Changed my thoughts about the Bell contract

[Northern_Blitz]

Bell was injured in the playoffs one year I believe. Just once. The other 2 times it was the regular season. Once it was the 8th game, not due to high touches just Burfict twisting a leg while falling on it. DeAngelo had 170 yards on the ground the next game vs Oakland.

I think I've done this breakdown before, but I can't find the post. Bell was drafted in 2013. Here are the playoff games we've played since then.

2013: Missed playoffs

2014:
- Lost WC game (Ravens). Bell had zero caries. Leading rusher was Josh Haris with 9 carries.

2015:
- Won WC game (Cincy). Bell had zero carries. Leading rusher was Fitz Toussant with 17 carries.
- Lost Division game (Denver). Bell had zero carries. Fitz again had the most carries with 12.

2016:
- Won WC game (Mia). Bell was unstoppable in this game (because he's a great RB). 29 carries almost 170 yards.
- Won Division game (KC). Bell again unstoppable and he always owns KC. 30 carries almost 170 yards.
- Lost AFCC (NE). Bell goes down after 6 carries, does not return. DeAngelo has 14 carries for a dismal 34 yards. I'm pretty sure that's his last game in the NFL.

2017:
- Lost Divisional (Jags). Bell plays the whole game and is great. Average on the ground, but because he's probably the best all around back in the game puts up almost 90 yards receiving.

So. We've had 7 playoff games in Bell career. He's missed 3 due to injury. Played 3 complete games. And was injured in the 7th.

He's missed half of the playoff games during his tenure with the team. But, I don't think it's because he's "injury prone" (i.e. more likely to get hurt during a given touch). Instead, I think he often ends the season unable to play because he gets more touches than everyone else in the league. This increases his chances of getting hurt.

Re: division of labor. I've said multiple times that I think that in the best alternate timeline for the Steelers, they actually used Blount. Then, they wouldn't have been screwed when Bell was hurt in the playoffs because they'd have another NFL caliber back on the team. This worked well when Bell was suspended because Williams hadn't regressed off a cliff yet. I also think it would also have deflated Bell's value to the point where his price tag would be more reasonable relative to other backs in the league.

I don't think that we play Bell too much because he gets paid too much. I think that we play him too much because he's so well rounded. As I said above, I think we would have been better off by managing his touches by splitting him with Blount (or someone else). That would make us slightly less good in the regular season, but way better in the playoffs because we'd be playing Bell then instead of watching him on the sidelines while Toussant, Todman, and old man Williams carry the rock.

As far as Shazier is concerned. Most teams don't have a Shazier quality back up on their roster. It happened so late in the year we were stuck and other LB's were injured. It happens.

My issue isn't that the backup wasn't Shazier's quality (obviously that's impossible because he wouldn't be a backup then). My issue is that we didn't seem to have a backup at the position. I don't think Big Red was a good option at the position (and the team didn't play him there, but it could be due to injury as they say). If Spence without practicing is better than Fort, then why the heck didn't we cut Fort and keep Spence in the first place? I think it's pretty clear that we didn't have any contingency for Shazier getting hurt. It's why I hope that the undrafted ILB with off-field issues pans out.

I definitely think when we are salting away games Bell shouldn't be in the game. I have no problem giving him a few less touches as well. Problem is Conner wasn't ready as a pass protector. I think moving forward we may see a slight change in philosophy now that Haley is gone. Then again, if you are paying him 14 mill, you have to use him. Dude is a 3 down back and a nightmare for opponents. You don't split carries with a guy like that. 70/30 should work.

I totally agree with the first part here. You deal with putting in a guy who isn't as good as Bell during the regular season because it should keep him fresher for the end of the season. This is how other sports are evolving. I wish that the Steelers were on board with what seems to be the sports science here. But, I think one of the few issues that Tomlin has is that he doesn't seem to believe in splitting carries for RBs (from Fast Willie to Bell). I think it's a mistake that has shortened playoff runs. This isn't a call for Tomlin's job (unless we're replacing him with Bill B)

[feltdizz]

Yeah, I hear you and from my disagree with some of your points.

However Cap keeps implying we can’t have 2 above average RB’s because of Bells salary. Pretty sure we could’ve drafted Kamara last year. We went with Conner because he is a change of pace and a home town hero. He looked pretty good besides his pass protections and hopefully he will improve once healthy.

Also think Bell may have been injured due to a ton of carries when we went to the AFCCG. The other 2 injuries tho? That’s just 2 bad hits on his knees.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Pretty sure we could’ve drafted Kamara last year.

In order to get Kamara, we would have not been able to get Juju.

[feltdizz]

In order to get Kamara, we would have not been able to get Juju.

Thanks. For some reason I thought he went in the 4th round.

I prefer JuJu but my point still stands. We could’ve drafted another RB if we really wanted to but we had more pressing needs.

Its not because of money, it’s because we drafted a few suspect WR’s.

I think its dishonest to say Bell is handicapping our team. Injuries, bad draft picks, etc are much more impactful than a player who produces.

[squidkid]

Thanks. For some reason I thought he went in the 4th round.

I prefer JuJu but my point still stands. We could’ve drafted another RB if we really wanted to but we had more pressing needs.

Its not because of money, it’s because we drafted a few suspect WR’s.

