I have been an adamant Dan Moore Jr. supporter since when he was drafted. It is very rare for a fourth-round pick at tackle to pan out. While Moore has been far from perfect, he has steadily improved every season and has been a consistent, albeit lackluster, starter on the left side. That hasn’t stopped fans from adamantly wanting him off the roster.
From a general push to see him traded following the departure of Diontae Johnson and Kenny Pickett to a general desire to just see him cut outright, there is a large contingent of fans who think he can’t be around this year. Now there is a report from Ray Fittipalo on 93.7 The Fan that Moore might not make the final roster.
This is completely asinine. While the report is clear that Moore not making the team is dependent on how the draft shakes out, I find it hard to believe Moore isn’t on the Steelers roster this year. While his salary has increased due to his play, he is still cheap and can provide depth for this roster.
Why should Moore stick with the Steelers
While I do believe that Moore is on this roster this year, I am also an advocate that this team should invest their top pick in a tackle this year. Naturally, a first-round pick would be expected to eventually start, and that would send Moore to the bench. I’m fine with that, as he would provide good depth.
Even if Moore shifts to the bench, he still provides a lot of value to this team. Tackle depth is hard to find in this league, so why would you willingly throw that away? While the Steelers seem concerned with his ability on the right side, you can always have him play there more in the offseason to get up to speed.
It isn’t like Moore has a bad attitude either. It’s quite the opposite, as he appears to be a hard worker and is open to competition. Just look at last year, as he was willing to embrace the battle for the left tackle role (a job he ultimately won) even though his odds were long. He didn’t roll over and give up as many players in his position do (or seek a new team).
That doesn’t mean Dan Moore Jr. is an elite player or deserves to continue to start, but why try and kick him off the roster for no reason?
As a former fourth-round pick, Moore is a success story. Though he has struggled to take that step to become a great starter, he has continued to work and try to better his craft. While he is close to his ceiling, and an upgrade long-term is needed, don’t keep trying to chase him off the roster this year.
Even as a bench player this year, assuming he doesn’t start, Moore's attitude and work ethic, along with his experience, make it nonsensical to want him off the roster.