NFL Rumors: 3 Steelers who should be traded before the season starts, 1 to hold onto

NFL Rumors: Steelers cannot afford to trade Dan Moore Jr.

I said it before and I’ll say it again — by most accounts, Dan Moore Jr. has had a better training camp than Broderick Jones. That’s not exactly a shocker, as Moore has seniority and Jones is learning on the fly. But for now, the Steelers cannot afford to trade Moore away.

Moore has experience at several positions along the offensive line, making him immensely valuable to a Pittsburgh team that has struggled at times to win the line of scrimmage. Yet, late last year, the Steelers were finally able to establish their running game, and it resulted in an undermanned group led by a rookie QB which almost made the playoffs. If Moore and the Pittsburgh offensive front can repeat that success in 2023, who knows what they’re capable of?

The best version of the Steelers offensive line in the years to come could feature both Jones and Moore, with the rookie hopefully fulfilling expectations and Moore moved to a different position. Mark Kaboly of The Athletic wrote a scathing review of Jones training camp a few weeks back. While he has improved some since then, it wasn’t a good look for the rookie:

"“Dan Moore Jr. looks good. Probably because he has 34 starts (including playoffs) in two years. Meanwhile, Jones’ head looks like it is swimming. Well, at least to me. When it comes to what the Steelers should and eventually will do at left tackle when they open the season next month, we tend to look at the big picture way more than the here and now. That’s wrong.”"

Jones will be fine, but Moore is better and well ahead of pace. Don’t force Jones into action just because he’s a first-round selection.