Steelers see backup RB as jack-of-all-trades offensive weapon
Jaylen Samuels is like OC Randy Fichtner’s Christmas toy that he didn’t learn to play with until the following year. Last year, the Steelers wanted to see if Samuels was a professional football player. This year, he’s been a significant part of their offense, whether it’s been the backup running back or, more importantly, that jack-of-all-trades offensive weapon that can line up just about everywhere. Samuels has been a matchup nightmare for the defense in camp because he’s more than just a running back who can catch. (The Athletic – Mark Kaboly)
Nerdy Football Analysis: This should be just want the public needed to fire up Samuels’ hype train again. Contrary to popular belief, James Conner is most likely locked into another heavy workload. With that said, there are 160-plus empty plays the Steelers must replace with Antonio Brown now in Oakland. Samuels’ unique ability to run most of the receiver routes as a running back makes him a good place to start when redistributing those targets and/or plays.
