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L. Bell/Steelers fail to reach agreement - last year in Pittsburgh?


mjp28

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Le'Veon Bell, Steelers fail to reach long-term deal ahead of deadline

4:52 PM ET
  • fowler_jeremy.png&w=160&h=160&scale=crop
    Jeremy FowlerESPN Staff 

The Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Le'Veon Bell failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension before Monday's 4 p.m. franchise tag deadline, and his agent says that means it is likely Bell's last season with the team.

"His intention was to retire as a Steeler," Adisa Bakari told ESPN's Adam Schefter. "But now that there's no deal, the practical reality is, this now likely will be Le'Veon's last season as a Steeler."

Bell will play on the franchise tag for the second consecutive year barring an unforeseen development. He tweeted after Monday's deadline passed that "2018 will be my best season to date.".......... ESPN........ CONTINUED.......

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No deal for Steelers and RB Le'Veon Bell.
No deal for Cowboys and DeMarcus Lawrence.
No deal for Lions and Ziggy Ansah.
No deal for Rams and Lamarcus Joyner.
A dud of a deadline day. But the Free Agent Class of 2019 just got stronger.
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23 minutes ago, mjp28 said:

Le'Veon Bell, Steelers fail to reach long-term deal ahead of deadline

4:52 PM ET
  • fowler_jeremy.png&w=160&h=160&scale=crop
    Jeremy FowlerESPN Staff 

The Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Le'Veon Bell failed to reach an agreement on a contract extension before Monday's 4 p.m. franchise tag deadline, and his agent says that means it is likely Bell's last season with the team.

"His intention was to retire as a Steeler," Adisa Bakari told ESPN's Adam Schefter. "But now that there's no deal, the practical reality is, this now likely will be Le'Veon's last season as a Steeler."

Bell will play on the franchise tag for the second consecutive year barring an unforeseen development. He tweeted after Monday's deadline passed that "2018 will be my best season to date.".......... ESPN........ CONTINUED.......

And should you blow out a knee, you're screwed Le'veon. Steelers don't overpay. They were kicking this around on Fox Sports, and he would have been better off taking a long term deal with more guaranteed money than playing under the franchise tag. 

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http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/28194/what-no-deal-means-for-leveon-bell-and-the-steelers

What does this mean for Bell's future with the franchise?

That he's one and done, basically. There's no going back on a failed negotiation with $14.5 million as a starting point. Tagging Bell a third time would cost $20.88 million, and that's after another 300-plus touches. Even a transition tender of $17.42 million seems unlikely.

Bell can hit unrestricted free agency in 2019 as a 27-year-old with mileage issues but a skill set that should age well since he relies more on vision/quickness/savvy than raw athleticism to get yards. Cleveland or San Francisco or the New York Jets will pay him something.......

*[Hmmmmm, let's see, Big Ben real old, A. Brown getting older, Le'veon who knows?]

What about re-signing him straight up next year?

Perhaps if injury or another unexpected variable diminishes his value and Pittsburgh gets him at a value, but that seems unlikely for a player of his caliber.

What will the Steelers do now?

Give Bell the ball over and over in 2018, then prepare for life without him. Develop draft picks James Conner and Jaylen Samuels, hope for the best -- and for a good compensatory pick from Bell's 2019 departure.......

Oh yeah. ;)

 

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How much of Bell's success would you attribute to playing for the best organization in professional sports (meaning they know how to draft and develop players to fit their philosophy better than anyone else in professional sports), and to a somewhat lesser extent for a top 5 offense with a definite first ballot HOF QB and a likely first ballot HOF wide receiver?

Just saying, put Leveon Bell in another organization, and on another offense,  and you might not see the same production out of him. 

For someone other than Pittsburgh, he could very well go from really, really Shmucking good to above average.

