With Le’Veon Bell attached to the franchise tag for another season, the fallout’s begun — from the running back’s agent saying this will likely be his client’s final year in Pittsburgh, to the Steelers expressing hope they can sign Bell after this season.
More clarity’s emerging on the Steelers’ final offer. Pittsburgh offered Bell a five-year, $70MM deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter), doing so a year after proposing a five-year, $60MM contract to the All-Pro running back. During an appearance on NFL Total Access, Rapoport said the Steelers and Bell did not come as close to a deal as they did last July.
Rapoport notes this proposal, like last summer’s, included more than $30MM in its first two years. The average salary of this deal is $14MM — $500K shy of the amount of Bell’s current franchise tag and the figure that Bell said was his price floor.
It’s not certain what guarantees the Steelers were willing to include, and that element could be why Bell looks bound for 2019 free agency.
The Steelers’ 2017 offer was worth $13.3MM over five years. ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reported the team increased the proposal in the spring, with Bell’s rejection stalling talks for months. It’s unclear if this final offer was more than the one the Steelers made to Bell in the spring.
This five-year, $70MM pact, interestingly, is the same amount both Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas signed for at the 2015 tag deadline. This illustrates the obvious gap between the present values of the wide receiver and running back positions, with Antonio Brown now earning a wideout-high $17MM per year, but it also shows how much Bell stuck to his guns. This offer was $6MM north of any other running back’s AAV.
The 26-year-old running back sought more from the Steelers in the spring because of the 406-touch season — his second first-team All-Pro slate — he put together last year and his status as arguably the NFL’s best running back. Bell’s gambling this kind of money will be there for him in free agency after what would probably be another high-volume workload this season. This worked for Kirk Cousins. The two-tag process netted him free agency and a fully guaranteed deal, but he plays a much less violent position. And Bell has some injuries in his past.
It’s a bold move on Bell’s part given what’s happened to the running back market during his career and how the Steelers use him.
He enters 2018 with 1,229 career carries. Should Bell stay healthy, he’ll almost certainly surpass 1,500 this season. The only active players ahead of Bell currently: Frank Gore, Marshawn Lynch, LeSean McCoy, Jonathan Stewart and LeGarrette Blount. All of whom have at least three more years’ experience than the Steelers’ versatile workhorse. And Bell has 312 career receptions as well, adding to the risk of turning down a long-term pact for a second straight year.
Sorry….just don’t see any teams dishing out more than that for a RB. I think the final offer here by the Steelers is more than fair.
Guess we’ll find out next year how much he really is worth. But I’m saying now, this will be about the best it will get.
I agree…I don’t see any way that he gets more than 5/70, even on the open market.
If that is a true figure then so long my friend. As in times past those that have left have not done well at all.
He’ll land with Cleveland who will have $96M (facetious) in cap room.
He is worth atleast 100million steelers are cheap and lowballing bell he can get more else where
Demarco Murray
I’ve been Steelers fan all my life and as much as I like Bell NO running back is worth that investment. There are a few extreme examples of RBs who can carry the ball as much as he has and keep at it year over year but the odds are that he’s done by age 30 or even sooner if he keeps getting 300 carries a year. I know those are arguments for why he wants to get paid now but the reality is that the best teams don’t overpay running backs.
I would hardly say 5 years 70 million is cheap especially when the RB is already 26 years old with as many touches as he gets. And, exactly how many rings has he helped them win to earn that money? Oh yeah, none. He can kindly leave at the end the year.
If the Steelers were willing to move on from Franco Harris because of money, then this clown will be gone too.
This offense is less about him after this draft anyways. It’s clear they will continue to evolve into a WR screen offense with the occasional deep ball keep the cornerbacks honest.
What they need is a guy like Jerome Bettis. 3 yards and a cloud of dust.
You are absolutely 100% right. They knew last year during the draft that a long term deal with Bell was hopeless. JuJu last year and Washington this year proves they prepared to move on from him last year.
There are plenty of running backs who will want to compete for a chance to win a SB.
Passing up 5/70 as a RB is too risky to me. You’re crazy to go much higher than that. Big gamble if you’re hoping to make a couple million more a year.
He is a very good back – but he is also a product of the system and o-line to some degree. Also, with Big Ben and AB taking the heat off of him on the outside .. the Steelers know that he is replaceable with minimal drop off .. ala Deangilo Williams , that’s why they won’t pay more.
Also .. if he passed on that kind of offer .. he’s dumber than I thought he was. He’s not a QB. He can’t pull a Cousins here .. he won’t get that kind of coin .. RB’s prime passes way too fast, especially when he’s used so much as a receiver as well.
I can’t think of one team that would sign Bell at that rate and term. No team is out there that is “a RB away from winning the Super Bowl.” makes more sense to just have 4 or 5 RBs on the roster to be a bruiser, goaline back, returner, 3rd down back, etc. patriots and eagles just in the super bowl featured solid backfields. But no workhorse back, like Bell.
It’s laughable you guys think this article gives enough detail to judge who is right and wrong here. The NFL used these players and pays them the least of all the sports for the most difficult job, in the market that makes the most money. Bell should turn this deal down if only the first two years are guaranteed. If next year someone guarantees 4 years, he’ll sign. Even at a lower AVV, it would still be a better contract.
As for others wanting a chance to win a SB, you the Bell less Steelers have even a remote chance of that? If he does go to the Browns, they might be the better team!