NASHVILLE – Dan Moore Jr. is part of a Titans offensive line that will be heavily scrutinized heading into the season.
The starting left tackle's mindset is simple:
"I have to play to the ability that I know I can play to," Moore said on Thursday. "I won't say anything about contracts or what coaches think. I know the standard that I have set for myself is higher than any other person's standard. So, I know as long as I do that, I'll be fine."
A sixth-year pro, Moore is headed into his second season with the Titans after playing his first four NFL seasons with the Steelers.
In his first year in Tennessee, Moore started 16 games at left tackle, alongside left guard Peter Skoronski. But a lot has changed since, from his head coach (Robert Saleh) to his offensive coordinator (Brian Daboll) to his offensive line coach (Carmen Bricillo). The battle is underway for the starting spots at center and right guard, next to right tackle JC Latham.
When the group is solidified, Moore knows the mission is to protect quarterback Cam Ward while opening up holes in the run game, starting in the season opener vs the New York Jets.
"We want to keep that guy upright at all times," Moore said of Ward. "Cam is fearless. He doesn't care about getting hit, he does not care. But regardless of that, we want to keep him clean and safe and feeling comfortable in the backfield."
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Moore said he feels better headed into his second season with the Titans, in part because he's in a better position to be successful from a health standpoint after what he thinks was a solid offseason.
Moore, who has started at least 16 games in all five of his NFL seasons, said the changes around him have been good to this point.
"I just feel good energy in the building," Moore said. "You can just feel good vibes as soon as you walk in. I think they did a good job with coaching changes, brought good leaders in. You can just feel the flow of things, feels professional, it feels organized and it just feels like a winning culture."
