Still talking about slapping ‘tag’ on Bell
From the notebook of a sportswriter who鈥檚 ready this time to celebrate the monthlong Pittsburgh holiday that鈥檚 come to be known as Le鈥橵eon Bell Tag Days:
n We鈥檝e only been talking about the pros and cons of slapping the tag on the Steelers running back for two years and two days now. Back in mid-February of 2017, Ben Roethlisberger was contemplating retirement, Antonio Brown was coming off his Facebook debacle, and Bell was coming off his first appearance in the playoffs. He rushed for 167 against Miami and 170 against Kansas City, but rushed for only 20 yards on six carries against New England because of a sports hernia.
n The triplets seemed to be 鈥渇ixin鈥� to come unglued,鈥� as Bubby Brister once said, but GM Kevin Colbert steadied the ship. 鈥淚 am hopeful and confident that Ben will be back,鈥� Colbert said prophetically. He added that, 鈥淲e want Antonio to retire as a Steeler, just like we want Le鈥橵eon to retire as a Steeler.鈥�
n Colbert hasn鈥檛 been wrong about that. Yet. Art Rooney II went to Florida to ask Brown why he鈥檚 upset. Brown tweeted a chain of gibberish a couple of days ago that cast blame on Roethlisberger and Mike Tomlin, but it only came off as an attempt to obscure the fact that the Steelers, including those two, have bent over backwards to appease Brown. He鈥檚 always been one step from the line, and he finally crossed it by walking out on the team the final week of the season.
n Is Rooney attempting to grease the skids for a possible Brown return? Is he attempting every last measure to keep a player whose trade value would plummet if the NFL suspends him for his erratic behavior? Rooney should be able to look back without regret regardless of the outcome. He, as head of the organization, is going above and beyond with this trip.
n As for Bell, the Steelers can tag him for a third consecutive year during a window that opens today and closes at 4 p.m. March 5. Bell played under the franchise tag in 2017 and sat out last year in what he stated was a stand for his position. But that stand crashed when he demanded all of the $14.5 million in tag money to play the final six games. That鈥檚 when we realized it really was about the money.
n Since Bell sat out last season, the Steelers believe the cost of a transition tag should be $9.5 million, but the NFLPA believes it should be $14.5 million. If an arbiter comes back with the lower cost, the Steelers could place the tag on Bell and match any offer to secure his rights. That seems to be an unlikely possibility, but the Steelers want some control in case Bell doesn鈥檛 receive the high offers he expects, or opts to sign with, say, the Ravens on a short, small deal.
n The Steelers also believe they can trade Bell for a draft pick upon the promise of not matching an offer. But that seems to be more wishful thinking, since it鈥檚 not likely a team would pay Bell what he wants and also pay the Steelers the draft pick they want.
n As for the 2020 compensatory pick the Steelers would apparently lose by tagging Bell, they can rescind the offer sheet as another team moves in for the signing to still qualify for the compensatory pick. But there鈥檚 also the formula that would be affected by Steelers signings and departures in this free agent period, so it could become say, a fifth-rounder instead of the expected third for losing Bell as an untagged free agent.
n Two years ago at this time, the Steelers had an abundance of cap room, estimated to be at least $30 million. The names at the top of their free agency wish list were Dre Kirkpatrick and Stephon Gilmore. But two weeks later, on the same day, they gave a $19 million signing bonus to Brown and put a $12.5 million franchise tag on Bell. It left them with only enough money to add Coty Sensabaugh to a secondary Tom Brady had eviscerated in the AFC Championship Game. That game signaled to the Steelers they needed to play more man coverage, and they had the money to do something about it. They opted instead to keep the triplets intact.
n If they break the triplets up now, the Steelers will stand about $17 million under the cap. Even with their busy work, that should give them enough for a solid free agent or two. So continuing to chase the Bell dream makes little sense. Just let him go already.
n As for Brown, hey, do whatever you can stomach. Both Roethlisberger and Tomlin have been able to put up with his nonsense this long. It鈥檚 more about what Rooney believes the rest of the team can handle. Either way, the Steelers will wade into the free agency and draft periods with the same amounts of money and needs, whether they keep him or trade him for a draft pick.
n Now that you鈥檙e all sick and tired of that situation again this morning, I apologize. But a rehash was necessary before the partying begins.
n Two years ago on this day, Colbert gave a brief overview of the coming draft and gave his approval to running backs, wide receivers, defensive backs and outside linebackers. He came out of the draft with OLB T.J. Watt, WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, CB Cameron Sutton, RB James Conner, QB Joshua Dobbs, CB Brian Allen and OLB Keion Adams still on the roster. Pretty solid analysis. Pretty good draft.
n However, unless one of those cornerbacks emerges in Year 3, the Steelers still need one. Fortunately for them, cornerback, in my opinion, is a safe position at pick 20, and perhaps even pick 52. I say that mainly because I view DeAndre Baker as a safe and solid fallback in case Byron Murphy or Greedy Williams don鈥檛 fall to them. Baker in my opinion will come up a half step slower than those two, and probably Amani Oruwariye of Penn State too, but Baker is a smart playmaker. He has championship pedigree written all over him. And, unlike Murphy, he plays the side the Steelers need filled.
n I also have the feeling that Trayvon Mullen of Clemson played hurt most of the season. I鈥檒l learn more about him, and why Murphy only plays one side, and why Oruwariye seems averse to contact, as well as other important details, at the Combine in 10 days.
n Of course, the Steelers would need more offense if they deal Brown. I could be talked into going in a different direction and drafting tight end T.J. Hockenson in the first round.
n A couple of years ago Tomlin said that every team needs a Watt. I think he meant that every unit needs a T.J.
n Hockenson can block. For real. While Heath Miller became a good blocker in the NFL, Hockenson already is one. He can run without the ball and with it. Great hands and toughness and speed. The Steelers would have two fast and tough tight ends who could line up and block for Conner or flex out with linebackers in coverage mismatches for Roethlisberger. It represents an offensive direction that would appease the fans being lost by the superstar attitude that seems to have ripped apart the team.
n Buy an inside linebacker in free agency, draft a cornerback in the second round and turn the rest of the team over to the TJ鈥檚.
n Sound like a winner? Let me know. You鈥檒l find me at the Pittsburgh Tag Party tonight.