Do me a favor: Raise your hand if you’re tired of the Le’Veon Bell drama with the Pittsburgh Steelers (Um, I would raise both hands, but I need them both to type) but you can guarantee that I am. It’s old and it’s tired, and to make matters worse, it’s bizarre.
No matter what the NFL’s confused Collective Bargaining Agreement says about a player (that hasn’t signed his Franchise Tag) waiting until Week 10 to suit up, it still doesn’t make sense for Bell to do it. He claims it’s to preserve his body, I call it hogwash. Bell’s taking bad advice from his agent, Adisa Bakari who must represent his player, but his self-preservation antics suggest that the NFL doesn’t know what they’re doing with OTAs, mini-camp and training camp. How insulting.
Adisa says Bell wants to get paid. Whatever. The Steelers offered a 5-year $70 and 3-year $47 million deals to him and he turned them both down. Why? Because he also wants to get paid like a WR. Not happening Captain. Because then they should pay Marshall Faulk, Roger Craig and Thurman Thomas-who were far better receiving RBs than Bell. Oh, and please pay QB Michael Vick, who’s still the best rushing QB in NFL history while you’re at it.
The Steelers are a contending team, not some NFL cellar-dweller in which Bell is the only start. His antics are a distraction. Sure, he’s talented and a 2-time All-Pro and a 3-time Pro Bowler, three, 1,000 plus yards seasons…on the field, but he’s a distraction off the field with this holdout in which he still hasn’t talked to the team or coaches about his whereabouts.
First, he was supposed to report before Week 1, but he didn’t, then he said he was going to report during the Steelers Bye week…um, bruh…it is the Steelers Bye Week, and you’re still not here. Now a recent Bleacher’s Report story states that Bell says he will report Monday, October 22nd. Do you believe him? I certainly don’t. Nor do I care anymore, and despite being politically-correct in front of the cameras, neither do the Steelers.
Their focus is on 2nd-year man James Conner. as he’s rushed for 453 yards and 7 TDs thus far. He’s had three-100-yard games (Most recently, a 115-yard effort vs. the Bengals) and had 75 yards receiving vs. the Falcons. His 7 TDs are the most for a Steelers RB after 6 games since Franco Harris (1976). While folks are wondering when Bell will show up like the Prodigal Son, Conner’s getting it done.
And then when Bell does finally resurface, he’s still not in football shape. He’ll need about 3-4 weeks to get it together and perform at his level. By that time, the season will almost be over. By that time, Conner could have over 1,100 yards and 12-15 TDs. And by that time, Bell’s career will figuratively over.
So, Bell can keep playing around and thinking he can do what he wants, the Steelers are getting locked in and are tired of the distractions. But they will continue to leave the light on whenever he decides to return.
The Steelers should trade for Peterson-Why not? They’re should be tired of the 2-headed monster that is Artie Burns and Coty Sensabaugh. They are truly the reasons why the defense is around the NFL’s worst and in truth, I wouldn’t trust them to cover my bed, much less an NFL receiver.
Enter the 1-5 Arizona Cardinals who are reportedly having a fire sale and are apparently shopping All-Pro CB Patrick Peterson for a 1st round pick. Some NFL experts say that New England, Houston, Philadelphia, the New York Jets, and Kansas City should trade for Peterson, and to be honest, those teams would make a trade like that, but why aren’t the Steelers on that list?
Primarily because history has proven that they would never make a deal like this, which I think is dumb. Use your heads Steelers and stop acting stubborn. I have no problems with building through the NFL Draft, but so far, it hasn’t been working. Since Rod Woodson, other CB draft picks have failed. And Burns is failing. If you’re seriously trying to fix the defense and contend for a Super Bowl, acquiring Peterson would be wise. A contending team losing a 1st round pick isn’t bad, especially if you’re picking in the late 20’s. The Steelers would survive that.
The fact that the Steeler went against their so-called tradition and signed CB Joe Haden from Cleveland is still a miracle to me, but they made the move. Why not do it again? It would honestly be huge. They don’t have time to wait for Burns to get it together. Please make the move Steelers, before another team does by the October 30th deadline.
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