Steelers Tackle Competition Has No Bad Blood Within it
The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle situation is not one that carries bad blood with it despite a fierce competition taking place.
PITTSBURGH — In back-to-back seasons, the Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly drafted Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu to replace Dan Moore Jr. at left tackle. He stuck it out last year, as Chuks Okorafor got benched while Jones worked at right tackle. But with Fautanu in the fold, it could spell the end for Moore’s starting days in a Steelers uniform. Yet, the veteran is certainly not taking the move to heart.
While there is fierce competition between those three tackles, Moore has pulled Fautanu off to the side in hopes of mentoring him. Jones is doing the same, helping the rookie with his most recent experience of going through an entire NFL season. All of that is helping Fautanu get up to speed faster than he would have if no veteran held his hand and helped him. But Jones says that just indicates the room and culture they have with each other.
“We help each other as much as possible,” Jones said. “Me and Dan hang out all the time. He comes over to my house all the time. Yeah, we know it’s a competition. Everybody knows it’s a competition. Coach lets us know it’s a competition. But at the end of the day, I don’t feel like we look at it [negatively]. There’s no bad blood between [anybody].”
Fautanu is learning a new position at right tackle. He worked there in practice while at Washington, but he had never played a game on that side. Fautanu is not a raw player, but he needs to adjust to NFL speed and athleticism.
When he talked about having a ‘rough’ first week, that is essentially what he referred to rather than actual struggles. The offensive line essentially plays pattycake in OTAs, but Fautanu has two players in Jones and Moore to fall back on whenever he has questions. That selflessness from both players will go a long way in getting Fautanu up to speed, especially if the team wants him to start Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.
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