Pittsburgh Steelers: Training camp storylines to watch
By Donnie Druin
Oh Le’Veon, where art thou?
In what is projected to be Le’Veon Bell’s last season with the Steelers, Bell remains absent from training camp as part of his hold-out due to not getting a contract extension. Rumors swirl about Bell’s status for the regular season, but we know one thing is for certain: Le’Veon will not be present for two-a-days.
There’s not much value in focusing on a player who won’t be there, and head coach Mike Tomlin shares the same mindset.
Mike Tomlin said his conversing w/ Le’Veon Bell is “fluid.” I asked him if he had any reason to hope Bell will show up to #Steelers training camp in Latrobe. He called it a “cute question.” And then said, “I’m done w/ the Le’Veon questions.” #ITC on @nflnetwork
— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) July 25, 2018
Rather than using so much energy focusing on Bell, Tomlin and the rest of the coaching staff aims to see valuable reps from the other guys in the running back’s room. James Conner took first team reps for the first day, and will likely shoulder the load in a post-Bell future.
Aside from Conner, rookie Jaylen Samuels along with Fitzgerald Toussaint and Stevan Ridley populate the rest of the backfield. While it’s still unclear exactly how the rest of the crew will be used, all are expected to contribute in some form or fashion.
While the start of the regular season is the benchmark for Bell to arrive at the Steelers facility, the entirety of reps at the running back position will be vital as ever. It’s worth monitoring over the course of camp.