I think its dishonest to say Bell is handicapping our team. Injuries, bad draft picks, etc are much more impactful than a player who produces.

a player that is making 1.5 times more than the next highest rb last year and demanding to make 2 times as much this year is handicapping the team
we have been relatively major injury free the last several seasons and i dont recall you(or just about anyone else on here) say that we drafted any bad players
all fans have their favorite player (that they see no wrong in) yours just happens to be bell.

[Steel Maniac]

a player that is making 1.5 times more than the next highest rb last year and demanding to make 2 times as much this year is handicapping the team
we have been relatively major injury free the last several seasons and i dont recall you(or just about anyone else on here) say that we drafted any bad players
all fans have their favorite player (that they see no wrong in) yours just happens to be bell.

Boom....

He’s trying to handicap us but this is Bell’s last year wearing a Steeler uniform. He can go punk the Jets ,49ers or some other sucker. We won’t be played.

http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/27910/as-leveon-sits-jaylen-samuels-hopes-to-answer-the-bell-for-steelers

[feltdizz]

a player that is making 1.5 times more than the next highest rb last year and demanding to make 2 times as much this year is handicapping the team
we have been relatively major injury free the last several seasons and i dont recall you(or just about anyone else on here) say that we drafted any bad players
all fans have their favorite player (that they see no wrong in) yours just happens to be bell.

I’m not one to call a draft pick bad until I see him on the field.

Coates was a bad pick. Dude gets separation but couldn’t catch once he hurt his hand.

Bryant was a good pick initially but he smoked himself into a bad pick.

I think its weird how you keep lying on everyone.

Anytime a pick doesn’t pan out it can be labeled a bad pick. I know you pride yourself in being the only guy in here to make all the right predictions but most folks are patient and actually like this team so they want to see all the picks pan out.

and no, Bell isn’t handicapping the team because his production is insane.

[Northern_Blitz]

Boom....

He’s trying to handicap us but this is Bell’s last year wearing a Steeler uniform. He can go punk the Jets ,49ers or some other sucker. We won’t be played.

http://www.espn.com/blog/pittsburgh-steelers/post/_/id/27910/as-leveon-sits-jaylen-samuels-hopes-to-answer-the-bell-for-steelers

I don't get the "boom" thing...maybe I'm too old. First, what Squid said wasn't really all that new. I think that it's factually incorrect (the loss of Shazier was kind of a big deal). Second, I think that sites like this work way better if we're trying to learn from what other people thing instead of trying to "beat" or "destroy" or "eviscerate" someone else.

My read on Felt's position is that Bell is a great player and that it's not unreasonable for him to ask to be paid what he'd earn if he wasn't on a tag. I think that he's right on both counts. I think that letting Bell walk after this year will make the team worse in the short term and signing him to fair market value would make the team worse in the medium to long term.

I don't think either option is unreasonable depending on whether you want to maximize the short term or not.

[feltdizz]

I don't get the "boom" thing...maybe I'm too old. First, what Squid said wasn't really all that new. I think that it's factually incorrect (the loss of Shazier was kind of a big deal). Second, I think that sites like this work way better if we're trying to learn from what other people thing instead of trying to "beat" or "destroy" or "eviscerate" someone else.


My read on Felt's position is that Bell is a great player and that it's not unreasonable for him to ask to be paid what he'd earn if he wasn't on a tag. I think that he's right on both counts. I think that letting Bell walk after this year will make the team worse in the short term and signing him to fair market value would make the team worse in the medium to long term.

I don't think either option is unreasonable depending on whether you want to maximize the short term or not.

Batman sound effects dude.... Boom, Biff, Splat!

Squids main contribution to the board is trolling fans for liking the Steelers

[Captain Lemming]

and no, Bell isn’t handicapping the team because his production is insane.

Dizz, my beef with your position is that there IS a point at which Bells demands outpaces his value.
When his demands exceeed the entire league by such a wide magin, paying him puts us at a disadvantage because we have less to pay everyone else.
Bells production IS insane because as you yourself implied, the OC relied too heavily on him to begin with.

For example Bell was third in the league in rushing NOT because he was a superior runner. It is because he LED THE LEAGUE in carries by a wide margin. He led the league in attempts DESPITE missing a game.
If Bell had the same carries as the league leading rusher he would have had 1088 rushing yards Dizz.

Bell is a great receiver as a back true. But when he was out for that long stretch in 2015 our actual "passing game" was better despite Deangelo being a far inferior receiver than Bell.
Fact is the QBs (including Mike Vick and Landry that year) simply threw more to other targets, and Deangelo contibuted as a receiver like a more typical back.

How did we suffer? More points as a team, more rush yards as a team, more pass yards as a team, more rush touchdowns as a team, more pass touchdowns as a team.

My point Dizz is that Bells ridiculous numbers are largely a measure of over reliance on ONE player on a team full of weapons.

You rightly spoke of how OC "chose" not the use Blount and Deangelo much when Bell was healthy.

It only adds to my argument that we would be fine without Bell as long as we have a couple of "good" backs.

That savings could be used to beef up other positions.

See the SB champs of recent years as proof of that my friend.
Teams with a "good" roster of backs go to and win SBs, while the Steeler and our future HOFer "best back in the league" watched the game on TV.