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https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/report_le_39veon_bell_turned_down_5_year_70_million_deal/s1_12680_26836694  no we don't need to be the team to pay this premma'donna next season.. how much do ya need per touch in a pass happy league? #selfishLabia 

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2 hours ago, gumby73 said:

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/report_le_39veon_bell_turned_down_5_year_70_million_deal/s1_12680_26836694  no we don't need to be the team to pay this premma'donna next season.. how much do ya need per touch in a pass happy league? #selfishLabia 

Its "Prima Donna.. Not Premma...

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13 hours ago, onkyoreceiver said:

How much of Bell's success would you attribute to playing for the best organization in professional sports (meaning they know how to draft and develop players to fit their philosophy better than anyone else in professional sports), and to a somewhat lesser extent for a top 5 offense with a definite first ballot HOF QB and a likely first ballot HOF wide receiver?

Just saying, put Leveon Bell in another organization, and on another offense,  and you might not see the same production out of him. 

For someone other than Pittsburgh, he could very well go from really, really Shmucking good to above average.

I put little of Bell's success on the organization per se.  His talents (and those of BR, Brown etc.) help make the organization, not the other way around. He could easily have had the same production elsewhere.  In theory he could have had more production, if he had not had to share the ball with Brown etc. 

Nevertheless, with the mileage he will have had on him by the end of this season, it is still possible that he would have a limited "shelf life" after this season.   Maybe he is one of those Frank Gore types that can be productive into even his mid 30s, but those guys are rare.

In the last 10 years the league's leading rushers have all been 26 and under....except for Adrian Peterson.

And here is an interesting factoid:

In the history of the NFL and the AFL going back to 1932....only 3 times has a RB led the league in rushing who was 30 or older:

2015 Adrian Peterson  age 30

2004 Curtis Martin age 31

1950 Marion Motley age 30

I know Bell is not that old, but last year he led the NFL in rushing attempts with 321, and you never know, it may be possible that someone's skills can drop like a hammer when they reach a certain point.  

Nevertheless, it seems that after this year, whether or not he can or cannot prove durable, he will almost certainly be doing it for someone else.

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3 hours ago, gumby73 said:

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/report_le_39veon_bell_turned_down_5_year_70_million_deal/s1_12680_26836694  no we don't need to be the team to pay this premma'donna next season.. how much do ya need per touch in a pass happy league? #selfishLabia 

A Pre Madonna?   What would that be like Debbie Harry , Olivia Newton John, Petula Clark, Debbie Boone...or the like? :rolleyes:

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6 hours ago, gumby73 said:

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/report_le_39veon_bell_turned_down_5_year_70_million_deal/s1_12680_26836694  no we don't need to be the team to pay this premma'donna next season.. how much do ya need per touch in a pass happy league? #selfishLabia 

If Bell thinks a team is going to hand him a $70 million contract with $30 million guaranteed next year, both him and his agent are nuts.

EDIT: Here's the #s from Spotrac. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/base/   Bell thinks he's worth Aaron Rodgers money, and a lot more than Ben. :D

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50 minutes ago, hoorta said:

If Bell thinks a team is going to hand him a $70 million contract with $30 million guaranteed next year, both him and his agent are nuts.

EDIT: Here's the #s from Spotrac. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/base/   Bell thinks he's worth Aaron Rodgers money, and a lot more than Ben. :D

At most I think he may have 1 or 2 more good years in him. 

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10 minutes ago, The Gipper said:

At most I think he may have 1 or 2 more good years in him. 

This is from ESPN earlier in the year Gip- MHO Le'veon has an extremely inflated notion of his "value".   

Last July, Bell turned down a long-term contract that reports said was worth up to $30 million in the first two years because he felt the team didn't value his full skill set.

Asked what the Steelers should do this off season, Bell said simply: "Value me."

"Just get the numbers straight, exactly where we want them. I'm not going to settle for anything," Bell said. "I know what I do and what I bring to the table. I'm not going out here getting the ball 400 times if I'm not getting what I feel I'm valued at."

Looking at those Spotrac salaries, there's probably at least 10 guys making less than Bell I'd pick for my roster if given the chance. 

