Steelers offering Bell for trade and nobody is biting yet

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T-REX

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This thread...

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Elmgrovegnome

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His age has to be a factor. His past injuries and suspensions too. Maybe coaches would worry about messing up team chemistry. I don't know what his teammates felt about him before, but some seem none to happy with him now.

How can a team be certain that he is in playing shape now? Are they allowed to put him through a workout?


So if he signed on the condition of being traded, couldn't the trade terms be conditional, depending on if the retain him beyond this season? A fourth round if he goes in free agency, a second if he stays with his new team?
 

gabriel18

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I'm just glad the Rams don't have any selfish guys on the team . The Steelers in turmoil makes me smile
 

MadGoat

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If they had during the off-season, I think you're right. I don't think they could get a comp pick if they rescinded the tag now. IIRC, there's a deadline where it is no longer counted in the formula.
I originally heard about this on a radio show, but here's a link on PFT from last week.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, if the Steelers rescind the franchise tender, Bell’s departure (if/when he signs with a new team) would count toward the Steelers’ overall free-agency losses in 2018 when calculating compensatory draft picks fore 2019, even though the deadline for getting such credit has otherwise passed.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-get-compensatory-draft-pick-for-leveon-bell/
 

RamsJunkie

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I wonder if he has to be drug tested even though he hasn't signed his franchise tag? He might be using this time to smoke out. We know he loves the weed. Wouldn't surprise me to see him come back week 10 only to fail a drug test and be suspended for a year
 

Turducken

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I'm just glad the Rams don't have any selfish guys on the team . The Steelers in turmoil makes me smile
I think this will be a campfire story among GM's for decades. Steelers didn't know if Leveon would report under a tag, but assumed he would based on the math. And we all know what happens when you "assume".....
 

dieterbrock

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I originally heard about this on a radio show, but here's a link on PFT from last week.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, if the Steelers rescind the franchise tender, Bell’s departure (if/when he signs with a new team) would count toward the Steelers’ overall free-agency losses in 2018 when calculating compensatory draft picks fore 2019, even though the deadline for getting such credit has otherwise passed.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...-get-compensatory-draft-pick-for-leveon-bell/
That’s a great article and clears it up. So the Steelers would be eligible for comp if they rescind the tag and he signs as FA elsewhere even though the deadline passed. However, the net/net wouldn’t give them any comp so they wouldn’t get anything.
So I’m not sure what the end game is here. They wait for him to report, they’ll pay him a pro rate of his salary, all in the hopes of getting a potential 3rd round comp pick in 2020?
Seems like a lot of $$ to spend for a 3rd rounder. (At best)
 

dieterbrock

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Pretty sure they can negotiate the trade comp and take less than 2 1sts but I could be wrong
 

MadGoat

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I think this will be a campfire story among GM's for decades. Steelers didn't know if Leveon would report under a tag, but assumed he would based on the math. And we all know what happens when you "assume".....
Don't forget the story about Bell's agent assuming his 2019 franchise tag salary would be based on his 2018 franchise tag. It sounds like the longer Bell drags this out, the more likely that the Steelers try to tag him again based on his actual 2018 salary (~6 million). If a trade doesn't happen, this is going to end in a lawsuit.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/ar...absence-pittsburgh-steelers-wait-trade-offers
 

Akrasian

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Since he's not planning on reporting, at least until he has to so it counts as a season for him, there's no need to trade for him until the Trade deadline at the end of the month. Since his pay remaining would be less then, teams also would need less available cap room. And they will have a better idea of whether they are in playoff contention, since the big value of trading for him would be his playing into shape at the end of the season, followed by his being there for the playoffs.

Although remember, teams can trade players back to the Steelers to help with cap room, and likely will. Heck, to make cap room space, it is almost certain. In any case, it's not surprising that there hasn't been a good offer yet - given that Bell wouldn't report for a month or more, it would be foolish to have an offer at this point. Teams do seem to be keeping in touch with the Steelers at this point. And give the Steelers a few more losses so they're out of contention, that might reduce their demands anyway.
 

Akrasian

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Don't forget the story about Bell's agent assuming his 2019 franchise tag salary would be based on his 2018 franchise tag. It sounds like the longer Bell drags this out, the more likely that the Steelers try to tag him again based on his actual 2018 salary (~6 million). If a trade doesn't happen, this is going to end in a lawsuit.

http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/ar...absence-pittsburgh-steelers-wait-trade-offers

That's ESPN's interpretation, it's not coming from the league - no sources are cited, or even hinted at. And even then, they say an arbitrator could rule otherwise. IOW - ESPN has no source, no real idea, they were just spitballing ideas around thinking "this would make a good article". Until an actual source - even anonymous - says that's the case, I am skeptical.
 

MadGoat

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That's ESPN's interpretation, it's not coming from the league - no sources are cited, or even hinted at. And even then, they say an arbitrator could rule otherwise. IOW - ESPN has no source, no real idea, they were just spitballing ideas around thinking "this would make a good article". Until an actual source - even anonymous - says that's the case, I am skeptical.
Schefter reported it as fact and nobody has challenged it. He specifically pointed out it would likely end up going to an arbitrator if the Steelers do it. I think my original statement that the likelihood of the Steelers trying it is going up the longer Bell holds out is correct.
 

LesBaker

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He's not being pushed around, he's having to play by the rules just like other players.

He is the one doing the pushing by holding out, demanding the highest contract ever for a RB while being an injury/suspension risk. I don't see how that increases his value in the market.


If that's the case then why sit out this year?
 

LesBaker

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IMO if they can't trade him he will be a FA because they aren't going to pay huge money for a one year arrangement.

The Steelers are one of those franchises that isn't usually associated with "drama" or even holdouts like this. It's not the culture there so IMO he's a goner.
 

LARams_1963

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The Thomas injury makes Bell look pretty damn smart. Like Bobby Wagoner said, you don't report your selfish, but if you do and get hurt....." It's a tough scenario.
 

dieterbrock

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I only suggest this as a way for the Steelers to potentially re-coup something for him. They could transition tag him, allow him to negotiate with other teams and then agree to lesser than the 2 first round picks which is a heck of a lot more than what they are looking at now. I think that's what the Patriots did with Matt Cassel?
At this point, I don't see the Steelers angle. And no matter what, to trade him requires him signing the tender.

And as I said in the incorrect thread, (thanks @kurtfaulk ) I find it stupid that you cant sign a franchise player to an extension until the new league year.