While the group has flashed as a whole, the Steelers will likely be looking for a new starting RB in 2021
When the Steelers drafted Benny Snell in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL draft, he continued a recent trend of drafting bigger, more power centric backs. The Steelers followed that up by adding a speedy change of pace back Anthony McFarland in this draft. It appeared as though the Steelers suddenly had a potent one-two punch at the position, and with James Conner entering the last year of his rookie deal, this duo seemed like a potential starting crew for next year.
Their use this season has seemingly closed that door already, as the team doesn’t seem like they have much faith in either player turning into true starters. This means that the team will more than likely seek out a new starting running back next season as a result. No matter if the team opts to draft its new starter or signs a veteran to a moderate contract, here are the four reasons that the Steelers will have a new starting running back in 2021.
Important to note
Now, when I say starting running back, this means an investment in a player they expect to get the majority of carries. More than likely, a new face will take the back seat to Snell early in the season. That said, any considerable draft pick will be expected to cut into those carries sooner than later. While the new player may not start week one, they will be expected to have the most carries by the end of the season.
Conner won’t be back
Just to clear this up, Conner has almost no chance of returning next season on a new contract unless he is willing to take a contract at or slightly above the minimum. While he has an injury history, he is certainly worth more than a million dollars a year. In fact, Spotrac has his average yearly salary estimated at 4.7 million dollars.
While the story of him being both a local kid and a cancer survivor is inspiring, to say the least, the Steelers won’t be able to afford him. That isn’t to say he doesn’t deserve that kind of money, he does, because when healthy, he is one of the better complete backs in the league. He is a powerful rusher that can catch the ball well and is a good pass blocker in the backfield. Yes, injuries are an issue, but he is still a complete back when healthy.
The fact is the Steelers won’t have enough money to go around next offseason. Even if the cap remains at the number it was last offseason, the Steelers will still be strapped for money. With big names like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Bud Dupree, and Alejandro Villanueva all set to hit free agency, the Steelers will have quite priorities ahead of Conner. While he would be the favorite to start if he found his way back, it seems more than likely that Conner is on a new team next year.
Snell doesn’t have the pop
Moving on to the options that are currently on the roster, Snell seems like the only real player to handle a full workload over a season. He has the build to be a handle 20 plus carries a game and he has the look of the traditional power back that the Steelers covet. That said, he has his fair share of problems as a running back.
For starters, and most damaging to his cause, Snell lacks top-end speed. Now, the Steelers have built successful rushing attacks without speed (Conner isn’t lightning in a bottle either), Snell seems noticeably slow. While he does compensate for that with a surplus of power, it makes it hard for him to have early game success. His game is built around carrying the ball a lot, and by around the third to fourth-quarter mark, his punishing running style would be harder to stop with an exhausted defense.
That worked well at the college level, but NFL defenses are far more athletic and trained. Yes, Snell has shown some success at the pro level, but he hasn’t been the success story he was at Kentucky. Throw in some fumbling issues this season and the Steelers may shy away from Snell as a full-time starter. Had he shown some more flash at the pro level, this story may be different, but as of now, he doesn’t seem like starting material.
McFarland is a long shot to start
There was some curiosity as to what role McFarland would do for the Steelers after he was drafted. Known for his speed, McFarland was a different style of back from both Conner and Snell. While plenty of other offense more heavily relies on smaller backs, the Steelers have a definite type in their starting back. Besides Willie Parker, who showed serious flashes early and often in his career, the Steelers have always opted for heavy power backs.
That doesn’t mean McFarland can’t become a starter for this offense, but his odds of doing so aren’t great. It would be one thing if he was lighting it up as a reserve this year, but outside of a solid debut against Houston, McFarland hasn’t been dynamic. He almost seems too fast for his own good, tripping over his feet and falling for a short gain.
This doesn’t mean McFarland can’t be an effective player in this league, nor is he a bust of a draft pick. The fact of the matter is, he hasn’t shown that he is starting material, and given he isn’t the ideal build, the Steelers will likely use him as a reserve more so than a true starter. Unless the Steelers truly commit to a backfield by committee, McFarland will never be much more than a change of pace reserve.
The Steelers don’t trust either player
The final issue was one that was widely apparent in the Steelers’ Week 12 and 13 games against the Ravens and Football Team. Both teams had their struggles in run defense, and it seemed like a game where the Steelers could try to really establish either running back as a potential future starter. With Conner landing on the COVID list, this was the best time for the team to see what they had in their runners.
Instead, the Steelers opted to focus on the passing game. Despite both defenses being worse at defending the run, the team passed the ball 104 times. There didn’t seem to be any sort of hope with the running game. It was seemingly not in the gameplan, as the team put more faith in their passing offense instead. The team didn’t trust either of these two to carry the ball, and it means they likely won’t have faith in them next year.
This lack of trust was never more apparent than on the goal line. The Steelers would make it down to the goal line, and instead of trying to pound the ball in, they opted to throw. This type of scene was commonplace, as the Steelers kept the ball in the air despite the weaknesses that the Ravens and Football Team had. Given the early and constant lead, Snell should have had at least 20 carries in those games, yet the Steelers opted to keep it in the air.
While both Snell and McFarland have obvious talent, there are serious concerns as to how they would handle being a starter full time. Both players have their limitations, and worse yet the Steelers seemingly don’t trust either to be a true starter. All of this together points to the Steelers likely adding a new starting running back next offseason.