PS- maybe the Steelers should have signed him to that cap busting salary- a plus for the Browns when they get in cap hell.  

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In all likelihood this is Bells last year as a Pittsburgh Steeler.  He is going to set out the entire off-season and not report until game one. Would you trade Carlos Hyde and a third round pick  To the Steelers conditional on #BAL agreeing to a long-term contract with the Browns.

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Look, I don't like the Steelers, and I hate MSU, but Bell is a hell of a back. The risk of injury he puts himself at with the workload at his position probably warrants a lot of compensation. Now is it what he wants, the market will decide.

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7 minutes ago, jcam222 said:

In all likelihood this is Bells last year as a Pittsburgh Steeler.  He is going to set out the entire off-season and not report until game one. Would you trade Carlos Hyde and a third round pick  To the Steelers conditional on #BAL agreeing to a long-term contract with the Browns.

Answer: No way in hell!! Keep the prima dona in Pissburgh & ruin THEIR salary cap.

Mike 

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I think that Bell will be a problem all season.

Why risk injury and jeopardizing your shot at a big contract? Bell may not get the crazy money he wants, but the new contract signing bonus alone will be a nice chunk of change. I see him coasting at times saving himself for his new team.

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1 hour ago, Canton Mike said:

Answer: No way in hell!! Keep the prima dona in Pissburgh & ruin THEIR salary cap.

Mike 

Yes, along with big ticket guys big ben and a. brown......many die hard steeler fans totally agree.

GO BROWNS! 

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5 hours ago, jcam222 said:

In all likelihood this is Bells last year as a Pittsburgh Steeler.  He is going to sit out the entire off-season and not report until game one. Would you trade Carlos Hyde and a third round pick  To the Steelers conditional on #BAL agreeing to a long-term contract with the Browns.

No way in hell, as others have said. He wants double what any other RB is making this year. He wants more than a bunch of QBs, and every top DE\pass rusher. I'll give you a different scenario. Think the Texans would trade Clowney or Watt to the Steelers (who both make far less) for Bell straight up? Heehee. 

4 hours ago, The Gipper said:

Screw him then.  Sure, he has been a hell of a back.  But as far as I am concerned he can tear his achilles, or his MCL/ACL...ACLU/UCLA...all of the above.

Why is everybody talking so much on here about the Shittsburg Squealers?  

Just fun to talk about a guy who has an extremely inflated value of what he thinks he's worth. The Steelers problems should make you very happy Gip. 

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15 hours ago, MLD Woody said:

Look, I don't like the Steelers, and I hate MSU, but Bell is a hell of a back. The risk of injury he puts himself at with the workload at his position probably warrants a lot of compensation. Now is it what he wants, the market will decide.

And the sad part of it is that "bell cow" RB's really get screwed in this proposition. Basically any other position on the field a healthy 26-27 year old would be considered in their prime. However, RB's (fairly) don't get that benefit of the doubt, at all. 

With that being said, if there's even a whiff of truth he got that 5 year offer, he was a moron to turn it down.

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16 hours ago, The Gipper said:

Screw him then.  Sure, he has been a hell of a back.  But as far as I am concerned he can tear his achilles, or his MCL/ACL...ACLU/UCLA...all of the above.

Why is everybody talking so much on here about the Shittsburg Squealers?  

Bad karma.

The Steelers are the top dog to beat. To be the best you must beat the best.

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30 minutes ago, boo fagley said:

Bad karma.

The Steelers are the top dog to beat. To be the best you must beat the best.

They are only the best by default....because none of the other teams in this division have even been mediocre. So, the barely above average Steelers take the division crown.

Let me correct that:  Most of the Steeler team is barely above average, if that.  However, they have the exceptional talent at 4 spots:   QB/BR  RB/Bell WR/Brown, and OL coach/Munchak.     So, yes, I believe that parity is such in the NFL that superior talent in just a few places can make a difference.

