I have to admit. I'm loving this.

(09-06-2018, 12:44 AM)Go Cards Wrote: No it is not, especially when one never knows if a RB will be productive or healthy for 5 more years.

He should have signed.  Plus not so sure he will get any more money than that and will most likely play on a weaker team now. 

If Zeitler can get a $12 mil a year deal on the open market, Bell can get over $14 mil, easy.  It only takes one team.

(09-05-2018, 04:31 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: Listen to my link above. This dick nozzle isn't showing up any time before week 10. If that's the case, I'd deactivate him the rest of the way. 

He loses $855,000 every game he misses. If it's week 10, that's over 8 million. He will never get that money back on the next contract. I suspect he walks in Friday or Saturday and fakes an injury so they have to pay him, just like Tucker said he would.

In Fantasy Football always in Round 1 went Bell and Brown. Sometimes Bell was #1 pick. You take him off Steelers, and they aren't as good, I don't care how you look at it. The Steelers lost Ohio State LB Shazier and if now RB Bell, I don't care how good you are, it takes away from them. It does not mean division is just handed now to Bengals, not at all. It does mean Steelers have a lot of adjustments to make without them.

(09-06-2018, 07:31 AM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: I have to admit.  I'm loving this.

The Steelers have totally botched this.  They should have traded him already.  I'll lmao if/when he does report if he starts making some uncharacteristic "mental errors"on blitz pickups.

(09-06-2018, 09:27 AM)Whatever Wrote: If Zeitler can get a $12 mil a year deal on the open market, Bell can get over $14 mil, easy.  It only takes one team.

Zeitler did not hold his team hostage and have teammates turn on him. Not to mention OG's have longer careers than RB's and are safer bets. 

He is worth it on the field but is it worth the cancerous locker room ? 

But you are right he will get that, but do not see it long term like he will want. RB's shelf lives are not always long and he has wear and tear already and injury history.  

We shall see, would be pissed if the Bengals signed him for 15 million or more long term. 

(09-04-2018, 09:59 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: I count only 1 chin

Must be the angle. He had at least 4 chins in the photo I posted, which was also from this summer. 

(09-05-2018, 12:21 AM)Essex Johnson Wrote: 5 yrs 70 million is not peanuts

Nor is it as much as Todd Gurley makes (an inferior back)...and we don't know what they're offering in guaranteed money. Knowing the Steelers, it's probably not much. AFCN front offices (sans the Browns) are too smart to throw down massive guaranteed money on a high mileage RB. 

In short, I understand both sides. The Steelers are trying to play this smart, and Bell is trying to get paid...which comes with a small window when you're a RB. He's the best RB in the league by the numbers, so if he asked to be paid like it, why should we question that? Only if we don't like the guy or (Heaven forbid) we're a Steelers fan.

(09-03-2018, 07:33 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: You guys are obsessed. 

Permanent residency in their feeble illiterate minds.

(09-05-2018, 04:28 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: His agent is a dick, is it any wonder he's a dick too? Lol, please Vontaze take this guys knees out. Please! 

https://twitter.com/SiriusXMNFL/status/1037363281311281157

(09-06-2018, 01:28 PM)Go Cards Wrote: Zeitler did not hold his team hostage and have teammates turn on him. Not to mention OG's have longer careers than RB's and are safer bets. 

He is worth it on the field but is it worth the cancerous locker room ? 

But you are right he will get that, but do not see it long term like he will want. RB's shelf lives are not always long and he has wear and tear already and injury history.  

We shall see, would be pissed if the Bengals signed him for 15 million or more long term. 

Bell isn't holding the Steelers hostage, though.  It's really the other way around.  Bell isn't under contract to the Steelers.  Technically, they aren't even his teammates right now.  Plus, they are crossing the long held line of not involving themselves in other people's money.  Does anybody really care what Maurkice "Free Hernandez" Pouncey thinks about anything?  

The Steelers locker room is cancerous, but it isn't just Bell.  There's drama every year.  Ben's not happy with the OC.  Ben's gonna retire.  So and so is mad about their contract.  So and so just got busted for pot.  So and so is out there trying  to deliberately injure us by targeting guys in the head.  I've been targeting heads since I burst out of the womb in full pads and drilled the doctor helmet to helmet and I can't change the way I play now. I need a police escort to practice because I hit three red lights yesterday.   Give that locker room any reason to whine, and they'll whine.


If he wasn't worth the drama, the Steelers would have let him go already.  Dude knows what he can get.  Since he's not under contract, he can talk with any team he wants without them having to worry about tampering. 

