The Pittsburgh Steelers rushing game took a big hit last season. The team has been attempting to upgrade the position after finishing in the bottom portion of the NFL last season in rushing touchdowns. Only four teams recorded fewer rushing touchdowns in 2012. This led to the departure of Rashard Mendenhall and the drafting of rookie Le'Veon Bell. However, injuries and free agent signing have left the Steelers to still have questions regarding the rushing attack.
Last year's performance likely led to the release of Jonathan Dwyer over the weekend. The fourth year running back put up 623 yards last year along with two touchdowns. His release came as a shock to some considering rookie Bell went down with a foot injury. His status to return is up in the air. The Steelers had drafted him in the second round due to a lack of confidence in Dwyer and Isaac Redman. However the injury made many believe that Dwyer was safe for the season.
Now, Redman and newly signed Felix Jones will compete for the starting spot in the Steelers lineup. Redman told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he is going to be the starter in Week One, but the coaching staff has yet to confirm that. He plans on making it very difficult for the Steelers coaches to pick anyone else to start over him.
Last season, Redman did not overwhelm. He rushed for 410 yards and two touchdowns. He never really showed the ability to grab hold of the starting spot on the team. Redman might be confident in his abilities, but it is clear Pittsburgh signed Jones for a reason. Jones rushed for 56 yards on 14 carries in his preseason performance against Carolina. After putting up two strong games with Pittsburgh, he could be the favorite over Redman.
Jones recorded 2,728 yards and 11 touchdowns in five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. While considered a disappointment by some, those are still decent numbers for Steelers standards. He was a first round draft pick back in 2008 so in the right situation, he has a lot of potential.
Bell will continue to complicate the situation. The rookie is hoping to be ready to play by the second week of the season, which would put him way ahead of the original timeline for his return. Bell was originally thought to be the saving grace of the Pittsburgh run game after an impressive training camp. If he is healthy and saw no drop in production on the field, Bell could be penciled in as the starter ahead of Redman and Jones.
