Le'Veon Bell's Possible Suspension Makes Steelers' Need for No. 2 RB More Urgent
The Pittsburgh Steelers' leading running back, Le'Veon Bell, was for much of the year the team's only running back. Once LeGarrette Blount was released from the team, the task of carrying the ball came down to Bell and Bell alone.
This worked—for a time. Bell injured his right knee in his team's season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals, sidelining him for the Steelers' playoff contest against the Baltimore Ravens. In his stead, the Steelers fielded a committee of free-agent signing Ben Tate and undrafted rookie Josh Harris. Pittsburgh lost, 30-17, with Bell's absence felt considerably.
The Steelers cannot head into 2015 assuming that Bell will be taking every carry. That assumption left them in the lurch against the Ravens in the postseason and is not a realistic approach to take with a running back.
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Most importantly, Bell cannot be counted on to be on the field when the 2015 season begins. And it's not his knee that's the issue.
No, it's the matter of the DUI and marijuana possession charges dating back to August of 2014 that is of concern. Bell was sentenced to a 15-month probationary program earlier in February. Because the case has been adjudicated, the NFL can now act upon any discipline of its own.
It is expected that Bell will receive a two-game suspension, based on sources ESPN NFL Insider John Clayton spoke to earlier this week. Meanwhile, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said the team "has to be prepared when or if" Bell's suspension is handed down, via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
In 2014, Bell rushed 290 times for 1,361 yards and eight touchdowns without fumbling once. He also caught 83 passes on 105 targets for 854 yards, the Steelers' second-most receiving yardage on the season. He had three receiving touchdowns, led the team with 723 yards after the catch and had a combined 114 rushing and receiving first downs.
Unsurprisingly, the well-rounded Bell ended the year as Pro Football Focus' top-ranked running back for 2014. He was also their third-ranked blocker in the passing game, giving up no sacks, no hits and just two hurries in his 84 pass-blocking snaps.
Because Bell is the very definition of an every-down back, filling his shoes for the first two weeks of the season will be a tall order. The Steelers must find someone who has a similar profile to Bell—skilled at running, catching and blocking—but who, at the same time, can complement him. Whoever the Steelers choose will see playing time throughout the 2015 season, not just backing up but also spelling Bell.
Luckily for the Steelers, both free agency and the draft are deep at the running back position. The Steelers can easily find just what they need in a player or combination of players to fill in for Bell to start the season and play alongside him to finish it out.
A concern, of course, is money. The Steelers are currently just over a million dollars above the projected salary cap of $142 million for 2015, according to Spotrac. It's almost a given that the Steelers will use a combination of releases and restructures to get comfortably under the cap once the league year commences in March. But how much they are under will heavily dictate how active they are in free agency.
Should the Steelers be financially comfortable enough to sign a free-agent running back, Roy Helu should be at the top of their list.
Criminally underrated in his four-year stint in Washington, Helu is an all-around running back who, like Bell, can run, catch and block. Unfortunately, Helu's tenure in Washington saw him as a member of a committee, rarely prioritized as the team's No. 1 rusher. For example, Helu rushed just 40 times in 2014 for 216 yards and a touchdown, while he was targeted 47 times with 42 catches for 477 yards and two more scores.
| 2011 | 151 | 640 | 4.2 | 2 | 59 | 49 | 83.1% | 379 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 100% | 45 | 0 |
| 2013 | 62 | 274 | 4.4 | 4 | 42 | 31 | 73.8% | 251 | 0 |
| 2014 | 40 | 216 | 5.4 | 1 | 47 | 42 | 89.4% | 477 | 2 |
| Total | 255 | 1,132 | 4.4 | 7 | 155 | 129 | 83.2% | 1,152 | 3 |
Helu has only been held back by a lack of consistent opportunities, not by a lack of talent. Granted, Helu would play second fiddle to Bell once Bell's suspension is complete. However, the Steelers won't shy away from giving Helu playing time if he's proven effective enough.
The only significant question with Helu is his pass protection. On 266 pass-blocking snaps played in 2014, Helu gave up three sacks, two hits and four hurries. Still, with a cap hit last season of just $1.54 million, per Spotrac, Helu presents an affordable option for the Steelers.
