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Poll: Will Le’Veon Bell Play This Season?

November 8th, 2018 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

The Le’Veon Bell watch continues. For months, it was expected that the Steelers star running back would report for work by Nov. 13, the deadline for him to sign his franchise tag and play in 2018. However, Bell’s camp only recently confirmed that the running back does not have to show up for work by Tuesday in order to solidify his status as a free agent for next season, which means that Bell could theoretically stay home for the entire season. 

Originally, it was believed the Steelers would have the right to franchise tag Bell again for the same rate as this season if he did not ink his tender by the deadline on Tuesday. As it turns out, the price of the third tag would actually jump to the quarterback level, which would cost upwards of $25MM. The transition tag would technically be in play, but the Steelers are very unlikely to match any offer and such a move would saddle the team with an unnecessary cap hold.

All of this means that Bell can stay at home and preserve his health for free agency, though it would mean losing out on approximately $6MM in salary after already having forfeited $7.7M in game checks. Some say that Bell should get back on the field to prove his commitment to football and reassert himself as one of the game’s best running backs, but the 26-year-old firmly believes that he’ll find a strong market for his services no matter what.

Do you expect Bell to show up by Tuesday to face the Jaguars on Nov. 18? Or do you think Bell will extend his holdout through the end of the season? Click below to cast your vote (link for app users) and back up your choice in the comment section.

Will Le'Veon Bell Report By Tuesday?
No 73.63% (1,402 votes)
Yes 26.37% (502 votes)
Total Votes: 1,904

Latest On Steelers, Le’Veon Bell

November 7th, 2018 at 9:10am CST by Zachary Links

Per league rules, Le’Veon Bell has until Tuesday to sign his franchise tag and report to the Steelers. However, based on recently discovered information, Bell is reconsidering whether he will put pen to paper before the Nov. 13 deadline, as Mark Kaboly of The Athletic writes. 

It was previously believed that Bell’s franchise tag price for 2019 would be equivalent to last year’s tag if he did not show up for work before the deadline. However, Bell’s camp recently confirmed that his franchise tag price would be unaffected even if he stayed away from the team for the entire year. A third franchise tag would cost the Steelers upwards of $25MM, all but guaranteeing that he would reach free agency unencumbered.

So far, Bell’s stance has cost him $7.7MM in salary. He can still earn $6.84MM if he shows up before Thursday night’s contest against the Panthers, but he’s adamant about being 100% healthy as he reaches free agency and may be willing to forego the rest of his earnings for 2018.

The Steelers would like to get Bell back on the field for their playoff push, but they’ve been doing just fine with James Conner as their primary running back. On Sunday, the Steelers improved to 5-2-1 on the year as Conner ran for 107 yards off of 24 carries against the Ravens. His 1,085 yards from scrimmage sit only behind Todd Gurley, who’s played one more game than Conner.

Falcons Sign DE Bruce Irvin

November 7th, 2018 at 8:10am CST by Zachary Links

Former Raiders defensive end Bruce Irvin has agreed to a one-year deal with the Falcons, according to a team announcement. The deal reunites Irvin with coach Dan Quinn and gives the veteran a chance at reaching the playoffs this season. 

“This was a dream [come] true,” the Atlanta native told Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter). “The Patriots and Steelers offered more money, but being able to play for my city and my people, you just can’t put a price on that.”

The Seahawks also tried to sign Irvin, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). But, rather than don his old uniform, Irvin decided to reconnect with the coach who helped mold him into one of the league’s most feared edge rushers.

Irvin’s new deal will pay him $1.5MM for the final eight games of the season, Rapoport adds (on Twitter). He also gets to collect on the full amount of his remaining Raiders salary, giving him a total haul of $9.75MM for 2018.

Irvin, 31, recorded 88 tackles, 8.5 sacks, five pass defenses, three interceptions and two touchdowns in his two seasons under Quinn in Seattle. The former No. 12 overall pick also had some success with the Raiders, but things took a turn this year under new head coach Jon Gruden.

The Raiders’ pass rush has been listless without Khalil Mack leading the charge, and Irvin was not his usual self, despite leading the team with three sacks at the midway point of the season. In his final game with the Raiders, Irvin played only nine snaps.

With the Falcons, Irvin will join a talented pass rush that includes former first-round picks Takkarist McKinley and Vic Beasley. On the whole, it’s a defense that has not been playing up to its potential. The Falcons are among the lowest-ranked defenses in the league and the front seven has registered just 17 sacks on the year.

Because he was released after the trade deadline, Irvin was subject to waivers. He went unclaimed due to his contract which called for him to earn $3.8MM the rest of the way. Naturally, he’ll earn less on his Falcons deal.

Irvin’s first game with the Falcons will come against the Browns on Sunday.

Le'Veon Bell's Transition Tag Value

November 6th, 2018 at 9:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson
  • If Le’Veon Bell doesn’t report to the Steelers this season, a potential 2019 transition tag would become all the more valuable, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The contractual bargaining agreement indicates Bell would receive a 20% raise over his 2017 salary, meaning he’d be in line for $14.54MM in 2019. If Bell does report this year, however, that 20% would be applied to his 2018 earnings, meaning the transition tag would be worth only $9-10MM. In all, the transition is somewhat irrelevant, as Pittsburgh would have no interest in matching any offer sheet from a rival club.

