A lot of changes have taken place in Pittsburgh throughout the last few seasons. More youth has been added to the team, and many veterans have either retired, or left for other teams. Coach Mike Tomlin has begun a complete youth revolution within the Steelers, and it seems they may be on the right track. The following is a list of 5 young players that are beginning to step into their roles, and could make a huge impact on the team.
Le’Veon Bell:
After a fairly decent first season, Le’Veon Bell emerged as one of the best running backs in the NFL. He rushed for a total of 1,361 yards, which was the second most in the NFL last season. The only player ahead of him was DeMarco Murray, who had considerably more carries than Bell.
Bell also was versatile in the receiving game, amassing a total of 83 receptions for 854 yards, something no running back matched close to besides Matt Forte, who had considerably less rushing yards. He proved to be a dual threat on the field, and an almost unstoppable force once he got his hands on the ball.
The Steelers MVP went down in week 17 with a hyper extended knee against the Bengals. His absence in the Steelers single playoff game was definitely noticed as his replacements, Ben Tate and Josh Harris, simply could not make up for the missing star, leading to the Steelers’ 30-17 demise against their rival, The Baltimore Ravens.
Despite the potential 3-game suspension that still looms in Bell’s future, Steelers fans should comfortable with the fact that once the Ravens head to Pittsburgh to play in Week 4, Bell will be ready to make up for the game that he unfortunately had to miss last season.
Next: Martavis Bryant