OT: Steelers line turning on Le'Veon Bell

[FreeTedWilliams]

Foster said he already makes a bunch more than him and Villanueva.

That’s not good, usually NFL players never criticize another player who is trying for more money.

 

[Silver Blue&Red]

Isn't Bell losing millions by holding out?
The $ he is asking for is being pissed away by not playing. From the little I've heard.

His agent is giving bad advise?.
Some of these contacts are out of control.

We are spoiled by a good, smart owner and coach....And a smart, loyal QB. Who cares about rings more than being the richest QB.
Being the annals of history!!!!

I understand a players need to want big money, but the best chance to get a ring, and (the ring is the thing), you need to be a team player.

There's a Cap, and there's only so much to go around.

Priorities.

There's no right or wrong.
Just a matter of priorities.

Just my opinion

 

[Love The Drake]

Steelers should trade Bell for the highest bidder.
I wonder if San Fran would go broke to put him with Jimmy.

 

[TommyD4207]

Steelers should trade Bell for the highest bidder.
I wonder if San Fran would go broke to put him with Jimmy.

I don't think they can trade him, because he hasn't signed the franchise tender, so he's technically not under contract. But, he can't sign with anyone else either, so holding out is his only option in this case if it's a long-term deal he wants.

 

[captain stone]

Bell's agent was on the early-afternoon show on the Sirius NFL channel.

What a piece of work. He sounded like an ambulance-chasing SJW hack. Instead of directing his faux-anger at Sh!tsdirt management, he should direct it at his client's union leadership.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I'm curious to see if Bell's patient wait for the hole to develop style of running will work outside of Pittsburgh. Mind you, I'm also fond of his 0-4 record against the Pats.

The Steelers are insane to even pay him this amount for one season. Isn’t it like twice as much as any RB?

 

[supafly]

Isn't Bell losing millions by holding out?
The $ he is asking for is being pissed away by not playing. From the little I've heard.

His agent is giving bad advise?.
Some of these contacts are out of control.

We are spoiled by a good, smart owner and coach....And a smart, loyal QB. Who cares about rings more than being the richest QB.
Being the annals of history!!!!

I understand a players need to want big money, but the best chance to get a ring, and (the ring is the thing), you need to be a team player.

There's a Cap, and there's only so much to go around.

Priorities.

There's no right or wrong.
Just a matter of priorities.

Just my opinion

All of the other whining and holdouts seemed to work this summer, so I don’t know that I necessarily blame Bell in this case. He’s looking at the bigger picture, which is to get through the season without injury so that he can sign one of the bigger guaranteed money deals.

If he loses 8m so that he’s in better shape to limit his exposure while staying healthy for free agency, he’ll be looking at somewhere around 50m dollars in guaranteed money, alone. Personally, I think he’s trying to force their hand into trading him and getting that big money, now. Hard to believe that the Jets aren’t calling.

 

[MagicMarker]

I might be in the minority, but I agree with Bell. Running backs are treated worst in the current system. Use em hard and use em up. Very rare is it that a running back gets a good second contract.

He's not signed. He's a free agent. Pittsburgh should have let him test the market like the Patriots did with Hightower.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I might be in the minority, but I agree with Bell. Running backs are treated worst in the current system. Use em hard and use em up. Very rare is it that a running back gets a good second contract.

He's not signed. He's a free agent. Pittsburgh should have let him test the market like the Patriots did with Hightower.

I don’t understand when you say you agree with him. Do you mean you agree that he should get paid WR money, or just agree that RBs are undervalued? The market determines a player’s value, and RBs are what they are. Teams don’t pay them that much because their production rarely leads to actual wins, running is generally less effective than passing, and many teams can get close to the same production from a low round pick or a young guy off the waiver wire. I can’t believe the Steelers are willing to pay him in ONE YEAR roughly the same amount a good free agent RB gets in guaranteed money over the life of a contract. He’s getting paid $14M, which is slightly less than the combined value of Dion Lewis ($5M), LaGarrette Blount ($4.5M), James White ($4M), and Rex Burkhead ($3M). Lewis, Blount, and White were considered to be relatively high-end signings for the position. So, wtf is he complaining about again? I’d sure rather have those four players than one whiny prima dona who averaged 3.9 YPA with his longest run of the season 27 yards.

