https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/nfl-pittsburgh-steelers-news/2017/6/28/15879742/report-steelers-and-leveon-bell-contract-talks-slow-but-still-ongoing-franchise-tag-groin-injury

Pay the man.... pay him huge money....please. Here's hoping the Stealers pay him crippling money and make him the highest paid running back in history. Then when he gets injured again....

It never ceases to amaze me how running backs think they're more valuable than any other player on the team when their life expectancy in football is generally about that of the common house fly.. 
Hell, I hope he gets the single biggest contract in the history of football, 100% guaranteed money payable regardless of injury, suspension, imprisonment or any other bad news.. It's only the right thing to do Rooney! 

(06-29-2017, 11:06 AM)grampahol Wrote: It never ceases to amaze me how running backs think they're more valuable than any other player on the team when their life expectancy in football is generally about that of the common house fly.. 
Hell, I hope he gets the single biggest contract in the history of football, 100% guaranteed money payable regardless of injury, suspension, imprisonment or any other bad news.. It's only the right thing to do Rooney! 

In this case you have everyone telling the running back that hes "probably the best all around back in the league."  And older running backs are telling him--"your life expectancy is that of a common house fly; get your money now."  I totally understand the push for more money.

Please overpay this glass kneed pot smoking clown.

They could probably absorb the contract hit if the rapist retires and gets off the books. Then a rookie contract for 4-5 years at qb should cover Bell's good years.

(06-30-2017, 11:36 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Please overpay this glass kneed pot smoking clown.  

They could probably absorb the contract hit if the rapist retires and gets off the books.   Then a rookie contract for 4-5 years at qb should cover Bell's good years.

He said it's one word, dammit!  Therapist, as in sex therapist for the unwilling.

The Steelers are not going to break the bank for a running back. Never have. They'll run Bell this year under the tag until his wheels fall off (or gets injured, again) and then part ways with him before next season.

(07-05-2017, 12:25 PM)BMK Wrote: The Steelers are not going to break the bank for a running back. Never have. They'll run Bell this year under the tag until his wheels fall off (or gets injured, again) and then part ways with him before next season.

This would be the smart play given his injury and drug use history. But with Ben calling it quits in the next couple of years they may be able to absorb the contract given they will have a qb on a rookie deal.

(07-05-2017, 12:45 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: This would be the smart play given his injury and drug use history.  But with Ben calling it quits in the next couple of years they may be able to absorb the contract given they will have a qb on a rookie deal.

That may be so, but that organization does not consider running back a position they'll financially stretch too far for. Sure they would prefer to keep him, he's one of the best and fits their scheme perfectly, but they don't necessarily need to make him one of the highest paid RB's in the league in order to run their offense. Letting him walk would surely result in a downgrade at the position, but it's not like it'll cripple their offense either. I think the bottom line is that they have already shown they are able to win without him, so why not spend the money he'll be demanding in other areas.


Of course, I could be totally wrong.

(07-05-2017, 04:56 PM)BMK Wrote: That may be so, but that organization does not consider running back a position they'll financially stretch too far for. Sure they would prefer to keep him, he's one of the best and fits their scheme perfectly, but they don't necessarily need to make him one of the highest paid RB's in the league in order to run their offense. Letting him walk would surely result in a downgrade at the position, but it's not like it'll cripple their offense either. I think the bottom line is that they have already shown they are able to win without him, so why not spend the money he'll be demanding in other areas.


Of course, I could be totally wrong.

Yeah I understand what you are saying. I just thought they had to hold on to two positions on offense where they can be dominate. If Ben leaves that leaves WR only with a question mark at qb. Could be rough years for the. If they can't run the ball. AB has already shown he is not good without Ben .

(07-05-2017, 06:32 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Yeah I understand what you are saying.   I just thought they had to hold on to two positions on offense where they can be dominate.   If Ben leaves that leaves WR only with a question mark at qb.   Could be rough years for the. If they can't run the ball.   AB has already shown he is not good without Ben .

You have a valid point.....Assuming Ben retires soon, it would seem to make sense to tie up Bell long term. Having a league leading, all pro rb makes for a nice safety net for a new qb.  However, as I said, the Steeler's philosophy is that with a strong OL, you don't necessarily need (to pay) a superstar RB to be successful.  

Personally, If I'm Bell, the fact that Ben's years are numbered (read your last sentence), and that, unlike the Steelers, there will be other teams willing to throw whatever amount of money at him that he wants, I'm not going to negotiate too hard with Pgh just to stay there. 
I say he's gone after this coming season.

(07-06-2017, 01:19 PM)BMK Wrote: You have a valid point.....Assuming Ben retires soon, it would seem to make sense to tie up Bell long term. Having a league leading, all pro rb makes for a nice safety net for a new qb.  However, as I said, the Steeler's philosophy is that with a strong OL, you don't necessarily need (to pay) a superstar RB to be successful.  

Personally, If I'm Bell, the fact that Ben's years are numbered (read your last sentence), and that, unlike the Steelers, there will be other teams willing to throw whatever amount of money at him that he wants, I'm not going to negotiate too hard with Pgh just to stay there. 
I say he's gone after this coming season.

Trust me. I hope he leaves. Then when Ben is done the Steelers will be pedestrian.

I don't know why most stars do not force the two years of franchise tag.

(07-06-2017, 02:32 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Trust me.  I hope he leaves.  Then when Ben is done the Steelers will be pedestrian.  

I don't know why most stars do not force the two years of franchise tag.

