THE BALLAD OF BRODERICK JONES

Here's an excerpt from my latest TribLive.com column. It details six bad personnel decisions made by the Steelers since 2019. This is one:

*Traded up to draft Broderick Jones in 2023’s first round. Jones was pegged to be the Steelers’ long-term answer at left tackle. That’s where he played at Georgia.

Except the Steelers didn’t put Jones at left tackle, continuing to use veteran Dan Moore Jr. despite Moore being one of the NFL’s very worst at that position by any available metric.

Jones played right tackle as a rookie. He would have been a backup in 2024, but incoming first-round pick Troy Fautanu got hurt. So, Jones stayed at right tackle. Jones finally played left tackle this past season after Moore departed. Jones was meh but improving before sustaining a season-ending neck injury in Week 12.

The Steelers prioritized getting Jones to fill a position of need, then put him everywhere but in a position to succeed. Here’s betting he doesn’t sign a second contract with the Steelers.

To read more, click HERE.

This remains inexplicable.

The Steelers went out of their way to get Jones, then immediately sacrificed him on the altar of veteran respect for a bum like Moore.

If Jones isn't good enough, and that was spotted right away, then the grievous mistake was drafting him.