NFL camp openings: Steelers open without RB Bell

Jul 27, 2017 - 10:40 PM LATROBE, Pa. -- As the Pittsburgh Steelers reported to training camp here at Saint Vincent College Thursday (July 27), the focus was on running back Le'Veon Bell, who did not report with the rest of the team. Bell is not under contract until he signs his franchise tender worth $12.12 million.

Until he does, Bell is in danger of losing leverage and money if he were to be hurt in camp.

Wide receiver Antonio Brown increased team and fan angst that Bell is considering a holdout by making public pleas, on radio and Twitter, for the prolific runner to join camp.

"I was talking to him last night for about two hours," Brown said earlier this week. "And, you know, we need him. I need him. We need every guy a part of the organization, in the helmet, to be there committed to the cause. He's a special piece. Obviously, we know what he brings to the team, his dimension, playing football. But he's a special individual, and I pray that we have him there."

Head coach Mike Tomlin said of Bell's absence, "There is no question we are a group that values the team-building process. And doing it in this setting, so yes, there is value, and yes, there are consequences for not being here. That's the reality of it."

Bell is a dynamic part of the Steelers' offense. He averaged 146.5 yards per game over the final six regular-season and the first two playoff games. For the season, Bell had 1,268 rushing yards and caught 75 passes for 616 yards. Bell also missed time with injuries and suspension.

DeAngelo Williams was Bell's backup the last two years, but he was not re-signed. James Conner was drafted in the third round and figures to have that role at some point, but he missed almost all of OTAs and minicamp with a hamstring injury.

Knile Davis is a four-year veteran who has not played much the past two seasons, but looked good in the spring.

There was some good news on the arrival front when starting left tackle Alejandro Villanueva reported after agreeing to terms on a four-year contract. Villanueva had been an unsigned exclusive-rights free agent.

Meanwhile, wide receiver Sammie Coates will open training camp on the PUP list. Coates said he will be out at least two weeks while he recovers from minor knee surgery. Coates said he injured the knee while training this summer. It's his second offseason knee surgery, and he also had surgery to repair a sports hernia after the season.



THE FACTS:

TRAINING CAMP: Saint Vincent College; Latrobe, Pa.

COACH: Mike Tomlin

11th season as Steelers/NFL head coach

111-63 overall; 8-6 postseason

THE BREAKDOWN

2016 finish: 1st AFC North (11-5)

STATISTICS

TOTAL OFFENSE: 372.60 (7th)

RUSHING: 110.0 (14th)

PASSING: 262.6 (T5th)

TOTAL DEFENSE: 342.6 (12th)

RUSHING: 100.0 (13th)

PASSING: 242.6 (16th)



2017 PRESEASON SCHEDULE

All times Eastern



Aug. 11, at N.Y. Giants (Fri), 7:00

Aug. 20, ATLANTA, 4:00

Aug. 26, INDIANAPOLIS (Sat), 7:30

Aug. 31, at Carolina (Thu), 7:30



UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Ben Roethlisberger. Backups -- Landry Jones, Josh Dobbs, Bart Houston.

Roethlisberger turned 35 in March but remains among the top quarterbacks in the league. Roethlisberger finished 11th in the NFL in quarterback rating, but he threw 29 touchdowns (sixth-most in the league). He figures to be much better this season with Martavis Bryant back in the fold. Jones has been an adequate fill-in when Roethlisberger has been injured the past two seasons, and the Steelers rewarded him with a two-year contract to remain the backup. Dobbs was drafted in the fourth round and will learn behind the two veterans as a rookie.

RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Le'Veon Bell. Backups -- Knile Davis, James Conner, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Terrell Watson, Tre Williams.

Bell is a weapon for the Steelers as a runner or receiver. He averaged an unreal 146.5 yards per game over the final six regular-season and the first two playoff games. For the season, Bell had 1,268 rushing yards. But he's almost as effective as a receiver out of the backfield, contributing 75 receptions for 616 yards. The Steelers are high on Conner and they believe Davis has a chance to rejuvenate his career after he fell out of favor in Kansas City. Toussaint has been on the roster for most of the past two seasons, but he might have a hard time making the 53-man roster if the trio ahead of him on the depth chart remains healthy.

TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Jesse James. Backups -- Xavier Grimble, David Johnson, Phazahn Odom, Scott Orndoff.

James stepped in last season and performed well after Ladarius Green was injured. With the Steelers releasing Green in the spring with a failed physical designation, James will assume the starter's role again. He started 13 times last season and caught 39 passes for 338 yards. He also has improved as a blocker. Grimble had 11 receptions for 118 yards in his first NFL season. He is more of a receiving tight end than an in-line blocker. Johnson returns on another one-year deal and will serve as the H-back.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, Eli Rogers. Backups -- JuJu Smith-Schuster, Sammie Coates, Darrius Heyward-Bey, Demarcus Ayers, Justin Hamilton, Cobi Hamilton.

