There are 14 teams with over $40M in cap space in 2019, which would allow them to easily pay Bell what he wants (not that they will) and still be viable, cap-wise. NYJ, Oak, Hou, & KC are 4 of those 14 that have a legitimate need to upgrade at RB; while Indy, Buff, SF, Sea, & GB appear to have RBs in place that don't need to be replaced, but that Bell would be an upgrade over; and Cle, Cin, Tenn, Den, & Ari would look to be out of the race because they have young and/or stud RBs in place.
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RB Le'Veon Bell, FA - 9.6.21 Workout For Baltimore (10 Viewers)
- Thread starter Eminence
- Start date
Neither TB or Mia have the cap space to sign Bell. Oakland is a possibility, but as posted above, there are actually a few teams to pay Bell "every last nickel."
Milkman
Footballguy
Grahamburn
Footballguy
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
OMYG I completely forgot about LeVeon never reporting and this soap opera playing for 'possibly' the entire off season and into next year.
For the love of God just trade him and get rid of the distraction.
I felt they should have signed him last year and they should have. It cost them at least one win and a playoff appearance and 'probably' lead to AB going off the rails so it created a cascade effect.
Now the team hates him, the coaches probably hate him, the ownership probably hates him. I bet people are just worn out and ready to move on so please let it happen.
For the love of God just trade him and get rid of the distraction.
I felt they should have signed him last year and they should have. It cost them at least one win and a playoff appearance and 'probably' lead to AB going off the rails so it created a cascade effect.
Now the team hates him, the coaches probably hate him, the ownership probably hates him. I bet people are just worn out and ready to move on so please let it happen.
Steeler
Footballguy
Not to rehash the contract numbers again, but I thought their offer was fair. Bell didn't agree and didn't show up. Both sides did what they thought was in their best interests, no blame to either side IMO.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Well they are not going to franchise him again and they certainly are not going to cave in and sign him to the contract they've turned down for two years and HE certainly isn't going to cave at this point so then what is the solution?
What I predicted happened. It cost at least one game and the Steelers a playoff spot. What I didn't see is how distracting the situation would become and how an emotionally 'fringe' guy like AB would act out. They should have signed Bell instead of AB if they knew how unstable Antonio was.
They didn't have LeVeon last year and they might not have either of them this year. It was not in their best interest IMHO.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
That is another question. You advised them to trade him and I answered that this is not possible and explained.
In my opinion he will simply leave as a FA and pick his team.
Not sure that Hou agrees that they have a legitimate need to upgrade at RB. They keep leaning heavily on Lamar Miller despite us fantasy folk hating him, and despite Foreman having a torn Achilles and three picks in the 3rd round last year, Hou did not bring any new RB's in. Instead they just resigned Alfred Blue off the scrap heap for cheap. You never know as their new GM is only 1 year into the job but Hou will most likely be spending a lot of their available cap space resigning defensive starters like Clowney, Honey Badger and others and god willing, trying to upgrade that awful offensive line.Bayhawks said:
I am not sure any of the bolded teams really do appear to have RBs in place that don't need to be replaced. Mack has had some very good games and some very bad games and has had trouble staying healthy, the Colts are drowning in cap space, are playoff contenders, and have a studly offensive line. McCoy & Ivory are both over 30 and easily cuttable. GB will have a new coach, Jamaall Williams sucks, and Jones can't stay healthy. SF might feel they are fine but you could argue that Brieda was a nice story but is still an undrafted out of nowhere guy and while I doubt they do it McKinnon is easily cuttable with his contract and is coming off a torn ACL.
If I was the Colts I'd be all over Bell, even for those that think he's only a marginal upgrade over Mack, they have $121M in cap space, why not spend it on the best offensive weapon out there? Even if he busts you're still rolling in cap space and Luck's under contract for 4 more years.
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Godsbrother
Footballguy
Back in February 2017, when AB signed his contract extension, he was a much safer signing than Bell.
Isn’t that exactly what Antonio can’t handle?
T.Y. seems like a good guy...let’s not push him down the same road to ruin Brown is on. What happens if Antonio wins “team player of the week with cookies” ahead of Hilton next year? Unthinkable!
JohnnyU
Footballguy
That's why he (Brown) won't be in INDY. Diva Brown wants his cookies....and TY's cookies...all to himself.
Bell wont be there either now.
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grateful zed
Footballguy
ok, holding bell.
with gruden's current behavior, i dont see oak wanting to win next season either.
i dont see him in OAK
with gruden's current behavior, i dont see oak wanting to win next season either.
i dont see him in OAK
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OAK would just be dumb. This is a guy you hire to make a SB run. If OAK paid him, their ROI would be ZERO. Now, Gruden is stupid so it's certainly possibly that he thinks they are SB caliber by the time the draft is over.
http://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/74829/Le-Veon-Bell-reportedly-wants-to-play-for-the-Miami-Dolphins
What a moron. You want to be paid big $ and you spout off that you want to play for one of the worst teams in the league. Nothing like telling the teams that $ is your only interest, not winning.
