Don't understand all the media (and some posters) negativity about Bell in the 2nd

[DrCalculus]

I've now seen about 5 or 6 different sites commenting that Bell in the second was too early -- he should have lasted until the third, possibly the fourth round. Then they go on to mention Wheaton had a second round grade and Thomas had a third round grade.

So with picks 2, 3, and 4, they got three guys projected in rounds 2, 3, and 4. Other than who gets which salary, does it really matter which one was picked where? Isn't the lack of perceived value in Bell balanced by getting the other two later than projected?

[papillon]

I've now seen about 5 or 6 different sites commenting that Bell in the second was too early -- he should have lasted until the third, possibly the fourth round. Then they go on to mention Wheaton had a second round grade and Thomas had a third round grade.

So with picks 2, 3, and 4, they got three guys projected in rounds 2, 3, and 4. Other than who gets which salary, does it really matter which one was picked where? Isn't the lack of perceived value in Bell balanced by getting the other two later than projected?

Of course it doesn't matter, evidently, Lacey's toe injury scared them away, so they went to their second rated back and took him, maybe early, maybe not, the Steelers' football people liked and they drafted him. There's no pleasing some, it's like refereeing a game, at least 50% of the fans are going to hate the calls you make.

Pappy

[NorthCoast]

I have been amused by the same discussion. It seems where a player is taken is held with almost the same importance as their overall talent level and production. I recall Heath Miller labeled a steal in the 1st rd! but what if the Steelers traded up 5 spots to grab him, would it still be so?.... so it's not only which round a player is taken, it is also which part of the round as well.
It might be fun to regrade a few of the past drafts to see how this look in hindsight; did we get a steal in Ike Taylor in Rd. 4 in 2003? Was Troy worth trading up for in the same draft? Was Alonzo Jackson one of the worst 2nd round reaches in Steelers history? What were the Steelers thinking in drafting Bruce Davis in the 3rd round?

[hawaiiansteel]

I've now seen about 5 or 6 different sites commenting that Bell in the second was too early -- he should have lasted until the third, possibly the fourth round.

did those people not notice the run on RBs at the end of the 2nd round when Montee Ball, Eddie Lacy and Christine Michael were chosen within five picks of each other?

Le'Veon Bell would have never made it out of the 2nd round...

[flippy]

It's just a quick gut reaction because we're all tracking the draft, trying to determine who we want, imagining we know what we're talking about, etc. I kinda like people's instant reaction to things. It tells you how people really feel. That's a good thing imho. And eventually we move toward accepting things as they are. And most will be content with the pick until proven otherwise.

Look at it this way. The NFL is evolving into a passing league where the O is at a major advantage over D. There's becoming more value in small quick WRs that can get YAC and run in space. Same with RBs. There's more emphasis on them as pass catchers. More emphasis on speed and open field running. And Gio from UNC is the first back taken. He kinda makes sense in this new era of the NFL. We kinda know what Haley did in KC with his backs so it is a little shocking when the Steelers buck the trend and go get an Eddie George clone.

The best backs in this era are guys like Foster, Rice, etc. Bell goes counter to the trend. And you have to wonder, are the Steelers stuck in an old way of doing things? Maybe? And maybe it's a good thing too.

My first gut reaction was, meh, for Bell. But after thinking more about it, teams aren't built to stop the run any longer because this is a passing league. So we get an advantage there. Then with his size, teams are gonna have to stack the box with 8-9 guys if we're really gonna turn him into a 20-30 carry a game back. Then that opens up PA for Ben. And then look out. All of a sudden, we can get rid of the ball to guys like Brown, Sanders, Wheaton who are gonna have lot of open space to run in to make plays.

And then consider, Haley just doesn't seem to have a system. He really does seem to just work with whatever the best talent he can get is. AZ, KC, Pit are all gonna look like majorly different systems. And when you start thinking about the possibilities it's easy to get excited. And then to a degree, getting excited is about as silly as being negative.

So we might as well live in the moment. Roll with water comes down the line. And enjoy the team. But sometimes the scenarios we make up in our heads make it even more fun sometimes

[NorthCoast]

did those people not notice the run on RBs at the end of the 2nd round when Montee Ball, Eddie Lacy and Christine Michael were chosen within five picks of each other?

Le'Veon Bell would have never made it out of the 2nd round...

Not to mention, raters gave bengals a A- for selecting the 4th rated RB in rd 2, but the Steelers were given a D- for selecting the 5th rated in the same round....

a bunch of hoo-ha in my opinion.

[DukieBoy]

did those people not notice the run on RBs at the end of the 2nd round when Montee Ball, Eddie Lacy and Christine Michael were chosen within five picks of each other?

