Oakland Raiders: Why Le’Veon Bell won’t be signed in free agency
MMQB’s Peter King suggested the Oakland Raiders a potential landing spot for Le’Veon Bell. Is this a likely fit for the player and team?
MMQB’s Peter King lit a match and tossed it to Oakland Raiders Twitter Monday. He’s a well-connected sportswriter with several decades in the business.
When asked about Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell’s offseason outlook, he responded with a focus on the Raiders as a potential landing spot for the 25-year old running back:
Bell’s arrival would certainly cut ball-carrier Marshawn Lynch’s comeback short. The 25-year old tailback can do it all out of the backfield — take handoffs on early downs, handle short-yardage situations and cause matchup issues as a receiver.
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Since entering the league in 2013, Bell lists second in yards from scrimmage with 7,996, trailing Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (8,016). Though, the Steelers tailback has 30 fewer touches. From a production standpoint, Bell would become the featured rusher in a backfield that needs a do-it-all asset. He’d also supplement a passing attack that took a significant step backward partially due to dropped passes.
Despite what Bell brings to an offense and with all due respect to King, Oakland should and will probably take a less costly approach to addressing the running back position if team brass decides to move on from Beast Mode.
Be a Smart Spender: 2017 Extensions, Khalil Mack’s Extension
General manager Reggie McKenzie rewarded several players with extensions in the previous offseason. Among the most costly, quarterback Derek Carr signed a five-year, $125 million pact. Offensive guard Gabe Jackson also inked an extension of the same year length and carries a $10.5 million cap hit in 2018, per Over the Cap. His salary number matches fellow offensive lineman Kelechi Osemele, who signed his deal before the 2016 campaign.
The Raiders have the third highest-paid offensive line in the league, per Spotrac. If head coach Jon Gruden plans to provide Carr maximum pass protection, the 300-pounders up front will continue to cash big checks along with the quarterback.
According to general manager Reggie McKenzie, per the team’s official website, he intends to keep edge-rusher Khalil Mack in silver and black for years to come. Once he signs a new deal, the two-time All-Pro will likely become the highest-paid defensive player in the league.
Between the 2015-17 seasons, Mack lists second in sacks with 36.5 only behind Arizona Cardinals pass-rusher Chandler Jones who racked up 40.5 in that span. He’s also the only player to make an All-Pro roster at two different positions in the same year. The 26-year old also claimed Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2016. Oakland will continue to build around its generational defensive talent.
Though the salary cap increases every year, front offices should always practice cap-saving tactics to maintain flexibility on the books. Keep a stash for a player who may exceed expectations and requires a new deal to stay in-house. McKenzie dug this team out of cap space purgatory but overspending for production at running back would take a step backward.
Rookie Running Back Success in 2017
In McKenzie’s history as a Raiders executive, he doesn’t spend big bucks on running backs. He’d prefer to address the position in the middle or late rounds of the draft. The roster architect acquired Latavius Murray, DeAndre Washington and Elijah Hood on Day 3 of their draft years. Jalen Richard signed with the club as an undrafted free agent.
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During the previous offseason, the Raiders added Beast Mode but brought him back on an incentive-laden deal that didn’t break the bank, per ProFootballTalk.
"Per multiple sources, the base package consists of a $1 million roster bonus, a fully-guaranteed $1.35 million base salary, a $150,000 workout bonus, and $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses (which works out to $31,250 per game on the 46-man roster). It’s a total base package of $3 million."
As King states, Bell would likely sign with the highest bidder. He’ll have several suitors. Why should the Raiders engage in a wage war when we’ve seen multiple rookie running backs produce in bulk during the 2017 campaign?
Kansas City Chiefs third-rounder Kareem Hunt won a rushing title with 1,327 yards on the ground. Leonard Fournette ranked eighth and helped balance the Jacksonville Jaguars’ offensive attack. New Orleans Saints tailback Alvin Kamara lists sixth in yards from scrimmage for the 2017 season. Minnesota Vikings ball-carrier Dalvin Cook placed third in rushing yards before tearing his ACL in Week 4.
Running backs haven’t lost their value, but there’s no need to spend huge dollars on a known commodity, especially at a position that takes a pounding, which increases the probability of a random injury.
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The 2018 draft class will feature several quality talents at the position including, Saquon Barkley, Derrius Guice, Ronald Jones, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and Kerryon Johnson.
The Raiders should have a shot at drafting any one of those prospects except Barkley who may come off the draft board within the first five picks. McKenzie and Gruden can tuck the dollars for Bell back into their pockets. Use the cash to invest in a veteran cornerback or defensive lineman, two positions that typically require more development before producing significant on-field results.