Le’Veon Bell-Un Signed Free Agent
A few names could upset some players’ current ADP to prepare for the upcoming Dynasty Football season. I have decided to write up a series to help you prepare. None of the players that will appear in the series should cost significant capital to acquire. As a Dynasty manager, you always want to be prepared for possible scenarios. Desperation from a fellow league member can be a powerful ally in the hands of a patient manager. The first player we are going to discuss is the former All-Pro Le’Veon Bell with a current ADP of 240.3. Has he just had too many touches to be worth your time? Or is there something left?
Is he draftable in a start-up? For instance, is he a Zero RB target? Possibly worth a waiver wire add? Let’s find out.
Michigan State & Pittsburgh Steelers Years
| Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Scri | Scri | Scri | Scri | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Class | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2010 | Michigan State | FR | 107 | 605 | 5.7 | 8 | 11 | 97 | 8.8 | 0 | 118 | 702 | 5.9 | 8 |
| *2011 | Michigan State | SO | 182 | 948 | 5.2 | 13 | 35 | 267 | 7.6 | 0 | 217 | 1215 | 5.6 | 13 |
| *2012 | Michigan State | JR | 382 | 1793 | 4.7 | 12 | 32 | 167 | 5.2 | 1 | 414 | 1960 | 4.7 | 13 |
| Career | Michigan State | 671 | 3346 | 5.0 | 33 | 78 | 531 | 6.8 | 1 | 749 | 3877 | 5.2 | 34 |
Le’Veon Bell was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He entered the league with 749 career college touches on his resume. Over three seasons he was the lead back at Michigan State and had a monstrous workload his junior season.
| Game | Game | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Tota | Tota | Tota | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Age | Tm | G | GS | Rush | Yds | TD | 1D | Lng | Y/A | Y/G | A/G | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | 1D | Lng | R/G | Y/G | Ctch% | Y/Tgt | Touch | Y/Tch | YScm | RRTD | Fmb | AV |
| 2013 | 21 | PIT | 13 | 13 | 244 | 860 | 8 | 53 | 43 | 3.5 | 66.2 | 18.8 | 66 | 45 | 399 | 8.9 | 0 | 15 | 43 | 3.5 | 30.7 | 68.2% | 6.0 | 289 | 4.4 | 1259 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| 2014*+ | 22 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 290 | 1361 | 8 | 75 | 81 | 4.7 | 85.1 | 18.1 | 105 | 83 | 854 | 10.3 | 3 | 41 | 48 | 5.2 | 53.4 | 79.0% | 8.1 | 373 | 5.9 | 2215 | 11 | 0 | 17 |
| 2015 | 23 | PIT | 6 | 6 | 113 | 556 | 3 | 27 | 42 | 4.9 | 92.7 | 18.8 | 26 | 24 | 136 | 5.7 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 4.0 | 22.7 | 92.3% | 5.2 | 137 | 5.1 | 692 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 2016* | 24 | PIT | 12 | 12 | 261 | 1268 | 7 | 70 | 44 | 4.9 | 105.7 | 21.8 | 94 | 75 | 616 | 8.2 | 2 | 32 | 32 | 6.3 | 51.3 | 79.8% | 6.6 | 336 | 5.6 | 1884 | 9 | 4 | 15 |
| 2017*+ | 25 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 321 | 1291 | 9 | 71 | 27 | 4.0 | 86.1 | 21.4 | 106 | 85 | 655 | 7.7 | 2 | 32 | 42 | 5.7 | 43.7 | 80.2% | 6.2 | 406 | 4.8 | 1946 | 11 | 3 | 15 |
| 2019 | 27 | NYJ | 15 | 15 | 245 | 789 | 3 | 36 | 19 | 3.2 | 52.6 | 16.3 | 78 | 66 | 461 | 7.0 | 1 | 20 | 23 | 4.4 | 30.7 | 84.6% | 5.9 | 311 | 4.0 | 1250 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2020 | 28 | 2TM | 11 | 4 | 82 | 328 | 2 | 21 | 16 | 4.0 | 29.8 | 7.5 | 20 | 16 | 138 | 8.6 | 0 | 7 | 30 | 1.5 | 12.5 | 80.0% | 6.9 | 98 | 4.8 | 466 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| KAN | 9 | 2 | 63 | 254 | 2 | 18 | 16 | 4.0 | 28.2 | 7.0 | 17 | 13 | 99 | 7.6 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 1.4 | 11.0 | 76.5% | 5.8 | 76 | 4.6 | 353 | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||