(09-05-2018, 11:40 PM)Whatever Wrote: The Steelers can't give him any more money.  He can still get more money if he can get traded or released, neither of which is happening if he signs.  Like it or not, there are still business reasons as to why he hasn't signed.

Right or wrong, Bell feels screwed by the Steelers organization.  They had him play out his rookie deal for a fraction of what he was worth.  They tagged him, then wouldn't trade him after they failed to come to terms on a long term deal.  Then, they gave him a career record number of touches, tagged him again, then refused to trade him again after failing to come to terms.  His position has always been that if the Steelers won't pay him what he thinks he's worth, then let me go somewhere where I will.

His side of the argument is that he's putting up more yards and TD's than anybody else on the roster.  Brown got paid, twice, and Bell didn't.  If Bell played WR and put up the yards and TD's he does, he would have been paid already.  He's not getting paid primarily because he's a RB(being a pothead also hurts his case).  RB's don't get paid big long term deals because of the wear and tear on their bodies.  That feeds into the position that the Steelers are just trying to use him up in his prime without fairly compensating him, then will kick him to the curb when there's nothing left.  Which isn't far from the truth.  The Steelers are just trying to keep him there to get one more championship out of Ben before he retires and they have to start playing the QB lottery again.  If they were looking at the long term, they would have given Bell what he wanted and traded him.

Using your logic, everyone has business reasons to sandbag. Why should any player do anything above and beyond the minimum that would risk injury and impact your next payday? What about AJ Green? Perfect example. Demand a redo now and when the Bengals don't do it, sit out until week 10. Same next year, except reject every offer they throw at you, then sit 10 weeks, then hit FA in 2020 with less wear and tear on his body.

The mentality of the NFL is that you give it your all 100% of the time, not only for yourself, but for your teammates as well. This is a league where guys take head shots and try to stay in. They lie about how they feel and about symptoms in order to keep going. The NFL has spotters to watch over guys on the field and to physically drag them off when they're injured in order to save them from themselves. And Bell is admitting that he's going to not give 100% this season? That shit isn't going to fly. What his agent said yesterday has ruined his reputation in the league amongst the vast majority of the players, I guarantee it. 

Don't believe me? Read this. And Cutler actually had a sprained ACL.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/584342-jay-cutler-deserves-the-criticism-after-quitting-during-the-nfc-championship

At this point it's no longer about the money to anyone but Bell. Other players will have your back on this as long as you do it on your own time and don't affect them getting their money. And Bell not showing up until after the season starts could directly affect them getting theirs. Now he's potentially F'ing with their wallet. 

(09-06-2018, 01:17 PM)Whatever Wrote: The Steelers have totally botched this.  They should have traded him already.  I'll lmao if/when he does report if he starts making some uncharacteristic "mental errors"on blitz pickups.

What? Botched? They offered the man 1.5 times the next highest paid RB both last offseason and this offseason. Bell is a dope. Seriously, I'll bet that if you IQ tested him, he's be south of 90 and his agent would be just above it. 

(09-06-2018, 04:49 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: Using your logic, everyone has business reasons to sandbag. Why should any player do anything above and beyond the minimum that would risk injury and impact your next payday? What about AJ Green? Perfect example. Demand a redo now and when the Bengals don't do it, sit out until week 10. Same next year, except reject every offer they throw at you, then sit 10 weeks, then hit FA in 2020 with less wear and tear on his body.

The mentality of the NFL is that you give it your all 100% of the time, not only for yourself, but for your teammates as well. This is a league where guys take head shots and try to stay in. They lie about how they feel and about symptoms in order to keep going. The NFL has spotters to watch over guys on the field and to physically drag them off when they're injured in order to save them from themselves. And Bell is admitting that he's going to not give 100% this season? That shit isn't going to fly. What his agent said yesterday has ruined his reputation in the league amongst the vast majority of the players, I guarantee it. 

Don't believe me? Read this. And Cutler actually had a sprained ACL.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/584342-jay-cutler-deserves-the-criticism-after-quitting-during-the-nfc-championship

At this point it's no longer about the money to anyone but Bell. Other players will have your back on this as long as you do it on your own time and don't affect them getting their money. And Bell not showing up until after the season starts cojuld directly affect them getting theirs. Now he's potentially F'ing with their wallet. 

