The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly are listening to trade offers for running back Le’Veon Bell.
So, what exactly should they expect in return?
That’s the question ESPN’s Mike Sando posed to several NFL executives Sunday leading up to Pittsburgh’s Week 3 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, and it’s clear Bell’s trade value has significantly dropped since the offseason.
One executive told Sando the Steelers let other teams know before the season it could take a Khalil Mack-type ransom to land the All-Pro running back. Pittsburgh evidently wasn’t motivated to move Bell at the time.
But now, the Steelers might be fortunate to acquire a third-round draft pick in return, multiple executives told Sando, because Bell can’t sign a contract extension until after the 2018 season thanks to since being franchise tagged. Essentially, he’s a rental who plans to seek the most money possible in free agency.
“What they would want is probably a third, thinking they will get a third-round comp pick (in 2020),” an executive told Sando. “Would you rather have a fourth now or wait for a third? You have to earn that third by not signing other players and you also take the risk that Bell does not sign the huge contract.”
Bell, who seemingly has no plans to rejoin the Steelers anytime soon, forfeits $852,941– or 1/17 of the $14.5 million franchise tag offer — each week he fails to show up, according to ESPN.com.
This comes on the heels of Bell reportedly turning down a five-year, $70 million contract offer over the offseason. And it’s possible Bell never will receive another offer that lucrative, in which case the Steelers won’t receive as good of a compensatory draft pick as they’d like.
“What if enough teams say, ‘We will do one year and $8 (million) with incentives and you don’t get a third-round comp pick’ like the Sheldon Richardson situation?” an executive said, per Sando. “If I were Pittsburgh, I would try to get a corner or a safety back from another team to go with it.”
There’s no denying Bell is one of the best running backs in the NFL. The 26-year-old is a three-time Pro Bowl pick who’s a threat both on the ground and through the air. But the Steelers might find it difficult to trade Bell, all things considered.