| NYJ | 2 | 2 | 19 | 74 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 3.9 | 37.0 | 9.5 | 3 | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 1.5 | 19.5 | 100.0% | 13.0 | 22 | 5.1 | 113 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Care | Care | 88 | 81 | 1556 | 6453 | 40 | 374 | 81 | 4.1 | 73.3 | 17.7 | 495 | 394 | 3259 | 8.3 | 8 | 158 | 48 | 4.5 | 37.0 | 79.6% | 1950 | 5.0 | 9712 | 48 | 10 | 69 | ||
| 5 yr | 5 yr | PIT | 62 | 62 | 1229 | 5336 | 35 | 296 | 81 | 4.3 | 86.1 | 19.8 | 397 | 312 | 2660 | 8.5 | 7 | 124 | 48 | 5.0 | 42.9 | 78.6% | 1541 | 5.2 | 7996 | 42 | 8 | 60 | |
| 2 yr | 2 yr | NYJ | 17 | 17 | 264 | 863 | 3 | 39 | 19 | 3.3 | 50.8 | 15.5 | 81 | 69 | 500 | 7.2 | 1 | 22 | 30 | 4.1 | 29.4 | 85.2% | 333 | 4.1 | 1363 | 4 | 1 | 6 | |
| 1 yr | 1 yr | KAN | 9 | 2 | 63 | 254 | 2 | 18 | 16 | 4.0 | 28.2 | 7.0 | 17 | 13 | 99 | 7.6 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 1.4 | 11.0 | 76.5% | 76 | 4.6 | 353 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Adding in the 1,541 touches he received as the Pittsburgh Steelers lead running back from 2013-2017. Including an almost unheard-of 406 touches in 2017. Le’Veon Bell held out in 2018 and signed with the New York Jets in 2019. At the time he signed his deal with the Jets, he had 2,290 touches on his body. That is only 518 fewer touches than Jerome Bettis had in ten years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As a member of the New York Jets, he totaled another 333 touches from 2019-2020. Tossing in the 76 touches from his time with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, that brings his total to 2,699. What does this all mean? Well, his days as a lead back, for all intents and purposes are over. I cannot recommend drafting or trading for him and banking on he needs the right situation.
2021 Season
Every year, someone goes down with a training camp injury. Indeed this year will be no different. While it’s impossible to predict injuries, there are some teams with shallow depth. So, where could Le’Veon Bell potentially sign whether it be due to injury or to provide depth?
- Miami Dolphins – The Dolphins do have Myles Gaskin, ADP 62.6, atop their depth chart currently. However they may want to add some experienced depth at the position.
- Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons signed Mike Davis, ADP 92.0, in free agency, but have little else behind him.
- Detroit Lions – The Lions for some reason had discussions with Todd Gurley in June. But nothing came of itt, could they decide to give Le’Veon Bell a call?
- Houston Texans – David Johnson, ADP 132.5, is over the hill and in the valley, the Texans brought in Phillip Lindsay as well as Mark Ingram via free agency.
- Chicago Bears-With Tarik Cohen coming off of a Torn ACL, could they possibly look to add some depth behind David Montgomery with a current ADP of 39.4?
Again, barring a pretty significant injury to a starting running back, there just may not be many openings for Bell. Before sinking draft capital into him, via startup draft or trading a late rookie pick for him, you have to think to yourself – how much could possibly be left in those 29-year-old legs?
Conclusion
At one time, Le’Veon Bell was the best running back in the NFL, but those days are long gone. You would be better served to draft someone with more potential than to waste your time with him. And if you are in a Dynasty league, and you see him on the waiver wire, just go ahead and leave him there. For more articles like this one, join up with the #NerdHerd and follow us all on Twitter. You can find me at @DoomzoneFF.
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