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Not surprising. If they want to keep him, they can sign him for a better deal.
Hmm.
That's interesting. I wonder if the spectre of a Le'Veon Bell holdout is lurking in the background of this decision. More likely, however, is that they like what they have in Warren. That, or they think they can get a contract signed (although it doesn't make a lot of sense to decline if that's the case).
The other possibility is simply cost. Currently, the price-tag equals a transition tag, which is still pretty expensive. But if Najee gets a second probowl nod this coming year (especially since the team looks to be refocusing on the run), his fifth year price-tag would be the same as the franchise tag.
They restructured Highsmith's contract to get more cap space.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
I'm surprised they did not pickup his 5th year option. I think he is a good physical runner but needs good blocking to at least get him going. He has been very durable, is a decent receiver, good at pass protection, and rarely fumbles.
I wouldn’t think they would do it until after the season. I think the Highsmith deal was for an incoming trade…Quote:
Originally Posted by tube517
Also remember, this is a new regime…so the “everything has to be negotiated before the season” deal could be old news…
Yeah, I think it's wait and see. They'll work trades, acquisitions throughout the summer and contracts up until season opener.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
I’m surprised but not disappointed. I highly doubt they plan on signing him to an extension. He’s getting close to his expiration date.
I was surprised when I read the news but not so much when I started reading that it could be around 7 million. If it wasn't for Warren it would be worth it. 7 million isn't a crazy amount of money, and I'd like to keep Najee but not at the expense of losing Warren. Najee might actually be the better runner in the short term but his wheels will drop of quickly because of his style
Unless they are close to a new deal, this confuses me. He is a solid back and our 1-2 running back group is very good. 7M isn’t a lot to keep him for another year especially with what we all think is going to be a focus on the running game. He is an ideal back for that type of offense.
new deal almost has to be incoming (or they made their best offer and are unwilling to pay his demands)
reason being ...they are not gonna rebuild the 0-line to a run blocking 0-line and hire a run heavy OC to let the work horse go and use the Thoroughbred Back to be the Primary Back I wouldn't think anyways ..............
Agreed that this makes little sense unless they think they can get an extension done for less. Recent FA RBs that are demonstrably better than Harris cost more than $7 million per as prices have crept back up.
If they don't sign him to an extension and just draft a replacement....then it goes to show that Colbert's end of tenure was even more anger inducing than I initially thought.
One can mount a reasonable argument that Pickett, Harris, and Green were all mistakes and there was likely a group within the Steelers brain trust that knew it. But they were all done to either give Ben R one last shot or to burnish Colbert's legacy. I know this is super duper really unpopular....but I am still on the fence that PF was a good pick as well. We will see if he gets an extension.
Honestly it is shaping up that I will be legitimately surprised if anyone from the 2021 and 2022 draft classes gets a second contract. That's pretty rough.
See I’m going the other way. I think they are going to give him a new contract. Over 4000 combined yards behind a sub-par line. 22 tds. Imagine what he might be able to do with a solid OLine and a real OC. I have never heard anything negative about him as a teammate. So I think he’ll get another contract.
Unless Najee is part of the trade deal?
Austin Ekeler got a 2 yr 11.4 million extension last year. I could see the Steelers doing something like a 2 or 3 year extension like that as its not an outrageous contract and Najee fits the offense.
But if they just roll with this is his final year and he hits FA next season, I am not that shocked. But I think of how long they took to find a RB after Bell left that having some quality back on the roster is a good idea.
They drafted the kid from GA, so they figure he will make the team at rookie pay?
I’m not sure you can do an extension once the 5th year option is declined…???Quote:
Originally Posted by Mojouw
I also doubt he’d take a hometown discount when he knows he can test the value of 31 other teams. If he comes out and rushed for 1500 and 10 TDs, he’s probably getting, at minimum, $7M/season…at absolute minimum. Then the Steelers need to decide if they want to offer him good money or not. I think this is the same situations that Doug Martin was in when he was with Tampa.
https://media2.giphy.com/media/d3mlE...gEmY/giphy.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by Born2Steel
Couldn't the team and Harris do a deal anytime between now and the end of the 2024 league year to prevent him from entering FA just like any other player?Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
Undrafted and doubt he has anything to do with Najee situationQuote:
Originally Posted by ALLD
That I am not sure of, I feel like there is a rule out there that if they wanted to do it that way they would have had to pick up the option and then negotiate and if they decline then he gets to hit free agency but I could have a lot of different things mixed up in my head. Wouldn’t be the first time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mojouw
I forget how Jordan Love was handled as that’s what I am trying to remember but I do recall people saying they could negotiate a deal with Fields and that’s the same situation…
Contracts for draft choices can't be renegotiated until the conclusion of a player's third regular season, which means players selected in the 2021 draft are eligible to sign new deals.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
This sounds like they can be handed a new deal…where the option deal was fully guaranteed.
