In addition to Pearson and Smith, the Broncos are also taking a look at running back Benny Snell, fullback Ryan Nall and kicker Randy Bullock.
Snell (5-10, 224 pounds) played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2019-2022, rushing 275 times for 982 yards and seven touchdowns in 63 games (five starts).
Nall (6-2, 245 pounds) has spent time with the Chicago Bears (2018-2022) and Dallas Cowboys (2022). He made 33 appearances for the Bears from 2019-2021. Used primarily as a blocking fullback, Nall has rushed six times for 12 yards and totaled nine receptions for 71 yards in his career.
Bullock (33) has spent time with seven NFL teams, most recently with the Tennessee Titans from 2021-2022. He has converted 83.4% of his field goal attempts in his career with a long of 57 yards.
The Broncos signed kicker Elliott Fry after cutting Brandon McManus last month, but the team plans to continue monitoring the kicker market leading up to the regular season.
Denver’s minicamp will run from Tuesday to Thursday.
Story update: Brandon Smith is not attending minicamp. Parker Gabriel of The Denver Postshared a list of the eight players trying out at camp this week and it also includes CB Darren Evans, WR Jerreth Sterns and LB Austin Ajiake.
Though it’s too early to know how the roster will play out, it is crucial to have a solid stable of RBs behind Najee Harris.
At nearly every NFL position, depth is nearly as important as who is starting. Though it’s too early to know how the roster will play itself out, it is crucial to have a solid stable of running backs behind Pittsburgh Steelers’ Najee Harris.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor tweeted from training camp on Saturday that Benny Snell and Kalen Ballage took part in individual drills.
Snell, now in his third year with the Steelers, has been dealing with an undisclosed injury. Ballage, who joined the Steelers this offseason, was injured during Pittsburgh’s Hall of Fame game versus the Dallas Cowboys.
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It could be some time before Snell and Ballage fully participate in team drills, but it’s a good sign that they’re working their way back.
Looks like today is the day Kalen Ballage and Benny Snell start working back into practice. Both are participating in individual drills.
Though he didn’t state specifics of the injury, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a post-practice press conference last week that trainers were evaluating Snell. Until that point, the third-year running back had participated fully in practices with the second team.
Steelers in shells today. Benny Snell on the stationary bike. We don't know his injury but it doesn't appear he will practice today.
Newbie Kalen Ballage, who had a good outing during the Steelers-Cowboys Hall of Fame Game, was not at practice today. Tomlin indicated post-game that Ballage was dealing with a lower leg injury. The former Miami Dolphins running back averaged 3.8 yards per carry for 19 yards and one touchdown.
Ballage has been out-shining the reserve running backs thus far at Steelers training camp. Since he entered the league, his forte has been in short-yardage situations. Pittsburgh, however, is Ballage’s third stop in as many seasons.
There’s plenty of time before the start of the Pittsburgh Steelers regular season — when on-field production starts to really count — but the health of the Steelers’ depth at running back is paramount.
The Steelers’ next exhibition matchup is Thursday, Aug. 12, versus the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Looking at possible trades that would pique fantasy interest.
Every year, an NFL player gets traded into a situation that makes fantasy football players smile from the exciting possibility of “what could be.” In today’s exercise of wishful thinking, we’ll take a stroll through the proverbial streets of some hypothetical scenarios that would offer an avenue for worthwhile fantasy returns.
You’ll notice the most discussed trade commodity of the offseason is not included, and the reason why is easy: The best possible place for Aaron Rodgers’ fantasy value is right where he currently plays.
Los Angeles Rams backfield targets
Pittsburgh Steelers RB Benny Snell
The third-year back has seen mild success through limited action in the Steel City, mostly due to injuries suffered by the recently departed James Conner. A fourth-rounder in the 2019 draft, this Kentucky product has the chops to be a fantasy force, in the right situation. The Steelers’ line problems last year didn’t help, and the offense was largely without Ben Roethlisberger the prior year. Given the loss of Cam Akers (Achilles) and obvious need for a powerback to pair with Darrell Henderson’s versatility, Snell should come on the cheap following the first-round selection of Najee Harris in 2021’s draft.
