Le’Veon Bell:
Why not go for broke? The Baltimore Ravens need to give Lamar Jackson as much ammo as possible while their window is open. Come this off-season, no single offensive player will do this better than Le’Veon Bell.
Now with that being said, the Ravens should proceed with caution. The NFL saw wide receiver Dez Bryant tear his Achilles tendon in his first week of practice with the New Orleans Saints after sitting out pf football for some 8-10 months. Bell hasn’t played a down in the NFL in over a year. Perhaps Bryant’s injury was a freak accident, but staying away from the football field for so long can jeopardize oneself and Bell is already prone to injuries.
On the flip-side, a whole year off for Bell is perfect, thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers use and abuse of the three-time Pro Bowl running back. When he is healthy, Bell is a force to be reckoned with. Bell has nearly 8,000 scrimmage yards and 42 touchdowns to his name in five seasons (2013-2017). Bell does absolutely everything for an offense. There is no running back in the NFL more patient than Bell is when setting up blocks and lanes, and his soft hands make him a dangerous threat as a receiver.
While Bell has only played a full 16-game season once, his 2016 and 2017 seasons were shortened because of suspension (four games in 2016) and sitting out (one game in 2017) because the team won the division. Regardless of that, Bell’s impact when he is on the field is unmatched. There is perhaps no better offensive player than Bell in the league, so matching him and Lamar Jackson is a dream come true.
Obviously, signing Le’Veon Bell would break the bank for Baltimore, but the team can afford to do that right now during Lamar Jackson’s reign. Bell would take this offense to new heights and would give the team a jack-of-all-trades in a loaded backfield. The soon-to-be 27-year old running back still has plenty of time left to dominate, and he could end up putting the Ravens over the top in the AFC and into the Super Bowl.
Le’Veon Bell is undoubtedly the most exciting option for the Ravens to add this off-season, but Mark Ingram and Damien Harris would also help the Ravens and Lamar Jackson make strides towards the Super Bowl. The team can easily get it done with Gus Edwards, Kenneth Dixon, and Alex Collins, but none of them are what these three could be. Adding any one of them to this backfield could make Baltimore a juggernaut in the run-game and power the team to heights unforeseen.