The Le'Veon Bell-Steelers showdown, Part II: What you need to know

[silver & black]

Too bad his brain wasn't as strong...lol.

[steelreserve]

Bell will be very dumb if he doesn't take the LT contract.

Does he really believe he'll get the same offers on the FA market? sure some team will throw big money at him but doubtful it's truly a LT deal.

It sounds like that's what he really believes. In one of the stories about this, Bell-Einstein said something like "with the Steelers it's different, it's year-to-year and nothing's guaranteed."

lol, that's every NFL team. Actually, with the Steelers it's more likely he'll get all the money because the big contracts end up being restructured so often that it makes you uncuttable until the final year, if even that.

He really does not seem like a very smart or business-savvy individual, and unfortunately the way this works, that's OUR problem to deal with.

I mean really, none of this is rocket science and I have no idea why it takes MONTHS every time. You're hiring ONE guy for a certain number of years; it's not like you're doing a merger with AT&T. If you get a handful of reasonably intelligent people together in a room, this is the kind of thing you should be able to work out in a couple hours, maybe the whole afternoon if it's going slowly. The key to that being "reasonably intelligent."

[Shoes]

Bell will be very dumb if he doesn't take the LT contract.

Does he really believe he'll get the same offers on the FA market? sure some team will throw big money at him but doubtful it's truly a LT deal.

He's already proven that multiple times. He should have jumped on last years offer. I said it before, if Bell isn't signed by draft time, I believe the Steelers will draft his replacement, they won't be held captive to his mind games before TC starts.

http://www.steelersdepot.com/2018/03...ce-at-combine/

[DesertSteel]

Bell is fooling himself. In 2019 hitting the FA market he will have 6 years of tread off those tires. Does he really think he's going to get a mega deal of $15M a year??? Tag him and run him into the ground in 2018. Draft his replacement for about $1-2M a year.

[teegre]

The Steelers have met with...

Derrius Guice, LSU (pick 28)
Rashaad Penny, SDSU (pick 60)

[Born2Steel]

The Steelers have met with...

Derrius Guice, LSU (pick 28)
Rashaad Penny, SDSU (pick 60)

How many heads on this forum would explode if the Steelers drafted a RB at 28 overall? Mass exodus?

[steelreserve]

How many heads on this forum would explode if the Steelers drafted a RB at 28 overall? Mass exodus?

I would think that if we did that, we'd have already signed a linebacker or safety in FA, or otherwise have something lined up to address at least one of those positions before the draft.

I guess it's pretty unlikely for a big-time FA to be around after draft day (so also unlikely for us to pull the franchise tag from Bell-Einstein) ... but if we had some trick up our sleeve, like a trade worked out in advance for a high-profile player that depended on the money, maybe it could happen. Kind of like the Rams trade but more far-fetched.

Personally I think we go ILB #1, RB #2, S #3 if we haven't worked anything out with Bell long-term. If we do, then we can go all defense.

[DesertSteel]

The Steelers have met with...

Derrius Guice, LSU (pick 28)
Rashaad Penny, SDSU (pick 60)

Guice at 28 IMO would mean the Steelers are considering rescinding the tag at some point. Wouldn't bother me. Penny would be a value pick based on what I see/read.

- - - Updated - - -

Personally I think we go ILB #1, RB #2, S #3 if we haven't worked anything out with Bell long-term. If we do, then we can go all defense.

That's always been my prediction as well.

[stillers4me]

Draft a RB, run the wheels off Bell and let him see if someone will pay him the for whatever's left in him to finish his career. I hope he doesn't even get near enough to sniff the HOF. #selfishasshole

[Buckinnuts]

TAGGED...WONDER HOW RETIREMENT WILL BE!

[stillers4me]

TAGGED...WONDER HOW RETIREMENT WILL BE!

Can he retire...then unretire and sign somewhere else? #becausehelovespittsburghsomuchblahblahblah

[steelreserve]

Can he retire...then unretire and sign somewhere else? #becausehelovespittsburghsomuchblahblahblah

We would own his rights I'm pretty sure ... although that could possibly be one way to facilitate a trade without the franchise tag being in the way.

[GBMelBlount]

I am glad we did not sign him to a long-term deal.

It is going to be interesting to see how this plays (or doesn't play) out.

[steelreserve]

I am glad we did not sign him to a long-term deal.

It is going to be interesting to see how this plays (or doesn't play) out.

I'm fairly certain it'll play out like Mike Wallace. We keep trying to sign him to a long-term deal, he refuses, bitches and moans a lot. Skips training camp (above and beyond Wallace) then signs somewhere else and doesn't do as well.

