While Antonio Brown and Ben Rothlisberger have both been taken care of in the money department, there’s one player on the offense that still needs to get a new deal in place to make sure he’s happy and content for year to come.
Le’Veon Bell.
The running back has had his last two seasons ended early due to injury, but is still one of, if not the most dynamic back in the NFL, and the Steelers clearly don’t want to lose him.
He’s set to make $1.3 million this season, the last of his rookie deal with the black and gold. The back is only 24 years old, and has his best football still ahead of him.
CBS Sports reports that the back wants to get paid – a lot – in his next deal, and right now he heads into 2016 as the 45th highest-paid running back.
So how did Bell come out and give what he’s looking for money-wise in his next deal? A rap song he wrote and performed called ‘Focus.’
The way the song plays out, Bell says the following line that basically speaks for itself – “I’m at the top and if not I’m the closest, I’ma need 15 a year and they know this.”
$15 mil a season? Ouch.
That’s a ton of money for any player to make, but Bell is no normal player, he’s one of the best playmakers in the game. He’s part of the one of the big three of offensive playemakers the Steelers have with Ben and Brown, and if the team loses him, it’s not like he’s going to be easy to replace.
So is he worth $15 million?
That’s a question only the Steelers can answer, and you can bet if the back goes elsewhere, places like william hill promo 2016 won’t have the Steelers near the top of AFC with a good shot of making the Super Bowl.
Will Bell give the team a discount to stay in the only place he’s ever played? It may be necessary for him to remain with the Steelers long term.
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Bobby
July 4, 2016 at 9:23 pm
I would sign Bell for 4 years at 10 million. He is injury prone and the Steelers have very adequate RB solutions over the past few years. I wouldn’t budge for a dope head either.
Steelers could franchise tag him but they don’t seem to use that anymore.
Dave B.
July 4, 2016 at 9:29 pm
Making contract demands through a stupid rap song was his first mistake . All that did was make Dan and Art dig in that much deeper . Bell is young and his best days are in front of him , provided he can stay healthy and stay on the field . With that being said the Steelers will make him a generous offer . Possibly making him one of the top two or three highest paid backs in the league . However , its highly unlikely they’re going to pay him 15 million a season . Anyone familiar with the Steelers knows they will not break the bank for any player . It just is not in their DNA . Back in 1984 , hall of famer Franco Harris tried to force the Rooneys hand by wanting his contract renegotiated with more money . The Steelers refused . Franco threatened to walk and the Steelers said , theres the door . Franco walked and played the final year of his career in a Seatlle Seahawks uniform . The sight of him in that Seahawks uniform still makes me sick to this day . If they will do that to a hall of famer who helped bring four Super Bowls to the Steel city , dont think for a second they wont do it to LeVeon Bell . They want Bell , but it will be at their price , not his .
DrGeorge
July 5, 2016 at 9:45 am
I agree with my colleagues above and applaud DaveB’s historical note. I will go one step further. DeAngelo Williams, despite his advanced age for an RB, stepped in ably when Bell was injured. When Williams couldn’t go, Touissant stepped up. RB is not the make or break position it once was. Few teams have an every down back these days. And even in the old days, the success of an RB depended on the quality of his O-line. It still does.
If Bell were durable, his value would be higher, but he isn’t likely to get through the season uninjured, and I wouldn’t pay him more than Williams, under the circumstances. I would put any extra money in the O-line, knowing that any competent RB can run through a hole, if there is one, and that even Franco Harris didn’t run very far when he lacked blocking. When our O-line makes holes, any of our RBs are good enough.
Colbert’s job is to keep salaries in line with the value of each position in order to build a solid team. Over pay at one position and you will necessarily be weak at another.
For the past seven years, we have seen the consequences of such an imbalance between our offensive and defensive units, to the point where our defense has been mediocre. Paying Bell big bucks would merely compound the problem.