Steelers 2-a-days: Can Dan Moore keep his job? Toby Ndukwe seeks to be a hidden-gem OLB
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Steelers 2-a-days: Can Dan Moore keep his job? Toby Ndukwe seeks to be a hidden-gem OLB
Editor’s note: From the end of minicamp through the day the team reports to training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2023 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly alphabetical order, (at least) two per day, between June 16 and July 26. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
OT DAN MOORE JR.
Experience: 3rd season
Contract status: $1.11 million cap hit in 2023, signed through 2024
2023 outlook: If you take away Martavis Bryant in light of the fact that by this stage of his career he’d been suspended for an entire season, Moore has had the most accomplished two-season start to his career of any Steelers fourth-round pick of the Mike Tomlin era. Moore has started all but one game for the Steelers – and at one of the sport’s premium positions, too (left tackle).
Not bad for a player taken 128th overall in the 2021 draft. But as the Steelers offense remained unremarkable over the past two years, Moore became more of a fan target for the blame. Team management clearly went into this offseason with a directive to upgrade the offensive line, signing three veteran unrestricted free agents and investing a pair of draft picks at the position group.
The most premium capital expended on the O-line (first- and fourth-round picks, the latter used to trade up) just happened to be for a player at Moore’s position. The Steelers certainly didn’t draft Broderick Jones at No. 14 overall to have him sit or not play left tackle.
So where does that leave Moore? In the short term, nothing has changed. At least not yet. Moore held on to his first-team status during organized team activities and minicamp. And indications are he will continue to rep with the starters at left tackle when training camp starts later this month. How long can he hold off Jones? A couple weeks into camp? When the preseason games begin? When they end? When prep starts for the regular-season opener? The bye week?
It will be a storyline many will be watching. And they won’t be watching because of Moore. Most eyes will be on Jones and his development.
Still, Moore has proven he can be an adequate NFL starting tackle. Even if (when) he cedes the LT gig in Pittsburgh to Jones, Moore has shown he can play at the pro level.
> Most assumed Broderick Jones taking Dan Moore Jr.’s job at left tackle is an inevitability.
But now that minicamp is over, there is no indication Moore has been surpassed.@C_AdamskiTrib https://t.co/qUoK9h0OIC
— Tribune-Review Sports (@TribSports) June 16, 2023
OLB TOBY NDUKWE
Experience: Rookie
Contract status: $750,000 cap hit if he makes the team in 2023
2023 outlook: The Steelers long have applied star power to their outside linebackers. It’s a position they traditionally need playmakers at. Sometimes that might require finding an effective OLB in inconspicuous places.
NFL careers don’t come much more of a longshot than that of the rookie tryout. Ndukwe was that for the Steelers in early May after he went undrafted and even unsigned as a free agent out of Sam Houston State. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Ndukwe played there in 2022 for a sixth college season following an undistinguished run at SMU (five starts over five seasons, including a redshirt). Last fall at the lower level, Ndukwe was named all-Western Athletic Conference – but it wasn’t necessarily because of his pass-rushing production. Ndukwe registered one half of one sack last season among his 34 total tackles (19 solo, 10 for loss). He did have five QB hits, one interception and two batted-down balls.
Ndukwe, though, is seen as raw and indications are he impressed during OTAs and minicamp. He clearly impressed during rookie minicamp to get signed off of that tryout. He’ll get his chance to show what he can do, and a practice-squad spot during the regular season isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
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