The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted OT Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and the addition of Fautanu could spell the end of Dan Moore Jr.’s time in Pittsburgh. During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan Friday morning, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentioned that Moore could find himself getting cut if Fautanu proves himself.
“He’s pretty restricted in what he can play, and I think he’s only a left tackle. I don’t even know if Dan Moore’s gonna be on this 53-man roster in September for that reason,” Fittipaldo said. “If Fautanu proves he can be that guy, he can be a Day 1 starter in July and August, I don’t know how Dan Moore fits on this football team.”
It’s interesting to consider that Moore could get cut instead of serving as the team’s swing tackle. There are names in free agency the Steelers could add on the cheap to serve as a swing tackle, which could be a better option given that the team isn’t comfortable with Moore as a right tackle, hence why Broderick Jones has had to play out of position at right tackle last season.
Fautanu is going to play tackle, but the team hasn’t said yet if it will be on the left or right side. He was primarily a left tackle during his collegiate career, playing just two snaps at right tackle at Washington. Still, Fittipaldo does believe he’s going to be a right tackle for the Steelers, and we’ll likely get an idea of where the team plans to play him at rookie minicamp in two weeks.
Cutting Moore would obviously be a surprising move after starting at left tackle for the team over the past three seasons, but he’s struggled a bit and the Steelers obviously wanted an upgrade, hence why they targeted Fautanu. Moore’s inability to really swing due to his struggles on the right side makes it tough to find a spot for him on the roster if Fautanu wins the job. Of course, the Steelers were cautious with Jones last season, not inserting him into the starting lineup until Week 9, so it’s not a guarantee that Fautanu wins the job right off the bat, especially if Pittsburgh wants to be a little bit cautious.
But it would be a surprise at this point if Moore was on the roster beyond the 2024 season, as he is going into the last year of his deal and presumably Fautanu and Jones are the long-term answers at tackle. Now, it just might be a question of whether or not he makes it to Week 1.
