Bell misses second day of practice
Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner (30) runs past Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (99) in the first quarter a preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 25, in Pittsburgh. Conner is preparing to start against the Cleveland Browns with the absence of Le'Veon Bell.
Associated Press
Le鈥橵eon Bell鈥檚 season is over as he did not show up on Tuesday to the Steelers鈥� facility to sign his franchise tender.
PITTSBURGH 鈥� Le鈥橵eon Bell missed a second day of practice in this opening week of the season, and at least one team captain has had enough.
Maurkice Pouncey predicted Bell would report Wednesday after missing Monday鈥檚 鈥渂onus day,鈥� and when that prediction didn鈥檛 come to pass Pouncey became upset.
鈥淎t this point, it鈥檚 beyond business,鈥� said Pouncey, the center and one of four team captains.
鈥淯nless you want to come out and say as a man, 鈥楬ey I鈥檓 going to miss the first 10 weeks. It really sucks for my teammates but I have to do this. It鈥檚 a business decision.鈥� If you come out and say that, then you know what? As men in here we can all respect that. But to play hide-and-go seek, and no one knows what the hell鈥檚 going on, like, you can鈥檛 communicate? What the hell?
鈥淲e鈥檙e way older than that. There鈥檚 no point in not communicating it.鈥�
Bell, of course, missed training camp because 鈥� as he did in 2017 鈥� he refused to sign his franchise tender and wasn鈥檛 beholden by NFL rules to report to training camp.
But, he hasn鈥檛 reported yet in this opening week even though he can鈥檛 improve his income either way. As Pouncey said, it鈥檚 not a business decision anymore.
Bell did recently watch Khalil Mack hold out and force a trade that resulted in a $141 million contract. But Bell, even if he鈥檚 worth such stratospheric numbers, can鈥檛 do anything like that. He must play for $856,000 per week, or $14.5 million this season, even if he鈥檚 traded, since the deadline has passed on extended contracts for tendered players.
The only other possible explanation for this holdout 鈥� which must end by Nov. 11 or he remains property of the Steelers next season 鈥� is that he鈥檚 attempting to preserve his body for a big pay day in free agency next March.
鈥淚 thought the competitor in him would cause him to report,鈥� Pouncey said, before asking the question everyone in Pittsburgh is asking: 鈥淲hat the hell?鈥�
CONNER STEPPING IN
Can James Conner do better than the 32 yards on 10 carries Bell gave the Steelers in last year鈥檚 opener at Cleveland?
Perhaps last year鈥檚 rookie who rushed for only 144 yards in 14 games couldn鈥檛. But the new and improved Conner, who rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries to lead the Steelers in preseason rushing, can and most likely will.
鈥淛ames is a year better than he was last year at this time, so I think we are all excited about what he can bring to this offense and this team,鈥� said Ben Roethlisberger. 鈥淟ike I said, we have a lot of weapons. We鈥檇 like to have (Bell) out there, but we have guys that can make plays for us.鈥�
Conner has improved his conditioning, receiving and pass blocking this season, and reporters sampling opinions of the offensive linemen Wednesday heard rave reviews.
鈥淚t means everything to hear the big guys up front give me props,鈥� Conner said. 鈥淭hose are the guys you want to get your respect from. It means a lot when those guys believe in you.鈥�
When did Conner begin believing in himself?
鈥淎lways,鈥� he said. 鈥淎lways.鈥�
SWITZER A 10 AGAIN
Ryan Switzer was one of two Steelers to change numbers. He chose No. 10, the number he wore in Dallas last year when he finished third in kickoff-return average among NFL qualifiers.
A native of Charleston, W. Va., and point guard for the George Washington High state championship basketball team of 2011, Switzer has been to Heinz Field 鈥減lenty of times,鈥� but he was always more a fan of whichever team had Randy Moss at the time, because 鈥淢oss is from my hometown.鈥�
Switzer was acquired by the Steelers for a flop of late-round draft picks a little more than a week ago because the Steelers had a need for a kickoff and punt return specialist and slot receiver. Switzer helps at all three spots.
Primarily a punt returner at the University of North Carolina, Switzer averaged 25.0 yards per kickoff return and 8.8 yards per punt return as a rookie for Dallas last season.
鈥淭he two kickoffs I returned in college were both onsides (kicks),鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was back there. They kicked it deep and I just ran and took a knee. So last year was the first time I ever did it, so it took some getting used to. But the more reps I got, the more comfortable I got. We had a good year.鈥�
At 5-8陆, 185, Switzer has slot-receiver size, and has often been compared stylistically to players such as Julian Edelman and Wes Welker.
鈥淚 hear every white guy,鈥� Switzer said of comparisons. 鈥淚鈥檝e never been compared to Eli (Rogers). I鈥檝e never been comapred to Tavon (Austin). I鈥檝e never been compared to Jarvis Landry. Never been compared to those guys, but I鈥檝e been compared to the white guys.鈥�
What about his potential in the slot? Switzer caught 96 passes out of the slot for QB Mitch Trubisky as a senior at UNC, but he caught only six passes last season for the Cowboys.
鈥淚鈥檓 just waiting on my opportunity offensively,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get it in Dallas last year. Thought I was going to get it in Oakland but they went in a different direction. It鈥檚 not a matter of whether I can play. It鈥檚 just a matter of the opportunity, so I鈥檓 trying to dive in the playbook here and become a dependable guy they can trust.鈥�
As with a tight end, Roethlisberger has said it takes time to develop the necessary chemistry with his slot receivers.
鈥淵eah,鈥� Switzer said. 鈥淥bviously, I鈥檓 new here. This is my second year and Ben鈥檚 15th, so it鈥檚 got to be my job to make sure I know the stuff that he can potentially call. But, I鈥檓 working on it. It鈥檚 something I don鈥檛 anticipate taking too long, but I鈥檝e got a good foundation for Week 1 and I鈥檓 learning this game plan. We鈥檒l go from there.鈥�
X鈥檚 & O鈥檚
Zach Banner changed his number to 72, the number his biological father, Lincoln Kennedy (6-6, 335), wore during his Pro Bowl years with the Oakland Raiders. Banner (6-8, 360), out of USC, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2017 and was waived by three teams before landing with the Steelers on Aug. 12 and making the team as their fourth offensive tackle. 鈥� The Steelers listed only one injured player as Ramon Foster returned to his starting left guard position. Tight end Vance McDonald was limited by a foot injury. The Steelers are hoping for a pain-free Thursday morning in order for McDonald to participate in full practices. 鈥� The Steelers released running back Jarvion Franklin from the practice squad and signed fullback Trey Edmunds (6-陆, 223), the older brother of first-round rookie Terrell Edmunds. The two played together at Virginia Tech in Terrell鈥檚 freshman season, before Trey transferred to Maryland. He signed with New Orleans last year as an undrafted free agent and carried 9 times for 48 yards with a 41-yard touchdown run.