Get Rid of LeVeon Bell? Are You Crazy?!

After the Steelers improved to 8-5 this past Sunday; I saw a lot of questions being asked on whether or not the Steelers should keep LeVeon Bell after his contract expires at the end of next season.  The notion seems to be that the Steelers offense is flying so high without him that his services aren’t needed at the price he’ll command in free agency. 

I have to laugh at this thought and call it a blatant disregard of common sense.  Bell is one of, if not the premiere running back in this league.  While this offense is scoring points in bunches and DeAngelo Williams has filled in admirably, you don’t just move on from a guy like Bell simply because he’s had a few injuries. Not when he’s a 1,200 yard a year back on the ground and another 800 in the air. He’s too special.

Beyond the fact that he possesses a skill set that is unmatched by any other back in the NFL; he has an amazing work ethic, is a great teammate and is developing into a leader. You don’t let those guys walk away. 

There is no arguing what DeAngelo Williams has done thus far this season and without him, the Steelers wouldn’t be where they are but his contributions further prove that it’s necessary to have two running backs in todays’ NFL and when you have a guy like Bell coupled with a great backup like Williams, you don’t break that up.  Furthermore, Williams is currently 32 years old, he doesn’t have that many years left to be a big time contributor, that’s just how Mother Nature works.  Beyond that fact, you need to find a back to replace Bell and eventually Williams, who would that be?

Following me yet?  The idea itself is ludicrous and unimaginable. If the Steelers are fearful of signing Bell to a long term deal after next season, they can always franchise tag him for a year or two but believe me, Bell is a guy that this team can ill afford to lose.

If you want to talk about a guy the team should consider dropping because he gets hurt often, look at Muarkice Pouncey. He’s certainly an all pro caliber center, when he’s playing, but is he worth 8 million dollars a year at this point? He’s a guy who’s been replaced without the offense missing a beat. Sure, it’d be nice to have him but I consider him more of a luxury at this point than a necessity. 

Beyond Big Ben, there is no other player on this team that is less expandable than LeVeon Bell. For those of you who think otherwise, think again. Bell should and will be here for a very long time and I’ll even go so far as to say that when his career is over, he’ll be noted as the best running back in Pittsburgh Steeler history. Think about that.