He won't be 100% when he comes back. Nobody ever is. Don't @ me with his 2016 stats, he was allowed to be around the team and workout through Training Camp just not play in the games. Suspension and hold ours are two different things. If he really comes back Week 7, which I will believe when I see, I don't think you can expect him to be Le'Veon Bell until week 9 or 10. btw by this time the Steelers could be out of it, which will make it interesting to see whether he gets dealt.

The risk factors on Bell are alarming:
-Hes a RB
-Even if he misses half this season his workload has been extreme
-ACL injury
-He has been suspended already
-He has held out of NFL games
-He is a distraction on social media (don't even start with your equivocating on this...it will definitely be talked about in NFL front offices in a negative way)

To me he's not worth the money. Not what the Steelers offered him and certainly not more.

"B-b-but he's the best RB in football"
How do you know? Have you seen him play this year? The RB position is not known for its longevity. What if he's lost a step after all this punishment and is now in the top 5-10 range? I'm not giving a Kareem Hunt or even Melvin Gordon-tier RB that kind of money. Sorry, I'll take my chances drafting some lightning bolt in the second round and keep my cap flexibility to pay an actual hard-to-find asset like a QB, franchise tackle, lockdown corner or edge rusher.

I don't think running games matter that much anymore unless you have an elite OL and/or an elite defense but Bell is uniquely gifted as a receiver so I won't hold that against him the way I would other RB's. But he pisses hot again or twists that knee funny and it's dead money. Maybe a team truly desperate for an RB like SF or GB opens up the bank for him this off-season but RB's to me are always caveat emptor, Bell even more so.

He's 26 years old and one of the best RBs of the last two decades. You cannot complain about me possibly equivicating in a response after the post you just wrote trying to minimize that fact.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I'm holding out for a great big cock.

He can hold out as long as he wants. Who really gives a shit?

_________________

He'll be 27 the first year of his new contract. You wanna be on the hook for his late-20's? If he signs an identical deal to the one Pittsburgh offered him this off-season you are talking a $10m cap hit in 2019 (age 27) and a $10m cap hit in 2020 (age 28...this is the one that scares you). Btw- he kicked that deal out of bed so not only will he probably want more whichever team signs him runs the risk of an Earl Thomas situation where he signs the deal, plays well and then decides he wants to hold out of training camp and make a scene. He clearly doesn't mind missing games over contract situations.

And when he's one drug test away from a lost season? With a knee surgery already to his name? Risk factors on this guy are way too high.

The Steelers probably do seeing as they are fighting for their playoff lives.

If he ages like Forte he'll be fine. If he ages like Gore he'll be a steal.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

This isn't life or death. If the guy wants to secure his financial future as much as possible, who cares how he does it?

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What if he ages like Doug Martin or Chris Johnson?

Fuck yes I do. He's an all time great in his prime that redifined a position. He's like a career 2016 David Johnson season. You see the Steelers with and without him so far.

He's not asking for team disrupting money and he's not one of those guys you can just replace on the cheap.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Ok so I guess we're not allowed to talk about sports on the sports message board anymore :(

Neither are comparable players and yes obviously I know what CJ did that one season

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

You're investing a lot of feelings into this.

_________________

Not really. He's arguing a side. You're the one derailing shit.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Doug Martin was a back with potential but couldn't stay healthy. Chris Johnson had a great season or 2 but is a different style of running back.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

The Steelers are assholes. If they paid Bell (the smart move) we could have had another all time classic Ravens Steelers prime time game. Instead Conner wasn't up to the challenge and they couldn't do shit in the 2nd half. They are helping make his case that he can turn a middling team in to a contender.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I can find a RB who gives me 75% of Bell at 20% of the cost. Also without the off-the-field, previous workload or ACL injury. I am leery of paying for past performance, ESPECIALLY at RB.

A team with near-tern championship aspirations will probably give him what he wants but I could easily see them regretting it.

That extra 25% makes your offense elite.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

And that's where you would fuck up. Conner is about as good as you can hope for if you're throwing darts at replacements and this is where you end up.

You're overthinking this. It's not a lot of money by cap percentage. Pay a guy in his prime who's career start is on a HOF projection and stop comparing him to Doug Martin

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I mean I just read a few words from the last few posts before I commented.

I'm not really giving a solid shit posting effort here.

So yeah, derailment in progress.

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I’m just waiting to hear how he tears up his knee in a jet ski accident.

Of course. This sounds like something some dumbass 70 year old NFL mind like John Fox would say. America should know better. Star players make and break teams with margins this thin in the NFL.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Ask Jerry Jones when he wouldn't pay Emmitt Smith 25 years ago

_________________
There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

You guys always want to pay the players. Always have the owners hold the risk. Never a new idea of sharing the risks.

_________________
Elections have consequences.

Well you're seeing the difference of having Bell and not having him. I know it's more complicated than that but it's clearly a huge factor and stood out like a sore thumb last week against the Ravens.

It's not about politics. Ben doesn't have much time left and AB is already 30. It's crazy management is killing this teams window by playing games with Bell when he clearly completes their offensive attack.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

He redefined the position?

In what way?

_________________
You know me like that.

RBs being used in the slot and as WRs even when they are “franchise” RBs. The way Gurley, David Johnson, and Kamara are used is directly related to success Pittsburgh has had using Bell in a variety of positions.

Melvin Gordon is another example.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Pretty sure Forte was doing this when Bell was in high school.

_________________
Be well

GO BEARS!!!

No he wasn't. He never lined up in the slot nearly as frequently as Bell has. If he was as productive as Bell the current RB usage trend would have started earlier.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

I was going to go back to Roger Craig but I don't recall where he lined up predominantly. I seem to recall him mostly coming out of the backfield.

But, I don't have a strong opinion on slot RBs and when it started.

_________________
You know me like that.