Le'Veon Bell

[NJ-STEELER]

He got MORE guaranteed money. We could have cut him just like the Jets did and he'd have less change in his pocket.

He knew that so he has no reason to regret his choice.

when does the FO do that? to a player who has done so much for the team. that's not the steelers M O

especially since he would have been a focal point of the offense with (likely) better numbers..

he definitely would have made more staying with pittsburgh

[feltdizz]

So when bell sat out the year, many were saying he was trying to reset the market for running backs. I personally don’t think he ever gave one thought to anyone but himself - but after this jets fiasco and the 27 million guaranteed, is it fair to say he’s torpedoed the RB market? Are teams going to be chomping at the bit to give high salaries with guaranteed cash to RB’s? Perhaps the dumb ones.

Like the jets

McCaffrey just signed a contract for $16 mill per year this year.

Kamara just signed a 5 year/$75 mill deal this year.

I think teams will always pay for talent but you will definitely have a few teams
like the Pats who will never pay big money for RB’s. Will be interesting to see how Billicheat does without Brady. They looked like trash with Hoyer at QB.

[feltdizz]

A "failure" who is set for life financially. I'd say the latter takes more than a little sting out of the former.

that article is hilarious. I get it, people have reasons to party since it didn’t work out in NY for Bell but this idea that he is a failure is hilarious. People act like he is banned from the NFL.

[whisper]

What? His skills have eroded exponentially! He's slow as molasses, His Hammys are shot...WTH games are you watching!

Not the Jets, I can tell you that much.

[whisper]

McCaffrey just signed a contract for $16 mill per year this year.

Kamara just signed a 5 year/$75 mill deal this year.

I think teams will always pay for talent but you will definitely have a few teams
like the Pats who will never pay big money for RB’s. Will be interesting to see how Billicheat does without Brady. They looked like trash with Hoyer at QB.

Yea, you mean with Hoyer, the career journey man? Well, not a surprise. Now, with Cam? They looked pretty good.

[Northern_Blitz]

What? His skills have eroded exponentially! He's slow as molasses, His Hammys are shot...WTH games are you watching!

This.

Part of the reason he wanted lots of guarantees is because we consistently ran the wheels off him.

IIRC he dominated all other RBs in touches in his last 2 seasons with us. Out in front by a game or two?

And I think his patient style needs elite acceleration to be effective. That's an ability that regressed early.

[feltdizz]

Yea, you mean with Hoyer, the career journey man? Well, not a surprise. Now, with Cam? They looked pretty good.

definitely better with Cam, I’ve always been a fan of his since I had to watch Carolina games living in a Charlotte.

He also contributes a great deal to the running game.

[feltdizz]

This.

Part of the reason he wanted lots of guarantees is because we consistently ran the wheels off him.

IIRC he dominated all other RBs in touches in his last 2 seasons with us. Out in front by a game or two?

And I think his patient style needs elite acceleration to be effective. That's an ability that regressed early.

I’ll never understand how a player can touch that ball that much and be frowned upon for wanting max dollars.

As everyone knows by now, I’m a huge fan of the RB position getting compensated at appropriately levels for their services.

[feltdizz]

Jeremy Fowler tweeted its down to Miami, KC or Buffalo.

Not sure how accurate Fowler is as a source but he said Bell could decide as early as today.

[Captain Lemming]

I’ll never understand how a player can touch that ball that much and be frowned upon for wanting max dollars.

As everyone knows by now, I’m a huge fan of the RB position getting compensated at appropriately levels for their services.

I have a problem with developing an overdependance on one back in today's NFL. Bell has had excellent backups who hardly played until he inevitability got hurt again.

Benefits of not running the wheels off one dude.

1. He gets hurt less
2. Guys are fresher
3. Longer effective career
4. Does not become arrogant because he is seen as carrying the offense
5. Market value is lessened as he is NOT a league leader
5. Can afford MORE quality backs rather than one guy backed by scrubs

Look at receiver right now. I really think Juju would have exploded had we not gotten so deep. Drafting Claypool, his success just devalued Juju.

[hawaiiansteel]

Jeremy Fowler tweeted its down to Miami, KC or Buffalo.

Le'Veon does love him some South Beach but I'm gonna predict the Chiefs.

he will be used in the passing game there and can go from worst to first.

[feltdizz]

I have a problem with developing an overdependance on one back in today's NFL. Bell has had excellent backups who hardly played until he inevitability got hurt again.

Benefits of not running the wheels off one dude.

1. He gets hurt less
2. Guys are fresher
3. Longer effective career
4. Does not become arrogant because he is seen as carrying the offense
5. Market value is lessened as he is NOT a league leader
5. Can afford MORE quality backs rather than one guy backed by scrubs

Look at receiver right now. I really think Juju would have exploded had we not gotten so deep. Drafting Claypool, his success just devalued Juju.

if he had excellent back ups I don’t see the issue with relying on a #1. The issue is when you don’t have quality backups.

JuJu wouldn’t have exploded. He’s not a legit #1. WR is different too. Sometimes you have 4 and 5 WR sets and you have multiple options on most passing plays.

[Captain Lemming]

if he had excellent back ups I don’t see the issue with relying on a #1. The issue is when you don’t have quality backups.

It is MUCH easier to make sure you have quality backups....if you dont have 15 mil tied up in one guy. Also as I said, when a dude set records for touches....it artificially inflates everything else.

That is how you get Bell LEADING THE LEAGUE in rushing his last season with us, with a pedestrian YPC.
He led the league in rushing....the Steelers were 20th as a team.

We had the leagues leading rusher, a FIRST TEAM all pro, and MOST OF THE LEAGUE ran the ball MORE EFFECTIVELY than we did.

Like Charles Barkley said about Chuck Persons outscring him at Auburn. Anybody can score if they do all the shooting.

[Northern_Blitz]

I’ll never understand how a player can touch that ball that much and be frowned upon for wanting max dollars.

As everyone knows by now, I’m a huge fan of the RB position getting compensated at appropriately levels for their services.

I'm not frowning on him at all.

It's a negotiation and his position should be to try to maximize his earnings. Especially because I think playing in the NFL generally shortens life expectancy.

And the team's job is to try to sign players for under market value because that's how you win in a cap league.

They couldn't come to a mutually acceptable agreement and that's fine.

Bell bet on himself and it could have paid off big.

And when you have more money than you could reasonably spend, maybe it's worth swinging for the fences.

[Northern_Blitz]

Le'Veon does love him some South Beach but I'm gonna predict the Chiefs.

he will be used in the passing game there and can go from worst to first.

I won't be surprised if he retires.

He talked about it during his hiatus.

I'd imagine that seeing Shazier go down would make reasonable people wonder if they should just quit while they have their health and an enormous amount of money. Although succeeding as a pro athlete probably requires someone to be kind of unreasonable since the chances of making it are ~ 0%.