2018 NFL thread

[FireGilbert]

Former SI writer Peter King predicts Aussie punter Michael Dickson for Offensive ROTY.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...on-peter-king/

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Wow. The lack of respect for the Vikings and Rams in those predictions is almost laughable.

Easy to laugh - harder to post our own predictions.

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by Weitz

He wants that guaranteed big money though. And the less games he plays the less likely he gets hurt.

Saw peter schrager mention that scenario yesterday on good morning football

What if bell waits till week 8, keeps him fresher and less likely to get injured before hes a free agent

Plus people have been suggesting the steelers probably run him into the ground this year, since they dont have to worry about long term

[devo22]

But he'd lose around 7m if he sat out half of the season. Don't really see how that helps him. My guess is he shows up Friday or Saturday - too late to play this weekend, but early enough to still get paid.

Either way, I hope Conner kills it on Sunday.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by troutman

Easy to laugh - harder to post our own predictions.

Why is it harder to post our own predictions? I don't prognosticate the NFL for a living so when I am wrong, I certainly wouldn't be embarrassed by it.

I think LA and Minnesota are division winners. There were like 3 experts in that article that had Minnesota winning the NFC North. That's off to me.

[Luder]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

Why is it harder to post our own predictions? I don't prognosticate the NFL for a living so when I am wrong, I certainly wouldn't be embarrassed by it.

I think LA and Minnesota are division winners. There were like 3 experts in that article that had Minnesota winning the NFC North. That's off to me.

Rodgers being healthy might be a part of it, how long it lasts is up in the air though.

[KelVarnsen]

If I was a RB I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want to piss of my OL.
https://sports.vice.com/en_us/articl...on-leveon-bell

[The Boy Wonder]

Bell is just protecting his future earnings. by giving up $8mil this year he is betting that his next contract will be worth more than $8mil plus the offer from teh steelers this past offseason.

He will play 7 weeks and be totally fine.

Not sure if anyone will pay him next offseason though.

and in terms of vikings being underrated, their Defense has just gotten paid, they have an expensive QB and have to deal with an angry Aaron Rodgers who is still mad about that cheap shot from Barr that ended his season last year

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

Bell is just protecting his future earnings. by giving up $8mil this year he is betting that his next contract will be worth more than $8mil plus the offer from teh steelers this past offseason.

He will play 7 weeks and be totally fine.

Not sure if anyone will pay him next offseason though.

and in terms of vikings being underrated, their Defense has just gotten paid, they have an expensive QB and have to deal with an angry Aaron Rodgers who is still mad about that cheap shot from Barr that ended his season last year

He’ll probably play 1 game and claim a groin injury, still get paid and qualify for FA, and take the $$ and run

[DropIt]

Originally Posted by The Boy Wonder

Bell is just protecting his future earnings. by giving up $8mil this year he is betting that his next contract will be worth more than $8mil plus the offer from teh steelers this past offseason.

He will play 7 weeks and be totally fine.

Not sure if anyone will pay him next offseason though.

and in terms of vikings being underrated, their Defense has just gotten paid, they have an expensive QB and have to deal with an angry Aaron Rodgers who is still mad about that cheap shot from Barr that ended his season last year

Cheap shot? News to me

[d_phaneuf]

Originally Posted by devo22

But he'd lose around 7m if he sat out half of the season. Don't really see how that helps him. My guess is he shows up Friday or Saturday - too late to play this weekend, but early enough to still get paid.

Either way, I hope Conner kills it on Sunday.

If he has a bad year, or the steelers run the ball with him 400x, he would lose more than that guaranteed money on a long term deal

[transplant99]

Sounds like his team mates are none to happy with him...

"He f---ed us," one veteran told ESPN as he walked out of the locker room on Wednesday.

"If you don't want to be here, it is what it is. Hold out 10 weeks," center Maurkice Pouncey said.

"I just felt confident that he was gonna come," Pouncey said Wednesday, "But now that he didn't, obviously it's Le'Veon over the Steelers, and we're the Steelers and we're going to play as the Steelers. ... Now when it's game time and you that you have $14 million looming out there, and you're still not here and your team really wants you here? At this point, we got [James] Conner."

"In the ultimate team sport, we've created a league of individuals," guard Ramon Foster said. "I know the league is all about get your money, get paid, I love it. ... But at least let us know [you weren't coming].

"Right now, we're just dealing with the aspect of, 'Are you going to do it for us or are you really going to wait it out?' Because this is one of those things where we as an offensive line, as a team -- Pounce urged him to come in and now nothing. There are so many guys [here] who are sacrificing everything."

"What do you do?" Foster to the media assembled at team practice. "Here's a guy who doesn't give a damn. I guess we'll treat it as such. I just hate it came to this."

"He's making seven times what I make, twice as much as (left tackle) Al(ejandro Villanueva) is making and we're the guys who do it for him," Foster said.

"We all thought he'd be here today," DeCastro said. "He makes us
all kind of look stupid a little bit."

"Nobody is taking this well at all," Foster said. That guy comes in half the season and he still will make more than me, so f*** it, right?"

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/2...ong-term-value

https://www.tsn.ca/steelers-o-lineme...bell-1.1168219

[Da_Chief]

The Steelers OL must be dumb as door knobs. Bell plays the shortest lifespan position in the league, Steelers or any other NFL cut these guys like they're a plague at the first sign of them slowing down.

All signs point to him wearing a different jersey a year from now so why does he need to be a "steeler" and show up for these guys who don't even have his back?

