Adios in 2019 LeVeon.........

My semi-yearly reminder...

In 13 starts DeAngelo Williams (age 32,33) amassed 1,413 yards (977 rush, 436 receiving) and 14 TDs. Bell is a talented guy who gets to play with a stud offensive line and phenomenal skill players. Also had a very good play caller.

 

Not to be a dick from another fanbase. However, maybe it's time, Bell is great but doesn't get them out of the divisional round. Ben has been great but none of us really think he can carry a team to a SB win at this point....Do we? Tomlin can't beat Belichick.... and really, where do you rank him in HC's in the league,,,, Maybe top 10 maybe,,, Maybe wins SB championships once every maybe years. Maybe Bill Quits in the next three years, However can he outsmart the next great coach? Brown may go down as one of the great WR of all time(I hate the Madden thing from my Dynasty prospective) but WRs don't win SBs. Their Defense is meh and has been for awhile.

 

I didn’t say they were terrible but they are below average and no where near as good as some people might think. They have some talent on that side of the ball but something is way off. Perhaps coaching, scheme, game planning, etc

 

Gurley signs 4 yr $60M w $45M guaranteed

 

Bell will get paid

 

So 15M a year, with 75% of it guaranteed. Gurley just proved to Bell that Pittsburgh is undervaluing him and paying the position rather than paying the player.

Personally, I wouldn't pay any RB 15M a year, but I'm not an NFL owner/GM.

 

The Rams QB only has a cap hit of $7.6 million. They are not paying a WR $17 million a year either. Does this mean they will not be signing Aaron Donald?

 

This is also a good point. Right now, the Steelers have 45M tied up in Brown, Ben, and Bell. That's with the franchise tag on Bell, and AB having a "low" hit of 8M. That's not something you want to sustain for multiple years. Next year, Ben and Brown alone will be a 45M cap hit (although Ben would save 17M if cut or traded so he likely gets something worked out).

 

$45 million of it is NOT FULLY GUARANTEED, its structured similar to how Pitt would have done theirs. A combination of signing, base salary, and roster bonuses. I have no doubt the "signing bonus" portion of it is higher than Pitt, probably $20 mil+, but so what. Again, as a reminder:

Pitt has NEVER cut bait with ANYBODY they have signed long term until after their 3rd full year on any new deal. They cut Woodley in 2013 after one year of promise then late season injury, followed by two seasons of chronic injury and being overweight & poorly conditioned. Whatever LeVeon was scheduled to get from Pitt on any deal proposed for the first three years..........he was going to get. Unless he managed to get suspended multiple times (and next infraction is only 4 games) or had multiple serious injuries in consecutive seasons..............he wasn't going to be released or traded. Pitt valued him and that should have been a factor in his decision.

-Gurley also is PLAYING this year ($4.3 million) and next ($9.6 mil) on his rookie deal. This isn't an extension replacing his existing deal. The heavy cap hits don't start until 2020, when a number of recent players signed to 1 and 2-year deals will likely be gone........Suh, Whitworth, Peters, Talib. I'm sure this was done intentionally for that very reason.
-Gurley plays and lives in the state of CA. The state income tax rate for someone making over $1 mil per year is a staggering 13.3%, compared to PA's 3.07%. At $15 mil/year, Gurley will be paying $1.5 MILLION per year more in state income taxes than someone that would sign in the state of PA. That's $6 MILLION more over a 4 year deal. That isn't pre-tax income. Think about that. That's an extra $1.5 mil/year going to the state, NOT IN YOUR POCKET. It's similar if Bell ends up signing somewhere like the state of NY, or Chicago. Detroit is comparable to PA. Make fun of it all you want, but this is something agents should very clearly spell out to their clients when deciding, and take into consideration when signing in high tax states like CA/NY. What difference does it make if you're making $1 million more than the next highest paid guy if its going to the state and not in your pocket. Or is one's ego so high that it doesn't matter?
-Gurley is THREE seasons younger than Bell, has just over HALF the career carries, and has no history of serious injury or suspension. That more than evens out any perceived talent disparity, which I don't think is that great. Bell is a better receiver, but Gurley is no slouch as one - and Gurley is a home-run breakaway threat where Bell is not, and never has been. They're comparable in terms of what each should make and valued at this point in their respective careers. And that's what Bell was offered by Pitt.........approximately $15 mil/year.
-If you want to discount Gurley's $15 mil per year average in 2020 and beyond, it would equate to about $13.4 mil in 2018 dollars, and $14.1 million in 2019 dollars.......so again, as it relates to Bell.......what he was offered by Pitt was a fair offer if he stood to make what was reported in the deal for 2018/2019 ($32-34 mil in bonus and base pay). Money made today is more valuable than money made two years from now.

