Ramfan128":28vpe6f9 said:
Bell lost some weight after his first year and added some wiggle - a combo of good enough speed/strength and agility along with outstanding vision and he's an elite talent IMO. He is also the best RB catching passes today and while their OL is underrated, it was porous for years prior to his arrival and they struggled to run the ball effectively - I think he's one of those rare RBs that makes their OL look better at times with his vision and cuts.
I think if these guys could stay on the field together they could have the best offense since the GSOT.
I agree that he is a good pass catcher. I just think his size and speed combo are dead average. His vision and burst are good though.
Bell sucked his first year when he had a bad OL, then suddenly got good when his OL took a huge leap forward a couple years ago. Like Shaun, he's phenomenal with good blocking but struggles without it.
Tical21":28vpe6f9 said:
I've been watching some of his stuff for a couple days now looking for what you see, and I just don't see it. I see pretty crazy burst and an affinity for finishing runs, plus possibly the best receiving back in the game. FWIW I think DeAngelo can still run when healthy, but the line doesn't hurt.
Well I did say the guy has burst and vision. Its in terms of size and speed that he's just a guy.
I think, just in general, that being a good receiver out of the backfield is kind of over-rated TBH. Though for sure, Bell is a good receiver. So was Shaun early in his career.
I think Pittsburgh's running game is similar in one way to ours in that both running games seem to get more mileage out of short area quickness and decisiveness. Thomas Rawls surprised us last year with his effectiveness but really what it taught us was how his particular skillset was the perfect fit for Tom Cable's system- it reminded me of all the success Cable formerly had with Warrick Dunn.
Similarly, it seems that Pittsburgh's rushing attack favors quickness. I don't think DeAngelo Williams suddenly decided to be good again in 2015, it was a simple matter of him joining a running game that took advantage of his quickness. Bell is a quick back as well. Keep in mind that DeAngelo Williams' predecessor at Pittsburgh was Blount. A good RB, but hardly the quickest RB ever.
I've been watching the Steelers OL pretty closely the past few years and I have just been so impressed with them. It doesn't seem to matter who is carrying the ball, they are winning their battles consistently, and they have improved a ton in protection as well. They are easily a top 5 OL right now IMO, but nobody talks about them.
I may not think that Bell is as talented as his production (talent on par with AP, Lynch, etc), but there's a reason I'm hoping he slips a few spots in the draft. I'd love to lead off my fantasy draft with Le'Veon Bell, even without him playing the first four weeks. That OL probably isn't going to collapse overnight, and Big Ben has never been better than he is right now. It feels a bit like drafting 2003-2005 Shaun.
Assuming that Bell was dodging tests because of weed and not PEDs, I have no reason to think he won't be great again this year.