Neither do I............   I can understand if a player is among the top five in the league at his position and would be setting the bar anyways, but a lot of these guys don't do it when the one (or two) year tag would be more than they'd make in multiple seasons.  

They say "long-term stability," but why do they need long-term stability when they're making a lot more money in one year than most people see in a lifetime? 

Bell is living proof marijuana kills brain cells. They said on the NFL Sirius channel today He was offered a five year deal... 30 Million guaranteed for two years, 45 mil over three years, 12 million a year average over the 5 years..... The highest paid back in the league is making about 8 mill a year, so Bell's offer was almost double for the first three years. So he refuses to sign and instead plays on the franchise tag for 12 million..... on two repaired knees. Basically, they were laughing at him calling it a "Big Mistake". I'm surprised his agent didn't smack him..... he'll never make it to the next offer... he has played 18 games over his career....

(07-18-2017, 09:38 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Bell is living proof marijuana kills brain cells. They said on the NFL Sirius channel today He was offered a five year deal... 30 Million guaranteed for two years, 45 mil over three years, 12 million a year average over the 5 years..... The highest paid back in the league is making about 8 mill a year, so Bell's offer was almost double for the first three years. So he refuses to sign and instead plays on the franchise tag for 12 million..... on two repaired knees. Basically, they were laughing at him calling it a "Big Mistake". I'm surprised his agent didn't smack him..... he'll never make it to the next offer... he has played 18 games over his career....

What a douchebag!

(07-18-2017, 09:38 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Bell is living proof marijuana kills brain cells. They said on the NFL Sirius channel today He was offered a five year deal... 30 Million guaranteed for two years, 45 mil over three years, 12 million a year average over the 5 years..... The highest paid back in the league is making about 8 mill a year, so Bell's offer was almost double for the first three years. So he refuses to sign and instead plays on the franchise tag for 12 million..... on two repaired knees. Basically, they were laughing at him calling it a "Big Mistake". I'm surprised his agent didn't smack him..... he'll never make it to the next offer... he has played 18 games over his career....

The amount of money he'll make in 2018 and beyond if in 2017 his he is league MVP and breaks every major single season rushing stat record still isn't all that much more that what he could have accepted this week. The ROI from interest you'd get on having that much more money now and having that much guaranteed money in the next few years is far more stable and far easier to predict than the future performance of an NFL running back.  His agent did him a major disservice by not convincing him the far less risky option with a slightly diminished potential return wasn't the only acceptable decision. 

(07-18-2017, 10:35 PM)6andcounting Wrote: The amount of money he'll make in 2018 and beyond if in 2017 his he is league MVP and breaks every major single season rushing stat record still isn't all that much more that what he could have accepted this week. The ROI from interest you'd get on having that much more money now and having that much guaranteed money in the next few years is far more stable and far easier to predict than the future performance of an NFL running back.  His agent did him a major disservice by not convincing him the far less risky option with a slightly diminished potential return wasn't the only acceptable decision. 

Bell is an idiot. He is too worried about setting the market instead of being on a winning team. When Detroit pays him some crazy amount and he never goes back to the playoffs he will look like a moron.

I'll be surprised if he makes it through the season uninjured. He basically just gave away 16 million dollars.....

(07-19-2017, 08:56 AM)Sled21 Wrote: I'll be surprised if he makes it through the season uninjured. He basically just gave away 16 million dollars.....

Agreed.

The Steelers will rightfully run him ragged.

(07-18-2017, 09:38 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Bell is living proof marijuana kills brain cells. They said on the NFL Sirius channel today He was offered a five year deal... 30 Million guaranteed for two years, 45 mil over three years, 12 million a year average over the 5 years..... The highest paid back in the league is making about 8 mill a year, so Bell's offer was almost double for the first three years. So he refuses to sign and instead plays on the franchise tag for 12 million..... on two repaired knees. Basically, they were laughing at him calling it a "Big Mistake". I'm surprised his agent didn't smack him..... he'll never make it to the next offer... he has played 18 games over his career....

 





I just saw where he wants to be paid like a #1 back and a # receiver combined, since he was the second-best receiver on the team last year.

See below and notice that he'll be even more injury-prone by holding out 

And you know it's just his ego because it's not like he's going to struggle to feed his family on 12 million or not have enough to put into retirement.

Another reason that I'm glad he's holding out is, say he signed the tag, showed up, had an unbelievable season, and then next season could hold the Steelers hostage for an even bigger payday or just bolt and go get big money somewhere else.  

He knows he's injury-prone, especially with all he does, even more especially all he does in the open field with cutting and putting wear-and-tear on his knees.

Will the Steelers finally break to a player's demands?!

(07-19-2017, 10:54 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: Agreed.  

The Steelers will rightfully run him ragged.

And, depending on how much longer he holds out, his body will be more prone to injury than it already is just from not being ready for the beating he'll take and all the rigors it will do to his body.

I could see him trying to hold out through preseason just to try to show the Steelers what they're missing, which would make him more like glass than he already is.

Regarding my first point, I know people will say "so you think he's just hanging out at home and not working out on his own?"  To which I say, valid point, but there's a much bigger difference between doing it on your own with no contact and no opposition to make you move suddenly in ways that your body's not used to and just working out by running sprints, living, agility drills, etc.

Unless I'm wrong, which happens occasionally the deadline to have a deal signed has passed and he is now a franchise tag player. He can play under the tag or not, but I don't think they can do a deal now.....