Ok. So they could negotiate a new deal/extension of any terms and any length. That seems like more what the Steelers would want.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
Maybe something where Harris is still guaranteed $7 but spread the guarantee over 2 years or something....
Also,
Don't forget that if he has a good year this year and make the probowl, that guaranteed price tag goes up to 13.5 million next year.
Or it could show that Khan is trying to enhance his reputation at the expense of Colbert by deliberately getting rid of Colbert's recent draft choices.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mojouw
But the Steelers have already shown with Mason Rudolph that they will punish a player who has the audacity to want to test his value with the 31 other teams.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
That was my initial thought, until I questioned it…lol. And also like Craig said, the guarantee is performances based so if they think he’s going to ball out and put up Derrick Henry type numbers in Smiths offense, it’s the better play not to take him because of the increase In guarantee monies.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mojouw
2 years IMO is perfect , 3 is ok but his style of running most times doesn't last to long (Henry is an exception) that is about as far out as I would goQuote:
Originally Posted by Mojouw
Okay. That makes no sense. But okay.Quote:
Originally Posted by Voice of Reason
Definitely see Rooney signing off on Khan fueled anti-Colbert vendetta based roster purge.
Couldn't be that the dudes I listed were just not good draft picks. One was drafted to play a position he stinks at, one was the best QB in the worst QB class in recent memory, and one dude is a RB...that should have never been drafted in the first round because that is just bad business. And the last one standing is a TE with amazing hands but limited production in likely a make or break year for his future with the team.
Or we can go with your thing.
3 year, $16 million. $6million guaranteed. $3 million each of the first 2 years and $4 million the 3rd year, which they may never end up paying if they run the wheels off him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mojouw
That’s insulting if that’s what they were to offer him. He’s the only back with 1000+ yards for the last three seasons and only Steelers player to rush for 1000 in his first three seasons. He’d be stupid to accept that deal. I would think he can easily get more elsewhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by El-Gonzo Jackson
3.9 YPC. 1,000 yard seasons aren't that hard with 17 games. That's 59 yards a game.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
It's harder in Canada
If Khan were doing this, he wouldn't present it to Rooney that way. He would provide "good" football reasons for each of his actions. It would just be an amazing coincidence that each of these actions made Colbert's recent draft picks look bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mojouw
when will people STOP using 1000 yards as some kind of great standard ....
it was considered a great standard with a 12 game season , we have since added 5 more games to the schedule ...that standard should now be 1400 yards if you do the math .... so let me ask how many 1400 yard seasons does he have ?
Najee is a nice piece to have but he isn't irreplaceable ... we have warren add a bowling ball to the mix and you pretty much have it covered ...
So is Rooney drooling into a cup in this scenario? Because it wouldn’t be hard for him to see through such a cunning and devious plan.Quote:
Originally Posted by Voice of Reason
Yeah, might be a bit low, but James Conner has a 3-year $21million contract. I see Najee in that range maybe, so maybe they offer him something better if its going to happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
Still, it can be argued that he isnt the best RB on the roster right now and he may not be in the plans going forward. But I thought that picking up the 5th year option would be a no brainer as its less than what Conner is getting and I see them as comparable skills.
He’s still the best blocker / blitz pick up on the roster by far. Really his Achilles heal is his vision sometimes and maybe that’s due to how Canada ran an offense? Who knows…hopefully this season we will start to see how players really should be evaluated…in a real offense.Quote:
Originally Posted by El-Gonzo Jackson
I'm a fan. I remember how hard it was to find a RB after Bell and Najee is reliable RB that stabilized the position. But the RB position has been devalued and I would not be shocked if they dont give him another contract.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86WARD
He is on a 4 year $13 million rookie deal and has been a bargain at that. If they dont offer him anything, its a good business decision for a RB like that to get yards and get down, or get out of bound. Not take any extra shots like has the past few years so that he does not get injured and hamper his ability to get a 2nd contract somethere.
If he does that, fans will bitch and moan, but there is no security in NFL contracts and I dont begrudge any man or woman from earning the most they can in what they do. It could be an interesting situation, but we honestly have nothing to do but watch and wait.
You didn't see through it, even when I laid it out for you on a platter. Does that mean you are drooling into a cup? :boink:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mojouw