Bell’s Agent: “Likely” Last Year With Steelers
As expected, the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell did not agree to an extension before Monday’s deadline. With that, Bell’s agent Adisa Bakari says the running back is not long for Pittsburgh. 
“His intention was to retire as a Steeler. But now that there’s no deal, the practical reality is, this now likely will Le’Veon’s last season as a Steeler,” Bakari said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter). “It became clear the Steelers wanted to pay the position, not the player.”
The latter part of Bakari’s quote pretty much sums it up. The Steelers have shown a willingness to make Bell the highest-paid running back in the NFL in terms of yearly average, but Bell has been pushing for a deal to compensate him as a world-class rusher who is also a high-end receiver. Meanwhile, he wanted a long-term deal to have more weight than the average NFL contract, which means high guarantees and heavy cash flow in the early years.
At last check, the Steelers were offering Bell roughly $13.3MM per season on a multi-year extension. Bell’s camp, meanwhile, asked for $17MM per year. The two sides were talking right up until the deadline, but the gap was too large to bridge.
In 2018, Bell’s $14.5MM salary will make him the top breadwinner at the running back position. However, the highest paid RB on a long-term deal is still Falcons star Devonta Freeman ($8.25MM/year). Cardinals running back David Johnson may top him with a new extension this summer, but he has less juice to work with after Bell did not reach an accord.
If Bell continues to play at a high level, he’ll be in line to revolutionize the running back market next year in free agency.
No Deals For Bell, Lawrence, Ansah, Or Joyner
None of this year’s franchise tagged players agreed to extensions with their respective teams before Monday’s deadline. That means Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, Lions defensive end Ziggy Ansah, Cowboys defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, and Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner will all play on their tags in 2018. 
Over the weekend, we heard that deals were unlikely for any of the four players. However, we’ve been surprised in the past. You may recall the 2016 franchise tag extension deadline in which Muhammad Wilkerson and the Jets agreed to a buzzer-beating deal after weeks of reports indicating that it would not happen (the Jets certainly wish it hadn’t happened now).
There was no surprise this year, so the four franchise tagged players are all entering contract seasons at the following rates:
- Ezekiel Ansah – $17.1MM
- DeMarcus Lawrence – $17.1MM
- Le’Veon Bell – $14.5MM
- Lamarcus Joyner – ~$12MM
This marks the first ever franchise tag for Ansah, Lawrence, and Joyner. For Bell, this is the second go ’round and it’s incredibly unlikely that the Steelers will consider a third tag, no matter how good he is in 2018.
Per league rules, extension talks cannot resume between the team and the tagged player until after the 2018 season has concluded.
Giants Sign Sam Beal
The Giants signed supplemental draft choice Sam Beal, according to a team announcement. The Giants selected the former Western Michigan cornerback with their third-round pick in last week’s second chance draft. 
The Giants have yet to sign two of their draft picks, including No. 2 overall selection Saquon Barkley, but they didn’t have any real hangups in getting Beal to sign. Beal will play under a four-year rookie deal with a salary to match the equivalent slot in the 2018 draft.
The supplemental draft hasn’t been a major event in the NFL in recent years, but Beal’s potential had scouts buzzing. Many expected Beal to be in the first round conversation in 2019 had he stayed in school. Instead, Beal opted to go pro one year early and the Giants were happy to pounce on him.
By selecting Beal, the Giants fortified a cornerback group that is without Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The Giants did not take a cornerback in the spring draft, Beal gives them a young and talented prospect behind starters Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins. Meanwhile, the arrival of Beal will put pressure on the Giants’ other reserve corners, a group that includes free agent additions William Gay, Teddy Williams, and B.W. Webb plus holdover Donte Deayon.
One Giants beat writer thinks that Beal won’t be able to make a real impact until the second half of the season, at the earliest. Time will tell whether Beal can get caught up on the playbook quickly and make a difference in the fall.
Steelers, Le’Veon Bell In Negotiations
The franchise tag extension deadline is roughly one hour away, and it’s not clear whether the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell are close on a new deal. However, they are at least talking, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. A deal is considered to be a longshot at this time, Rapoport notes, but there is a good-faith effort being made by both parties. 
If no deal is reached by 4pm ET/3pm CT, Bell will play out the 2018 season on the $14.5MM franchise tag. The Steelers will not be able to resume extension talks until after the season is over, and Bell will almost certainly opt to test the open market.
Bell is after a deal that reflects his performance as an elite running back who also provides the production of a No. 2 wide receiver. That means a game-changing contract for RBs that also includes a hefty guarantee and significant cash flow. So far, the Steelers have been unwilling to come close to his demands.
