DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Steelers now listening to Le'Veon Bell trade offers, per report

Stats are stats.

Show me Levs stats before 17 when he didn't hold out a miss a camp. You are comparing levs worst season to Connors best season.

It also doesn't take into effect the three headed monster of bell ben and brown.

Its not a huge thing to realize that Browns numbers have been WAYYYYY DOWN with lev not on the field. Last year he had 1500+ yards receiving and was talk of getting some MVP votes. This year hes down 35 yards a game. Teams are focusing on Brown and not focusing on the RB position like they were in the past. Connor to his credit is taking advantage of that. But I absolutely believe his numbers are skewed because of the increased focus on brown and lack of focus on him. He doesn't scare a defense to beat them.

j/c

At this point I think you have to look at last year when he held out to get a gauge of the impact that holds. He missed camp last year and when he came back he certainly didn't look the same. His first two games he only averaged around 3.2 yards per carry and certainly didn't look like a premiere RB.

The Steelers may work him into the line up but Conner is in the groove of the season and Bell isn't in game shape.

j/c:

I think this has gotten to the point [see the Miami tweets] that Bell has alienated his teammates and even his HC.

Tomlin came out the other day and said:

"We need volunteers, not hostages."

I wonder if the Steelers will explore avenues where they just suspend him for the remainder of the season.

They surely don't want to cut him, but once he reports they either have to do something with him that keeps him off the 53-man roster or they have to cut someone else to make room for him on the roster.

I wouldn't want to punish someone that has been there all season just to keep this guy, but you have to play the hand you're dealt.

One thing is for certain, I would not play him AT ALL.

I'm really not sure what avenues they have to follow in that regard. I would think he would have to break some team rules or protocols in order for them to do that. Besides, if they manage to do that they would just be in the same predicament next season.

I understand it would be optimal for them to get something out of bell rather than just see him walk this off season, but I don't see how they can wrangle that.

None of this makes any sense. Holding out for a bit made some sense. Sitting out the entire season doesn't accomplish much.

J/C

disagree or agree (does anyone really agree) gotta give him credit, he believes he is right in the situation I guess and has stuck to his guns. 14.5 million times over.

It got him to free agency where he can pursue his fair market value.


Unfortunately for him, he almost certainly tarnished his market value with his holdout, and Conner further tarnished it by showing just how replaceable his talents are.

Not to mention, watching his market value drop with each yard gained by Conner. Whispering voices in the ears of potential GM's is saying, "it's the system, it's the system".

It'll be interesting to see if he gets more guaranteed than he would have made this season. My guess is that he will, but not by much.

I'm betting not.

I'm betting that there will be a silent collective low-balling of him by the owners lest the other hired help think to rock the same boat in the future.

The owners would never do anything like that.

I don't see how Conner playing well has anything to do with Bell. They are completely different players and runners under a different OC as well.

Conner playing good doesn't tarnish Lev's skills or abilities. However a year out of football may.

Thankfully, we have Chubb and Duke, we're good.

If that happened, and it got out - the NFL would be hit so many lawsuits and bad publicity.

IDK, I don't put it past them - but I find it hard to believe.

It shows that what Bell did maybe isn't so special. Same team, same line, roughly the same scheme, and some dude name Conner just comes in and not only picks up right where the vaunted Le'veon Bell left off, but he surpasses him in every way. Sounds kinda like plug-&-play.

Add in a year out of football and I'm betting that NOBODY is going to be lining up to throw Monopoly money at him. Good teams don't need to, bad teams can draft equal talent for a lot less.

He will get work and be signed, but I'm betting it won't be close to what Pittsburgh offered, and it may not even be in the first go-around of free agency when it first opens. Maybe a week or three after it opens.

He just lost 14 million dollars. He'll never make that up.

Hes a MORON ...

His goal is to get 45 mill or so gauranteed ...

Sign your tag ... u got just shy of 15 mill .. BUY AN INSURANCE policy for the difference .... not sure what it would cost ...

But i sure would love to see what the TRUE RISK was ... the true risk would have been the cost of the insurance policy vs the risk of holding out ...

CFR ... the way it worked out ... not reporting now was the only sensible thing to do ...

EVERYONE was told and thought he had to report by week 11 to get a vested year so he could become a FA next year ... what everyone failed to overlook was the fact that he didnt need to report at all since he’d all ready been tagged twice he would still have to be tagged at the third year tag rate .... witch u can’t afford ...

I’m guessing his agent may get fired before the bidding war starts ... *LOL* ....

If hes worried about getting hurt ... he’d be going back to a time share ... naaaa ... staying away was the best thing for him ...

He may well go the way of Kaepernick.

