For James Conner, LeVeon Bell absence brings opportunity

[stillers4me]

The Steelers would have loved to have seen Le’Veon Bell Friday in Latrobe, when the team opened training camp. But with their star running back sitting until he signs his franchise tender, at least one person stands to gain from his absence.


No Bell should mean added touches for James Conner, which could help make up for time he lost earlier this summer. The Steelers’ third-round pick out of Pitt missed most of organized team activities (OTAs) with a hamstring injury.


“I’m just excited to get reps,” Conner said. “I don’t know all the details of [Bell’s] situation, but all I know is I’ve gotta master this playbook, be ready when they call No. 30.”


Conner said he worked out with center Maurkice Pouncey and defensive end Cameron Heyward, among others, in Pittsburgh between OTAs and the start of camp. He said he is conditioned and does not have any limitations from the hamstring injury...........

Read more @ http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/s...s/201707280140

[ALLD]

Bell better not be riding any motorcycles or going skydiving while he is sitting.

[86WARD]

He's busy cutting his new singles.

[BlackAndGold]

Via his snapchat Bell is still working out, looks to be in great shape as usual.

[pczach]

Via his snapchat Bell is still working out, looks to be in great shape as usual.

He has always been a hard worker, and he has played his ass off on the field. That has never been a question with him. He seems to be a very self-motivated guy.

[86WARD]

Great shape/Football Shape. Two different things. Can't wait to read about his offseason workouts and his holdouts when he twists an ankle
In Week 3 and is out for 8 weeks.

Happy to see Conner getting the reps though...I would like to see them sign a veteran back to put a little heat on Bell.

[Born2Steel]

As Bell goes, this season goes. Nobody brings to the table what Bell does. He needs to sign his tender for his protection. They aren't going to work him mush at TC anyway. Don't care if he's there or not. He needs to be under contract though.

[86WARD]

As Bell goes, this season goes. Nobody brings to the table what Bell does. He needs to sign his tender for his protection. They aren't going to work him mush at TC anyway. Don't care if he's there or not. He needs to be under contract though.

13 games Ben, Bryant, Bell and Brown have played together. He needs to be out there for the sake of the team in evaluating what they can and cannot do this season. It would be nice for the coaching staff and Ben to have a full arsenal to work with as they prepare for the season.

[polamalubeast]

[polamalubeast]

[Bluecoat96]

I don't know how many of you folks saw the special on James Conner, but he played a lot of D in HS. If I remember, he was hoping to play D in college, bit made the switch to RB to have a better chance of going on to the next level. I bet his success in back on backers comes from that. There's some cool footage of him playing D at Pitt for a play. Decent spin move!

https://youtu.be/M9I0fWqgO0E

Sent from my XT1710-02 using Tapatalk

[Craic]

I was watching something the other day where they mentioned Bell's situation. The thought was that this was more of a wink-wink, nod-nod situation. Bell doesn't need to take hundreds of reps in training camp, and RB is a position where the body wears down pretty fast if overused. So the thought was Bell will sign in a little while and come into camp, having made his statement about being tagged but not really having disrupted preparation. Especially since the rookies needs to get reps right now.

[steelreserve]

He's busy cutting his new singles.

Just out of curiosity, has ANY pro athlete ever had any actual success as a rapper?

Like - 50,000 of them put out rap singles and have their own record label and shit, but I cannot recall even one memorable or money-making song among them.

[86WARD]

Wayman Tisdale and Bernie Williams have had top selling Billboard albums but they were Jazz or Classical. I think Shaq is probably the most successful athlete to rap? Who knows.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Rookie James Conner turning heads at Steelers camp

By Nick Shook NFL.com
Published: July 30, 2017

James Conner hit headlines when his jersey was declared the highest-selling among rookies this summer. With Steelers camp underway, the rookie's star keeps rising.

Conner is getting plenty of carries with Le'Veon Bell absent from camp, and the runner with local ties and a battle with cancer under his belt is turning heads in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. NFL Network's Aditi Kinkhabwala reported everyone in the Steelers' organization has been really pleased with the new arrival, and that was before the pads had been put on.

Enter Sunday, the first day of hitting.

"He's got a reputation that he doesn't back down from physical confrontation, and I wanted to give him an opportunity to confirm that on Day One," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said of Conner in a Sunday interview with NFL Network's Ike Taylor. "He did in a lot of ways. He's a highly competitive guy, he showed some good technical things. Obviously, it's Day One, he's got a ways to go. His mental approach and demeanor is what we desire."

Conner is obviously not Bell, and we're not saying he'll usurp one of the league's best running backs. But half of the battle for rookies is answering when opportunity knocks, and Conner is apparently doing that about as early as possible.

to read rest of article:

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... elers-camp

[BlackAndGold]

Nobody should be shocked by Conner doing well, the guy is a very good talent, before the MCL injury and of course the POS cancer, many believe he would have been a future late 1st-2nd round draft pick.

Can't wait to see the 1-2 punch of Bell/Conner.

[pczach]

Nobody should be shocked by Conner doing well, the guy is a very good talent, before the MCL injury and of course the POS cancer, many believe he would have been a future late 1st-2nd round draft pick.

Can't wait to see the 1-2 punch of Bell/Conner.

In Conner, everyone is going to get to see a guy a couple years removed from a knee injury, and a guy that no longer has to overcome the sapping affects of chemotherapy and the way the entire cancer situation limits training and energy in some way. Now that he is free of that despicable disease, his body had had a chance to fully heal and he has regained his full energy, strength, and ability to recover from training and build muscle much easier. We will finally see him at full strength.

I'm wishing this kid the very best life has to offer. What a class act.

I think he will be a tremendous asset on and off the field.

[Buckinnuts]

He's busy cutting his new singles.

which he sucks at anyways...not an artist at all wait rap aint a form of art or music anyways