What Steelers Can Do with $14.5 Mil

[GBMelBlount]

If the Steelers rescinded Le’Veon Bell’s franchise tag, the $14.5 million savings could go a long way

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a couple options when it pertains to Le’Veon Bell’s contract situation, and one of those is rescinding the franchise tag tender offered to him.

Look at the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. They have the blue print of what a Super Bowl team roster should resemble. The Eagles have a surplus of front 7 defenders that are extremely talented, and 4 serviceable defensive backs. On offense, they built an elite offensive line, drafted a top-tier quarterback and brought in a great back-up, and they rotate 3 cost-effective backs.

In total, the Eagles entire running back room costs less than $3 million dollars.


If you want to win a Super Bowl you must invest in a quarterback, people to protect said quarterback, and find players to get after the other team’s quarterback.

What does this all have to do with Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers? Until Bell officially signs his tender, which he said he won’t do until Week 1 at the earliest, the team can rescind his franchise tag tender and be off the hook for his $14.5 million dollar salary.

With that extra $14.5 million dollars, the Steelers could bring in veteran free agents to fill the holes in both the secondary and linebacker corps. Those moves would let the Steelers draft a running back within the first two rounds (think Derrius Guice) and allow the team to add depth throughout the rest of the draft.

(Continued)

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-opinions-reactions-news-updates/2018/3/9/17092196/the-steelers-rescinded-leveon-bells-franchise-tag-the-14-5-million-savings-could-go-a-long-way-news

[Mojouw]

If the Steelers rescinded Le’Veon Bell’s franchise tag, the $14.5 million savings could go a long way

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a couple options when it pertains to Le’Veon Bell’s contract situation, and one of those is rescinding the franchise tag tender offered to him.

Look at the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. They have the blue print of what a Super Bowl team roster should resemble. The Eagles have a surplus of front 7 defenders that are extremely talented, and 4 serviceable defensive backs. On offense, they built an elite offensive line, drafted a top-tier quarterback and brought in a great back-up, and they rotate 3 cost-effective backs.

In total, the Eagles entire running back room costs less than $3 million dollars.


If you want to win a Super Bowl you must invest in a quarterback, people to protect said quarterback, and find players to get after the other team’s quarterback.

What does this all have to do with Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers? Until Bell officially signs his tender, which he said he won’t do until Week 1 at the earliest, the team can rescind his franchise tag tender and be off the hook for his $14.5 million dollar salary.

With that extra $14.5 million dollars, the Steelers could bring in veteran free agents to fill the holes in both the secondary and linebacker corps. Those moves would let the Steelers draft a running back within the first two rounds (think Derrius Guice) and allow the team to add depth throughout the rest of the draft.

(Continued)

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-opinions-reactions-news-updates/2018/3/9/17092196/the-steelers-rescinded-leveon-bells-franchise-tag-the-14-5-million-savings-could-go-a-long-way-news

Burnett could be signed with the cap savings of cutting Mitchell and Wilcox (both of whom have no role if Burnett is signed). Also if Burnett signs for less than $10 million per year, I would be shocked.

Bradham or Wiliamson are not really $10 million per year LBs (Hightower, Collins, Timmons in his prime, Shazier - those two are a cut below those guys) but they may get that on the open market. I doubt it though. Again, the money to pay those guys is readily found - even with the franchise tag.

Look, am I in favor of paying Bell all of the money? No. His salary demands are getting ridiculous and he is kind of an ass-hat. But the constant drumbeat that this is an either or situation is simply false.

Ben wants to play 2-4 more years. Sign him to an extension and there is a ton of cap space. Restructure one other vet. There is a small bounty of space there. Why is this so hard to understand?

[EzraTank]

The Eagles vaunted defense got torched in the Superbowl. We have the same blueprint we just didn't outscore Jacksonville when it counted or get the strip/sack the Eagles did in the Superbowl. Without that strip/sack I think the Patriots would have won that Superbowl.

All that said I do see the point of not tying up so much money in one position that isn't the QB. Bell is great put that's a lot of money for a position that others can do almost as well for way less.

[Born2Steel]

OK, fine, I'll play too.

Without that 14.5, meaning without Bell, what could we do with all that money? Well, first we sign a TE that can block like an OT, and catch like a WR. (Option 1). We can sign another FA RB that produces 1900 yards /season and 130 yards/game. (Option 2). Maybe we go after that ILB that replaces what we lost when Shazier went down. (Option 3). We could probably use that money to upgrade both Mitchell AND Davis at the Safety positions. (Option 4).

I just don't know.

[ALLD]

I need to side with the team without any emotional attachment. Bell's salary demands are so high and out of alignment that it would detrimentally affect the rest of the team and prevent them from retaining enough talented players.

I would pay him after he carried us to another SB victory, but he has been notoriously unreliable and has a track record of making poor decisions. His holdout is another one. The demands are only 5%-7% more than the Steelers' highest offer, but Bell keeps on moving the finish line. The right thing to do is ask for a trade instead of playing contract games since his behavior indicates his desire to separate from the team.

The team is holding out hope with the franchise tag, but I would have applied the non-exclusive to speed things up. The team thinks Bell will negotiate in good faith, but I don't trust him at this point. A deal could have been done last week if he really wanted. Even if he plays his heart will not be in it. Trade him.

