Steelers select RB Le'Veon Bell in Round 2

[BigRob]

[url]http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2013-05-01/leveon-bell-pittsburgh-steelers-rookie-breakout-back-lacy-bernard-ball[/url]

There were 24 running backs selected in the NFL Draft, and [URL="http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&ie=UTF8&prev=_t&rurl=tra nslate.google.com&sl=es&tl=en&u=http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/player/26671/leveon-bell&usg=ALkJrhjGpNALpyBuPxEl8q48nRxv92elFA"]Le'Veon Bell[/URL] is in the best position to lead all of them in rushing as a rookie. The Pittsburgh Steelers took Bell in the second round (No. 48 overall) from Michigan State, And They expect him to Be Able to carry the load Between the tackles, and beyond.


"He's a big back, No. 1, and a three-down back, que is a big thing for us," offensive coordinator Todd Haley said of Bell this week. "He has very good hands and catches the ball very well out of the backfield."


At 6-1, 230 pounds, Bell has drawn comparisons to former Titans star Eddie George and current Falcons feature back Steven Jackson. Bell is the product of a system Spartans That will help ease his transition to the Steelers.


"He's coming from a pro-style offense," Haley said. "A lot of the (Steelers') runs will be very similar to the runs That I was running."


Bell is very capable of winning the Steelers' running back competition and earning a Total of 20-25 carries / catches per game. He is listed ahead of holdovers Already Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman on Pittsburgh's depth chart, and free-agent Addition LaRod Stephens-Howling (5-7, 185) is built to be more of a third-down type.

I really think this is going to be our rookie of the year for the Steelers. He's being undersold by a lot of pundits except for former scout Bucky Brooks. Brooks thinks he the best RB in this class.

[hawaiiansteel]

In rookie RB class, Steelers' Le'Veon Bell has best shot of breakout season

PUBLISHED Wednesday, May 1, 2013
by Vinnie Iyer Sporting News



Coming from a pro-style offense at Michigan State, Le'Veon Bell should not have a tough transition in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo)

There were 24 running backs selected in the NFL Draft, and Le'Veon Bell is in the best position to lead all of them in rushing as a rookie. The Pittsburgh Steelers took Bell in the second round (No. 48 overall) from Michigan State, and they expect him to be able to carry the load between the tackles— and beyond.

"He's a big back, No. 1, and a three-down back, which is a big thing for us," offensive coordinator Todd Haley said of Bell this week. "He has very good hands and catches the ball very well out of the backfield."

At 6-1, 230 pounds, Bell has drawn comparisons to former Titans star Eddie George and current Falcons feature back Steven Jackson. Bell is the product of a Spartans system that will help ease his transition to the Steelers.

"He's coming from a pro-style offense," Haley said. "A lot of the (Steelers’) runs will be very similar to the runs that he was running."

Bell is very capable of winning the Steelers’ running back competition and earning a total of 20-25 carries/catches per game. He is already listed ahead of holdovers Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman on Pittsburgh's depth chart, and free-agent addition LaRod Stephens-Howling (5-7, 185) is built to be more of a third-down type.

The only back drafted ahead of Bell, North Carolina's Giovani Bernard (No. 37), will be a complementary speed back for the Bengals, co-headlining a committee with BenJarvus Green-Ellis. The team also re-signed Bernard Scott and drafted another back, Nebraska's Rex Burkhead.

A fellow former Big Ten standout, Wisconsin's Montee Ball, was taken by the Broncos at No. 58 a few picks after Bell. In addition to being a prolific scorer who can help Denver's high-powered offense finish drives, Ball has the receiving and pass-protection skills to be trusted in third-down situations. Ball is much better in those latter areas than second-year player Ronnie Hillman, and his fresher legs were seen as a way to upgrade from Willis McGahee and Knowshon Moreno. Ball (5-10, 214) will have a shot at more touchdowns, but Bell is built better to be a bell cow early.

Eddie Lacy, the biggest-name back entering the draft, benefits from stepping into Green Bay's offense, where he can play off Aaron Rodgers. But Lacy comes with some durability issues that caused him to slide, and rookie fourth-rounder Jonathan Franklin of UCLA will be no slouch in preseason competition.

