The Steelers currently have seven running back players on their roster. And only two of them are locks to make the final 53.
That’s right, James Conner will be making a reappearance as a feature of the (hopefully healthy) Steelers, while Benny Snell Jr. will return as Conner’s replacement after a somewhat promising rookie year.
Behind these two are a slew of names on the depth chart: Jaylen Samuels, Anthony McFarland Jr., Trey Edmunds, Ralph Webb, and Kerrith Whyte. Three to five places could be opened on the Steelers 2020 list for the seven ball carriers to fill, and behind Conner and Snell, the competition is tight. Full-back Derek Watt will also have a spot, which likely means the Steelers will only be able to fit three or four running backs into their roster.
Edmunds and Webb seem to be the obvious cuts, as Webb hasn’t shown much of his NFL career and Edmunds just doesn’t offer as much as the other full-backs on the list. That leaves Samuels, McFarland, and Whyte.
So who makes the final cut?
The sure bet is that the Steelers are keeping four semi-offensives (not counting Derek Watt in the back), and the most obvious prediction is a depth chart by James Conner, Benny Snell Jr., Jaylen Samuels and Anthony McFarland. An article here at BTSC predicting that the Steelers’ final roster of 53 this year had the same result in the running back, acknowledging that while the team tends to keep only three running backs, the history of injuries to Conner, team partner keeping five last year. Pittsburgh points out, keeping four in 2020.
It’s a solid race hall, with Conner as the main starter, Snell as a replacement and a skilled fighter, Samuels as a gadget and a special teammate, and McFarland as the speedster.
But that’s where Kerrith Whyte comes in.
The Florida Atlantic product was a breath of fresh air when it was brought to Pittsburgh in the middle of last season. Pittsburgh’s offense had turned into a dull and predictable offense, passing the ball four yards one play and running three times the other while completely missing from the “explosive play” category. When Whyte got his first run against Cincinnati in Week 12 of 2019, he went through a small seam behind a pulling David DeCastro and sprinted for 21 yards.
Whyte continued to get a few runs every game after that, and in his limited time he still managed to provide a spark, even though he faded towards the end of the season. He finished the year with 24 runs for 122 yards (5.1 YPC) – not a staggering number by any means, but solid considering the small size of his playing time sample and the best yards per carry (YPC) ) among the Steelers running backs for the year.
Whyte has also found a niche as the Steelers’ starting returner, replacing Ryan Switzer. Despite the team’s below-par blocking on the returns, Whyte’s speed and agility helped him make the most of what he had, leading the team into the return yards, attempts and the average, including a team record of 34 yards.
Pittsburgh brought Anthony McFarland Jr. into the next draft, another speed that could make Whyte consumable in 2020. However, the Steelers obviously kept Whyte for a reason, and he showed enough in his time with the team to deserve a shooting to make the final list this year. He has more NFL experience than McFarland and has impressed in the kickoff returns department, which McFarland hasn’t done much in college.
As a result, the Steelers have a dilemma at the bottom of their return depth chart. Whyte’s play could force the team to have doubts about getting rid of him, but who would he replace?
If the Steelers cut (or trade) Jaylen Samuels, they will lose a player with a unique skill set that could be a valuable part of the Steelers’ attack this year. It would also leave two very similar players to complete the wearer’s depth, which would reduce the diversity of skills on the list.
McFarland is a pretty high draft pick who doesn’t guarantee a place on the roster but certainly has the indoor track to do it – and will unless he seriously disappoints before the season. The worst case scenario is that he could be put on the training team, but he would likely be poached.
Whyte himself could be an option for the training team, but that would negate his kick-back ability which made him a list option in the first place. There’s also a chance he’ll be picked up by another team as the Steelers signed him from the Bears’ practice squad last year.
The Steelers could instead keep all five running backs, but that would mean reducing another position. Perhaps the team could only keep five wide receivers, especially as Whyte’s kick-off return ability and Samuels’s pass-catching ability could make up for the extra room. But the Steelers like to keep six receivers wide and wouldn’t want to stray from that in today’s NFL happy to pass.
Placing someone on the training team is the simplest solution, but it would take away that player’s ability to contribute and place them where another team could sign it. There are no easy answers, and as the preseason will be shortened or eliminated altogether this year, it will be much more difficult to assess player battles and make the right personnel decisions. And, if someone like Trey Edmunds or Ralph Webb makes a splash at training camp, the final cuts will get even more complicated.
The Steelers have a lot of intriguing young riders at the back of their roster, and with limited places available, they won’t be able to adapt to everyone in the final 53.
At least that’s a good problem to have.