Le'Veon Bell would have never made it out of the 2nd round...

Great point.

I suspect they have their conclusions first, and shade to evidence to support it.

[7 UP]

did those people not notice the run on RBs at the end of the 2nd round when Montee Ball, Eddie Lacy and Christine Michael were chosen within five picks of each other?

Le'Veon Bell would have never made it out of the 2nd round...

Bingo!!!! Finally somebody said it. If the Steelers didnt take Bell, Denver would have. I love the pick. Steelers got the guy they wanted.

[supersteeler]

did those people not notice the run on RBs at the end of the 2nd round when Montee Ball, Eddie Lacy and Christine Michael were chosen within five picks of each other?

Le'Veon Bell would have never made it out of the 2nd round...

I thought the same thing, Bell was the RB they wanted and thought if they didn't take him then he would be gone. I have no problem with the pick at all especially since we needed an upgrade at the position to help our offense.
We got a damn good RB that can do more than just run the ball, lets be glad.

[Slapstick]

I am all about drafting for value...

At the same time, I understand that, if the team is convinced that a given player is "the guy" that they want, it may be necessary to overdraft, so to speak, if they are indeed convinced...

As I pointed out previously, Bell led the nation in yards after contact last year...and it wasn't even close...

With a young offensive line that will (hopefully!) improve this year, having a guy who gets yards after contact will be dangerous at the second level...

[Oviedo]

The negativity towards Bell is totally about the overhyped Lacey still being on the board when we took Bell.

Bell is exactly what the Steelers need.

[B&GinNC]

OK, so I'll defend the negativity surrounding the pick... several factors.

What could that 2nd rounder have been if not Bell? At that spot, some holes could have been filled with premium players. I was pretty upset to see Arthur Brown end up a Baltimore Raven at the end of the round. When looking at value in a pick, that's a big part of it. Also, Bell replicates the running backs already on the roster in Redman and Dwyer. Jonathan Franklin was there in the 4th, Mike Gillislee in the 5th, Jawan Jamison, Kerwynn Williams in the 6th... there was plenty of talent to be had at the position, and a lot of it was still out there late. I'd rather have a dynamic linebacker, for instance, and one of those very serviceable backs mentioned, rather than a two down run stuffer in Williams and LeVeon Bell. The same could be done at other positions... for example, I could easily see Margus Hunt as Brett Keisel 2.0 given his height and athleticism. He has a much better chance of making the team better than a 7th round flier from a 1AA school.

Moreover, Bell is a Big Ten plodder... is he Ron Dayne or Eddie George? In Round 2, you'd better hope he's George. In Round 4, it's not such a big deal if he turns out to be Dayne.

[Slapstick]

Moreover, Bell is a Big Ten plodder... is he Ron Dayne or Eddie George? In Round 2, you'd better hope he's George. In Round 4, it's not such a big deal if he turns out to be Dayne.

It becomes a big deal if he isn't there for you in Round 4...

Also, I recall the Steelers drafted an "SEC fast guy" last year and it didn't work out so well...

Perhaps a "Big 10 plodder" is what's needed...

[steelfin]

OK, so I'll defend the negativity surrounding the pick... several factors.

What could that 2nd rounder have been if not Bell? At that spot, some holes could have been filled with premium players. I was pretty upset to see Arthur Brown end up a Baltimore Raven at the end of the round. When looking at value in a pick, that's a big part of it. Also, Bell replicates the running backs already on the roster in Redman and Dwyer. Jonathan Franklin was there in the 4th, Mike Gillislee in the 5th, Jawan Jamison, Kerwynn Williams in the 6th... there was plenty of talent to be had at the position, and a lot of it was still out there late. I'd rather have a dynamic linebacker, for instance, and one of those very serviceable backs mentioned, rather than a two down run stuffer in Williams and LeVeon Bell. The same could be done at other positions... for example, I could easily see Margus Hunt as Brett Keisel 2.0 given his height and athleticism. He has a much better chance of making the team better than a 7th round flier from a 1AA school.

Moreover, Bell is a Big Ten plodder... is he Ron Dayne or Eddie George? In Round 2, you'd better hope he's George. In Round 4, it's not such a big deal if he turns out to be Dayne.

+1....we already have 2 big fat slow guys at RB on the roster....now we have 3....I would much rather have seen a fast back with breakaway speed added to the stable.

There was much better value for BPA at other positions...this was a reach for the Steelers.

Bell is a Steeler now and obviously I am hoping for the best.

[steelman7]

I honestly think the Steelers should have took Montee Ball...but...im happy with the pick....leveon is a gd running back...still needs to work on running east and west just a lil more...and hopefully he gets a lil faster