Le\'Veon Bell Remains Leery About Heavy Workload

[RealGM Wiretap]

Le\'Veon Bell recently had a conversation with former NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew and expressed his concerns about being overused in what will almost certainly be his final season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

\"[Bell] was happy for James Conner after that performance but that performance justifies why he\'s not there right now,\" Jones-Drew said on the Dave Dameshek Football Program. \"If you\'re going to give James Conner 31 carries, imagine how many you\'d give to Le\'Veon Bell?\"

Bell also told Jones-Drew that there\'s nothing personal about what he views as a business decision to stay away from the team.

\"[Bell] said to me, \'People think that I don\'t like Pittsburgh, I don\'t like James Conner, I don\'t like these guys,\'\" Jones-Drew said. \"He was like, \'Yes, I was disappointed they went out and spoke about my contract,\' understandably so. He was like, \'But I still want them to do well, they\'re still guys that I work with and guys that I\'ve put in this extra work with — blood, sweat and tears like I still want them to do well.\'\"

Via Mike Florio/Pro Football Talk

[23artest23]

He ought to just retire and get his rap career off the ground.

[KGdaBom]

He ought to just retire and get his rap career off the ground.

Most RBs want as much workload as possible. Bell complains about his workload. He clearly doesn't love football and it is just a business to him.

[cheese318]

He ought to just retire and get his rap career off the ground.

Most RBs want as much workload as possible. Bell complains about his workload. He clearly doesn't love football and it is just a business to him.

He is playing on a one year contract. For a running back they are expecting him to do that for his third straight year regardless of how lucrative the franchise tag has been the last two years. Not only has he been the best running back in the league he also has had previous injury history so I could agree he deserves a long term deal. All the other top players on the team have gotten paid so it’s unfortunate he will not receive that big pay day from the team that drafted him.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

[KGdaBom]

He ought to just retire and get his rap career off the ground.

Most RBs want as much workload as possible. Bell complains about his workload. He clearly doesn't love football and it is just a business to him.

He is playing on a one year contract. For a running back they are expecting him to do that for his third straight year regardless of how lucrative the franchise tag has been the last two years. Not only has he been the best running back in the league he also has had previous injury history so I could agree he deserves a long term deal. All the other top players on the team have gotten paid so it’s unfortunate he will not receive that big pay day from the team that drafted him.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

First of all Bell is not playing on any contract right now. He doesn't have one. Second he has received some very big pay day's from the team that drafted him and they offered him a very very big pay day earlier this off season. However, if Bell himself believes he has had too much wear and tear on his body why would any team want to sign him to a long term deal?
I think this is unprecedented in the history of the NFL. A player complaining about being used too much. Adrian Peterson still wants the ball 30 times a game.

[cheese318]

Most RBs want as much workload as possible. Bell complains about his workload. He clearly doesn't love football and it is just a business to him.

He is playing on a one year contract. For a running back they are expecting him to do that for his third straight year regardless of how lucrative the franchise tag has been the last two years. Not only has he been the best running back in the league he also has had previous injury history so I could agree he deserves a long term deal. All the other top players on the team have gotten paid so it’s unfortunate he will not receive that big pay day from the team that drafted him.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

First of all Bell is not playing on any contract right now. He doesn't have one. Second he has received some very big pay day's from the team that drafted him and they offered him a very very big pay day earlier this off season. However, if Bell himself believes he has had too much wear and tear on his body why would any team want to sign him to a long term deal?
I think this is unprecedented in the history of the NFL. A player complaining about being used too much. Adrian Peterson still wants the ball 30 times a game.

Don’t you think it’s unfair for a position of his nature which has a shelf life of 2-3 years wanting to receive security on his contract. This could be his one longterm deal. He is the best player at this position. He is used just as much or even more than Antonio Brown. He believes he has value that is not being met by any contracts PIT has offered. I can see PIT being stingy in contract offers regardless as what is being reported. This is now his third season playing on a one year contract. I wouldn’t want to risk my livelihood as a running back in the NFL taking a beating my free agent year. There’s a major different in $10MM compared to let’s say $50MM-$60MM.

