"fairwell" bell

[Chucktownsteeler]

Everyone speaks of the franchise tag, but Bell turned down a very lucrative offer from the Steelers. This is being lost in the shuffle. IMHO, Bell received terrible advice from his agent and when all is said and done will be lucky to come close to the Steelers long-term contract offer. The shelf-life of NFL running backs is very short.

[Ernie]

Everyone speaks of the franchise tag, but Bell turned down a very lucrative offer from the Steelers. This is being lost in the shuffle. IMHO, Bell received terrible advice from his agent and when all is said and done will be lucky to come close to the Steelers long-term contract offer. The shelf-life of NFL running backs is very short.

With feltz being gone, you may receive little or no resistance whatsoever to this claim lol

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Thankfully you arent in charge of anything.

The steelers would never do that, the cap friendly rookie deals are extremely important to the success of the team and gives them the flexibility to have a lot of players on their 2nd/3rd contracts as well as pursue a FA or 2

The steelers dont just give players a raise for the hell of it for doing a good job at the exact thing they were drafted and signed to do. It would come in the form of an extension, and being neither are a QB they will have to play out the 3rd year of their 4 year deal before they will even entertain the idea of talking about an extension

The NFL has a performance bonus system for players who out-perform their contracts. I'm not sure the details but I beleive it generally goes to players on rookie deals who are making the kind of money Conner is and puts up the kind of number that Conner is. I believe in 2016 AV earned something like $600K on his deal and around the same amount in performance bonus. Money is doled out by the league and does not count against the cap.

[pittpete]

With feltz being gone, you may receive little or no resistance whatsoever to this claim lol

Theres still one poster who believes in Bell...

[Buzz]

Everyone speaks of the franchise tag, but Bell turned down a very lucrative offer from the Steelers. This is being lost in the shuffle. IMHO, Bell received terrible advice from his agent and when all is said and done will be lucky to come close to the Steelers long-term contract offer. The shelf-life of NFL running backs is very short.

Good article here from the Behind the Steel Curtain website:

What Le'Veon Bell Said "No" To
By cassidy977 on Nov 14, 2018, 10:04pm EST

After Le'veon Bell’s ultimate no-show at yesterday’s franchise tag tender signing deadline, Ben Roethlisberger spoke for many/most of us: "now we can finally stop talking about this." I play the "what-if" game more than Mike Tomlin, but I’m generally in Big Ben’s camp here. I wish the Pittsburgh Steelers had a more firm backup plan behind James Conner, but it will be nice to move on from Bell’s childish "will he or won’t he" cat-&-mouse game, and (as so many Steelers have said) focus on the guys who are here.

But before turning the corner, I have one bone to pick with the conversation surrounding Bell’s misguided crusade against the tag. Most of Bell’s defenders have claimed that he is justified in maximizing his earnings because the careers of running backs are so short; many also claimed that "he knows his worth" or that he doing this for other running backs, who are being low-balled; others have claimed he needs to "take care of his family"; still others have observed that the franchise tag limits a player’s freedom and is therefore unjust or even oppressive.

I want to call shenanigans on all of that. Every bit.

Bell turned up his nose at $14.5million this season; by not showing up Tuesday, he turned down $6million; and of course, he walked away from $855,000 per game this season. That money is all guaranteed, according to the franchise tag. On the Trib’s website, Zach Brendza recently broke down what that money would buy, in terms of Iron City Beer and admission tickets to Kennywood. That’s a funny move, but I wanted to look at the real world potential of that money. So below is a small table of what Bell decided was beneath him.

Typical American Incomes

The median household income in the USA is $56,616. Individuals in Bell's age group (25-34) earn $40,352. This means Bell’s $14.5m would allow the average household to maintain for 257 years, and he said "no" to the kind of money that would sustain 359 of his peers. Every single week, his salary would have paid 21 people for an entire year.

