You don't expect to have to use that key handcuff running back in Week 1, but it seems possible at this point. It's midday Wednesday, and LeVeon Bell still hasn't reported to Steelers camp. Evidently he's making a statement, but it's unclear what he has to gain.
Ben Roethlisberger says the offense is more than one guy; "One player doesn't make or break you." And he's right, the Steelers can win with their passing game and backup running back if they have to. And they may have to.
To be clear, because the Steelers franchised Bell, and the deadline for signing franchise players has passed, Pittsburgh couldn't sign Bell to a long-term deal right now if they wanted to. About all they can do, as the Panthers did with Josh Norman a couple of years back, is rescind the franchise tag and let Bell walk to sign with another team. Uh, I guess that could happen? But the outside possibility that Bell goes and signs with a rival like the Ravens or Patriots makes that seem dang unlikely.
Fantasy teams that drafted Bell hopefully have James Conner on their rosters. Because the longer it goes before Bell shows up, the more likely it is that Bell isn't starting in Week 1, and Conner is.
The Weekly comes out shortly, and it will be with Bell in the rankings. But we release an Update on Friday, which rankings fully revised and additional text based on players being hurt, suspended, or not showing up during the week. And at that point, it might well be with Conner in the rankings. And showing up pretty favorably, too. He's not Bell, but he'd be a full-time running back in a good offense.
If you're in a shallow league and somebody carelessly neglected to draft him, make sure you pick him up.
--Andy Richardson