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RB Le'Veon Bell, FA - 9.6.21 Workout For Baltimore (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Eminence
- Start date
Honestly, I'm don't think it matters if Connor is doing well or not in regards to if or when Bell reports. Same goes for the Steelers as a whole.
Sounds like Bell is just concerned about his $$$.
TheFanatic
Footballguy
One game in which a backup did just as good as the starter. Makes one wonder if the team needs the starter or the backup. If you watched that game and thought it had no impact on Bell's value, then I can't help you. Cleveland was tough against the run last year. Time will tell if they are again this year.at thinking one game by a backup changes Bell’s value.
OK, but that would be a difference in their RB utilization (not that I think it'd be the wrong move). That's what I was asking. Do you think they'll do that, though?
"Wants" maybe isn't 100% accurate, but him not reporting & not letting the team know what is doing seems to be an attempt to make the team suffer the consequences of using the franchise tag as much as he believes he has suffered by being franchised.
If I'm Bell or his agent, today I call the Steelers/Tomlin and say "James can ball out, obviously. How about we agree to not beat the #### out of me this year? Give him 40%-50% of the work, and I'll give you my all when I'm out there." Team wins: they get Bell and Conner providing them with a great running game & maximize their SB chance this year. Bell wins because he gets $13.7M for the rest of this year, gets less work, thus preserving himself for FA, gets to hit FA next year & get the big deal he wants.
For him to do that though, requires him to swallow a bit of pride, IMO. He has to be pissed at the comments by the O-line, but if he wants his $$, this maximizes his chance at getting as much as possible.
For him to do that though, requires him to swallow a bit of pride, IMO. He has to be pissed at the comments by the O-line, but if he wants his $$, this maximizes his chance at getting as much as possible.
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matttyl
Footballguy
While I understand it won't happen - what's the situation if Bell doesn't report all year? He didn't accrue another season, I get that - so the Steelers still own his rights? But would they have to franchise him again to do so? And would that amount be the 2018 amount again, or the 2019 amount?
Interesting question. I don't know that this is answered specifically with regards to the franchise tag. A player must be on a roster for 6 games to accrue a season towards FA. If he doesn't, that means Bell doesn't accrue the season. If he doesn't accrue the season, it's like he never received the franchise tag (I guess). As a result, Pitt should be able to franchise him again, at 120% of his previous salary, which would be $14.5M.
TheFanatic
Footballguy
Exactly. If he doesn't report, he stays a RFA at the end of the season. If he reports for the last 6 games, he becomes an UFA.
Judge Smails
Footballguy
He's not doing this to become a restricted FA. He'll report.
![[icon]](/data/avatars/m/5/5167.jpg?1660313464){kind=avatar}
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Insoxicated
Exactly.
IMO he’s taking this opportunity for a mid-career “sabbatical” of sorts. I see no way he doesn’t come back in time for his 6 games to go UFA.
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Elevencents
Footballguy
Will be real interested to see who he signs with. If he follows the money you have to think it won’t be a contender - so he is absolutely going money > Super Bowl because there aren’t too many teams ahead of Pittsburgh when it comes to contending.
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TheFanatic
Footballguy
Exactly. He can chase the money with a team like the Jets, or he can sign with a legit team who also needs a RB who also has a ton of free cap space. Those teams are few and far between. Does someone want to come up with a list of potential suitors? I've got to jump off line right now or I'd take a stab at it.
Waste of their $ because he'll be gone before they are any good.
Kleck
Footballguy
Look at the last few SB teams. Many of them have a young QB on a cheap deal (or Tom Brady taking well below market value) which allows the team to make their run.
There is one team who has over $75M in projected cap room next year with what should be a strong O-line, an OC (who might be a HC) who is viewed as offensive-minded, a stud WR, another stud WR who will be a RFA in 2019 (making it possible for the team to resign him), a young, impressive looking D, and a QB on his rookie deal (along with a cheap veteran that they might be able to re-sign.
If Bell signs with Cleveland next year, IDK if they wouldn’t be favored to win the division over the Steelers.
Elevencents
Footballguy
LawFitz
Footballguy
The Raiders seem like a good fit if Marshawn retires next year. They're already paying him half of what Bell wants per year and are projected to have a ton of cap space without a certain stud DE on the books. Gruden wouldn't pay top dollar for a DE, but perhaps he might for an offensive weapon.
