NFL.com analyst, Bucky Brooks, makes his case why the Pittsburgh Steelers will be a better team in 2019 without Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell.
This isn’t the first time we have seen someone make the case for the Steelers being a better team this year without former All-Pro players Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. In fact, I recently wrote an article on why this could very well be the case. But now it’s coming from NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks.
There is no doubt that Brown and Bell were both (at least at one point or another) considered among the best players at their positions in the league. Regardless of Antonio Brown coming off a nearly 1,300 yard and 15 touchdown season, Brooks still seems to think that the Steelers will be better without two of the leagues most notable offensive players.
Here’s what he had to say regarding the loss of Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell:
"For starters, just look at the duo’s recent absences from their new teams’ voluntary workouts as proof of their suspect leadership skills and selfishness when it comes to their roles. Sure, those workouts are voluntary and there are plenty of star players missing OTAs around the league (including the GOAT himself, Tom Brady), but the decision of the Jets’ Bell and Raiders’ Brown (who did report after missing the first day of OTAs) to go AWOL after cashing big checks this offseason speaks volumes about their lack of self-awareness. Most importantly, it shows the football world that satisfying their contract demands didn’t necessarily result in better “buy-in” from each player.With that in mind, I believe the Steelers were wise to cut their losses and move on behind a young nucleus of players with the collective talent to excel in leading roles. Conner and Smith-Schuster have shown they deliver enough production to keep the offense rolling, and it certainly doesn’t hurt to have a two-time Super Bowl winner who continues to play at a high level at quarterback."
Brook’s comments are exactly what Steelers fans would love to hear. But is it likely that Pittsburgh could actually be a better team with a pair of former All-Pros making up the offense?
For starters, Le’Veon Bell hasn’t been part of the game plan since 2017. During his most recent season with the Steelers, Bell was less than stellar in terms of efficiency – gaining just 4.0 yards per carry on the ground and averaging a 20-yard run just once every 111 carries. There’s a good case to be made that Bell was already in decline before sitting out the 2018 season.
Brown, on the other hand, is coming off a season where his numbers look better than what his contributions indicate. Despite finishing 11th in the NFL in receiving and 1st in touchdowns among receivers and tight ends, Brown argued and pouted when targets weren’t going his way. This led to 11 interceptions being thrown his direction in 2018 (10 from Ben Roethlisberger and 1 from Josh Dobbs).
Losing a talent like Antonio Brown is never going to be easy, and the Steelers may struggle to have a smooth transition at receiver because of it. However, with two major distractions out of the picture, the Steelers may be able to come together in 2019 and operate the way a Pittsburgh team is supposed to.