Last year, the Steelers offered Bell a $60MM deal with $42.5MM coming in the first three years of the pact with unknown guarantees. Bell, meanwhile, is said to be seeking $17MM per year. Recently, the Steelers upped their offer to more than $13.3MM per season.
Cowboys, Lawrence Will Not Reach Deal
No surprise here, but the Cowboys and DeMarcus Lawrence will not reach agreement on an extension before Monday’s 4pm ET/3pm CT deadline, Todd Archer of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). Instead, Lawrence will play out the 2018 season on his $17.143MM franchise tag. 
Lawrence, 26, had 14.5 sacks in 2017. That total was the most by a Cowboys player since DeMarcus Ware had 19 in 2011. The Cowboys also notched 38 sacks as a team, giving them their highest total overall since ’11. Despite some bumps early on in his career, including back issues, Lawrence underscored his importance to the club with a big campaign last year. He also did not miss any games in ’17.
It is believed that Lawrence is gunning to top Olivier Vernon‘s five-year, $85MM deal with the Giants and his agent – the same one that represents Vernon – wants at least $17MM/year. For what it’s worth, Lawrence’s ’17 sack total nearly doubled Vernon’s total from his contract year. He also graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 3 ranked DE, putting him behind only Cameron Jordan and Von Miller amongst edge rushers.
Apparently, that’s a bit too rich for the Cowboys’ blood at this time. As a result, the Cowboys will not be able to reopen negotiations with Lawrence until January 2019.
Jets Release WR Devin Smith
The Jets are releasing former 2015 second-round pick Devin Smith, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The wide receiver has suffered two torn ACLs in his career and has struggled to recover from them. 
The Jets were already set with their top four wide receivers thanks to the presence of Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse, Terrelle Pryor, and Quincy Enunwa. After that, last year’s draft picks Chad Hansen and ArDarius Stewart are fighting for their jobs along with kick return candidates Andre Roberts, Charone Peake, and Lucky Whitehead. Simply put, there was no room left for Smith, especially since he was a holdover from the old regime.
Smith tore his ACL in the first team workout of 2017, ending his season before it could begin. He tore the same ligament during his rookie season in 2015, meaning that the former second round pick has been on the field for just 14 games in total. It’s fair to wonder whether Smith will be able to get back on track after suffering the same serious injury twice. In his limited action, Smith caught ten passes for 135 yards and one score.
Bears Rookie Roquan Smith Staying Away
Bears first-round pick Roquan Smith is not with the team as the rookies report for training camp on Monday, sources tell Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The linebacker and the Bears are still negotiating his rookie deal, so he may be staying away until an agreement is reached. 
For now, this technically is not a holdout. It won’t officially be a holdout unless Smith does not show on July 19 when veterans are due to arrive.
The Bears and Smith could be in disagreement over the linebacker’s offset language. Players with offset language who are cut before the end of their rookie contract have the remaining guaranteed money reduced by whatever they earns elsewhere. Without offset language, players get to double dip. Top 10 picks expect to complete their rookie contracts, but it’s an important issue for agents nonetheless.
Smith, the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, finished in the top ten of Heisman voting in his final year at Georgia. In 2017, he tallied 137 total tackles, 14 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks.
Aaron Rodgers Wants To Play Until 40
Aaron Rodgers turns 35 in December, but retirement doesn’t appear to be anywhere on his radar. The Packers quarterback says he wants to play until he’s 40 (via Peter King of NBC Sports). 
“I’d love to play to 40,” Rodgers said. “I just think that number means a lot. Obviously, [Tom] Brady is kind of rewriting the book. Brett [Favre] had a good season when he turned 40. My goal is be able to move like I do or close to how I do and still be able to do that at 40 … just because nobody’s been able to do that and still move around the same. Steve Young’s career was cut short in his late thirties. John [Elway], the same—he didn’t really move the same as when he was younger. So to be able to move the same way at 38, 39, 40 would be cool. That’s my aim.”
Rodgers has had setbacks, including two clavicle injuries in the last five years that have cost him a combined 16 games. Some may say that Rodgers has to adjust his game and get rid of the ball sooner, but the QB doesn’t agree. He says he’ll look to play for several more seasons while occasionally taking big hits when necessary.
Rodgers also reiterated his desire to finish his career as a member of the Packers, though he indicated that his next deal might break the mold.
“It’s only been on my mind because … people have been writing and talking about it a lot,” he said when asked about the possibility of a unique contract extension. “There have been many conversations about it. I think that there’s some merit to looking into where you do a non-traditional contractual agreement. If anybody at this point is gonna be able to do something like that, I think there needs to be a conversation about it. I never said anything about [tying the contract to] the cap. I just think there’s ways to do contracts where you can still be competitive so the team is happy about it, but have some more freedom.”
