NFL franchise tag 2018: 10 players most likely to be tagged

1. Le’Veon Bell

What actually is Le’Veon Bell? A running back? But he was the second leading receiver on the Steelers last season. Does that mean he is worth more? He sure thinks so, and nobody should blame him. Bell is the definition of a bell cow running back. He can run, catch, whatever you need him to do and he can do it every down. Bell deserves to be the highest paid running back in the league, but the Steelers are hesitant to make him such.

This season Bell carried for 1,291 yards and added 655 receiving yards. Bell had 406 total touches, 321 carries and 85 receptions. That means he averaged 25.375 touches a game, a pretty absurd amount. He is 25 and has some injuries in his past, but when healthy, he is arguably the best running back in the league.

Pittsburgh is in a tough situation where they want to keep him, desperately. However, the two sides do not seem to agree on how much Bell deserves to be paid. Bell made $12.12 million last season, higher than the tag is set at. This means he would make 120% of that figure, an estimated $14.54 million. Bell wants $15 million, and is not keen on accepting anything less.

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If the Steelers allow him to walk, he will get that kind of money in a heartbeat. Oakland, both New York teams, and San Francisco are all teams who could be in the running. Pittsburgh may need to tag Bell for a second consecutive season to ensure he doesn’t escape their grasp. Unfortunately, they only have an estimated $1.7 million in cap space. This puts them in a pickle, one that Bell may be able to use as leverage.