Steelers Draft Needs: Running Back - Black -n- Gold Not as Bad Off as You Think

Running back brings a case where both Steelers front office and the pundits might be both wrong.

Mike Tomlin has gone on record saying the Steelers need to improve the talent they have at running back. With Rashard Mendenhall coming back form injury too soon in 2012, Tomlin opened the door for either Jonathan Dwyer or Isaac Redman to seize the starting role.

• Both men fumbled the opportunity….

… Strictly speaking that is. In fact, as Steel Curtain Rising has said time and time again, after Willie Colon settled into his new position at guard and before he got hurt (again) the Steelers running game was looking better than it had in years, certainly since 2007.

• When Colon got hurt, so did the running game.

On top of that, Redman started the year injured, and Dwyer was nursing injures for much of the season as well.

• The Steelers have two capable runners. 

But even if that is true, the Steelers still need to draft a running back, perhaps early. Dwyer and Redman may be capable, but both are in the final year of their contracts, and neither seems to be the proverbial “Feature Back” which was once so fundamental to NFL success.

Baron Batch might develop into serviceable running back. He could conceivably the second coming of Mewelde Moore, which would not be a bad thing for a former 7th round pick. Unfortunately at this point he's more notable for his amazing human interest story and his blocking abilities.

So the Steelers do need to add talent and depth at running back, but perhaps not as early or as urgently as most argue.

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Mendenhall's BACK!, Where Does that Leave Redman and Dwyer?

Kudos to Rashard Mendenhall. He clearly gave the entire Steelers offense a shot in the arm, and because of that the Steelers running game was able to push Pittsburgh past Philly.

Since arriving in as Pittsburgh’s first round draft pick in 2008, Mendenhall has seen his share of criticism, and Steel Curtain Rising is no exception.

The enjoyable, and tantalizing thing about Mendenhall is that when he hits a hole decisively he can run with any of the top backs in the NFL. That’s a bold claim but skeptics need only remember his:

• first start vs. San Diego in 2009
• show stopping performance in the 2010 AFC Championship game
• performances vs. St. Louis and Cleveland last year, prior to injury

So fortunately for Steelers Nation, Mendenhall was “on” in his return from a nasty ACL injury.

• But what does that say about the other two Steelers running backs?

There were many in Steelers Nation, yours truly one of the, who didn’t think Mendenhall’s absence was going to be that important. That’s simply because Mendenhall has never run with the kind of consistency needed to establish himself as one of the top runners in the NFL.

The logic therefore was that the Steelers would suffer little in a running back by committee system.

• The pathetic results of the Steelers rushing game in weeks 1-3 would seem to wholeheartedly refute that argument.

Numbers don’t lie. But does the resurgence of the Steelers running game with Mendenhall's return prove that the Steelers rushing attack would be doomed should it be forced to rely on Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer?

• This scribe says “no.”

There hasn’t been much reporting about this in the press since August, but both Redman and Dwyer were hurt in August. In fact, the Steelers were forced to sign DeJuan Harris off of waivers, just to field a full complement of running backs before their final preseason game.

• Neither man was likely at 100% when the season started.

This should be especially obvious in the case of Redman, whose performance was way, way below the standard he set for himself.

Even with Sunday’s stronger showing against the Eagles, Redman’s season rushing average is a measly 2.5 yards per carry.

• In 2010 Redman averaged 4.7 yards per carry
• In 2011 he clocked in at 4.4 yards per carry

Now a lot of those carries came in sport duty situation, which is not the same as building up an averge as a feature back. But Redman played lights out in his two starter like situations, namely the finale vs. Cleveland and the Tebowing in Denver.

Jonathan Dwyer poses a more complicated question, as his body of work is far more limited.

• But even this limited sample suggests that Dwyer’s performance of 2012 represents far much more of a floor than a ceiling.

Be clear about one thing, a healthy and productive Rashard Mendenhall should be a welcome sign to Steelers Nation.

But also rest assured that a healthy Redman and Dwyer can also deliver.

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Gilreath, Clemons, and Cromartie-Smith Headline Steelers Practice Squad - Jerrod Jackson Left Off...

Having cut their roster to 53 men, the Pittsburgh Steelers completed their eight man practice squad, which includes:

John Malecki, offensive linemen
Ryan Lee, offensive lineman
David Gilreath, wide receiver
Toney Clemons, wide receiver
Jamie McCoy, tight end
Marshall McFadden, linebacker
Damon Cromartie-Smith, safety
Josh Victorian, cornerback

Conspicious by their absence are defensive lineman Corbin Bryant - who saw active service with the Steelers last year, running back DeJuan Harris, and of course quarterback Jerrod Jackson. Each of these men either looked sharp in preseason. However, the Steelers practice squad picks closely mirror the areas of need on their depth chart.

For the first time in recent memory, the Steelers are only carrying 5 wide receivers on their active roster, explaining the presence of preseason star David Gilreath and 7th round draft pick Toney Clemons.

As the Steelers current and past experiences have aptly demonstraited, you can never have too many offensive lineman familiar with your system, hence the presence of Malecki and Lee.

The Steelers are likewise thin at cornerback, likely explaining Josh Victorian's presence, and Damon Cromartie-Smith gives the Steelers options at safety.

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