Benny Snell takes the #2 spot from Samuels

Conner is a very good back imo but yes he had some bad fumbles last season. That can be a difficult thing to rectify. Good very much outweighs the bad with him though.

Hopefully Snell can contribute, I know a lot of teams reportedly didn’t like him because they felt he was too slow to be a number one back. Interestingly his 40 yard time is the same as JC. We will see what the team plan on doing with him I don’t think we will see him much before the bye anyway.

 

The knock on Conner year one was his blitz blocking. He worked on it. I suspect that he will work on the fumbling just the same. From the snipets we have seen, he is working very hard on everything. Time will tell.

 

you beat me to it, ball security will be paramount this year for him

 

Snell is a "chip on his shoulder" player, and generally speaking, I like those guys. I really liked that pick when they made it. I think he will be a solid pro for the Steelers. I like Conner however, he has that erect running style that exposes the ball for defenders to claw after. But he's gutsy and he's a hard worker and if (a big if) he can stay healthy, the Steelers are set for awhile in the backfield with those two and Samuels. It's the proverbial good problem to have.

 

I think they have three gems at rb. I also think the usage will come just as they're years on the team 3-2-1. Ben has a lot to get used to and Snell is not priority number one for this year. It will come and he will get some usage but during the season it is too hard to do during the week of practice. That's for fine tuning for the next opponant. I still think shells role this year may be to close out games we have leads in. We can get Conner off the field to keep healthy for the next week.

 

Yes he is similar in his style to the bus. You know who else was? That dope smoking idiot we picked up from NE

 

Careful Rooney - don't give Scout any new ideas about dissing Steeler RBs.

 

Will Tomlin not just run the wheels off of Conner while capable backs that can contribute with different styles help the cause?

I would like nothing more then having Snell flourish. We shall see. Samuels is no slouch. Again it all comes down to utilization.

 

The thc infused idiot that walked is nothing like the bus, not even his running style.

 

I'm surprised the Scout didn't go for the gold by spelling Noll with a "K" while stating his players carried him to 4 championships.

 

I think Samuels will be up to the challenge.

 

I have PTSD from my support of Limas, so don't feel bad.

 

I don't know, Snell seems kind of slow. He seems Le'veon like without the top speed and receiving ability imo.

I think he's going to be a bruiser back to get those tough yards. Samuels will be the 3rd down back. I'm foreseeing more Conner Samuels packages also.

As much as I love Rosy Nix, I think his time is limited due to how the league is changing. He's one hell of a blocking full back though much love to how he's played in his time here.

 

Nix is one of the best special teams players we have. I hope he stays.

 

I believe Snell will be #2 as the bell cow behind jc with sam continuing more in passing situations. as connor is good at both they will relieve him as needed . it is a time share thing , unless someone gets hurt , he will get more time but as the season progresses he will get his for sure.

 

My money is on Samuels for obvious reasons...

 

I understand this will not be a popular opinion but I am not too sure that Conner is going to be with us next season. As unreal and asinine as that sounds, there are a number of aspects working against him. They are as follows:




1.) Cap Space: Thanks in part towards "Mr. Big Chest" being traded away, Pittsburgh does seem to have a lot in 2020 but look at. Sportrac.com has us listed 3 million over the cap. Ben's contract has some of what the issue is. The others are resigning other players like Hargrave.


2.) Current Depth: Again, I still believe Conner is the lead back for this season. That could change though as Samuels is expected to get more work. Add in Benny Snell, a punisher and now you have a stable of backs who can operate differently yet still produce proficiently.


3.) 2020 Free Agents: Who knows if Bud turns the literal corner this year?! Even if he does, he is likely to price himself out. Something tells me though it will come down to Sean Davis vs. Joe Haden. Corners are not easy to extend and Tomlin has already been on record in stating he likes his Free Safeties with sufficient starting experience. Add in JuJu and the fifth year option on T.J. Watt and you have quite the logjam finances wise.



Most Importantly:



4.) Position/Health: Conner has not played a full 16 game season yet. Add the position he plays and it is even more difficult to justify his extension. To make matters worse, last season showed that, while Conner can be a very good NFL back, was his production all him or an Offensive Line containing three players who are Pro Bowlers with two being First Team All Pro's?!



In short?! Colossal decisions await in 2020 brothers and sisters. Too early to tell but the drafting of Benny Snell Jr. seems more future proof than Tomlin and Colbert are letting on.

 

I too would be cautious about extending Connor beyond his rookie contract but surely that gives him another two years in the black and gold colours? I really like the guy and his story but the Steelers are headed in to a time where they need to make some very tough decisions. Juju, Conner, Watt, Hargrave, Hilton & Hayden all wanting new contracts.

I feel sorry for modern day running backs. It’s a tough position to play and they have become almost expendable as very talented backs are available in the mid rounds of the draft. I hope Connor makes himself indispensable this season

 

The Steelers have Conner at a relatively cheap salary through this season and next, so I'm not sure why he would be gone in 2020. Hopefully, the Steelers have realized they need to use all of their running backs rather than just abuse one of them.

Snell is a big back, but the Bettis comparisons are a bit much. He doesn't have nimble feet like Bettis did.

 

I like all 4 of our rb's and hope Tomlin and Fichnter can figure
out a proper way to utilize everybody.

 

I have very little concerns about JCs contract demands in the future and if the team has emphasized character in their draft analysis then look no further than the RB room. It will be hard to find a better group of guys who seem to be team first in their approach. Health concerns about JC? Yes, we all do including the FO. Hence the Snell pick imo.

 

My issue is not the demands. My issue lies greatly within the future. Keep in mind Mason's and Ben's contracts are gone by 2022, James Conner by 2021. For that matter, should Mason have proved himself by then, how knows how much will he cost vs the league avg.?! Also keep in mind that, while TJ Watt is likely to receive his fifth year option, who knows what the pass rushing market is going to be like then?!


A lot of decisions have to be made as soon as 2020 for James. Too many unknowns beyond that point. For that matter, the incoming expiration of the CBA is also going to occur.

 

I don't see any way haden can be kept at what he can expect. Hes making a lot now, I don't see him getting less. Vince never should have been given the kind of money they have him. Tuitt making way too much as well. We are stuck with a couple of these too.

 

Every RB fumbles the ball from time to time. Conner held on to it a hell of a lot more than he fumbled it. Granted the one fumble was at the worst possible time but it is not really a trend with him.