Ten NFL free agents teams can’t afford to lose

Le’Veon Bell, running back, Pittsburgh Steelers

Let’s get this out of the way. The Steelers aren’t going to let Bell leave Pittsburgh without a fight. In fact, there is a good chance they will use the franchise tag to keep him locked into place.

It’s something that has been reported as a given since January, yet just this past week the Steelers wouldn’t commit to it. This leaves the door cracked ever so slightly for the possibility to exist that Bell could land somewhere else.

If the Steelers didn’t use the franchise tag option on Bell, then we have to believe he will get some seriously big offers, despite his mistakes in the past with marijuana.

And if he leaves, the Steelers will be in quite the bind. Unlike most situations around the league, Bell is not just another running back who can be replaced with a middle-round pick. He’s a unique player who has but one equal in the league (Arizona’s David Johnson), and even that’s very much up for debate.

Losing Bell this year, especially given Ben Roethlisberger’s advanced age and ever-devolving mobility, not to mention fellow free agent DeAngelo Williams’ age, would be a crippling blow to Pittsburgh’s offense.