Well, for one, AJ is actually under contract.  If he sits, he can be fined by the team.  For another, he's already banked over $67 million for his career.  He's even said himself when asked about his next contract "I'm set for life, so I'm not really worried about it right now."  Green has made $67 million over 7 seasons, which averages out to about $9.5 million per season.  Bell has made just over $16 million over 5 years for an average of $3.2 million a year, the vast majority of that coming off of last year's franchise tag tender.  Bell would certainly have more justification to hold out for more money than Green.  Again, Green is under contract.  Bell is not.  Green signed a deal that was negotiated in good faith that he was happy with when he signed.  Bell essentially has a take it or leave it offer on the table from the Steelers that he has chosen not to sign because he is not happy with it.

Make no mistake, both sides are playing the system to their respective advantages.  It was very clear early in Bell's career that he was drastically underpaid on his rookie contract.  The Steelers chose not to address that after his third year, which was their best chance at get a team friendly deal done.  The following year, they gave Antonio Brown his second extension and couldn't agree to terms with Bell.  Issue there is Bell puts up more yards and TD's than Brown, but Brown has gotten two extensions because of the position he plays.  They tagged him again this year even though they knew there was no chance of a long term deal to try and milk one more playoff run out of the 3 B's.  Bell is working the system to his benefit by waiting to sign so he doesn't get as much wear and tear and can possibly force the tender to be rescinded.

The thing people don't seem to get is Bell is no more a Pittsburgh Steeler right now than any other unsigned NFL player.  He's not under contract, and he doesn't want to play there.  By this "always give 100%" logic, they would be livid at players skipping OTA's and training camp during a holdout.  They would be mad about guys getting "veterans' rest" at practice.  The only guys who could potentially be mad at Bell about money are guys who have playoff performance incentives in their contracts, and that's not Ramon Foster.  If anything, Bell not signing until late in the season frees up more money for other guys on the roster unless the Steelers just pocket it.

(09-06-2018, 04:55 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: What? Botched? They offered the man 1.5 times the next highest paid RB both last offseason and this offseason. Bell is a dope. Seriously, I'll bet that if you IQ tested him, he's be south of 90 and his agent would be just above it. 

The Steelers completely botched this.  They should have offered to do a long term extension during the last year of his rookie deal when they still had leverage and before Bell had long term financial security.  It was certainly apparent after last year that they were not going to be able to reach an agreement, so they should have traded him this off-season and gotten a draft pick or two out of him.  Instead, they've tried to hard ball him into one more year, he's pushed back and created a massive distraction for the team and they've got a huge chunk of money they set aside for the tag that could have been used to improve the team wasting away on a guy who won't play most of the season.  

(09-06-2018, 03:11 PM)Whatever Wrote: Bell isn't holding the Steelers hostage, though.  It's really the other way around.  Bell isn't under contract to the Steelers.  Technically, they aren't even his teammates right now.  Plus, they are crossing the long held line of not involving themselves in other people's money.  Does anybody really care what Maurkice "Free Hernandez" Pouncey thinks about anything?  

The Steelers locker room is cancerous, but it isn't just Bell.  There's drama every year.  Ben's not happy with the OC.  Ben's gonna retire.  So and so is mad about their contract.  So and so just got busted for pot.  So and so is out there trying  to deliberately injure us by targeting guys in the head.  I've been targeting heads since I burst out of the womb in full pads and drilled the doctor helmet to helmet and I can't change the way I play now. I need a police escort to practice because I hit three red lights yesterday.   Give that locker room any reason to whine, and they'll whine.


If he wasn't worth the drama, the Steelers would have let him go already.  Dude knows what he can get.  Since he's not under contract, he can talk with any team he wants without them having to worry about tampering. 

Good then teams will rush to give him a break the bank contract. 

Thread over

(09-06-2018, 04:49 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: Using your logic, everyone has business reasons to sandbag. Why should any player do anything above and beyond the minimum that would risk injury and impact your next payday? What about AJ Green? Perfect example. Demand a redo now and when the Bengals don't do it, sit out until week 10. Same next year, except reject every offer they throw at you, then sit 10 weeks, then hit FA in 2020 with less wear and tear on his body.

The mentality of the NFL is that you give it your all 100% of the time, not only for yourself, but for your teammates as well. This is a league where guys take head shots and try to stay in. They lie about how they feel and about symptoms in order to keep going. The NFL has spotters to watch over guys on the field and to physically drag them off when they're injured in order to save them from themselves. And Bell is admitting that he's going to not give 100% this season? That shit isn't going to fly. What his agent said yesterday has ruined his reputation in the league amongst the vast majority of the players, I guarantee it. 

