Ever since the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Le’Veon Bell, the offense has asked its running backs to contribute more and more in the passing game. Part of that is simply how the game has changed, but Bell’s success has also been a foundational shift within the team’s thinking in and of itself.
Though James Conner didn’t come into the league with a reputation of being a pass-catcher, it didn’t take him long last season to show that he could do it. He put in a lot of work in that regard and proved to be an asset in that area, even if there were a few blemishes in the forms of drops and a fumble.