The Colts may be looking to add a running back in free agency this offseason. Could Chris Ballard target Le’Veon Bell as Indianapolis’ running back of the future?
At first, this sounds a bit ridiculous.
Bell has gained over 1,800 yards from scrimmage in each of the past two seasons with the Steelers as he has been a centerpiece of one of the best offenses in the league.
However, Bell held out of training camp last season in hopes of getting a contract extension that Pittsburgh never gave him. He has also said that he’d rather retire than play under the franchise tag in 2018.
The Steelers have been leaking information about Bell being late to practices and games in order to lessen his value. They did the same thing with Antonio Brown before negotiating an extension with him.
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The 2017 season did not end well for Pittsburgh, and Bell may not want to come back to Pittsburgh after all of this drama.
The Colts have the third-most cap space in the NFL this offseason, so they would have the money to give Bell the contract he wants.
Bell did start to slow down a bit this season as he only averaged 4.0 yards per carry. Although he will only turn 26 this offseason, Bell may be looking for a long-term deal that would pay him big money past his 30th birthday.
Imagining a backfield of a healthy Andrew Luck and Le’Veon Bell is a fun dream for Colts fans to have, but I don’t think it would be the wisest way for Chris Ballard to spend his resources this offseason.