Bell is at it again

[konjo78]

Bell is the highest paid running back this year by almost 4 million dollars.... If he gets paid 14 million next year he is almost double all other backs!


And as far as know it all is concerned saying im at it again, there doesnt need to be a distracrion in the locker room right now. If this hurts the steelers and halts their playoff chances then nothing done this regular season really matters and it just shows you should of gotten rid of him earlier.

[knowitall]

Yep. They would have been 15-1 with Fitzgerald Touissant as the feature back.  "distracrions" don't cause playoff losses.

[konjo78]

Thanks for pointing out my typo but distractions do cause playoff losses. Maybe the steelers wouldnt be 13-3 but could of been 10-6 or 11-5? With 0 distraction heading into their first post season game, 0 news of a player saying he will retire or sit out if he is tagged again

[knowitall]

I'll take being 13-3 and hosting a playoff game with a guy who is more of a distracrion to the team's grumpy old white fanbase than he is to his teammates at RB than being 10-6 and heading to New England this weekend without him.

[Crimson's Ghost]

If they were 10-6 without any distractions they would have been playing last week and not have a bye.

[konjo78]

True but its not like an nfl team has won the superbowl coming from the wildcard round

[Crimson's Ghost]

The Steelers aren't a Super Bowl team without Bell, and obviously Antonio Brown for that matter. And Brown wouldn't have been ready to go last week with his injury. So having Bell and the Bye was a huge to give Brown an extra week to get healthy.


The reason the Steelers are a super bowl contender is directly linked to Le'veon Bell. So you take some distractions if the player is talented enough.


Apparently Kraft, Bilicheck, and Brady don't always get along. They put up with the distraction because they are all very good.

[konjo78]

That news only came out just after their position was locked in with NE. Lets see if it effects them on saturday before we give that story a pass.

[Crimson's Ghost]

I mean Tennessee is terrible so I don't know if that's going to be a good barometer haha.

[footballguy99]

I know kickers win a lot of games, but there isn't a huge difference between kickers and they don't get paid all that great compared to the other positions anyway.  You don't need a lot of pay stashed for kickers.

Running backs are expendable.  I don't care if it is Bell or not.  Put in any of the following and I think Pittsburgh still goes at least 12-4.

Lamar Miller
Devonta Freeman
Isaiah Crowell
Derek Henry
Kenyan Drake
Dion Lewis
Buck Allen
Alex Collins

and maybe my favorite that would flourish here and wasn't a full time starter- Giovani Bernard.  Did you see him down the stretch??

Bell averaged 4.0 yards per carry.  He got the touches to make him a back toward the top of the heap.  He got the receiving touches as well because he is the main man in the Burgh.  I think any of the backs above could be a great back in the Pittsburgh system based on play calls and based on Ben, Antonio, JuJu, that offensive line, etc.  I know all of these guys aren't runners and pass catchers, but they'd still do well.  I think Saquon Barkley could come in next year and give you what Bell gives you, and he is a rookie to be.

The old, white fanbase comment is a crock as well.  Bettis was a guy we loved. Bam was a guy we didn't love. Hines is a guy we loved.  Heath is a guy we loved.   Bell just isn't a Pittsburgh guy to me.  L. Blount wasn't a Pittsburgh guy to me.  
Character matters to me; not skin color.  Money matters, but this guy has been too much drama and too much drugs/suspension for my liking.  

If you have a quarterback, an O line, and some WR's....you can make a lot of NFL backs come off as good.  Teams that lose in the NFL spend their money on backs and wide receivers without having a good line and a good quarterback.


Take Ben off the team and start Landry with everyone else.  We win 6-8 games.
Take Leveon off the team and use Conner, Ridley, and Fitz and the team still wins 11-12 games.  That is my opinion...