Bell vs Conner long tem contract

[steeler_george]

This is not a post about who is better, or to bash Bell, or to praise Conner.

Fact: Bell most likely signs this year and goes into next year as FA, what happens next is most likely a transition tag.

Fact: In 2019, Conner enters his 3rd year of his 4 year rookie contract. Third year, is the year were we usually resign rookie contracts long term.

Fact: We saved 7-9 million in salary cap that can be rolled over in 2019.

Question: How much does Conner want to get paid, is he going to be paid like a top 5 RB as well? Are we going to next start tag war with him?

Question: What to do with that rolled over 7-9 million rolled over cap savings? Do we use it to negotiate Bell contract (he wanted more guarantee money) or use it to sign Conner long term, or do we spend on defense.

[Northern_Blitz]

This is not a post about who is better, or to bash Bell, or to praise Conner.

Fact: Bell most likely signs this year and goes into next year as FA, what happens next is most likely a transition tag.

Fact: In 2019, Conner enters his 3rd year of his 4 year rookie contract. Third year, is the year were we usually resign rookie contracts long term.

Fact: We saved 7-9 million in salary cap that can be rolled over in 2019.

Question: How much does Conner want to get paid, is he going to be paid like a top 5 RB as well? Are we going to next start tag war with him?

Question: What to do with that rolled over 7-9 million rolled over cap savings? Do we use it to negotiate Bell contract (he wanted more guarantee money) or use it to sign Conner long term, or do we spend on defense.

I think we'll have significantly more leverage this year with Conner than we did last year with Bell.

We'll offer him a huge raise, but I don't think he gets paid like a top 5 back. Maybe squeaking into the top 10.

With Bell, the question was: Do you want to take a below market long term deal or play on a 1 year $14.5M dollar salary. If he played on the tag and had a career ending injury (the worst case), he still would have earned $14.5 M.

With Conner, the question will be: Do you want to (1) earn $500k or (2) have your salary increase by (at least) 10x and get a big signing bonus with a bunch of guaranteed money? Unlike Bell, Conner hasn't seen huge money yet (from an NFL perspective). The risk of a career ending injury to him next year will just be way too high and the long term deal will look very attractive compared to his salary next year.

I think this is why we usually negotiate with the guys we want to keep when they have a year left on their deals. They can't talk to another team and our deal is usually much better than what they are getting as rookies.

The drama with Bell could have been avoided by doing this with him, but he was facing injury and suspension issues when we usually extend guys.

[flippy]

I'm not sure we should pay Conner either. He's just a RB.

In today's game, I'd rather see us spend money on a top CB or pass rusher if we can find either. And we've got 2 years to find Conner's replacement.

We've got too much money tied up in the O. I think you can spend money on your QB and OLine, but the majority of the rest should go to your D.

[Ernie]

I'm not sure we should pay Conner either. He's just a RB.

In today's game, I'd rather see us spend money on a top CB or pass rusher if we can find either. And we've got 2 years to find Conner's replacement.

We've got too much money tied up in the O. I think you can spend money on your QB and OLine, but the majority of the rest should go to your D.

Conner's so much more than "Just a RB". He's a high character guy, a Steeler "Lifer"... and a guy that his other teammates work their tails off for. Conner was also one of the guys they drafted when the FO decided they needed to regain control of their locker room.

He's a true "Feel good story" in a league for of Divas. The steelers will offer him a fair deal, and he will take it. On top of that, we draft a nice RB in the 2nd to 4th next year to compliment him... allow Samuels to continue to develop as the "Swiss Army Knife"...and we are set at the RB position for the next 5-7 years.

[D Rock]

I'm not sure we should pay Conner either. He's just a RB.

In today's game, I'd rather see us spend money on a top CB or pass rusher if we can find either. And we've got 2 years to find Conner's replacement.

We've got too much money tied up in the O. I think you can spend money on your QB and OLine, but the majority of the rest should go to your D.

The thing in the Steelers favor here is that the timing of a big contract for Conner will likely coincide with Ben's release or retirement, so there will be money freed up to use and spread around. If Dobbs or Rudolph proves to be the real deal, then that is the prime opportunity to win championships while they are still on a low salary.

[Northern_Blitz]

I'm not sure we should pay Conner either. He's just a RB.

In today's game, I'd rather see us spend money on a top CB or pass rusher if we can find either. And we've got 2 years to find Conner's replacement.

We've got too much money tied up in the O. I think you can spend money on your QB and OLine, but the majority of the rest should go to your D.

I'm not so sure of this.

I think RBs are replaceable, but I think we can afford to pay Conner something like $6M/year and be fine.

If he wanted $10M - $15M, I'd let him walk.

RBs can be replaced, but sometimes you end up with Mendenhall or even worse with Dwyer.

Basically, I'd keep good players as long as you can get them below market value. And I think you can get Conner below market because his current contract is super low.

