I would like nothing to do with Brown, at all. His "me" attitude and/or trade demands from Pitt and/or his contract demands is just a hard NO all around. I was sour on Bell for a while, but I'm a little more friendly when it comes to the idea of bell now. He did exactly what he said he was going to do and sit out the 2018 season. He wanted a new contract and the team wouldn't give him what he was looking for. Selfish? Kind of, but he isn't required to sign a Franchise Tender. He stood by his word, knowing if he played, the steelers would have run him into the ground, with no concern for his future(since they wouldn't Franchise tag him again). He willingly passed on 14 million dollars, betting on himself. Hasn't made a stink about it all season, nothing really. Basically crickets from the Bell camp. Fact is, the guy has rave reviews from his teammates on skill, drive, and work ethic. His numbers speak for themselves. Although Williams and Connor played well, filling in admirably, they are not leveon bell. Neither is giving you a baseline of 300 carries and 70 catches a year, while also being one of the better blockers in the league. A pure 3 down back where there is no reason to take him off the field unless he needs a quick breather. Both those guys need a complimentary back, Bell does not. He is only 26 and wants a big contract with guaranteed money. If the Eagles can clear cap space (they can get 30-40 mil under the cap pretty easily), i'd say its worth looking into.
Its also a long shot, I know that, and there are more reasonably priced RB's who would fit the mold of what we do. Mark Ingram(next biggest contract after bell), Carlos Hyde(underrated and my gut feeling of who we get), Alex Collins(underrated and a RFA)... Using a 1 or 2 on a rookie is also a great option. Talent is going to fall in this draft based on how strong the Pass Rush class is(my dream pick is for josh jacobs from alabama slipping to us in the first, or moving up a bit to get him). None of the other FA or rooks would complicate the cap nor bring in any off the field issues, hopefully (which i honestly dont know, or think, would come with Bell. Definitely would with brown though)
I guess my bottom line is that we really just need to upgrade our RB position. If they can get bell and not break the cap doing it, I wouldn't be upset in the slightest. Imagine him lined up behind wentz, with Jeffery/Ahgolar/Wallace?/Ertz and a solid o-line. What does the defense do, who do they cover? It would be crazy! Thats a generational talent in my mind, in his prime, that doesn't need to be traded for. That doesn't happen often. If its a lesser FA that fits the mold, or a rookie, thats fine with me too. I dont care, just upgrade the position to give Wentz some more help and round out that offense.