As we all know he is going to be financially secure for the rest of his life with the money he has already earned. I just think he is not wrong. The franchise tag is just a tool the teams use which was never was how it was intended for use. Players need to go to war and get this eradicated from the future CBA. Running Backs would see such a rise in salary if that was the case.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

[KGdaBom]

He is playing on a one year contract. For a running back they are expecting him to do that for his third straight year regardless of how lucrative the franchise tag has been the last two years. Not only has he been the best running back in the league he also has had previous injury history so I could agree he deserves a long term deal. All the other top players on the team have gotten paid so it’s unfortunate he will not receive that big pay day from the team that drafted him.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

First of all Bell is not playing on any contract right now. He doesn't have one. Second he has received some very big pay day's from the team that drafted him and they offered him a very very big pay day earlier this off season. However, if Bell himself believes he has had too much wear and tear on his body why would any team want to sign him to a long term deal?
I think this is unprecedented in the history of the NFL. A player complaining about being used too much. Adrian Peterson still wants the ball 30 times a game.

Don’t you think it’s unfair for a position of his nature which has a shelf life of 2-3 years wanting to receive security on his contract. This could be his one longterm deal. He is the best player at this position. He is used just as much or even more than Antonio Brown. He believes he has value that is not being met by any contracts PIT has offered. I can see PIT being stingy in contract offers regardless as what is being reported. This is now his third season playing on a one year contract. I wouldn’t want to risk my livelihood as a running back in the NFL taking a beating my free agent year. There’s a major different in $10MM compared to let’s say $50MM-$60MM.

As we all know he is going to be financially secure for the rest of his life with the money he has already earned. I just think he is not wrong. The franchise tag is just a tool the teams use which was never was how it was intended for use. Players need to go to war and get this eradicated from the future CBA. Running Backs would see such a rise in salary if that was the case.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

Nobody would see any rise in salary if the Franchise tag was eliminated. Most teams spend right up to the salary cap. The Franchise tag is just a ploy to keep a player for a year. Often at a higher pay rate than they would get on a multi year deal. Almost every player signs the franchise tender when given because it is usually a lot of money. I personally think Bell is diminishing his earnings the way he is going about things. Time will tell. I still stand by my statement that Bell doesn't love football if he wants less carries and won't play despite massive salary offers he has turned down.

[cheese318]

First of all Bell is not playing on any contract right now. He doesn't have one. Second he has received some very big pay day's from the team that drafted him and they offered him a very very big pay day earlier this off season. However, if Bell himself believes he has had too much wear and tear on his body why would any team want to sign him to a long term deal?
I think this is unprecedented in the history of the NFL. A player complaining about being used too much. Adrian Peterson still wants the ball 30 times a game.

Don’t you think it’s unfair for a position of his nature which has a shelf life of 2-3 years wanting to receive security on his contract. This could be his one longterm deal. He is the best player at this position. He is used just as much or even more than Antonio Brown. He believes he has value that is not being met by any contracts PIT has offered. I can see PIT being stingy in contract offers regardless as what is being reported. This is now his third season playing on a one year contract. I wouldn’t want to risk my livelihood as a running back in the NFL taking a beating my free agent year. There’s a major different in $10MM compared to let’s say $50MM-$60MM.

As we all know he is going to be financially secure for the rest of his life with the money he has already earned. I just think he is not wrong. The franchise tag is just a tool the teams use which was never was how it was intended for use. Players need to go to war and get this eradicated from the future CBA. Running Backs would see such a rise in salary if that was the case.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

Nobody would see any rise in salary if the Franchise tag was eliminated. Most teams spend right up to the salary cap. The Franchise tag is just a ploy to keep a player for a year. Often at a higher pay rate than they would get on a multi year deal. Almost every player signs the franchise tender when given because it is usually a lot of money. I personally think Bell is diminishing his earnings the way he is going about things. Time will tell. I still stand by my statement that Bell doesn't love football if he wants less carries and won't play despite massive salary offers he has turned down.