Football is a business, but it’s also very much about teammates respecting you. There are always going to be conflicts between management and players, but a slew of teammates pubically calling you ou and breaking a player code to not badmouth a teammate over his contract? That generally means you are a complete a-hole who wasn’t respected prior to the contract issue.

If he’s dissatisfied about his contract, he should either a) accept the multi-year contract he was offered by the Steelers, which very well may be the best offer he’ll ever see or b) lobby the union to bargain away the right of owners to use the franchise tag. Holding out will not accomplish anything except drastically reduce your free agent value. All these other stunts like demanding you don’t have to play too much is just a slap in the face to every working professional who takes pride in his or her job, yet gets paid a fraction of Bell’s earnings.

 

[Deus Irae]

Isn't Bell losing millions by holding out?
The $ he is asking for is being pissed away by not playing. From the little I've heard.

Every game he plays this year is a game that could end his career and leave him with no future income. It actually makes sense for him to skip as many games as possible before reporting. Money will be lost, but injury odds will slant more in his favor, and big money next year is the goal.

 

[supafly]

I don’t understand when you say you agree with him. Do you mean you agree that he should get paid WR money, or just agree that RBs are undervalued? The market determines a player’s value, and RBs are what they are. Teams don’t pay them that much because their production rarely leads to actual wins, running is generally less effective than passing, and many teams can get close to the same production from a low round pick or a young guy off the waiver wire. I can’t believe the Steelers are willing to pay him in ONE YEAR roughly the same amount a good free agent RB gets in guaranteed money over the life of a contract. He’s getting paid $14M, which is slightly less than the combined value of Dion Lewis ($5M), LaGarrette Blount ($4.5M), James White ($4M), and Rex Burkhead ($3M). Lewis, Blount, and White were considered to be relatively high-end signings for the position. So, wtf is he complaining about again? I’d sure rather have those four players than one whiny prima dona who averaged 3.9 YPA with his longest run of the season 27 yards.

Football is a business, but it’s also very much about teammates respecting you. There are always going to be conflicts between management and players, but a slew of teammates pubically calling you ou and breaking a player code to not badmouth a teammate over his contract? That generally means you are a complete a-hole who wasn’t respected prior to the contract issue.

If he’s dissatisfied about his contract, he should either a) accept the multi-year contract he was offered by the Steelers, which very well may be the best offer he’ll ever see or b) lobby the union to bargain away the right of owners to use the franchise tag. Holding out will not accomplish anything except drastically reduce your free agent value. All these other stunts like demanding you don’t have to play too much is just a slap in the face to every working professional who takes pride in his or her job, yet gets paid a fraction of Bell’s earnings.

The market for RBs is making a turn. It’s not nearly as bad as it was a few years ago. Taking a look at the top cap hits for the position, in 2018:

—Bell 14.5 (franchise tag for second year in a row)
—McKinnon 10.5
—McCoy 8.95
—Elliot 6.8 (still under rookie deal)
—Lamar Miller 6.75

Todd Gurley recently signed a 4/60 extension at 15m AAV, with 45m guaranteed. David Johnson and LeVeon Bell are up now, and Zeke will be pushing for a new deal either this upcoming spring, or the next.

I think that the recent standoffs from Donald, Mack, OBJ, and to a lesser extent, Gronkowski, all have shown that the player will eventually get paid. Not sure why Earl Thomas caved, but he’s probably not the greatest example since he’s past his prime a bit. Also, the safety market has been down this year, which may have played a part.

In regards to Bell, he could be hoping to force the team’s hand for a trade, too. With all of the negative attention that he’s bringing to an organization not normally known to put guys like him first, it’s certainly a possibility. He would have to sign the tag beforehand, but that’s simply a formality. If the Steelers decide to part with him for say, a first and a third, the new team would almost certainly have agreed to an extension in principle, much like the recent trade of Mack. If that’s the case, Bell would have a chance of surpassing Gurley’s deal right now. If not, he’ll want to limit his exposure to injury to make sure that he gets a crack at topping Gurley’s deal in March.

