Bell, ex-teammate Blount find success since their marijuana issues
He quickly re-signed with the Patriots — his team in 2013 — and helped them win a Super Bowl that season. He’s still their top back and ripped the Steelers for 127 yards and two touchdowns. His 566 rushing yards for the season rank sixth in the NFL, his eight touchdowns tied for first.
“I love playing with him,” New England quarterback Tom Brady said. “He’s been a spectacular player for us. He’s been everything you’re looking for. He has a great attitude.”
Count Bell among those who appreciate Blount’s talents. The two exchanged game jerseys after the Patriots’ 27-16 win Sunday.
“He’s a good person,” Bell said. “We’re still very tight.”
Said Blount: “He’s one of my closest friends in the league. He’s like a brother to me. I talk to him all the time, almost every day.”
The Steelers wouldn’t do a do-over with Blount and Bell even if they had the chance. They love the man they kept. “The best all-around back in the NFL,” Ben Roethlisberger called Bell. Who am I to argue? Bell has been terrific since returning after his three-game suspension to start the season because of another marijuana issue. He put up 178 yards from scrimmage against Kansas City, 154 against the New York Jets, 108 against Miami and 149 against New England. He is equally effective as a runner and receiver. Against the Patriots, he had 21 carries for 81 yards and 10 catches for 68 yards.
“He’s got great, shortspace quickness,” New England coach Bill Belichick said. “He breaks a lot of tackles and makes a lot of people miss when they really can’t get their hands on him to tackle him. It seems like you hit him and you have him stopped, but it’s 4 or 5 yards later until he’s on the ground. He’s a really good player.”
If Blount has an edge over Bell, it’s that he has been more dependable. Since re-joining the Patriots, he has been mostly injury-free — missing the final three regular-season games and two playoff games last season because of a hip injury — and is showing no signs of slowing down at 29. He also has stayed out of trouble with Roger Goodell after serving a one-game suspension at the start of last season because of his arrest with Bell.
Bell hasn’t been as fortunate with the league. He was suspended two games at the start of the 2015 season because of the marijuana arrest and the first three games this season because of a series of missed NFL-mandated drug tests. He missed the playoff game against Baltimore in 2014 because of a knee injury and the final eight regularseason games and two playoff games last season because of another knee injury.
All of that explains why the Steelers didn’t give Bell a long-term contract extension before this season. He can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. Yes, that creates a dilemma.
Do the Steelers do the long-term extension with Bell, still just 24, perhaps making him the NFL’s highest-paid running back? Based on talent alone, the answer is an easy yes.
But when the team factors in Bell’s marijuana troubles and injury history? Probably not.
It’s even harder to imagine a multiyear deal for Bell because Antonio Brown, Stephon Tuitt and Ryan Shazier also will be due for new contracts as they head into the final year of their current deals. There is only so much room under the salary cap.
Putting the one-year franchise tag on Bell makes the most sense if he stays healthy, stays out of trouble and stays productive the rest of this season.