To return to Super Bowl, Steelers should run from Le'V Bell

[Kodiak]

.... and go to the TV booth making $1M/ year.

Why would Tomlin leave a job paying $8M a year for one that pays $1M a year and would require him to actually work harder?

[Legacy User]

egfds

Was this in reference to my post? What is egfds?

Oh, I stared to post something, changed my mind, edited, deleted what I had and typed random letters.

[Steelafan77]

[Havoc]

FYI, the Steelers did win a super bowl with a lesser talent than what Bell is to this team now. Fast Willie says hi.

That was a good offense.

Ben/AB/JuJu/Mcdonald is going to score points Bell or no Bell as long as Tomlin stays out of the offense.

[Legacy User]

.... and go to the TV booth making $1M/ year.

Why would Tomlin leave a job paying $8M a year for one that pays $1M a year and would require him to actually work harder?

Don't know what youre talking about - my post says $10M/year, not $1M

[955876]

I dunno. The very first thing RB's do is thank their O line. Without Munchak, I'm not sure Bell is the back he is.

Picking up blitzing LB's or corners can be taught.

Don't get me wrong, Bell is a talented guy, who brings skills to the table, but not for the money he's asking. And I'm not sure his attitude has a place in a locker room. Guys see that and figure if you 'produce,' you can be an arrogant dick, blow off your coach, and demand more money than you're worth. Big heads usually get caught in doorways, blocking the path for everyone else.

This...

Bell is the perfect example of idiot young person gimme gimme gimme attitude with no regard for what they can or should be doing.

Asking for the kind of money you did comes with a price. You can’t just show up when you like, participate when you like, and then run the ball on Sunday. You need to lead. You need to set an example. Comes with the big bucks.

If you are nothing more to the team than a guy to carry the football then get paid like one.

Was still offered way more than highest paid and scoffed. But can’t show up for the biggest walk through of year.

With that, he is important to team. Tag him if he doesn’t play nice.

[tbsteel]

My God I cannot wait to hear people next season if they are actually dumb enough to let Bell leave.

THAT SHIT is gonna be funny.

Oh and yeah, Bell’s the only creator of drama on this team. Sheesh.

[steelmann58]

the steelers will franchise him again and no he not a moron turning down 14 million

[randomsteelerfan]

Fuck I cannot wait to see this board next year if Bell leaves!

Cuntlin and Butler are going to shore up that defense for sure.

Can’t wait.

Dan McCullers is gonna be a stud. This is his year, I can feel it!

Okay, cool. We keep Bell, go 13-3 again next year and go one and done. Sweet. But you know what? We got to see some amazing offense scored 40/game. Too bad we gave up 45/game.

Stop making the same stupid post and tell me how keeping Bell is going is going to improve this team. Is Fichtner enough? We know Butler and Tomlin have shit the bed defensively two years in a row. So, I think it’s safe to say expect the same next year unless something changes. It ain’t coaching, so that leaves us with players.

I’m not sure how keeping Bell improves the team.

But you watch how much shittier this offense becomes without him.

Duh.

Agreed. But how much shittier? If we let Bell walk and shore up the D could that possibly balance out the need to outscore everyone every week?

IDK. But I think it’s worth considering. But, only if the Steelers put that $14 mil into free agency is it a consideration.

[Legacy User]

I think...THINK...we could get by without Bell.

The offense doesn't run through him like it did in 2016 and earlier.

I'd be worried about what it looked like though until I could be trusting that Fichtner will use scheme to help lesser talent.

That nutso TD where Ben found Bell for a TD with a backward lateral last Sunday? I'm not sure that happens without both Ben AND Bell on either side of the play.

And until Fichtner shows me something, right now our offense thrives on spectacular individual effort as opposed to scheme.

You don't want to see this Steelers team without Bell.

Believe me.

Amen, he covered a lot of weaknesses. That said, tag him and be done, he's not worth more but you KNOW where he ends up if we don't retain him.

[jeemie]

Another person insinuating Bell will end up with the Patriots.

No way in hell if we let Le’veon Bell go does he end up in New England unless he’s willing to take a HELL of a lot less money than he’s demanding right now to go there.

Belichick simply will not invest that much coin in a running back. He just won’t.

