[ad_1]
Darron Cummings / Associated Press
The & # 39; Veon Bell did not report to the Pittsburgh Steelers& # 39; team facilities from here Tuesday 4:00 pm ET deadline, Steelers general manager, Kevin Colbert ad.
ESPN Adam Schefter first reported the news.
As a result, Bell is not eligible to play for the remainder of the 2018 season and will miss $ 14.5 million in salary per year. Schefter.
Before the pivotal day, it seemed that Bell would choose to miss the rest of the campaign rather than sign his tender. Schefter announced on Saturday that the triple Pro Bowler was "unlikely" to show up.
Since the Steelers played Thursday night in a 52-21 win over the Carolina Panthers, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network thought Bell's decision to stay away from the team in the days following this match was revealing:
Aditi Kinkhabwala @AKinkhabwala
If Le'Veon Bell would really play this season, it made sense to report yesterday. Either you pay $ 855,000 to do nothing, or at least you start the stopwatch with the exemption from the two-week list (for both games) without pay.
Kinkhabwala shared an anecdote from an exchange on Bell: "A member of the AFC Bureau 's management has sent me a text message this week: you pay first the guy who launches then the guy chasing the guy who throws, then the guy who catches the best pitched ball, then the guy who covers the guy who catches the ball better, then the guy who blocks for the guy who throws. "
The offensive midfielder refused to sign his $ 14.5 million one-year call for tenders as part of an extension offering long-term financial security.
Some wondered if Bell would not be content to stay out of season as he could reach his goal without going to the field.
Mark Kaboly of Athletic said that Bell would be considered a third year franchise player in 2019 under the NFL collective agreement, whether or not he signed the call for 39, Steelers' year offers. As a result, his salary would rise to $ 25 million next year under the heading "franchise".
According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, Bell's tactics have not gone unnoticed by some of his peers and agents:
Mike Garafolo @MikeGarafolo
Starting at @gmfb today, agents with customers facing the franchise label have taken note of the flaw recently discovered by Le'Veon Bell and at least intend to use this threat to their advantage. https://t.co/XBt5WJtL8I
Bell has been away for so long that it has not made sense to return to the Steelers, and the decision seemed even easier considering his franchise etiquette status for 2019.
Bell would probably not have increased much more its free agent value in the last seven games of the 2018 regular season; however, he would have risked seeing his future earnings decrease if he had been injured.
Marshawn Lynch he did not look much worse in 2017 after taking a short retirement in 2016. He covered 891 yards and averaged 4.3 yards per run with the Oakland Raiders .
Lynch is not a perfect match because he was 31 when he played for the Raiders, while Bell, 26, remains in the scope of his career. That said, it's an example of a halfback who has taken the same path after a year outside the league.
Another team can signal to Bell with the assurance that he is still among the best back of the NFL.
With the deadline of Tuesday, its future is almost certainly outside Pittsburgh, and the Steelers could be somewhat relieved.
Pittsburgh seems to have left Bell, second-year middle James Conner is having a great season. Conner had 771 yards and 10 touchdowns and 39 assists for 387 yards and one touchdown.
Partly because of Conner's emergence, the Steelers are fourth in attack (419.9 yards per game) and eighth in offensive efficiency by Football Outsiders. They may not need Bell to challenge the New England Patriots for the supremacy of the AFC.
Then there was the dynamic of Bell 's return to a cloakroom filled with teammates that he could potentially alienate by staying out of the way. Members of the Steelers line of attack did not speak nicely about Bell once his contract was successful in the regular season.
Head Coach Mike Tomlin spoke little about Bell in an interview with ESPN's Dianna Russini, who said a lot about the situation:
Dianna Russini @diannaESPN
"We need volunteers – no hostages" Mike Tomlin has an honest franchise on Bell and a match ready to defeat the Ravens #Steelers https://t.co/zDzFe8nsU5
The Steelers are 6-2-1 and in a position to win their third consecutive AFC North title.
Maybe it would have been as simple as putting Bell in the background and further improving an already damn attack. But this reflection does not take into account Conner's development nor the attempt to defuse persistent tensions.
As good as it is, the Steelers would be better without him.
[ad_2]
Source link