How about some necessary, even heroic jobs that exist around the country? Across the U.S., the median salary for:

Police officer: $43,000

Firefighter: $43,000

Teacher: $38,700 (starting salary)

EMT: $32,600

Bell’s franchise tag offer could have put 330 more cops on the street or firefighters in the field. To play for one week, he could have funded 22 first responders for a year. To put it another way, he could have funded one cop or firefighter for 22 years. (If you're reading this in California, you're already aware of how useful it would be to have some more firefighting boots on the ground.) His tagged salary could also have put 439 paramedics/EMTs in business – that’s nearly 10 per state.

But the real killer to me is that he could have funded 375 new teachers across the country – that’s seven or eight teachers per state, across the entire country. If that many teachers were added to the rolls in Pennsylvania – or in Pittsburgh alone – it would be generation-changing. Even if he’d showed up on Tuesday, signed the tender, and immediately faked an injury (like James Harrison suggested) he’d collect enough cash to fund 155 new teachers for a year. Every week, he turned up his nose at the kind of money that would fund 22 new teachers for a year. Every week.

Housing

The average 2-bedroom apartment in Pittsburgh costs $1360/mo or $16320/year.

The average 2-bedroom apartment, nationally, costs $1180/mo or $14160/year.

By these numbers, Bell’s franchise tender could have paid the rent for 888 Pittsburgh families (or 1024 families across the country). That’s enough money to pay a month’s rent at 10,662 two-bed apartments in town (12,288 nationwide). I don't even know if there are 10,662 two-bed apartments in Pittsburgh (probably, but still)… Every week, he said no to the kind of money that could have put 52 Pittsburgh families in a two-bed flat for a year (or 629 of them for a month).

Health Care

The average cost of individual health insurance, nationwide, is $321, which comes out to $3852 for the year. Bell’s franchise tender could have covered the health insurance costs for 3764 Americans for a year – or 45,171 for one month of care. (One game check, which wasn't nearly enough for Bell, could have subsidized 222 Americans’s health care for an entire year.)

Education

Tuition for a four-year degree at University of Pittsburgh runs $72,400 ($18,100/year). At Carnegie Mellon, it runs $210,800, if a student pays full tuition out of pocket (that’s $52,700/year). At Michigan State, meanwhile, Bell’s Alma Mater, a four year degree will cost you $57,800 ($14,450/year). And finally, at Ohio State, in Bell’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio, it will cost you $38,872 ($9,718/year).

Bell’s franchise tender could have covered full tuition for 200 Pitt students for their entire four year degrees (that’s 800 years of full-time study). Even at CMU, he’d have the means to cover 69 students for four years (or 276 years). Each week, Bell said no to the level of wealth that could have covered 16 CMU students (or 48 Pitt Panthers), at full tuition, for a year.

The money Bell rejected for one year of football could have paid for the entire four-year tuition of 373 college students in Bell’s hometown. That’s 1492 years of college (or, the number of years between Christ and Columbus’s landfall in the Caribbean).

Finally, the average student loan burden on the class of 2016 is $37,100. Bell (who carries zero student loan debt, having played on a full-ride in college, where he didn’t graduate) scoffed at the kind of money that could release 391 of those Americans from their burden. That’s 23 lives changed forever with every game check.

What About Those Who Really Need It?

Those on SNAP/foot stamps across America get an average of $126/month, or $1,512 in food stamps per year.

Bell’s franchise tender could have subsidized 9,590 of them for an entire year. Or at least paid for a month of food stamps for 115,079 struggling Americans.

Each week that he dithered as to whether he wanted to return this week or next, he shrugged his shoulders at the kind of money that could have fed 565 people for an entire year (or 6,786 for a month).

Let’s Think Big

The entire federal funding for the National Endowment for the Arts is $147million. There is so often a debate about the NEA or other common-good projects like NPR (budget: $180m, only 16% of which comes from taxes, so $29m) – they’re used to illustrate "wasteful spending" as though they are a massive drain on our national resources and the cause our recessions.

