Getty Pittsburgh Steelers RB Le'Veon Bell
Pittsburgh Steelers star running back Le’Veon Bell was the subject of major drama this past offseason and throughout the first 10 weeks of the year. But that apparently won’t deter potential free-agent suitors from making a big play at the talented running back. The interest level reportedly remains high, and teams are also prepared to offer Bell huge money this offseason.
As NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport revealed when breaking down Bell’s contract expectations, there are at least a few teams who are already known to have interest.
From @NFLGameDay #Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell may be transition tagged this offseason, but whether he’s truly free or not, he’s seeking a lot of money.
“He’s gonna have a legit market. The Jets are going to be interested, a couple of other teams. The Niners, the Lions would be one, the Texans, there’s a lot of teams that are going to be vying for Le’Veon Bell.”
Evaluating the Potential Suitors
As Rapoport states, a few of the expected teams in the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers are expected to jump in the mix this offseason. The Houston Texans are a team who make sense as well and the addition of Bell to their offense would leave it overloaded with talent. Any of those three teams could be strong fits for the Steelers star.
The Detroit Lions would be somewhat of an interesting case. Rookie running back Kerryon Johnson has looked good for large parts of the 2018 NFL season. Through nine games, the second-round pick has totaled 554 rushing yards on 103 attempts with two touchdowns. He’s also caught 30 passes for 203 yards and one additional score.
Johnson has dropped off a bit in terms of production in recent weeks. After averaging at least 5.4 yards per carry in five-straight games, he’s totaled 3.6 YPC or less in the last three games. The Lions young running back did draw some tough matchups in those spots, facing the Cincinnati Bengals, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks, with the first two being on the road.
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