Still Curtain Podcast Ep. 14 (Le’Veon Bell and the ifs, ands and buts)

DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 29: Running back Le'Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs for yardage against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on October 29, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - OCTOBER 29: Running back Le'Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs for yardage against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on October 29, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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The Still Curtain Podcast explains everything we already know about the Le’Veon Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers situation, and where that leaves us heading into the deadline.

With only two days to get a deal done, both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Le’Veon Bell are hoping to figure something out before 4pm ET on Monday. We hope. As of right now, the only signal we have to go off of is a social media picture that has us guessing more than we were before.

Coming into the week, we knew Le’Veon Bell wanted a contract. We also knew the money was realistic and both sides were somewhat excited about the expectations of getting a deal done.

Today, we have no idea what is going on or how it’s going to play out over the weekend.

Check out Episode 14: 

Without Le’Veon Bell the future of the Pittsburgh Steelers is more unknown. James Conner and Jaylen Samuels have promise, but they aren’t a top running back in the league and they won’t be for the near future.

If Pittsburgh is thinking long-term then it should include Bell. Mason Rudolph is looking to step into an offense over the next five years, and if Bell is the one in the backfield, the transition is much smoother than if he’s not.

It’s somewhat of a security blanket. Having a talent like Bell around means there’s someone to count on moving forward. Antonio Brown just turned 30, Ben Roethlisberger is counting his days and the future is coming quicker than we think.

Having Bell there leaves a cushion this team wants. And if he’s really only asking for $14-$15 million, then by all means, a deal should get done. He’s earned the right to reset the running back market, and at a reasonable price, the Steelers should be looking to keep him around.

Which makes you wonder why nothing has gotten done. For awhile, we believed it was Bell holding out. But now, it appears the Steelers are the ones trying to keep themselves safe with money.

Next: What to expect from unsigned Le'Veon Bell

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