The longer Le'Veon Bell stays away from the Steelers in 2018, the more clear it will become that the running back needs the team more than it needs him this season.
Bell is a tough situation. He needs to play enough (and well enough) to showcase his skills and get the long-term deal he thinks he deserves as a 27-year-old free agent in March. At the same time, he does not want to get run into the ground in Pittsburgh's offense. He wants to stay healthy so his open-market value is not diminished.
The Steelers are not sweating this situation as much many think they should be. Although Bell is one of the NFL's most valuable, versatile and, therefore, hardest-to-replace players, Pittsburgh is fortunate to have an offense capable of handling Bell's absence for multiple games.
That absence — even with Bell as an unsigned, franchise-tagged player — seemed unlikely until Bell's agent Adisa Bakari went on SiriusXM NFL Radio on Wednesday and hinted that "something exceptional happened" to play counter to the plans of Bell reporting on schedule. Bell didn't show up Wednesday, the first practice day ahead of Sunday's Week 1 game in Cleveland.
Bell is unlikely to play in that game, and it's uncertain when he will return. Notable is the fact that the Steelers have a bye in Week 7, a little more than a week ahead of the trade deadline in 2018.
For however long Bell is gone, here is how the Steelers' offense will look without him.
WEEK 1 NFL PICKS:
Against the spread | Straight up
James Conner and Jaylen Samuels
Conner went through a Bell-like slim-down after his rookie season, which was cut short by a knee injury (torn MCL). Conner came into the league looking more like a pure power back, but the former Pitt star has proved to be well-rounded with good work in the passing game through the preseason. In the background of the Bell drama, Conner has developed into a worthy heir apparent.
Samuels was one of the most dynamic receiving backs going into the 2018 draft, where the Steelers took him in the fifth round a year after taking Conner in the third. The Steelers also slapped Bell with the tag last year, so their plan was a two-step contingency approach for life without Bell in 2019.
The Steelers' elite run-blocking line gives their rushing attack a high floor no matter who's carrying the ball. But don't expect Conner to be ticketed for 28 or 27 touches per game, which were Bell's averages in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Samuels deserves a decent amount of work as a third-down back, and former Patriots 1,000-yard rusher Stevan Ridley will give Conner a handful of power relief.
Pittsburgh's confidence in Conner is not just lip service for the "next man up." After being indecisive and overwhelmed at times as a rookie, Conner is arguably the most improved Steeler going into this season.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Remember when Bell was going through a similar dance last season and said he should be paid as if he were the Steelers' No. 2 wide receiver behind Antonio Brown? Bell again finished second to Brown on the team with his 85 receptions last season, but that was while Smith-Schuster was emerging as a highly efficient, big-play rookie. While playing both outside and in the slot, Smith-Schuster used a 73.4 catch percentage to produce 58 receptions for 917 yards and 7 TDs in seven starts.
Even with Bell a part of the offense, Smith-Schuster was bound to see his targets reach near the century mark over a full season. With Bell out, the number will be higher. Although Conner and Samuels will pick up some slack for Bell in the passing game, the Steelers can also compensate with Ben Roethlisberger throwing more often to Smith-Schuster on short-to-intermediate routes in favorable coverage away from Brown. Smith-Schuster will be aided by rookie James Washington being a more reliable, speedy field-stretcher than Martavis Bryant was as a No. 3 receiver.
Vance McDonald?
McDonald has been sitting on a ton of upside ever since he was drafted by the 49ers in the second round five years ago. Unfortunately, the athletic, pass-catching tight end also has battled a ton of injuries, most recently a foot issue that could keep him out of the Browns game. Jesse James, who's dealing with a back injury, has done an admirable job of being mostly a matchup-based red zone target for Roethlisberger.
But before his setback, McDonald was tabbed for a big starting role, fresh off what he did in the Steelers' loss to the Jaguars in the playoffs — catch 10 of 16 targets for 112 yards. That production came off many short, dump-off passes. McDonald when healthy can extend the outlets Conner and Samuels provide out of the backfield.
In 2017 under ex-coordinator Todd Haley, the Steelers' offense got a little stale at times in terms of the volume and versatility of personnel used. With Smith-Schuster doubling down on the danger of Brown, new coordinator Randy Fichtner is bound to use the threat of the run to set up more play-action deep shots. Bell's absence won't change that plan.
Pittsburgh this season is better equipped to keep its balanced offensive machine rolling without Bell than it was last year. Beyond the logic of the remaining talent on the roster, the emotions are also in play. Many of Bell's key Steelers teammates sound mentally prepared to move on.
