OT: Bell's return to Greatness

[whatever]

We did and I don’t think we were dumb to do so. Bell wasn’t the reason we didn’t beat the Jags. He damn near ran us to the AFCCG the year before.

Of course people often suggest that once you sign a RB to big money you can no longer sign or pay anyone else. It’s actually in the NFL rule book.

Thou shall not acquire anymore talent once a RB is paid big money.

I wouldn't expect you to think paying Bell was dumb. You have clearly stated how much you like him even though overwhelming stats prove that paying huge money to rbs is a major mistake.

[feltdizz]

Lack of defensive talent is why we lost. Bell AND Brown's salary could have gone a long way to shoring that talent up.

Then you lose Bell and AB’s talent and production. They were 60% of our offense. You want it both ways. Hell, we all do.

Without Bell we missed the playoffs. Without Bell and AB the offense was trash. Sure, Ben went down but that’s part of the game and we looked like trash with him in that first game be the Pats.

But the real problem is a lot of our first round picks didn’t pan out on defense and a lot of our picks on offense actually turned out to be great picks.

[Captain Lemming]

Then you lose Bell and AB’s talent and production. They were 60% of our offense. You want it both ways. Hell, we all do.

Without Bell we missed the playoffs. Without Bell and AB the offense was trash. Sure, Ben went down but that’s part of the game and we looked like trash with him in that first game be the Pats.

But the real problem is a lot of our first round picks didn’t pan out on defense and a lot of our picks on offense actually turned out to be great picks.

You are right, you can't have it both ways. This guy makes more sense than you

We should continue using FA for our starting DB’s unless we have a high pick.

I don’t care if we ever develop another DB. The goal is getting the best talent at each position.

My point exactly. Draft backs and receivers. You don't need HOF talent, good ones are BOUNTIFUL.

Ben has had not one but TWO SB MVP receivers and neither is named Brown. Let me "settle" for Santonio level receiver play all day long

YOU CANT PAY EVERYBODY and afford top tier free agent talent in the secondary.

One guy on this list Dizz....one...said we should have pursued Stephon Gilmore with Browns money and you know I said it.

You are right you CANT have it both ways. Unless you let high priced talent walk you cant do what you just suggested.

You cannot sign top tier free agent corners.

[feltdizz]

You are right, you can't have it both ways. This guy makes more sense than you



My point exactly. Draft backs and receivers. You don't need HOF talent, good ones are BOUNTIFUL.

Ben has had not one but TWO SB MVP receivers and neither is named Brown. Let me "settle" for Santonio level receiver play all day long

YOU CANT PAY EVERYBODY and afford top tier free agent talent in the secondary.

One guy on this list Dizz....one...said we should have pursued Stephon Gilmore with Browns money and you know I said it.

You are right you CANT have it both ways. Unless you let high priced talent walk you cant do what you just suggested.

You cannot sign top tier free agent corners.

Once again you use the Pats like they don’t have cheating following them at every turn. Teams acquire FA DB’s every year. It doesn’t guarantee a SB.

and we had no problem trading our first
round pick for Minkah.

you don’t have to pay everyone but you pay the best players. Especially the played you drafted who produce at a high clip.

[whatever]

Once again you use the Pats like they don’t have cheating following them at every turn. Teams acquire FA DB’s every year. It doesn’t guarantee a SB.

and we had no problem trading our first
round pick for Minkah.

you don’t have to pay everyone but you pay the best players. Especially the played you drafted who produce at a high clip.

We've had this discussion before but still wondering who you cut to come up with 30 million to pay for your guys Bell and Brown.

[feltdizz]

We've had this discussion before but still wondering who you cut to come up with 30 million to pay for your guys Bell and Brown.

We’ve been over this already. If I’m Colbert I don’t offer Ben $35 mill a year at his age.

I know that’s an unpopular decision but if Brady, Peyton, Montana can play for new teams.. so can a guy like Ben.

People act like it’s impossible to field a team once you pay a RB 13 mill but paying a 36 year old QB 35 mill truly handcuffs your payroll.

Maybe Ben proves me wrong and we get some hardware. I will gladly eat crow if he has one more run in him. But if he looks sluggish and doesn’t have it anymore I don’t want to hear how paying him made us better over keeping our other weapons and finding a game manager.