Don't believe me? Read this. And Cutler actually had a sprained ACL.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/584342-jay-cutler-deserves-the-criticism-after-quitting-during-the-nfc-championship

At this point it's no longer about the money to anyone but Bell. Other players will have your back on this as long as you do it on your own time and don't affect them getting their money. And Bell not showing up until after the season starts could directly affect them getting theirs. Now he's potentially F'ing with their wallet. 

I agree with you, that the overwhelming majority of NFL players are fiercely competitive, and strive to be the best that they can be.  Leveon Bell is showing poor sportsmanship by not begrudgingly signing his tag and reporting to play football.  He's not only letting his teammates down, he's also showing the entire NFL community what he's really about...  Me first.

He may win the skirmish, by holding out and not playing.  But, I think that he's ultimately setting himself up to lose the war, when it comes to getting that huge money from another team.  As if the NFL needed another self-centered image problem right now?

(09-06-2018, 07:22 PM)Whatever Wrote: Well, for one, AJ is actually under contract.  If he sits, he can be fined by the team.  For another, he's already banked over $67 million for his career.  He's even said himself when asked about his next contract "I'm set for life, so I'm not really worried about it right now."  Green has made $67 million over 7 seasons, which averages out to about $9.5 million per season.  Bell has made just over $16 million over 5 years for an average of $3.2 million a year, the vast majority of that coming off of last year's franchise tag tender.  Bell would certainly have more justification to hold out for more money than Green.  Again, Green is under contract.  Bell is not.  Green signed a deal that was negotiated in good faith that he was happy with when he signed.  Bell essentially has a take it or leave it offer on the table from the Steelers that he has chosen not to sign because he is not happy with it.

Lol. Do you realize that for every game Bell sits out he loses $900,000? That's a pretty hefty non-fine. And whether AJ is under contract or not, and if he's happy with what he makes isn't the point at all. The point is that you think he would be justified sitting out as many games as possible, regardless of the impact on the team, in order to preserve his health in regards to optimizing the value of his next contract.



Make no mistake, both sides are playing the system to their respective advantages.  It was very clear early in Bell's career that he was drastically underpaid on his rookie contract.  The Steelers chose not to address that after his third year, which was their best chance at get a team friendly deal done.  The following year, they gave Antonio Brown his second extension and couldn't agree to terms with Bell.  Issue there is Bell puts up more yards and TD's than Brown, but Brown has gotten two extensions because of the position he plays.  They tagged him again this year even though they knew there was no chance of a long term deal to try and milk one more playoff run out of the 3 B's.  Bell is working the system to his benefit by waiting to sign so he doesn't get as much wear and tear and can possibly force the tender to be rescinded.

Would you offer a long term, big money contract to a guy who's had an injury history and two substance abuse suspensions? People have forgotten that he was and still is one failed drug test away from a one year suspension. Would YOU gamble $15M/yr and a guaranteed $40M to a guy like that? I'd like to see your thoughts had they signed him two years ago to $15M/yr and he subsequently went out and got high and suspended for a whole year. My guess is that you would be thinking that they botched the situation as well. 


The thing people don't seem to get is Bell is no more a Pittsburgh Steeler right now than any other unsigned NFL player.  He's not under contract, and he doesn't want to play there.  By this "always give 100%" logic, they would be livid at players skipping OTA's and training camp during a holdout.  They would be mad about guys getting "veterans' rest" at practice.  The only guys who could potentially be mad at Bell about money are guys who have playoff performance incentives in their contracts, and that's not Ramon Foster.  If anything, Bell not signing until late in the season frees up more money for other guys on the roster unless the Steelers just pocket it.


Wrong. They own his rights. If he was no more a Pittsburgh Steeler than any other unsigned NFL player, he wouldn't be an unsigned NFL player, would he? 

(09-06-2018, 08:07 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I agree with you, that the overwhelming majority of NFL players are fiercely competitive, and strive to be the best that they can be.  Leveon Bell is showing poor sportsmanship by not begrudgingly signing his tag and reporting to play football.  He's not only letting his teammates down, he's also showing the entire NFL community what he's really about...  Me first.

He may win the skirmish, by holding out and not playing.  But, I think that he's ultimately setting himself up to lose the war, when it comes to getting that huge money from another team.  As if the NFL needed another self-centered image problem right now?

Exactly. And he's too stupid to realize that damage that he's doing to his character right now. 

A current event at our local HS that is kind of related here....