Saying you would like to play for the Colts:
Saying you want to play close to home for a loser team:
What a moron. You want to be paid big $ and you spout off that you want to play for one of the worst teams in the league. Nothing like telling the teams that $ is your only interest, not winning.
Saying you would like to play for the Colts:
Saying you want to play close to home for a loser team:
We all love $$$$$$$$$$$$$$, and are totally selfish and ..ME~~~~~~~~~~~~ But as we all know we have to play our little games trying to hide that about ourselves. Not this guy, he doesn;t care who knows it and I do get this feeing he's not someone you'd want stuck on a bus/plane with for very long.
Give me some young kid thrilled to just be in the NFL. Young legs, 4yards a carry is all I really need.
Give me some young kid thrilled to just be in the NFL. Young legs, 4yards a carry is all I really need.
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Dizzy
Footballguy
We all knew that he's only interested in the highest bidder. If having a shot at winning was of any importance to him he would have rolled the dice on $15 mil and played for Pittsburgh last year.lod001 said:http://www.theredzone.org/Blog-Description/EntryId/74829/Le-Veon-Bell-reportedly-wants-to-play-for-the-Miami-Dolphins
What a moron. You want to be paid big $ and you spout off that you want to play for one of the worst teams in the league. Nothing like telling the teams that $ is your only interest, not winning.
Saying you would like to play for the Colts:
Saying you want to play close to home for a loser team:
Also, to be fair, the article basically says an unnamed source close to Bell making the statement... not Bell himself. Could all easily be BS/speculation just because Bell spends his free time in Miami.
The Le’Veon we saw on the jet ski last September was fat AF. Sure, he was wearing a life jacket but damn he was undeniably fat. Let’s not forget he was listed at 244lbs as a rookie. Le’Veon was fat.
If I were on the career cliff’s edge, I’d want a 2019 free agency guaranteed windfall over 2018 15.4M plus 2019 free agency. If he did play in 2018 and suffered an injury, not even that would tank his stock faster than being Lacy fat would. Buyer beware.
If I were on the career cliff’s edge, I’d want a 2019 free agency guaranteed windfall over 2018 15.4M plus 2019 free agency. If he did play in 2018 and suffered an injury, not even that would tank his stock faster than being Lacy fat would. Buyer beware.
JohnnyU
Footballguy
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
I agree..I saw Bell on the jet ski and he was buttery for sure.
When a player has an injury they are driven to return and probably train harder than they ever have to get back. Bell basically took a year off to party. Knowing that he is healthy and not going to play the whole season Bell did not have to train like a NFL player normally would.
grateful zed
Footballguy
Agree he was fat but not sure about the taking the year off thing being a part of it at the time. I believe he wavered on that till near the end, unbelievably he and his agent did not seem to grasp the leverage they had until close to the reporting deadline. But when Jeremy Fowler said he was coming back, I believe it's what Bell told him because at the time it's what Bell thought.
Part of the concern I'd have with giving him the contract he wants is not his weight and general motivation because he did transform his body from college and for that I heavily applaud him, he obviously worked hard at it but does that drive still exist after he gets paid? For two years at least now it seems like money is his big concern. For that I'm not faulting him, just saying that seems to be his primary focus. Considering he did not want to return to a team in the playoff hunt to me indicates money over love of football, money over winning. Again, that is understandable on his end but these are the actions of someone who does not love the game.
So you take all that into context and if I was a GM I'd have hard time giving him him his contract because I'd be scared to death I was paying for what he was and not what he'll be. If money was his big concern and motivating factor, what I am going to get for my return after I give him everything he's spent last two years wanting? Where is his drive now? Again that would be my worry. It's possible once he gets paid he's going to be motivated to prove his worth, but if was up to me I"d let someone else take that gamble.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Steeler
Footballguy
Because of the “if having a shot at winning was of any importance to him” statement. He passed on playing on a second one year contract for the Steelers after failing to negotiate a mutually agreed upon long term contract, but that doesn’t in and of itself mean that winning wasn’t/isn’t of any importance to him. Just a very simplistic take. “Rolling the dice” is exactly what it would’ve been as a running back looking for a long term deal, for a second consecutive season. He chose to do it once (so in 2017 winning was of importance to him?) but decided against it a second time (so then winning in 2018 was no longer of importance?). I’m not opining that it was a good/bad decision but I don’t blame him, nor do I think it’s reflective of how much he values winning. The amount of money he’d like to get paid and his desire to win aren’t mutually exclusive. Hence the eye roll.