Exactly........Pitt doesn't have the salary cap flexibility that LA does and Bell and his agent should at least CONSIDER that when negotiating.........if it doesn't matter AT ALL to them and they only care about top dollar and not being on what looks to be a pretty good team now and in the future with a good track record of contention and ideally suited for his talents..............then good riddance. Call a home town discount or whatever.........many a former Steeler could have gotten more elsewhere, but there are trade offs sometimes to consider.........and none of them wanted DOUBLE what the next highest paid at his position was. Gurley making $15 mil/year for 2020 and beyond does nothing to change that this year or next. Worried about blowing a knee and never being the same and being cut after two years............negotiate a policy with Lloyds of London for any career altering injury for $15+ mil, which would be paid for by Pitt and unlikely count against the cap. Could probably get one for less than $200k/year. Worst case scenario you play year-1, get $15-20 mil up front at signing, have a catastrophic injury the first year like Spence or Shazier........can't ever play again.........you cash out for $15 mil year-2 and retire. Ya still made out ok. And insurance policy payouts are largely non-taxable if you can demonstrate they are replacing potential future income. Precisely why the TE from GBay hung it up a couple years ago (Finley?).

 

I would virtually guarantee he isn't getting 45M guaranteed. They always report them that way and then when the details come out a large portion is guaranteed for injury and other guaranteed money has trigger dates.

 

The tax rates for Gurley are “flexible”, like all professional athletes. It’s not necessarily your HOME state rate. If you play in a non-state income tax state, you do not pay a state tax for those specific games, this the 13.3% would ONLY apply to home games or road games played in CA. You typically pay tax in the state where the money was was made. This is part of a recent discussion in the hockey boards.

The issue is value vs production. It’s hard to not put Bell on at least the same level as Gurley at this point, team value and production-wise. Gurley has raised the bar (pay scale) and now all teams are going to be faced with this issue. It would suck to have to rely on rookies-4th year RBs season after season and then hope to get lucky and draft someone who will pick up the slack and perform at least to the caliber the team and fans are accustomed to and expect. Getting lucky every 4 years seems like a bad horse to bet on. Eventually that will be your MO and 5th+ year pros wont even sniff Pittsburgh or <fill in other cheapskate team here> as a possible FA landing spot. It would be a shame if the Steel City ends up being poison for a specific position due to the FO’s degrading opinion of that position. I feel like I’m going out on a limb here because it’s hard to challenge the way the Steelers run their organization, due to the storied success they’ve had, but I’m worried that the “new” ways (and pays) will pass this team by and we, as fans, will lose out in the end. Pay Bell the $15M, he and 2 other RBs in the league deserve it. We’re already paying him $14M... again.

ANNOUNCEMENT: 40 of you “sons of bitches” are taking a $25K paycut for 4 yrs so that we can pay LVB what he deserves and so we will have the best chance to win a fucking Super Bowl within that timeframe. Anyone disagree?

Seems like a safer bet than hoping the next rookie (or the next one... or the next one...) can do what Bell does.

 

AB’s cap hit goes from $8 million this year to $22 million next year.

 

If that is the case........fine. They play EIGHT home games in CA....plus games at Oakland, the Chargers, and San Fran........so that's ELEVEN games in CA. So he loses only a MILLION more per year in taxes. My point remains.....and is valid.......and should be a consideration in negotiations. California also has a local tax rate of 1.25%.........so that's another $150k lost a year.

 

There are regional taxes in some places too, this is true. Some CA counties have that 1.25% that you speak of. I live in NYC and pay a NON-REFUNDABLE city tax on my salary. You can get a refund from the State but not NYC (5-boros + Yonkers).

Again, this is more about how the team/organization VALUES the position. Having a Top-5 RB is important to team success and to keep this person content/happy, you will need to pay him, especially after today. I think Gurley is worth that money and so is LVB. Or we can piece-meal a RB-by-Committee system and hope for the best... like Cleveland. Hey, maybe... just maybe the next RB we draft will be Bell-like, or maybe that Conner kid is waiting to sprout his Bell-wings and take off once LVB is gone. Or like Beachbum said, we can just call (now professional wrestler) DeAngelo Williams and have him do what he does/did. Why didn't the Steelers call DWill last season? Last year, D said (on tv) he still wanted to play in Pittsburgh. Do the Steelers not trust that Williams can still bring it? <<<Serious question.

Is Pittsburgh's offensive line so awesome that ANY RB can be a Bell? Show me, then I'll get on board with that.

