this is what a full rebuild looks like

Money · January 5, 2019

The first thought on a rebuild is I want it now and I want to maximize return and that means the starting point is Le'Veon Bell. Waiting for a 3rd rd pick in 2020 is not gonna fly. What does this mean? It means that you put the transition tag on Bell, so he can negotiate with other teams. He's negotiating with other teams, so he can sign with that team, and then you match the offer. And then you trade him back to that team. This is called leverage. If you want Le'Veon Bell, you have to go through me. Because I''m not gonna roll over and let you take him for free.

How do you make this happen? With Bell, it was nothing personal. Just business. He felt he was treated unfairly on the business side of things. So it got personal. The man wanted guarantees, because he understands the nature of the position, and he wanted what he felt was fair value. The deal I have constructed for Bell has the guarantees, makes him the highest paid running back, and values him as a RB/WR. Probably less important to him to set the market for the position, but like sticking up for anyone of a similar ilk - it makes you feel good.

How I go about this is I float this deal to Le'Veon Bell's agent once I tag him. In terms of guarantees, this is your best bet. This is the deal he will present to other teams. And we let him know that we will trade him once we match the offer.

Le'Veon Bell

Signing Bonus

The first chunk of cash will come via a signing bonus of $8m. This becomes dead money for the Steelers once they trade him. This will also be something the team trading for Bell will like in that they won't have any money tied in dead money, and they also don't have to pay a huge signing bonus to sign him. This would've been something like $20m if he hit the open market. Especially, with a running back down the road you might want to cut him so this also gives you contract flexibility. Plus, you save cash.

Salaries

The first year salary is fully guaranteed and is $12m. The second year salary becomes guaranteed on the 3rd day of the league year and is $14m. The third and fourth year salaries are $10m and the fifth year salary is $10.5m

Roster Bonus

His first roster bonus will come in 2020 and it will be $12m. This will serve as the true signing bonus for Bell for the other team and gives them the option to restructure the contract in conjunction with his $14m salary and spread that over the deal. This is guaranteed if he is on the roster on the 3rd day of the league year in 2020, or if he gets traded anytime before that date. Therefore, if Bell gets traded his signing bonus and roster bonuses become immediately guaranteed. There is also a roster bonus in 2021 for $5m if he is on the roster on the 3rd day of the league year.

What this means is once Bell signs the contract he receives $8m. Once he gets traded the 2020 roster bonus becomes guaranteed and is for $12m. His first year salary is guaranteed and is for $12m. Bell will not have to play a single down and he is guaranteed to make $32m. Plus, he has the option to play and earn other guarantees such as his year two salary for $14m and after the second year he has one final guarantee via a roster bonus of $5m. All in all, there is $51m in guarantees in two seasons + three days.

Contract - 5 years, $81.5m ($51m guaranteed)

The Steelers are responsible for paying him his signing bonus and his $8m signing bonus will become dead money. In exchange for giving you a sweetheart deal on Le'Veon Bell, because there is no dead money associated with his entire contract, and you can cut him at anytime, not too mention he is an All-Pro player, I'm expecting a nice return. No dead money of course assumes you bite the bullet and take a $26m year two cap hit on the chin and don't move any money around. Which is exactly how I would play it

TRADE

Steelers trade Le'Veon Bell, Joe Haden, and conditional 2020 2nd rd pick to the Jets for their 2019 1st rd pick, 3rd overall

conditions: The pick goes to the Jets unless the Jets make playoffs, Bell leads league in TDs or scrimmage yards, or makes All-Pro

Antonio Brown

The reason I trade Antonio Brown is because of the drama. He's a distraction. Distractions have plagued this team. It's downright embarrassing and to have another offseason without change is unacceptable. The drama has finally outweighed the production on the field. He's still producing, but I want to get rid of a guy a year too early as opposed to a year too late. And I see that fall looming, as I don't expect it to happen next year, but I want to maximize my return, and he's still producing at a high level, so now is the perfect time to sell.

TRADE

Steelers trade Antonio Brown and 2019 1st rd pick, 20th overall to the SF 49ers for their 2019 1st rd pick, 2nd overall and 2019 2nd rd pick

Then if you're SF, you just find a way to get your picks back and you do that by trading back, so you end up in a place where instead of picking 2nd in NFL Draft, you picked the 2nd best player in the NFL. And you still ended up with a full complement of picks.

Essentially, making AB a free agent acquisition.

