The Pittsburgh Steelers were counting on rookie running back Le'Veon Bell to bring the team back to the classic hard hitting run game they were once known for. Last season Todd Haley could only manage to get the Steelers ranked as 26th in league in rushing. Pittsburgh averaged a mere 96.1 yards per game. Bell was set to change that until a possible Lisfranc injury is likely going to cause him to miss significant time.
As a result, the Steelers have conducted a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, acquiring running back Felix Jones in exchange for Adrian Robinson. Jones is a former first-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys back in 2008. He was with the team for five seasons, racking up 2,728 yards and 11 touchdowns. Cowboys fans will say he did not live up to expectations in Dallas, but he was on a underachieving team. Jones was a star in college and in the right situation he can be a star against.
Bell will be out for at least the first half of the season, leaving the run game to Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer and Baron Batch. Neither Dwyer nor Redman are talented enough to lead the run game on their own. Dwyer was lead back last season and put up 623 yards total. This was the reason Bell as in contention to start and why losing him is a big hit to the team.
However, Jones has talent and could figure in to getting significant playing time. He is a diverse player that can offer a real change of pace to the offense. Bell has proven to have decent hands, recording 1,062 yards off 127 receptions in his NFL career. He has always been on a roster with at least one running back that is better than he is. In Philly, he could not excel past LeSean McCoy. In Pittsburgh, he has a chance to be a star.
The trade puts a damper on the fantasy football aspect of the Steelers' run game. Bell would have been a decent fantasy option. Now, Pittsburgh has three mid-level guys to hand the ball off to. None of them are decent options to add to a roster.