The Pittsburgh Steelers were expecting star running back Le'Veon Bell to be suspended for the first two games of the 2015 season following his DUI arrest shortly before last season. That expectation may no longer be the case.
Because the DUI was related to marijuana and not alcohol, Bell may be facing a longer suspension.
"The new substance-abuse policy makes a two-game suspension the standard penalty for a DUI arising from alcohol use," Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com wrote. "For violations of the law involving other substances of abuse, a first offense exposes the player to a suspension of 'up to four' games.
"It's unclear whether the NFL will give Bell, who becomes the test case for the new substance-abuse policy, four games, three, two, or fewer."
Marijuana is not legal in Pennsylvania, making it very likely that Bell will face a suspension of at least two games. As such, the Steelers would be best served by bolstering their depth at the running back position this offseason. ESPN's Scott Brown believes that Pittsburgh should consider drafting Northern Iowa's David Johnson.
"NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock has given Johnson a third-round grade and said the three-time 1,000-yard rusher could go higher than that in the draft," Brown wrote. "Johnson, who has 203 receiving yards in a game against Iowa last season, shined at the Senior Bowl, and he could interest the Steelers given their need for a quality backup to Le'Veon Bell. Johnson measured 6-foot at the combine - he insists he is 6-1 - and weighed 224 pounds. Even though Johnson clearly established himself as a running back at Northern Iowa he said he continually polished his receiving skills, which should only help his draft stock."
Bell's high quality dual-threat abilities contributed to his impressive season last year. The second-year rusher racked up 1,361 rushing yards while also catching 83 passes for 854 yards. Johnson's similar skill set would naturally appeal to the Steelers. As of now, Dri Archer and Ben Tate are the backups in Pittsburgh and neither ball carrier is expected to carry the load in Bell's absence.