And here's the thing on AB. $21m dead money to Pittsburgh means his cap number will be much easier to manage his cap going forward. And that $21m dead money hit isn't bad with a $180m cap for the Steelers

If you're SF or anyone. You can trade for AB. Add a year to his deal and restructure his 2019 $12m base and spread it out over four years. AB plays next year for a $3m cap hit.

Therefore, his value increases.

By retaining cap, if you will, like they do in hockey, you make a player more valuable. You get AB for $3m. That's the best deal in the history of the game. You get Le'Veon Bell with no downside risk for financial ramifications. Plus, they save cash. And the Steelers save cash as well, because that $21m dead money counts against the cap, but that's not being money paid out.

Ben Roethlisberger

I'm just not really sure what the franchise is thinking here. Talking restructure/extension for a 38 year old quarterback that led the league in INT's. It's starting to become what has Ben Roethlisberger done lately? With the most talent in the league around him. The young money crew. Killer Bees. Is he just not good enough unless he has a defense to win it for him? This is about him being a quarterback on the decline and the risk associated with sinking another 2-3 year extension for say four years in total at $110m. Aaron Rodgers money but hey guys look team discount. Plus, he's just not likable. Teammates, coaches, and the fans. He's a locker room - I have to say it - cancer. Running OC's out of the building, WRs, calling out teammates in front of the media. He's a complete ******* and doesn't represent my city well. Not too mention he's an average quarterback. He's not going to get better and just led the league in INT's. And when he's not up for another deal anytime soon after this one, he will certainly not work out as hard, as this is the best shape he's been in since he signed his last contract. He'll quickly progress to the status of Eli Manning. He's not a franchise quarterback. And doesn't warrant franchise quarterback money. A franchise quarterback can win the game himself. What's the point of trading up for Mason Rudolph? There were plenty of guys that would contribute and you could've taken instead of Rudolph. Or Jones. Or Dobbs. The Ben drama scene is worse than AB or Bell. His drama has affected the locker room chemistry, as well as personnel decisions, and made us waste three picks on QB's that never saw the light of day, and that cost us chances to challenge for a title. Ben threatened retirement for years, but now that cash is on the rise, Ben hasn't said a word about retirement. Ben is a "me" guy. He's perfect for that locker room right now. If you want a fractured locker room of me guys than Ben and AB are your guys. Problem is the locker room voted for a "team" guy in JuJu Smith-Schuster as their MVP, so they don't want that. The team doesn't want "me" guys. They want to be part of something together.

Not too mention once you tie up another 2-3 year extension into Ben. You're looking at Ben Roethlisberger retiring when he is 41 years old. If he leads the league in interceptions now, what is he going to look like when he doesn't want to hit that treadmill anymore. The result will be a sloppy, old, slow Ben clinging to the old days of "make a play". Only now there will be no plays to be made. Ben will lead the league in interceptions and fumbles and of course blame the line being the class act that he is. What you will be looking at is Eddy Martell.

"I got two Super Bowl rings and all you'll ever be is a replacement quarterback"

TRADE

Steelers trade Ben Roethlisberger, Artie Burns, Mike HIlton, and 3rd overall to Jaguars for Jalen Ramsey, 7th overall, 2019 2nd rd pick, 2019 3rd rd pick, 2019 6th rd pick, and 2020 1st rd pick

Let's just take a look at the opposite and expected outcome of what the Steelers will do, before how I clearly show you how much brighter the future will be. They will let Le'Veon walk and get a 2020 3rd rd pick. They will extend Ben and continue on their path of mediocrity. And then they will patch things up with AB and he'll have two more elite seasons. And of course no accountability will continue. And that starts with Tomlin who is still Head Coach. Still not sure what he brings to the table besides making a Colbert picked team worse with his inability to manage the locker room or games. Ben goes downhill fast. And you end up being the Cleveland Browns. I said trade all these guys before the season started, because it wasn't going to end well. At least if you listened you'd have a top 5 pick. It ended possibly as bad as it could. Why is that? It is these guys who have created a dichotomy in that locker room. How much worse does it have to get before change will take place? The Steelers are looking like the worst team in the division. Assuming Cincy gets a QB, they'll be a problem with their weapons on offense.

This is what you say...

"No one is bigger than the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that is why there was a change made today. The locker room has been toxic and the constant negative publicity stems down from leadership or lack of leadership coming from the Head Coach. We have a respect, tradition, and honor of the standard being the standard. We have fallen short in that regard. The team hasn't represented the organization or the city of Pittsburgh, so drastic measures were undertaken to get us back on track. We believe in Kevin Colbert and the players we have today, and the future players we will acquire. When things aren't going well you can't sit back and just watch the misery. You must take action. And that is why we fired the Head Coach, Mike Tomlin today."

