National Post (National Edition)
Bell still hasn’t tolled for big payday
STEELERS RB YET TO CASH IN ON FREE AGENT STATUS
Le’ Veon Bell has waited so long this week to agree to terms on a free-agent deal, the start of free agency has almost arrived.
That’s a wiseacre way of saying so many top NFL free-agents-tobe jumped the gun and agreed to terms with a new team before the NFL technically permits it — that is, starting at 4 p.m. EDT Wednesday — that Bell might wind up the last of the untethered superstars to find a lucrative new landing spot.
When it was expected, he’d be one of the first to land.
By late Tuesday afternoon, however, the star running back had yet to agree to terms anywhere else beyond Pittsburgh.
It may turn out Bell and his agent far overvalued his value on the open market — a market denied to him by the Steelers in each of the previous two seasons, when it franchise-tagged him.
Two weeks ago, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that Bell would seek US$50 million over the first two years of his new deal, even though no NFL running back ever has averaged anything close to $20 million per year on a contract.
The NFL’S highest-paid running back currently is Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams, who last summer signed a $60-million, four-year deal ($15 million per year) with $45 million guaranteed. The Steelers’ best offer last year to Bell reportedly was $70 million over five years ($14 million per year), with $17 million guaranteed.
The New York Jets for weeks had been seen as a likely leading suitor for Bell’s services, so as to team him with quarterback Sam Darnold, last year’s No. 3 overall draft pick.
Reports Tuesday afternoon suggested the Jets had made Bell a final offer.
Conflicting reports concerned the Baltimore Ravens; some said the Ravens were the only other serious bidder for Bell, while ProFootballtalk.com said the Ravens might not even be in it.
From 2013-17 Bell sparkled as a doubly dangerous back in the Steelers’ juggernaut offensive attack, both as a rusher and receiver. Over those five seasons, he ran for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns and caught 312 passes for 2,660 yards and seven touchdowns to rank among the NFL’S most prolific dual-threat backs.
But Bell sat out all of the 2018 season in protest over being franchise-tagged for a second consecutive year and was unable to come to terms with the Steelers for the second straight year on a long-term deal. In so doing, Bell voluntarily rejected a fully guaranteed 2018 salary of $14.45 million after pocketing more than $12 million guaranteed in 2017 on his first tag.
Bell sees himself as more than a mere running back, wanting instead to be paid much more per year, as a hybrid receiver/runner.
Now at age 27 and with the weight of 1,229 pro carries in tow, Bell and his agent may have severely misjudged the market, even though numerous teams in need of an elite offensive playmaker still had tens of millions of dollars in available cap space.
ATYPICAL PACKERS: When Ted Thompson was GM of the Green Bay Packers from 2005-17, he’d snag a big-name player on the first day or two of free agency so infrequently that Packers fans called them leap years.
Well, in that context current Packers GM Brian Gutekunst just crammed nearly half a dozen leap years into one 24-hour period.
According to reports, the Packers have agreed to terms with the following free-agents-to-be: two of the top pass rushers available in Za’darius Smith (from Baltimore) and Preston Smith (from Washington); safety Adrian Amos (from archrival Chicago); and guard/ tackle Billy Turner (from Denver).
And look at the money Gutekunst is throwing at them, per reports: Za’darius Smith, $66 million over four years; Preston Smith, $52 million over four years; Amos, $37 million over four years; and Turner, $28 million over four years.
In total: $183 million committed over four years.
If new head coach Matt Lafleur and holdover defensive coordinator Mike Pettine aren’t giddy, they should be.
RAVENS RAVAGED: The Baltimore defence lost a whole bunch more talent than just Za’darius Smith. The Ravens cut safety Eric Weddle last week (he’s now a Los Angeles Ram) in a cost-cutting move. But per reports the Ravens will lose linebacker C.J. Mosley to the New York Jets, and 16-year Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs to Arizona. Defensive end Brent Urban of Mississauga, Ont., is another Baltimore defensive starter set to become a free agent, but as of late Tuesday afternoon the 28-year-old had yet to accept any offer.
IT MAY TURN OUT BELL AND HIS AGENT FAR OVERVALUED HIS VALUE.
EXTRA POINTS: Denver and Atlanta will play in the Hall of Fame Game Aug. 1 in Canton, Ohio – the traditional pre-season curtain-raiser … The Giants announced the re-signing of reserve FB Eli Penny … Carolina re-signed backup QB Taylor Heinicke, who started one game last season in relief of Cam Newton … Tampa Bay re-signed backup QB Ryan Griffin. He’ll have a chance to be Jameis Winston’s No. 1 backup as last year’s understudy, Ryan Fitzpatrick, becomes an unrestricted free agent Wednesday.