Steelers would be foolish to bite on Jets trade talks for Le’Veon Bell

The New York Jets are trying to shop running back, Le’Veon Bell. Here’s why the Pittsburgh Steelers should have no interest.

Surprise, surprise! Running back Le’Veon Bell isn’t working out in New York for head coach Adam Gase and the Jets. Reports surfaced on Tuesday afternoon that New York is actively shopping the former Steelers All-Pro running back.

Pittsburgh knows Bell very well. He obviously had a few impressive seasons with the team from 2014-2017, but he has rapidly fallen out of favor with the Jets after signing a massive extension with the team just over a year ago.

As a result, Bell still has three years left on a massive four-year, $52.8 million deal he inked with the team in 2019, according to Over the Cap. This year, he still has $8.5 million guaranteed in base salary. Though the Jets are reportedly willing to take on some of his cap hit in a potential trade, should teams be interested in the former two-time All-Pro?

Steelers should avoid a trade for Bell at all costs

Pittsburgh has been burned by Le’Veon Bell before. In 2018, Bell never made his plans to hold out known to his teammates or coaching staff. Instead, after turning down a rich new deal from the Steelers, he elected to sit out the entire 2018 season – leaving the organization in the dark with his decision.

But the Steelers shouldn’t turn their back on a potential deal with the Jets just to get even with Bell. No, there are plenty of other reasons why Pittsburgh should be laughing at the thought of bringing back the washed-up running back.

For starters, Bell has been horrendous with his new team. His production and efficiency have been so bad that the Jets would rather trust a 37-year-old Frank Gore to carry the load than Bell. Since joining New York in 2019, Bell has been one of the least efficient running backs in the entire NFL – averaging just 3.2 yards per carry and catching the ball an average of just 0.3 yards past the line of scrimmage:

Bell is years removed from anything that resembled an All-Pro season. Even back in 2017 with the Steelers, his efficiency took a major dive as he went from averaging 4.9 yards per carry and 8.2 yards per reception in 2016 down to 4.0 per carry and 7.7 per reception the following season.

There is a lot of evidence that points to running back decline age. At 26 years old, most running backs steadily see their efficiency and overall production diminish. Bell is now 28 and he will turn 29 shortly after the 2020 season. There’s no reason to believe he will suddenly revamp his career.

In addition, Bell wasn’t a great athlete to begin with. For as many times as he touched the ball in Pittsburgh, it’s remarkable that he didn’t bust off more big plays or score more touchdowns. In fact, since he entered the league in 2013, Le’Veon Bell has never had a season with double-digit rushing touchdowns.

What’s most embarrassing is that he had just 3 runs of at least 20 yards on 321 carries in 2017 (once every 107 carries). His sheer lack of speed and explosion makes him an expendable player at this point in his career.

If that isn’t enough, we are talking about a player who walked out on his team and put the Steelers in a tough situation to begin the 2018 season. James Conner was coming off a high ankle sprain as he entered his second NFL season and was quickly thrust into a starting role.

Let’s be honest, there are zero NFL teams out there who should be interested in trading for an aging, expensive running back who was one of the worst in the league over the past two seasons. The Steelers know better than to even entertain the thought.