Le'Veon Bell Emerging as Elite Running Back for Pittsburgh Steelers

I sincerely hope that fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers understand and appreciate what this team is doing offensively this season. Yes, the team is only 5-3, but that keeps them firmly in the hunt for a playoff spot in the competitive AFC North. However, in terms of just entertainment, the play of the offense, especially running back Le'Veon Bell, has been one of the real highlights of the first half of the 2014 NFL season.

However, before we talk about what Bell is doing now, let's look at how he got here.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Bell gained national attention in 2012 when he carried the ball a staggering 382 times in 13 games and amassed 1,793 yards rushing. These kinds of numbers make NFL franchises drool because this is the kind of back you can just plant in the backfield and not worry about subbing them out.

At the same time, you look at 414 total touches in 13 games and you wonder if there could be concerns about too much wear on the tires. These are the kinds of value decisions an NFL front office must make with a talent like Bell.

The Steelers decided that Bell was worth a second-round pick, drafting him to replace running back Rashard Mendenhall. 

Criticisms of Bell before the draft were fairly consistent. Here's a great example of what was said about Bell before the draft, courtesy of NFL.com. 

"

Taller back who presents a big target for defenders to hit, especially when failing to lower his pads going into the hole. Size also limits his breakaway speed and ability to create on his own if challenged by better front sevens.Sub par vision prevents him from seeing cut back lines and sees him running up the back of his lead blocker too often. Pass protection form is inconsistent, has size to handle rushers or at least push them around the pocket, but often moves his feet too slowly or tries to cut instead of setting to anchor. Holds the ball away from his body at times, though he doesn’t fumble very often.

"

Nevertheless, Pittsburgh saw more than that in Bell's game, and here in his second season, he is proving all of his critics wrong. Bell has expanded his game well beyond what he did in college.

Don Wright/Associated Press

Through eight games, Bell is third in the league in rushing yards and second in the league in total yards per game with 135.8. Now, he isn't likely to approach Barry Foster's franchise-record 2,034 yards of offense that he set back in 1992. 

That year Foster touched the football a staggering 426 times. At present, Bell is on pace for 372 combined carries and receptions on the year. What Foster did is amazing by NFL standards and not something we will likely see again any time soon.

Nevertheless, as a Steelers fan with more than 30 years of experience watching this team, I can say with confidence Bell might just be the best all-around running back this team has ever had. And that is high praise when you think about it.

Bell is more than a power back like Foster or Jerome Bettis was. And he's far more versatile than a speedster like Willie Parker. Oh, and with all due respect to Franco Harris, Bell's skills are on a whole different level.

Going back up to that draft profile, Bell has improved in nearly every area, some of which can be attributed to what appears to be a more streamlined build from the second-year running back. However, just how much weight Bell has or has not lost is still up for debate.

At the scouting combine, Bell weighed in at an official 230 pounds. Meanwhile, Michigan State’s bio continues to have Bell at 237 pounds. And to start this season, ESPN.com listed Bell at a robust 244 pounds. Oh, and then Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said this summer that Bell was down to 230 pounds.

Want to know what I think? Having watched every game Bell has played going back to his junior season at Michigan State, Bell was never close to 244 pounds. I do think he is lighter now then he was last season, and it has helped him immensely with his burst and speed. Bell’s exact weight isn’t a factor at this point, but understand that the strength of his game continues to be that that elite vision and those nimble feet.

In the final analysis, Bell really is everything you could want from a running back. If you were building a running back in a lab, what you would get is Bell. He can run with power and efficiency from any formation or in any situation. He can also pass protect. And as a huge bonus, he is also a tremendous receiver.

Dallas Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray might already have the rushing title locked up, but that doesn’t diminish just what a special player Bell has become.