[jeemie]

Oh and FYI, all three of Lewis, Burkhead, and White had the same or better YPC as Bell, and Burkhead and White each had better yards per reception than Bell did.

[Havoc]

Another person insinuating Bell will end up with the Patriots.

No way in hell if we let Le’veon Bell go does he end up in New England unless he’s willing to take a HELL of a lot less money than he’s demanding right now to go there.

Belichick simply will not invest that much coin in a running back. He just won’t.

This thread brought out the Bell fanboys.

The idea that the combo of Ben/AB/JuJu/McDonald cannot score without Bell is a joke.

[Legacy User]

Another person insinuating Bell will end up with the Patriots.

No way in hell if we let Le’veon Bell go does he end up in New England unless he’s willing to take a HELL of a lot less money than he’s demanding right now to go there.

Belichick simply will not invest that much coin in a running back. He just won’t.

So who pays him more than the franchise tag? Serious question. He clearly believes he can get more since he's a WR that is also an RB.

[Jobu]

Sometimes you roll the dice...weaken one part of the team to improve another, and hopefullythe team overall. We know that they haven’t been able to reach the Super Bowl with Lev Bell and a poor defense. Can they get there with no Lev Bell and an improved defense? $15 mil can buy a lot of defensive improvement...just saying.
If we are to believe that A2 leaked the Bouchette story, then the handwriting is pretty much on the wall...

[W&M_Steeler]

Another person insinuating Bell will end up with the Patriots.

No way in hell if we let Le’veon Bell go does he end up in New England unless he’s willing to take a HELL of a lot less money than he’s demanding right now to go there.

Belichick simply will not invest that much coin in a running back. He just won’t.

So who pays him more than the franchise tag? Serious question. He clearly believes he can get more since he's a WR that is also an RB.

I think Bell will end up a Washington Redskin if the Steelers don't tag him. They have a RB need, and overpaying someone like Bell is Snyder's MO.

Can Bell beat Nix in a footrace at this point?

[the-other-burg]

Another person insinuating Bell will end up with the Patriots.

No way in hell if we let Le’veon Bell go does he end up in New England unless he’s willing to take a HELL of a lot less money than he’s demanding right now to go there.

Belichick simply will not invest that much coin in a running back. He just won’t.

This thread brought out the Bell fanboys.

The idea that the combo of Ben/AB/JuJu/McDonald cannot score without Bell is a joke.

Can they score 45 a game? Because thats probably what we’ll need. Even if we draft our ilb and safety of the future (and thats a big “if”), it will probably take at least 2 seasons before they impact- because our defense apparently requires a phd to learn. And whomever they replace Bell with better know how to pick up a blitz, because nobody will be playing us to run.

Maybe part of the Bell problem is the Tomlin problem. Not having an ounce of discipline instilled in his players. Maybe the right coach and this shit with Bell doesnt happen. But of course we will never know, because Tomllin aint going anywhere.

[Kodiak]

Don't know what youre talking about - my post says $10M/year, not $1M

And I corrected it. Those guys don't get anywhere near $10M a year - that's GMA money (Strahan supposedly gets $17M a year, for a show done EVERY day for 2 hours)

As an announcer/analyst Tomlin would probably be looking at about $1.5M a year.

[Kodiak]

It doesn't have to be complicated.

You tag Bell. Then when he pulls his "I'm not signing....I'm holding out" you quietly continue to shop for top FA's. And if there's a deal to be made, you rescind the tag to free up the money. Bell would probably actually appreciate that, until he starts fielding offers.

If there isn't a top guy worth the coin or you can't reach a deal, then you just wait Bell out. PIT can rescind [cut] him at any time until he signs the tender, when the contract then becomes guaranteed.

[K_C_]

Another person insinuating Bell will end up with the Patriots.

No way in hell if we let Le’veon Bell go does he end up in New England unless he’s willing to take a HELL of a lot less money than he’s demanding right now to go there.

Belichick simply will not invest that much coin in a running back. He just won’t.

This thread brought out the Bell fanboys.

The idea that the combo of Ben/AB/JuJu/McDonald cannot score without Bell is a joke.

Hope they make it happen for you!

We'll see how that works out......

