Is Le’Veon Bell really the Steelers number two receiver?
There has been a lot of conversation generated by Le’Veon Bell’s contract situation. No matter which side you fall on, “He should have signed” or “He shouldn’t have signed”, there are valid arguments to be made either way.
This is not a question of whether the Steelers offer was a lowball offer (it wasn’t) or if Le’Veon Bell has overvalued himself (he hasn’t), rather much of the argument boils down to this simple fact – the Steelers do business a certain way.
And it’s unlikely Le’Veon Bell is going to force their hand and make them change their process.
The Steelers Side Of Things
Jason Fitzgerald at “Over The Cap” wrote a really good article that summarizes the issues surrounding Bell’s contract. In it he describes the way the Steelers traditionally handle contracts:
The Steelers organization offers very large signing bonuses relative to the majority of the NFL, but they don’t guarantee salary beyond that. For example, Antonio Brown received $19 million as a signing bonus but not a penny more guaranteed. That’s simply doing business with the Steelers and you need to accept that when you sign with them.
There is another point that Fitzgerald makes which needs to be taken into account. The Steelers are an organization that generally stands by players, honoring contracts regardless of what is or is not guaranteed. The cost to the Steelers to cut Le’Veon Bell early in the offered contract is such that it almost guarantee’s it won’t happen, without actually guaranteeing it.
Considered that way, the offer the Steelers made was really strong. Bell was going to make $42 million dollars over the first three years of the deal. Even if he had been injured, there is every reason to believe that the Steelers would honor at least some portion of the contract, and insurance could have assisted with the rest.
Yet, Bell turned the offer down. An offer that would have greatly reset the value of running backs with a $12 million average per year. (Buffalo’s LeSean McCoy is currently the second highest-paid running back, averaging $8 million per season.)
Why then, would Le’Veon pass on the Steelers offer?
Bell Is the Steelers Number Two Reciever
One reason is how Bell views himself and his value to the team. Some insight into that came to light after Bell spoke to former Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor, who said Le’Veon Bell told him this:
"I want to be paid as No. 1 RB & No. 2 WR." – Le'Veon Bell to @Ike_SwagginU
Will he be a training camp holdout? https://t.co/cgZtLmOf7n
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) July 20, 2017
Does Bell have a legitimate argument in being considered the Steelers number two receiver? Our own writer, Joe Kuzma, made a case for this earlier this year. A point of fact, in two of the four seasons Bell has played he was the Steelers second best receiver. Take a look at these number from 2014 and 2016:
You can clearly see that in both of these seasons Bell was the second-leading receiver with regards to number of receptions. He was also second on the team in targets (94 in 2016 and 105 in 2014) and receiving yards (616 in 2016 and 854 in 2014).
It’s possible if Bell had been able to play a full season in 2015 he might have been the second-leading receiver as well. However, an emerging Martavis Bryant had a slight edge when you look at their averages:
Martavis played 11 games that season (starting five) while Bell started all six games in which he played. The argument can be made that Bryant got more targets and catches over the remainder of the season because Bell wasn’t there, but an argument can also be made for Bell’s 2016 campaign – that he received more targets and had more receptions because of Martavis Bryant’s absence.
Or Is He?
While it’s hard to argue with Bell’s assertion that he should be treated as a number two receiver, there is something else to consider. A large number of Bell’s receptions are dump-off passes that he gets coming out of the backfield. I know there are times that Bell is split out wide, but my memory tells me those were more the exception rather than the rule.
What’s the point of this?
Simple – the true value of a legitimate number two receiver is to force defenses to respect that option as an actual threat. It means defenses have to drop into zone coverage more often and trust less in press or man coverage. Le’Veon doesn’t provide that as a back coming out of the backfield. He is going to be picked up by a linebacker or a safety, but he’s not going to force the coverage to respect that second X or Z receiver (depending on where Antonio Brown lines up).
So while Le’Veon is absolutely a phenomenal receiving back, I don’t think I fully agree that he is filling the role of “the number two receiver”. Yes, the defense needs to respect him coming out of the backfield, but that is not the same thing as splitting out two legitimate receiving threats. When he goes in motion and motions out leaving the Steelers in an empty backfield situation, only then can that argument can be made.
Run Him ‘Til The Wheels Fall Off
We’ve heard the call to “run him until the wheels fall off” before. It isn’t new and in fact, Coach Tomlin famously said that about Willie Parker – and he then proceeded to do it.
However, this team and this situation aren’t the same. With the offensive firepower the Steelers will have at hand this season, it’s possible that Bell’s numbers slide rather than increase, simply based on a greater availability of viable options: that includes both rushing and passing numbers. If that happens, it won’t be because Bell is less valuable or less of a weapon. It will be because there are only so many touches to go around, and the Steelers offense is going to have a lot of mouths to feed.
On top of that, if the Steelers do manage to build up large leads, doesn’t it benefit both Bell and the Steelers to limit his snaps when the game may be out of reach? It cannot be disputed that Bell has been missing at the most crucial time; during the playoffs. Keeping Bell healthy, as well as everyone else, has to be a priority.
Run him ‘til the wheels fall off is an idea that very well could lead to an early Steelers postseason exit. They will need Bell during the second season. Killing him during the regular season simply makes it more likely his body breaks down when they need him the most.
Conclusion
Bell is a valuable commodity. He is unlike any other receiving back in the league (except maybe David Johnson). He is a once-in-a-lifetime talent.
As was stated at the beginning of this article, there really isn’t a “wrong” side of what happened with his contract situation. Bell has legitimate reasons to think his value is higher than an average running back, and there is no question the Steelers provided an offer that expresses the fact that they value Bell while resetting the value associated with the running back position.
Likewise, the guarantees are not a function of valuing or devaluing that position, they are a function of how the Steelers do business. The bottom line is that Bell will actually make less money on the tag this year and the tag next year (if he ends up being tagged again – not a guarantee at all) than he would have made if he had signed the contract.
That’s $26 million versus $30 million over two seasons.
Is there risk involved?
Of course, and it’s probably more on Bell’s side than it is on the Steelers side. That being said, Bell does need to understand the history and reputation of the team he is dealing with. He needs to realize that taking the running back position from where it is right now. Bell’s average salary would have been $12 million compared with McCoy‘s $8 million – that would be a 150-percent increase, resetting a market that was trending down, not up. It is a huge statement for the Steelers to offer to make him the highest-paid running back in the league.
And it’s disingenuous for Bell to portray the offer as not demonstrating that he is valued. He is valued, and this offer clearly shows that. It may not be what he considers enough, but when you consider the team, it’s history and it’s methodology of conducting business, the offer is a huge expression of how much they value Le’Veon Bell.
For fans claiming the Steelers should just pay the man – they tried. The offer they provided was a good one.
For fans claiming that Bell is being disloyal – don’t be ridiculous – he’s not. He simply has a different view on what he is worth.
And for all the yinzers who want to let him walk – you are cutting off your nose to spite your face. Bell is not someone we EVER want to see wearing another team’s colors. He is possibly the best running back in the history of the franchise. He very well may walk after 2017 or 2018, but it’s not something we should be looking forward to, or happy about. We can only hope that this situation doesn’t devolve further and become a distraction as the season progresses.
The ultimate negotiating point for Le’Veon would be if he can help the Steelers hoist their seventh Lombardi at the end of the year.