Last weekend, 17 football players were at a party where some were watching college football outside on the deck and some others were further out in the yard drinking beer and smoking some pot. Police show up.....long story short, 5 get straight busted with beer. 6 more are not drinking and are allowed to drive home. A bunch of others got away. One cop who was there is also the HS cop during the day. He calls principal who asks him to take down the plate number of all the cars. Principal compares those plates to ones registered to park at HS, so he knows most who were there. He instructs coach to suspend the 5 drinking plus another 8 who talked to the police and/or drove to party, plus anyone else who admits to being there.

Monday after practice he in the locker room in front of everyone, he pulls the 13 aside, then asks if anyone else wants to voluntarily give themselves up. 3 more do. Those 16 are suspended one game. But one kid, the far and away best player on the team, a kid who is getting some serious D1 interest is silent. Nothing. He's playing Friday. But not without consequence. He's now on the rest of the boys shit list. They're freezing him out. No one has talked to the kid all week. They feel betrayed, especially the 3 who gave themselves up. They were a team, they were brothers up until last weekend. 

Not the same as Bell, but definitely an interesting parallel in regards to the bonding and the 'got each others back' team mentality that takes place in the locker room. 

(09-06-2018, 10:27 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: Exactly. And he's too stupid to realize that damage that he's doing to his character right now. 

A current event at our local HS that is kind of related here....

Last weekend, 17 football players were at a party where some were watching college football outside on the deck and some others were further out in the yard drinking beer and smoking some pot. Police show up.....long story short, 5 get straight busted with beer. 6 more are not drinking and are allowed to drive home. A bunch of others got away. One cop who was there is also the HS cop during the day. He calls principal who asks him to take down the plate number of all the cars. Principal compares those plates to ones registered to park at HS, so he knows most who were there. He instructs coach to suspend the 5 drinking plus another 8 who talked to the police and/or drove to party, plus anyone else who admits to being there.

Monday after practice he in the locker room in front of everyone, he pulls the 13 aside, then asks if anyone else wants to voluntarily give themselves up. 3 more do. Those 16 are suspended one game. But one kid, the far and away best player on the team, a kid who is getting some serious D1 interest is silent. Nothing. He's playing Friday. But not without consequence. He's now on the rest of the boys shit list. They're freezing him out. No one has talked to the kid all week. They feel betrayed, especially the 3 who gave themselves up. They were a team, they were brothers up until last weekend. 

Not the same as Bell, but definitely an interesting parallel in regards to the bonding and the 'got each others back' team mentality that takes place in the locker room. 

Oh yeah, that guy can definitely expect some "blocking breakdowns" when everyone is back on the field together.

There is a difference between a player that has signed a contract and refuses to honor that agreement and a player refusing to sign a contract they feel is unfair.  There is also a big difference between not earning money and having money directly taken out of your pocket.  If Bell was under contract, I would be with you in expecting him to honor the agreement he made.  However I can't fault someone for waiting to sign a contract they don't feel is fair.  Players refuse to sign contracts from their teams that they don't feel are fair all the time.  Players retire because they can't get a contract that pays them what they feel they're worth.  Every player in the league has a limited time to get as much money as they can before the clock strikes midnight.

Bell only has one strike against him on the NFL's substance abuse policy.  Part of the deal that got his second suspension reduced was also that he didn't get a strike for it.  It was a totally ridiculous deal, but he had the NFL over the barrel for leaking confidential medical information.  To me, if the guy is too much of a risk, I trade him for what I can get for him.  I'm not going to offer him 5 years/$70 million and say "Well...I won't give you $80 mil because you have pot busts."  Either I want you around or I don't.  If I'm worried about his knees, I would offer him fewer years, but wouldn't nickel and dime his aav.  If I was the Steelers, personally, I would have traded him and used the picks and money I saved to build up other areas of my team.  I have a franchise QB and arguably the best WR in the game on my offense and don't really need to sink another megadeal into a skill position player.

So, what list do the Steelers have him on?  Active roster?  Reserve/Did not report?  They do not own his rights.  He isn't an Exclusive Rights Free Agent.  As a designated franchise player, the Steelers have the right to match any contract he signs and are owed draft picks if they decline to match, but he is free to negotiate with and sign with any team he chooses.  He's not a Steeler until he signs the contract.

(09-06-2018, 11:18 PM)Whatever Wrote: So, what list do the Steelers have him on?  Active roster?  Reserve/Did not report?  They do not own his rights.  He isn't an Exclusive Rights Free Agent.  As a designated franchise player, the Steelers have the right to match any contract he signs and are owed draft picks if they decline to match, but he is free to negotiate with and sign with any team he chooses.  He's not a Steeler until he signs the contract.

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?