POLL Steelers are parting ways with Leveon Bell

[Orlando Eagles]

No, I'll give you some reasons why they did good to hold their ground with a very solid contract offer.

Long lasting...this is BS, every Steeler star player of recent (last decade) has gotten a long term deal from the Steelers except for Bell and I don't want to drag the negotiation out again, but they made a good faith effort to sign him...it came down to guaranteed money and they decided to hold firm on their policy of sign bonus plus 1st yr of the new contract as guarantees. Bell will probably get a little more in guarantees from his new team, but they will most like have some roster bonuses (not true guarantees) in there like Gurley's deal...will it be enough to offset the money he's losing every week? IDT so.

Needs...PIT made some mistake here imo. After they could not come to a long term agreement with Bell LY, they should've traded him and tacked on a little bit more and put that money into a proven CB and a proven FS via FA and they would be a better team.

Shitter...No push back on that...barring a major turn of events, I think Tomlin could have his 1st, < .500 season...but the DEF is a complete dumpster fire...Not much Bell can do about that if he's getting on the field down 2 possessions.

That is some really good insight! Thanks for sharing.
I agree that I think the worst thing the Steelers did here is to not move him last year. Though I will admit I would really want to keep talking to a player that talented than just trading him. It is a hindsight view.

Looking at things so far this year....I really don't see how much more Bell could have done in the Cleveland game that Conner did not do. I totally see where he could have provided more since then and certainly could have helped pull the Steelers through the Chiefs game, possibly the Ravens one.

So....if Bell is there they are quite surely 2-1-1 instead of 1-2-1.
I am not sure I can say they would be any less in the shitter with Bell.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

That is some really good insight! Thanks for sharing.
I agree that I think the worst thing the Steelers did here is to not move him last year. Though I will admit I would really want to keep talking to a player that talented than just trading him. It is a hindsight view.

Looking at things so far this year....I really don't see how much more Bell could have done in the Cleveland game that Conner did not do. I totally see where he could have provided more since then and certainly could have helped pull the Steelers through the Chiefs game, possibly the Ravens one.

So....if Bell is there they are quite surely 2-1-1 instead of 1-2-1.
I am not sure I can say they would be any less in the shitter with Bell.

I'm a big fan of Bell's talent, and with PIT reaching as far as they (reportedly) did, clearly they are as well. Yes, he's a better player than Connors, no question, but 5 or the 11 starters on DEF are players they are HOPING have good seasons but no proven history to support it.

Burns, CB...3rd yr, no excuse, he's had plenty of snaps
Davis FS...3rd yr moved from SS 1st yr playing FS
Sutton, CB4...nickle/dime, 2nd yr player, 1st real NFL snaps this season
Bostic, ILB...FA vet with starting experience, but clearly a rank-n-file type player
Dupree, OLB, 4th yr player that has taken up a lot of snaps as a starter, but doesn't make enough plays

So...spending $15 mil per season on a RB, when you have that many underperforming players all on one side of the ball starting just doesn't make much sense to me.

KC game...idk...after PIT got back in it 21-21 at the half, KC had three 3Q drives, all 3 resulted in TDs, and they were right back up to a 2 possession lead in the 4Q. Although he's played very well vs KC, I really don't think Bell would've gotten the touches because the DEF couldn't keep the game close enough to keep the running game in play.

 

[old duke]

I would give up a 2nd, and have him for the rest of this year, and if he leaves, then we gt a comp pick the year after, and we go get a stud RB in the 2019 draft. I also do not want to mortgage the future. We have 2 2nd's in the 2019 draft, and could give one up to help us this year. Our cabinet is still full for the next draft.

 

[Orlando Eagles]

I would give up a 2nd, and have him for the rest of this year, and if he leaves, then we gt a comp pick the year after, and we go get a stud RB in the 2019 draft. I also do not want to mortgage the future. We have 2 2nd's in the 2019 draft, and could give one up to help us this year. Our cabinet is still full for the next draft.

If this is going to happen for us I cannot see it being more than a 2nd anyway. Howie has already shown a trend of using mid level picks or lower to draft or acquire players (because....we aren't the Giants). So I could not see him going higher than a 2nd....and only a 2nd as we have 2 of them. While we have 12 picks next year we will have a good bit to address to keep the roster solid. Higher picks matter more. I would like it even more if he could talk Pitt into something like a 3rd and a 5th.

It still doesn't address salary or player getting fully up to speed to contribute in the small window that will exist....but that is a way to solve the pick compensation issue. We can count on a 3rd if he walks possibly.

 

[Northern Eagle]

I'm still firm on my stance, I wouldn't at this point give up anything for Bell. They might pursue him as a FA after this season and I'm even a little apprehensive about that - he's such an unorthodox runner I wonder sometimes if he could work anywhere else but Pittsburgh. Whether we repeat or not, we are headed towards cap hell; there is no one in the league better at the cap than Roseman IMO but even he can only work so much magic.

We need all the draft capital we can get moving forward because this will be a very different roster over the next couple of years... we need to take advantage of Joe Douglas's skills before he bolts for another gig elsewhere, give him better odds to get some legit young talent moving forward... unfortunately we can't pay everyone. Especially when you figure they will need to clear the decks for Wentz's deal - likely to be north of $100M guaranteed.

 

[eaglesnut]

No, I'll give you some reasons why they did good to hold their ground with a very solid contract offer.

