The Steelers have had a franchise-altering decision looming over them for the past few years: what to do with Le’Veon Bell? As of now, Bell is franchise tagged at a price of $14.5 million for this season but he has not signed the tag yet and has claimed that he could hold out or even retire if he doesn’t receive a contract.
Rarely do threats like this last through the summer and even rarer still do they last into the season. If Bell really would consider skipping the season and the Steelers decide they couldn’t meet his price tag they could rescind the franchise tag or trade his contract to another team. If they did that they would clear that $14.5 million off their cap and allow them to either roll it over to next season or pursue defensive upgrades.
Why They Should Pay Him:
Le’Veon Bell is only 26 years old which means he still has at least three or four prime seasons left in him. He is arguably the top running back in the NFL and has averaged 93.1 yards per game on the ground over the past four seasons. He is one of the shiftiest backs in the game while also running with all the power his frame allows him. His vision is second to none and his patience to wait in the backfield for holes to open up leads to big gains comes off as almost psychic.
Not only is he an elite running threat, Bell may be the best pass catcher out of the backfield in the NFL. The versatility he provides the Steelers offense allows them to move him around the formation to determine coverages. In his three healthy seasons from 2014 – 2017, Bell averaged eighty-one catches and 708 yards per season.
On top of being their starting running back, he also functions as a number two receiver. Le’Veon Bell is a rare talent and finding a replacement for him in the draft or the remains of free agency wouldn’t be an easy option
Why They Shouldn’t Pay Him:
The Steelers offense is liable to blow up any week of the season with Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le’Veon Bell. What is just as impressive as those three big names are their other wide receivers – Juju Smith-Schuster and Martavis Bryant - and their offensive line. With these positions all filled with above average or better players, one might question whether such a huge portion of the Steelers resources should be committed to the offense.
Without Le’Veon Bell in the lineup since 2014 the Steelers have averaged 23.8 points per game which would leave them just in the top ten of offenses from last season compared to the eighth-place finish at 25.4 points last year.
The drop-off there is not too substantial but the Steelers have to weigh who they could get if they trade Bell for extra picks. Obviously, if they decide to get rid of Bell then trading him would be optimal.
The Steelers could trade him for picks and use those extra choices to continue and rebuild their defense. Over their past two playoff defeats their defense has been exploited. Against the Vaunted Jacksonville defense this past postseason, the Steelers scored 42 points and over 500 yards of offense.
However, Blake Bortles and the Jaguars, who had just 87 yards passing against Buffalo in the Wildcard round, scored 45 points against the Pittsburgh defense. At some point as a team, you have to ask yourself if it’s time for a style change if the current formula doesn’t seem to be working.
Verdict:
Le’Veon Bell is one of the most dynamic and unique players in the NFL but if the contract dispute cannot be settled then it may be time for the Steelers to see what they could get in a trade. After this season, the franchise tag for Bell would reach $20 million and that is not an option for any running back in the NFL, even one as special as Bell.
If Pittsburgh decides that reaching a contract is unlikely, the best – albeit most unpopular – the move would be to trade Le'Veon Bell, roll over any extra cap space to next season, and use any acquired picks to continue to fortify the defense.