San Francisco 49ers RB Raheem Mostert
Speed kills, and LA could use more of it out of the backfield. Henderson ran a 4.49-second 40, so he’s not exactly a turtle, but Mostert (4.32) would bring world-class wheels to the backfield. A deal works for both parties, since the 49ers are rather stocked in the backfield, with Mostert entering the final year of his contract, and LA has no one with a single NFL touch behind Henderson. Mostert could come in as a “1b” to the third-year Henderson, which also would be a plus — it appears less is more when it comes to Mostert’s durability.
QB Deshaun Watson to Denver Broncos
This one presumes Watson will avoid any serious discipline in 2021, so bear that in mind. Off-the-field issues aside, Watson wants out of Houston. He is quite capable of getting the most from a receiving corps and offering bonus value with his legs, but a move to Denver would present a much brighter outlook. Not only will he be happy, the Broncos are drastically more talented than the Texans, and the offensive system is proven to produce — something the jury is still in deliberation about regarding new Houston coach David Culley having no experience as an offensive coordinator in the NFL. The Broncos provide considerable talent among the wide receivers on all three levels of the passing tree, along with a blossoming tight end and pair of quality backs for balance behind a reasonably good offensive line.
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TE Zach Ertz to Indianapolis Colts
Several teams have been floated about as possible destinations for Ertz, including Chicago, Jacksonville, Tennessee and Buffalo, whereas the Colts would be the best landing spot for fantasy purposes. Indy head coach Frank Reich has a relationship with Ertz. The trade for QB Carson Wentz earlier in the offseason would reunite a pitch-and-catch duo with established chemistry. Indianapolis needs at least one more target in the passing game, with all due respect to Jack Doyle. The receiving corps has arguably more questions than obvious answers at the moment, and the system caters to targeting the tight end position.
TE O.J. Howard to Tennessee Titans
This one gets prefaced with my love for Anthony Firkser as a sleeper remains strong if Howard isn’t added via trade. Let’s go with the presumption of Firkser being a better backup than starter in the eyes of the brass, leading them to inquiring about Howard. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end is buried in the target pecking order as he returns from a torn Achilles tendon, an injury that isn’t particularly daunting for a player at his position. Howard, an Alabama product, played with Titans back Derrick Henry and works out with him, giving Howard an ally with the ear of the front office. Furthermore, newly added receiver Julio Jones also played for the school. Tennessee is in win-now mode in many ways, and one more talented pass-catching outlet could put this offense over the top.
WR N’Keal Harry to Atlanta Falcons
No one is clamoring for Harry to make his way onto their fantasy roster, but everyone with an open mind should want to see him get out of New England. It’s painfully obvious he doesn’t fit the system, even when healthy, and we saw few signs of chemistry with Cam Newton last year. A 2019 first-round pick, Harry needs a change of scenery to restart his career as a possession receiver at just 23 years old. The Falcons make some sense for Harry as a new employer. The trade of Julio Jones opens a wealth of targets. Calvin Ridley is more than ready to be a true WR1. This year’s fourth overall pick, Kyle Pitts, is a generational talent at tight end, but rookies at his position have rarely produced significant fantasy returns. Even though Russell Gage was a bright spot last year when Jones was injured, there’s room for a chain-moving type, like what Harry should be in a perfect world.
With James Conner on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the Steelers called up veteran Wendell Smallwood for reinforcement versus Ravens.
With Steelers running back James Conner on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, Wendell Smallwood was called up from the practice squad today. He’ll join the rotation of Benny Snell, Jr. and Anthony McFarland, Jr.
