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Steelers OTAs: The best is yet to come for RB Le'Veon Bell

Le'Veon Bell was tremendous down the stretch for the Steelers, but the best is yet to come for this young running back.

Wesley Hitt

Things didn't come easily in 2013 for the Pittsburgh Steelers 2nd round draft pick, Le'Veon Bell.

After suffering a foot injury that plagued him throughout the first quarter of the season, it wasn't until the second half that he started to get comfortable in the NFL and within the Steelers' offense.

The result? He broke Franco Harris' rookie record for most yards gained as a rookie. With the accolades of having a stellar rookie season, there are times when it can go to a young player's head, but as Bell tells Steelers.com, he doesn't even view himself as the starting running back heading into OTAs and training camp. "No, I don’t. I still have to go out there and work. We have LeGarrette Blount. We have Dri Archer. I have to go out there and earn it and continue to work hard."

It is that work ethic and attitude that equates to success in the "what have you done for me lately" NFL. The addition of LeGarrette Blount will only help Bell and take some of the work load off of the every down running back. Bell acknowledges that the addition of Blount will only help the Steelers win, which is all that matters. "He’s a big guy. He’s going to go in there and bruise some things down. I look at myself not as a bruiser but not as a scat-back, either. I do a little bit of both. I like juking, catching balls out of the backfield, lowering my shoulder. He likes running downhill. It’s definitely going to be a good change of pace. The run game should definitely be good this year."

The Steelers will need both Bell and Blount to be healthy and effective this season to really make a push to get back to having a balanced offensive attack, but for Le'Veon Bell, what you saw at the end of last year is only a prelude of things to come.