[st33lersguy]

Money is better spent on the defense than a selfish RB who wants way more than he or his position is worth and who is unreliable be it injury, suspension, or slow start by not showing up to camp because he wants to show just how selfish he is. Eagles won last year with a by-committee approach, the Patriots won 2 of the previous 3 the same way. Likewise the Steelers haven't been to the Super Bowl the last few years because of a defense that gets torched repeatedly in the postseason. Even with Bell finishing the year, they still lost bevause the defense couldn't stop Blake Bortles. The Steelers could have Jim Brown at RB and they still won't win a Super Bowl without an improved defense. Rescind the tag and let Bell walk so he isn't a distraction

[Mojouw]

OK, fine, I'll play too.

Without that 14.5, meaning without Bell, what could we do with all that money? Well, first we sign a TE that can block like an OT, and catch like a WR. (Option 1). We can sign another FA RB that produces 1900 yards /season and 130 yards/game. (Option 2). Maybe we go after that ILB that replaces what we lost when Shazier went down. (Option 3). We could probably use that money to upgrade both Mitchell AND Davis at the Safety positions. (Option 4).

I just don't know.

So I'm gonna take the options at face value and they are the biggest holes on the roster.

Option 1 - not available in free agency or trade
Option 2 - not available in free agency or trade
Option 3 - available in free agency to a degree. My math says it is not an "either or" situation and the team could do Bell and LB like Bradham or Williamson if they chose to.
Option 4 - Reid, Boston , and/or Burnett are the "names" available. Again, the team can make the cap space to sign one of those 3 AND Bell on on the franchise tag.

[Born2Steel]

So I'm gonna take the options at face value and they are the biggest holes on the roster.

Option 1 - not available in free agency or trade
Option 2 - not available in free agency or trade
Option 3 - available in free agency to a degree. My math says it is not an "either or" situation and the team could do Bell and LB like Bradham or Williamson if they chose to.
Option 4 - Reid, Boston , and/or Burnett are the "names" available. Again, the team can make the cap space to sign one of those 3 AND Bell on on the franchise tag.

Yep. Those are my points as well. At least you thought enough of the discussion to read a post and contemplate an actual response. I'm getting very tired of the same Bell/Mitchell posts, over and over, all saying the same thing without any thought to "and then what". Very boring off season on the forum this year. Completely redundant.

[Dwinsgames]

So I'm gonna take the options at face value and they are the biggest holes on the roster.

Option 1 - not available in free agency or trade
Option 2 - not available in free agency or trade
Option 3 - available in free agency to a degree. My math says it is not an "either or" situation and the team could do Bell and LB like Bradham or Williamson if they chose to.
Option 4 - Reid, Boston , and/or Burnett are the "names" available. Again, the team can make the cap space to sign one of those 3 AND Bell on on the franchise tag.

I guess it is all in how you look at it ...

we are so accustomed to using 1 back to cover all facets of the game plan so no there is none looking at it in that regard but it doesn't have to be 1 RB ( we are thin at the pos ) we could utilize 2 backs to accomplish similar results ( lets not forget we have James Conner too ) so add a pair of backs with Conner and you have depth and fill all the roles you are asking Bell to fill but if someone goes down you did not lose the whole package like you do with Bell going down ...

the above is my preferred method for the aforementioned reason of not having all your eggs in one basket and the fact that it is always more cost effective because player stats do not get bloated to the point of them expecting HUGE dollars like Bell is now ...

leaving plenty of $$ on the table without any restructures to fill a ILB spot and a S such as Boston ... you can still draft your future without selling out the present

its manageable for sure , but they won't do it

[Six Rings]

If the Steelers rescinded Le’Veon Bell’s franchise tag, the $14.5 million savings could go a long way

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a couple options when it pertains to Le’Veon Bell’s contract situation, and one of those is rescinding the franchise tag tender offered to him.

Look at the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. They have the blue print of what a Super Bowl team roster should resemble. The Eagles have a surplus of front 7 defenders that are extremely talented, and 4 serviceable defensive backs. On offense, they built an elite offensive line, drafted a top-tier quarterback and brought in a great back-up, and they rotate 3 cost-effective backs.

In total, the Eagles entire running back room costs less than $3 million dollars.


If you want to win a Super Bowl you must invest in a quarterback, people to protect said quarterback, and find players to get after the other team’s quarterback.

What does this all have to do with Le’Veon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers? Until Bell officially signs his tender, which he said he won’t do until Week 1 at the earliest, the team can rescind his franchise tag tender and be off the hook for his $14.5 million dollar salary.

With that extra $14.5 million dollars, the Steelers could bring in veteran free agents to fill the holes in both the secondary and linebacker corps. Those moves would let the Steelers draft a running back within the first two rounds (think Derrius Guice) and allow the team to add depth throughout the rest of the draft.

(Continued)

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/pittsburgh-steelers-opinions-reactions-news-updates/2018/3/9/17092196/the-steelers-rescinded-leveon-bells-franchise-tag-the-14-5-million-savings-could-go-a-long-way-news

Top post, I think much the same.