Like it or not, the Steelers have a major Dan Moore Jr. problem at hand

The Steelers have a major problem brewing along their offensive line, and it involves a familiar name. For the majority of the past three seasons, fans of the team have united against Dan Moore as a starting left tackle. Despite only being a fourth-round pick, Moore was thrust into the starting role as a rookie. Over the last three years, his play got better, but he was never much more than an average tackle.

The problem with Moore comes from an unexpected source though. Despite the Steelers doing their best to try and replace Moore, he has found a way to stick around. The team traded up for Broderick Jones with the hope of him becoming their franchise left tackle. He has mostly been on the right side. They followed that up by selecting Troy Fautanu this year in the first round, but he is also viewed as a right tackle and is currently injured.

Instead of continuing his trend of bad play though, Moore has turned it around this year in a major way. It has only been four games, but Moore has quickly become one of the best linemen on this team. Fans hate to admit it, but Moore has easily been the best tackle on the team this year and one could argue he is the best offensive lineman not named James Daniels.

Why is Moore’s year a problem for the Steelers

Moore playing well isn’t an issue in itself. Considering how inconsistent Jones has been, it has actually been a saving grace. The issue comes in the future of the position. Moore is playing on the final year of his rookie deal, as of now Pittsburgh has more questions than answers at tackle.

Fautanu looked good in very limited action, but he is likely going to miss the rest of his rookie season. Rumors have surfaced that the goal is for him to be back by the postseason, but that isn’t a sure thing. He will be a question mark heading into next year.

Jones hasn’t been a straight liability, but he has made a lot of mental errors. For every good play, he has an equally bad one and has added quite a few penalties to his resume. Tackles can take some time to progress (just look at Moore), but Jones has become a liability. On top of this, both have been right tackles through their short pro careers.

On paper, the easy choice is to just let Moore walk and shift Jones to the left side. That said, if Moore continues to shine and Jones continues to struggle, do you willingly throw away that talented starter? It seems like a risk considering the resources that have been used to improve this unit.

A new contract for Moore won’t be cheap. Offensive tackles are a scarce resource in the NFL. Elite ones get paid well, but even middling ones can see significant contracts. It isn’t uncommon for low-end starters to see deals in the 8-12 million dollar-a-year range. A good season from Moore could parlay that into an even bigger value.

Assuming Jones finishes the season how he has started, with more questions than answers as only a right tackle, allowing an ascending Moore to walk is a risk. However, paying Moore a fair market value is equally risky, as it puts the entire recent investment in the position in question. This is a conundrum for the team and one that could have a huge ripple effect for the team next offseason.