Worst part? Foster and Pouncey are Steelers NFLPA player reps. Good luck with that guys.

[Joborule]

Yeah, you would figure these players would understand how vulnerable NFL players are when it comes to contracts, especially running backs. Bell has to look out for Bell since it takes one wrong hit to leave millions on the table.

[devo22]

Unsurprisingly I see things differently. I hate those players discussing those things in the media, but I get the frustration. Those players have defended Bell for over a year now, it's not like they don't understand the business side. Pouncey especially, I believe him and Bell are close - so him snapping like that just shows you that it's beyond the business side to those players right now. Pouncey all but guaranteed last week that Bell would show up on Wednesday, so he obviously told them he'd be there. The peek-a-boo comments are a clear indication to me that those players are simply frustrated that he hasn't made his intentions known to them. You're going to sit out until day x? Just tell them. It's a team sport and those players are vital to a RBs success, I totally get their frustration.

And yeah, I still think sitting out 10 weeks would be dumb as hell. I wouldn't be surprised though, because if he or his agent had half a brain he'd have signed a lucrative long-term deal a long time ago. Leaving 7-8m on the table because of the big UFA contract coming? Yeah, right - because we all know that teams love paying RBs, correct? Jamaal Charles is out of work, Adrian Peterson is bouncing from team to team on 1m contracts. Sure, those players come with injury and/or off-the-field concerns ... but Bell does too. And again, it's not like the Steelers low-balled him and it's not like tag doesn't make him CLEARLY the best-paid RB this season. Dude earns more this season alone than Foster did in his first 8 years in the league.

At this point, Bell is probably hoping to have his tag pulled - and I'd be okay with that. He's simply become a distraction and I'd honestly hate to see him waltz back into the team after sitting out half a season. All those O-Liners can do now is bust their asses to help make James Conner shine. Which is obviously what Bell doesn't want ... dude is betting against his teammates, and they know it.

[Jiggy]

If Bell comes back and buys the O-line some fancy gifts I'm sure they will be happy again.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dMyXU3g_Ds

[Senator Clay Davis]

It's a business, Bell is doing what's best for him and the Steelers what's best for them. Bell knows the Steelers are gonna run him into the ground this year since they have no intention of signing him long term, so he's wisely limiting just how much they can do it. Maybe it hurts him in UFA next year, but I doubt it. Someone with huge cap space (Browns?) will sign him, he's still one of the very best players when he plays.

[rubecube]

Yeah, until the NFL starts guaranteeing players' contracts, I have no problems with the players being as mercenary as possible. Ethics and loyalty in capitalism just basically ensures you get effed while your employer makes bank.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by rubecube

Yeah, until the NFL starts guaranteeing players' contracts, I have no problems with the players being as mercenary as possible. Ethics and loyalty in capitalism just basically ensures you get effed while your employer makes bank.

It will never happen;

• NFL rosters are too large
• Highest injure rate in sports
• Players have shortest careers
• Largest influx of new players of any sport annually due to readiness of college players

There are so many factors that make adding guaranteed contracts nearly insurmountable. Besides over 60% of all contracts are guaranteed so players are getting paid. The difference is that in the NFL more than any other sport you get paid for what you can do today compared to what you did in the past which IMO is a major issue in sports like hockey where way too many players are getting paid for what they did in the past. Bell's problem is a little unique compared to say Mack or Cousins as he plays a position where salaries drop big time for players when they hit 30 because RB's are nearly all on the decline by that age relative to their prime. Bell wants guaranteed money on his years of decline and of course teams are hesitant to do that with a position where a player can go from dominant to marginal in the span of a calendar year. Steelers did offer him a deal over $70 million with around $44 million guaranteed. He should have taken that IMO because he's not likely going to get a lot more guaranteed on the market. He's still going to be productive but his YPC average dropped a full yard last season and he's probably going to see slowly declining numbers going forward. Sitting out is the worst thing he can do as if he doesn't play this season he's going to be 27 years old in the offseason and good luck finding a team that's going to guarantee $15+ million to a 30 year old RB. In his case more than any other sitting out will cost him money that he will never, ever make back. Another thing that affects him is the fact that every year you can draft an Elliott, Kamara, Hunt, etc as it's a position where every year dominant RB's are available to draft and not necessarily even in the first round as Hunt and Kamara were 3rd round picks.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

It's a business, Bell is doing what's best for him and the Steelers what's best for them. Bell knows the Steelers are gonna run him into the ground this year since they have no intention of signing him long term, so he's wisely limiting just how much they can do it. Maybe it hurts him in UFA next year, but I doubt it. Someone with huge cap space (Browns?) will sign him, he's still one of the very best players when he plays.

These are pretty much my exact thoughts. If Bell shows up and get's fed the ball a lot, he'll essentially be cast off next year and the market for a running back with his mileage likely isn't what it would be for him today.

What move ultimately puts more money in his pocket? Report when he has to, can get 150'ish touches and be in a position to get say 30 million guaranteed next contract. Or Collect the full year, get beat to a pulp, risk injury and maybe get 15-20 guaranteed.

The Steelers players are likely frustrated because they know he's a key piece to them winning. But he may not be as motivated to win as he is to get paid. But that's on the Steelers for getting to this position. They know damn well that they'll move on from him after this year after they ride him hard an put him away wet. So I don't blame Bell for being a guy who says okay...I can play the game too. I actually hope more running backs look at this approach. Unlike other positions, it's a short shelf life for these guys so two years at a Franchise tag takes up a good chunk of their career and can limit their next deal more than say a QB.