Well...

[squidkid]

let bell walk. the team will be better for it.
i cant believe some are so infatuated with bell that they will risk the near and far success of this team just so he gets paid.

[feltdizz]

Carlos Hyde is a very good runningback. He's played on a crappy team with a crappy O-line and no real QB. If he were here, Hyde would look like a top 5 runningback in the NFL. Because we have an O-line and we have a passing game that keeps defenses from bringing the safety down in the box.

You guys are not valuing how good our O-line really is.

its a combination of things. We really have no idea how another RB will look behind our OL for a whole season.

Even with D’Angelo who led the league the first 3 games in 2016. He was great vs the Redskins but he only averaged 2.7 a carry vs Philly and Cincinnati.

[Steel Maniac]

its a combination of things. We really have no idea how another RB will look behind our OL for a whole season.

Even with D’Angelo who led the league the first 3 games in 2016. He was great vs the Redskins but he only averaged 2.7 a carry vs Philly and Cincinnati.

I strongly disagree. At one point deangelo was the # 1 runningback in football for the 3-4 weeks he was the starter. Because the O-line and passing game is that good.

[Northern_Blitz]

I prefer to pay the piper after Ben retires. It’s the perfect way to get a high pick for our next franchise QB.

Me too. But I also want to maintain flexibility while he's still playing.

Let's say we sign Bell to this monster deal and he has a major injury that costs him about a season's worth of games while Ben is still playing. I think that this is not an unreasonable situation given that he plays the most physically damaging position in the league and has dramatically more touches than anyone else over the last 2 years.

Then we still have to replace* Bell on the cheap, but we don't get the improvement on D.

And the significant injury doesn't even have to be to Bell. Having so many huge contracts makes it harder to fill gaps elsewhere on the team. We're seeing that now with Shazier's injury.

For the sake of flexibility, I'd much rather have Bell on the tag this year at at $15M cap hit vs. an $8M cap hit and >$15M for the three following years.

The only way I'd do a long term deal like this is if Ben told me that it was his last season. Then, (1) I sign this deal with Bell, (2) extend everyone to make room for some help on D. This would make the few years after Ben tough...but I'd live with that and try to use it to draft another franchise QB.

That being said, the Steelers have done a really good job with the cap in general. If they thing this is the best way forward, it's probably because they know more than I do.

* replace = get someone to play RB. I don't think a single RB will replace Bell's production.

[Northern_Blitz]

February 20th is the first day that players can be tagged this offseason.

There is a two-week window to apply franchise or trainsition tags starting today.

The ultimate decision must be made by 4:00 p.m. EST on March 6th, 2018.

If the FO is serious about trying to negotiate a long term deal, Bell will be tagged at the last possible moment. If he's tagged earlier than that, I think it means that the FO thinks they're at an impasse.

[SteelCrazy]

I don't know how the hell they finesse these cap numbers but that versions sounds pretty good to me.

We better win it this coming season, because after that, going by this articles numbers, in 2019 he would count 16 mil cap wise, then 18 mil, and 19 mil. We may not have enough money to field a defense after the 2018 season.

[feltdizz]

I strongly disagree. At one point deangelo was the # 1 runningback in football for the 3-4 weeks he was the starter. Because the O-line and passing game is that good.

Its because he ran all over the a Redskins in the first game for 155 yards.

Next game he had 32 carries for 94 yards. 2.9 ypc

3rd game 8 carries 21 yard season. 2.6 ypc

just sayin’

one good game and then his numbers weren’t as impressive. I think the #1 rushing stay that early in the season isn’t nearly as impressive once you step back and look at the numbers.

Its like having the #1 D in the first 3 games because you had one great game. It’s way too early in a season to brag about rankings.

[feltdizz]

We better win it this coming season, because after that, going by this articles numbers, in 2019 he would count 16 mil cap wise, then 18 mil, and 19 mil. We may not have enough money to field a defense after the 2018 season.

We may have to sell the stadium.

Seriously, we are pretty good at this when it comes to the cap. I’m sure we will make it work.

I think some of you are being a little sensational when it comes to cap numbers like it all falls apart if we sign Bell.

[JUST-PLAIN-NASTY]

I think the Steelers tag and/or sign Bell long term. It's a risk if they do & if they don't. Since "window" is a variable...I think he will be here. Don't know if I agree or not but if they hit in the draft early on defense it will look like the right decision.

[Northern_Blitz]

We may have to sell the stadium.

Seriously, we are pretty good at this when it comes to the cap. I’m sure we will make it work.

I think some of you are being a little sensational when it comes to cap numbers like it all falls apart if we sign Bell.

I think that if we signed him at those numbers, and he played 4 years without getting hurt (or at least the first 3), and we hit on at least two young defenders who were good right out of the shoot (while they play under market on their first contract) we'd be OK for as long as Ben is here.

I think that's a bunch of risk to take and that we have a surer path to being good for the rest of Ben's career if we go with a cheaper option at RB (when we already have a very good O) and improve the D (where we're not good without Shazier). I think that we need to pick up impact players at ILB and FS this year. That might happen in the draft, but I think that the odds are pretty long that we get guys who can start right away at both positions.

I think that my opinion would be different if Shazier was playing and we only had to get a FS (with Mitchell as a fall back worst case). Then we'd still have a competitive D. But if we put out the same D we had at the end of last season (or swap Spence with Matakavitch), I think that we'd be wasting one of Ben's last seasons.

[phillyesq]

Its because he ran all over the a Redskins in the first game for 155 yards.

Next game he had 32 carries for 94 yards. 2.9 ypc

3rd game 8 carries 21 yard season. 2.6 ypc

just sayin’

one good game and then his numbers weren’t as impressive. I think the #1 rushing stay that early in the season isn’t nearly as impressive once you step back and look at the numbers.

Its like having the #1 D in the first 3 games because you had one great game. It’s way too early in a season to brag about rankings.

If we're going to play the opponent game, wasn't one of those games against the Eagles?

[NorthCoast]

Its because he ran all over the a Redskins in the first game for 155 yards.

Next game he had 32 carries for 94 yards. 2.9 ypc

3rd game 8 carries 21 yard season. 2.6 ypc

just sayin’

one good game and then his numbers weren’t as impressive. I think the #1 rushing stay that early in the season isn’t nearly as impressive once you step back and look at the numbers.

Its like having the #1 D in the first 3 games because you had one great game. It’s way too early in a season to brag about rankings.

In the most important game of the Steelers season Bell had 29 touches for 155 yds. Brown had 11 touches for 132 yds, and McDonald 16 touches for 112 yds. Where was the most value?

[fordfixer]

Both doable and manageable within the cap structure despite the "gloom and doom' on the board

[pittpete]

With Bell or without...
We aren't winning anything unless we get the defense worked out...

[feltdizz]

If we're going to play the opponent game, wasn't one of those games against the Eagles?

It sure was. Your point?

My point is the OL being praised for DW being the leading rusher the first 3 games is fools gold.

Our OL isn’t bad but I’m not sure it’s as good as folks say it is when they use DW’s production early in the season.

I’m not really a fan of rankings that early in the season.