There are priorities this offseason for the Steelers, then there's the need to re-sign Le'Veon Bell. He had the third highest average yards from scrimmage per game in NFL history.
Behind Bell is a youthful scat-back in Fitzgerald Toussaint and a seasoned veteran in DeAngelo Williams. They pose different threats but bring elements to the Steelers' offense that are of use to Ben Roethlisberger, Neither, however, are the complete package that Bell is.
We'll start in reverse order with this film breakdown, working our way up the depth chart instead of down:
FITZGERALD TOUSSAINT
The 26 year old was able to maintain his spot on the depth chart after going from hero to goat in the playoffs the previous season. He faced tough competition, too, as Darryl Richardson looked to be a solid runner throughout training camp and in the preseason.
Strengths: Toussaint's skills highlight his ability to burst quickly up the field, and that makes it hard for defenders to lock on to when he has the ball.
Watch how he picks his way through this hole behind Ramon Foster, David DeCastro and Jesse James:
Toussaint does a good job clearing his space out by shuffling to the right so that he was clear of the Browns' nose tackle, who was controlling B.J. Finney at the heart of this play.
As soon as he gets clear, Toussaint explodes through the line and is too quick to be caught by any defenders who get free from their blocks late, leading to a 12-yard gain.
That kind of footwork is what made Toussaint such an attractive player. He is dangerous when catching from out of the backfield, too.
Take a look here to see what happens when he's given just a little space in the flat to catch a pass:
Landry Jones quickly recognizes the cover 1 defense by the Browns and that a safety was going to have to fly to the line of scrimmage to get to Toussaint. That made the check down an easy decision for the quarterback and put the onus of the play on Toussaint.
While Toussaint only has about 3 yards to work with by the time he catches the ball, he uses his footwork to slow down the speeding safety and setup his escape.
Toussaint did this multiple times against the Browns but didn't see enough action over the course of the season to make this a staple in the Steelers offense.
Weaknesses: Toussaint lacks attention to detail at running the ball and protecting the quarterback. Now and again Toussaint would miss the hole he was supposed to attack or not be able to make a play on a defender in space when the offense designed to give him those isolation opportunities.
But beyond running the ball, Toussaint also needs to work on his pass protection. Take a look at this sack on Jones during the week 17 Browns game:
The Browns show blitz of three defenders on each side of the line of scrimmage. Because James is running a route, that means that one side of the offensive line is going to be overloaded with an extra defender. Toussaint's job is to identify which guy that will be, and he fails to do so.
Much of these kinds of mistakes are the reason Toussaint doesn't see more time to give Bell a breather, but also because Bell rarely, if ever, asks for said breathers.
Value: Toussaint is a cheap third option to keep around. His cap number is low at $690,000, and he's a solid scat-back to counter the style of the aging Williams when Bell is out. While the Steelers will want him to improve his pass protection before he gets more third-down opportunities, they probably will feel comfortable having him as a third option should the worst come to pass and they lose both Bell and Williams as they did two years ago.
Toussaint's contract ends after next season. He might not get much time after that to play with the Steelers, but he's going to be looking for every way he can to prove himself as a player so that he can finally land a solid contract that can give him job security for a few more years.
DEANGELO WILLIAMS
Coming off the strong 2015 season, Williams again was the beneficiary of Bell's suspension to show the Steelers what he could do. While he didn't have the big numbers like he did the year before, he did have a good showing early in the season as the Steelers went 2-1 without Bell.
Strengths: Williams is a one-cut type of back who loves to run power type of run plays and follow his lead blocker. That's what the below play shows as he follows DeCastro's pull to get to the outside of the Redskins defense and score:
Normally Williams does better with a fullback in the play as that was more to his running style he developed with the Panthers. But with the Steelers' talent at wide receiver, Todd Haley knew he had to find ways to exploit Williams' talents while still being able to spread the defense with the Steelers' dangerous wide receivers.
All Williams has to do is follow his blocks and make one guy miss, then it's off to the races. He's very good at knowing what to look for when he runs the ball and knowing how to attack different defenses.
The same goes for pass protection. He's not an expert protector who can smother people in the backfield, but he often puts himself in the right place to at least be a deterrent to the pass rush and give Roethlisberger more time.
Weaknesses: Williams' biggest knock in deciding how much playing time to give him is that he's just not as good as Bell. He's not as explosive nor is he as quick in trying to pick his way through the line of scrimmage. Take a look at this play from the AFC Championship Game:
Williams does a good job getting three yards here, but you can see a difference between how he hits this hole and how Bell would. Williams essentially gets the isolation against inside linebacker Elandon Roberts (52). Williams has a decent sized enough hole to make a move here on the rookie, and does manage to spin forward for a gain.
But that's a situation where Bell often makes the guy miss and gets five or six yards. What Williams' does here is nothing to look down upon, but it is something to remind everyone the difference between him and the Steelers' star running back.
Value: Williams' contract with the Steelers ended this season, which puts the team to a decision on whether to keep the 33 year old veteran or to find another backup to place behind Bell. Williams is a talented, competent and reliable player who can be called on in the case of Bell being unavailable, but the Steelers have to weigh the question of whether to find younger legs to work for this offense or not.
