LeVeon willing to sit out half the season?

[ArrylT]

I think a part (not all) that Bell is referring to is the fact that he (and a few other RBs) catch more passes AND rushes for more yardages combined than many other players - IE he's doing 2 roles (RB & Receiver).

Bell receiving yardage of 655 yards last year beat out or tied guys like

Cobb
Crabtree
Cooper
Sanders
Watkins
all but 7 TEs
etc ...

I think his total yardage is at 8000 ... another 1200 yards and he'll be top 200 all time for total yardage. If he can play 6 more years (putting him at 32) and just average 1k a year total yardage he'll be top 50.

So I dont blame him for wanting to be paid more than just a typical RB - but I doubt it happens.

[joeday]

I think the success of last years rookies and the assumed rb depth of talent in this years rookie class make it a bad time to be a rb seeking an expensive deal.

I guess I may be speaking out of both sides of my mouth after what I already posted, but no RB does what he can do...at least none of these rookies. I think he is worth quite a bit more than Freeman but within reason.

See Barkley, Saquon.

As a Penn State hater I’ve watched him a lot...he’s not Bell.

[Phaded]

Bell says he won't sit out 2018 season even without long-term deal
https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1500270

Story is over for now...

lol what a shock.
He is all talk.

[kris_kapsner]

I guess I may be speaking out of both sides of my mouth after what I already posted, but no RB does what he can do...at least none of these rookies. I think he is worth quite a bit more than Freeman but within reason.

See Barkley, Saquon.

As a Penn State hater I’ve watched him a lot...he’s not Bell.

You're right. He's not Bell. Saquon's likely better.

Bell is a top RB of the current era. He's smooth and patient. He was hurdling people in college. But, there's a reason he was a 2nd round pick. He had some question marks. I'm happy for him to have developed the way he has. And, he's stayed healthy through the years as well as been blessed with being drafted into one of the most stable organizations in the NFL.

Bell had his shortcomings though coming out of college:
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/le' ... id=2540175

Bell ran a 4.56 40 yard dash and a 31" vert. That's a great 40 for a 230 pound RB. Saquon runs a 4.4 and 41" vert at 233 pounds...and was disappointed in his performance.

Now, the NUMBER 1 thing that ensures a RB's success in the NFL is vision in my opinion. Well, that and staying healthy.

Some people are questioning whether Barkley has elite vision. I think he does. But, people questioned Bell's vision coming out of college as well. In fact, it's listed under the "weakness" section in his NFL combine profile. His pass catching is ironically also listed as a weakness. Those skills: patience, vision and pass catching were developed in Bell after he got to the NFL.

He owes that development to the coaching staff of the Steelers.

That shouldn't take anything away from Bell though. He's a great RB and deserves to be paid among the highest paid RB's in the NFL. So, he shouldn't balk at a $9-$10 million a year offer. But he is.

[Phaded]

lol @ Barkley is "likely" better.

[Balzac]

lol @ Barkley is "likely" better.

Seriously. Bell rewrote how you play RB. Athleticism means jack at this point. Bell is top tier until father time slows him down, and even then he might still be the best back over 30 there ever was.

[cazzie33]

Bell says he won't sit out 2018 season even without long-term deal
https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/1500270

Story is over for now...

Except that doesn't mean he won't sit out camp or partial season

[nathanq42]

From my understanding he is going to sit out camps and preseason but show up for week 1, like last year

[StableOfRBs]

See Barkley, Saquon.

As a Penn State hater I’ve watched him a lot...he’s not Bell.

You're right. He's not Bell. Saquon's likely better.

Bell is a top RB of the current era. He's smooth and patient. He was hurdling people in college. But, there's a reason he was a 2nd round pick. He had some question marks. I'm happy for him to have developed the way he has. And, he's stayed healthy through the years as well as been blessed with being drafted into one of the most stable organizations in the NFL.

Bell had his shortcomings though coming out of college:
http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/le' ... id=2540175

Bell ran a 4.56 40 yard dash and a 31" vert. That's a great 40 for a 230 pound RB. Saquon runs a 4.4 and 41" vert at 233 pounds...and was disappointed in his performance.

Now, the NUMBER 1 thing that ensures a RB's success in the NFL is vision in my opinion. Well, that and staying healthy.

Some people are questioning whether Barkley has elite vision. I think he does. But, people questioned Bell's vision coming out of college as well. In fact, it's listed under the "weakness" section in his NFL combine profile. His pass catching is ironically also listed as a weakness. Those skills: patience, vision and pass catching were developed in Bell after he got to the NFL.

He owes that development to the coaching staff of the Steelers.

That shouldn't take anything away from Bell though. He's a great RB and deserves to be paid among the highest paid RB's in the NFL. So, he shouldn't balk at a $9-$10 million a year offer. But he is.

Well that's not really true, he's had surgery in like 3 of 5 years hes been in the league and one of those was for a significant knee injury. Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he started falling apart soon given his huge workloads and soft tissue issues so far.

[hjernazian]

He better be doing something more than getting faded if he sits camp. Although he’s a freak athlete - he needs to be that conditioning back so he doesn’t hurt himself. He can’t just “show up” to the first game.