Considering a sixth-round pick—the Redskins’ Alfred Morris—put up 1,613 yards to lead all rookies last season, there are two fifth-round sleepers to watch in the NFC West this season: the Cardinals' Stepfan Taylor (Stanford) and the Rams' Zac Stacy (Vanderbilt).

In Arizona, Taylor, a strong power runner, has two backs (Rashard Mendenhall and Ryan Williams) with major injuries in their recent past ahead of him. The Cardinals also drafted Clemson's Andre Ellington in the sixth round, but he has more the makeup of a dynamic change-of-pace back.

[URL]http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2013-05-01/leveon-bell-pittsburgh-steelers-rookie-breakout-back-lacy-bernard-ball[/URL]

[hawaiiansteel]

Former Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell 'biggest athletic freak' at Pittsburgh Steelers minicamp



Former Michigan State running back Le'Veon Bell is quickly shedding his too slow scouting report. (AP Photo)

By Gillian Van Stratt
on May 13, 2013

When former Pittsburgh Panther defensive back Andrew Taglianetti got invited to his hometown NFL team's rookie minicamp, he was living the dream.

But his wide-eyed state of awe didn't keep him from noticing the difference between his fellow rookies participating in their first NFL workouts with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the guys he used to play with at Heinz Field.

Following the camp, Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan asked Taglianetti, "Who was the biggest athletic freak you saw on the field?"

His answer: Former Michigan State running back Le'Veon Bell.

"I'll tell you what, Le'Veon Bell," Taglianetti said with no hesitation. "He's probably 230, 240 (pounds), I'm not sure about his weight, but he is really, really quick."

Quickness and breakaway speed, once considered Bell's weakness, seems to be his most surprising NFL attribute.

"There's a couple times I'd come up, and I was trying to establish myself, I tried to body some people and just like throw my shoulder into them," Taglianetti said. "But (Le'Veon) made me miss about three times."

Recently, ESPN's John Clayton reported that the Steelers believe Bell to be the next version of Chicago Bear's running back Matt Forte. Taglianetti had a comparison of his own.

"I told someone it was kind of comparible to a Ray Graham cut," Taglianetti said of his former Pitt teammate. Graham rushed for over 3,200 yards in his college career. "Ray Graham was always infamous for those jump cuts. Le'Veon has a little shake to him. I mean I was really impressed with him. I wasn't scared about getting run over, cause we didn't have pads on, but I think he has a lot of aspects to his game where he's going to be successful in the NFL.

"I really expect him to make a lot of plays next year for the Steelers."

[URL]http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2013/05/former_michigan_state_rb_leveo_3.html[/URL]

[thor75]

Former Michigan State RB Le'Veon Bell 'biggest athletic freak' at Pittsburgh Steelers minicamp



Former Michigan State running back Le'Veon Bell is quickly shedding his too slow scouting report. (AP Photo)

By Gillian Van Stratt
on May 13, 2013

When former Pittsburgh Panther defensive back Andrew Taglianetti got invited to his hometown NFL team's rookie minicamp, he was living the dream.

But his wide-eyed state of awe didn't keep him from noticing the difference between his fellow rookies participating in their first NFL workouts with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the guys he used to play with at Heinz Field.

Following the camp, Pittsburgh sports radio station 93.7 The Fan asked Taglianetti, "Who was the biggest athletic freak you saw on the field?"

His answer: Former Michigan State running back Le'Veon Bell.

"I'll tell you what, Le'Veon Bell," Taglianetti said with no hesitation. "He's probably 230, 240 (pounds), I'm not sure about his weight, but he is really, really quick."

Quickness and breakaway speed, once considered Bell's weakness, seems to be his most surprising NFL attribute.

"There's a couple times I'd come up, and I was trying to establish myself, I tried to body some people and just like throw my shoulder into them," Taglianetti said. "But (Le'Veon) made me miss about three times."

Recently, ESPN's John Clayton reported that the Steelers believe Bell to be the next version of Chicago Bear's running back Matt Forte. Taglianetti had a comparison of his own.

