The two obvious and most important dominos that will topple over in this offseason for the Steelers is the hiring of a new offensive coordinator and the determination of who will compete with Kenny Pickett to be the team's starting quarterback by the time Week 1 of the 2024 season arrives.
But, another major decision will have to be made on the positioning of a key piece to that offense, regardless of who the coordinator and quarterback will be.
The Steelers traded up to select Broderick Jones 14th overall in last year's draft. The Georgia left tackle competed with Dan Moore Jr. for the starting job in training camp and lost the competition, then became the Steelers' weekly starting right tackle after Chukwuma Okorafor was benched against the Jaguars Oct. 29.
That is not how Jones' story will unfold in 2024. Jones blossomed as a rookie and proved his worth as a first-round pick and as a starter for the longterm. Now, it's up to Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin to determine what to do with their franchise piece on the offensive line. Will they keep hm on the right side, or could he move back to his natural left tackle spot?
"Undecided as of yet," Tomlin said in his season-ending press conference Thursday. "Obviously, he has capabilities in that area, but he was more than capable at right tackle as well."
That decision -- whenever it is made -- will have some influence on what the Steelers do in free agency and the draft. Jones has said he is more comfortable on the left side. That has been his natural position dating to his high-school career, and the Steelers can either keep him to develop on the right side or move him back to the left.
In last year's training camp, Jones took second-team reps behind Moore while Moore operated as the swing tackle behind Okorafor. That changed with Okorafor's mid-season benching, but that at least showed the Steelers' initial hand on what they wanted to do with respect to the position.
Now that Jones has some playing experience, that could change. It seems simple enough of a decision, too, considering how inconsistent -- and, at times, bad -- Moore was this season at left tackle.
Moore is in the fourth year of his rookie deal and will cost the Steelers just $1.23 million this season. So, relegating Moore to the bench isn't going to cost the Steelers a fortune. Okorafor is a prime candidate to be cut. His cap hit is set to hit $11.83 million this season, and the Steelers would save $8.75 million of that if they cut him before June 1.
As of now, the Steelers have a former first-round pick, a fledgling former fourth rounder, and a cut candidate as their three top choices for tackle.
The advantage goes to Jones with respect to planning, and a move back to the left side can be assisted by what the Steelers do in March and April.
An early, popular name popping up for the Steelers in mock drafts is Jones' former running mate at Georgia. Mocks by Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks the NFL Network have prompted the Steelers to draft Bulldogs right tackle Amarius Mims with the 20th pick, further solidifying the offensive line and giving the Steelers a natural right tackle.
"A commitment to retool the offense could prompt the Steelers to add a massive blocker to the lineup," Brooks wrote Monday. "Mims’ size, athleticism and movement skills make him an intriguing option for a team that excels in player development."
The cheaper option would come from within the draft. There are options at right tackle set to hit free agency, but none are younger than 26-year-old Bengals tackle Jonah Williams, the 2019 first-round pick who was a $12.60 million cap hit in 2023.
The Steelers didn't trade up for Jones in last year's draft to not build around him. This offseason will be telling with respect to that plan around Jones.
