Mike Tomlin is one of the best head coaches in the NFL. We are not here to argue that point. However, many Steelers fans have grown tired of his act. The standard cannot be first-round postseason exits and mid-round draft selections. In many ways, Tomlin's unwillingness to embrace a rebuild for the sake of 9-8 records has cost the Steelers the opportunity to go all-in around a young quarterback. In the process, Pittsburgh has forced far too many of those same draft picks into uncomfortable positions. This includes Dan Moore, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft by Tomlin's regime.
Moore was a disaster near the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh. The Steelers asked Moore to play multiple positions on the offensive line. That flexibility is why he was valued by Tomlin, whether it be at left tackle or right guard. Moore never really stood out at any one position in part because he never got to develop his skillset in one spot. There's a downside to adaptability, and Moore found that out the hard way.
Dan Moore impresses Titans coaching staff at training camp
This offseason, Moore signed a lucrative free-agent deal with the Tennessee Titans. Moore will be tasked with protecting a Titans asset the Steelers never had in No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. Moore is slotted as the Titans starting left tackle, and will be paid handsomely to protect Ward's blind side. The jury is still out as to where that'll be a productive choice by Tennessee, but so far, Moore has received rave reviews in Nashville. Offensive line coach Bill Callahan had nothing but good things to say about Moore.
"So the big thing with Dan is, coming out of the system he was in, we're tweaking his pass sets. We are trying to get him more physical. Dan's worked extremely hard and has been unbelievably receptive and open to new ideas...and you can see his athleticism show up on the edge. We're working in training camp on not getting him any chip help. We're cutting him loose," Callahan said.
Essentially what Callahan is saying is that Moore has made a lot of strides when he has been allowed to focus on his natural position, which is left tackle. There's a reason Tennessee signed Moore to a four-year, $82 million deal this offseason. It's because they believe in him at one of football's most important positions.
Steelers fans have another reason to question Mike Tomlin
Moore's success alone wouldn't be enough to put Tomlin on the chopping block. However, the Steelers coach has a theme of moving players out of position. Just asked Broderick Jones, who has played right tackle and now left tackle in Steelers training camp. Jones has flaws of his own, but moving him around the offensive line has not helped matters. Jones showed up to training camp underweight and already suffered a groin injury. If there is anything someone like Moore can relate to, it's being forced into an uncomfortable position.
Should Jones – a player Tomlin vouched for prior to drafting him – fail while Moore performs up to his contract in Tennessee, it should force Omar Khan and Steelers ownership to take a long look at what put them in this position to begin with. Pittsburgh cannot afford to play games with a 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers under center.