If Brown and Bryant are healthy all season, the Steelers should have one of the top receiving corps in the league. Brown has strung together four consecutive 100-catch seasons and is showing no signs of slowing down. Bryant returns after a one-year drug suspension, but he was in great shape this spring and the year off didn't appear to hamper him. Bryant had 76 receptions for 1,314 yards in his first two NFL seasons. Rogers proved to be effective in the slot last season, but Smith-Schuster could challenge him for some playing time as a big-bodied possession receiver. There also is a strong possibility offensive coordinator Todd Haley goes to more four-receiver sets to take advantage of the talent at his disposal.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LT Alejandro Villanueva, LG Ramon Foster, C Maurkice Pouncey, RG David DeCastro, RT Marcus Gilbert. Backups -- T Jerald Hawkins, C/G B.J. Finney, C/G Chris Hubbard, T Matt Feiler, C Mike Matthews, T Jake Rodgers, T Brian Mihalik, T Keavon Milton, C Kyle Friend, G Ethan Cooper.

This is one of the best offensive lines in the league, led by Pouncey and DeCastro. Foster is coming off his best season, and Gilbert is one of the most underrated right tackles in the league. The Steelers have some strong backups, too. Finney has capably filled as a reserve center or guard, and Hubbard has done the same at tackle and guard. The Steelers even use him as an extra tight end every once in a while.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN: Starters -- LE Cameron Heyward, NT Javon Hargrave, RE Stephon Tuitt. Backups -- DE Tyson Alualu, DE L.T. Walton, DE Nelson Adams, DE Christian Brown, DE Lavon Hooks, DE Francis Kallon, DE Johnny Maxey, NT Daniel McCullers, NT Roy Philon.

The Steelers have a strong starting trio, but this is not the deepest position group on the roster. Heyward and Tuitt are a couple of impactful defensive ends, and Hargrave played well as a rookie last season. Alualu was brought in to shore up the depth behind the starters. The former first-round pick of the Jaguars is looking to rejuvenate his career with the Steelers. Walton grew into an effective reserve last season. This is a big year for McCullers. He is in the final year of his rookie contract and could get pushed for a roster spot by a younger player.

LINEBACKERS: Starters -- ROLB James Harrison, ILB Ryan Shazier, ILB Vince Williams, LOLB Bud Dupree. Backups -- OLB T.J. Watt, OLB Anthony Chickillo, OLB Arthur Moats, OLB Keion Adams, OLB Farrington Huguenin, ILB Tyler Matakevich, ILB L.J. Fort, ILB Matt Galambos.

The Steelers used their first-round pick on Watt because they want a better pass rush from the outside. Watt demonstrated a good grasp of the playbook in the spring and could challenge Harrison for the starting job. Either way, both figure to play in a rotation, at least in the beginning of the year. Dupree is the starter on the other side, and the Steelers need a big year from him. He missed half of last season with a sports hernia. If the former first-round pick can stay healthy all season he has the best chance among the outside linebackers to crack double digits in sacks. On the inside, Shazier made the Pro Bowl last season and is one of the top inside backers in the game when healthy. Williams takes over for Timmons at the other inside spot. He might not be an every-down player like Timmons was for the Steelers, but the coaches like his ability as a run-stopper. The Steelers have decent depth on the outside with veterans Moats and Chickillo, but their inside depth is questionable. This is one spot where a veteran could be added after other teams cut their rosters to 53 players in September.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Artie Burns, RCB Ross Cockrell, FS Mike Mitchell, SS Sean Davis. Backups -- CB Will Gay, CB Coty Sensabaugh, CB Senquez Golson, CB Brian Allen, CB Brandon Dixon, CB Greg Ducre, CB Mike Hilton, S Robert Golden, S Jordan Dangerfield, S Jacob Hagen, S Damion Stafford, S Terrish Webb.

This is the area in which the Steelers have to improve the most. The secondary performed better, but Tom Brady proved there are miles to go. The Steelers drafted Sutton to compete for a starting job, whether that's at slot corner or the outside corner where Ross Cockrell is currently. The Steelers showed their hand this spring when they offered Cockrell the lowest tender possible as a restricted free agent. Burns is their top corner and played fairly well for a rookie. He needs to take another step in his development, as does second-year safety Sean Davis, who also played better in the second half of last season. The most veteran player in the secondary is Mike Mitchell, who is entering the fourth season of a five-year contract. He is the leader of a young group that has to develop on the fly.

SPECIAL TEAMS: K Chris Boswell, P Jordan Berry, LS Colin Holba, KOR Knile Davis, PR Antonio Brown.

Boswell has been one of the league's most accurate kickers since entering the league in 2015, and he's been especially clutch in the playoffs, going 15 for 15. Davis was signed to jump-start a struggling kick return game. He was effective in that role when he was with the Chiefs. Holba takes over for Greg Warren, who had been the team's long snapper since 2005.