Pittsburgh Steelers' Positional Breakdown: The Running Backs

(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)

Day 2 of the Pittsburgh Steelers positional breakdown - The Running Backs

The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have nine running backs on the roster, which creates a crowded backfield and gives the Steelers one of their deepest positions on the depth chart. Some teams are in desperate need of a running back, the Steelers are in need of a way to utilize so much talent and spread around the ball to keep them all happy.

The unquestioned starter is "Fast" Willie Parker with first round pick, Rashard Mendenhall and journeymen, Mewelde Moore, backing him up. All the Steelers backs will key play a role on the team though and how the coaches choose to utilize each will be entertaining to see. With the addition of Frank "the Tank" Summers to the mix, it could get real interesting when training camp opens up this summer.

There could be a camp battle or two with this mix of talent and how things shake out could foreshadow the future of the Steelers backfield with Parker in the final year of his contract and getting closer to the other-side of 30. We will discuss camp battles a little later though.

Willie Parker, Jr. - Parker was an un-drafted free agent with the Steelers in 2004. While at UNC, Parker displayed great speed but little vision, resulting in inconsistent play which led to him being benched in favor of Ronnie McGill during his senior year. Parker was timed several times in the 40 yard dash coming from college. The fastest time was a 4.21. Parker spent his first year as a back up to some very talented HB's on the Steelers roster that included Jerome Bettis, Duce Staley and Verron Haynes.

In his second year, Parker earned the starting job after both Bettis (hamstring) and Staley (knees) missed the first part of the season with injuries. By default, Parker had to play the first game against the Tennessee Titans. He impressed Bill Cowher as well as Titans coach Jeff Fisher by gaining 161 rushing yards on 22 attempts (7.3 average).

With a 45 yard toss play, and a 48 yard screen play, he was getting major attention from everyone on the field. After following up this performance with another 100+ yard game against the Houston Texans, Cowher said "He's here to stay."

Since Parker has been a solid contributor to the Steelers running game averaging around 1,250 yards per season. He holds the Super Bowl record for the longest rushing play, a 75 yard scamper for a TD verse Seattle in SB XL.

After that though the injury bug caught up to Parker in 2007, while leading the league in rushing with two games left on the regular season schedule, when he suffered a broken right fibula early in a game against the St. Louis Rams.

His 2008 season was marred by injuries as well and he would miss six games due to knee and shoulder dings.

Parker is the unquestioned starter in 2009 but look for Rashard Mendenhall to gradually get more carries in involved in the Steelers game-plan as the season moves on. This will be a make or break season for Willie as his contract is up at the end of '09 and he will be almost 30 years old and have a former first round draft pick nipping at his heals. Parker will need a big season to get a contract extension from the team.

Rashard Mendenhall - A former first round pick, out of Illinois, that the Steelers staff is very high on. Mendenhall was drafted by the Steelers to compliment Willie Parker in the backfield and possibly replace him as the starter after the 2009 season,when Parkers' contract runs out. Mendenhall entered his rookie season full of promise and in week 4 he got his first chance to start for the Steelers, but had his season cut short with a fractured shoulder injury on a Ray Lewis tackle.

This will be Mendenhall's second season as a Steeler and now that he is healthy, he will get a chance to be more involved in the game-plan. He could be just Parker'srelief hitter, but if he can step things up he has a chance to be the Steelers 3rd down and/or short yardage back as well.

He has the ability to do both but will need to beat out Moore for 3rd down duties and Frank Summers for goal line and short yardage situations. Look for some interesting training camp battles for these important roles on the team this summer.

Mewelde Moore -He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings

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