The Pittsburgh Steelers are preparing for a shakeup on their offensive line. Pittsburgh could be without tackle Broderick Jones for the entire season and as a result drafted Max Iheanachor and Gennings Dunker to beef up the offensive line.
Fautanu The Key Man
The Steelers used the 20th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to select Troy Fautanu, the offensive lineman will be entering his third season in the league. The former Washington man will be expected to play multiple different positions.
In an article on ESPN Brook Pryor had this on Fautanu,
“I’ve had a lot of talks with the coaches,” Fautanu said last week. “Right now it’s still kind of up in the air. First day of OTAs is just kind of getting out there. Obviously the past couple of weeks [I’ve] been flipping back and forth, just trying to get comfortable. But obviously if they ask me to play that, I’m going to play.”
“… If you work hard enough at something, you have enough reps, you’re going to get good at it. So obviously I played right for two years and thousands and thousands of reps doing that. I got really comfortable there, but if I’m being asked to move to the left, then I can do it.”
Mike McCarthy has made it a priority to protect Aaron Rodgers’ blindside,
“Obviously they’re gifted athletically, the way they’re wired, very smart players,” McCarthy said, explaining the reasoning behind the move. “… I just really wanted to get that left side set and those guys were excited about it, too.”
Fautanu who played on the left side in college said it took some time to get back in the swing of things,
“The first day that I took some reps [on the left], obviously it was a little rusty,” Fautanu said. “I haven’t been in the left-hand stance in two years, since probably predraft training. But yeah, it’s getting there. Being in a right-hand stance right now, I can do it just like writing with my right hand. I’m not ambidextrous, but if I were to write with my left hand for a year, I’d probably get good at it.”
Broderick Jones Update
Pryor believes that movement and a versatile offensive line could be crucial with Broderick Jones’ health in question,
“While working at different positions is part of McCarthy and Campen’s philosophy of developing a versatile offensive line, the early moves are also out of necessity. Seumalo departed the Steelers in free agency, and though Broderick Jones is present at OTAs, the Steelers’ 2023 first-round pick remains sidelined as he continues to rebuild his strength and work back from a season-ending neck injury and resulting spinal fusion surgery.”
Earlier this year the Steelers declined Jones’ fifth-year option from his rookie deal as he deals with his neck injury,
“We’re monitoring it day by day, we’ll go from there,” Jones said. “… It’s all a business at the end of the day. I’m coming off of a neck injury. Nobody knows what the future holds for me. … I don’t have any ill will or nothing toward him. I’m down to help Max wherever he needs me, because at the end of the day, all of us got to be ready.”
Mike McCarthy Reshuffles Steelers’ O-Line