Rodgers recently said that reports of him seeking out-clauses and options on his contract to stay in control of his deal are just “conjecture,” but the QB appears to have confirmed that talk in his chat with King.
Steelers Increased Offer To Le’Veon Bell
Less than 18 hours remain until the 2018 franchise tag extension deadline, and the impasse between the Steelers and Le’Veon Bell persists after nearly two full offseasons’ worth of negotiations.
The Steelers and Bell resumed talks again this week, and the team is committed to trying to hammer out a deal until the 3pm Monday deadline. However, the two-time All-Pro running back turned down the Steelers’ latest offer, one worth north of $13.3MM per year, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports (video link).
Pittsburgh’s 2017 offer was worth $13.3MM AAV, and the proposal reportedly contained $30MM in its first two years. However, Bell — attached to a $12.12MM tag at that point — turned that down.
When the Steelers approached him earlier this year, per Fowler, the running back referenced his 406-touch workload last season as evidence he’s worth more. The talks between the parties cooled off until they picked up again months later, and it’s safe to assume Bell’s adjusted price caused the hiatus.
Bell’s $14.54MM 2018 tag figure continues to be his per-year floor, per Fowler. The Steelers and Bell have made progress, but ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reported earlier Sunday night that the odds are against an agreement being hammered out.
No other running back makes more on a long-term deal than Devonta Freeman‘s $8.25MM, and his 2017 extension only bumped the current running back ceiling up by less than $250K per year. LeSean McCoy‘s 2015 Bills deal represented the standard before that. No other current running back earns more than $8MM annually, but Bell would nearly double that this season by playing on the tag again.
AFC North Notes: Browns, Burns, Ravens
Both of the Browns‘ first-round picks have endured a fair amount of scrutiny, with Baker Mayfield making a borderline-unthinkable rise during the pre-draft process and Bradley Chubb remaining on the board after No. 4. The Browns’ issues in coverage last season prompted the Denzel Ward pick. So did a belief third-year edge defender Emmanuel Ogbah can be a quality Myles Garrett sidekick. DC Gregg Williams is seeing Ogbah, a 2016 second-rounder who suffered a broken foot last season, validate the Browns’ thought process thus far this offseason.
“I’m so excited to see how well (Ogbah’s) doing out here this year,” Williams said, via Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. “He’s night and day more relaxed and doing things more instinctively, not overthinking and not as afraid to make a mistake as he was last year because we moved him into a new position. Knock on wood, staying healthy, he’s going to really stand out this year.”
Here’s the latest from Cleveland and other AFC North cities.
- A new addition to the Browns’ defensive end room expected to be a member of Cleveland’s defensive end rotation behind Garrett and Ogbah, UFA signee Chris Smith will likely be used as an interior pass rusher. “He can play inside; he can play outside; he brings a lot of energy to the room,” Browns defensive line coach Clyde Simmons said, via Cabot. “He’s got a high motor and I think it’s going to be great competition.” Smith joins third-round pick Chad Thomas and previous Browns draftees Carl Nassib and Nate Orchard. Though, Smith is pretty much a roster lock since he signed a three-year, $14MM contract that would cost the Browns to shed this year. So, Nassib and Orchard could be vying for one spot.
- Other than Ryan Shazier, the Steelers have not possessed an open-and-shut case for exercising a fifth-year option in a while. They passed on Jarvis Jones‘ and picked up Bud Dupree‘s, doing so despite the 2015 first-rounder’s inconsistency. However, with Artie Burns‘ decision coming up in May, Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review sees another difficult call coming. Burns has not established himself as a surefire member of the Steelers’ core but is expected to be a starter again opposite Joe Haden. This season figures to be pivotal for the Miami product’s future.
- The Ravens are moving Vince Mayle from tight end to wide receiver, Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun notes. This comes as Baltimore’s wideout room looks more crowded with possible roster cogs than it did last season. With Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead and John Brown borderline locks for the 53-man unit, the Ravens will have some choices to make at preseason’s end. A 2015 Browns pick, Mayle played in 16 games with the 2017 Ravens. Third-year backup Chris Moore may not see much receiver time, per Lee, who adds fourth- and fifth-round rookies Jaleel Scott (New Mexico State) and Jordan Lasley (UCLA) aren’t locks to make the roster. Though, the Ravens will surely give them every opportunity to do so and it’s a fairly safe bet the rookies will be on the Week 1 roster. The Ravens’ wideouts averaged a league-low 8.9 yards per catch last season.