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How is the L.Bell/J.Conner situation going to play out? (1 Viewer)

Saboo

Footballguy
Seems to me this situation may be the one that will have the biggest impact on FF leagues going forward. I just assumed that Bell would report during the bye week and he would be in the Steelers lineup ASAP. I also assumed that he would be in their starting lineup day one (shows you what I know) considering he didn’t report on the Steelers bye week, when is his likely return date? Any Steelers homers out there with a better idea of his return date?

My question is how does this play itself out.

1/ Will Bell come in and take over the lead back role immediately?

2/ Will it be a rbbc?

3/ Will Bell be traded?

4/ Will the Steelers bring back Bell, but give him a limited role as he is clearly not the future? I’ve heard some scenarios that because of the friction between the two parties the Steelers could bring Bell back, but not pay him for two weeks and force him to sit. Im sure someone could give a more articulate picture of that scenario.

I’m at a total loss as how to play this scenario going forward as a Conner owner. 

 
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Bell is screwed. He won't be back until he's required to. As an owner, I always thought that anyone can run in that system after DeLo came in and was rock solid at 30+. He's lost millions he won't get back. But on the other hand, they were screwing him with the f-tag.

 
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Here is how it will go:

They will split touches week 9 (rendering both borderline flex plays).  Week 10 on Bell will get 90+% of the touches absent injury. 

Sucks as a Conner owner but like my grand papi always used to say: wishing ain't gonna make that chocolate milk.

YWIA.

 
5/ Bell won't show up this year. The Steelers won't assign the franchise tag for a third straight year on him because they don't want to pay him like a top 5 QB. They might put the transition tag on him, but that only means they could match whatever enormous contract he gets next year. He will also be fresh after a year off recovering from a heavy 2017 workload instead of being beaten into the ground with another 400+ touch season. If the healthy year off prolongs his career, he would make more overall money for his career despite the lack of salary this season (effectively replacing this year's missed $14M with an additional year at the end). But what do I know? I only read the CBA.

 
5/ Bell won't show up this year. The Steelers won't assign the franchise tag for a third straight year on him because they don't want to pay him like a top 5 QB. They might put the transition tag on him, but that only means they could match whatever enormous contract he gets next year. He will also be fresh after a year off recovering from a heavy 2017 workload instead of being beaten into the ground with another 400+ touch season. If the healthy year off prolongs his career, he would make more overall money for his career despite the lack of salary this season (effectively replacing this year's missed $14M with an additional year at the end). But what do I know? I only read the CBA.
Would it count as a third franchise tag if he never signed the 2nd one?

 
Perhaps this franchise tag thing doesn't really work all that well in the first place? IDK, but this whole shenanigans is not good for football, fantasy football, and skews the whole landscape. I mean Bell owners, unless they handcuffed Connors, pretty much lost this whole year. Connor owners found a gift so big they pretty much unfairly will lead their league, or near the top. Imagine picking up an undrafted Connor and scoring like a RB #1? Then Bell could come back and play or could have been traded. You could end up with two RB #1's on different teams.

As a Bell owner in the FFPC my team was pretty much done for the year before one game was even played. $350 down the damn tubes because of this NONSENSE. Do you think I'm an advocate of fanchise tags? PLAY FOOTBALL, MAN!!!

 
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Here is how it will go:

They will split touches week 9 (rendering both borderline flex plays).  Week 10 on Bell will get 90+% of the touches absent injury. 

Sucks as a Conner owner but like my grand papi always used to say: wishing ain't gonna make that chocolate milk.

YWIA.
I'll take the contrarian view:

IF Bell shows up, the Steelers exempt him 2 weeks and then ease him in the next 2 games.  Beyond that Conner & Bell share the load and their number of snaps depends on how each week unfolds.  If the game is a shootout Bell will get more snaps, if the Steelers are ahead late then Conner gets the bulk of the snaps.

 
Perhaps this franchise tag thing doesn't really work all that well in the first place? IDK, but this whole shenanigans is not good for football, fantasy football, and skews the whole landscape. I mean Bell owners, unless they handcuffed Connors, pretty much lost this whole year. Connor owners found a gift so big they pretty much unfairly will lead their league, or near the top. Imagine picking up an undrafted Connor and scoring like a RB #1? Then Bell could come back and play or could have been traded. You could end up with two RB #1's on different teams.

