The Steelers’ offensive tackle room is a major error.
The rippling effect is costing the Steelers money even though they are reportedly ready to start Troy Fautanu at the beginning of the season.
The Steelers have a lengthy history of integrating rookies gradually into the starting lineup. Even though the rookie was an early pick, the team lets them get some experience under their belt before allowing them to take the starting job since they want every starter to have earned it. Although this move has drawn criticism from some, I support it because it gives a young athlete some time to find their feet.
The Steelers have also prioritized position versatility along the offensive line in a more recent trend. Even if it wasn’t their intended position, almost every rookie selected in the draft has spent time at other positions. This makes total sense for depth selections in the middle and late rounds. But the tackle room is starting to feel the pain from it.
The young tackles for the Steelers are being mishandled.
Although I don’t have anything against Fautanu becoming the starting pitcher right away, there are a lot of other concerns. Soon after picking Fautanu, the team stated that they wanted him to be their starting right tackle, but as a rookie, you had Jones play there most of the time. In theory, this shouldn’t be a problem because Jones could have just been moved back to the left side permanently.
The Steelers have instead concentrated on switching up their tackles on both sides of the line once more. Dan Moore has been the most reliable player, playing virtually exclusively on the left side. Now when Fautanu is scheduled to begin but is likewise unable to prepare, how will
It is really annoying that the Steelers could have arrived at camp with this arrangement. Jones could have started at left tackle with Fautanu on the right, or he could have slotted Cook or Moore there if they insisted that a veteran start before him. Fautanu was obviously ready to play, and if he had imploded, you could have moved Jones back to the right side until he was. The team didn’t really need much convincing.
Though it has been encouraging to see the team invest two first-round picks in tackles, they still need to do a better job of securing tackles for the long term. Tackle is perhaps the most essential position on the offensive line.
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