[Captain Lemming]

Once again you use the Pats like they donÂ’t have cheating following them at every turn. Teams acquire FA DBÂ’s every year. It doesnÂ’t guarantee a SB.

and we had no problem trading our first
round pick for Minkah.

you donÂ’t have to pay everyone but you pay the best players. Especially the played you drafted who produce at a high clip.

You know when “cheating” did not result in a Pats ring?
During that stretch when their DB talent tanked.

NINE SEASONS after HOFer Ty Law left ZERO championships

You know what changed? They signed Revis.

But he ain’t the only one. No guaranties, but it works a lot.
All Pro caliber free agent DB acquisitions that helped teams to recent (say since we drafted our oldest player, Ben) championships:

1. Revis
2. Aquib Talib...lifted FROM the Pats
3. C. Woodson
4. D. Sharper (All Pro during SB season
5. S. Gilmore (Pats again)

And drum roll please.....the last free agent DB who’s All Pro season contributed mightily was the best defensive player on the current SB champion

6. 2019 1st team All Pro Tyrann Matthew

In all of those cases they added an AllPro DB free agent to an elite QB.
Something I’ve advocated FOR YEARS.

Try doing that for runningbacks and your list ends with ONE Name.
1. Marshawn Lynch

[Northern_Blitz]

We did and I don’t think we were dumb to do so. Bell wasn’t the reason we didn’t beat the Jags. He damn near ran us to the AFCCG the year before.

Of course people often suggest that once you sign a RB to big money you can no longer sign or pay anyone else. It’s actually in the NFL rule book.

Thou shall not acquire anymore talent once a RB is paid big money.

I think you can probably afford a big RB contract if you have a QB on a rookie deal (or just a bad cheap QB).

I don't think you have that luxury when you're QB has a top 5 cap hit.

And I think Bell's decline in YPC was pretty scarry.

But we've had all of these conversations before.

[feltdizz]

I think you can probably afford a big RB contract if you have a QB on a rookie deal (or just a bad cheap QB).

I don't think you have that luxury when you're QB has a top 5 cap hit.

And I think Bell's decline in YPC was pretty scarry.

But we've had all of these conversations before.

we have.. not sure why it’s being rehashed.

IMO I think a better question is Ben’s cap hit and if it was the right decision. Time will tell if we have a season this year.

[whatever]

We’ve been over this already. If I’m Colbert I don’t offer Ben $35 mill a year at his age.

I know that’s an unpopular decision but if Brady, Peyton, Montana can play for new teams.. so can a guy like Ben.

People act like it’s impossible to field a team once you pay a RB 13 mill but paying a 36 year old QB 35 mill truly handcuffs your payroll.

Maybe Ben proves me wrong and we get some hardware. I will gladly eat crow if he has one more run in him. But if he looks sluggish and doesn’t have it anymore I don’t want to hear how paying him made us better over keeping our other weapons and finding a game manager.

I don't think you can't field a team. I just don't see the proof that paying 15+ for a rb is a better than a cheaper rb and top 5-10 QB.

[Captain Lemming]

I don't think you can't field a team. I just don't see the proof that paying 15+ for a rb is a better than a cheaper rb and top 5-10 QB.

There is no proof.

The last time paying big bucks to a back worked...the back was Marshall Faulk over 20 years ago

[feltdizz]

There is no proof.

The last time paying big bucks to a back worked...the back was Marshall Faulk over 20 years ago

there is also no proof we can win a SB while paying a QB almost 15% of our cap.

[whatever]

there is also no proof we can win a SB while paying a QB almost 15% of
our cap.

We the Steelers or we the NFL?

[whatever]

There is no proof.

The last time paying big bucks to a back worked...the back was Marshall Faulk over 20 years ago

Agreed
I looked back at the last 25 years and I saw roughly 5 teams that didn't have a top their, highly paid QB. Not sure to there are more than a couple that had big money rbs.
Even the couple teams with low end QBs (rats and eagles) those teams didn't have a big money rb carry them to the title.

[feltdizz]

We the Steelers or we the NFL?

The Steelers. I’m not concerned about teams who aren’t us who can do it a different way.

Sure, we all want to win a SB but I don’t see how one can make the argument that we couldn’t keep talent at skill positions and draft aggressively go after the next QB and try and do it on a rookie deal.

I was totally against Shawns prediction on Mahomes but he was spot on.