I think there's a real possibility of it, and in the very near future.
Think about it: CEH wasn't supposed to be the RB1 this season anyway. He was supposed to back up Damien, and learn some things about how to be a professional, get some good practical reps throughout the season, and most importantly, be fresh for the playoffs.
Damien opting out is why CEH became the starter. But because of the drop off in performance between Clyde and Darrel/Thompson, Andy was using Clyde a lot. Maybe too much. The possibility of CEH hitting the Rookie wall was becoming more of a probability fwith each passing game.
Now Bell can provide all of those things listed above, while keeping Clyde on a kind of pitch count so that he's as fresh as possible come January.
Bell is a true top-tier 3-down back that can run, receive, and is one of the best pass protection backs on the field today. And this is the big selling point, IMO. One thing that I noticed yesterday was just how many times Patrick was getting hit. Bell's presence in the backfield should mitigate some of those hits.
And then there's his on-field presence. Defenses are going to have to approach him with more respect, simply because that's Le' Veon Bell. That aspect alone means that defenses won't be able to just come after Patrick as much, which means he should get hit less.
And we need Patrick to stay upright more, especially down the stretch so that he's fresh as possible for the playoffs.
And let's be honest: Bell is gone after this season. Andy has 8 weeks plus the playoffs to get the most out this deal, to exploit it and get everything he can from Bell before he loses him. And Bell needs to showcase his abilities and prove that he's not only still an elite RB but also that he's a good teammate, on a big stage down the stretch so that he can leverage a big contract in 2021.
The more I think about it, the more sense this makes.
I'm not saying it will happen, because I'm not on Andy's speed dial obviously, but I am saying that Andy should be considering it.
Originally Posted by Megatron96:
What are you talking about? I'm not talking about benching CEH at all. I'm talking about letting Bell take the bulk of those snaps in each game down the stretch. Let Bell take the hits and the abuse. Call the split 60-40 or so in favor of Bell for about 3-4 weeks. CEH would still play in those games, just not 20 carries/game. More like 10 carries/game. Call it a working vacation. Let his body heal right before the playoffs.
Oh I agree with that. Thought you meant not playing him at all lol. I’d still give him 20 plus carries if the #1 seed is still in play [Reply]
Why does everyone assume Bell is gone next year? He’s gonna win a Super Bowl, feel the vibe on the locker room that Andy/Veach/Mahomes/Badger create, and want to run it back. Yes, he’ll want to get paid, but we’ve got CEH on a rookie deal, Damien is sort of up in the air so there should be some decent bucks available. That Jets contract was the big one he’s gonna get so from here on out it’ll be him choosing from decent dead for an above average player, but no longer can he expect long term, superstar money. It just doesn’t really happen at the position, especially on 3rd contracts. He isn’t getting CMC or Dalvin Cool money. So he can take a Gurley-like deal and play with the Falcons, or run it back with the Chiefs. I see McCoy in Tampa as the perfect comparison, but Bell is obviously younger and better.
Originally Posted by Brooklyn:
Why does everyone assume Bell is gone next year? He’s gonna win a Super Bowl, feel the vibe on the locker room that Andy/Veach/Mahomes/Badger create, and want to run it back. Yes, he’ll want to get paid, but we’ve got CEH on a rookie deal, Damien is sort of up in the air so there should be some decent bucks available. That Jets contract was the big one he’s gonna get so from here on out it’ll be him choosing from decent dead for an above average player, but no longer can he expect long term, superstar money. It just doesn’t really happen at the position, especially on 3rd contracts. He isn’t getting CMC or Dalvin Cool money. So he can take a Gurley-like deal and play with the Falcons, or run it back with the Chiefs. I see McCoy in Tampa as the perfect comparison, but Bell is obviously younger and better.
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Damien Williiams isn't up in the air. He's under contract for next year and it's already accounted for against the 2021 cap. It's the last year of his deal.
Unless Bell is going to take another incentive laden deal (and I don't think there's any chance he does) he won't be back. The Chiefs won't have any wiggle room under the cap next year. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Detoxing:
I'm more concerned about our slowed passing attack.
We're 7 games in and Mahomes has only had 1 Mahomes-like game.
The OL has had trouble picking up the blitz all season and Mahomes, aside from the Ravens game, has yet to really get in rhythm. Going 0-8 on 3rd downs yesterday is troubling.
I agree. The pass protection is complete shit right now. Teams are rushing 4 and getting to Mahomes. He rarely looks comfortable in the pocket anymore. [Reply]
Originally Posted by htismaqe:
Unless Bell is going to take another incentive laden deal (and I don't think there's any chance he does) he won't be back. The Chiefs won't have any wiggle room under the cap next year.
Yeah, the only reason he's here is do get as much as he can in his next and likely last contract. Which definitely won't be here. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KCJake:
I agree. The pass protection is complete shit right now. Teams are rushing 4 and getting to Mahomes. He rarely looks comfortable in the pocket anymore.
This isn't surprising considering their starting Right Guard opted out and they've had three different left guards this year (Osemele, Remmers and Allegretti), Schwartz had been playing injured for weeks, they replaced their center and have had two different guys at Right Tackle.
I don't think it's any secret that all of these replacements are better at run blocking than pass blocking, which is why we're seeing so many touches for CEH while the passing game has been "struggling". [Reply]
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
This isn't surprising considering their starting Right Guard opted out and they've had three different left guards this year (Osemele, Remmers and Allegretti), Schwartz had been playing injured for weeks, they replaced their center and have had two different guys at Right Tackle.
I don't think it's any secret that all of these replacements are better at run blocking than pass blocking, which is why we're seeing so many touches for CEH while the passing game has been "struggling".
Yep, there's a distinct style difference between the line right now and the line prior to all the injuries. [Reply]
Originally Posted by SuperBowl4:
LB averaged 1 yard a carry today against the mighty Jets defense. Anybody still wondering why the Jets released him now knows why.:-)
Doesn't matter. Andy will have in there who he thinks is the best back for the situation at that moment which changes multiple times during the game. RB1 or RB2 or Potatoe or Potato. [Reply]