Should the Steelers pay Le'Veon Bell?
It's deadline day for the Steelers and Le'Veon Bell to get a long-term deal done before the Pro Bowl running back is locked into playing the 2018 season on the franchise tag, which might convince him to sit out a significant portion of the season.
Bell has gone on record saying he wants to be paid as both a running back and receiver, which makes sense after he finished second on the team in targets (107) in 2017. He has also stated his desire to get as much cash up front if the Steelers aren't willing to meet his demand for guaranteed money.
Via ESPN.com:
"I understand how the Steelers do contracts. Last year, I was pounding the table on guaranteed money. That's not the case. If I'm not getting guaranteed money, I want a lot more up front."
Many believe that Bell is seeking a deal that will pay him around $15 million a season. If a deal doesn't get done, Bell will be paid $14.5 million in 2018. Tagging him again in 2019 would cost Pittsburgh about $25 million, an unreasonable price that will likely send Bell to the open market, where he'll finally get the long-term deal he has been looking for over the last 24 months.
So, what should the Steelers do? We've laid out the argument for paying and not paying Bell…
Pittsburgh needs to make an exception and pay Bell
We know how unwise it is for an NFL team to commit a lot of money to a running back. For every Adrian Peterson and Curtis Martin, there are dozens of backs who peaked in their mid-20s before falling off a cliff in subsequent years.
But Bell is no ordinary back, even if the Steelers use him like a traditional bell-cow. The 26-year-old doubles as an extra receiver who can line up (and beat pass defenders) anywhere on the field. Just go back to the Steelers last game in 2017 against the Jaguars. On the first two drives alone, Pittsburgh used him as an outside receiver three times and in the slot once. He ran a slant, a post and a wheel route while also adding in 25 rush yards. Later in the game, he did this from the slot…