The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Steelers use franchise tag on Bell for second season
Rams safety Joyner, Bears corner Fuller also receive tags.
The Steelers put the exclusive franchise tag on running back Le’Veon Bell on Tuesday. Bell, who has been adamant about not playing under the tag for a second straight season, can’t negotiate with other teams. Pittsburgh must offer him the average of the top five running backs’ salaries.
Both sides plan to continue negotiating.
“I love everything about being a Pittsburgh Steeler, and I want nothing more than to finish the rest of my career in Pitt!” Bell tweeted.
Also getting the franchise tag on Tuesday was Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner. The only player given the transition tag was Chicago cornerback Kyle Fuller.
The franchise tag value for running backs is $11.866 million. But Bell is scheduled to make $14.5 million in 2018 because it is his second straight tag.
Jaguars: Declined to use the franchise or transition tag on wide receiver Allen Robinson. Had the Jags tagged Robinson, he could have signed a one-year, $15.982 million contract for 2018. Not doing so indicates top executive Tom Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell don’t believe Robinson is worth that much money six months after reconstructive knee surgery.
Bills: Running back Chris Ivory was signed to serve as LeSean McCoy’s primary backup in Buffalo. Ivory’s new deal guarantees him $3.25 million in pay, and was reached less than two weeks after he was cut by the Jaguars. Ivory, 29, finished with just 382 yards rushing and a touchdown in 2017.
Panthers: Signed Pro Bowl kicker Graham Gano to a four-year contract extension. The deal is worth $17 million overall with $9 million guaranteed. Gano was set to become an unrestricted free agent and the team had considered using the franchise tag on him, but came to an agreement just hours before the tag deadline.
Ravens: Signed oft-injured defensive end Brent Urban to a one-year contract, less than two weeks before he was slated to become an unrestricted free agent. Urban has played in just 25 games in four seasons.
Legal: Former Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith turned himself in to San Francisco police, who had a warrant out for his arrest over an alleged domestic violence incident with his fiancee over the weekend. Smith, 28, was released on $30,000 bail late Tuesday afternoon. Smith was cut by the Raiders on Monday.