Dez
Footballguy
Survivor7700
Footballguy
The first team that popped into my head was the Indianapolis Colts. He would give them the RB they need with Luck and TY Hilton. They would all of the sudden be a force if they could get the Defense in order.
Been posted before, but here are some of the teams with projected big Cap numbers per Sportrac (I left out teams like Dal & Ari for example):
Colts - 122.7M
Jets - 105M
Texans - 90M
Bills - 90M
Browns - 77M
Seahawks - 71M
Raiders - 62.5M
Bengals - 62M
49ers - 61.5M
Lions - 47M
GB - 38M
Balt - 36.8M (and can save 10M more by moving on from Flacco)
Edit: Colts, Texans, 49ers all could be legit contenders with the right pieces and have a need at RB. If Bell goes to the Jets or Bills, well, he definitely was all about the money and that's all.
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Judge Smails
Footballguy
Look no further than the first 2 on your listBuckna said:
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Bojang0301
Omar4Heisman
https://twitter.com/akinkhabwala/status/1039250106934013952?s=21
“#Steelers talked about James Conner’s breakaway speed all last week. He hit 15+ mph on five of his 31 rushes (16.1%) and once hit 20+ mph.
Le’Veon Bell does tons no one else can. But in this category: in 2017, Bell hit 15+ mph on 30 of 321 rushes (9.3%). And he never hit 20 mph”
Bell is obj elite and a great receiver, but Connor is def on par in terms of running the football. As Waldman said yesterday, Bell is now a luxury for the Steelers.
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Insoxicated
IF Bell doesn't sign the tag this season his contract will toll to next year and he will still be under the franchise tag and for the same $14.54M.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
No. If he doesn't sign, there is no contract to toll. I just explained from the CBA how this works. He will not "still be under the franchise tag". The Stealers will have the option to offer him another Franchise Tender, albeit only a Non-Exclusive Franchise Tender, and with reduced compensation should he sign an offer from another team they do not match. They don't have to offer it, and if they FT someone else they can't FT Bell too.
edit: here's the CBA language, TLDR version
In the event that a ... Franchise Player has not signed a Player Contract...by the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season,the player shall be prohibited from playing football in the NFL for the remainder of that League Year
If any Franchise Player does not play in the NFL in a League Year, his Prior Team shall have the right to designate such player as a Franchise Player or a Tran-sition Player the following League Year, ...the player may be designated only under Section 2(a)(i) above (Non-exclusive Franchise Tender), except that Draft Choice Compensation of only one first round draft selection and one third round draft selection
CBA verbatim:
Section 15. Signing Period for Franchise Players:
(a) In the event that a player who is designated and tendered as a Franchise Player has not signed a Player Contract with a Club by the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season, at 4:00pm New York time, the player shall be prohibited from playing football in the NFL for the remainder of that League Year, absent a show-ing to the Impartial Arbitrator of extreme Club or extreme personal hardship. The determination of the Impartial Arbitrator shall be made within five days of the applica-tion, and shall consider all information relating to such hardship submitted by such date. The determination of the Impartial Arbitrator shall be final and binding upon all parties.
(c) If any Franchise Player does not play in the NFL in a League Year, his Prior Team shall have the right to designate such player as a Franchise Player or a Tran-sition Player the following League Year, if such designation is otherwise available to the Team, except that the applicable Tender must be made and any 120% Tender shall be measured from the Player’s Prior Year Salary. If such a player is redesignated as a Fran-chise Player for the League Year following the League Year in which he does not play, the player may be designated only under Section 2(a)(i) above, except that Draft Choice Compensation of only one first round draft selection and one third round draft selection
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So, Bell gets to solicit offers from other teams next year, whether he signs his tender or not (unless he signs and Pitt franchises him for a 3rd straight year at the QB franchise rate-unlikely). I doubt it, but I wonder if Bell plans on sitting out all year (thus avoiding ANY wear & tear on his body), guaranteeing that he will get to see how other teams value him and ensuring he will be 100% healthy. Again, I think this is unlikely, as any prospective new team would not only have to offer him a contract he'd accept, but they'd also have to give up a 1st & a 3rd.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Yeah they won't FT him next year if he signs this year, and no way he doesn't sign at some point. He's not going to give them that leverage again.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
He won't do that because if the Steelers offer him the Non-Exclusive Franchise Tender nest year, it will kill his market since if he signs with another team and the Steelers don't match that team forfeits their 1st and a 3rd to the Steelers. So who wants to give up a first and sign him to a huge contract?
