The Steelers have turned their roster over considerably this offseason, with some position rooms experiencing more upheaval than others. As we prepare for training camp, in this series, we’ll look back on the prominent faces no longer in Pittsburgh. For the sake of brevity, we’ll review them in groups, each headed by one of the bigger names.
OT Dan Moore Jr.:
Steelers fans couldn’t wait to see the back of Dan Moore Jr., but little did they know why. As things stand, Pittsburgh is in line to net a high third-round compensatory pick for losing Moore. While one may question the Titans’ decision to sign him to a fat contract, Yinzers will not complain.
Still, by any objective measure, Dan Moore Jr. was a very good fourth-round pick. The Steelers got 66 starts at left tackle out of him, and it wasn’t all horrible, despite popular narratives. After all, there were games where he kept Myles Garrett off the stat sheet, for example.
But Moore is gone, and thus, it serves no real purpose to defend him now. He isn’t suddenly going to blossom into an All-Pro. But the Steelers remain in a pickle, even if it’s one of their own doing. The thing is, they don’t know if they have a solution at left tackle. The Steelers traded up in the first round in 2023 for Broderick Jones, yet he couldn’t unseat Moore for two years. Hopefully, Pittsburgh won’t live to regret seeing the back of Dan Moore.
DL Larry Ogunjobi:
Larry Ogunjobi will go down as one of the Steelers’ more disappointing high-priced free agents. Granted, the Steelers’ high prices are lower than most teams, but they surely didn’t get value out of him. There is a reason they released him this offseason, after all, before having a replacement.
I don’t remember what Ogunjobi was set to earn this year, but it was more than he offered in value. The Steelers found themselves outbid in free agency, though, settling for Daniel Ekuale and Esezi Otomewo. They had a bunch of leftover linemen, though, and knew the draft was coming.
Derrick Harmon to the Steelers was one of the easiest picks to guess, of course. They didn’t waste any time informally naming him a starter, either. Meanwhile, the Bills are already regretting signing Ogunjobi, who will begin his stay there serving a suspension. Oopsies.
S Ryan Watts:
That Ryan Watts finds his name on this list of former Steelers is incredibly unfortunate, which neither party chose. A sixth-round pick in 2023, Watts made the conversion to safety, and it seemed to be going well. In his final preseason game, however, he suffered a neck injury.
At the time, it wasn’t obvious how severe Ryan Watts’ injury was. Presumably, he and the Steelers didn’t know, either. He only had surgery after the season, but presumably still hoped to return. Earlier this offseason, however, he announced that he has to discontinue his career for medical reasons. He might have never made it, but it’s a gut punch realizing that he never even got a chance.
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