Broderick Jones

Jones was beat out at Lt last year. So far this year he hasn’t looked any better. While Moore has looked solid. We’ve seen 20 snaps from fautanu. In those snaps he’s given up at least one sack. Unfortunately he’s been injured so we haven’t seen anything from him to suggest he’s ready to start day 1. You just want to hand people positions instead of letting them earn it. That is a recipe for losing.

 

I don't believe that at all. We didn't want to rush Jones, so we started the year with Moore and Chuks. Jones forced his way onto the field in practice and his performance during the first Ravens game when Moore was injured. We viewed him as better than Chuks, so we started him out at RT. We would have played him at LT if Moore was at all capable at playing RT, but he isn't (for whatever reason). Also, Jones outplayed Moore on the field last season. He was our best run blocker, was a better pass protector than Moore, and was less penalized. Jones headed into camp this year as our best tackle. One bad preseason outing against the Bills isn't going to change that. The only reason we started him at RT is because we weren't sure when Fautanu was going to be ready to start. If we go Fautanu at RT, then the only logical thing to do is to start Jones at LT. We aren't "giving" him a spot. Jones earned it.

2023 stats
Moore - 16 starts - 8 sacks allowed - 2 holding - 0 false start - 1 delcined/offsetting
Jones - 11 starts - 4 sacks allowed - 1 holding - 0 false start - 0 declined/offsetting

It comes down to Fautanu. The second Fautanu is ready, Moore goes to the bench. Simple. Nobody is getting anything that isn't earned.

 

I know Matt Williamson was there and said that when it happened, it didn't look good. It was during practice I believe.

 

What did Fautanu earn?

 

Apparently the RT job. He didn't really have much competition. The only guy that he really had to compete with (self-admittedly) can't play RT... He just had to convince the coaches that he is better at RT than Moore is at LT. If the reports are true about how the coaching staff feels about Fautanu, then he has.

 

OK. I have not been getting that same info. From what I have been reading and hearing on the podcasts, Moore is still ahead of Jones and Fautanu at LT, and Jones is ahead of Fautanu at RT. Fautanu is expected to be the backup for both OT spots. Anderson is the emergency OT backup since Dylan Cook may or may not go to IR.

Am I getting all the wrong info?

 

It was a report from Dulac and someone else. Essentially it was that the Steelers planned on starting Fautanu at RT because they viewed him as our 2nd best OL already. I hadn't heard anything else to say that we still view Moore as our best tackle.

If your info is correct its scary. Moore at his best is BARELY a starting quality tackle, and realistically probably isn't. If we spent first round picks at OT in consecutive years and neither of them are better than Moore, then we have some issues in our scouting department.

 

Agreed. Moore is a liability in pass protections. Maybe not so much in this run first offense? Ŵe will find out.
I should say has been a liability.

 

A one-armed Jones is NOT better than a 100% Moore. The way Jones protects that arm is like a flashing neon sign to DEs; "c'mon and chop block me where it hurts most".

 

So nobody knows how , or when he got injured??? What I'm trying to say is I didn't hear anything about it until he started playing bad, and I see he had a brace.

 

Hmm

 

This is what I'm hearing also.

 

You’re delusional. Chuks got the bench for throwing in the towel during a game

 

better feel very lucky we have dan moore on this team right now. being a 4 year starting LT in the NFL even if ranked as the 32nd best guy is better than a lot of others. he doesn't go week in and week out against the other teams 32 ranked pass rusher. he does a far better job than many think, and is still doing it.

 

thank you, this / that is not good.

curious if rest would heal him?

don't like it, either way.

 

No, they were looking for a reason to get him in after playing so well in Pittsburgh against Baltimore. He got in and played like our best or second best lineman for the rest of the year. Nothing I said is incorrect.

 

i had said when it happened. i read the first padded practice.

 

i guess lucky, but still screwed. We will struggle this year. may not win 9. this offense will yet again be offensive. Dan Moore would be 2nd string on 31 other rosters.

 

Facepalm all you want, it doesn't change the facts. Our O-Line's performance and ability to run the ball in 2023 was DIRECTLY influenced by whether or not Jones was on the field. He started 11 games and played most of the Houston game as well. Look at the difference in play...

Without Jones (5 games)
Harris - 56 carries, 205 yards (3.66 avg) 1 TD
Warren - 28 carries, 106 yards (3.78 avg) 1TD
Combined - 84 carries, 311 yards (3.7 avg) 2 TD

With Jones (12 games)
Harris - 199 carries, 830 yards (4.17 avg) 7 TD
Warren - 121 carries, 678 yards (5.60 avg) 3 TD
Combined - 320 carries, 1,508 yards (4.71 avg) 10 TD

Jones came in and changed the whole trajectory of our run game. His athleticism and ability to move folks in space turned us into a real rushing threat. We essentially changed NOTHING across the entirety of the OL except for Jones and averaged a whole yard per carry more than before. He was a better run blocker than Moore in 2023... He was a better pass blocker than Moore in 2023 (as evidenced by stats provided in previous posts).... Heck, he was vastly better rated across the board by PFF than Moore. The simple truth is that he was a better player than Moore in 2023. He was our best tackle, and it really wasn't all that close. Our tackle play had been TERRIBLE prior to Jones' arrival, which is why the team was LOOKING for an excuse to get him on the field. Chuks didn't "throw in the towel" he made a remark within Tomlin's earshot that we would be better off kneeling out the game on offense than running the same stupid plays that aren't working. It was an enough to warrant a disciplinary action AND give us the chance to finally put Jones on the field after a quality outing against the Ravens and partial outing against the Texans. Two birds, one stone.

Jones still has work to do and isn't a finished product, but to say that he didn't EARN the starting LT job over Moore is ridiculous and simply not true. He earned it on the field in 2023 and really deserved to run with the 1's at LT from day 1. It is only Moore's inability to play RT at all that forced Jones to go over there until Fautanu is ready to start. Jones should start week 1 at LT because he's earned it. I'm not sitting him because of a bad quarter of preseason play. If he's healthy enough to be on the field, he should be the starter. Period.

 

We did change qbs and OCs.

 

At this point they should know Moore's strengths and weaknesses and adapt accordingly. If you are utilizing Washington as a blocker motion him to the left and have him help Moore out. I have held out hope that Smith's system will focus on communication on the oline to teach them all to be patient. If you don't have a defender in front of you, don't create a path straight to your QB because you think chipping in on a dbl team is a good move. For Moore he has to stop letting edge guys take the big loop and thinking hey this great no way he can get to my QB only to have the QB holding on to the ball.

 

I don't think I was on here for that time....so I missed reading it

 

He isn't the 32nd best LT though, there are just only 31 other starting LT's.... He is probably behind a number of backups/swing tackles in ability and performance. He didn't even perform at a back up level according to PFF.

We aren't super lucky to have Moore in the starting lineup, we are very much stunted by him being there. He is a back up level player that can't be a swing backup because he is incapable of playing the right side (by his own admission). It is fine to have someone with as much starting experience as he has in a back up role, but if an injury were to occur at the RT position, we would HAVE to move our LT to RT and put Moore at LT... which is less than ideal. His best shot at having a long NFL career was to learn RT at an acceptable level and be a good quality swing back up with a lot of starting experience. Instead he is going to be a primary back up LT only that could easily be pushed out of a rotation simply due to position flexibility. He isn't a starting caliber player and he will not be a starting LT in 2025.

He will be easily replaced in the offseason with an individual that will likely be able to play both T positions at a higher level than he plays LT at.