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hawaiiansteeler
07-17-2018, 01:28 PM
Steelers will soon learn Le'Veon Bell's greatest quality is overrated

July 17, 2018

When Le'Veon Bell declined the Steelers' latest contract offer, he essentially saved Pittsburgh from itself. The team is being blinded by what it perceives to be great value in a three-down running back.

If Le'Veon Bell were a soccer player, he'd be known worldwide by a single name. There'd be no need for his surname. He'd simply be Le'Veon to every child from Manchester to Madrid to Maracaibo.

We say this not because it is certain that Bell's remarkable athletic skills would translate easily to that other brand of football, but to make a point about what has become his most obvious talent: He never has to leave the field.

This is of immense value in a sport that limits substitutions, as soccer does with only three players allowed to be replaced during a game. In the NFL, however, a coach can practically sub for a guy in the middle of a play. So Bell's claim to greatness, at this point in his career, has a hollow ring to it.

The Steelers offered an extravagant amount of money to Bell for the luxury of never having to sub out their running back. Bell continues to insist he is worth even more, although the offer presented to him was worth 50 percent more than any other back in the league is earning. So Monday he made it known there would be no agreement on a long-term contract in advance of the NFL's deadline to sign or play under the franchise tag. He will play this season for $14.5 million and almost certainly will enter the 2019 offseason as a free agent.

Which means it's now time for Bell to be the great player he says he is, and not just someone versatile enough to play every down.

In a Twitter post announcing his decision to decline the Steelers’ offer, Bell promised exactly that: “Im sorry we let you down but trust me, 2018 will be my best season to date."

That’s not exactly setting the bar where only Sergei Bubka can clear it.

Bell’s best year as a pro came in 2014, when he rushed for 1,361 yards and a 4.8-yard average, along with 83 pass receptions for a 10.3 average. Since then, he has been suspended twice, missed a significant portion of the 2015 season with an knee injury and had to leave the 2016 season’s AFC championship game early because of groin problem.

A year ago, fully healthy and unsuspended, he skipped all of training camp, showed up just before the season began and then produced 236 combined yards from scrimmage in the first three weeks. He finished with a per-carry average of 4.0, which ranked 24th in the league, and a per-catch average of 7.7 yards. His basic fantasy football stats were good — 1,291 rushing yards, nine touchdowns — but it doesn't take Bill James’ brain to figure beyond that.

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