Godsbrother
Footballguy
In the unlikely event that Bell does not report this season I don't think the Steelers franchise him again (unless Conner flops or seriously injured). Once you place the franchise tag on him you have account for his franchise amount under the cap and I doubt they would do it again considering he could hold out or retire (he already threatened this before). I think the team is done with him and does not want to go through this drama again.
I fully expect to see LeVeon report but whether it is this week, next week or week 10 is anyone's guess.
steelers1080
Footballguy
Schefter said that sources believe he'll show up in Sept, but I wouldn't believe anything unless it comes from Leveon or his agent directly. Right now bank on week 10. Schefty be damned.
Scenario 1 - Bell signs the tag before the deadline and plays the last six games. If Pittsburgh puts the franchise tag on him in 2019 he would be paid the average of the five highest players salary at any position.
Scenario 2 - Bell doesn't sign the tag and sits out the whole season. Then Pittsburgh can tag him again for the same $14.54 M. The tag amount will not increase for Bell the 2019 season because he did not play under the tag in 2018.
Scenario 2 - Bell doesn't sign the tag and sits out the whole season. Then Pittsburgh can tag him again for the same $14.54 M. The tag amount will not increase for Bell the 2019 season because he did not play under the tag in 2018.
TheFanatic
Footballguy
The only way Schefty can be right here is if he sites Source, not sources. As in a single source which is Bell himself. I don't care what anyone "Believes" besides Bell. The team believed he would be there for game 1, then Rappaport said they believed he would sign this past Saturday. Actually, scratch that. I don't even believe Bell here. He led everyone to believe he would be there week one, so even if it was just one source and that source was bell, I wouldn't believe it. That guy is not coming back till week 10.
I said that in the last line of my previous post, however, (and I know they are different positions), Chicago just traded 2 firsts, 1 3rd, & 1 6th in exchange for Mack, a 2nd, and a 5th for the right to give Mack a massive, long-term contract. So it's not out of the question.
To be fair, I don't think Bell ever said that. We had reports that he told teammates he'd show, then HE came out immediately and said "fake news." I don't believe he ever said he'd report by a specific day.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
As a Bell owner I’m planning that he’ll be back after Week 10. Anything before that is gravy.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
I am pretty sure that Bell and his agent been all over the place since the end of the 2017 season. His agent definitely said he would report by week 1 "barring something exceptional" and there were reports when training camp started that Bell had told several of his offensive lineman he would sign on labor day weekend.
Then again Bell said back in January that he might hold out or even retire if he was franchised so I agree with TheFantatic, I don't think anyone knows when Bell will report.
TheFanatic
Footballguy
Bell said he would have his best season ever in 2018. Pretty sure he needs to be on the field week 1 to pull that off.
Bronco Billy
Footballguy
And Bell does not acrue another year of service, putting him back in the exact same spot but wasting a year of his career to do so.
Hankmoody
Footballguy
Looks like he has it right now. The FT would be non-exclusive, not exclusive, but everything he wrote is actually correct.
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
NJ
Footballguy
I wonder if these are the same sources that said he'd report last Monday, then Wednesday, then Saturday, now sometime in September. These "experts" just keep throwing stuff against the wall until something sticks. Eventually they will be right but right now it seems they are all just guessing like the rest of us.
Maybe. Maybe for Bell, holding out to stay healthy and protect his FA opportunity makes it his best year.
His agent may have said that, but as far as I can tell, Bell never did. As for his teammates reportedly being told by Bell he'd report, he refuted those reports almost immediately after they were made public. And even Pouncer after running his mouth and guaranteeing Bell would report on Wednesday, admitted that Bell never said that, that he was just speculating.
steelers1080
Footballguy
If Conner has 3 more games in a row with over 100 yards rushing, I wouldn't be surprised if Bell came back. Not because he's worried about losing his job or value, but because if the rushing attack is going that well he could feasibly increase his value and put up monster stats. But, that's just a guess. I'm no "Source".
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