Signing(s): Le’Veon Bell with the Jets (4 years, $52.5 million)

[John Price]

You cannot throw shade at the Bills and not include the Dolphins or the Jets. In fact, Buffalo seems to have much better management than either of those teams. Time will tell, but the Bills had a great offseason so far. Beane is a smart man.

On paper they are the worst team in the division

 

[BSHH]

Weren't the Jets practically bidding against themselves? Which other team would have given such a deal to a RB at this stage (after counting out the Steelers)?

Gruß,
BSHH

 

[Hammettf2b]

he skipped to avoid 14m franchise tag and got paid less

"ehat"

Isn't the whole point of skipping the franchise tag is to get long term stability?

 

[Dubi Doo]

On paper they are the worst team in the division

That's debatable. Plus the Jets probably have the worst coach in the division. The Dolphins coaching is a question mark at this point. McDermott seems to at least get the most out of his teams.

 

[StreetHawk]

Isn't the whole point of skipping the franchise tag is to get long term stability?

Long term doesn’t really exist in the nfl. All about guaranteed money. Bell wanted at least 2 years of average annual money to be guaranteed. Plus a bit of the 3rd year.

 

[Hammettf2b]

Long term doesn’t really exist in the nfl. All about guaranteed money. Bell wanted at least 2 years of average annual money to be guaranteed. Plus a bit of the 3rd year.

long term as in not yearly franchise tags

 

[StreetHawk]

long term as in not yearly franchise tags

absolutely. Especially with how the Steelers were using him in the last tag with 400 touches.

I always believed he’d likely come out neutral. If he came away unscathed injury wise but with almost 400 touches he wouldn’t get a more than 1-2 years worth of guaranteed money. It was more if you don’t believe me in after 5 seasons then you’re never going to give me my money. So why bust my butt for you?

 

[DaaaaB's]

That's debatable. Plus the Jets probably have the worst coach in the division. The Dolphins coaching is a question mark at this point. McDermott seems to at least get the most out of his teams.

I agree about which team is the worst in the division being debatable. I think Gase is a good coach tho. Anyone who gets in the playoffs with Ryan Tannehill as his QB is pretty good imo.

 

[turd]

absolutely. Especially with how the Steelers were using him in the last tag with 400 touches.

I always believed he’d likely come out neutral. If he came away unscathed injury wise but with almost 400 touches he wouldn’t get a more than 1-2 years worth of guaranteed money. It was more if you don’t believe me in after 5 seasons then you’re never going to give me my money. So why bust my butt for you?

The Steelers offered him a bigger contract than the one he signed with NYJ. I think they believed in him. And I think they were going to give him his money, so that’s bogus.

And I wonder how he thinks he’s gonna be handled now? The Jets didn’t just give him a shit load of money to not play him a lot. The dude is probably going to play just about as much as he did in Pittsburgh. We’ll see how he handles it.

 

[StreetHawk]

The Steelers offered him a bigger contract than the one he signed with NYJ. I think they believed in him. And I think they were going to give him his money, so that’s bogus.

And I wonder how he thinks he’s gonna be handled now? The Jets didn’t just give him a **** load of money to not play him a lot. The dude is probably going to play just about as much as he did in Pittsburgh. We’ll see how he handles it.

Unfortunately for all NFL contracts it’s all in the details. None of these guys will get the full amount of the announced deal of 5 years and $XX million. These contracts are structured so that the team has an out after 2-3 years with minimal dead money.

 

[NJDevs26]

Weren't the Jets practically bidding against themselves? Which other team would have given such a deal to a RB at this stage (after counting out the Steelers)?

Gruß,
BSHH

Supposedly the Niners and Ravens were right in the mix too...I generally think those organizations are run well enough.

I'm not a huge fan of giving a RB big money (less so a guy like Bell) but it's four years, not as big as it could have been and the Jets had a gazillion cap dollars burning a hole in their pocket. You gotta overpay people while you have the potential franchise QB on his rookie deal, the Bears did that with Trubisky last offseason.

 

[YEM]

Look at the lengths guys will go to in order to avoid sharing a locker room with BigBen

 

[Scott Stevens]

I think Bell ends up taking a minor financial hit, but more than anything this is likely a major legacy hit. He could have played 3-4 more years in Pittsburgh and probably gone down as the top RB of the era and a future HoFer because of the situation. Now, who knows.

Very reasonable deal for the Jets, but I've said for two years I have serious questions about Bell's rushing ability. Can't break big plays on the ground and now is playing behind a new OL in a new system. He'll be great on 3rd downs, but James Conner was an upgrade running the ball last years for the Steelers so don't expect Bell to be anything special on the ground.

Nobody cares about legacy

f*** bitches
Get money

 

[Newsworthy]

Weren't the Jets practically bidding against themselves? Which other team would have given such a deal to a RB at this stage (after counting out the Steelers)?

Gruß,
BSHH

Colts, Niners, Ravens possibly. Yet it seems as though the Jets stood pat with their original offer to Bell. I would have liked more than four years if I was NY.

 

[Say Hey Kid]

Bell doesn't regret sitting out. Good luck getting in the HoF to him and AB.

 

[Voight]

TBH I dont blame him for sitting out.

PIT would have ran him into the ground again and had he hit free agency this year, there would have been a lot of mileage on his body.

 

[ziggyjoe212]

TBH I dont blame him for sitting out.

PIT would have ran him into the ground again and had he hit free agency this year, there would have been a lot of mileage on his body.

Steelers offered him the contract before the 2018 season. He could have had that contract locked in before he got those 400 touches.

 

[Voight]

Steelers offered him the contract before the 2018 season. He could have had that contract locked in before he got those 400 touches.

Then I'm gonna assume after Gurley got his extension Bell thought he'd get the same even tho he's not as good.

 

[ziggyjoe212]

Then I'm gonna assume after Gurley got his extension Bell thought he'd get the same even tho he's not as good.

Yep.

Steelers offered him a contract in 2017 that would have made him the highest paid RB 50%. He declined it. Then they offered him an even bigger contract in 2018, he declined again because wants RB+WR money. Then Gurley signed his deal and that cemented Bell's mind that he needs a similar contract.

Bell dicked around himself and the Steelers and now I am glad his greed cost him $10-20 mill.

 

[Harvey Birdman]

Then I'm gonna assume after Gurley got his extension Bell thought he'd get the same even tho he's not as good.

Exactly. As Zig said. Bell stared down the barrel of the gun and now he lost. I don’t have a fraction of the anger towards Bell that I do Brown. I just think Bell is an idiot. Which, he is.