Le'Veon Bell's holdout

[12intheBox]

Playing NFL running back is like playing Jenga. Any play could be his last. Bell wants to get his (probably one and only) big guaranteed payday before he pulls another piece out of the jenga tower. Pit was not offering that big guarantee. He is going to get it from someone.

Sure, if he was going to be fully healthy for the next 6 years anyway, he will have lost money sitting out this year - but he won’t pull another piece until he gets the guaranteed money - and that’s really not a terrible decision for him in my mind.

 

[Dxmissile]

And, being in control, his decision was to make zero this year.

He didn't accomplish a thing... he didn't get paid a dime and nothing's going to change as a result of his holding out. Nothing. He'll make his money but, for 2018? He loses.


I haven't seen much in the way of statements from the Steelers? Franchises don't usually comment on these types of issues.

I gotta disagree Bell gained everything by not playing this year he is still young and minus 1 year of wear and tear that’s Huge for a running back. He either get franchised again for almost 30 million or he signs a major multi year deal with a new team next year

 

[Dxmissile]

One thing people tend to forget is that a lot of these guys get paid way more money on endorsement deals then actual contract. Yeah Bell forfeited 12 million this year but how much did he make in endorsement deals. He calculated the risk and by all accounts he won. He had one less year of wear and tear and if the Steelers want to franchise him again they have to pay him almost 30 million or he becomes a free agent and still get that big contract.

 

[Pancake]

He lost so much money though by not playing that no contract will make that up. Yes one year less wear and tear but that also means one year less of playing in the long run.

 

[Dxmissile]

LOL they pillaged his locker.

Maybe they will put the items up on e-Bay and send him the money to help with expenses.



If they didn't get a deal done for sure he would have been a FA. And if he had played, and had a good year his chance of cashing in at the level Gurley did improved.

Red has a word for him.........

He’s going to get paid more than Gurley and he should he have been one of the top 2 running backs since he’s been in the league and to be honest he really played a part of running backs being good receivers too. Now every team is looking for a Bell and now a Gurley

 

[Dxmissile]

He lost so much money though by not playing that no contract will make that up. Yes one year less wear and tear but that also means one year less of playing in the long run.

When you have a proven track record trust me teams aren’t going to hold him not playing this year against him and in fact that’s going to be a big selling point to the fans when whatever team gives him that mega deal.

 

[Pancake]

When you have a proven track record trust me teams aren’t going to hold him not playing this year against him and in fact that’s going to be a big selling point to the fans when whatever team gives him that mega deal.

He's going to get signed for big money for sure. I just don't think it's going to be a large enough amount that he will recoup this years lost salary. I think he lost 14.5 mil right?

 

[Dxmissile]

He's going to get signed for big money for sure. I just don't think it's going to be a large enough amount that he will recoup this years lost salary. I think he lost 14.5 mil right?

Like 12.8 but I’m sure his endorsement deals made up for that but would you take a guaranteed 40-50 million over 13. I know I would because if he got hurt this year then what happens next year. Bell was thinking about his future and in that sense he won.

 

[Merlin]

Let’s be real honest here do Bell deserve to get paid less than Gurley because Pittsburgh offer was crappy tbh

Yes. Gurley is a model locker room player and face of the franchise type on top of being an elite running back. He's never been suspended for drugs and isn't a risk in those off field ways. He didn't whine or hold out early or threaten to, he did his job and was a team guy while the deal got done. Players like Gurley are extremely difficult to find.

So yes. Bell isn't in TG's range in terms of a team putting major investment into the player and who he is both on and off the field. It isn't close man. In the Steelers locker room Leveon's own teammates have turned on him. That would never happen to Todd, because he's a team-first dude and everyone knows it.

 

[Pancake]

Like 12.8 but I’m sure his endorsement deals made up for that but would you take a guaranteed 40-50 million over 13. I know I would because if he got hurt this year then what happens next year. Bell was thinking about his future and in that sense he won.

Well I'm a throw back when it comes to stuff like that. I probably would have taken the 13 mil because I would feel an obligation to my teammates to help them and so I would play. Of course I would probably go down with a catastrophic injury on play one.

 

[12intheBox]

He's going to get signed for big money for sure. I just don't think it's going to be a large enough amount that he will recoup this years lost salary. I think he lost 14.5 mil right?

If his leg fell off this year - he would have the 14.5 and thats it.

In free agency, he will get a big guaranteed number - probably in the 40s - thats what this is all about. Security in a very dangerous game.

 

[Mackeyser]

He would have got the $14.5 million from the franchise tag he could have signed.

I see your point about riding him like a rented mule, and it definitely has merit. But I'm skeptical that Bell can make up the lost money from this year, and he probably would have been a FA next year either way.

In the long run, it might be a lose-lose scenario, because players and free agents may not want to lay it on the line as much for the Pittsburgh front office.

