AFC North Notes: Steelers, Bell, Browns

Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell has threatened to hold out or even retire if he doesn’t get a contract extension, but his best bet would be to follow the path of his former college teammate Kirk Cousins, Michael David Smith of PFT argues. By signing the franchise tender, Bell would nearly guarantee that he can reach unrestricted free agency next year since a third consecutive tag would cost upwards of $20MM. On the open market, Bell could completely reset the market for running backs and score big bucks for both his rushing ability and pass-catching acumen.

Of course, there is a risk of Bell suffering a serious injury in 2018 and hurting his future earnings, but even in a worst case scenario, the tender would pay him $14.56MM.

Here’s more from the AFC North:

  • Browns coach Hue Jackson has dreamed about a defensive line bookended by former No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett and top prospect Bradley Chubb, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. “I do at nighttime when I’m by myself,” Jackson said this week. “You kind of play that scenario game with all these different guys. I wish I could have them all. There will be good scenarios as we come down to the end here.” The Browns, of course, are widely expected to select a quarterback at No. 1 overall, but their options are wide open with the No. 4 pick. The Giants and Jets are also likely to select QBs, but even the Giants abstain from choosing Eli Manning‘s successor, either Chubb or Penn State running back Saquon Barkley should be there for the taking. For all of the attention given to the top four QBs in this year’s class, many draft analysts consider Chubb and Barkley to be this year’s top overall talents.
  • Running back is not the Ravens‘ top need, but they did meet with LSU running back Derrius Guice on a predraft visit, as Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun writes. It seems unlikely that Guice will be a fit for Baltimore for a few reasons. For starters, they currently pick at No. 16, which may be a reach for Guice. The Ravens also have a decent backfield group headlined by Alex Collins with Buck Allen and Kenneth Dixon in support. There’s room for someone who could be a solid rusher as well as a dynamic pass-catcher in the mold of Bell, but Saquon Barkley fits that profile much more than Guice. At LSU, Guice had only 32 receptions in three seasons.
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