Where Le’Veon Bell fits:
First things first; let’s talk about why Le’Veon Bell might be available in the first place.
From Le'Veon Bell's agent Adisa Bakari: "His intention was to retire as a Steeler. But now that there's no deal, the practical reality is, this now likely will Le'Veon's last season as a Steeler."
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 16, 2018
More: "It became clear the Steelers wanted to pay the position, not the player."
Bell is in the middle of a training camp holdout after the Pittsburgh Steelers placed the franchise tag on Bell for the second-straight season.
The dispute is over the fact that Bell, who is utilized in both running and pass-catching roles, believes that he should be paid as both a running back and wide receiver, rather than just a running back.
As Adam Schefter noted, Bell is not expected to resign with the Steelers after this season. While Bell is still going to play, the disagreement between the two sides has led to a looming separation.
3️⃣2️⃣ carries
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) October 18, 2017
1️⃣7️⃣9️⃣ rushing yards
1️⃣ touchdown
RT to vote for Le'Veon Bell as @FedEx #AirAndGround Player of the Week. pic.twitter.com/98eel5Pghp
Given the current situation, the Steelers are likely already preparing for life after Bell already. If the want to get rid of the trouble a year already, they could look to deal him.
The Bears have no reason to not feel confident about their current running back situation. However, Bell might not be as expensive as his production shows.
Since Bell is slated to be an unrestricted free agent after the season, the Bears would essentially be getting a rental in Bell. As the best running back in the league, Bell would be of high value, but maybe not as high as a player of his caliber on a long-term deal.
There are two distinct ways that a trade can happen. Let’s dive into it: