No silver bells for Le’Veon this Christmas
So, the Pittsburgh Steelers apparently beat the Black Friday rush Wednesday by sacking the locker of former running back Le无毛视频橵eon Bell.
Yes, former running back because Mr. Bell isn无毛视频檛 无毛视频� and hasn无毛视频檛 been 无毛视频� on the 2018 roster. In a way, I guess, the players didn无毛视频檛 maraud his belongings because he wasn无毛视频檛 there to belong anything.
Le无毛视频橵eon Bell left behind $14.5 million because he and his 无毛视频渂rain trust无毛视频� felt his future value was far more than $14.5 million.
It无毛视频檚 difficult for us mere mortals to understand such a decision, especially those of us who discover a 10-spot in a pocket on wash day and consider that an unexpected boon to the monthly budget.
I think lost in all this talk of big money and ego is the well-known way the Steelers do business with their football employees. They do not offer multi-year, guaranteed contracts. I realize it无毛视频檚 not popular to take the employer point-of-view, but the approach makes business sense. Why pay for services rendered when said services haven无毛视频檛 been rendered yet?
I imagine insurance policies can cover loss of years of service not rendered, but it无毛视频檚 well known that无毛视频檚 the way the Steelers do business and, quite honestly, it无毛视频檚 worked well in the Super Bowl era, pretty much my lifetime as a Steelers fan, because the Steelers boast the best record in the NFL since the merger in 1970.
Bell was injury-free last year, but that无毛视频檚 the lone season he didn无毛视频檛 miss time because of an injury. Add the occasional brain cramp when he无毛视频檚 not on the field, and he has a mark or two against offering a long-term, guaranteed contract.
Who knows 无毛视频� maybe Le无毛视频橵eon is crazy, like a fox. If he can land with a team that has the cap space and is willing to guarantee him the big bucks he无毛视频檚 looking for, then he made a smart business decision. But, if the Dez Bryant return offers a cautionary tale, taking time off might rest and protect the body. However, it无毛视频檚 no guarantee the body will be ready and rarin无毛视频� to go when it无毛视频檚 time to don the pads for real.聽
The play of James Conner, of course, made the absence of Bell negligible this season. Conner apparently has cleared the league无毛视频檚 concussion protocol and will line up against the Jaguars on Sunday. (Good news for my fantasy football GM because his team needs all the points it can amass for a late season playoff push.)
If Jaylen Samuels无毛视频� future plays out as the team hopes it will when he was drafted, the Steelers get two players with solid futures for far less money than Bell. Hey, it无毛视频檚 harsh, especially if you无毛视频檙e big Christmas item is a No. 26 jersey, but that无毛视频檚 business, and like it or not Steeler Nation, that无毛视频檚 what it无毛视频檚 all about.
Mike Tomlin无毛视频檚 attitude, at least publicly, through this whole ordeal is what it should be. The highly-successful coach (I realize how that point burns the get-rid-of-him crowd) continually said he was concerned with the players in the locker room, not those who weren无毛视频檛. And, that无毛视频檚 just the approach the coaching staff should have. Can无毛视频檛 win with what he doesn无毛视频檛 have.
Face it folks, winning is what it无毛视频檚 all about in the NFL. Mondays around western Pennsylvania are a lot friendlier and pleasant when the Steelers win.聽
Along that note, hopefully the boys will avenge last year无毛视频檚 disappointing losses with a better performance against the Jaguars. A victory in Jacksonville sets up a very interesting December for a run to the AFC North title and a push for another Super Bowl victory.