Long lasting...this is BS, every Steeler star player of recent (last decade) has gotten a long term deal from the Steelers except for Bell and I don't want to drag the negotiation out again, but they made a good faith effort to sign him...it came down to guaranteed money and they decided to hold firm on their policy of sign bonus plus 1st yr of the new contract as guarantees. Bell will probably get a little more in guarantees from his new team, but they will most like have some roster bonuses (not true guarantees) in there like Gurley's deal...will it be enough to offset the money he's losing every week? IDT so.

Needs...PIT made some mistake here imo. After they could not come to a long term agreement with Bell LY, they should've traded him and tacked on a little bit more and put that money into a proven CB and a proven FS via FA and they would be a better team.

Shitter...No push back on that...barring a major turn of events, I think Tomlin could have his 1st, < .500 season...but the DEF is a complete dumpster fire...Not much Bell can do about that if he's getting on the field down 2 possessions.

Bell himself brought up how he watched Polamalu get the short end of the stick. A piddly little non-garaunteed contract that turned into much less money than it appeared to be.

That matters. The next guy will also say how the Steelers yanked around Bell. All the drama was completely avoidable and I already explained that.

 

[Orlando Eagles]

I'm still firm on my stance, I wouldn't at this point give up anything for Bell. They might pursue him as a FA after this season and I'm even a little apprehensive about that - he's such an unorthodox runner I wonder sometimes if he could work anywhere else but Pittsburgh. Whether we repeat or not, we are headed towards cap hell; there is no one in the league better at the cap than Roseman IMO but even he can only work so much magic.

We need all the draft capital we can get moving forward because this will be a very different roster over the next couple of years... we need to take advantage of Joe Douglas's skills before he bolts for another gig elsewhere, give him better odds to get some legit young talent moving forward... unfortunately we can't pay everyone. Especially when you figure they will need to clear the decks for Wentz's deal - likely to be north of $100M guaranteed.

This is exactly why I think IF Howie is reaching out on this he has just this year in mind. Too much to do in the next few years (though....I don't know if I see Wentz getting over $100M guaranteed....it will be huge).

Aside from that....I have been able to find no one as an original source of the Eagles being in the running but LaCanfora. Many others reporting off of LaCanfora....but only him being the one sourcing this rumor. Anyone else find anyone else originally reporting the Eagles are deep in talks?

Because....if it still remains just LaCanfora reporting this off of a source than I am just going to talk the hypothetical here.....and call bullshit in my mind.

 

[old duke]

Pitt won't accept anything less than a 2nd, because if Bell walks, they will get a 3rd round comp pick. New Eng may offer a 2nd, so a 3rd won't get it done. It will be hard to try to get a stud RB n the draft, since the Birds won't draft a 1st or 2nd for a RB, unless he is a sure thing.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Bell himself brought up how he watched Polamalu get the short end of the stick. A piddly little non-garaunteed contract that turned into much less money than it appeared to be.

That matters. The next guy will also say how the Steelers yanked around Bell. All the drama was completely avoidable and I already explained that.

LOL...really sounds like a woman scorned.

Troy did leave PIT butthurt, but his 2nd/3rd contracts he was one of the highest paid SS in the league as he should've been...his final contract? Just padded his retirement man with that last 2 yr deal he was finished...strapped for cap cash, they cut him on the last yr so he's been pissed, but Troy made almost $90 mil from PIT.

Bell is really being a bitch..trying to brand the Steelers as low ballers...lol


Troy Polamalu

You tell me if Troy got the shaft....he cashed all but the last $6mil or so.

 

[SteelersPride]

LOL...really sounds like a woman scorned.

Troy did leave PIT butthurt, but his 2nd/3rd contracts he was one of the highest paid SS in the league as he should've been...his final contract? Just padded his retirement man with that last 2 yr deal he was finished...strapped for cap cash, they cut him on the last yr so he's been pissed, but Troy made almost $90 mil from PIT.

Bell is really being a bitch..trying to brand the Steelers as low ballers...lol


Troy Polamalu

You tell me if Troy got the shaft....he cashed all but the last $6mil or so.

logic, and facts,

 

[John]

Pitt won't accept anything less than a 2nd, because if Bell walks, they will get a 3rd round comp pick. New Eng may offer a 2nd, so a 3rd won't get it done. It will be hard to try to get a stud RB n the draft, since the Birds won't draft a 1st or 2nd for a RB, unless he is a sure thing.

They MIGHT use a 2nd but you're right. They will never use a 1 on a RB.

 

[old duke]

They MIGHT use a 2nd but you're right. They will never use a 1 on a RB.

90% correct. If they had a shot at a real stud who slips into the late 1st round, which is rare, they might, but generally NO, they won't.

 

[Four4Four]

Neither. I much rather get Dez. Rbs wont put u over the top as much as receivers will

 

[SteelersPride]

Neither. I much rather get Dez. Rbs wont put u over the top as much as receivers will

and ur solution is dez? to put u over the top?

 

[John]

Dez is finished or he would have been signed by now.

 

[old duke]

Dez is washed up. We'll get a fast WR in the next draft. We need a stud DT to team with Cox, and a pass rusher, since BG will leave, and Long is at the end. Putting pressure on the QB is the key to our D.

Back to the question - NO to Dez. I would have rather had Gordon.

 

[Northern Eagle]

Dez has mental issues... not trying to throw shade but he has legitimate concerns away from football, Jerry Jones won't even touch him at this point. Not interested