The culture of the Pittsburgh Steelers has always been defined by grit and toughness. Usually, that means the team is winning up front in the trenches on both sides of the ball, dominating with a high level of physicality. While the defense, when healthy, has done a serviceable job at maintaining this expectation, the offense has seen many ups and downs in recent years.
With the team essentially undergoing a complete overhaul along the offensive line in the past few years, some growing pains are to be expected. But when you’re the Steelers and you have a reputation as being one of the most accomplished franchises in the league, there are certain expectations that have to be met sooner rather than later.
After trading up in the first round last year to draft Broderick Jones, it’s clear Pittsburgh understands it must commit to improving its offensive line to succeed. While Jones was drafted to play left tackle, he spent the majority of the 2023 season on the opposite side. He played well enough for a rookie tackle starting at a different position, but the team will need him to quickly develop into a franchise tackle, especially with so many questions at quarterback. Having a trusted blindside protector helps any quarterback immensely.
The future seems to be bright for Jones, and he recently received high praise from former Steelers guard Ramon Foster. Foster played 11 years in the NFL, all with the Steelers, and was part of some of the best offensive lines the team has ever had. On a recent episode of The Arthur Moats Experience with Deke Podcast, Foster had some encouraging words for both Jones and Dan Moore Jr.
“A stud. I’m talking about every bit of one. I’m talking about a stud. He is an athlete. I’ve seen conversations and articles come up about moving him to the left side and whatnot. I do think he can play it. I saw some of the stuff he’s capable of doing,” Foster said when asked about Jones. “Here’s what I will say too. I know a lot of people don’t feel this way, [but] I am a Dan Moore fan. If he can move over to the right side, make a team sacrifice, and master that in some sense, maybe having him and Broderick over controlling those anchors at right and left tackle can bode well for them.”
It’s reassuring to hear a former player with as much positive offensive line play as Foster give high praise to a player like Jones. His idea of Jones playing left tackle while Moore plays on the right side is one many fans were hoping to see last year. Unless the team invests in a new starting tackle, that could be the combination fans see this season. Whatever the case ends up being though, Jones needs to be heavily involved.
Foster even compared Jones to Maurkice Pouncey, saying that some of his comments last year about wanting to dominate in the run game sounds like something the Steelers legend would have said. Foster’s point is that Jones needs to be as much of a vocal leader as a leader on the field.
“So I’ll say this, if this gets to him in some capacity. I had run across Broderick Jones or had a conversation with him, but if I was him and he feels that way, I would ask him to go to Florida — I think Pouncey’s in Fort Lauderdale — and spend a few days with him and ask him what was it like,” Foster said. “As young as he is, he gotta know how to navigate those waters, and there’s nobody better to talk to than Maurkice about that.”
Considering the amount of respect every Steeler who played with him has for Pouncey, it would do wonders for the team and Jones if the Georgia product could learn from him. While the two play different positions, they were brought into the team under similar circumstances. Both were drafted in the first round to help shore up and lead struggling offensive lines. If Jones has even half the career and impact Pouncey had, the Steelers will be more than happy with their investment in him. Just as well, to win another Super Bowl, they’ll need that caliber of player up front.