Le'veon Bell, this fall, turned his back on the kind of money that would have accounted for 10% of the entire federal funding for the NEA, and 50% of the entire tax funding that goes to NPR. Money guaranteed to one 26 year old, who’s already a millionaire, to carry a football a few times per game (though not too many, of course).

What does this mean for Bell’s life?

Apologists often assert that a running back’s career only lasts two or three years, so it’s natural for them to demand the highest salary possible. After all, most Americans have 30 years to build their wealth. Well, the threshold for being in the top 1% of wealthiest Americans is $389,486/year. Bell’s one year franchise tender would be equal to 37 years at that level.

This can be understood best with a thought experiment:

Let’s say Bell signed his tender on time, then turned around and broke his femur, ending his career. Let’s say he doesn’t have a dime in savings, never makes an endorsement again, never becomes a talking head on NFL Network, never coaches – in fact, let’s say he never collects another paycheck of any kind for the rest of his life, and only holds it in investments that will keep up with cost-of-living and inflation. He’ll still live at the 1% level until he’s 63 years old. That’s insane.

Also, not to put to fine a point on it, but that's the national 1%. In Pennsylvania, that threshold is lower, at $360k, and in Bell's native Ohio, it is $317k. That would allow Bell to stay at the 1% level for 40 years and 46 years, respectively.

That anyone could ever claim that a 26 year old running back, no matter how talented, is intrinsically worth more than that (again, keeping in mind what teachers make) is one of the most depressing things I can think of.

And Just Because I’m Petty

A low-end jet ski costs around $5,400. Le'veon Bell’s franchise tender could have bought him 2685 of them. Every week he could have bought himself 158.

And, in Oregon, an ounce of pot costs $187. That means every week that Le'veon Bell didn’t report, he turned his back on 286 pounds of dope (the equivalent weight of Cameron Heyward, in legal weed). On the year, he could have made enough to buy 2.5 tons.

I feel this kind of disgust every time I see people argue about a player’s "worth" (as though teachers, cops, firefighters, and EMT’s are worth less just because their jobs are built on selflessness and service), or talk about a player "taking care of his family" or "his future" (do these guys have 600 kids? are they going to live to be 1000?). But every once in a while, I max out and can’t hold my tongue. This is one of those times. Let’s hope the Le'veon Bell conversation truly is over. But I’d have hated myself if I never laid it out like this.

Rant over. Go Steelers.

[fordfixer]

[Moonie]

I heard that after the Steelers trashed his locker, they burned him in effigy. To be honest, I though that was taking it a bit too far.

[Northern_Blitz]

Everyone speaks of the franchise tag, but Bell turned down a very lucrative offer from the Steelers. This is being lost in the shuffle. IMHO, Bell received terrible advice from his agent and when all is said and done will be lucky to come close to the Steelers long-term contract offer. The shelf-life of NFL running backs is very short.

No evidence, but I think this was Bell's call not his agents. Rumer last season were that his mom and agent wanted him to take the long term deal.

With the commission on the entire deal (not just the guaranteed money) the agent has a big incentive for Bell to sign the long term deal

[Ernie]

Theres still one poster who believes in Bell...

I'd hope that is starting to fade, seeing as how Bell is no longer a Steeler lol

[Moonie]

I'd hope that is starting to fade, seeing as how Bell is no longer a Steeler lol

Most Bell fans have de-activated here and transferred over to Planet Jets. I think that is premature, but whatever. The good thing is that they are gone.

[Chucktownsteeler]

Reading a few articles the Bell fiasco has unified this team. They are much better off without Bryant and Bell. I would like to see them add a RB for the long-haul or at worse case select one early in next year's draft.

[RuthlessBurgher]

I heard that after the Steelers trashed his locker, they burned him in effigy. To be honest, I though that was taking it a bit too far.

Steelers pack up Le'Veon Bell's locker after player raid

2:46 PM ET

Jeremy Fowler
ESPN Staff Writer

Multiple Pittsburgh Steelers players say Le'Veon Bell's locker room items were packed up and placed in the back of team headquarters, with former teammates scoring a few pairs of cleats and not much more during Wednesday's raid.