You don’t know how much he was offered. It’s all loosely based and rumor... I could say he’s coming back week but that’s another’s rumor. When has he ever complained about carries in his entire career? He wants to get paid plain and simple. He wants security. He wants off the Steelers and he’s not given the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere

[KGdaBom]

Don’t you think it’s unfair for a position of his nature which has a shelf life of 2-3 years wanting to receive security on his contract. This could be his one longterm deal. He is the best player at this position. He is used just as much or even more than Antonio Brown. He believes he has value that is not being met by any contracts PIT has offered. I can see PIT being stingy in contract offers regardless as what is being reported. This is now his third season playing on a one year contract. I wouldn’t want to risk my livelihood as a running back in the NFL taking a beating my free agent year. There’s a major different in $10MM compared to let’s say $50MM-$60MM.

As we all know he is going to be financially secure for the rest of his life with the money he has already earned. I just think he is not wrong. The franchise tag is just a tool the teams use which was never was how it was intended for use. Players need to go to war and get this eradicated from the future CBA. Running Backs would see such a rise in salary if that was the case.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM mobile app

Nobody would see any rise in salary if the Franchise tag was eliminated. Most teams spend right up to the salary cap. The Franchise tag is just a ploy to keep a player for a year. Often at a higher pay rate than they would get on a multi year deal. Almost every player signs the franchise tender when given because it is usually a lot of money. I personally think Bell is diminishing his earnings the way he is going about things. Time will tell. I still stand by my statement that Bell doesn't love football if he wants less carries and won't play despite massive salary offers he has turned down.

You don’t know how much he was offered. It’s all loosely based and rumor... I could say he’s coming back week but that’s another’s rumor. When has he ever complained about carries in his entire career? He wants to get paid plain and simple. He wants security. He wants off the Steelers and he’s not given the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere

he complained about his carries right in this thread.

[cheese318]

Nobody would see any rise in salary if the Franchise tag was eliminated. Most teams spend right up to the salary cap. The Franchise tag is just a ploy to keep a player for a year. Often at a higher pay rate than they would get on a multi year deal. Almost every player signs the franchise tender when given because it is usually a lot of money. I personally think Bell is diminishing his earnings the way he is going about things. Time will tell. I still stand by my statement that Bell doesn't love football if he wants less carries and won't play despite massive salary offers he has turned down.

You don’t know how much he was offered. It’s all loosely based and rumor... I could say he’s coming back week but that’s another’s rumor. When has he ever complained about carries in his entire career? He wants to get paid plain and simple. He wants security. He wants off the Steelers and he’s not given the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere

he complained about his carries right in this thread.

The first time in how many years of playing when he is in a standstill contract situation with the team? I mean if you take what he says right now at face value...

[KGdaBom]

You don’t know how much he was offered. It’s all loosely based and rumor... I could say he’s coming back week but that’s another’s rumor. When has he ever complained about carries in his entire career? He wants to get paid plain and simple. He wants security. He wants off the Steelers and he’s not given the opportunity to seek employment elsewhere

he complained about his carries right in this thread.

The first time in how many years of playing when he is in a standstill contract situation with the team? I mean if you take what he says right now at face value...

I think Football is just a business to him. If he can get the same money with less carries that is what he wants. Never before have I heard of a football player complain about being used too much. Still I hope he ends his stupid holdout that is losing him money by the day and come back to football. I enjoy watching him play.

[cheese318]

he complained about his carries right in this thread.

The first time in how many years of playing when he is in a standstill contract situation with the team? I mean if you take what he says right now at face value...

I think Football is just a business to him. If he can get the same money with less carries that is what he wants. Never before have I heard of a football player complain about being used too much. Still I hope he ends his stupid holdout that is losing him money by the day and come back to football. I enjoy watching him play.

