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RB Le'Veon Bell, FA - 9.6.21 Workout For Baltimore (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter Eminence
- Start date
Steeler
Footballguy
I don't see how it hurts Bell to tell the Steelers he plans to show up week 11 or whatever.
King of the Jungle
Footballguy
I disagree that the Steelers are screwing him. They have clearly decided that he is not worth the investment that he thinks he is and that is ok. In this market it is tough to allocate a large cap number to the RB position. The Franchise Tag is what really screws him as it prevents him from locking into long term guaranteed money right after his first contract. Which in particular hurts running backs as they seem to have a short shelf life.
You don't think the right thing for Pittsburgh to do would have been to offer Bell more money? For 4 years, he played under a rookie contract where he averaged less than $1M/year. During that time, he was AT WORST, a top-5 RB. The right thing to do would have been to reward him with a contract that paid him fairly AND rewarded him for his underpaid work in the past. But they didn't do that. Did they ever hear of taking the high road? They can be honorable even if it didn't fit into how the value him.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Can people please stop saying the Steelers "screwed" Bell. He turned down a good offer last year, and now isnt playing one year for 15 million guaranteed.
Who knows what it would have taken to actually get him signed long term this offseason.
If anything he is probably about to be screwing himself out of a lot of money long term IMO.
Who knows what it would have taken to actually get him signed long term this offseason.
If anything he is probably about to be screwing himself out of a lot of money long term IMO.
Explain to me how it helps him, though.
If he feels that they have been unfair with him (regardless of whether you agree or not), why should he go above and beyond what he has to for them?
He is required (if he wants to accrue this year) to report for at least 6 games. Anything above that (including letting them know when he will show) is, for lack of a better phrase, doing Pittsburgh a favor.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Logically, does it matter if he tells them or not? Would telling them somehow HURT Bell?
gethugefast1
Footballguy
i do; wonder if his agent, if he ever mentioned, during those last failed negotiations, his client will not sign the tag until after week 10? sounds like great leverage, i'm sure pitt management already new that was an option for the player, if it did come up, then pitt already new, if it didn't, then they should have done their homework
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ghostguy123
Footballguy
Helpling the team he PLAYS for could also be seen as something that, ya know, helps HIM also
Just sayin
No, it wouldn't.
However, it HELPS Pittsburgh (as posted by someone above). Can you explain, logically, why he should help the team who is clearly moving on from him (they aren't going to offer him more money next year)?
How? Skipping games can only be about maximizing his monetary value. By doing this, he has made a conscious decision to put himself first. Letting them know when he will report doesn't help him in any way shape or form. Pitt can go 0-16 and he will command just as much money in FA as if he plays every game and they go 16-0.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Yeah, easily. Because he will play for the team this year and some players actually care how their team does.
Underachievers
Footballguy
Bell has become the type of player whom you have very little sympathy for when he gets injured.
solorca
Footballguy
If I worked in sales and was the top performer in the company, year after year and they came to me and said "we're going to pay you the average of the top five performers in the company for a one year contract" then I'd take it and prove my worth. If they did it again, after once again I performed at that high level, I'd find another company to work for that will pay me my value, rather than just try to use me for one year at a time, without any risk.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Unless of course he WANTS the Steelers to do crappy and miss the playoffs. Then it wouldnt make sense to help them.
Caring how the team does doesn't help him. Can you explain, LOGICALLY, how informing them ahead of time of when he'll report helps HIM?
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Weird example but i will play.
Would you still TRY during the company softball tournament?
If you want to look at it from a broad view: if the Steelers do poorly without him (I doubt they will), one could argue that will increase his value in FA next year. "See how much worse they were without me."
solorca
Footballguy
No. I wouldn't play in the company softball tournament. And if my future livelihood depended on my health, I definitely wouldn't play.
It's not a weird example at all...because he isn't a fan. He's an employee.
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ghostguy123
Footballguy
It makes him look like less of a giant tool to a future employer who might want to offer him tens upon tens of millions of dollars.
GMs tend to offer more if they think a guy cares, or thinks a guy is less likely to all of a sudden NOT care for some reason.
mnmplayer
Footballguy
He's had an avg of 420 touches per season (including post season) the last two years. I am positive the Steelers planned to run him into the ground again this year, and after 3 straight years of 400+ touches, who the heck would give him a payday next season? They would pay more for a fresh stud RB which is what he will be if he sits until wk11. Pitt should just pay the guy now and then tone down his usage rate as if they cared about his longevity in the league.
The usage rate for Bell is like the opposite of Mark Ingram. People complain about it, but the Saints used Ingram like they planned to keep him forever.
The usage rate for Bell is like the opposite of Mark Ingram. People complain about it, but the Saints used Ingram like they planned to keep him forever.