That's ok. He tweeted a few years ago if you sit out for more money you don't love the game.

The he discovered, the game is the money.

I guess the Steelers won the "No Bell" prize. I'm glad he's no longer a Steeler.

I can’t say I’m glad he’s not a Steeler any longer, because I like the steeler turmoil.

I was kind of hoping that they signed him to 15 mil a year long term and then Big Ben decided to retire.

The Steelers would have Flacco'd their salary cap.

I just dont know why he didnt report, get his 14 million, and say he had a headache, pulled hamstring, etc ... how dumb is he?

Apparently he’s as dumb as his agent.

Well played, mom...

one thing that came to mind about Bell:

does anyone think that the owners will have a silent agreement to either not sign Bell or low ball him significantly?

Almost like another kaepernick situation ... the owners don't want this holdout to set a precedent for future players. They may want to nip it right here.

I don't think so.

Kap hurt the image of the league and wasn't all that good. Bell can help a team win. Someone will sign him.

I read on CBS that they broke down the teams who could afford and want Bell:

colts
jets
bills

were teh three main ones

Two different types of players, two different skill sets. James having a great year, but his best year is about on par w/ lev's worst year. You cant compare the two, its not the same offense as it was last year. Look how different our offense looks w/ kitchens compared to haley. Big Difference.

He will get paid. I have no doubt. He may not get what he thinks he's gong to get....but believe me, he will get a nice payout.

Maybe, but the facts are the facts - he said last year he would sit out a year, and people called him crazy tht he never would. He just proved a lot of you wrong.

Look, personally I would have played. I am just saying I give the dude credit for having major stones for turning down 14.5 million because he believes he was lowballed, that's all im saying.

Good for him. He believes he was wronged by the team. He is standing his ground. Weird, when employees and unions do it, a lot people support them. When a athlete does it, they get crucified.

I feel like the Jets would be perfect. They seem to have been a mecca for discarded running backs over the years. When is the last time they actually drafted a star RB?

Matt Forte
Chris Johnson
LaDainian Tomlinson
Thomas Jones
Curtis Martin

I can see the Jets too .. they'd be the favorite IMO

How do u feel about when TP wouldn’t sign with us? ... u give him credit for gambling on himself?

Dude messed up ... take the 14 mill and get an insurance policy ...

And your wrong in that Conner and the O’s performance has hurt his value ... thats a no-brained bro ... you know that ... your just being stubborn ... *L* .... its OK too admit ... it’s me and its not the cess pool ... ...

Your right in that there two different styles of players ... no doubt ... but if Conner was doing 75% of what he was doing it would show that Bell made a difference ... right now ... ummm .... it appears he was just another piece ...

That hurts his market .... hurts his value ... u can’t deny that ... your smarter than that ...

Your also right in that he will get signed and for a ton ... all it takes is one stupid team like the colts or jets ... the jets could pair him with Darnold and also take some of the shine off Bark ... the colts would be a great spot for him ..

He was always gonna paid ... hes good ...

It’ll be interesting to see what he gets ... if he “only” gets what the stilers offered him gauranteed ... we’ll never know why ...

- was it because the RB position has been de-valued overall and he was just shooting for way to much than anyone was willing to pay ...

- was it because the owners got together and colluded ... this won’t be Kap and i’m Not a conspiracy guy ... Kap was a PR nightmare ... Bell is for future $$ concerns ...

- was it his age and suspension history ...

- did the holdout coupled with Conners numbers hurt him ..

- a combo of all the above ...

Fact is ... we’ll never know bro ...

I think hes a moron ... but like u ... i respect hom for dong what he thought what was right for him no matter how dumb i think it was ... *LOL* ...

Will be interesting to see how it plays out ...

Side note ... I’M THRILLED ... in my big money league ... i drafted him in the 2nd last rnd ... took fournette and am now getting him back .. LATE SEASON RUN BABY ... TY Mr. Bell ...

I could see the Rats making a play, especially if they go with Jackson at QB next year .... and Houston might also be a player for him. If Arizona could clear some cap space, they might like the idea of adding Bell to help Rosen. Maybe the Jets make sense, for the same reason. Adding a premiere runner to go alone with Luck in Indy also makes sense. I think that Buffalo also makes some sense ... but would Bell want to go there?

I think that my top couple of teams would be Houston, Arizona, or Baltimore. (so he could play the Steelers every year)

AZ has David Johnson and Buffalo has LeSean McCoy. Maybe McCoy leaves the Bills, but if that team is going to shake it up at all, I'd imagine they'd go young draftee instead of expensive vet.

I am hoping he ends up with Seattle or Green Bay. Anyone in the NFC would be preferable to those listed.