With the Pittsburgh Steelers facing the reality of at least the first two games without running back Le’Veon Bell, a running back to fill the void and add depth to the position throughout the season will have to be a priority.
With only Josh Harris and Dri Archer currently available to step in for Bell, the Steelers will have to consider their options when it comes to finding viable support and depth at the position.
One possibility is to scour the free agent market for an experienced veteran who can step in and start while Bell is serving his suspension. The list of free agent running backs is rather extensive as the signing period begins in earnest today. The list includes the NFL’s leading rusher in DeMarco Murray along with former Pro-Bowl rushers such as Steven Jackson and Frank Gore, who looks to be set to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Another name that has popped up on the Steelers radar and the free agent rumor mill is Reggie Bush. The 30-year old Bush has never lived up to the considerable hype coming out of USC as a do-everything Heisman Trophy winner, but has been a solid dual threat back over his nine-year career. With two 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, including two seasons ago as a Miami Dolphin, Bush has provided plenty of evidence that he can make an impact as a runner.
However, it’s his ability to catch the ball out the backfield that might make Bush especially intriguing to the Steelers. Bush has caught 466 passes over his career, and considering the way offensive coordinator Todd Haley utilizes his running backs in the passing game, Bush could be the perfect fit.
It seems fair to assume that Bush could not only relieve Bell during his suspension, but could be a nice change of pace back who could play a significant role as a third-down back. Haley has a track record of utilizing players with similar skill sets to Bush, and giving Ben Roethlisberger another weapon to utilize could make the Steelers’ offense even more dangerous that in was in 2014.
The Steelers seem to have doubts in regards to Archer’s ability to fill the role of third-down back, and though they seem to like Harris, can he be trusted to potentially be the starter to begin the season? Bush could be a solid one-year option as they continue to determine if Archer and Harris can develop into a productive NFL running backs.
One big question with Bush is can he stay healthy at this advanced point in his career? 2014 was a tough year for Bush as a member of the Detroit Lions, and an array of injuries along with the emergence of Joique Bell made him expendable in the Motor City. However, those question marks, along with the free agent market for running backs being rather bullish, might allow the Steelers to sign the versatile back for a bargain.
With approximately $8 million in cap space currently available to the Steelers, Bush might come at a relatively affordable value. Bush had a cap hit of just under $3 million last season, and it’s possible Bush could sign for considerably less than that with some of the questions related to his age and injury concerns.
Photo Credit: Associated Press
