Jaylen Warren is perhaps the lead canine within the Steelers’ operating again room now, however he takes nothing with no consideration. As he advised reporters yesterday, he nonetheless has the identical method, making an attempt to earn a spot yearly. Even because the Steelers pay him over $5 million to play, he is able to simply do because the coaches inform him.
Requested if the Steelers have given him any indications that his function would increase or how they plan to make use of him this season, Warren flatly mentioned, “No”, by way of the crew’s web site. But with out Najee Harris within the facility anymore, it might appear that one thing has to alter.
For his total profession, Jaylen Warren has labored in a two-back rotation with Najee Harris. The Steelers let Harris go away in free company and drafted Kaleb Johnson, however the latter is, after all, a rookie. He’s a rookie desirous to be taught, particularly from Warren about move safety, however there’s extra to it than that.
Whereas he didn’t present any perception into the Steelers’ plans at operating again, Warren did supply some basic ideas. Requested a few committee method, he agreed “100%” that such a technique is helpful. “Particularly with the folks we’ve obtained within the room proper now? A hundred percent”.
After all, no person goes to say that the teammates they at present have put all of the burden on their very own shoulders. However at the very least on paper, that isn’t the case for Jaylen Warren. Kaleb Johnson looks as if a rookie who can step present high quality snaps instantly. The Steelers additionally signed veteran Kenneth Gainwell, who has a various ability set. No less than for now, they even nonetheless have Cordarrelle Patterson, and Trey Sermon.
One factor value noting is that Jaylen Warren has by no means performed full-time snaps earlier than. All through his profession, he has solely logged 60 p.c of the offensive snaps or extra twice, by no means reaching 70 p.c. His profession excessive in carries is simply 15, his excessive in touches 17.
Whereas one can readily argue that’s solely as a result of that’s how the Steelers selected to make use of him, it nonetheless makes projecting a bigger workload more difficult. Jaylen Warren has simply 1,308 offensive snaps in three seasons, with 346 carries, and 473 touches. He’s mainly seeing half the work that your typical clear No. 1 RB would see.
However we are able to additionally moderately assume the Steelers didn’t draft Kaleb Johnson to take a seat on the bench. He’s a participant who matches OC Arthur Smith’s scheme properly, arguably higher than Warren. Some reporters even suppose the crew has no intention of re-signing Warren after this season.
Nonetheless, the Steelers can’t paint a transparent image of the distribution of tasks in June, not with a rookie concerned. They must study Johnson first earlier than they know the way a lot he can tackle and the way quickly. That can assist decide what they want from Jaylen Warren, and from Kenneth Gainwell. However the true query is, how a lot can Warren give with out diminishing returns?
