A converted defensive lineman, Moore does not possess the skills you typically look for in a guard. He does not have great size (6-3, 305) nor is he particularly athletic but the guy finds a way to get it done.
He does not have great pop as a pass blocker nor does he create much movement in the running game but no one on the Jets’ offensive line is better at sticking his blocks than Moore. In fact, he grades out as the Jets’ most effective blocker.
When studying him on film I rarely saw him get beat. He is not a great technician (is more of a wall off blocker than a mauler) and is at his best on the move, hitting linebackers on the second level.
Moore is also a good combo blocker in the passing game. He shows good awareness on stunts, taking on the initial defender, passing him off to a teammate then getting in position to seal off another rusher coming from a different angle.
He had a career game in the season finale against Cincinnati and came up with some huge blocks and keyed a 257-yard rushing attack.
Moore is also extremely durable. He has 73 consecutive regular season starts which is almost five years without missing a game and never seems to be on the injury report.
He may not get the same attention as other linemen but he is surely one of the most consistent. In contrast, Alan Faneca struggles from game to game and is nearing the end of his career.
He is still one of the best pulling guards in football. He moves extremely well, shows good patience finding his man on traps and still gets a lot of push as a drive blocker.
My main concern is his pass blocking. He gives up way too much ground and was responsible for a number of pressures and sacks over the last two years.
Now 33, Faneca has lost a lot of quickness and has gotten beat by some of the more athletic defensive tackles. He also loses the leverage battle against these guys making him a weak link in passing situations.
In the home opener against New England, he struggled against Mike Wright. On the Jets’ first play from scrimmage Wright pushed Faneca back as if he were on roller skates. He got a hit on Sanchez and forced a fumble that rolled inside the Jets’ 5-yard line.
In the second Buffalo game, he struggled against Kyle Williams who is very similar to Wright. Williams had a field day, collecting 8 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 tackle for loss and 1 hit on the quarterback.
Both Wright and Williams beat Faneca using an assortment of skills. At times they beat him with strength while at others they beat him with quickness. Faneca has lost quickness in his hands and is losing hand-fighting battles, which is a crucial part of a lineman’s arsenal.
In the second Miami game his struggles continued. He had problems containing Randy Starks who had 4 tackles, 1 sack and 1 tackle for loss. Starks also got 3 hits on the quarterback, which is what concerns me most about Faneca.
There were three hits on Sanchez in that game and Faneca’s guy had all three. More and more Sanchez will be harassed up the middle because Faneca cannot lock down his guy.
For this reason, I expect 2010 to be Faneca’s last with the Jets. It will also make sense financially, which is often the driving force behind most personnel decisions in the NFL.
He signed a five-year, $40 million deal ($21 million guaranteed) before the 2008 season. According to nyjetscap.com, his salary cap number this year will be $8.6 million and the team would have to absorb $7.3 million against the cap if he was cut.
In 2011 his salary goes up to $8.8 million but the “dead money” hit goes down to $1.7 million if he was cut. The Jets would pick up over $7 million in cap savings. That is a sizeable chunk of money and Mike Tannenbaum would be foolish to ignore it.
Tannenbaum already knows all this. That is why he structured the contract the way he did. He knew Faneca’s skills were diminishing and would have to make a decision on him after year 3.
Faneca’s diminishing skills and large salary make him a likely cap casualty after the 2010 season.
The Jets drafted Matt Slauson in the sixth round last year but it is unclear as to how he is regarded within the organization. He has the size, skills and mentality to be a real mauler but we have not seen him in regular season action.
The Jets could draft another prospect this year although the guard position is not especially deep. Mike Iupati from Idaho is expected to go in the first round and he can do it all.
Guards are rarely selected that early but he has the goods to be taken that high. I do not expect him to slide to the Jets however and would be surprised if they selected him even if he did. OLB, RB, WR and safety are just more pressing needs right now.
Vladimir Ducasse out of UMass is another solid prospect who has the versatility to play tackle but would be a reach at 29 and will not be there when they pick in the 2nd round.
Whether the answer is Slauson or the Jets look to the 2010 Draft, the Jets will be looking to solidify Faneca’s replacement. He is a great pro and has done wonders to help D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold develop but his time on the Jets is running out.
Brandon Moore, on the other hand, seems to be hitting his stride. He is the Jets’ most consistent blocker and should be a fixture on the right side for the foreseeable future.