Aug 9, 2013 4 min read

LATROBE – He might not start the game, but Steelers rookie running back Le’Veon Bell won’t be standing on the sidelines for long when Pittsburgh hosts the New York Giants Saturday in its preseason opener at Heinz Field.

Head coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday his offensive and defensive starters will see just 10 to 12 snaps against the Giants, just long enough to get their feet wet in game-type action.

Bell, a second-round draft pick, will get a look with the starters then get extended playing time.

“I think he has earned that,” said Tomlin of playing time with the starters. “But don’t be surprised to see him play after those guys are out of the game. He, like a lot of guys, we need to get a lot of exposure to.”

The Steelers made Bell the second running back selected in this year’s draft with the thought that the 6-1, 244-pound rookie could possibly be and every-down back.

Bell, who led the Big Ten in rushing while at Michigan State in 2012, has looked sharp throughout training camp at Saint Vincent College.

“We were excited about him when he was there. He was the guy we wanted, and he’s done nothing to disappoint,” said offensive coordinator Todd Haley. “He’s missed a couple of days, and we need a guy who can stay healthy day in and day out. That’s part of the job description. Other than that, he’s shown enough signs to have everyone encouraged about what he’s capable of doing.”

The Steelers are hopeful the combination of Bell and a new outside zone blocking scheme will help pump up a rushing attack that often times sputtered last season. The Steelers averaged just 96.1 yards rushing per game, scoring eight touchdowns on the ground.

“We didn’t run the ball well enough last year,” Haley conceded. “We had spurts last year where we had a guy look like he was going to be the guy, and then he’d go down with an injury. That happened kind of consistently. So nobody ever got a stranglehold on the great opportunity, maybe through no fault of their own. Whatever the different reasons were, they didn’t happen.”

The addition of Bell and free agent signee LaRod Stephens-Howling has had an effect on returning backs Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer.

Redman, who tops the depth chart, dropped 10 pounds coming into camp and has looked quicker. Jonathan Dwyer, who led the team in rushing last season, trimmed 20 pounds during the offseason and also has looked good.

“The whole group has looked good,” Haley said. “They’ve got a chip on their shoulder. We’ve added two new guys into the mix. LaRod is a different skill set than the other guys and Le’Veon. The cream will rise to the top. That’s good for us. When you have competition and you see multiple guys looking like they’ve got a chance to be pretty good, that’s a good thing.”

Odds and end zones

Tight end Matt Spaeth was sent back to Pittsburgh for further evaluation after aggravating a knee injury Wednesday. … Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and defensive end Cameron Heyward were held out of practice Thursday but are expected to play Saturday. … Wide receiver Plaxico Burress left practice after landing hard on his right elbow after jumping for a pass. Burress had his right arm in a sling following practice … Offensive tackle Guy Whimper left practice after apparently suffering adverse affects from the heat. … Second-year pro Kelvin Beachum spent the final portion of practice at right tackle with the first unit, while Marcus Gilbert played with the second team. Gilbert opened camp as the first-team left tackle but was later moved to the right side. … The Steelers signed tight end Nathaniel Overbay, newphew of former Pirates first baseman Lyle Overbay, and released offensive tackle Mike Farrell. They also released tight end John Rabe and claimed tight end Michael Johnson off waivers from Seattle. … The Steelers practice today is closed to the public.