Bell doesn’t rejoin the Squealers

[Whatever]

(09-07-2018, 06:53 AM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: Wrong again

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000919812/article/steelers-use-exclusive-franchise-tag-on-leveon-bell

And isn't this just a different way of saying that they own his rights? 

(09-07-2018, 07:27 AM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: Also, all of the negotiations between Bell and the Steelers took place before the Todd Gurley contract. That's kind of been lost in all of this and tends to retrospectively put things in a different light.

The Steelers weren't just dicking him around with low ball offers, they legitimately thought that they were making him a really good offer at 5 years $70M since....at the time.... it was more that one and a half times the next highest paid running back. And I agree, it was, and still is a really good offer. From Bell's perspective though, it wasn't enough guaranteed (IIRC it was 30 some million). Fair point, but if you've been following this for the last two years like we do in Pittsburgh, you'd know that Bell has been all over the map with what he wants. Between his agent, tweets, and rap songs, his demands have gone from 12 to 14 to 15 million, always just out of reach of what the Steelers have been offering. He's been moving the goalposts for 2 years.

So yeah, in hindsight maybe the Steelers should have put the non exclusive tag on him and let him negotiate and possibly get two first rounders. Given the Gurley contract, that seems like it maybe would have worked (although I doubt it, because TWO first rounders is steep for any player).

As far as giving him what he wants, then trying to trade him, that's not an option. There are cap issues you'd have to deal with, including accelerating any signing bonuses into the current years cap when you trade someone. If they gave him a $10M bonus over 5 years, that counts $2M/year against the cap. Trading him immediately after means that all 5 years bonus money, $10M, is accelerated into this years cap. The dead money on the books would be crippling. 

That's my bad.  I didn't realize they put the exclusive tag on him.

The Steelers made Bell a good offer.   I'm not going to argue that.  He wasn't low balled.  But he can get more on the open market.  After playing out his rookie deal and then getting tagged, Bell obviously doesn't feel like giving them the hometown discount.  Or, he just doesn't want to play there regardless of the money and the Steelers are using the tag to keep him there.  I would say he feels dissed by the Steelers because he had to play out his rookie deal and guys like Brown and Villanueva didn't.

If the Steelers had any intention of trading Bell, they wouldn't have used the exclusive tag on him.  That's likely a big reason Bell is so ticked.  They are basically using the tag to attempt to strongarm him into accepting their offer. Every year he's under the tag, the less he's worth on the open market. 

The Steelers could have traded him without taking the cap hit.  Basically, Bell's agent would work out a contract with the team he is being traded to.  Bell would then sign the franchise tag tender, which has no bonus money associated with it, the Steelers would do the trade, and Bell would sign the new deal with the new team.  But, it appears they had no intention of allowing him to seek a trade, so the point is moot.

At the end of the day, both parties have their fair points and their BS.  The Steelers are doing what they think is best for them and Bell is doing what he thinks is best for him.  From what I've seen in the past with the Bengals, using the franchise tag to keep a disgruntled player never seems to work out well for either party.