That’s not what he is saying. What is saying is he doesn’t want to rush for another 400 attempts with catching as he does not to risk having a catastrophic injury before his free agency. Think about it in his shoes. He wants a longterm deal before he gets hurt. Once he gets hurt he’s back to one year prove it deals. For all the talk of offers we still do not know the official offer and I guarantee the Steelers were super cheap since they obviously do not value the position. If this was Ben Roethlisberger this would have been done 7-8 months ago

[KGdaBom]

The first time in how many years of playing when he is in a standstill contract situation with the team? I mean if you take what he says right now at face value...

I think Football is just a business to him. If he can get the same money with less carries that is what he wants. Never before have I heard of a football player complain about being used too much. Still I hope he ends his stupid holdout that is losing him money by the day and come back to football. I enjoy watching him play.

That’s not what he is saying. What is saying is he doesn’t want to rush for another 400 attempts with catching as he does not to risk having a catastrophic injury before his free agency. Think about it in his shoes. He wants a longterm deal before he gets hurt. Once he gets hurt he’s back to one year prove it deals. For all the talk of offers we still do not know the official offer and I guarantee the Steelers were super cheap since they obviously do not value the position. If this was Ben Roethlisberger this would have been done 7-8 months ago

I heard it was a four or five year deal for about 17 million a year, but only 35 or so million guaranteed. As long as Bell kept playing at a high level he would have got all the money. He is the one who has chosen not to get his big contract not Pittsburgh. Now Conner has replaced Bell and is putting up very good numbers so maybe this will work out best for the Steelers.

[cheese318]

I think Football is just a business to him. If he can get the same money with less carries that is what he wants. Never before have I heard of a football player complain about being used too much. Still I hope he ends his stupid holdout that is losing him money by the day and come back to football. I enjoy watching him play.

That’s not what he is saying. What is saying is he doesn’t want to rush for another 400 attempts with catching as he does not to risk having a catastrophic injury before his free agency. Think about it in his shoes. He wants a longterm deal before he gets hurt. Once he gets hurt he’s back to one year prove it deals. For all the talk of offers we still do not know the official offer and I guarantee the Steelers were super cheap since they obviously do not value the position. If this was Ben Roethlisberger this would have been done 7-8 months ago

I heard it was a four or five year deal for about 17 million a year, but only 35 or so million guaranteed. As long as Bell kept playing at a high level he would have got all the money. He is the one who has chosen not to get his big contract not Pittsburgh. Now Conner has replaced Bell and is putting up very good numbers so maybe this will work out best for the Steelers.

He deserves more than $35 Million guaranteed. He is the best running back in the game. He’s is more than just a one dimensional runner with amazing pass catching abbilities. Plus he is only 26-27 years old. If this was a quarterback position it would have never gotten to this point

[KGdaBom]

That’s not what he is saying. What is saying is he doesn’t want to rush for another 400 attempts with catching as he does not to risk having a catastrophic injury before his free agency. Think about it in his shoes. He wants a longterm deal before he gets hurt. Once he gets hurt he’s back to one year prove it deals. For all the talk of offers we still do not know the official offer and I guarantee the Steelers were super cheap since they obviously do not value the position. If this was Ben Roethlisberger this would have been done 7-8 months ago

I heard it was a four or five year deal for about 17 million a year, but only 35 or so million guaranteed. As long as Bell kept playing at a high level he would have got all the money. He is the one who has chosen not to get his big contract not Pittsburgh. Now Conner has replaced Bell and is putting up very good numbers so maybe this will work out best for the Steelers.

He deserves more than $35 Million guaranteed. He is the best running back in the game. He’s is more than just a one dimensional runner with amazing pass catching abbilities. Plus he is only 26-27 years old. If this was a quarterback position it would have never gotten to this point

He would have got the whole 70 million or whatever as long as he kept playing well. You think he should get the whole 70 million whatever if he sucks? An intelligent team isn't going to make that deal. By being greedy he might end up losing a lot of money and I hope he does.