Running back by committee with injury to Conner
PITTSBURGH 鈥� The Steelers entered the season thinking they were deep at running back, but they鈥檒l head to Oakland for one of the most important games of the season with a three-headed committee that鈥檚 carried the ball a grand total of 30 times this season.
That鈥檚 one fewer than James Conner carried in the opener.
Conner, who replaced holdout Le鈥橵eon Bell, is out with a sprained ankle. In his place steps a reclamation project who hasn鈥檛 had more than one full workday since blowing out his knee in October of 2014; a rookie fifth-rounder who has a high of five carries this season; and a converted fullback who was just called off the practice squad but is more of a special-teamer than runner.
Are the Steelers concerned?
鈥淣o,鈥� said Ben Roethlisberger. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got our linemen and some guys who are willing to step up and fill the void.鈥�
Those void-fillers are:
n Stevan Ridley, 29, is a sixth-year vet from Natchez, Mississippi, the hometown of Pitt legend Hugh Green. He had his promising career waylaid by a wicked knee injury in 2014.
Ridley had come out of LSU as an 1,100-yard rusher who was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round in 2011. He rushed for 1,263 yards in 2012, and 773 yards in 2013, before the injury cost him a spot in the Super Bowl and then soon thereafter a spot with the team.
Ridley bounced to six other teams before landing in Pittsburgh on Dec. 19 of last season to replace an injured Conner, and he started the season finale against Cleveland. Ridley gained 80 yards on 17 carries, his biggest workload since the injury.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been awhile, man, but I鈥檝e worked, I鈥檓 prepared, and I don鈥檛 doubt my talents at all,鈥� said Ridley. 鈥淭he Lord鈥檚 got a plan. It hadn鈥檛 been the plan that I wanted. It鈥檚 taken a little bit longer to get back out, get back in the locker room, back on the field, get some touches. It鈥檚 taken longer than I like, but I believe in the man upstairs. Right now I鈥檓 just excited about the opportunity, however it presents itself, whether it be two carries, 20 carries, whatever. I鈥檓 just going out there to get this W. I鈥檓 ready to contribute.鈥�
Ridley has 18 carries for 56 yards this season, but hasn鈥檛 played in the last three games. The backup to Conner in those games has been 鈥�
n Jaylen Samuels, 22, the rookie from Charlotte, N.C., who scored 47 career touchdowns at North Carolina State as a running back, fullback, wildcat quarterback, H-back and tight end. With the Steelers, he鈥檚 been a pass-catching running back with 31 yards on 12 carries and 54 receiving yards on seven catches. He鈥檚 caught two touchdown passes, including the game-tying 10-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter against the Chargers.
鈥淚 got through the hole, ran a checkdown route, Ben found me, I saw the pylon and just outran everybody,鈥� was how Samuels explained the touchdown.
At a listed 225 pounds, Samuels doesn鈥檛 look fast but his 4.54 40 at the NFL Combine matched the catch-and-run Sunday night in which, as he said, he 鈥渏ust outran everybody.鈥�
Has he ever been told he鈥檚 faster than he looks?
鈥淵eah definitely,鈥� Samuels said. 鈥淎 lot of people think I鈥檓 just smooth, a smooth runner, but that鈥檚 just how I am. I kind of have that breakaway speed that can change on the field.鈥�
鈥淢e and Shay (Ryan Shazier) were talking about that during the last game,鈥� said linebacker Jon Bostic. 鈥淗e said it鈥檚 crazy and I said he looks so slow, but then he鈥檚 moving away from people. They always say your fastest guys are the guys that are most relaxed when they鈥檙e running. He鈥檚 relaxed. Look at track runners. Every track guy that you see pulling away from people, they look like they鈥檙e not even trying. That鈥檚 what he looked like on the touchdown when he was running away from DBs.鈥�
n Trey Edmunds, 23, from Danville, Va., the older brother of teammate Terrell Edmunds, was moved to fullback when he made the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted rookie last year. He carried the ball only nine times for 48 yards (including a 41-yard touchdown), and was released soon after making the roster again this season. The Steelers picked him up and put him on the practice squad until he was promoted earlier this week.
Trey is an eighth of an inch taller than Terrell (6-陆) and ran a 4.48 40 at his pro day weighing 223 pounds. Terrell weighed 217 and ran a 4.47 40 and was a first-round draft pick.
鈥淧laying fullback taught me to learn the game from a different aspect,鈥� Trey said. 鈥淚t gave me the appreciation I have now for fullbacks. Man, I鈥檓 telling you, look at Rosie (Nix). In New Orleans we looked at Zach Line. Man, those guys really, really bang, so it gave me a different appreciation from a different aspect.鈥�
Trey still considers himself a tailback at heart. That鈥檚 what he played at Dan River High under his father, former pro Ferrell Edmunds. Terrell was the quarterback.
鈥淪o he鈥檚 familiar with the ball in his hands and he鈥檚 fast and can run,鈥� Trey said of his brother. 鈥淚 was the tailback in the I-formation 鈥� power, downhill. We had a lot of quarterback sneaks and bootlegs and stuff like that.鈥�
n Ralph Webb, 24, from Gainesville, Fla., was just signed to the practice squad. The 5-9, 200-pounder is the all-time leading rusher at Vanderbilt and sixth all-time rusher in SEC history. He ran a 4.48 40 at his pro day but wasn鈥檛 drafted.
The New England Patriots signed him after the draft and he rushed for 102 yards in the preseason, and appeared to catch the eye of Bill Belichick with his two-touchdown, two-conversion showing in the preseason opener. But, Webb was cut, signed to the practice squad, and then signed to the Tampa Bay practice squad before landing in Pittsburgh this week.
鈥淢aybe it鈥檚 my size,鈥� the enthusiastic Webb said of his inability to stick in spite of his production. 鈥淐ould be a number of things: numbers game, whatever teams are looking for at the moment. I鈥檓 just waiting for the opportunity to come my way. Pittsburgh鈥檚 giving me the opportunity right now and I鈥檓 going to make the most of it.鈥�
Linebacker L.J. Fort has worked against all of them in practice and offered this scouting report:
鈥淩idley, power back obviously. He鈥檚 got some sweet feet, too, to go along with it. Samuels has the receiving skills on screens and stuff. And I鈥檓 excited to see Trey, because he鈥檚 been working his tail off in practice and he definitely has some juice to him. The new guy (Webb), he鈥檚 bursty for sure. He has some wheels.鈥