 

"lol and ppl thought i was trippin?..."
- @LeVeon Bell (on twitter)

 

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...-60-million-contract-extension-with-the-rams/

Le'Veon Bell reacts to Todd Gurley's $60 million contract extension with the Rams

I'm not so sure why Le'veon is pleased with Gurley's deal. As pointed out above, Gurley is getting roughly $12 million per year. Le'veon already turned that down.

 

There’s always an idiot out there that makes another idiot look like less of an idiot than he is, lol

P.S. not referring to u as an idiot (Rams ownership & Bell)

 

Do you think Gurley's guaranteed money is more than $10M? I most certainly do. If you think so as well, then does that not conclude the possibility that Bell has a legitimate gripe regarding at least that aspect of the Steelers' offer? Even if Gurley is getting only $25M guaranteed, that's still more than TWICE than the offer to Bell.

This is now officially a shitshow. Bell will get paid by ... someone. Probably not by the Steelers, but he will get paid. BUT... the next great RB for Pittsburgh (whoever it may be) will eventually need to get paid when the time comes. Will the Steelers' front office low-ball the next RB and watch him leave town too? I'm curious to see which RB (probably still in college, or maybe even in high school right now) will break the Steelers' tight-fisted ways when it comes to paying market value for quality running backs. Players' salaries are going up and will always continue to do so. Should've jump the trend last year. Didn't see it coming? Psshhtt! When does the price for premium talent ever go down in any professional sports league?

Who will be Pittsburgh's FIRST $15M RB? We all know its not LeVeon Bell. Place yer bets. Maybe in 4 years we will see the Steelers give in, but in 4 years it will about the time to serve up a fat offering to Rudolph... and Schuster ... and Washington... and ...??? Let's all just face facts here and admit the Steelers fucked this one up. If Conner is the real deal, I'll eat crow and shut the fuck up, because right now, that is Pittsburgh's RB of the very near future. Maybe we'll get lucky and draft another amazing 2nd round Bell-like back that we can abuse for 4 years, rinse, repeat. Since Bell is gone after this season, why not try to move him? Sure you won't get top value out him since he's dead weight and soon to be a free agent, but get SOMETHING for him... don't fuck that up too.

 

Pitt didn't low-ball anyone. They've made TWO fair offers to LeVeon the past two off seasons and he's declined it each time. Do you really think they should operate with, "Well we tried our best now just give him whatever he wants"? By all accounts they offered him the same per year offer Gurley got - for 2020 and beyond btw - which is fair given many considerations in comparing the two. I equate their value at this point in their respective careers, same with Elliott. Bell might be a little better all around player, but both of them are younger, don't have the mileage, and haven't had histories of injury or suspensions (Elliott an exception for domestic abuse). Both are also a bit quicker and home run threats, whereas Bell is not and never has been. The three of them are EQUAL in valuation at this point I believe. And that value is probably in the $13-15 million range.

You can't trade Bell until he signs his tag, which won't be until the last week of August. And even then nobody will trade picks AND also pick up his tag salary figure this year of $14.5 mil. Our best chance to win it this year is WITH HIM, not without, so he will play with Pitt all year. He will net a 2020 3rd round compensatory pick if he signs elsewhere next March.

Sure Pitt probably offered a lower guaranteed signing bonus............SO WHAT? That's how they've done business and most players have been OK with it. They don't pay absolute top dollar to anyone, but they usually extend guys they want to keep a year early in exchange for that. And they don't give HUGE bonuses at the time of signing, but rather modest ones and then build in roster bonus guarantees typically for years 2-4 to give them cap flexibility and/or cut bait with guys that are true knuckleheads or sustain a series of catastrophic injuries. Whatever they structure though year-3 is pretty much guaranteed when it comes to Pitt, and their agent or representative should be able to explain that fact to them. We'll see Gurley's total payout for years 1-3 soon, and I guarantee you $45 million of it is NOT fully guaranteed and given to him at the time of signing...........but rather SOME combination of signing bonus, roster bonus, and base salary for the 3 years 2020-2022.

 

At some point there has to be some level of concession by the player in negotiations. Julio Jones signed a 5-year, $70 million deal two years ago. with $23 million in total signing/roster bonuses (about 50% for each). He now wants to renegotiate with THREE YEARS REMAINING on his current deal, one that pays him $14 mil per year. Because more teams have signed receivers in the $13-17 mil/yr range the past two seasons, including our own AB. This is ridiculous. Did he think at the time of signing that he should REMAIN the highest paid receiver in history THROUGHOUT the duration of his contract. Come on.

That's Revis tactics..........sign and then hold out anytime you aren't the highest paid corner in the league. Give me a break. Media response on MORE than one off season............"Well he IS the best in the league". Not the point dummies.