Would you pay up for Le’Veon Bell or get James Conner for less?

Roll with an expensive All-Pro, or rely on a cheaper, younger option in an already-loaded offense?

Let’s say you run the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the past two years, you’ve had one hell of a decision to make; do you keep your All-Pro, game-breaking tailback happy with a massive (and, for your franchise, uncharacteristic) contract extension? Or do you risk losing him forever by hammering him with short-term deals?

Since the books closed on the 2016 season, Le’Veon Bell has been treated to the former. The former second-round pick exceeded expectations over the course of his rookie contract, rushing for more than 4,000 yards in his first four seasons despite missing 17 games due to injury. He also added a valuable receiving presence from the backfield, making 227 catches and giving a little extra room for wideouts like Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders, and Martavis Bryant to flourish.

That performance staked Bell as one of the league’s elite offensive weapons. The Steelers weren’t interested in resetting the market to pay him like one. The two sides failed to come to terms on a contract extension in 2017, forcing the free agent back to the roster under the franchise tag — a one-year, $12.12 million deal.

Bell held out through much of the preseason, then returned with days to spare before Pittsburgh’s season opener. While he had to shake off some early rust, he more than earned his eight-figure tender; 1,291 rushing yards, 85 catches, and first-team All-Pro honors.

It was a good year, but not enough to move the needle in Pittsburgh. The franchise offered him $70 million over five years — but that $14 million salary was less than the $17 million Bell reportedly wanted. Rather than let him leave, the Steelers tagged him again, this time for an escalated $14.54 million. Bell wasn’t happy, and this year’s holdout has spilled into official team practices before Week 1. There’s a very good chance Pittsburgh rolls into its season opener against the Browns without Bell on the active roster.

That puts the responsibility for the reigning AFC North champion’s running game on the shoulders of second-year back James Conner. Conner, who starred and even beat leukemia at the University of Pittsburgh, will have plenty of support in his corner. He’s looked sharp so far; 19 carries for 100 yards in the preseason to go with seven receptions in three games.

The question for the Steelers is whether he’s an acceptable replacement. Conner’s guaranteed money is approximately five percent of what Bell was looking for, and those savings can be spent elsewhere on a roster with players like Bud Dupree and Cameron Heyward inching towards extensions. But eliminating Bell from the equation simplifies the Pittsburgh offense by removing one of the league’s top players, making the team easier to stop.

So, since you’re running the Steelers, who do you choose? Bell and his big money, or the younger, cheaper, and unproven Conner?

The case for: Le’Veon Bell at $60 million guaranteed (through 2022)

Bell wants $17 million per season, which is probably a little too much — the younger Todd Gurley will average a shade under $14.4 million a year after signing his market-setting extension this summer — but it’s easy to understand why. The five-year veteran has been dynamite for the Steelers since joining the league, giving Pittsburgh not only a hard-charging runner who can drain clock in the second half, but also a reliable receiver who can punish opposing defenses for daring to cover him with a linebacker.

More importantly, the Steelers have thrived with him in the lineup. In the four years since his inefficient rookie season, Bell’s teams have won three AFC North titles and qualified for the postseason four times. The only year where they failed to win the division was in 2015 — a season where injuries limited the tailback to just six games. By letting him walk, Pittsburgh is cutting a proven talent loose and gambling on the unknown.

You can understand the club’s trepidation in handing Bell a massive contract. The NFL is just starting to get back to a state where feature backs are en vogue. Locking down Bell, a player who has missed an average of 3+ games per season in his first five years due to both injury and league suspension, is a risky way to spend nearly nine percent of your salary cap space for the next four years.

But it’s the right risk to take, because:

a) It’s Le’Veon Bell, and exactly one (1) player in the league can do what he does.
b) He’s already proven he makes the Steelers better.
c) Paying him to stick out the last years of the Ben Roethlisberger era is a service to both team and player.

Bell is only 26 years old, and while he won’t be the same player he would be at age 30 in the final year of a massive five-year contract, there’s a good chance he’d remain effective throughout the life of his deal. Injuries are a concern, but he still led the league in touches last year while only missing Week 17’s mostly meaningless game against the Browns. His yards-per-carry declined last fall, but part of that is attributable to a slow start after his preseason holdout. Even with that, he still managed to show out in some of the team’s biggest games, where he recorded 117+ yard rushing performances against the Ravens, Chiefs, and Patriots.

With $5.9 million in space for 2018 even with $14.5 million of Bell’s franchise tag on the books, Pittsburgh could frontload the All-Pro’s contract and insulate the team in case of a steep decline. A new era is on the horizon for the Steelers, but Bell can be a player who not only sends out the old one with a bang but also helps usher in the next epoch in a black and yellow timeline. They’ve just got to pay him first. — Christian D’Andrea

The case for: James Conner at approximately $3 million guaranteed (through 2020)

Just so we’re clear, I fully support Bell trying to get a contract worthy of his very, very talented skills. The way his linemen, and some fans, have turned on him doesn’t sit right with me when he’s out there putting his body on the line for a franchise worth more than $2 billion.

But just like the NFL is a business for Bell, it’s a business for the Steelers. And the smart financial move in this current football market is to try to go cheaper with a younger back, even one who won’t produce at quite the same level.

Make no mistake, though: Conner is good. He could be great this year, too, after a slow start to his career. As a rookie, he only carried the ball 33 times for 144 yards and didn’t catch any passes before an MCL injury ended his season. Former Steelers OC Todd Haley, now a Hard Knocks MVP with the Browns, criticized Conner for his pass protection last year.

That might not leave you optimistic about his ability to replace Bell, who fits the trifecta of a workhorse, a weapon in the passing game, and a good blocker.

That is, until you look at the offseason Conner just had. He lost weight and put in work to get better as a receiver and a blocker — and Ben Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin were both quick to praise how far he’s come in both areas. If that sounds like the team just puffing him up, then check out his preseason stats: a 5.3 yards per carry average, seven receptions, and the highest running back grade from Pro Football Focus.

Granted, that’s the preseason, but it’s still promising for a guy who will be counted on as the lead back while Bell is out and probably next year when Bell is a free agent.

It’s not just a one-for-one replacement, either. The Steelers can use their other backs —veteran power back Stevan Ridley and versatile rookie Jaylen Samuels — to help fill in the gaps.

Don’t forget about the rest of the offense, either. Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Jesse James, that OL — this is a pretty stacked unit. Even if the way they went about it is a little gross, the point the Steelers were trying to make about being a team is accurate. Bell has been a huge part of their offense for the past five years, but he hasn’t done it alone.

Without Bell, the Steelers have a worse record, though they have score the same amount of points:

Bell is one of the best backs in the league and he can do so much. I also think the Steelers could get enough from Conner to justify not paying Bell the kind of money he’s looking for.

And no matter what you think of Bell or the Steelers, I think we’re all rooting for Conner. — Sarah Hardy

Which would you pick?