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Baltimore Ravens: The pros and cons of targeting Le’Veon Bell

By Chris Schisler

KANSAS CITY, MP - JANUARY 15: Running back Le'Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers tosses the ball forward after gaining a first down against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 15, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
KANSAS CITY, MP - JANUARY 15: Running back Le'Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers tosses the ball forward after gaining a first down against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium on January 15, 2017 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – JANUARY 14: Le’Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Heinz Field on January 14, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – JANUARY 14: Le’Veon Bell #26 of the Pittsburgh Steelers runs with the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the first half of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Heinz Field on January 14, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

The idea of Le’Veon Bell to the Ravens has been a major talking point of the offseason:

The Baltimore Ravens have committed to Lamar Jackson as their franchise quarterback and it’s the obvious time to build an offense around him. Jackson, who is on a favorable rookie contract, is going into his second season and this time he’s the clear starter. One free agent option that has been creating a lot of debate has been Le’Veon Bell. Bell sat the 2018 season out because he was frustrated with his contract situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers used the franchise tag, Bell wanted a deal for more than just one season.

Bell will be an unrestricted free agent and whichever team grabs him off the market will create the biggest splash. Bell is the most multi-faceted running back in football. He’s good for 1,000 on the ground and he will make a huge impact in the passing game. Bell has had three seasons where he has caught over 70 passes. Bell is a game changer at the running back position. There’s nobody quite like him on the free agent market. While signing Bell would take a lot of capital for the Ravens, it’s not hard to see the upside.

So the Ravens are stuck in a situation where there is a strong argument for either option. Signing Bell would give Jackson a great play-maker and would take pressure off him as he develops as a passer. Signing Bell could also limit the amount of work the Ravens can do this offseason. What should the Ravens do? Today I will make both arguments. Imagine you are Eric DeCosta. What would you do?

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