As free agency approaches, there has been a surprising uprising amongst some Eagles fans and media members against the idea of bringing in running back Le'Veon Bell.
An opinion that is very hard to understand.
Sure, Bell did not play in 2018, but make no mistake about it — prior to sitting out a season, Bell was one of the best overall players in the NFL. Not just on offense, not just at running back, but overall. Few players, if any outside of quarterback, impacted the game the way Bell did prior to holding out all of last season.
In a league where running backs are becoming more-and-more valuable, a change from previous years, here is why the Eagles should pursue Bell in free agency and be willing to write a big check to get him.
Impact back: In an ideal world, yes, the Eagles would be able to use a two-back system. That is likely what head coach Doug Pederson and top personnel executive Howie Roseman prefer. The issue? Finding two quality running backs is not as easy as it used to be, especially with how little draft capital the team has invested in running back the last few seasons. The cupboard is pretty bare for the Eagles at running back right now, and the chances they are able to add two quality running backs this offseason appear slim.
Bell might be a high-price free agent, but he is also as close to a sure-thing as the Eagles are going to get this offseason at running back. Unless Bell forgot how to play football in 2018, he is going to come to the Eagles with a year of rest and as motivated as ever to reclaim his place at the top of the list of NFL running backs. Saquon Barkley, Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley — Bell is on the same level of all of them. Adding a player like that to the Eagles' offense would have the kind of impact almost no other player available this offseason — through free agency or the draft — is capable of having.
Passing Game: To be an impact running back in today's NFL you have to be able to be an integral part of the passing game as well. Bell is more-than-capable of doing that. Over his last two seasons, Bell caught 160 passes for 1,271 yards. That was more than any other running back in the league. To put that stat into perspective, only 14 receivers in the NFL had more receiving yards combined during the 2016 and 2017 season than Bell did. Simply put, Bell is capable of being one of the Eagles' best receivers as well.
The offense: Make no mistake about it — the Eagles struggled through most of 2018 because of the offense, which hovered around 20 points-per-game for most of the season. The unit topped 23 points just once in the first seven games, and topped 30 points just once all season with Carson Wentz at quarterback. The offense is in need of major help. Bell would go a long way in making the 2019 Eagles' offense look a lot more like the 2017 version, as opposed to a repeat of what we saw in 2018.
The alternatives: A popular narrative is that the Eagles would be better off saving money and going for some of the cheaper alternatives on the market. There should be some quality options, like New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram, Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman or Jacksonville Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon. All three are nice players that would be an upgrade over what the Eagles have, but none of them are as good as Bell. Only Ingram would be a player opposing defensive coordinators would worry about, but he is not the threat in the passing game that Bell is.
The Eagles can try to patch-work a running back core together as they have the last few seasons, but among the free agents likely to be available, only Bell is the kind of impact running back this offense needs.
The money: Handing out a big deal to a running back is still a semi-taboo thing to do in the NFL, but the idea that Bell is going to break the bank might not be true. Bell might be seeking $50 million in the first two seasons, as one report indicated, but that isn't going to happen. No running back in the NFL has topped $50 million in even the first three seasons, let alone the first two. It is also safe to say a year off is going to have somewhat of an impact on Bell's contract.
The chances of Bell eating up a large portion of the Eagles' cap in 2019 are slim. No running back in the NFL has a cap hit over $10 million. Only three have a cap hit over $8 million. Perhaps Roseman's biggest strength is his ability to work the cap, which has been on full display over the last week. The Eagles will likely have around $15-20 million to spend once free agency begins. In 2020, per OverTheCap.com, the Eagles are currently set to have a whopping $59 million in cap space — and that is without any cap casualties factored in. If any general manager is capable of putting together a cap-friendly deal that still makes Bell feel like he got a good deal, it is Roseman. The Eagles are better off trusting Roseman to pay Bell a deal that won't hurt the team than they are trusting him to draft a running back that will ever have the same kind of impact that Bell will.
Crucial year for Carson: Even more important than winning a Super Bowl in 2019 is the Eagles leaving next season knowing Carson Wentz is their quarterback. To make that happen the Eagles need to surround Wentz with as much NFL-ready, instant impact talent as possible. Bell is going to make Wentz's life considerably easier in 2019. He will turn short screen passes into touchdowns, and he'll turn running backs into big gains. Wentz won't have to do as much work in 2019 if Bell is on the roster. He will if the team brings back the same group with the addition of a role-player in free agency or a mid-round running back.
The Eagles' biggest need is running back. Bell is the best one available. They have the money to sign him, and they have a quarterback that needs him.
Add everything up, and the Eagles should absolutely go after Bell once free agency begins next Monday.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
