Most of us can relate to what the Philadelphia Eagles have been experiencing this season. We accomplish something that makes us so successful we celebrate to commemorate reaching the top. However, following the celebration we may feel sick. Yes, I am talking about a hangover, which is what the Eagles are experiencing this season. A super bowl hangover to be exact, which plenty of Super Bowl winning teams endure.

In the case of the Eagles, their hangover derives from injuries and regression. The running back position is the headline of those factors. Starting running back Jay Ajayi tore his ACL in week five, while Running back Darren Sproles has essentially been out for the entire season. That forced the team to look to Wendall Smallwood and Corey Clement to lead the rushing attack. Clearly they haven’t done nearly enough to keep the running game sufficient.

With the lack of development at running back and Ajayi coming off a torn ACL, it begs the question to ask. Should the Philadelphia Eagles target Le’Veon Bell in free agency?

Le’Veon Bell

They 100% should not target Bell in free agency. The Eagles, as well as other teams, should be cautious with him. Signing Bell will assuredly come at a steep price. A price the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team that drafted him, didn’t want to pay. That’s a telling sign already. Why didn’t they want to retain an All-pro dual threat running back? Simple. They didn’t trust him enough to give him that high sum of money.

Bell’s history with league discipline was a concern in it of itself. Not to mention the longevity of a running back alone makes it a hesitating investment. What was the most revealing about Le’Veon Bell's holdout was how his teammates didn’t back his decision. They didn’t believe he was warranted the high price, especially the offensive line. There were countless times since the regular season kicked off where the offensive line and even head coach Mike Tomlin himself was critical of his holdout. We can surmise that Bell’s relationship with his teammates wasn’t a strong one.

You didn’t see teammates of Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack come anywhere close to saying something along the lines of Bell’s. The Eagles do not need any player that will come with baggage, no matter how light it may be. If a team is going to invest that much money into a player, they need to be a high character guy who keeps their nose clean. Someone respected in the locker room and is elite. Le’Veon Bell only checks the elite box, so his demand for a mountain of money should fall on deaf ears in free agency.

Carson Wentz, Eagles

I’m not saying that Bell wouldn’t be a fit. What team wouldn’t want to add a top tier versatile player like Bell? It’s just a matter of how much money a team is willing to throw at him, which he’ll definitely demand in free agency. The running back position is the easiest position to plug and play. We just witnessed that with James Conner and the Steelers. Drafting a running back or even signing Tevin Coleman, if he makes it to free agency, would be a much cheaper option than Bell.

Can the Philadelphia Eagles get Le'Veon Bell to take less? I highly doubt it. I would go as far as to say 99% chance of Bell willing to take less to play for a team like the Eagles. He just held out for an entire season. There’s no way he’s going to settle for less. He’s invested into himself all the way, which isn’t necessarily wrong.

Some team with ample supply of cap space will surely splurge on the former All-pro back. That team should not be the Philadelphia Eagles. As great of a talent Bell is, unless they can get him without overextending themselves, then the Eagles should not target Le’Veon Bell in free agency.