Watson strengthened his case for a roster spot in Thursday's preseason finale against Carolina, gaining 80 yards on 15 first-half carries, ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler reports.
One of the larger running backs in the league, Watson was the third-leading rushing this preseason, taking 37 carries for 173 yards (4.7 average) and a touchdown despite having a long gain of only 15 yards. His consistency running between the tackles puts him in direct competition with 235-pound rookie James Conner, who is a lock to make the team but won't necessarily have a Week 1 role. Fitzgerald Toussaint (leg) offers a very different skill set as a pass-catching threat, but it's unclear whether he'll be healthy for the start of the season. The Steelers don't seem to have a clear plan for what they would do in the event of a Le'Veon Bell injury.