STEELERS 101

Today, 40 rookies and veteran prospects opened the first mini-camp of 2012 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, it was news about another player, running back Baron Batch, that opened some eyes. Early in the day, Steelers beat reporter Ed Bouchette reported on twitter that Batch, who tore his ACL in training camp, was still unable to suit up and practice during mini-camp.

Batch, a seventh round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft, was a fan favorite at the outset of training camp last season and had started opening the eyes of the coaching staff when the injury occurred.  This offseason, the buzz started again, when fans talked about 2012, and what he could potentially add to the offense. Fans should not worry about Batch, as he should be ready for training camp, but it may provide an honest assessment of when another Steelers running back, Rashard Mendenhall, may see the field this season.

General manager Kevin Colbert opened some eyes early in the offseason when he said that he did not expect Mendenhall to play in 2012. In looking at this situation, one can see why. Mendenhall tore his ACL in January during the season finale (Batch in August) and the nine-month mark (where Batch is at in recovery) would be October.  If Batch is not cleared until July, that would equal Mendenhall returning for the first time in December and one has to wonder if the Steelers can wait that long before potentially adding a veteran to their stable.

Unfortunately, with Mewelde Moore unsigned, there is no true veteran presence for the young players to lean on. Sure, he can be signed at some point as he is still an unrestricted free agent, but there have been little mention of that in the local area. The question is then, if not Moore, who? In looking at the available free agent running backs, there are a couple names that could be intriguing as a veteran option.

 

Running backs	FA Type	2011 Team
Joseph Addai	UFA	Indianapolis
Jackie Battle	UFA	Kansas City
Cedric Benson	UFA	Cincinnati
Lorenzo Booker	UFA	Minnesota
Ronnie Brown	UFA	Philadelphia
Kevin Faulk	UFA	New England
Justin Forsett	UFA	Seattle
Earnest Graham	UFA	TampaBay
Ryan Grant	UFA	Green Bay
Tim Hightower	UFA	Washington
Thomas Jones	UFA	Kansas City
Mewelde Moore	UFA	Pittsburgh
Maurice Morris	UFA	Detroit
Sammy Morris	UFA	Dallas
Jerious Norwood	UFA	St. Louis
ChesterTaylor	UFA	Arizona
LaDainian Tomlinson	UFA	New YorkJets
Derrick Ward	UFA	Houston
Cadillac Williams	UFA	St. Louis

 Running back Jackie Battle (Kansas City) may be a fit as he is familiar with new offensive coordinator Todd Haley and has a solid skill set. The one-time undrafted rookie free agent has a nice combination of size (6-2, 238 pounds),  speed (4.42 40-yard dash) and may be versatile enough to play fullback in a pinch. The other running back besides Battle and Moore who could be interesting is former Seattle Seahawks running back Justin Forsett. Forsett is not great in any one area, but is a tough runner who is a blue-collar overachiever. Sure, he does not have the greatest size at 5-8. 197 pounds, but like Moore he understands his role and can produce when called upon.

In the end, the team may decide to look to free agency to pick up some insurance behind the young players in their backfield. Projected starter Isaac Redman has been outstanding in his limited role, and no one is sure what to expect over the course of an entire season. Back-ups Jonathan Dwyer and John Clay have both showed flashes, but have not played a major role in the offense. The team did add speedster Chris Rainey from Florida in the fifth round of the draft, but he is not an every down back and is more of an explosive, change-of-pace weapon that can be used in multiple ways. When you add a healthy Batch to the mix, the Steelers do have some potential and may ultimately decide to stay put.

Tags: Baron Batch, Chris Rainey, Football, Free Agent, Isaac Redman, Jackie Battle, John Clay, Jonathan Dwyer, Justin Forsett, Mewelde Moore, NFL, Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Steelers, Rashard Mendenhall

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