We'll never know.

What's to say that after getting that $14.5M that maybe he has a nagging injury at the end of the season that needs a little surgery and even if minor, who's going to give more than a few mill a year for a 28 year old back coming off of surgery?

So maybe he will net more. There's no way to know, but it's not possible to assert that he is definitely netting less doing it this way.

Also, they made it clear with the 2nd franchise tag that they never intended to pay him.

What they don't understand is that it sends a really crappy message to the rest of the league. When you have the Rams making it a priority to sign guys who are productive and down with the program and jettisoning those who aren't, it makes Pittsburgh look awfully douchey.

Bottom line was that Pitt wasn't interested in a win/win deal and they are surprised when the options are Pitt win/Bell lose or lose/lose that Bell chose lose/lose.

 

[dieterbrock]

I think if you’re a team who is thinking about signing him to big $$ you’ve got to look at Conners production and ask if Bell was the straw or just fortunate to play in such a good system

 

[Mackeyser]

He lost so much money though by not playing that no contract will make that up. Yes one year less wear and tear but that also means one year less of playing in the long run.

Totally not true.

Let's say that Bell signs a modest contract with only legit $20M in guarantees.

Okay. Then let's contrast that with Bell going down with a late season injury like an ACL which would take him to his 29th birthday before he could really play again.

After the $14.5M, he'd be lucky to get more than the vet minimum on a prove it deal and THEN, who's going to drop more than $2M bonus on a 30 year old back a year from an ACL?

The only thing that's guaranteed was the salary this year versus his bonus next and his bonus next will be bigger than his salary this year.

You can't aggregate the salary and bonuses because there are too many possibilities that they would be exclusive to one another.

So, it's not a matter of just losing this season's salary. It's balancing the risk of this year's salary and injury versus a bigger bonus next year that would be obviated by any injury.

 

[Mackeyser]

I think if you’re a team who is thinking about signing him to big $$ you’ve got to look at Conners production and ask if Bell was the straw or just fortunate to play in such a good system

Connors is a really good back and doing well, but he's no Bell.

It amazes me how quickly people forget how good some of the elite players are.

 

[Dxmissile]

Yes. Gurley is a model locker room player and face of the franchise type on top of being an elite running back. He's never been suspended for drugs and isn't a risk in those off field ways. He didn't whine or hold out early or threaten to, he did his job and was a team guy while the deal got done. Players like Gurley are extremely difficult to find.

So yes. Bell isn't in TG's range in terms of a team putting major investment into the player and who he is both on and off the field. It isn't close man. In the Steelers locker room Leveon's own teammates have turned on him. That would never happen to Todd, because he's a team-first dude and everyone knows it.

Lol. So I guess neither is Aaron Donald either huh. It kills me how fans wanna get in another mans pocket. His so -called teammates are trash Bell isn’t the first player to hold out and he won’t be the last. RB is probably the shortest career lasting position in the Nfl. Todd did speak out about the Middle school offense and I bet he would have held out too if he didn’t get extended which would be his RIGHT to do. Get off your high horse. Football is always buisness first

 

[Dxmissile]

I think if you’re a team who is thinking about signing him to big $$ you’ve got to look at Conners production and ask if Bell was the straw or just fortunate to play in such a good system

Or you can look on the flip side and say defense aren’t paying as much attention to Connor as they did Bell. And while Connor has been good running the ball he isn’t almost 50 percent of the offense like Bell has been for numerous seasons

 

[Dxmissile]

Well I'm a throw back when it comes to stuff like that. I probably would have taken the 13 mil because I would feel an obligation to my teammates to help them and so I would play. Of course I would probably go down with a catastrophic injury on play one.

Lol and that’s always the catch 22 but think about Bell usage. The guy averaged more touches than anyone else in the game. He was your number 1 runner and your second best receiver. When you choose not to pay a guy that important to your offense you’re making his choice awfully easy

 

[LesBaker]

He’s going to get paid more than Gurley and he should he have been one of the top 2 running backs since he’s been in the league and to be honest he really played a part of running backs being good receivers too. Now every team is looking for a Bell and now a Gurley

You must be new to football and may have missed other RB's who have been good pass catchers.

Like even 25 years ago.

He does not deserve more than Gurley.

He's a big risk.

 

[Dxmissile]

You must be new to football and may have missed other RB's who have been good pass catchers.

Like even 25 years ago.

He does not deserve more than Gurley.

He's a big risk.

No I’m not new to football I know about Faulk and Tomlinson even Faulk in New England and SJax, what I’m talking about is the last 10 years or so when running backs wasn’t drafter high anymore because teams felt like they could get by with a rb in the late rounds what Bell showed was that en elite running back with pass catching skills in TODAYS NFL is a major mismatch. That’s why it’s been a run on pass catching running backs in the last 5 years or so.