[zeke5123]

It is easy to say -- dump him and allocate resources to the defense. Question is -- are there any defensive free agents that will (I) be worthwhile and (II) sign here? Would we be better of paying Bell and using mid-round picks on defensive players instead of on a RB?

The capologist can correct me on this, but can we sign Bell to a very long term deal with the back-end not having a large salary to spread out cap hit? We can cut him after Ben retires.

[tbsteel]

Why do some of you all think we would get back anything worth a damn from a team in a trade?

That team would be taking on 14-15 mil or whatever it is for the tag, for one year of Bell.

You might get a 3rd or 4th rounder, if that

No one is going to give up a valuable asset to take on that cap hit for a player for just one year. Where is the precedent for getting anything valuable for trading a guy on the tag?

[zeke5123]

Why do some of you all think we would get back anything worth a damn from a team in a trade?

That team would be taking on 14-15 mil or whatever it is for the tag, for one year of Bell.

You might get a 3rd or 4th rounder, if that

No one is going to give up a valuable asset to take on that cap hit for a player for just one year. Where is the precedent for getting anything valuable for trading a guy on the tag?

If they can sign him to a long-term deal, you might get something of value out of him. But agreed -- likely won't. If Bell signs a big contract, then the team isn't getting much surplus value. Thus, can't imagine a team would offer much of a draft choice.

[Steelafan77]

Perhaps this guy reads/posts here... http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/132 ... ell-behind

[swissvale72]

To keep the convo going, even though I don't agree, Madden on Bell....

http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/132 ... ell-behind

[Legacy User]

heres where i stand on this...i would normally say get rid of himhim, BUT, if its strictly for disciplinary reasons, it wont do any good, all this off field shit is a result of Tomlin running a loose locker room, as long as hes in charge, we'll always have this negative drama floating around at the most inopportune times, i could see this fuckwad ending up on the pats as well, can you imagine? Wish theyd just dump Tomlin, hes at the heart of everything, discipline, the shitty defense..all of it has his fingerprints on it. So basically if Tomlin is here, sign Bell too, why the F not.

[swissvale72]

heres where i stand on this...i would normally say get rid of himhim, BUT, if tits strictly for disciplinary reasons, it wont do any good, all this off field shit is a result of Tomlin running a loose locker room, as long as hes in charge, we'll always have this negative drama floating around at the most inopportune times, i could see this fuckwad ending up on the pats as well, can you imagine? Wish theyd just dump Tomlin, hes at the heart of everything, discipline, the shitty defense..all of it has his fingerprints on it. So basically if Tomlin is here, sign Bell too, why the F not.

Exactly right, Greek. I wasn't following it closely, but my guess is that there wasn't any of this bullshit from Le'Veon when he was at Mich. State with Mark Dantonio.

[Legacy User]

Madden's article is good and I agree with it, but he focuses on 2 aspects that are somewhat different from the original article I posted. Madden's focus:

1. That Bell's production is replaceable at a much lower cost (as in the case of Dangelo Williams); and
2. He's a cancer in a team sport

Those are excellent points, but the original article made a great point about Bell NOT BEING ALL THAT GREAT -- he's not a game changer. He doesn't impose his will. He's really good in gaining yards, as a check down receiver, and picking up the blitz. But he's not truly elite by the metrics that matter.

Bell reminds me a lot of Roger Craig for the 49ers, but not the cancer / selfish part of course.

Craig was not the best RB in football but he was a good runner and good receiver -- he was one piece of a great great team. That team would've been fine w/o Craig (they had Montana/Young/Rice, who were the true stars), but he was excellent and made the team better.

The stars here are Ben and AB -- Bell is replaceable, and I agree with Madden -- trading his ass would send a strong message to the rest of the locker room.

But it's not happening. Tomfuck will tag him and waste another year next year, and then he'll sign elsewhere after that.

[Kodiak]

Other teams would have found a way to get more snaps for Conner....then they'd know exactly what they have if they let Bell walk.

[Legacy User]

Other teams would have found a way to get more snaps for Conner....then they'd know exactly what they have if they let Bell walk.

I've always like BB's approach to the RB position -- do it by committee -- get 3-4 guys to handle it, and change them up depending on the situation.

Don't just hand the job to one guy and make him the "work horse" -- it's so fucking retarded