NFL: Le'Veon Bell continues holdout - will not report in 2018

[InjuredChoker]

I don’t get why he accrues the season toward FA without playing this year, what loophole did we all miss?

not really a loophole, it's pretty clear in the CBA. he already has enough accrued years (4) to become UFA. steelers can tag him again, it just would be very expensive.

article 10, section 15 (c)

If any Franchise Player does not play in the NFL in a League Year, his Prior Team shall have the right to designate such player as a Franchise Player or a Transition Player the following League Year, if such designation is otherwise available to the Team, except that the applicable Tender must be made and any 120% Tender shall be measured from the Player’s Prior Year Salary. If such a player is redesignated as a Franchise Player for the League Year following the League Year in which he does not play, the player may be designated only under Section 2(a)(i) above, except that Draft Choice Compensation of only one first round draft selection and one third round draft selection shall be made with respect to such player in the event he signs with the New Club. If such a player is designated as a Franchise Player for a third time, the terms of Section 2(b) above shall apply. If a Franchise Player who has sufficient Accrued Seasons to become an Unrestricted Free Agent is not designated as a Franchise Player or Transition Player for any League Year immediately following a League Year in which he does not play, then on the first day of that League Year, the player becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent and is completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club is completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.

and that 2(b) is

Any Club that designates a player as a Franchise Player for the third time shall, on the date the third such designation is made, be deemed to have tendered the player a one-year NFL Player Contract for the greater of: (A) the average of the five largest Prior Year Salaries for players at the position (within the categories set forth in Section 7(a) below) with the highest such average; (B) 120% of the average of the five largest Prior Year Salaries for players at the position (within the categories set forth in Section 7(a) below) at which the player participated in the most plays during the prior League Year; or (C) 144% of his Prior Year Salary. (By way of example, a kicker designated as a Franchise Player for the third time in the 2014 League Year would have a Required Tender equal to the greater of: (i) the average of the five largest 2013 Salaries for quarterbacks; (ii) 120% of the average of the five largest 2013 Salaries for kickers; or (iii) 144% of the player’s own 2013 Salary.) If the Club designates the player as a Franchise Player for the third time, the designating Club shall be the only Club with which the player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract. In lieu of designating such a player as a Franchise Player for the third time, any Club may designate such player as a Transition Player pursuant to Section 3 below.

 

[m9]

I don’t get why he accrues the season toward FA without playing this year, what loophole did we all miss?

To put it simple - it's not a loophole in terms of an accrued season, that hasn't changed. The only clarification was whether or not sitting out the season would still mean that his "franchise tag" would still count for the year as you can only use it twice on a player before they are eligible for the QB franchise tag. Since it was determined the franchise tag does count as the 2nd time, a future franchise tag would be at the much higher QB number.

 

[MMC]

 

[Avs_19]

Dude just lost out on nearly $15M and now you're going to steal his stuff too? Damn.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Guess it says enough about what they thought of him at this point

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Motherf***ers are wildin!

 

[Dominator13]

Love it.

 

[Voight]

Nobody should be mad at Bell.

Why play for a one year deal when A) you've proven worthy of a long term deal and B) they will more than likely cut you loose after this season. A RB pretty much has until he's 30 to make $$$, outside of the Frank Gore's of the world you likely aren't making big bucks in your 30s. They offered him a 5 year deal... that was basically the franchise tag seeing as he could be cut from years 2-5 without them owing him any money.

Earl Thomas is a good example of why sitting out was the right move. Bell should hopefully get something similar (but obviously not equal too) what Gurley got and he will have earned it. My early pick is the Jets.

Steelers fans shouldn't be mad either... this has led to the emergence of James Conner, who will do a comparable (possibly better) job than Bell at a fraction of the cost. At least they already have a replacement, which is basically why PIT didn't give into the demands.

 

[spintheblackcircle]

 

[Voight]

Looks bad in hindsight but that was tweeted before he was even drafted.

 

[StreetHawk]

Looks bad in hindsight but that was tweeted before he was even drafted.

Now it’s a business.

 

[ILikeTurtles]

Dude just lost out on nearly $15M and now you're going to steal his stuff too? Damn.