Bell forfeited the season and $14.5 million when he failed to report to the team by Tuesday's franchise tag deadline to play in 2018.

Center and team captain Maurkice Pouncey said Bell's items will likely be shipped directly to the player, as is customary with such roster turnover.

Bell's locker went untouched for more than two months but is now completely empty a day after a handful of players sifted through his stuff for cleats, shirts and even mixtape CDs.

The ransack was not at all malicious but might have been therapeutic, said cornerback Mike Hilton, who added that everyone in the locker room likes Bell.

"Everybody was tired of talking about it and wondering when he was going to show up or not," Hilton said. "[You'd see the locker] and think, OK, maybe he's going to show up. Now it's all understood, and everybody can really get past it."

Hilton, who secured one pair of Jordan cleats, said lockers are typically full of free football apparel that Bell probably wouldn't have needed.

In a video published by ESPN on Wednesday, linebacker Bud Dupree held up two pairs of Bell's Jordan cleats and said into the camera, "Appreciate the cleats, my guy. I wish you success, my guy."

The team was upset with Bell when he didn't show Week 1 but moved on with James Conner, who is among the league leaders in rushing yards and touchdowns.

Guard David DeCastro appreciates Bell's greatness as a Steeler -- averaging 128.9 total yards per game over five seasons -- and hopes he scores a massive contract in free agency. Bell is sitting out the year to preserve his health.

"It's a team sport and a business. It's tough. You can see both sides," DeCastro said. "No one's really wrong or right. That's what's really tough. I wish Le'Veon all the best, and I hope he gets all the money he can."

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/25285297/steelers-pack-leveon-bell-locker-raid

[BURGH86STEEL]

Everyone speaks of the franchise tag, but Bell turned down a very lucrative offer from the Steelers. This is being lost in the shuffle. IMHO, Bell received terrible advice from his agent and when all is said and done will be lucky to come close to the Steelers long-term contract offer. The shelf-life of NFL running backs is very short.

It's TBD if Bell received terrible advice. After all it only takes one team. I believe the Steelers low balled Bell with the up front money they offered him. It would be smart for Bell to get as much guaranteed money as possible knowing that RB's have short careers. Was it really terrible advice to attempt to get a better contract knowing that RB's have short lived careers?

Bell took a risk. Only time will tell if Bell made the right decision.

[Ernie]

That's the numbers aspect of it (which is the only part of the Bell debacle that is really debatable).

[NorthCoast]

Apologize in advance for rehashing of old LB news but found some of this interesting:

But wait: It gets worse for Bell. Not only has Conner stepped in for the Steelers and provided nearly identical production to Bell for less than 10 percent of the cost...

• The Broncos (http://bleacherreport.com/denver-broncos) stuck an old Terrell Davis jersey on undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay, and Lindsay instantly became the AFC's third-leading rusher. (Conner leads the conference.)
• The Patriots (http://bleacherreport.com/new-england-patriots) solved an injury crunch at running back by sliding wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson into the I-formation with little drop-off in production.
• The Falcons (http://bleacherreport.com/atlanta-falcons) replaced the injured Devonta Freeman—one of the NFL's highest-paid running backs—with a platoon of Tevin Coleman and rookie Ito Smith, who have combined for 880 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns.
• The 49ers (http://bleacherreport.com/san-francisco-49ers) replaced injured free agent Jerick McKinnon (who signed a four-year, $30-million deal in the offseason) with undrafted sophomore Matt Breida, who ranks fourth in the NFC in rushing and averages 5.5 yards per carry.

It's as if the entire NFL rose up to prove the point that running back talent is plentiful and overpaying for even a great one is ill-advised. There will be bidders for Bell's services in 2019, but few will back up the money truck after seeing how easily Bell (and Freeman, and McKinnon) was replaced.