Houston Texans picked to win Le’Veon Bell sweepstakes

The Houston Texans find themselves at a bit of a crossroads. They thought they were contenders in 2018 but then were once again blown out in the playoffs.

Bill O’Brien remains the head coach and he still has a strong core of talent in place. Yet it is hard to figure out how this team can get much better before things start to fall apart. They have to make sure they retain Jadeveon Clowney on their defense before they can even start thinking about upgrades elsewhere. Thankfully they have plenty of salary cap space to make it happen. OverTheCap.com has them at over $64 million this offseason.

That’s more than enough to retain Clowney and still make one or two big moves on the market. It’s a matter of figuring out what they can do. ESPN seems to think they might want to consider a move at running back. Though the team ranked 8th in rushing this past season, a big reason for that was the scrambling of Desean Watson who had 551 yards by himself. Even so, Lamar Miller had 973, averaging 4.6 per carry.

Is that really necessary? Mike Wells thinks so, at least when they name they secure ends up being Le’Veon Bell.

"“The Texans have a Pro Bowl quarterback and receiver in Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins and a defense that’s led by J.J. Watt. Bell, who didn’t play a down for Pittsburgh in 2018, will elevate Houston’s offense and allow Watt and the defense more time on the sideline while pushing the Colts for the top spot in the AFC South.”"

If Steelers finally let Bell go, the Texans would be instantly better

It’s certainly not a bad idea. Bell remains one of the most feared and respected running backs in the NFL despite sitting out 2018 over a contract dispute with the Steelers. His versatility is unmatched around the league, capable of being a power runner and close to a quality wide receiver. It’s a big reason he’s held out so long for a bigger contract. He believes his value to an offense goes beyond just running back.

Signing him would give the Texans a triumvirate of Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, and Bell. That’s some real top-notch talent right there. If Keke Coutee and Will Fuller can stay healthy, that offense suddenly becomes a big problem for the rest of the AFC. The big elephant in the room is whether the Texans front office will be willing to meet Bell’s price which is said to be in excess of $14 million per year.

The odds of them handing him a five-year deal worth that much is hard to accept. Then again if he can be negotiated down to a three-year deal that protects their long-term cap structure, it would be worth the risk.