The mention of Miami as being a spot to enhance Le’Veon’s rap career is also a concern, because it could be a distraction. Remember when Antrel Rolle’s cousin, Myron Rolle came out of college? A knock on him was him attending FSU as a neurosurgery student and essentially having a fallback plan. Myron did indeed quickly become a doctor.
Between Le’Veon’s thirst to be paid, 20 months off, past injuries/suspensions/heavy usage, wanting to be a rap star and being doughy last we saw him, I want no part of him.
Between Le’Veon’s thirst to be paid, 20 months off, past injuries/suspensions/heavy usage, wanting to be a rap star and being doughy last we saw him, I want no part of him.
Dolphins have the fifth-lowest amount of salary cap space in the league. They have some easily cuttable contracts like anybody else (Parker & Robert Quinn for example), but seems unlikely they can outbid most other teams without gutting their roster. Big money guys like Tannehill and Reshad Jones have lots of dead money making them harder to cut. Also, the Dolphins supposedly are planning on rebuilding, why would they be interested in 27 year old RB that will command top dollar?
fantasycurse42
Footballguy Jr.
Seems like a guy who collects his guaranteed money, puts on weight, and has maybe 1-2 more good years.
grateful zed
Footballguy
Godsbrother
Footballguy
I really hope the Steelers don't do this. I really don't see them matching anyone that would offer much more than what the Steelers already offered and I can't see them getting even a 3rd round pick in a trade when the Steelers have no leverage here.grateful zed said:
IMO they should reach out one more time to Bell and his agent to see if there is any way to work out a long term deal. If not just let him go and take the 2020 3rd round compensatory pick and move on.
Grahamburn
Footballguy
I feel like he's going to go through a Harper/Machado esque free agency period.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Mack had 119 or more rushing 3 of his last 5 games and averaged a td a game in that 5 game span, so Brown might make more sense for Luck.
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He also had less than 50 yards rushing in 4 of his last 7. Hilton will be 30, they need a young guy not another geezer, even one as great as Brown.
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Regarding the Colts, here is Ballard again sort of answering a question on if he'd go after Bell or AB: Ballard on AB and Bell
JohnnyU
Footballguy
Which jives with what a few Colts beat writers I follow have been saying all season on Bell and lately on AB.
I think the Gase hire is also bad news for Leveon. Gase seems to run more of a RBBC approach and judging by some of the players he jettisoned out of Miami I don't see them paying Bell what he is looking for, at least what he is expecting now.
Also was thinking of this yesterday when I heard Melvin Gordon say he was waiting for Bell to sign, seeming to assume Bell would help the RB pay landscape. I'm not so sure we don't see some RB pay regression vs last year. I honestly think if Arizona had to do over again they'd not have extended David Johnson. I think the Rams would still have extended Gurley but seeing how productive their system is for RB's it's reasonable to think they might have had some second thoughts lately.
If you study RB's on their second contracts it's a pretty low performing group. I'll remove DJ and Gurley since they were not really playing on their extension and here is the list of Rb's who last year played on their second contracts and I'm limiting this just to contracts with average of $5m plus a year.
Freeman
McCoy
McKinnon
Lamar Miller
Duke Johnson
Gio
Hyde
Dion just missed $5M cut but so close I'll throw him in the mix.
Sure does not look like good business paying big money on second contracts to RB's but also I'm just not seeing a team right now that is going to pay Bell the kind of money someone who just said no thanks for $14.5M for one season is expecting. Only takes one, just hard to pinpoint who that might be right now-kind of always assumed it would be the Jets until the Gase hire.
Buttonhook
Footballguy
Bell certainly has not helped his case since his holdout started, assuming he still wants to get paid max dollars.
There are a lot of questions about his passion for the game and his true desire to play football, and I think concerns with him getting his big (guaranteed) payday and never working hard after that are totally legitimate. There's also concerns with him losing a step and his injury history. He should have been working hard this season on his own, and making it clear that he's ready to work. But instead of videos of him staying in-shape and working out there's videos of him jet skiing and in strip clubs slapping ###.
At this point, he'll be lucky to get more than one-year guaranteed, and probably for not more than $11M-$12M.
There are a lot of questions about his passion for the game and his true desire to play football, and I think concerns with him getting his big (guaranteed) payday and never working hard after that are totally legitimate. There's also concerns with him losing a step and his injury history. He should have been working hard this season on his own, and making it clear that he's ready to work. But instead of videos of him staying in-shape and working out there's videos of him jet skiing and in strip clubs slapping ###.
At this point, he'll be lucky to get more than one-year guaranteed, and probably for not more than $11M-$12M.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
irish eyes
Footballguy
But instead of videos of him staying in-shape and working out there's videos of him jet skiing and in strip clubs slapping ###...LOL, my favorite part.
Buttonhook
Footballguy
Interesting take. I hope they realize their money will be better spent on other more pressing positions of need.Godsbrother said:
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