Can Moore beat out Chuks?

I'm rooting for him. Chuks at LT scares me.

https://steelersdepot.com/2021/08/can-dan-moore-jr-really-beat-out-chukwuma-okorafor/

 

I think Moore is going to be the better player, maybe even this season, but I also agree with the assessment in the article. Okorafor is the better pass blocker right now, and that has to be the priority.

 

Based on the analysis I say Chuks. If Moore proves to be a more consistent pass blocker then fine. But the 1st priority needs to be to keep Ben on the field.

 

But we haven't seen him at LT and how he works with the LG.

 

he wasn't doing to bad in pass protection in the game. i'm not sure there is a great deal of difference between he and okrafor in that aspect of the game. if we are talking one sack a game or one pressure a game then the run blocking difference which is much greater by moore will outweigh the difference. ben can't hold the ball like in the past with either guy.

 

NO.

 

It has to be? Sure about that? Not with the commitment to the run we're supposed to have, and the rookie RB that's supposed to save our offense from the depths of the division. Besides, Ben is still going to be one of the quickest releases in football this season. He has to be. So his blind side tackle needs to be good, but not great, at pass blocking. He needs, however, to be able to get nasty and open holes for our RB with far better results than last year. Run blocking trumps pass blocking this season. Feel free to whine your factless opinions at me how you disagree.

I agree with you, but like I said above, I'm taking it a step further. Neither tackle is going to the pro-bowl. Neither is going to grade out near the top of their position. So if we need a better pass blocker or run blocker and have to simply choose one over the other, I'll choose a better run blocker. Ben's not going to be a pocket passer with time to go through his progressions...unless the running game is dominant. And that starts with the OL being able to run block.

 

there's that yin yang thing I talked about in another thread....you get hyped because one guy is killing it but yet depressed because he's doing it over a potential starter.

some of those drills are geared to benefit one side or the other so posts like that need some context imo. Was it in teams or individuals?

 

Yes, it has to be. The left tackle's most important job is to protect the quarterback's blindside. This is true even in a balanced offense. Your assumption regarding getting the ball out quickly is dubious at best. That was a huge part of the problem on offense last year. Yes, there are times he will have to get the ball out quickly, but that can't be every pass. If it is, you end up with the same predictability that turned the offense to crap late last season. I don't think either option is going to be great in pass protection. Okorafor has the best chance of being merely good. Moore could very well be a disaster in that area, and no offense can afford that from its left tackle.

 

All fair points. One problem last season was that we couldn't run block OR pass block. If we could have held the line of scrimmage, Ben wouldn't have led the league in fastest release. There is no indication that our pass blocking will be better this season. Could it be? Sure. Will it? Who knows. So to say things will change simply because we don't want to be predictable is silly. And to say that Ben's blindside "has to be" the priority is myopic. In order to have a balanced offense, we're going to need the OL opening lanes and sustaining blocks at the point of attack, not getting pushed back into the backfield on a regular basis like last year. That has to be the priority, as it was mandated from the top down. No one is saying that pass blocking and protecting Ben's blindside aren't important.

 

Do you need someone to explain to you why predictability is crippling for an offense? It seems that you do. I'm saying the Steelers can't just rely on getting the ball out quickly so often. We saw the results of that approach late last season.

I guess you think just about every team in the NFL is myopic because prioritizing pass protection at left tackle is pretty standard and has been for a very long time.

 

My bad. I thought that Rooney said that running the ball was the priority, not protecting Ben's blindside. He must have said that protecting Ben's blindside was what we were going to focus on and that's why we drafted a RB in the first round. Yeah, I missed that. I see it so much clearer now. Protecting Ben's blindside is going to make us a better running team. Got it. Thanks for clearing that up. You da man.

 

You do realize it is possible to make the running game a priority while still using the better pass blocker at left tackle, right? That is why you do things like spending the first-round pick on a running back and drafting a tight end who can actually block. I'm really sorry you are having such trouble with these concepts.

 

chuks can't do in the run game what moore can. i'm not sure there is a lot of difference in the pass protection game either. we shall see.

 

That marginal pass pro difference will be helpful on 2nd and 3rd and longs after Chuks gets the newly emphasized run plays blown up in the backfield time and time again.

 

Haven't seen enough yet from either. The pre season will dictate but if I was a betting man Okorafor will start. But may the best 5 be put out there so if Moore beats him out so be it.

 

https://steelersdepot.com/2021/08/a...eally-mature-young-man-not-an-error-repeater/

good news. also looks like klemm and morgan have things going in the right direction so far.

 

I really love Klemm's quote, "He's not an error repeater." In other words, he listens, processes and does what's necessary to improve his play. Sounds like a bright kid. I hope he is an option for Ben's blind side, because I don't think Okorafor is a long term option. It would be nice if he proved otherwise.

 

Hope Highsmith doesn't get too good. We could be the first team to pay $60 million a year for our two OLB.

 

He could save the team so much time and energy if he turns out to be a gem. Especially when you're trying to rebuild the ENTIRE OL at once.

Teams gotta get lucky once in awhile. Maybe we have with Dotson and Moore on that left side. I'm not in love with the Green pick as of yet. I'm hoping for the best, but I'm not as convinced as others that he is the heir apparent of 50 years of Center excellence quite yet.

 

If he starts considering where he was drafted, yeah he's carrying the mantle imo.