The fact that after last year's circus, we apparently sweetened our offer and he still rejected it because he raised his floor to $14.5M a year to match the new franchise tag (which is only a thing because of his own obstinance) ... I mean, that tells me he's in outer space and we're very unlikely to come to a long-term deal with him. If he's not signed to a long-term deal by the draft, we have to assume he's not signing one, might not even show up for the whole season. So then we pretty much have to draft his replacement and straight-up tell him he can fuck off after this year. Which otherwise it's what he'll be telling us, and if we don't think that, we're fooling ourselves.

[Shoes]

I am glad we did not sign him to a long-term deal.

It is going to be interesting to see how this plays (or doesn't play) out.

I think the handwriting is on the wall. The Steelers are not going to give in to Bells demands. He should have taken last years offer or take what the Steelers are now offering. He now thinks more highly of himself then the Steelers or probably any another team does. He's stepped into a fantasy world, I can feel Art II isn't going to put up with his mind games. No contract by draft time, I think the Steelers draft a RB in R1 R2 or R3 and this will be his last year as a Steeler, imo.

[GBMelBlount]

I think the handwriting is on the wall. The Steelers are not going to give in to Bells demands. He should have taken last years offer or take what the Steelers are now offering. He now thinks more highly of himself then the Steelers or probably any another team does. He's stepped into a fantasy world, I can feel Art II isn't going to put up with his mind games. No contract by draft time, I think the Steelers draft a RB in R1 R2 or R3 and this will be his last year as a Steeler, imo.

So if Bell doesn't sign and retires, we save that franchise tag, correct?

If so I would imagine we could draft a RB in the 1st or 2nd and use the money we saved to get a top shelf defensive player at a position of need, IF there are any available.

[hawaiiansteeler]

what more does poor Le'Veon gotta do to be wanted?

[Shoes]

So if Bell doesn't sign and retires, we save that franchise tag, correct?

If so I would imagine we could draft a RB in the 1st or 2nd and use the money we saved to get a top shelf defensive player at a position of need, IF there are any available.

I believe that is so, but I'm not up on all the rules.

[steelreserve]

So if Bell doesn't sign and retires, we save that franchise tag, correct?

If so I would imagine we could draft a RB in the 1st or 2nd and use the money we saved to get a top shelf defensive player at a position of need, IF there are any available.

Unfortunately, I bet all that bullshit would happen well after the top free agents are gone and we'd be left with a ton of cap space and nothing to spend it on. Most likely we try to negotiate up until the draft and then that's when we make our final decision.

On the other hand, if we are convinced we can get a good RB in the draft and the opportunity to sign a top defender comes up the first day of free agency, do we pull the tag then? That may be better a year from now than a year of high-priced Bell and then neither a defender nor a running back.

The ideal situation would be if someone signed him off us in the first day of free agency despite the tag, and we got their first-round pick AND the cap space. But I don't think anyone is that stupid. Too bad Al Davis is dead.

[GBMelBlount]

His ypc is average but he also has a lot of value as a receiver.

How easily can that be replaced?

He is a good safety valve / dump off option for Ben.

[Mojouw]

You can still sign a top drawer free agent with the franchise tag and get under the cap. They were prepared to do that with Hightower last year.

Most of the available free agents aren't even going to cost as much as Hightower would have.

Everyone needs to step back and take a breath.


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[Shoes]

His ypc is average but he also has a lot of value as a receiver.

How easily can that be replaced?

He is a good safety valve / dump off option for Ben.

So is a good TE.

[GBMelBlount]

So is a good TE.

I am 100% with you on that!

[stillers4me]

So is a good TE.

Exactly what I said to Russ yesterday. Draft a Heath/Gronk for Ben and Bell becomes nothing but an above average rapping RB.

[AtlantaDan]

This from Peter King reiterates what has been posted here - Bell is simply not worth what Bell wants in a long term contract

Le’Veon Bell: Game-Changing Back Who Is Absolutely Not Worth $14 Million a Season

I think he’s great. If you give me one running back for one game, I take Bell over the rest. He’s the state-of-the-art back at being patient and picking the right hole, and there’s no three-down back close to him in football right now because of his ability to split wide or run routes from the slot. In another life, he’d have been an NFL wideout....

But I would not pay the man $14 million a year on a long-term deal....

