With second-year pro Broderick Jones in line to eventually move over to left tackle and rookie first-round pick Troy Fautanu looking like the future at right tackle, veteran offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. finds himself in a bit of a tough spot with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
While he’s started 49 of a possible 50 games at left tackle the last three seasons for the Steelers as a former fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M, Moore finds himself with serious competition for the job entering his fourth season in the NFL.
That competition could ultimately land Moore in a swing-tackle role in the NFL. Though he views himself as a left tackle in the NFL, Moore — who spoke to reporters Tuesday following the first day of OTAs — said that he’s willing to adapt to whatever the Steelers need moving forward, even if that means putting him in an uncomfortable position working as a right tackle at times, too.
“Yeah, it’s one of those things where it’s a fine line. I mean, based off of the amount of starts that I have on the left side, I would like to view myself as a left tackle in this league,” Moore said regarding his outlook on the position for the Steelers. “The reality is, there’s competition. Teams have different views, so it’s kind of just wherever they need me, then I gotta adapt.”
Dan Moore Jr. viewing himself as a left tackle in the NFL isn’t anything new or groundbreaking.
In fact, he should view himself as a left tackle in the NFL. He has nearly 50 starts there in his career in the NFL with the Steelers, and he started there right away since his rookie season.
But just because he views himself as a left tackle in the NFL, and a starting-caliber one at that, doesn’t mean that the Steelers or other NFL teams see it the same way. It’s worth noting, though, that the Steelers, at least according to the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, have not had internal conversations about Moore at right tackle.
Pittsburgh addressed the tackle position the last two years in the first round of the draft, landing Jones and then Fautanu, putting Moore in competition for not only a starting job but also potentially a roster spot.
If he loses out on the competition against Jones and Fautanu, that would put him into a swing tackle role, where he’d have to learn right tackle and be ready to go at a moment’s notice in-game. That could be tough for Moore, who has stated in the past his lack of comfort on the right side.
He made similar comments to reporters on Tuesday.
“Not everyone can play both sides. The people that can are really blessed and really athletic people,” Moore said regarding playing the right side of the offensive line. “But yeah, I kind of just do whatever they tell me.”
Not everyone can play either side of the offensive line. It’s not as easy as switching sides. Techniques change, stances change, movements change—all of it. It’s hard.
But if Dan Moore Jr. wants to improve his stock as an NFL offensive tackle, he’s going to need to add right tackle abilities to his resume, period. He might as well get a jump on it now.