Khalil Mack never told Oakland how long he was going to hold out (and he was contractually obligated to be there), yet Chicago traded 2 firsts and gave him the largest non-QB contract ever. Kind of blows a hole in your theory. There will be plenty of teams willing to pay him a truck-load of money next year; regardless of whether he tells Pitt today that he won't report until week 10, or just shows up week 10.
ghostguy123
Footballguy
I could easily argue that if he was up front and transparent it would make him look better for next offseason.
That would be in his best interest.
That would be in his best interest.
solorca
Footballguy
Bell is a RB, he gets a chance for one big deal, one time. This isn't about making anyone feel good, it's about taking care of his future. He has spent his entire life waiting for this moment and has earned it. I am shocked that so many people are on the Pitt side here. They are running him into the ground and not rewarding him for the work he's done.
Good for him.
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TheFanatic
Footballguy
The team can't negotiate a long term deal with him right now. I'm not sure what else the Steelers can do.
And you'd be arguing a hypothetical without any real support.
I could easily point out that players who hold out go on to receive HUGE contracts & don't find themselves black-balled for "looking like a giant tool." And I'd have plenty of ACTUAL support for my argument.
That one guy
Footballguy
If everyone, Steelers and potential trade partners, is prevented by CBA from offering/signing any kind of contract aside from franchise tag, what is the purpose of holding out? Avoiding wear and tear can be the only reasoning, no?
ghostguy123
Footballguy
Godsbrother
Footballguy
Bell was twice suspended for smoking dope during that rookie contract. Teams don't normally reward players for selfish behavior that hurt the team.
Bell earned over $12 million last year and if he signs soon another $14.5 million this year. I understand that may not be what Bell wanted but I hardly think that $26.5 million over two years is that much of a slap in the face. They wouldn't pay a player they didn't value that kind of cash.
I am not making either side to be the bad guy here. Bell is free to hold out if he feels that is in his best interest and the Steelers knew that was a possibility when they couldn't come to an agreement to a long term deal. It's a business, we'll just wait to see what happens now.
It really screws the people that drafted him though...
My post was in response to another poster that said Bell should "do the right thing," and "be honorable." It goes both ways. If that poster wants Bell to "do the right thing" and "be honorable," why shouldn't the Steelers be held to the same expectations? They got top-5 RB production for 4 years for less than $1M/year. Even if you figure he "only" deserved $5M/year for that production, they got $16M extra value out of him. The "honorable," "right thing" to do would have been to have offered him $16M MORE than what they actually valued him at. But no one expects them to do that.
I don't think we should be demanding honor and nobility from the players if we dont' expect the same from the teams.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
He can get paid $14.5 million today if he wants it. Otherwise he has to wait until next year
hagmania
Footballguy
steelcityman
Footballguy
If they lose Sunday, i think the Rooney's need to consider letting him go. He will be public enemy #1 in pittsburgh Monday morning. As long as they win, he can come back and slide back into place, but one loss and forget it, and I dont think its going to get any better in another day, or week, or 2 weeks or month.
So Mack, who was contractually obligated to play and refused to do so, is less of a tool than Bell, who is utilizing the little bit of leverage he has under the CBA?
So you're OK with a player ACTUALLY violating his contract to force a trade, but you're not okay with a player adhering to the CBA, which says he can sign in week 10 and accrue his season?
And if he wants to wait, he is within his rights, as bargained by the CBA to not show up till week 10.
steelcityman
Footballguy
It could have happened 2 years ago, but the Steelers wouldn't pay him what he was worth. So, why should he show up until he has to?
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hagmania
Footballguy
Rooting for Bell to get paid what he wants to get paid when he wants to get paid.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
Yes he can. And it will only cost $9 million to do so which may or may not be the right play -- we won't know until next year
matttyl
Footballguy
Steeler
Footballguy
Do the right thing and tell the Steelers when he will report - seems like a pretty straight forward thing to expect at this point. Keeping the team in limbo because they couldn't agree on a long term contract extension makes him look petty to me. I understand the business decision of holding out until week 10, I don't understand hiding that decision. But we can agree to disagree.
irish eyes
Footballguy
If he sits until week 10, there is no way they should pay him what is left at that point. He will be useless & I doubt really giving a sh@@ or giving effort at that point. Not sure why anyone would want him back at that stage, makes zero sense.
No need to disagree; it is petty. But if he feels like the Steelers “did him wrong” by not giving him a fair offer (while working him very hard last year), he might not feel like doing them any favors. And he’s not obligated to do so.
matttyl
Footballguy
Thinking about this, are there really? I see a handful of teams who would be in it for his services. Buffalo if they part ways with McCoy, Texas if they cut Miller and Foreman isn't their guy, Raiders if Lynch is done, Jets, maybe Bucs if Ronald Jones continues to flop, Colts, maybe Baltimore? How many teams have the need, paired with the cap space?
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