COME BELL OR HIGH WATER
Trading Le’Veon might be e worth it
“FAIRWELL Miami.” That’s all it took to whip fantasy owners into a frenzy Monday — a simple tweet by Le’Veon Bell that included just those two words, one misspelled, and a waving hand emoji.
Now, let’s make this clear, saying farewell to Miami, where Bell trains in the offseason, does not mean he is on his way to Pittsburgh. And as of Monday afternoon, the Steelers reportedly had not been in contact with Bell.
So maybe he shows up this week, maybe he doesn’t. It won’t matter for Thursday’s game against the Panthers. If he doesn’t report by next Tuesday, Nov. 13, he will be ineligible to play the rest of the season. Though there has been some confusion and conflicting reports about Bell’s pending free-agent status, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday that Bell can be a free agent whether he plays this season or not. F I
Also, the Steelers have the option of placing Bell on the Exempt List for two weeks and have the option of not paying him while doing so. And bear in mind, “fillin” James Conner has been crushing it.
So, to clear this all up, here are the options as we understand them: Bell could be on his way to report this week. Or he could wait and report next week before the deadline. When he does report, he could play right away, or he might not. Or the team could put him on the Exempt List. Or he could sit out the rest of the season.
Perfectly clear, right? Fantasy owners can’t prepare for every scenario. If Bell does report by next week’s deadline, the first thing to consider is how much playing time he can be expected to get, and when? You can’t ignore Conner’s performance. This isn’t just solid fill-in work. He actually has outperformed what would have been expected of Bell. Think about that: He has been better than Bell.
Compared to Bell’s career averages, this season Conner has more yards per game on fewer average carries, more receptions and receiving yards per game, more yards per touch, and he is scoring touchdowns more frequently. However, Bell still leads in career games suspended for marijuana use.
Why would the Steelers be inclined to force Bell into the lineup? Or even in the locker room? Why disrupt a season going well to placate a guy who turned his back on the team, and for what could be a drop in production?
Thus, we hedge toward the idea Conner keeps the job the rest of the season. We would be willing to ship him for another marquee RB — think Kareem Hunt, Melvin Gordon level — only because there is some uncertainty. But that uncertainty isn’t palpable enough to encourage us to sell low.
If we held Bell, now is a time we want to sell. Others will be excited about the prospect of his return. Cash in on that.