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Former Steelers Wide Receiver Speaks Out About Wanting Out

By Craig Gottschalk

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The Steelers picked up a promising replacement slot receiver when the signed former Saints receiver, Lance Moore.

The Steelers lost Jerricho Cotchery (yeah remember him?) weeks before when they lost a bidding war with the Carolina Panthers. Along with Cotchery’s exit, so too did 10 touchdowns from the previous season – the highest among anyone other than the guy slinging them.

Moore had big shoes to fill, but many (myself included) felt that Moore was a good option even if he wouldn’t rack up the same amount of touchdowns than he predecessor.

Things went awry for Lance from the very beginning. Somehow he got off on the wrong foot with offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Moore was limited during training camp due to a minor groin injury and might as well sent his face to be put on a milk carton at the start of the season.

Haley’s reasoning for Moore’s lack of playing time was simply, “He’s not ready yet.”

Strange when a veteran of Moore’s caliber, especially a receiver who came from a powerful offensive system and another Top 5 quarterback, should find a rather easy time inserting themselves into the new system.

The Where’s Lance? saga continued throughout the entire season. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Moore was in on only 264 of the Steelers 1134 total offensive snaps – second to only Darrius Heyward-Bey’s dismal 127.

The icing on the cake? Moore was a healthy scratch for the Wild Card game against the Ravens.

That’s what Moore spoke about to the Detroit Press on Friday.

"I knew the day after the playoff loss that we had, I knew that I didn’t want to be there anymore. They made me inactive. And I knew at that point that the writing is on the wall. I could see what their future plans were for me; it was the first time in my career that I was a healthy inactive."

Ouch.

Moore found himself playing behind the surging Martavis Bryant and Markus Wheaton as the season went on. Even when he had a chance to make a play, he had a few drops.

Could he have made more of his time with the team? Maybe, if that groin injury didn’t hamper him from the beginning.

But, to be listed as inactive yet still have someone like Heyward-Bey active… that’s got to be a rather low feeling in one’s career.

So, Moore wanted out and quickly got his wish. Moore signed with the Lions a couple months after his release.

Maybe he’ll do well there with Matt Stafford.

We may never know what really went down between Moore and the coaching staff and why he was so limited that he never had a chance to sync up with Big Ben. And, unfortunately, it may have brewed a little bad blood between Moore and the Steelers organization.

Next: Player Preview: Doran Grant

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