SoCalWizFan
Well-Known Member
No he's not. He'll be 27 by the time next year comes. Which is pretty old for a RB, especially with his miles. You'd be surprised how many top-tier RB's seemingly fall off a cliff right about that time. And considering the ridiculous contract you'd have to give him too. If I needed a RB I'd draft one in the middle rounds myself that fits my system, that's the most important thing with a RB.
Yep. Of the RBs in the top 10 in rushing yards all but 2 are 25 or younger (& those 2 are flukes - Lynch who will tail off over the season & Hyde who is 28 but wasn't asked to do much in his first 2 seasons). You will rarely see a 30+ yr old RB lead the way for any team. RB is also one of the few positions where they can contribute heavily in their rookie year.
If Bell goes elsewhere he can be replaced to a degree. They can also use the extra cap space to address their substantial needs on defense. Perhaps they should still retain Bell, but I don't think that it is a necessity at this time. Would hate to see a team in this situation paying 10s of millions of dollars long after the player is gone (or marginally contributing).