Pittsburgh Steelers running back LeGarrette Blount goes through drills during an NFL football organized team activity.

PITTSBURGH — Since Jerome Bettis retired after the 2005 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers have searched for a big, bruising running back in his mold.

The list of hopefuls has been long, if not particularly distinguished.

Verron Haynes, Najee Davenport, Carey Davis, Gary Russell, Frank Summers, Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman all failed to consistently provide production in short-yardage and goal line situations.

Enter LeGarrette Blount. The 6-foot, 250-pound veteran certainly looks the part. And while he has a long way to go to be mentioned with the likes of Bettis, there have been plenty of flashes during his four seasons in the league. Blount averaged 5.0 yards per carry while splitting time with Stevan Ridley in New England last season, and gashed the Indianapolis Colts for 166 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs.

Though second-year back Le’Veon Bell remains the starter, Blount is confident he can make an impact no matter what situation.

“I know they brought me in here to run the football, so I hope there are plenty of carries to go around,” Blount said Wednesday. “I know that Le’Veon is going to get his fair share, so I hope there’s enough for all of us.”

Bell, last year’s second-round pick, missed the opening three games while recovering from a preseason foot injury. But he still played nearly 700 snaps, a heavy workload the 6-foot-1, 230-pound Bell managed with ease. Still, the Steelers will find opportunities to go from the patient and pragmatic Bell to the bruising Blount, with the emphasis on bruising.

“That’s my running style,” Blount said. “That’s how I run the football, and I feel like (Bell) is also a big, tough running back, too. So, that’s just how this team is built, with a physical running game.”

Blount noted a balanced offense is needed to make a run to the Super Bowl such as the ones by Seattle and Denver last year. The champion Seahawks had Marshawn Lynch running the ball and Russell Wilson throwing it, while the Broncos ran the ball with Knowshon Moreno when Peyton Manning wasn’t breaking NFL passing records.

“I think it’s huge for us to (sign Blount), because I’ve always said that we need to be a balanced offense,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said.