Le'Veon Bell -Farewell Miami

[jrry32]

1 minute ago, CKSteeler said:

My argument was simple. They structured that deal they do every other core player they have. You said they lowballed him because of the signing bonus, but the reality is he would have gotten $20 million almost instantly. More than those other players. We have shifting goal posts here.

There is no shifting goal posts. Go back and read the last couple of pages. It's the same point I've made time and time again. Bell isn't getting security beyond Year 1. The other Steelers did. Feel free to look at their contracts.

Quote

This is the third year of negotiating with Bell, who was a second round pick. They don't do any contract more than 1 year out. This is a misleading comment.

There's nothing misleading about it. I told you why Gurley was willing to accept a more team-friendly deal. The Rams came to him early and offered him an extension. If the Steelers choose not to do that, that's their right, but it decreases the odds of a guy taking a team-friendly deal. They made Bell wait, and he decided to bet on himself. 

[JAF-N72EX]

The Steelers offered him a pretty healthy front loaded 5yr/72M deal in 2017 with 30M of that paid out through the first 2 years (2017 & 2018) and 42M in the next 3 years. That would've been the most APY by a running back in history (12M).  

Now, lets look at this. Last year (2017), after he turned down the offer to pay him ~15M for that year, the Steelers tagged him at 12.3M and now he has LOST 14M this year by acting like a ******. 

This makes zero sense. He has made a total 12M since the start of 2017. (An average of 6M a yr now, assuming he sits the rest of the year and I don't think I need to argue that part, right?) He has had several knee surgeries, two suspensions, is now (rightfully) being looked at as a selfish locker room cancer by his own peers, has sat entire year and now he is expecting teams to pay him MORE in the FA market than the Steelers offered him this past year AND in 2017?  GTFO.

Bell played himself and will look even more foolish and selfish when it's all said and done. 

[JAF-N72EX]

21 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

There is no shifting goal posts. Go back and read the last couple of pages. It's the same point I've made time and time again. Bell isn't getting security beyond Year 1. The other Steelers did. Feel free to look at their contracts.

There's nothing misleading about it. I told you why Gurley was willing to accept a more team-friendly deal. The Rams came to him early and offered him an extension. If the Steelers choose not to do that, that's their right, but it decreases the odds of a guy taking a team-friendly deal. They made Bell wait, and he decided to bet on himself. 

Guaranteed money, yes. But when was the last time the Steelers balked on a contract? I'm legitimately asking. I think it's safe to say he would've made that money.

[Dr LBC]

22 hours ago, Forge said:

If I'm Tampa I'm considering.

Think the Jets will be in on him.

Not feeling Denver as a match, and not Seattle. Those rbs have played very well. 

 

Baltimore is a dark horse to me.  It's not a typical Ozzie movie, but... Harbaugh looks like he'll be gone.  Flacco looks like he could be gone.  Alex Collins has been solid but not outstanding.  Kenneth Dixon and Buck Howard have ultimately underwhelmed in varying ways.  Ty Montgomery is a free agent after this season.  And a RB like Bell could provide an extraordinarily smooth transition into the Lamar Jackson era (as he's a weapon opposing offenses would have to account for and who gives them a ton of value in an offense that deploys a good amount of RPO - which I'd assume they'd likely aim to do considering the assets they have).

Now if Bell is serious about wanting "franchise QB money or he'll retire," he's going to be looking at retirement.  But I could see, at the right price, there being interest on the Ravens' end.

If I'm handicapping things though... I really wouldn't rule out Indy and I could see Bell having some interest if the money's reasonably close to right.  Luck looks back on track.  For once having a pretty shoddy OL, they've managed to put together a pretty solid run-blocking unit (they wouldn't hurt from another piece, but I don't see their line quality all that much below where Pittsburgh's was in the season right before they transitioned - due to injury - from Kelvin Beachum to Villanueva (2014, IIRC).  Nelson/Kelly/Glowinski has been a solid interior OL and realistically, Braden Smith's future likely lies at RG, as I could see them drafting another OT to play out of RT until Castonzo either hangs them up or runs out of contract in 2020 (no, I don't trust LaRaven Clark to ever amount to a starting caliber guy).

