels to Moore and Okorafor and that’s all that’s left. Dotson, Green, and Hassenauer were all a part of last year’s team, as were Trent Scott and Jesse Davis, neither of whom re-signed as free agents this offseason.
For a line that was defined by stability for a stretch of about half a decade, that’s significant. They had Maurkice Pouncey at center for a decade or so, and Ramon Foster next to him. David DeCastro spent much of that time on the other side, along with Marcus Gilbert at right tackle. Later it was Matt Feiler and Alejandro Villanueva at the tackle positions, the latter preceded by Kelvin Beachum.
Yet the only player in this room who has more than two years of experience in Pittsburgh is Okorafor, going into his sixth season. And even he is only a three-year starter. But it’s not just the roster, it’s also been the coaching staff.
Consider this. Okorafor was drafted in 2018. Since then, he has had five different head offensive line coaches, including one interim head coach. He started out with Mike Munchak, the only member of this group left who had worked with him.
When he left, he was replaced with his assistant, Shaun Sarrett, who lasted two seasons in that role. His own assistant, Adrian Klemm, was promoted in 2021, but left before the season concluded, replaced on an interim basis by his assistant, Chris Morgan.
Rather than continue the internal carousel, the Steelers hired Pat Meyer to man the line in 2022. There were some growing pains, but it’s looking like it will work out. The free agency spending hasn’t hurt, either, including on another new starter in 2023 in Isaac Seumalo.
They also added first-round pick Broderick Jones in the draft to challenge and eventually take over at left tackle from Moore. He hasn’t yet. “I’m learning that it’s definitely a business”, Moore said. “Year to year you see new faces with the team. It’s good to be a part of it again”.
“You try not to think about it like that. It’s always a revolving door”, he added. “It’s part of the business. New faces come in. People leave. You hope the people we brought in have elevated the position and are capable and can get the job done”.
