“Injured Running Backs” Was the Theme of Thursday’s Practice For Steelers
Redman suffered a stinger today. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Redman suffered a stinger likely after he got absolutely tattooed by Larry Foote in one of the drills. After the veteran exited, Bell followed him to the sidelines after he suffered some sort of knee injury. I should add that Bell re-aggravated the same knee which kept him out of Pittsburgh’s preseason opener last Saturday.
Although the injuries are apparently minor (Redman) (Bell), both of these runners missing time could open up the door for Jonathan Dwyer and LaRod Stephens-Howling to accumulate some preseason carries.
This will be a huge chance for Dwyer in particular to show his worth if Bell is sidelined. Now in the final year of his contract, 2013 is a make or break campaign for the soon to be fourth year running back who led Pittsburgh in rushing last year with a paltry 623 yards.
I will say that Bell’s injury, no matter how minor, has me uneasy at the moment because the Steelers appeared to expect so much out of him this fall. While I for one was not a fan of Bell’s selection, particularly with the 48th overall pick, I am nevertheless interested to see if he could kick-start Pittsburgh’s running game after the team was so dreadful in that department in 2012.
It would not shock me if Bell was held out for precautionary measures on Monday against Washington, and I would not mind seeing Mike Tomlin & Co. sideline him for the rest of Pittsburgh’s preseason games. Unfortunately, Bell could stand to use some preseason carries so he can acclimate himself before he totes the rock on a regular basis during the regular season.
For now though, all we can do is hope for a positive prognosis on Bell and Redman so the Steelers can have a full stable of backs ready to contribute before “Opening Day” against Tennessee. Most of all however, I just hope that one guy can stay healthy enough to take hold of the starting running back position sooner rather than later.
Players Stats & Info. Provided By: ESPN.com, Steelers.com, and Pro Football Reference
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