COACHING CHANGES

'For me, the answer to every question is Mike Leach. According to the Bible [Phil Steele Preseason Guide], Washington State were predicted to have a bad year. And I don't think I picked them once all year. He took a guy Gardner Minshew, a graduate transfer, who was considering on being a coach and convinced him to play another year, and I thought he was a pretty damn good College QB, and they had a great year. The defense lost a lot of players but still they weren't that bad defensively. So, if you ask me, who do I think is a guy that can turn this ship around - it's the Pirate himself, Mike Leach. My offense would be the air raid style he runs because that will score points, and he's very smart and creative with play calls and design. He's smart so he'll also run that gimmicky **** and create plays we can't even imagine. Here's the thing. He'll call the plays. That eliminates the need for an OC. Therefore, you make Mike Munchak serve as the how should I say it the Ground Game Coordinator. He's in charge of the OL and the run game, but his official title is Asst HC. Suddenly, we have an identity. Leach in charge of the pass game and Munchak in charge of the running game and everyone does their job. Accountability. Yet, direction. Then wipe the rest of that **** clean.

Defensively. Wipe that **** clean. Jimmy Lake is an up an coming DC out of Washington. They promoted him this past year from DB coach, so he didn't leave, and the old DC serves as a co-role and sits up in the booth while Jimmy calls the plays. I like teamwork. Washington has been recruiting the best secondary since he's been there. Obviously, he knows what a NFL DB looks like.

I'd pair Jimmy Lake with Rod Woodson and Rod can run my DB's. Hell, a HOF DB has to know a thing or two about technique. He has some coaching experience with the DB's. Rod also seems very personable and knowledgeable and brings that idol **** to the table. Like, hey, this is a HOF. I might want to listen to what he has to say here. That's a general guideline how I would envision the schematics.

FREE AGENCY

There's two guys I want and the added benefit of all the dead money from these moves is you can structure the major cap hits on your UFA for year two, which is generally what the Steelers want to do.

Landon Collins

is an All-Pro safety. They've been trying to fill this position ever since Troy Polamalu retired. They've been doing this stick your toe in the water to gauge and feel type thing and that results in you getting Mike Mitchell and Morgan Burnett. Collins play speaks for itself, and if you want to finally start to fix a secondary that has been bad forever, you have to put good players back there. It starts with Jalen Ramsey and Landon Collins.

5 years, $60m ($31m guaranteed) - 8m signing bonus, 12m roster bonus, Salaries: 4.1m, 6.9m, 8.5m, 9.5m, 10.5m

This puts him right in line with the highest paid safeties in the game and that's where he belongs. Year one he has a cap hit of $5.7m, so he can easily slide in with all the dead money which will require some creativity. I take that roster bonus on the chin in year two and don't restructure the contract. Because of all the dead money coming off the books, it can offset his huge increase in cap hit in year two. First two salaries and bonuses are guaranteed.

Dante Fowler

A Khalil Mack player. Wouldn't that have been nice? Khalil Mack. Trade Le'Veon Bell and get Khalil Mack. Only said that 100 times. Wow, that Khalil Mack guy. Turned the Chicago Bears from an outhouse team and put them in the penthouse. Isn't that something? Damn - let's eat.

So, you can redeem yourself here with Dante Fowler. Quick off the ball and a nice 1-2 punch with TJ Watt giving you an identity on defense. Wait, a pass rush and a secondary. Do I see some semblance of defense on the horizon? Shocking.

5 years, $80m ($44.5m guaranteed) - 16m signing bonus, 12m roster bonus, Salaries: 2m, 14.5m, 12.5m, 11.5m, 11.5m

*first two year salaries and bonuses are guaranteed. 5.2m cap hit year one

CUTS

Chris Boswell - $2.4m dead money

Morgan Burnett - $1.4m dead money

*both given post June-1 designation to spread dead money over two years

NFL DRAFT

1) ARIZONA - NICK BOSA DE OHIO STATE

Not sure how the pick isn't Ed Oliver. But this one will be interesting.

2) TRADE

INDIANAPOLIS (via PIT) - ED OLIVER DT HOUSTON

*PIT receives IND 2019 1st, 2019 2nd (via NYJ), 2019 3rd, and 2020 1st