"I told someone it was kind of comparible to a Ray Graham cut," Taglianetti said of his former Pitt teammate. Graham rushed for over 3,200 yards in his college career. "Ray Graham was always infamous for those jump cuts. Le'Veon has a little shake to him. I mean I was really impressed with him. I wasn't scared about getting run over, cause we didn't have pads on, but I think he has a lot of aspects to his game where he's going to be successful in the NFL.

"I really expect him to make a lot of plays next year for the Steelers."

[URL]http://www.mlive.com/spartans/index.ssf/2013/05/former_michigan_state_rb_leveo_3.html[/URL]

This is good to hear coming from someone else on the field, not just a sideline reporter.

[Shoe]

Ball is a good running back. But there are a few overlooked factors:

Factor #1- Ball carried the ball over 300 times in both 2011 and 2012. That is a whole lot of carries for a college RB in back to back seasons. 663 carries in two College Football seasons to be exact. He isn't going to last long in the NFL.

Factor #2- Ball ran behind one of the best o-lines in college history in 2011. Peter Konz, Kevin Zeitler, and Travis Frederick all on one line together. 3 1st round lineman. That is huge, and his stats showed it. 6.3 yards per carry and 33 touch downs.

He still had a good o-line in 2012, but his ypc dropped by 1.2 yards in 2012. Ball ran a 4.66 at 214 lbs at the combine. 15 reps at 225.

Did I mention he had Russell Wilson at QB in 2011?

Le'veon Bell carried the ball 112 times in 2011. He carried the rock a ton in 2012, 382 times. His YPC has stayed consistently around 5.0.

Now tell me how many of his o-lineman went in the first round or were drafted? His lines were putrid at Michigan State. He also didn't have a QB this year when he toted the rock 380 times and still averaged 4.7 ypc. No QB and no o-line? No problem.

Le'veon ran a faster 40 than Ball with almost 20 more pounds of muscle. Put up 10 more reps on the bench, has bigger hands, and ran the fastest short shuttle at the combine. In other words, he's bigger, faster, stronger, and has better feet than Ball.

I'm not saying Ball isn't a good RB, but to me it looks like Bell is just coming into his own and Ball has already peaked in college.

Yes, and the same argument can be made against the other guy assumed to be in the mix in Rd 2, Eddie Lacy. Lacy had Warmack, Jones, and Fluker to run behind. It's not hard to see then, why Bell was picked over the other two.

[Oviedo]

Between Bell, Ball and Lacy, it was obvious that Bell was running behind the weakest offensive line in college. What is most impressive is his yards gained after contact. As we have seen with our OL over the past few years that is an important stat given the number of times our RBs get hit behind the LOS.

I think Bell will do better than any other other RB selected in Round 2.

[flippy]

Between Bell, Ball and Lacy, it was obvious that Bell was running behind the weakest offensive line in college. What is most impressive is his yards gained after contact. As we have seen with our OL over the past few years that is an important stat given the number of times our RBs get hit behind the LOS.

I think Bell will do better than any other other RB selected in Round 2.

I was hoping we'd land Gio from UNC who I think was the most talented back in the draft. I was a little surprised he was the first back taken. I didn't think anyone else had him rated as highly relative to some of the others.

At the end of the day, I think it will come down to our OLIne. If they're good, our running game will be good. If not, it won't. It doesn't matter who you are, if guys like Ngata go unblocked, no back is going anywhere.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Between Bell, Ball and Lacy, it was obvious that Bell was running behind the weakest offensive line in college. What is most impressive is his yards gained after contact. As we have seen with our OL over the past few years that is an important stat given the number of times our RBs get hit behind the LOS.

I think Bell will do better than any other other RB selected in Round 2.

Bell was also probably more of a focal point than the others as well. Opposing Ds knew that Bell was the primary threat and I'm sure that every team's gameplan was to stop this guy.

[Shawn]

Between Bell, Ball and Lacy, it was obvious that Bell was running behind the weakest offensive line in college. What is most impressive is his yards gained after contact. As we have seen with our OL over the past few years that is an important stat given the number of times our RBs get hit behind the LOS.