[squidkid]

I think we'll have significantly more leverage this year with Conner than we did last year with Bell.

We'll offer him a huge raise, but I don't think he gets paid like a top 5 back. Maybe squeaking into the top 10.

With Bell, the question was: Do you want to take a below market long term deal or play on a 1 year $14.5M dollar salary. If he played on the tag and had a career ending injury (the worst case), he still would have earned $14.5 M.

With Conner, the question will be: Do you want to (1) earn $500k or (2) have your salary increase by (at least) 10x and get a big signing bonus with a bunch of guaranteed money? Unlike Bell, Conner hasn't seen huge money yet (from an NFL perspective). The risk of a career ending injury to him next year will just be way too high and the long term deal will look very attractive compared to his salary next year.

I think this is why we usually negotiate with the guys we want to keep when they have a year left on their deals. They can't talk to another team and our deal is usually much better than what they are getting as rookies.

The drama with Bell could have been avoided by doing this with him, but he was facing injury and suspension issues when we usually extend guys.

awesome post

[squidkid]

i'm not so sure of this.

I think rbs are replaceable, but i think we can afford to pay conner something like $6m/year and be fine.

If he wanted $10m - $15m, i'd let him walk.

Rbs can be replaced, but sometimes you end up with mendenhall or even worse with dwyer.

Basically, i'd keep good players as long as you can get them below market value. And i think you can get conner below market because his current contract is super low.

x 2......................

[Ernie]

Can't remember exactly how Tomlin put it... but he said something along the lines of "We want volunteers" as opposed to guys who feel they are being held captive. I think this is very fitting in terms of the Conner/Bell situation.

[Steel Maniac]

I'm not sure we should pay Conner either. He's just a RB.

In today's game, I'd rather see us spend money on a top CB or pass rusher if we can find either. And we've got 2 years to find Conner's replacement.

We've got too much money tied up in the O. I think you can spend money on your QB and OLine, but the majority of the rest should go to your D.

Flippy, I know and feel exactly where your coming from. But you have to factor in the message we'd be sending to the rest of the team if we don't do right by Conner. He should get a huge raise but not a "break the bank" type of deal.

I too want to do some serious upgrades defensively in our secondary and linebacker corps.

[Steel Maniac]

Can't remember exactly how Tomlin put it... but he said something along the lines of "We want volunteers" as opposed to guys who feel they are being held captive. I think this is very fitting in terms of the Conner/Bell situation.

Boom...................

[Steel Maniac]

The drama with Bell could have been avoided by doing this with him, but he was facing injury and suspension issues when we usually extend guys.

Hell of a point North; timing IS everything. But that was Bell's fault with the suspension; not managements. Plus, weather anyone wants to admit it or not, when a guy has only finished one season out of 5 healthy, management HAS TO factor that into their thinking in offering a contract too.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Bell will sign elsewhere this coming offseason.

We can't extend Conner this coming offseason, because at that point, he would have only played 2 years of his rookie deal.

Based on the current CBA rules, teams can't extend a player on his rookie deal until he has accrued 3 seasons.

So we will likely use the money that was tied up with Bell and Shazier this season to make defensive upgrades next season.

We still likely won't break the bank for a huge money day one free agent, though, because we have to remember that we also have to worry about extending a couple of other keepers from Conner's draft class in the next few years as well (T.J. Watt and Juju Smith-Schuster).

[phillyesq]

Bell will sign elsewhere this coming offseason.

We can't extend Conner this coming offseason, because at that point, he would have only played 2 years of his rookie deal.

Based on the current CBA rules, teams can't extend a player on his rookie deal until he has accrued 3 seasons.

So we will likely use the money that was tied up with Bell and Shazier this season to make defensive upgrades next season.

We still likely won't break the bank for a huge money day one free agent, though, because we have to remember that we also have to worry about extending a couple of other keepers from Conner's draft class in the next few years as well (T.J. Watt and Juju Smith-Schuster).

Correct - Conner can't be extended until next offseason. At that point, I think the Steelers will look at long term deals for Conner and Juju. Watt will follow a different timing due to his 5th year option.

[Northern_Blitz]

Flippy, I know and feel exactly where your coming from. But you have to factor in the message we'd be sending to the rest of the team if we don't do right by Conner. He should get a huge raise but not a "break the bank" type of deal.

I too want to do some serious upgrades defensively in our secondary and linebacker corps.

Yep.

I think we'll have the opportunity to do both. Next year we have Bell's extra money from this year and Bell and Shazier coming off the cap.

I don't think we renegotiate with Conner this off season (because he still has 2 years left) [Edit: others have pointed out that we can't per the CBA], so we can hopefully load up on D for the end of Ben's career....I know that this isn't the Steelers SOP, but this seems to be a unique set of circumstances.