Steelers’ backfield still in motion

By Darrell Laurant  |   Wednesday, August 29, 2007  |  Comments( 0 )

Pittsburgh Steelers
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And then there were six.

The Pittsburgh Steelers cut backs Kevan Barlow and Larry Croom earlier this week, leaving six tailbacks and fullbacks to compete for what will probably be five roster spots.

Fast Willie Parker, hampered by injuries this preseason but the team's star rusher in 2005 and 2006, is a lock. The same probably holds true for Najeh Davenport, last season's No. 2. After that, though, it gets interesting.

Rookie Gary Russell has been the Steelers' leading rusher in the preseason with 129 yards on 28 carries. That may or not be enough to overcome the handicap of missing the 2006 football season entirely.

After rushing for 1,274 yards and 12 touchdowns as half of the Big Ten's most productive rushing duo (with Laurence Maroney) at Minnesota in 2005, Russell failed to make the cut academically last year and flunked out of school. During the layoff, he gained 15 pounds over his peak playing weight and only ran between 4.8 and 4.7 at the combine, slightly better at the pro day at Ohio State.

It probably didn't help that he predicted a 4.4 ahead of time.

Based on his preseason stats, though, Russell has obviously worked hard to get back to playing shape, and reported to training camp weighing just 215 (he had packed 229 to the combine, at 5-foot-11).

What Russell may have on his side is that the Steelers are still looking for a short-yardage back in the mold (or, at least, the approximate mold) of Jerome Bettis. They had hoped Barlow, a former New York Jet and University of Pittsburgh star, might be that guy, but he flopped in the preseason.

Davenport, for all his bulk, is actually more of a finesse runner and third-down pass catcher -- an agile little guy trapped in a big man's body. In his previous NFL life in Green Bay, the Miami graduate even returned kickoffs.

Verron Haynes, another veteran, has the advantage of being able to play fullback or tailback. Second-year man Carey Davis, out of Illinois, was named as the nation's second-best fullback by the Sporting News in 2005, but he's slightly undersized for that position in the NFL at 5-10, 225.

Parker, meanwhile, has been lobbying for the final back in the competition, bullish (5-11, 255) fullback Dan Kreider.

"I prefer to have a fullback," Parker said last week. "You always want a lead blocker, and Dan Kreider is like an extra lineman. He's a great blocker, and he takes pride in it."

Fullbacks are being used more and more as offensive options in the NFL, however, and Kreider's contribution in that area was limited in 2006 -- one carry for 5 yards, eight receptions for 62 yards. Haynes, meanwhile, averaged 5.2 yards on 78 carries and caught 18 passes for 95 yards.

It could all come down to the final preseason game against Carolina -- or, it could be that head coach Mike Tomlin and director of football operations Kevin Colbert have made up their minds already. If it's a salary-cap decision, Russell and Davis would no doubt come cheaper than the veterans.

Or maybe four backs would be even cheaper.

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