Steelers Le’Veon Bell’s Impending Suspension Is Going To Hurt
The Steelers GM Kevin Colbert says the will need to prepare for the eventual suspension of running back Le’Veon Bell. Steeler Nation will do nothing but wring their collective hands until Week 3 when Bell should return to the team.
Bell is slated per the new NFL substance abuse policy to miss two games without pay in the 2015 season. That has yet to become official, but it is just a matter of time before the hammer finally drops. The new policy became effective at the beginning of last season and the NFL and NFLPA summarized it with the following:
"A first DUI offense, absent aggravating circumstances, will result in a two-game suspension without pay. A second offense will result in a suspension of at least eight games without pay. In either case, a more lengthy suspension may be imposed if there are aggravating circumstances."
Bell cooperated with officers at the time of the stop, and there were no other circumstances that should qualify anything as being aggravating circumstances.
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So why does this suspension hurt so much?
Well, the obvious reason is that the Steelers star running back, who lead the league in all-purpose yards and named team MVP, will miss the first two games of the season. His presence on the field will be missed… obviously.
It’s also an emotional hit to the gut because the legacy of LeGarrette Blount will live on for one more year. See, Blount will avoid suspension even though he was part of the initial traffic stop and arrested just like Bell.
Blount was able to resolve his charges prior to the November 1st deadline when the NFL said players could avoid the new discipline rules if they settled in court by then. Blount did, Bell did not. Swell. But, get enough Yuengling’s in me, and I can forget about that.
Where it hurts more and matters most is that the Steelers have the hardest schedule in the NFL next season. It’s been rumored that they will open the season against the New England Patriots. Swell.
The offense functions differently without Bell. We’ll never know for certain if the outcome would have been different, but the Steelers struggled against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card game while Bell stood with crutches on the sideline from his knee injury suffered a week prior.
The Steelers have survived before without their star players on the field. When Ben Roethlisberger served a four game suspension in 2010, the team went 3-1 with Charlie Batch filling in for Big Ben. Batch was always a dependable and serviceable backup for the Steelers.
That’s not really the case when it comes to running back. Behind Bell, there stands only Josh Harris…. and Dri Archer **cringe**. Harris has had little time to settle in as a backup running back for the offense, but when he did run he showed he had some pop and speed. However, it’s understandable for the front office to not feel comfortable with letting Harris take over for two games.
Dec 28, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Josh Harris (40) carries the ball as Cincinnati Bengals middle linebacker Rey Maualuga (58) and strong safety George Iloka (43) defend during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 27-17. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers needed to address the running back situation anyways, but I have a feeling this suspension will put a bit too much pressure and cause Kevin Colbert and Mike Tomlin to be a bit trigger happy in finding a free agent or (worse yet) a draft selection. That will be painful in either the wallet or a highly valued draft pick.
The schedule is released in April prior to the draft, but well after free agency is open. Maybe the Steelers won’t panic if the first two games are against say the Browns at home and the Rams away? That’s just a pipe dream in the Goodell Universe.
So you can see why there is such pause for concern and why Steeler Nation will be nervous… even up until Week 3. Going 0-2 to start the season will make an already obstacle riddled paved road even more so.
I’ve always said that good teams can overcome the obstacles thrown at them and find ways to win. Bell’s suspension will be a very early test to see how good this offense can be without him.