What happens if...

[Oviedo]

I mentioned this in another thread but thought it might be worth its own because it could be a game changer in the Bell debate

What happens if Bell comes back and Conner outperforms him? I don't think this is part of the calculus that Bell and his agent ever figured they had to worry about.

It might be in Bell's interest not to ever come back because he runs the risk of looking bad when compared to Conner. IMO...that would be a disaster for him going forward.

Thoughts????

[Disco1981]

I mentioned this in another thread but thought it might be worth its own because it could be a game changer in the Bell debate

What happens if Bell comes back and Conner outperforms him? I don't think this is part of the calculus that Bell and his agent ever figured they had to worry about.

It might be in Bell's interest not to ever come back because he runs the risk of looking bad when compared to Conner. IMO...that would be a disaster for him going forward.

Thoughts????

My thoughts...Yes it would

[Ernie]

Very possible....and at that, he's lost 14.5 million dollars of guaranteed money... on top of an already diminished future contract.

Bell and his agent took a huge gamble..

Should have signed the Steelers deal (but Im glad he didn't).

[pittpete]

I don't think Bell cares.
All he wants is the big contract with the guaranteed $$$$.
He already looks bad because Conner is the starter and the team has moved on and is successful without him.
He gave up $8 million already is he coming back for $6 million?
He's not coming back IMO.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

He will look bad enough if the rest of the league sees him as a backup to a third round soph. "Generational talents" in their prime are not playing second fiddle to a kid who couldn't get onto the field a year ago. Nobody will see this as a punishment, instead it will be seen as a back who is doing yeoman's work not giving up his job.

I would not be at all surprised if everything that Bell has done backfires on him completely. I think that nobody sees him as this unbelievable game changing talent anymore. The question is will he become Dion Lewis/Legarette Blount/James White - a player who succeeds within a certain framework but then fails to replicate that kind of production elsewhere? Or is he Joe Montana to Steve Young? A guy who is a HOFer who just happened to be followed by another supreme talent. I think that the lingering question will cost him a lot of dough.

[flippy]

Conner's already outperforming him.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Conner's already outperforming him.

Yeah...151 carries for 706 rushing yards (4.7 ypc avg), 9 TD's on the ground, plus 38 catches for 379 receiving yards (10.0 ypc avg), and 1 more TD through the air.

As opposed to...0 carries for 0 rushing yards (0.0 ypc avg), 0 TD's on the ground, plus 0 catches for 0 receiving yards (0.0 ypc avg), and 0 more TD through the air.

It's a landslide so far.

[Ernie]

Ruth... let's compare Conner's 2018 numbers with Bell's 2017 numbers (yards per carry/catch) at the end of the year and see who "Outperforms"

[pittpete]

Conner needs 1 TD to tie Bells total TD output from last year.
He might double it....

[Djfan]

Bell needs to recognize that this whole hold-out stunt was just a big twinkie bite. If he does, and humbles himself, he can remain a Steeler with Connor. This tandem will live in history along side Franco & Rocky.

But if Bell remains an ego driven jagoff . . . .

[Captain Lemming]

Bell needs to recognize that this whole hold-out stunt was just a big twinkie bite. If he does, and humbles himself, he can remain a Steeler with Connor. This tandem will live in history along side Franco & Rocky.

But if Bell remains an ego driven jagoff . . . .

It will NEVER happen even if Bell humbled himself. At best he helps us through the playoffs and he will be gone.

Especially in view of Conners performance, he will never get the offer we made before.

[Oviedo]

It will NEVER happen even if Bell humbled himself. At best he helps us through the playoffs and he will be gone.

Especially in view of Conners performance, he will never get the offer we made before.

I also tend to believe that Conner has taken some leverage away from Bell in the open market. I can't see Bell getting a Gurley-like contract. Probably no better than we already offered him

[Steel Maniac]

If you factor in Tevin Coleman being a cheaper free agent; along with a couple other free agent runningbacks AND the three studs coming out of college, and the idiot look he’s given himself coupled with his injury history, he was never going to get that Gurley contract ( which is basically the contract we offered him in 2017 that he turned down). The redskins are stupid enough to give him a humongous contract but I think even Snyder is wiser then that in regards to the runningback position.