He didn't lose out. It was his choice not to play. The Steelers offered him more money over 3 seasons than Gurley is set to make. If he is worried about guaranteed money he needs to make sure he doesn't get suspended an entire season for a failed pot test, and needs to not get his knees blown out.

 

[StreetHawk]

He didn't lose out. It was his choice not to play. The Steelers offered him more money over 3 seasons than Gurley is set to make. If he is worried about guaranteed money he needs to make sure he doesn't get suspended an entire season for a failed pot test, and needs to not get his knees blown out.

Football a physically punishing sport. So, not surprised guys care about guaranteed money.

How does one guarantee to not blow out a knee which often times comes without contact?

I’m surprised that there is that much stuff in Bells locker. Figured he cleaned it out after the Jax loss in the playoffs. He hasn’t been there for OTAs, camp or preseason.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Football a physically punishing sport. So, not surprised guys care about guaranteed money.

How does one guarantee to not blow out a knee which often times comes without contact?

I’m surprised that there is that much stuff in Bells locker. Figured he cleaned it out after the Jax loss in the playoffs. He hasn’t been there for OTAs, camp or preseason.

I'm assuming that it was team equipment personnel that stocked his locker up.

 

[m9]

The whole Bell equipment thing was obviously a joke from his teammates. Weird that media/fans took it so seriously.

Nobody should be mad at Bell.

Why play for a one year deal when A) you've proven worthy of a long term deal and B) they will more than likely cut you loose after this season. A RB pretty much has until he's 30 to make $$$, outside of the Frank Gore's of the world you likely aren't making big bucks in your 30s. They offered him a 5 year deal... that was basically the franchise tag seeing as he could be cut from years 2-5 without them owing him any money.

Earl Thomas is a good example of why sitting out was the right move. Bell should hopefully get something similar (but obviously not equal too) what Gurley got and he will have earned it. My early pick is the Jets.

Steelers fans shouldn't be mad either... this has led to the emergence of James Conner, who will do a comparable (possibly better) job than Bell at a fraction of the cost. At least they already have a replacement, which is basically why PIT didn't give into the demands.

He actually probably couldn't have been cut within the first two years as it would have been almost impossible with the dead cap hit. He would have been paid very well under that contract in the first 3 years.

Earl Thomas is a terrible example. He played this year (ie got paid his FULL salary) and then got hurt with an injury that will heal 100% before free agency. He also played great, which helped his value. Earl Thomas got his entire salary for playing a few games and will cash in a nice deal this off-season. Bell sat out (ie lost 14.5 million) and then watched his backup play as well as Bell ever did which in turn probably lowered Bell's value or at least made some teams question his value. Earl Thomas played it smarter than Leveon Bell.

As for "Steelers fans", in general they aren't mad about the situation because Conner has been great. However, they should be mad at the organization for not handling this situation properly earlier this year by either signing him long-term or moving on. They also should be mad because they had $15 million less in cap room this year because it was allocated to Leveon Bell. Now, they get that pushed into next year, which will help for sure. The problem is the team had a few holes this year and they could have used that money this year to try to win a Super Bowl instead of tying it up.

 

[StreetHawk]

The whole Bell equipment thing was obviously a joke from his teammates. Weird that media/fans took it so seriously.



He actually probably couldn't have been cut within the first two years as it would have been almost impossible with the dead cap hit. He would have been paid very well under that contract in the first 3 years.

Earl Thomas is a terrible example. He played this year (ie got paid his FULL salary) and then got hurt with an injury that will heal 100% before free agency. He also played great, which helped his value. Earl Thomas got his entire salary for playing a few games and will cash in a nice deal this off-season. Bell sat out (ie lost 14.5 million) and then watched his backup play as well as Bell ever did which in turn probably lowered Bell's value or at least made some teams question his value. Earl Thomas played it smarter than Leveon Bell.

As for "Steelers fans", in general they aren't mad about the situation because Conner has been great. However, they should be mad at the organization for not handling this situation properly earlier this year by either signing him long-term or moving on. They also should be mad because they had $15 million less in cap room this year because it was allocated to Leveon Bell. Now, they get that pushed into next year, which will help for sure. The problem is the team had a few holes this year and they could have used that money this year to try to win a Super Bowl instead of tying it up.