But I agree with most in that it’s crazy to pay him nearly double Freeman’s contract. He deserves it. But it just doesn’t happen. And the Steelers are one of he better run franchises in the NFL.

I also get why he’s asking tor the money. As one member posted, he beat out guys like Cooper and Watkins and all but 7 TEs in yards and receptions. So, like David Johnson’s 2016, he is essentially 2 players. Makes sense. Sadly, no back will really be coveted like that.

I think it’ll be interesting to see what type of contract Sammy and others in that range get this year. He might think A + B = C.

[joeday]

lol @ Barkley is "likely" better.

I assumed he was joking! Cause I laughed my bleep off lol

[kris_kapsner]

lol @ Barkley is "likely" better.

I assumed he was joking! Cause I laughed my bleep off lol

I wasn't joking...though I know that is a BOLD statement.

Barkley is 5 years younger and more developed as a RB coming out of college than Bell by a large margin. Has Bell improved his game and become one of the best in the league? Yes. But, I honestly think Barkley will be better. I certainly could be wrong. But time will tell.

[Jfever]

Man.... the recency bias is sickening. I was hoping you were joking but.... sadly, now you've chirped back in and validated my concerns.

Every talented running back with a nice college career, good to great measurables, and a nice combine - that comes out - is the next frickin AP. Now, LBell re-wrote what it means to be a rb in the NFL.... Wow. just Wow. How about Marshall Faulk? wtf... I'm not taking anything away from Bell or any other single rb. Nor am I minimizing how nice of an NCAA career and combine day that Barkley has had and had. But.... How can anyone take any of these comments seriously?

Do we as a community not remember the likes of Ladainian Tomlinson from say 10 years ago? or.... Are we all too young on these boards to have seen Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson? Maybe Emmitt Smith's name holds some weight. Has anyone ever looked into Jim Brown or Gayle Sayers, or even OJ when he played / before he was REAL famous? I mean, we throw these titles of (greatest of all time) - around so loosely, when one reads them, I seriously wonder if I'm reading posts written by 13-15 year olds. Lets not get so carried away so quickly folks. I realize we are bored during the off season. I realize shinny new toy syndrome is in full swing, but, lets not lose our heads.

[kris_kapsner]

Man.... the recency bias is sickening. I was hoping you were joking but.... sadly, now you've chirped back in and validated my concerns.

Every talented running back with a nice college career, good to great measurables, and a nice combine - that comes out - is the next frickin AP. Now, LBell re-wrote what it means to be a rb in the NFL.... Wow. just Wow. How about Marshall Faulk? wtf... I'm not taking anything away from Bell or any other single rb. Nor am I minimizing how nice of an NCAA career and combine day that Barkley has had and had. But.... How can anyone take any of these comments seriously?

Do we as a community not remember the likes of Ladainian Tomlinson from say 10 years ago? or.... Are we all too young on these boards to have seen Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, Eric Dickerson? Maybe Emmitt Smith's name holds some weight. Has anyone ever looked into Jim Brown or Gayle Sayers, or even OJ when he played / before he was REAL famous? I mean, we throw these titles of (greatest of all time) - around so loosely, when one reads them, I seriously wonder if I'm reading posts written by 13-15 year olds. Lets not get so carried away so quickly folks. I realize we are bored during the off season. I realize shinny new toy syndrome is in full swing, but, lets not lose our heads.

Hm...not trying to argue with you. But, yes, I'm 41 years old and have been watching football since I was a kid.

Greatest RB of all time? Barry Sanders in my opinion

I've been playing fantasy football since 2002. Greatest RB I've evaluated in that time period? Adrian Peterson

Greatest RB I've watched since I started playing fantasy football? LaDainian Tomlinson

Saquon Barkley reminds me of Tomlinson, who was taken with the 5th pick overall and went to a poor Chargers team. He immediately became a fantasy stud and I would argue that it was HE, not Bell, who rewrote what it meant to be an all around RB since he posted up 100 catches in a single season. The guy was an all around stud, putting up 1,000+ yard seasons in every year for his first 8 seasons. Bell has 3 in his first 5.

Bell is good. Tomlinson was great.

Will Saquon be a goat? Well, probably not in all honesty. In fact, I don't rate Tomlinson or Adrian Peterson the goat either. That mantle sits squarely upon Barry Sander's brow.

But, you are acting like nobody will be better than Bell. I understand you may be a huge fan of him and that's great. I just think that Saquon has the talent to be better. And no, this isn't recency bias. I wasn't willing to trade 3 1st round picks and a player for Gurley. I wasn't willing to do it for Elliot either. But, in my evaluation of Saquon Barkley, he WAS worth trading that for...so I did. There's no law against having an opinion.

[joeday]

I mean the thing is Barkley COULD be great, but Bell IS great. Barkley pops off the screen in college but that is no guarantee to be an NFL great, especially compared to someone who currently is one. Granted I hate PSU and I’m a Steelers fan, but Bell is what stirs the drink in Pittsburgh.