In five seasons, this will be Smallwood’s 52nd career game and first with the Steelers. He came to Pittsburgh as a member of the practice squad in September.
Smallwood’s best season came in 2018 with the Philadelphia Eagles when rushed for 364 yards and three touchdowns. He also logged 230 receiving yards and two more scores.
It’s hard to predict how often Smallwood will be used versus the Ravens, given his inexperience with the Black & Gold, but his sure hands as a receiver could come into play.
At long last, it appears that Tomlin has opened his mind to an RBBC approach to the Steelers’ run game.
Remember all that talk in the offseason from Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin about not utilizing a rotational running back system? Yeah, me, too. And I fell for it. Why? Because in 13 seasons, Tomlin has never done it — except when the unit has been riddled by injury (2019, 2015).
“It was good to get Anthony McFarland involved,” said Tomlin in Sunday’s postgame press conference. “I thought our utilization of all the backs was a good element of play for us.
In reference to McFarland, Jr., Tomlin said game circumstances hadn’t allowed his role to develop. He was inactive Week 1 and suited up but didn’t play in Week 2.
“We like the overall trajectory of [McFarland’s] game,” he said. “He’s been working hard and practicing hard and has professional detail in his work. We had trust in his abilities. He brings a different skill set than the others, and they complement each other well.”
Games through three weeks have played out as such that they’re able to close games on the ground — where they’re winning but need to run out the clock and play mistake-free football in the final minutes.
“All these games are close,” Tomlin said. “Everything in the National Football League is a one-score game, so your ability in the waning moments to possess the ball and not put your defense in harm’s way, to win the critical possession downs, to be able to run or run-like action.
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“I can’t say enough about what Ben was able to do in some of those short-yardage situations. We did supplement the run with some quick RPO options that allowed us to sustain drives and possess the ball.”
The shuffling of James Conner, McFarland and Benny Snell, Jr. worked in Week 3. Every game will dictate its own set of circumstances, but it’s great to see Tomlin open to a rotational running back approach finally.
“James is our feature runner,” Tomlin said for the umpteenth time since July. “It doesn’t mean that we won’t play others, but it does mean as we distribute carries, particularly as we find our rhythm in the game, that will include Conner unless someone has an unusually hot hand.”
Tomlin added that that’s the approach from now on — he doesn’t care who gets the credit or who makes the plays.
David Dorey looks at the most interesting six things heading into the weekend.
Well, the season started and so far COVID-19 mostly impacts concession sales at the stadium. We’ve got four months left to reach the playoffs, so fingers crossed that the players don’t act the way I would if I was in my early twenties with millions in the bank account.
Six things I am thinking about heading into the weekend:
Saints receivers – The unthinkable happened when Michael Thomas suffered a high-ankle sprain against the Buccaneers. His absence should boost the playing time for Tre’Quan Smith who was hyped this summer by players and coaches. The reality is that some or even all of those passes once meant for Thomas will now end up with Alvin Kamara or Jared Cook and both are already fantasy starters. Smith has scored five times in each of his first two seasons, but last year never did more than one or two catches in a game. He had two monster games as a rookie (10-157 and 3-111) but was quiet in all other games. Smith is one to watch since Thomas seems likely to miss a few games. Notable as wellNotable as well is Marquez Callaway, an undrafted free agent that signed with the Saints in May after the NFL draft. Technically, he is the backup for Thomas while Smith is behind Emmanuel Sanders. It’s been five years since the Saints have had to play without Thomas who topped 100 catches in each of the last three seasons. The Saints face Raiders, Packers, Lions and Chargers next, and will need to throw downfield to someone new.
RB Benny Snell – The Steelers backfield is instantly harder to read after James Conner sprained his ankle in the win over the Giants. Conner was ineffective on his six runs for nine yards but Snell gained 113 yards on 19 carries and looked very comfortable. Now Conner is back to full practices yesterday and should face the Broncos on Sunday. HC Mike Tomlin said that Conner would return as the primary back but the speculation is that Snell has bought himself a bigger role. The Steelers offensive line has been hit with injuries which won’t help, but they play in home games in three of the next four games. Snell was already a must own for the less-than-durable Conner owner and now is the one to watch in this backfield.
