Dan Moore's determined to be a starter on the Steelers' offensive line, and there's no one on South Water Street telling him he won't be exactly that.
Believe that from both sides, and believe it for a bunch of reasons.
I've been told that management's mind and eyes will be wide open upon arrival into Latrobe, as it applies not only to left tackle, where it's been presumed from the moment Broderick Jones was drafted that he'd have to outduel Moore to start as a rookie, but also at right tackle, where Chuks Okorafor is the line's most tenured starter.
Yeah, I was surprised, too. At least a little.
Okorafor's more experienced, entering his sixth NFL season even though he's still only 25 years old, while Moore's entering his fourth season at age 24, and Okorafor's got 52 starts to Moore's 33. Both were durable in 2022, with Moore not missing a snap and Okorafor missing just one. Moore allowed seven sacks, 39 quarterback pressures, 10 hits, and 22 hurries. Okorafor allowed only three sacks but with 41 pressures, five hits and 33 hurries. Sacks are obviously the least optimal outcome, but Okorafor was beaten more often.
Here's something else, per the film-based grading system at Pro Football Focus: Over the Steelers' final nine games, during which they went 7-2 and rushed for 146.4 yards per game, Moore was their highest-ranking offensive lineman at any position with a 67.8 overall score, a 70.8 pass blocking score and a 60.7 run blocking score. Okorafor was the worst in that same span at 57.9 overall, 62.7 pass blocking and 49.2 run blocking.
What's more, Okorafor's making a ton of money, with two more seasons on a contract that comes with cap hits of $13,083,333 this coming season and $11,833,334 next season. If were to be cut after the coming season, the Steelers would save $8.75 million toward their 2024 cap space. Moore's cap hits these next two seasons are a comparable pittance at $765,525 and $1,055,000.
Lots of moving parts. Stay tuned.
MORE STEELERS
• Nothing could've determined anything at OTAs or minicamp for any of the three tackles in question, beyond something as simple as Jones' preparedness as a rookie, etc. No one's doubting Jones in the long term, but it's not seen as automatic on the inside -- certainly not in the locker room -- that he'll start right away.
• Too many tight ends? Eh, we'll see, but I can share that there's no one currently working out of that room who sees Zach Gentry's job in jeopardy, even though he'd currently appear to be behind Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington and Connor Heyward, and even though the only three to break camp last year were Freiermuth, Gentry and Heyward. For one, there are NFL teams that carry four. For another, Heyward's potential usage, in addition to special teams, figures to be so flexible, he'd hardly be labeled a depth tight end. For yet another, if one of Freiermuth or Washington would go down, Gentry's by far the best fit to replace their predominant roles. But beyond that, again, it just doesn't seem to be part of the scene.
• So what will Heyward do? As he told me a few days ago, "A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and I'll be all over the building, too." That was a reference to the various positional rooms. But, just as Heyward shouldn't be viewed as a true tight end, don't apply that to fullback, either.
• There are times I wonder if the Steelers will even carry a true fullback ever again. This is one of those times.
• Treading very lightly here, but the passing of Super Bowl champion linebacker Clark Haggans at age 46 was met with overwhelming sadness among his former teammates, but also with regret. Their feeling is that the autopsy results from the Colorado coroner's office that's still investigating the death -- which so far has ruled out only foul play -- ultimately will point to an issue that could've been helped in the right circumstance. To which I'll add: Always, my friends, be that individual who reaches out, who tries to make a difference. One never knows.
• Deepest condolences to all for the loss.
PIRATES
• By the time Henry Davis was finally promoted from Class AAA Indianapolis, I'm told, he'd become exasperated to the extent that he was obsessing over every minute detail he could check off, even to the extent that, after he got the call, he wondered how he'd continue to motivate himself at that same level. As his first career home run last night in Miami might've illustrated, though, he'll be just fine in that regard. This is one dynamic young man.
• Even with the Pirates again picking No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft -- and hey, maybe that'll just remain an annual thing, right? -- Ben Cherington's not straying from his standard practice of letting the scouts do the lifting. Unlike his predecessor, Neal Huntington, who insisted on touring the pool of prospects personally for months on end, Cherington puts full faith in Steve Sanders Joe DelliCarri and their staffs to build the board, and that even includes the very top. Doesn't mean Cherington won't ask questions and won't have the ultimate say. Means he's just trying to remove potential late, small-sample-size bias from the process.
• Amazing how tight-lipped the Pirates have been through drafts under Cherington. Wasn't that way at all under Huntington. In fact, the only piece of information I've got to share on the subject of who they might choose came when I asked another team's scout about LSU slugger Dylan Crews, and he texted back a single word: 'Ping!' ... As anyone familiar with baseball parlance would pick up, that's a caustic reference to college power often being in doubt because of aluminum bats. This scout would prefer to see the Pirates take LSU pitcher Paul Skenes.
• Rodolfo Castro's taking his recent travails -- and they continued last night in Miami -- even harder than Roansy Contreras had been taking his. And I didn't think that was possible. There are some real messes in the clubhouse.
• Derek Shelton looked terrible, I thought, in not summoning David Bednar for the eighth inning last night, instead sticking too long with slumping Dauri Moreta, then bringing on a brand new rookie in Carmen Mlodzinski, both of whom would blow the game. The managing itself was indefensible. I've got nothing to offer in Shelton's favor. But I also can share here that Shelton received a good amount of blowback internally for his multiple-inning usage in 2022 of both Bednar and Wil Crowe, and it's at least possible that he's still got that in the back of his mind.
• If too many of these types of decisions feel pre-programmed, that might -- or might not -- have to do with the very common scene of a bunch of higher-ups sitting in Shelton's office after games. Never saw that under Lloyd McClendon, Jim Tracy, John Russell or Clint Hurdle. It's like a postgame congregation when the guy really ought to just be heading to his car.
PENGUINS
• The plan is to buy out Mikael Granlund. I know that seems obvious, and I know that'll surprise no one. But I'm sharing the actual plan, as opposed to what we think they'll do. And the only reason it hasn't happened yet is that ... man, one never knows if there's another Ron Hextall out there or, for that matter, if there's a trade of bad contracts to be had. Think Tanner Pearson for Erik Gudbranson, an exchange that actually helped both the Canucks and Penguins for a spell.
• Remember when Tristan Jarry told a group of reporters after the season finale in Columbus that he'd been battling through a recurring injury for months? Remember how we all wondered why in hell Mike Sullivan would start him in a totally meaningless game? Remember how I randomly speculated from that scene that night that Sullivan wouldn't appreciate Jarry sharing such a thing in that specific setting? ... Well, let's just say that random speculation occasionally pans out.
• I have so many more good stories from that night, but we've got a long summer ahead. I'll spread them out, I promise. How's one each week sound?
• Much would have to change for Jarry to be the Penguins' starter in the 2023-24 season. Very much.
• Much would have to be processed about Ryan Poehling, too, and his own ongoing health issue -- which I know but am not yet at liberty to divulge -- but he's very much a candidate to be brought back provided there's evidence the issue can be deemed manageable. And my goodness, the Penguins should certainly hope it is. He's young, fast, capable of contributing at both ends and a great kid. Everything they need.
• Thanks so much for reading Insider!