Williams has been a class act and never been a head case for the Steelers, which both play in his favor to at least getting another year or two if he chooses to stay in the league.
But the Steelers are a team that has been getting younger each year instead of holding on to the older veterans in the recent seasons, which leads me to believe they'll be comfortable finding a younger running back who can do what Williams did in free agency or even in the middle rounds of the draft.
LE'VEON BELL
Now we get to talk about the superstar who has the ability to change the game every time he's on the field. Notice I didn't limit that statement to just when he has the ball, because Bell does things away from the ball that are also spectacular and the threat of his athleticism is a constant source of worry for defenses.
Strengths: Everybody knows Bell loves to dissect defensive fronts with his patience behind a strong offensive line. But what allows him to do it isn't just his elite vision, it's his insane footwork at all times.
When Bell gets the ball, his feet are often chopping immediately faster than what most athletes are able to perform in drills. This allows his body to change directions as fast as his brain commands, making a quick burst one direction or the other more of a natural instinct based off what he's immediately seeing, rather than a decision he makes and then acts on.
Take a look at what he did to the Bills on this play:
Once Bell gets to the outside he still has his feet chopping instead of trying to break into a sprint to maximize the yards in front of him. Instead he keeps his head up and uses his feet to put Zachary Brown (53), a very solid linebacker, into a spin cycle.
By the time any of the Bills are able to get their hands on Bell, he's already 10 yards down the field.
It's also part of why he's such a threat as a receiver. The Steelers didn't use this element of his game as much this season, but it's a serious problem that every defense has to consider:
Notice how Bell sets up defenders with each step he takes and his feet never stop moving even when he's caught up in traffic short of the first down marker on a third-down play.
Bell's back is to the Bills' defense when he catches it, but he recognized so quickly that a cornerback is sitting outside of DeCastro that his immediate burst to the inside is not only the most logical move, but also one I don't know how he computes this quickly.
The other aspect of his receiving game that has defenses terrified is when he lines up as a wide receiver. That footwork comes in handy here, as well, as he puts the defender to a decision to either commit to one side or the other, or sit back and hope that whatever Bell decides to do won't be too far away.
Watch here as he cooks his man against the Cowboys for a touchdown in the red zone:
Bell's double stutter step is at the level of a proficient wide receiver and not something that even your above average running back would be expected to execute this well. Add that to his hands and he's a devastating receiver no matter where he lines up.
And if you think that running the ball along with being a problem as a receiver regardless of where he lines up is enough, Bell adds his ability to be an elite pass protector while in the backfield to his toolbox.
Watch him as he comes from lining up to Roethlisberger's right and lays a devastating block on the defensive end:
That's the Saints' long-time leader, Cameron Jordan (94), who has given the Steelers problems in the past. But Bell completely flattens him with a simple block right to the chest. Bell's quick burst allows for him to lay huge hits like this if he starts to accelerate.
And if you think that Jordan is just some pushover or too old, he's just like Cameron Heyward as both were first-round defensive ends drafted in 2011 and in the prime of their careers. Bell's blocking game is for real.
Weaknesses: So after all that, I'm sure you're wondering if there's anything that Bell doesn't do. The two things that Bell's game is missing is the elite speed in the open that allows him to win long races down the field for home run-type plays that players like Ezekiel Elliott pull off.
The second concern is only his liability for injury. Though he played all of the regular season and two playoff games with carrying a lot of the workload without any complaints or problems, the Steelers found themselves in a playoff game without Bell as an option for a third consecutive season.
Bell is the kind of player who forces defenses to have to consider so many other options than even most elite running backs. Just his presence on the field is a service to Roethlisberger and the Steelers' receivers, which is why his being hurt for the big games literally changes everything.
Value: Like Antonio Brown, Bell is an invaluable piece. He absolutely must be signed either to the franchise tag or to a long-term deal as his skills are still shaping while he's still only 24 years old. Bell's long list of skills make him the perfect player to work for any offense and could be the key to getting Roethlisberger another ring or two in the coming seasons.
Even beyond that, should Roethlisberger retire within the next three seasons, that makes Bell 27 years old and means that whoever the young quarterback will be that replaces Roethlisberger will have a most reliable player to defer to in big moments. But before we get there, Bell has to be signed.
OVERVIEW
It's ironic that the Steelers only have Toussaint signed going into next season, but you can count on them bringing Bell back and adding another talent behind him, whether it's a returning Williams or a new face who adds to the element of the already dynamic offense.
Bell has the potential to be one of the greatest halfbacks to ever play after such a hot start to his career. And that's still without him having a single season in which he played every game.
What might be a surprise move is for the Steelers to add a running back in the draft anywhere from the second to fourth round. But the intrigue of the move for me would be based in the idea of having a young back who's capable of being a starter who still has the speed and explosiveness of a player in their young twenties.
Said player would also be around for the next four years and presumably would give the Steelers a great problem to have if that player turns out to be good. If the Steelers still have Bell at that point, they would have the option to either keep Bell in his prime or keep the younger back in his prime, giving them trade capabilities.
But those are concerns that cannot happen until the Steelers take care of business in the front office, and that starts with making sure Bell is locked up for this roster.
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