Steelers Listening To Trade Talks For Bell

[Whatever]

(09-24-2018, 03:49 PM)StrictlyBiz Wrote: If they release him, they get absolutely nothing. If he signs the tender, plays the minimal amount of games, then leaves during FA in the offseason, they will get a 3rd round pick in 2020. So they A) are not stuck and will release him, and B) will get more than a 5th. They will get a minimum 3rd.

The Steelers have handled this situation as best as any team could. They offered him a deal that was far and away the best contract for a RB and he balked. This is all on Bell and his idiocy. What he's given up ($2.5M so far) he will never make again, regardless of what his next contract is. He's flushing untold millions down the drain, but hey, what the hell, it's saving the Steelers tons. I really believe that Bell has a very low IQ. It would be interesting to have him tested. I'll bet he's under 90. 

The Steelers can't release Bell, because he isn't under contract.  They can rescind the franchise tag tender and make him an UFA and get no compensation because the deadline for players qualifying for compensatory picks has passed.  They are currently trying to trade him, but that's an exercise in futility.  The team he gets traded to is only getting him for this year since they are prohibited from signing him to an extension until the start of the new league year.  Even then, if he's unwilling to play for the Steelers under the tender until the final 6 games, he's likely unwilling to play for any other team under those terms.

Bell's position has only been strengthened by the Steelers' coaches and players feeding into the drama and struggling out of the gate.  The more they lose, the more the Rooney's have to wonder if that third round compensatory pick is worth it.  They've already had to soften their no trade stance.  At this point, Bell may decide to sit the entire season and dare the Steelers to try and tag him next year.  The Steelers could decide to do that, obviously, but they would be cutting off their own nose at that point.  He's losing money by not playing, but he will lose a lot more if he plays and detonates a knee.  If he suffers a significant injury this year, he will have missed his only chance at ever getting that Big NFL payday.  Honestly, he only needs to average like $2 million more per year on a 4 year deal to make back what he's losing this year.

Anyone who thinks the Steelers dealt with this the best they could have is being a homer or delusional.  They made Bell a good offer last year, although the guaranteed money was crap.  Putting the exclusive franchise tag on him this year and preventing him from negotiating with other teams was a massive blunder.  The smart play after seeing what happened last year would have been to give Bell the standard franchise tag and given his agent permission to seek a trade.  Either Bell would've seen that the Steelers made the best offer and resigned or the Steelers could have worked out fair compensation and used the picks and cap space to improve the team.  Instead, the Steelers attempted to use the exclusive tag to strongarm Bell into a take it or leave it situation, and Bell called their bluff.  Now they have a ton of internal drama, a ton of cap dollars doing nothing to help their team, and are going to get worse compensation when he leaves.