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鈥橵eon Bell.
Yes, former running back because Mr. Bell isn鈥檛 鈥� and hasn鈥檛 been 鈥� on the 2018 roster. In a way, I guess, the players didn鈥檛 maraud his belongings because he wasn鈥檛 there to belong anything.
Le鈥橵eon Bell left behind $14.5 million because he and his 鈥渂rain trust鈥� felt his future value was far more than $14.5 million.
It鈥檚 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鈥檚 not popular to take the employer point-of-view, but the approach makes business sense. Why pay for services rendered when said services haven鈥檛 been rendered yet?
I imagine insurance policies can cover loss of years of service not rendered, but it鈥檚 well known that鈥檚 the way the Steelers do business and, quite honestly, it鈥檚 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鈥檚 the lone season he didn鈥檛 miss time because of an injury. Add the occasional brain cramp when he鈥檚 not on the field, and he has a mark or two against offering a long-term, guaranteed contract.
Who knows 鈥� maybe Le鈥橵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鈥檚 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鈥檚 no guarantee the body will be ready and rarin鈥� to go when it鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥� 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鈥檚 harsh, especially if you鈥檙e big Christmas item is a No. 26 jersey, but that鈥檚 business, and like it or not Steeler Nation, that鈥檚 what it鈥檚 all about.
Mike Tomlin鈥檚 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鈥檛. And, that鈥檚 just the approach the coaching staff should have. Can鈥檛 win with what he doesn鈥檛 have.
Face it folks, winning is what it鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.