Employing big-time running backs doesn’t equate to winning Super Bowls...No one disputes the greatness of Bell. But at this place, at this time, the Steelers need impact defensive players more than they need a long-term commitment to a great back.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/03/07/le...mqb-peter-king

King's columns reflect league consensus views. I have posted there is some idiotic team out there that will overpay Bell what he wants on a long term contract but maybe not - Bell might have turned down more in a long term deal from the Steelers than he would get anywhere else

[DesertSteel]

This from Peter King reiterates what has been posted here - Bell is simply not worth what Bell wants in a long term contract

Le’Veon Bell: Game-Changing Back Who Is Absolutely Not Worth $14 Million a Season

I think he’s great. If you give me one running back for one game, I take Bell over the rest. He’s the state-of-the-art back at being patient and picking the right hole, and there’s no three-down back close to him in football right now because of his ability to split wide or run routes from the slot. In another life, he’d have been an NFL wideout....

But I would not pay the man $14 million a year on a long-term deal....

Employing big-time running backs doesn’t equate to winning Super Bowls...No one disputes the greatness of Bell. But at this place, at this time, the Steelers need impact defensive players more than they need a long-term commitment to a great back.

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/03/07/le...mqb-peter-king

King's columns reflect league consensus views. I have posted there is some idiotic team out there that will overpay Bell what he wants on a long term contract but maybe not - Bell might have turned down more in a long term deal from the Steelers than he would get anywhere else

Against the grain of a few on here, but I agree with King on Bell. Especially when I hear stats thrown around that we average the SAME amount of points in the games he misses as when he plays and that we are 11-4 without him.

[Mojouw]

I think even most of the "sign Bell long term" advocates would agree with King. I know that I do. I really think that signing Bell to a 3-5 year deal is a great idea for the Steelers. However, I also think that going above about 12.5 on average is a really bad idea. Seems that the Steelers do as well.

What Bell fails to realize is that the Steelers hold all the cards in this situation. Bell is playing out the aggrieved franchise tagged player script pretty well, but it never really works. This only ends a few ways and NONE of them involve Bell getting everything he wants. What incentive does anyone not named Leveon Bell have to do that? Zero.

I do think the only thing that sucks about all this is that the Steelers are staring down the barrel of an off-season they absolutely have to get exactly right or things get pretty crappy from a roster construction point of view really really really fast.

1. Need to determine what happens in life after Leveon Bell. Is it Conner? Is it a back in this 18 draft? Or can that be pushed to the 19 draft?
2. Need to determine what the plan is for life after Martavis Bryant. I know his stats are not good, but he significantly impacts how teams line up and defend the Steelers. So do you draft a "lid lifting" WR in 18? Wait until 19?
3. WTF is the plan for the TE group? MacDonald and a hoped for progression from Jesse "I can't block anyone in the NFL" James? I know this is a sore point, but a big part of the reason that 4th and 1 toss looked so bad was that James got overwhelmed at the point of attack (@ least I'm pretty sure it was him - haven't been able to bring myself to watch it!). Shocking, I know. But the intermittent blocking at the TE position is really limiting the run game.

Now those are 3 pretty darn big questions and that's on the "good" side of the ball!

[Shoes]

Anyone know what Bell's price is? I heard about 17M . He turned down 13-14 m last year and the Steelers increased that this year and he turned that down also. Sure can't say the Steelers didn't do their part. I'd dump the shit bag.

[teegre]

My gut tells me that Bell will have until the draft to sign a long-term deal.

Otherwise, I see the Steelers planning as if he is indeed retired, and drafting one of the many RBs in this draft. Once that is done, I could see the Steelers rescinding the franchise tag (and moving on).

[steelreserve]

Anyone know what Bell's price is? I heard about 17M . He turned down 13-14 m last year and the Steelers increased that this year and he turned that down also. Sure can't say the Steelers didn't do their part. I'd dump the shit bag.

Last I read was that he raised his FLOOR to $14.5M a year average. I don't see us paying that much, and that's just his starting point. $15M, $16M, $17M - it could all be possible.

My gut feeling is that he's going to turn down whatever we offer him even if it's exactly what he wants. We offer him $15M - guess what, he changed his mind and it's now $17M. We offer him $17M - nope, now there's not enough guaranteed. It's too this, it's too that, until he's a free agent, because that's what his mind is set on.

Why? Because it seems like he has it in his head that there is always something bigger and better over the horizon - who knows what - but the only thing for certain is that he has to go somewhere else. Not anywhere in particular, just somewhere else. That's what it'll take to satisfy himself that he got a good deal, and that's the one thing we can't offer. Maybe he even relishes the drama of it all.

I've seen that kind of mentality before. Sucks. There's nothing we can do about it, though. So, the only question is whether we prepare to move on now or later.