[AkronsWitness]

Don't know if anybody mentioned it but the Texans seem like the best fit. Pairing him with Watson/Hopkins while Watson is still on his rookie contract would make the Texans a potential force. Im pretty certain they have one of the largest cap spaces to get it done as well. I don't see Bell going to a desperate team who is not going to be a competitor like the Bills.

[jrry32]

15 minutes ago, JustAnotherFan said:

Guaranteed money, yes. But when was the last time the Steelers balked on a contract? I'm legitimately asking. I think it's safe to say he would've made that money.

You're asking him to take it on faith. It's a business. 

[3rivers]

8 minutes ago, AkronsWitness said:

Don't know if anybody mentioned it but the Texans seem like the best fit. Pairing him with Watson/Hopkins while Watson is still on his rookie contract would make the Texans a potential force. Im pretty certain they have one of the largest cap spaces to get it done as well. I don't see Bell going to a desperate team who is not going to be a competitor like the Bills.

From what i have read and watched this season,. the texans need help on the OL too, but if they opt for Bell and then add OL, it could work. No doubt the texans have some weapons and Bell could be another, but his effectiveness will be limited due to the OL in place.

[JAF-N72EX]

4 minutes ago, jrry32 said:

You're asking him to take it on faith. It's a business. 

When dealing with an organization not known for (edit)NOT paying out contracts, yes. Besides, what change would there be in this line of thinking with any other team? IIRC, Brown accepted a 19 APY deal w/ a19M guaranteed and he is no saint himself.

Bell over valued himself.

edit 2:

[AkronsWitness]

1 minute ago, 3rivers said:

From what i have read and watched this season,. the texans need help on the OL too, but if they opt for Bell and then add OL, it could work. No doubt the texans have some weapons and Bell could be another, but his effectiveness will be limited due to the OL in place.

Yeah but he's a good enough RB to still be effective behind a bad line. Plus I would like to think it would be an area of focus in the draft.

[JAF-N72EX]

The only I will say in Bell's defense (contract wise-NOT being a dbag) is that his situation does further highlight the fact that RB's got screwed big time in the last CBA with the rookie contracts. I'm glad it happened with the QB's but the RB's got absolutely bamboozled.   

[jrry32]

4 minutes ago, JustAnotherFan said:

When dealing with an organization not known for (edit)NOT paying out contracts, yes. Besides, what change would there be in this line of thinking with any other team? IIRC, Brown accepted a 19 APY deal w/ a19M guaranteed and he is no saint himself.

Bell over valued himself.

edit 2:

We'll see.

[3rivers]

2 minutes ago, AkronsWitness said:

Yeah but he's a good enough RB to still be effective behind a bad line. Plus I would like to think it would be an area of focus in the draft.

In the passing game for sure, but I can't see him doing well running for a team that has a mediocre or worse OL.  Besides will the texans have the cap space  ? They might try to sign Clowney, that could be costly if there is a bidding war. 

[JAF-N72EX]

If I'm a GM. Before talking about which system he would fit in and whatnot, you should first ask yourself whether or not he is going to be the same Bell as he was in the past after sitting this long.

Just throwing that out there.

[3rivers]

2 minutes ago, JustAnotherFan said:

The only I will say in Bell's defense (contract wise-NOT being a dbag) is that his situation does further highlight the fact that RB's got screwed big time in the last CBA with the rookie contracts. I'm glad it happened with the QB's but the RB's got absolutely bamboozled.   

CBA was pathetic but the players agreed to it because they were desperate and they don't do whats best in the long run. RB's should be UFA in a year less time than the other players since their shelf life is much less.  The RB's really got a bad deal on that last agreement. The franchise tag is also a fail when they can be applied more than  once to a player.  

Then consider how QB's can't get hit, play much longer and are getting paid much more than others.  It doesn't seem fair the direction the league has been in and could be going. 

[jrry32]

2 minutes ago, JustAnotherFan said:

If I'm a GM. Before talking about which system he would fit in and whatnot, you should first ask yourself whether or not he is going to be the same Bell as he was in the past after sitting this long.

Just throwing that out there.

He probably just did you a favor. He didn't add more touches to his count. Sitting out a season won't diminish your skills, and they'll be able to tell if he let himself go when they have FA visits.