The Le’Veon Bell saga has been beaten to death throughout the offseason, but as the 2018 NFL Draft nears, and NFL Free Agency dies down, there are new wrinkles to the situation.
One of those wrinkles would be the Pittsburgh Steelers interest in LSU running back Derrius Guice. Per Jon Ledyard, of Scout.com, not only did the Steelers have a formal meeting with Guice at the NFL Scouting Combine, but they also plan on spending some extra time with him before his Pro Day on April 4th:
#Steelers GM Kevin Colbert and head coach Mike Tomlin will take #LSU RB Derrius Guice out to a private dinner before his pro day on April 4th, per source. The team also had a formal interview with him at the Combine a month ago.
— Jon Ledyard (@LedyardNFLDraft) March 26, 2018
One aspect of this situation which Steelers fans will endlessly hear is how there is a very good chance Guice doesn’t even sniff the No. 28 spot in the first round.
There are a number of mid- to late-round one teams interested in Guice. And a few have already said "he's not getting to us"https://t.co/gbEJW0Bz4j https://t.co/CUGZKOJyiL
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) March 26, 2018
So, can you draw any conclusions to this, in regards to the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell? Absolutely you can, but it doesn’t mean those conclusions have anything significance.
Recently, Kevin Colbert spoke to the media while at the NFL Owners Meetings, and he talked about how the NFL Draft can change things, in regards to the team’s situation with Bell. The team does have the option to rescind Bell’s franchise tag, if he doesn’t sign it, and them taking a running back early in the draft could certainly have significance within the situation.
But the thought of the team moving on from Bell entirely is hard to envision. Even if the Steelers do draft a running back early, it doesn’t mean the team would automatically part ways with the most dynamic running back in the NFL next season.
But back to Guice.
Could the Steelers be looking to trade up to take him if he slips past a certain spot in the draft? Anything is possible, and they are certainly doing their homework on the talented running back out of the bayou.
Stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes from the Steelers as they approach the 2018 NFL Draft.