A year after James Conner was the workhorse before getting injured, the Steelers added rookie Benny Snell and perceive a heartier role for pass-catching back Jaylen Samuels. Speaking with NFL Network for an interview that will air on NFL Total Access Monday night, Conner suggested he's preparing for a similar workload to last season.
"I'll have a similar role. I'm healthy, first and foremost, I'm 100 percent healthy now. We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Conner said of his workload this year.
Conner admitted there has been no deep discussion on his role this offseason, so he may only be speculating as rumblings out of Pittsburgh suggest spreading the ball around. As the story added, Tomlin has preferred his offense to use one back, and Conner proved last season he can be a dual threat. We think Conner is still deserving of a pick in the late first round, but his workload isn't a given right now.