That’s why players want more guaranteed money, as it makes it harder for teams to move off the player if there is an injury cause they still take a huge dead cap hit. Gives the player a chance to he’s up and come back to prove himself while still getting paid.

I don’t expect Bell to match the Gurley contract. If Gurleys deal kicks in next season then Bell needs to factor in the $12 million of the tag he played on to offset what Gurley gets next year his 5th in thre nfl. Then you look at what he gets from the SB and year 2 onwards of the extension.

Lifespan of a high end workhorse RB is going to be around 8-9 years. McCoy is in year 10. See if this pays off for Bell.

 

[m9]

That’s why players want more guaranteed money, as it makes it harder for teams to move off the player if there is an injury cause they still take a huge dead cap hit. Gives the player a chance to he’s up and come back to prove himself while still getting paid.

I don’t expect Bell to match the Gurley contract. If Gurleys deal kicks in next season then Bell needs to factor in the $12 million of the tag he played on to offset what Gurley gets next year his 5th in thre nfl. Then you look at what he gets from the SB and year 2 onwards of the extension.

Lifespan of a high end workhorse RB is going to be around 8-9 years. McCoy is in year 10. See if this pays off for Bell.

It's hard to compare Bell & Gurley's deals just because of the timing when they were signed.

I've said previously I expect Bell's upcoming deal to compare to David Johnson (3 years, 30 million guaranteed, full contract between 39-45 million) and I would really be surprised if a team paid more than that.

One thing that hasn't been talked about too much is Bell's skill level, and there have to be some more questions here. A declined Deangelo Williams played just as well as Bell whenever Bell missed time in the past. A 3rd round pick who probably was overdrafted by a couple rounds because of his local ties/stories who had a very average rookie season at best came in during his 2nd season and equaled Bell's performance. You can look at very basic numbers in regards to Bell's running (YPC, explosive plays) and question if Bell is even an asset in the running games. Without question Bell is an excellent space back - he is as good as it gets in terms of catching the ball and blocking. I've maintained for awhile that he's an above-average rusher, though. I think he will still be effective similar to how Matt Forte was, but I don't believe the team that signs him is getting a top 3 or maybe even top 5 NFL back. So how much do you pay for a top 10ish RB who is 27 years old in free agency? Will be really interesting to find out.

 

[StreetHawk]

It's hard to compare Bell & Gurley's deals just because of the timing when they were signed.

I've said previously I expect Bell's upcoming deal to compare to David Johnson (3 years, 30 million guaranteed, full contract between 39-45 million) and I would really be surprised if a team paid more than that.

One thing that hasn't been talked about too much is Bell's skill level, and there have to be some more questions here. A declined Deangelo Williams played just as well as Bell whenever Bell missed time in the past. A 3rd round pick who probably was overdrafted by a couple rounds because of his local ties/stories who had a very average rookie season at best came in during his 2nd season and equaled Bell's performance. You can look at very basic numbers in regards to Bell's running (YPC, explosive plays) and question if Bell is even an asset in the running games. Without question Bell is an excellent space back - he is as good as it gets in terms of catching the ball and blocking. I've maintained for awhile that he's an above-average rusher, though. I think he will still be effective similar to how Matt Forte was, but I don't believe the team that signs him is getting a top 3 or maybe even top 5 NFL back. So how much do you pay for a top 10ish RB who is 27 years old in free agency? Will be really interesting to find out.

With regards to the contracts Bell and Gueley both left college as juniors. Bell played his rookie 4 year deal got tagged and played it. This was to be his 6th season. Gurley is in year 4 of his rookie deal. His new deal kicks in next season.

So, I’m comparing them at the same point in time in their careers of when contracts kick in. I think Bell has 3 years left in him of good ball. How the structure of his new deal will break down will be interesting. See how crippling it would be for the team to cut bell after year 2 if things go south for him.

Depends how teams wish to use Bell. He’s probably best suited to be a 15-18 rush attempt and 6-9 catch a game guy. I don’t think you’d sign him with the intention of pounding the rock 30 times a game with him.