Latest On Steelers, Le’Veon Bell

November 5th, 2018 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers have not had contact with Le’Veon Bell this week and they do not expect the running back to report in time for Thursday night’s game against the Panthers, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. Bell’s debut may come on Nov. 18 against the Jaguars, but some uncertainty’s emerged on this front.

Bell must report to the Steelers by Nov. 13 in order to play this season, but contrary to what ESPN and other outlets have previously reported, he does not have to report to the Steelers by a certain date to get an accrued season to become eligible for free agency. Bell already has played the four-plus seasons he needs to become a free agent after the season.

The two-time All-Pro running back has missed out on more than $7MM and could conceivably wind up on the Steelers’ exempt list, which would allow the franchise to pay Bell at its discretion. Now that Bell has already missed out on half of his franchise tag salary ($14.1MM), would be merely sit out the season?

“[It] doesn’t make any sense for [Bell] to play now,” a source told ESPN. “If he doesn’t want to play for $14.5MM, why would he want to play for $5MM?”

Bell returning would net him millions, but he’s already sacrificed nearly eight figures to stay healthy for free agency. While a return would allow him to minimize his workload, he could still be injured during Pittsburgh’s stretch run and ruin this bold strategy’s purpose in advance of a potential March windfall.

If Bell does not report, the Steelers will have the right to franchise tag him for a third time, but at the rate of a second tag.

Despite his differences with the Steelers, Bell refused to go along with a midseason trade in order to give himself the best opportunity to showcase himself before free agency. It remains to be seen whether that was a smart move. When Bell returns, he may be in a timeshare with his one-time backup, James Conner, and that could hurt his value in the spring.

Even without one of the game’s most talented running backs, the Steelers have looked the part of a contender thanks to Conner’s play. On Sunday, the Steelers improved to 5-2-1 on the year as Conner ran for 107 yards off of 24 carries against the Ravens. His 1,085 yards from scrimmage sit only behind Todd Gurley, who’s played one more game than Conner.

Latest On Le'Veon Bell Saga

November 4th, 2018 at 10:09am CST by Rory Parks

The Le’Veon Bell saga is coming to a head, as the Steelers running back must sign his franchise tender by November 13 to be eligible to play for any team this season. But as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, the CBA does not dictate that Bell must report by that day, only that he sign the tender. That means that Bell could sign the tender and not report until next Saturday, which would make him eligible to be added to the roster for next Sunday’s game — not that he would be playing in that game regardless — or he could just not sign the tender at all and skip the entire season.

The latter option is not considered likely at this time, but La Canfora says that if Bell does skip the entire 2018 campaign, the Steelers would strongly consider slapping the franchise or transition tag on him next offseason, which would of course set up another drama-filled battle. La Canfora further reports that no rival clubs called Pittsburgh at last week’s trade deadline in an attempt to acquire Bell.

More Clarity On Artie Burns' Status

October 31st, 2018 at 4:40pm CST by Sam Robinson

Le'Veon Bell Has Two Weeks To Report

October 30th, 2018 at 9:15pm CST by Ben Levine
  • As ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler points out (via Twitter), the Steelers unwillingness to trade Le’Veon Bell means the running back will now have two weeks to report to the team. If the Pro Bowler fails to show up by November 13th, he won’t be allowed to play this season. Fowler notes that Bell is still intending on playing this season, but he still hasn’t informed the Steelers of his plans.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Steelers Unable To Trade Le’Veon Bell

October 30th, 2018 at 1:18pm CST by Zachary Links

We’re in the midst of an action-packed deadline day, but Le’Veon Bell won’t be among the star players changing teams. The running back has yet to sign his franchise tender, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets, so the Steelers will not be able to trade him before the 4pm ET/3pm CT trade deadline. 

Bell and the Steelers are almost certainly headed for divorce in the offseason, but Bell has boxed the team in by holding out and refusing to go along with any potential midseason trade. Bell wants to turn in the best second half possible in order to maximize his free agent value and that means staying in the only NFL offense he’s ever known.

Of course, that’s a bit of a gamble on Bell’s part. When Bell returns to the Steelers, he’ll join a club that has found a bonafide RB1 in James Conner. Bell may see less touches than he has in previous years – something that he is in favor of as he looks to protect his odometer – which could cap his production.

Despite all of the drama, the Steelers are undoubtedly eager to get Bell back on the field. Barring any additional hiccups, the All-Pro should be in uniform for the Steelers’ Week 9 game against the Ravens and no later than the team’s Week 10 tilt against the Panthers.

Steelers Still Hope To Trade Le'Veon Bell

October 28th, 2018 at 11:39am CST by Rory Parks

The Steelers are still hopeful that they can trade Le’Veon Bell and net a third-round pick or better in return before Tuesday’s deadline, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. Bell, as we heard earlier this week, does not want to be traded, and given that he would need to sign his franchise tender before he can be dealt, he holds all the cards in that regard. La Canfora tweets that Bell (predictably) balked at returning to the Steelers on the exempt list, so there are still plenty of moving pieces to keep an eye on before this situation is finally resolved.

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