PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are set at almost every position on offense. They have a franchise quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger. They're stacked at receiver and they have an experienced and acclaimed offensive line.
They also have one of the top running backs in the game in Le'Veon Bell, but one of the biggest questions facing the Steelers this summer will be who is behind him on the depth chart.
The Steelers drafted James Conner in the third round to take over for DeAngelo Williams, Bell's backup the past two seasons. But Conner has barely participated in OTAs due to a nagging hamstring injury, and with Bell skipping OTAs while rehabbing a sports hernia injury, the player getting the most reps with the first-team offense this spring has been Knile Davis, the veteran who was signed in March after spending his first four NFL seasons in Kansas City and Green Bay.
"No doubt, I'm ready to get back on the scene," said Davis, who signed a one-year deal worth $775,000. "It's my fifth year. I'm very confident. I know what's going on, on and off the field, the business side of it. It's like a coming back party. I'd like to redeem myself, for sure."
Davis was Jamaal Charles' backup as a rookie in 2013 and again in 2014 and was one of the top backups in the league. He rushed for 705 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. But in the past two seasons, after being bypassed on the depth chart by the likes of Charcandrick West and Spencer Ware, Davis accounted for only 100 yards and did not score.
And while worrying over who might be the third-string running back might not seem like a big deal for most teams, it is an area where the Steelers know they need depth. Bell is a workhorse when healthy, but he hasn't been able to finish the playoffs the past three seasons due to injuries. In 2015, the Steelers had to start Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint in playoff games against the Bengals and Broncos because Bell and Williams were lost for the season with injuries.
Davis might have the edge over Toussaint for the final running back spot on the 53-man roster because of his abilities as a kickoff returner. Davis' career average is almost 27 yards per return while Toussaint averaged 21.5 per return last season as the Steelers' top returner.
"That's part of the reason they brought me here," he said. "I definitely think I can help this team with that."
But in the meantime, while Bell and Conner rehab their injuries, the Steelers are getting plenty of time to evaluate Davis as a running back.