I will even agree with you to a certain point...that Tomlin is not an exceptionally talented HC.  But he is a good solid HC that by no means should be terminated.  But...if the Steelers didn't have the 4 assets mentioned above...perhaps you would really see how good Tomlin would be as an HC if he did have this exceptional talent to work with. 

(that said, even with these exceptionally talented assets....other teams are better overall).

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1 hour ago, The Gipper said:

They are only the best by default....because none of the other teams in this division have even been mediocre. So, the barely above average Steelers take the division crown.

Let me correct that:  Most of the Steeler team is barely above average, if that.  However, they have the exceptional talent at 4 spots:   QB/BR  RB/Bell WR/Brown, and OL coach/Munchak.     So, yes, I believe that parity is such in the NFL that superior talent in just a few places can make a difference.

I will even agree with you to a certain point...that Tomlin is not an exceptionally talented HC.  But he is a good solid HC that by no means should be terminated.  But...if the Steelers didn't have the 4 assets mentioned above...perhaps you would really see how good Tomlin would be as an HC if he did have this exceptional talent to work with. 

(that said, even with these exceptionally talented assets....other teams are better overall).

Oh come on. Browns aside the AFC North has arguably been the best conference in football for the past decade. The Bengals and the Ravents have been to the playoffs 5 times since 2009 and the Ravens won the frikin Super Bowl in that time frame. In fact, the Ravens have only had one season below .500 in that time frame.

Data also clearly backs this up (from 2015, to be fair): https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/08/nfl-most-wins-per-division-afc-north-nfc-east-best-divisions-in-football-most-playoff-appearances

I don't like the Steelers as much as any Browns fan, but they have been an exceptionally run organization making great moves for years. It's the simple truth.

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3 minutes ago, jrb12711 said:

Oh come on. Browns aside the AFC North has arguably been the best conference in football for the past decade.

That was then, this is now.  Now, other than the Steelers, the AFCN teams were average or worse.

 

The Bengals and the Ravents have been to the playoffs 5 times since 2009 and the Ravens won the frikin Super Bowl in that time frame. In fact, the Ravens have only had one season below .500 in that time frame.

In 2015 the Kansas City Royals won the Super Bowl.  Now they will lose over 100 games.  In 2015 the Broncos won the Super Bowl, last year they went 5-11.  Just because the Ravens won that title in 2012 does not mean they will be worth a shite in 2018

Data also clearly backs this up (from 2015, to be fair): https://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/08/nfl-most-wins-per-division-afc-north-nfc-east-best-divisions-in-football-most-playoff-appearances

Again...in NFL terms, 2 years ago is ancient history.   The Browns once appeared in 11 consecutive Championship games.  That history is no less relevent now than what the AFCN did in 2015.

I don't like the Steelers as much as any Browns fan, but they have been an exceptionally run organization making great moves for years. It's the simple truth.

They have been well run...not disputing that....but the difference between them and being mediocre is still those 3-4 players/coaches.

 

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Sports maybe now more than ever is cyclical, planned parity as much as the leagues can manage it. Sure you will have some teams that get stuck in ruts but " worst to first" is more the norm now.

The steelrz team building will be challenged in the next few years. 

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3 hours ago, jrb12711 said:

Oh come on. Browns aside the AFC North has arguably been the best conference in football for the past decade. The Bengals and the Ravents have been to the playoffs 5 times since 2009 and the Ravens won the frikin Super Bowl in that time frame. In fact, the Ravens have only had one season below .500 in that time frame.

 

I don't like the Steelers as much as any Browns fan, but they have been an exceptionally run organization making great moves for years. It's the simple truth.

I think you may be correct. Imagine if Tomlin was a better coach what they could have accomplished. 

Part of the "exceptionally run organization" is getting players' suspensions reduced, replays overturned in their favor, and a lack of penalties called against them. They're one of the chosen franchises in today's NFL, and hopefully that's coming to an end.

 

 

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