 

[m9]

With regards to the contracts Bell and Gueley both left college as juniors. Bell played his rookie 4 year deal got tagged and played it. This was to be his 6th season. Gurley is in year 4 of his rookie deal. His new deal kicks in next season.

So, I’m comparing them at the same point in time in their careers of when contracts kick in. I think Bell has 3 years left in him of good ball. How the structure of his new deal will break down will be interesting. See how crippling it would be for the team to cut bell after year 2 if things go south for him.

Depends how teams wish to use Bell. He’s probably best suited to be a 15-18 rush attempt and 6-9 catch a game guy. I don’t think you’d sign him with the intention of pounding the rock 30 times a game with him.

This is incorrect which is why it's a bit tricky. The Rams exercised their option for next year (Year 5) in April. His new contract actually doesn't kick in until the 2020 season and is a 4 year deal. It also is really only 2 additional years (22 guaranteed + around 10 base) and then Rams have a fairly easy out after those two years.

Gurley's extension was a great deal for the Rams and they are covered in case things go bad but I also think it made sense for Gurley at the time because of the volatility of the RB position. Essentially, Gurley took a team-friendly extension which was really similar to the deal that Bell rejected.

 

[Voight]

He actually probably couldn't have been cut within the first two years as it would have been almost impossible with the dead cap hit. He would have been paid very well under that contract in the first 3 years.

Earl Thomas is a terrible example. He played this year (ie got paid his FULL salary) and then got hurt with an injury that will heal 100% before free agency. He also played great, which helped his value. Earl Thomas got his entire salary for playing a few games and will cash in a nice deal this off-season. Bell sat out (ie lost 14.5 million) and then watched his backup play as well as Bell ever did which in turn probably lowered Bell's value or at least made some teams question his value. Earl Thomas played it smarter than Leveon Bell.

As for "Steelers fans", in general they aren't mad about the situation because Conner has been great. However, they should be mad at the organization for not handling this situation properly earlier this year by either signing him long-term or moving on. They also should be mad because they had $15 million less in cap room this year because it was allocated to Leveon Bell. Now, they get that pushed into next year, which will help for sure. The problem is the team had a few holes this year and they could have used that money this year to try to win a Super Bowl instead of tying it up.

Thomas sat out for a better deal, didn't get one, reported then broke a bone in his leg and while he may be healthy before free agency, that injury cost him millions of dollars. Bell didn't want to risk the same thing and I cant blame him for that. He gave the team 4.5 years (I guess 3.5 if you take out the tag year last season) of elite production for relative pennies on the dollar and just wanted to be compensated for it.

It's hard to compare Bell & Gurley's deals just because of the timing when they were signed.

I've said previously I expect Bell's upcoming deal to compare to David Johnson (3 years, 30 million guaranteed, full contract between 39-45 million) and I would really be surprised if a team paid more than that.

Johnson would have signed a Gurley sized deal but he missed last year due to injury.

 

[m9]

Thomas sat out for a better deal, didn't get one, reported then broke a bone in his leg and while he may be healthy before free agency, that injury cost him millions of dollars. Bell didn't want to risk the same thing and I cant blame him for that. He gave the team 4.5 years (I guess 3.5 if you take out the tag year last season) of elite production for relative pennies on the dollar and just wanted to be compensated for it.



Johnson would have signed a Gurley sized deal but he missed last year due to injury.

How did playing football this year cost Earl Thomas money?

 

[Voight]

How did playing football this year cost Earl Thomas money?

His injury killed his chances of getting a lucrative deal in free agency. Hence why Bell didn't want to risk that.

 

[m9]

His injury killed his chances of getting a lucrative deal in free agency. Hence why Bell didn't want to risk that.

He's still going to get a good contract.

 

[justafan22]

He's still going to get a good contract.

Jets

 

[m9]

Jets

Earl Thomas? Don't think so.

Anyways my point was that Thomas made 8.5 million by playing this year. Unless you think his next contract is now going to have 8.5 million less guaranteed in it because he played great and then got hurt, he didn't lose money by playing this year.