So far through three games, in what is supposed to be a draft class to rival the greats, the Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t seen a huge amount of impact from their rookies. While all of those who are healthy made the roster and all but one of those dress and contribute in some way, only two players have been making noticeable plays—second-round defenders, CB Joey Porter Jr. and DT Keeanu Benton.
We’re still waiting on first-round T Broderick Jones to get his shot. The Steelers traded up to get him and everyone acknowledged at that time that you don’t do that for a guy you’re not going to play relatively soon. Yet it’s been three weeks, and he has played zero offensive snaps without an injury forcing him onto the field. That’s fine for former Steelers T Max Starks, as he told Christopher Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently, though he still wants the Georgia Bulldog on the field.
“Sometimes you can use a microwave, but you’d rather use a slow cooker”, he said on the North Shore Drive podcast. “I want that meat to fall off the bone. I don’t want it just cooked. I want it to fall off the bone. Let Broderick Jones fall off the bone first, meaning you want to get him as relaxed as possible, as confident as possible, and then ease him in over time.
“I’d like to see him as an extra tight end just to give him reps in-game. You have to develop the offense to get to that point where you can add him in there. You actually have to be in the red zone on the goal line a lot more to think about that concept. But I think the later the better. Just give him time”.
That’s a subject that has come up recently. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada was asked about it last week, and he acknowledged that it was something that they’ve discussed and is “certainly a possibility”. It didn’t show up last week, but that doesn’t mean it can’t in the near future.
Shortly before the season started, I advocated for using Jones as that sixth lineman, a role that the Steelers have used with success in the recent past to break in young linemen. It’s a good way to give them that in-game experience with much less pressure, even if it’s not exactly identical to what they would be asked to do on a routine basis.
But right now, Jones is just sitting on the bench twiddling his thumbs. He does play on the field goal unit as a protector, but other than that, he’s a spectator with a helmet. That’s not what you want out of your presumed franchise left tackle of the future, but that’s just what happens if you’re not in the starting lineup.
For many, however, there is little patience to pull the switch. While Jones may not be as prepared as he could be to be an every-down player right now, many are concerned about the quality of play at the left tackle position from Dan Moore Jr. It’s a debate over taking the rookie lumps and potentially harming the team in the short-term, or trying to smooth out the transition as much as possible. So far the team has chosen to take the latter approach, for no doubt what they think is in the best interests of both the team and the player.