RB James Robinson – It’s not often that a a no-name, undrafted rookie running back makes the team. It’s unheard of to see him shoot up the depth chart to No. 1 in about one week right before the season started. The former Illinois State back ran for 1,899 yards on 364 carries in 2019 but went undrafted since he was from a small school in the Missouri Valley Conference. But Robinson ran for 62 yards on 16 rushes versus the Colts in Week 1 and no other back had a carry. Chris Thompson only fielded two short passes for six yards. Robinson faces the Titans this week, but his next three opponents are the Dolphins, Bengals and Texans. If he looks as good this week at the Titans, Robinson will end up as one of the biggest running back surprises of the season.
WR Quintez Cephus – The Lions spent their fifth-round pick on the Wisconsin wideout who topped out with 59-902-7 last year on a team that greatly prefers to run. He made the Lions final roster and was already speculated to be in line to play some slot. But Kenny Golladay injured his hamstring right before the start of the season and missed Week 1. Cephus took his place and led the Lions with ten targets versus the Bears. He only caught three for 43 yards but he faced the Bears defense and Matt Stafford kept trying to connect with him. The Lions are not going to have the luxury of rushing at the Packers and then Cardinals next and Golladay appears likely to miss at least this week as well. This is a powerful passing attack that starts the year against some of the better defenses. Cephus could earn an ongoing role if he can continue to attract the attention of Stafford.
WR Parris Campbell – The Colts used their 2.27 pick of 2018 to take the 4.31/40 speedster out of Ohio State, but he was plagued with injuries his first two seasons. The Colts offense is all new now with Philip Rivers as the starting quarterback. His first game this year saw him start across from T.Y. Hilton (not Michael Pittman). Campbell tied with Hilton with nine targets and left the team with 71 yards on six catches. This week their home opener is against the Vikings defense that struggled in their opening loss to the Packers. Campbell looks to finally be cashing in that potential and worth watching on Sunday.
RB Peyton Barber – The lack of preseason games or even comprehensive reports from training camps led to numerous depth chart surprises across the NFL in Week 1. One of the biggest was Peyton Barber who out-carried Antonio Gibson 17 to 11 rushes and scored both short touchdowns. Dwayne Haskins only completed three passes for nine yards to his running backs so receptions are not going to be part of the running back value in Washington. Goal line plunges are and Barber has quickly climbed through the logjam in the backfield to be the No. 1 back. Bryce Love was a surprising inactive in Week 1. If he doesn’t suit up for the matchup in Arizona on Sunday, his career is likely to never start. Week 1 is usually in favor of veterans, but Washington’s depth chart was open for any back to climb. There is a chance that Gibson eventually overtakes Barber, but there is an equal chance that it remains a committee and Gibson is not considered a primary back.
With James Conner on the bench due to an injury, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Benny Snell more than picked up the slack, totaling 113 yards on 19 carries.
And his mouthguard was thrust back into the spotlight.
You see, going all the way back to his days at Kentucky, Snell made headlines for a mouthguard that has a built-in fan on the front that actually spins when he breathes. It looks super cool.
Since 2018, we’ve seen cameras capture the mouthguard, and if Snell takes over for Conner this year, we’re about to see a lot more of it.
James Conner and Benny Snell Jr. Could be a dynamic duo for the Steelers.
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We all understand how Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin operates pertaining to the run game. If he has a lead back, that guy is going to get the carries. He doesn’t really platoon running backs and has never shown he is willing to use a running-back-by-committee approach regardless of the talent on the roster.
This means as long as he’s healthy, Conner is the guy. It also means if something happens to Conner, the team wants a player who is as close in skills as Conner for the sake of continuity.