I agree with you that he probably should have accepted Pittsburgh’s offer of approximately 14m per year, but he believes that he can top the 15m mark. I’m guessing that someone will give it to him.

 

[Joker]

Joe Kerr (aka The Liar) is sitting here sobbing inconsolably over the plight of Pittsburgh's Leveon Bell...just a river of tears....

 

[SammyBlueCat]

Someone suggested that I send him a tootsie roll.

 

[Wordsmyth]

The guy that I am playing in fantasy this week has Laveon Bell lol. Sucks for him.

I have LB too..but he's riding the pine until he gets over himself.

 

[Triumph]

Gotta love the steeler culture! They create their cancer. It really is a beautiful thing.

Hard to believe with Tomlin running such a tight ship.

Tomlin is a clown.

His post season record is abysmal and his only championship was with Cowhers team in 2008. Minority owners wanted him ousted last season, but Haley got the axe instead serving as the sacrificial lamb. Haley had his faults, but it was not his job to have the team ready for Jacksonville at home.

I predict fireworks in Pittsburgh if they dont make it at least to the AFCC.

 

[TomPatriot]

Meanwhile, Gronk is happy.

This is just another episode of the long running NFL soap opera, “As the Steeler World Turns.”

 

[captain stone]

Every game he plays this year is a game that could end his career and leave him with no future income. It actually makes sense for him to skip as many games as possible before reporting. Money will be lost, but injury odds will slant more in his favor, and big money next year is the goal.

Why not? Just ask Logan Mankin$.

 

[supafly]

The market for RBs is making a turn. It’s not nearly as bad as it was a few years ago. Taking a look at the top cap hits for the position, in 2018:

—Bell 14.5 (franchise tag for second year in a row)
—McKinnon 10.5
—McCoy 8.95
—Elliot 6.8 (still under rookie deal)
—Lamar Miller 6.75

Todd Gurley recently signed a 4/60 extension at 15m AAV, with 45m guaranteed. David Johnson and LeVeon Bell are up now, and Zeke will be pushing for a new deal either this upcoming spring, or the next.

I think that the recent standoffs from Donald, Mack, OBJ, and to a lesser extent, Gronkowski, all have shown that the player will eventually get paid. Not sure why Earl Thomas caved, but he’s probably not the greatest example since he’s past his prime a bit. Also, the safety market has been down this year, which may have played a part.

In regards to Bell, he could be hoping to force the team’s hand for a trade, too. With all of the negative attention that he’s bringing to an organization not normally known to put guys like him first, it’s certainly a possibility. He would have to sign the tag beforehand, but that’s simply a formality. If the Steelers decide to part with him for say, a first and a third, the new team would almost certainly have agreed to an extension in principle, much like the recent trade of Mack. If that’s the case, Bell would have a chance of surpassing Gurley’s deal right now. If not, he’ll want to limit his exposure to injury to make sure that he gets a crack at topping Gurley’s deal in March.

I agree with you that he probably should have accepted Pittsburgh’s offer of approximately 14m per year, but he believes that he can top the 15m mark. I’m guessing that someone will give it to him.

Note: Technically, Bell couldn’t sign a new deal until after the season, so he can’t top Gurley at the moment, but any team who would be bold enough to trade for him would almost certainly agree in principle. No one is going to give up high draft capital for a one year rental.

Thus far, the Steelers seem to be fine with keeping him, or at least that’s what they say at the moment.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Luckily for Bell, there's always at least one dumb team out there in free agency because I think any sane team would be concerned about guaranteeing $45M to a player who is so scared he will get injured he won't play for a guaranteed $15M. Good luck to whoever "wins" the Bell sweepstakes and ruins their team signing this guy with sky high expectations.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I'm rooting for James Conner. He's been through a lot since being diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and beating it. If he does well, watch Bell return real quick because he loses leverage.