I think Bell will do better than any other other RB selected in Round 2.

Agreed, as I said before the draft I believe Bell will be rookie of the year.

[pittsburghfootball]

I think the pick was well in line.... just look at the video:

[url]http://www.steelers.com/video-and-audio/videos/LeVeon-Bell---Rookie-Minicamp/79ebc487-71c1-456e-bea7-8ea68edd59a3[/url]

He's going to do well.

“I’m ecstatic to get to Pittsburgh and get to work,” said Bell. “It’s a perfect fit for me.”

He sees an opportunity to become a starter in his rookie season.

It will not be easy as the Steelers have always made their rookies earn a spot on the roster, but Bell says that he will work hard to earn that respect.

307531_4455217697411_1400517004_n.jpg

[pittsburghfootball]

Steelers' Bell

post-game-leveon-bell.jpg

[hawaiiansteel]

Steelers' Jonathan Dwyer has competition with other backs and his backside

By Neal Coolong on May 28 2013



Jonathan Dwyer led the Steelers in rushing in 2012. His reward? A one year contract, two new running backs and the ever-expanding concern of his waistline.

What did Steelers running back Jonathan Dwyer do?

Despite leading the team in rushing in 2012, he gets the dubious honor of having been the lowest single-season rushing leader since Merril Hoge in 1991.

He signed his $1.3 million tender offer nearly as soon as it arrived - well ahead of fellow running back Isaac Redman - and he was rewarded by the Steelers signing RB LaRod Stephens Howling just a few hours before drafting Le'Veon Bell in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Once dubbed the underdog late round pick, he's been filed into the doghouse, presumably left to fight for the scraps big dog Bell won't eat.

Certainly, circumstantial situations like Bell being available in the second round, or Stephens-Howling's availability along with the Steelers' need for a return man exist. These things are out of Dwyer's control. Still, signing his tender early suggests strongly he cares little for draft picks, and he's determined to show his peak mix of experience and talent is too much for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and offensive coordinator Todd Haley to ignore.

That part is understood. Dwyer will have to show the results behind the rhetoric. The Steelers begin their second round of three OTA practices today in Pittsburgh. Perhaps no position can be fairly judged without contact, but the running backs more than anyone else will be subjected to the Eye Test.

As in, "H-Eye, Jonathan, please step on the scale."

Dwyer has had issues with his weight in the past, and there are fewer concerns that carry a higher need to prepare adequate insurance than a running back who spends more time at the buffet through than the treadmill. The discipline one needs to maintain peak fitness, especially when faced with a younger competitor, will be as important to Dwyer's viability as a contributor this year as his performance in OTAs or training camp.

So if he signed his RFA tender early, good for him. He'd get bonus points if he did it between running hills and a date with the squat rack.

[URL]http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/2013/5/28/4372798/jonathan-dwyer-steelers-running-back-competition[/URL]

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

It seems that prior to each of about the last 5 years or so we have heard that this O is ready to explode. Remember things like "Adding Limas Sweed gives Ben the big receiver that he has wanted, that is the final piece to the puzzle"

But it seems that nobody is talking about this year, and maybe we should be. There are many question mark areas that really could go either way. It seems like a lot of players have really gotten into shape this off season and returned with a hunger.

Dwyer and Redman in shape, the return to health of Ben, the recoveries of Gilbert, Adams, and Decastro. These three are the key. If these young guys can return to health and bring a level above what we have had here the past few seasons (which is not an overly high standard) then we might have a fun and very balanced offense.

[RuthlessBurgher]

A replay of Michigan St. vs. TCU in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl was on one of the ESPN's last night (probably "The Ocho" ). I watched a little bit of it, and Bell was pretty impressive. He ran hard out there and was basically his team's total offense.

[hawaiiansteel]

I'm not mad about the pick...just felt we could have gotten him in the third. Ohh well!

Bell would have never gotten past the run on RBs at picks #58-62 where Montee Ball, Eddie Lacy and Christine Michael were selected.