As a Bell owner in the FFPC my team was pretty much done for the year before one game was even played. $350 down the damn tubes because of this NONSENSE. Do you think I'm an advocate of fanchise tags? PLAY FOOTBALL, MAN!!!
Unfairly?   Was there an autocorrect problem or something with that statement?

 
I'll take the contrarian view:

IF Bell shows up, the Steelers exempt him 2 weeks and then ease him in the next 2 games.  Beyond that Conner & Bell share the load and their number of snaps depends on how each week unfolds.  If the game is a shootout Bell will get more snaps, if the Steelers are ahead late then Conner gets the bulk of the snaps.
I think this makes a lot of sense. 

 
Bell is a better player than Conner.  When Bell returns, he will take 50% of the snaps initially and then more as each week passes. 

 
Bell is a better player than Conner.  When Bell returns, he will take 50% of the snaps initially and then more as each week passes. 
I agree with the first part. I believe a motivated and healthy Bell is a better player than Conner, at least as a receiver. I don't think it's a massive gap between them at all though, but there is one.

I don't agree with the second part at all. IF he comes back and once the 2 week roster exemption issue is worked out, Bell will have to prove (1) that he's committed for the remainder of this year, (2) that he's in game shape, and (3) that he's enough of 1 and 2 that he can produce at a level similar to or better than what Conner has. I wouldn't assume any of those things.

Bell is going to have to earn his way back onto the field in that role, and after sitting out the entire offseason, preseason, and first half of the season, it's not a sure thing that he will.

 
Bell missed training camp last season and it took him 4 games to get back to form.  This season he missed training camp and likely 10 games.   The guy hasn't played a lick of football since January 14.  I really don't think the Steelers expect or are planning on a heavy reliance on Bell for several weeks after he reports (if he reports at all)

 
Bell is a better player than Conner.  When Bell returns, he will take 50% of the snaps initially and then more as each week passes. 
Bell is obviously a better receiver, but Connor is a better runner between the tackles. I'm sorry, but his yards per carry prove that point. Connor is not getting phased out of this offense and this is coming from someone that owns both. 

 
Nope.  If he doesn't sign the one this year, the Steelers can tag him again next year at the same $14.5mm tag contract he is offered this year.
And at this point I don't think the Steelers would do that unless they could work out a trade before the July deadline, they just want to move on...

 
Bell is obviously a better receiver, but Connor is a better runner between the tackles. I'm sorry, but his yards per carry prove that point. Connor is not getting phased out of this offense and this is coming from someone that owns both. 
It's pretty much impossible for someone's YPC over 6 games to prove any point.  Bell's career YPC is 4.3.  Conner's YPC this year is 4.4.  Before the last game, Conner's YPC was 4.1.

 
It's pretty much impossible for someone's YPC over 6 games to prove any point.  Bell's career YPC is 4.3.  Conner's YPC this year is 4.4.  Before the last game, Conner's YPC was 4.1.
Bell's YPC has decreased the past few years. The Pitt o-line is built more for Connor's style. 

 
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Bell's YPC has decreased the past few years. The Pitt o-line is built more for Connor's style. 
That's fine and you may well be right - I don't have a strong opinion either way.  But I don't think the 6-game sample of YPC is proof of anything. 

 
A frustrated owner just offered Bell and Hilton for our Ingram and Boyd. Sure wish I had a crystal ball on Bell.

Bell > Ingram - when playing

Hilton > Boyd - when healthy

 
5/ Bell won't show up this year. The Steelers won't assign the franchise tag for a third straight year on him because they don't want to pay him like a top 5 QB. They might put the transition tag on him, but that only means they could match whatever enormous contract he gets next year. He will also be fresh after a year off recovering from a heavy 2017 workload instead of being beaten into the ground with another 400+ touch season. If the healthy year off prolongs his career, he would make more overall money for his career despite the lack of salary this season (effectively replacing this year's missed $14M with an additional year at the end). But what do I know? I only read the CBA.
We have our answer.

 

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