Atlanta Falcons free agent Jacquizz Rodgers could also be a very good fit in Pittsburgh. His running style is different than Bell's, though still effective—and that difference means he'd be a good accompaniment to Bell once Bell is back from suspension.
Rodgers, like both Bell and Helu, can run and catch. He rushed 58 times in 2014 for 217 yards and one touchdown, while catching 29 passes on 40 targets for 173 yards and an additional score. Both were his lowest yardage outputs since his rookie season in 2011. He has handled a higher volume, however, with 94 and 96 carries and 53 and 52 receptions in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Further, Rodgers was Pro Football Focus' highest-ranked pass-protecting running back for 2014, allowing zero sacks, zero hits and one hurry on 78 pass-blocking snaps. He also had a lower cap hit than Helu last season, costing the Falcons just $1.48 million in total money, per Spotrac.
| 2011 | 57 | 205 | 3.6 | 1 | 27 | 21 | 77.8% | 188 | 1 |
| 2012 | 94 | 362 | 3.9 | 1 | 59 | 53 | 89.8% | 402 | 1 |
| 2013 | 96 | 332 | 3.5 | 2 | 62 | 52 | 83.9% | 341 | 2 |
| 2014 | 58 | 217 | 3.7 | 1 | 40 | 29 | 72.5% | 173 | 1 |
| Total | 305 | 1,116 | 3.7 | 5 | 188 | 155 | 82.4% | 1,104 | 5 |
Should the Steelers look for Bell's temporary replacement and eventual long-term backup in the draft, they will have to do so carefully. While the draft is deep at the position this year, the Steelers have other needs better addressed with earlier picks, such as cornerback and safety. Running back may therefore have to wait until the middle rounds.
Still, there is talent to be found on the draft's second and third days. One running back who stands out for the Steelers is Mississippi State's Josh Robinson.
Though Robinson was just a one-year starter, his NFL-caliber talent is plainly evident. Robinson rushed 190 times in 2014 for 1,203 yards and 11 touchdowns, and caught 28 passes for 370 yards and another score.
FanSided's NFL Mocks' Joe Wedra says that Robinson has the strongest lower half of any of the would-be rookie backs, "giving him the ability to fight through tacklers on every play." He can break off chunks of yardage after initial contact, has excellent balance and lateral movement, can catch the football and, most notably, "has the above-average ability to block for his quarterback."
If that sounds familiar, it's because Bell put these skills on display during the 2014 season. If the Steelers can get another version of Bell—granted, a rawer version, given Robinsons has just one season of staring experience—and do so in Rounds 3, 4 or 5, they will get a steal.
Though teams generally do not want two similarly styled running backs at the top two spots on the depth chart, the Steelers could certainly make an exception for Robinson given Bell's impending suspension. Besides, there's no better insurance for Bell than a player with a strikingly similar profile.
Another mid-round option with a different sort of profile is Auburn's Cameron Artis-Payne. Artis-Payne is more in the mold of Blount, who was effective in his brief time with the Steelers. A north-south runner with patience and a willingness to get physical between the tackles, as described by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, Artis-Payne could serve as an effective replacement for Bell for Weeks 1 and 2 and then evolve into a solid backup.
Artis-Payne rushed 303 times in 2014 for 1,608 yards and 13 touchdowns, adding 13 receptions for 147 additional yards. Though Zierlein notes that Artis-Payne needs more development as a pass-protector and isn't much of an edge-rusher, his contrasting style to Bell's makes him an attractive mid-round option for the Steelers.
After all, while filling Bell's absence is the Steelers' short-term priority, their long-term goal is to have a well-developed No. 2 running back who can work in tandem with Bell. Artis-Payne fits that description.
In fact, that needs to be on the Steelers' minds as they look to add a running back this offseason. Clearly, having someone who can play well enough in Bell's absence is the most urgent need, but what the Steelers really require is a solid backup.
Backup running back would be a major offseason priority for the Steelers even if Bell were not facing a suspension of any length. There is the ever-present risk of injury for running backs, as the Steelers are well aware of after their playoff loss to the Ravens.
There is also the matter of depth to consider. Tate and Harris are still on the roster, but both are there out of desperation, not because the Steelers consider either long-term fixtures. The Steelers must add at least one running back, either via free agency or the draft, to add quality depth behind Bell. Luckily, they have many options at their disposal this year.
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