I believe this is the main reason we have seen Benny Snell Jr. trim down in the offseason. In fact, going back to Le’Veon Bell, we’ve seen a pattern of Steelers backs coming in a little heavier and leaning out to see success. Bell did it after his first year and Conner did the same. Now we are seeing it from Snell and in rookie Anthony McFarland Jr. we already have a guy who fits the mold.
Considering how much trouble Conner has had with his health during his career, we really hope Tomlin decides to take these two guys who are basically clones of each other physically and utilize both so Conner can be healthy at the end of the season.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kerrith Whyte showed speed and versatility in 2019. Where will that leave him in a crowded RB room?
The Pittsburgh Steelers entered training camp with an excellent problem to have — depth at the running back position. Currently, mid-training camp, there’s a crowded running back room: James Conner, Benny Snell, Jr., Jaylen Samuels, Anthony McFarland, Jr., Kerrith Whyte, Wendell Smallwood and Trey Edmunds.
Given the health concerns they had to deal with in Conner, Snell and Samuels missing multiple games in 2019, the more options, the better for Pittsburgh.
One of the temporary solutions last season was the signing of Whyte from the Chicago Bears practice squad. He signed on Nov. 16 and was thrust into action with the Steelers on Nov. 24.
“I am just happy they trusted me,” Whyte told Teresa Varley in her Camp Blog series. “I got here and four days later played in my first game. It was unique. I appreciated that. When someone trusts you with the ball, that’s what it’s about. The game is about the ball… Ball security is the most important thing. I take pride in it. I know how meaningful the ball is.”
Though the Steelers showed interest in the speedy back during a pre-draft visit to Pittsburgh, the Florida Atlantic product wound up in Chicago via a seventh-round selection in the 2019 NFL Draft.
(Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
For the casual Steelers fan, Whyte shot out of nowhere. In his first appearance in November versus the Cincinnati Bengals, he carried the ball six times for 43 yards (7.2 per attempt average). Whyte had another nice game in Week 14 versus Arizona with five attempts for 41 yards. Through six games with the Steelers, Whyte finished off the season with 122 yards on 24 carries for a 5.1 average.
“Hopefully it was the start of something,” said Whyte. “I believe in myself. I have so much more to show. I am happy how things played out. Hopefully I did turn some heads. I am going to continue to work and show my God-given talent.”
“The guys here showed nothing but love from the moment I walked in,” he said. “They took great care of me, and I am appreciative of that… I took a little piece from everybody, from the coaching staff, the strength staff, the veterans in the room. They were all a part of the puzzle.”
With his speed and agility, Whyte was able to supplant wide receiver Ryan Switzer as the Steelers’ starting kickoff returner. Finding a reliable return man has been problematic for years, but Whyte led the team in kickoff return yards (264), attempts (14), and average (19 yards), including a team-best return of 34 yards.
What could make Whyte expendable is what he’s best known for: Speed. McFarland, the Steelers rookie back, has a similar playing style to Whyte.
The Steelers kept five running backs (including fullback Rosie Nix) last year and, given the injury concern that Conner comes with, it would be smart to do the same in 2020.
Though he showed some promise his rookie season, Snell didn’t overly impress. But his 426 yards rushing were good enough for second on the team and is a lock to make the 53-man roster. As for Samuels, there’s been some conjecture that he isn’t a roster lock; however, his value as a receiver should not be overlooked. Samuels contributed 305 yards and a touchdown; best among Steelers running backs.
Practice squads were expanded to from 14 to 16 with the new CBA and, to mitigate players testing positive for the coronavirus the week of a game, will allow each team to protect four players weekly. The new rules also mean players who are generally worthy of a spot on the 53-man roster could instead be stashed on the practice squad.
A protected member of the practice squad is the most likely landing spot for Whyte unless the Steelers make a surprise move before the start of the season.
