Steelers’ “Decent Return” on “Splash” Trade Pitch Including Starter
Dan Moore Jr., a left lineman, was mentioned by Brooke Pryor of GettyESPN as a potential trade candidate for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
Some were surprised to see Dan Moore Jr. rejoin the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting lineup for Week 7. In his comeback, he performed admirably and seemed to lock down left tackle for the Steelers.
However, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor asserted that the Steelers might include Moore in a deal if Pittsburgh hopes to make a significant move prior to next week’s NFL trade deadline.
“Though it’s unlikely, dealing the starting left tackle would be a great way for the Steelers to make a big splash—especially with a first-round rookie in the wings,” Pryor wrote. In Week 5, the injured Moore was replaced by Brock Jones, the No. 14 pick in the April draft, who performed admirably. However, in Week 7, the Steelers returned a healthy Moore to the starting lineup.
“Moore, who has made 38 NFL starts, might command a respectable return from teams that are desperate for offensive line play.”
Moore has had a difficult season overall.Moore has a grade of 41 out of 100 this season, placing him 111th out of 120 NFL offensive linemen according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.
However, the NFL is a league that values recent accomplishments. Moore received a 77.5 player grade from PFF in Week 7.
With that record and his 38 career starts at the young age of 25, Moore would be a useful trade chip for another NFL team.
Dan Moore, a left tackle, could be moved by the Steelers before the NFL Trade Deadline.
Moore might be disposable, but the true reason is rookie Broderick Jones, even though Moore’s performance in Week 7 may make him an appealing trade piece for the Steelers.
When Moore was out in Week 5 due to a knee injury, Jones, who the Steelers traded up to choose at No. 14 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, on the field.
PFF reports that Jones had a strong performance in his first NFL start. In Week 5, he was graded as a 74.8 PFF player against the Baltimore Ravens.
In the majority of other games this season, Jones has not played much. However, among Steelers offensive players in 2023, the rookie left tackle gets the fifth-best player grade according to PFF.
The main reason the Steelers might trade Moore is to give Jones more playing time so he can mature into the star that is anticipated of him. The Steelers would also benefit if Moore’s trade resulted in a “good return.”
Reasons Moore Is Likely to Stay Put During the NFL Trade Deadline by the Steelers
Although the Steelers’ motivation to trade Moore is quite clear, Pryor called the idea “a long shot.”
Many Steelers pundits were let down when Moore replaced Jones in the starting lineup for Week 7. Once more, Jones had a strong debut season while Moore had trouble in the first quarter.
But it’s unlikely that the Steelers will feel at ease switching to Jones at left tackle now that Moore has had his best game of 2023. Even in the improbable event if the team acquired more draft picks as a consequence of this trade.
The Steelers believe they can make the playoffs, and they will probably act accordingly during the trade deadline.
This brings us to our second major reason for doubting a Moore trade. Pittsburgh would lose tackle depth if they made such a trade.
It’s not a move that would benefit the organization because Pittsburgh’s tackle depth behind Moore and Jones is questionable, according to Pryor’s analysis.
Fortunately, Jones is available to the Steelers in case Moore has another injury. In the event that Jones finally takes over as the starting left tackle, Moore will provide Pittsburgh with a strong backup in the event of an injury.
The Steelers would have to give up quarterback Kenny Pickett’s protection in exchange for a very large sum of money in the proposed transaction.
Sports writer Dave Holcomb writes about the Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers for Heavy.com. Holcomb, who is originally from Pittsburgh, has covered professional and collegiate sports for publications like Fansided, Rotowire, and Yardbarker.Additional information on Dave Holcomb
