Earlier this week, a surprising report surfaced from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Steelers insider Gerry Dulac that the team views Troy Fautanu as its second-best offensive lineman. The plan, according to Dulac, was for Fautanu to take over the full-time starting position in the second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills en route to starting Week 1 of the regular season. Perhaps the more surprising part of this report is that Broderick Jones would compete with Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle.
I think for most of the offseason, the assumption was that Jones would play left guard once Fautanu got the right tackle job. Omar Khan stated during the offseason that Jones would ultimately be left tackle. And Jones has said multiple times that he doesn’t care which side he plays on as long as he’s the starter. Is there a chance Jones loses that Week 1 battle and starts the season on the bench?
“The idea is Broderick Jones and Dan Moore are going to have a battle on the left side,” Dulac said on the North Shore Drive podcast Friday morning. “Well, Omar Khan is officially in and we all know they drafted Broderick Jones as left tackle… After he started 11 games at right tackle, they’re not going to bench Broderick Jones again. They drafted him number one last year for a reason and he’s going to be left tackle. So there’s not going to be a battle for left tackle.”
Due to an injury to Moore, Jones made his first start at left tackle last season in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens. It wasn’t until Week 9 that Jones earned a full-time starting spot at right guard. Since he started 11 games, including the Wild Card playoff game, it would be very unusual to demote him and bench him at this stage of his career.
I understand that Moore deserves respect after playing left tackle for three years, but Jones has developed into a leader on the offensive line. It wouldn’t be a good situation to send him to the bench. He was willing to do whatever the team asked of him and switched sides in the offseason.
With Zach Frazier on track to become a Week 1 starter, now is the time to rip off the Band-Aid and let the youth movement take hold on the offensive line. Jones – as the leader of the unit – has to be part of those plans.
