I hate the non-schematic part of football, but here we are in the offseason, and the amount of lies about Le’Veon Bell is on my mind. I’m high as a kite, but even now, with the room spinning, I know “he lost money he’ll never make back” is BULLSHIT and that Bell wanted out of Pittsburgh (which he got) and wanted to choose his team (which he got) and wanted to avoid a 400 carry season for a team that knew he’d be leaving (which he got) and that above all, $25 million (which he got) fully guaranteed will ALWAYS be more than what the Steelers offered. All reliable reports say they offered either $10 mil or $20 mil, and the tag was $14.54 mil. Go with any of those numbers, they’re less than $25 mil. Yet, NFL “experts” are littering the internet and podcast airwaves with insults. Are they stupid or just carrying water for the NFL (who desperately wants fans to think a player can’t win by holding out)? If Todd Gurley had a big Super Bowl, there’d probably be more bidders for Bell, but Gurley laid an egg – and Bell knew this was a risk, and clearly decided it was worth it. Most owners won’t pay for a RB anyway. But if you watch Bell play aligned out wide, you’d know he’s far more than a “RB” (we don’t have time to get into how outdated many position names are, but George Allen referred to this problem IN THE EFFING 1970s)!
BUT GUESS WHAT?! In terms of fully guaranteed money, Bell DID get more than Gurley. Gurley got $21 mil, DAVID JOHNSON got $24 mil (which nobody seems to mention), and Bell got $25 mil. SARCASM ALERT OH WHAT A FOOL BELL HAS BEEN.
The fully guaranteed number is ALL that matters. The other contract numbers are often full of bullshit, with all sorts of ways for teams to get out of paying. Teams weasel out of paying all the time.
Due to all the lies, the next player in Bell’s shoes probably won’t sit out. It doesn’t matter to anyone other than the player, his agent, and sycophant “fans” who rant about how they’d play for free. But then again, the franchise tag has been used less recently, as teams realize the player is pissed all offseason and the team should either trade them before that year or let them go and get the compensatory (along with saving cap and cash).
If Bell played for any team other than the Steelers, you could argue he should have taken the best 2 year guarantee he could have gotten, but since we know the Steelers only guarantee the first year, this is a stupid/dishonest thing to pretend he could have done as the Steelers held his rights.
So, Bell was ballsy (which is always more interesting), stayed healthy, got paid, got to leave the dumpster fire that is the current Tomlin-era Steelers organization (which drove BOTH Bruce Arians and Dick LeBeau out of town and gave away Antonio Brown because he bleached his mustache yet still defends their QB who’s accused of multiple rapes), gets to live [essentially] in New York City, the greatest city in the world. WHAT A LOSER (more sarcasm).
Then again, it’s the Jets, they were by all accounts negotiating against themselves and will find a way to lose somehow, as they’ve done since 1969. What a sad franchise. You gotta wonder why George RR Martin is a fan. Nobody who understands the Xs and Os of football supports the Jets. I would say “he should spend time learning the game” but no, for the love of god he should spend his time writing the book he shoulda finished years ago but may not live to complete.
Meanwhile, look at those GRRM-hated Patriots, sitting out the big ticket free agents part of free agency madness yet again, with teams (including the Lions who have no excuse since their GM Quinn and their HC Patricia came from New England) throwing too much money at many players. The Jaguars gave NICK FOLES $22 mil. He won the Super Bowl, I get it. BUT WHEN ON A REASONABLE CONTRACT. You could argue it’s worth anything to avoid more Bortles, but I’d argue overpaying a QB is never worth it. Surely, I’ll be right for the 25th consecutive year. And nobody will listen, and I’ll rant about free agency mistakes and lies all over again. Westward the wagons! Across the sands of time!
Whiskey Over Milk 