Is now the time for the Steelers to move Troy Fautanu to left tackle?
The Steelers didn’t necessarily draft Troy Fautanu to play right tackle, but they thought they already had their left tackle. A year earlier, they’d just drafted Broderick Jones, billing him as their left tackle of the future. Of course, he didn’t even play left tackle his first two years, and now they don’t know if he’ll play at all.
Rather than sit around and wait, Pittsburgh drafted Max Iheanachor in the first round a month ago. Time will tell if he’s ready to play as a rookie. If he is, however, his best bet is at right tackle, where he played in college. That would mean the Steelers have to move Troy Fautanu, who played left tackle in college, anyway.
While Fautanu has worked at right tackle his first two seasons, the first of which consisted of a very long stint on the Reserve/Injured List, the Steelers have always regarded his position flexibility, not just to play left tackle, but possibly even guard. Moving to guard still seems the least likely option, but left tackle is very possible—maybe even likely?
Despite characterizations of Iheanachor being raw, his new coaches certainly aren’t treating him that way. He does have more college experience than Jones did, even if he came to football later in life. And we also have to weigh how the new coaching staff views these players, which has been a big part of the past month.
The Steelers have had Troy Fautanu and the rest of the linemen play left and right, with Fautanu, in particular, playing tackle. Most of them have position flexibility, at least, including Mason McCormick, who started at left and right guard.
We know that Fautanu can play left tackle, of course. Right tackle was something he had to learn, or rather relearn from his high school days, when the Steelers drafted him. But that was when they thought Broderick Jones was their franchise left tackle. With that illusion rapidly fading, is now—specifically now—the time for the Steelers to move Fautanu to left tackle?
The Steelers have a long road ahead of them under Mike McCarthy, along with his cadre of quarterbacks.With seven consecutive postseason losses, and no wins in nearly a decade, they are under fire for their repeated playoff failures. While we have seen many changes, none could dream of topping Mike Tomlin resigning.
We’re already deep into the offseason, with free agency and the draft already reshaping rosters. The Steelers, of course, are used to early offseason mode as a team thatloses by the middle of January all the time. Enjoy the ride, even the turbulence, because it’s the only way we know how to travel anymore.
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