Burleson On Bell

[JustInFudge]

4 minutes ago, slats said:

I never begrudge any player doing all he can to make the most money he can. You know this, as we were on different sides of this issue with Revis, with the difference being that Revis was good at getting his money. I didn't want the Jets to cave to Fitzpatrick, but never had a problem with him leveraging everything he had to make as much as he could. 

The difference here is that Bell's holdout cost him a lot of money. Probably north of $20M all told. That's gotta be nearly as big a hit to the ego as it is to the bank account, if not more. So I hope he's pissed off and motivated, not disgruntled and less than motivated. I agree, the workout videos are impressive. 

But a comparison of the contract he turned down to the one he accepted...

Ed Bouchette: Le'Veon Bell's contract with Jets even worse than it first looked

 

ED BOUCHETTE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ebouchette@post-gazette.com

 

 

MAR 14, 2019

 

3:50 PM

 

 

Le’Veon Bell vowed to reset the NFL’s running back market in 2019 after refusing to play for the Steelers in 2018, and he did just that.

He set it back.

The details of Bell’s four-year, $52.5 million contract with the New York Jets have been reported, and it’s even worse than it first looked.

Bell will earn $26 million in the first two years of the contract, $25 million of it guaranteed, according to NFL Network. There is no other guaranteed money in his deal. 

The five-year, $70 million deal the Steelers offered him last summer that he turned down included $33 million in the first two years, $20.5 million of that guaranteed in the first year, as reported by CBS’ Jason LaCanfora.

Thus, Bell may have set another NFL precedent – the first player in history to hold out an entire season for less money.

The Jets reportedly were the only ones bidding on Bell, and he had nowhere else to turn when he accepted their deal Monday night. It is far below the annual $17 million he once predicted he would get and not even close to the virtual guarantees he would have received from the Steelers.

NFL Network reported that Bell received only an $8 million signing bonus from the Jets with a total take of just $14.5 million in the first year. Had he accepted the Steelers’ offer, he would have earned more than double that by the end of 2019.

Bell also lost a full year of his NFL career. The Steelers play at the New York Jets this year.

Well, that's even better news.

And my anger with Mevi$ was that he was doing it at the worst possible time, it was more of being annoyed by the situation than it was about him wanting more money.

[Rsherman28]

1 hour ago, slats said:

I never begrudge any player doing all he can to make the most money he can. You know this, as we were on different sides of this issue with Revis, with the difference being that Revis was good at getting his money. I didn't want the Jets to cave to Fitzpatrick, but never had a problem with him leveraging everything he had to make as much as he could. 

The difference here is that Bell's holdout cost him a lot of money. Probably north of $20M all told. That's gotta be nearly as big a hit to the ego as it is to the bank account, if not more. So I hope he's pissed off and motivated, not disgruntled and less than motivated. I agree, the workout videos are impressive. 

But a comparison of the contract he turned down to the one he accepted...

Ed Bouchette: Le'Veon Bell's contract with Jets even worse than it first looked

 

ED BOUCHETTE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ebouchette@post-gazette.com

 

 

MAR 14, 2019

 

3:50 PM

 

 

Le’Veon Bell vowed to reset the NFL’s running back market in 2019 after refusing to play for the Steelers in 2018, and he did just that.

He set it back.

The details of Bell’s four-year, $52.5 million contract with the New York Jets have been reported, and it’s even worse than it first looked.

Bell will earn $26 million in the first two years of the contract, $25 million of it guaranteed, according to NFL Network. There is no other guaranteed money in his deal. 

The five-year, $70 million deal the Steelers offered him last summer that he turned down included $33 million in the first two years, $20.5 million of that guaranteed in the first year, as reported by CBS’ Jason LaCanfora.

Thus, Bell may have set another NFL precedent – the first player in history to hold out an entire season for less money.

The Jets reportedly were the only ones bidding on Bell, and he had nowhere else to turn when he accepted their deal Monday night. It is far below the annual $17 million he once predicted he would get and not even close to the virtual guarantees he would have received from the Steelers.

NFL Network reported that Bell received only an $8 million signing bonus from the Jets with a total take of just $14.5 million in the first year. Had he accepted the Steelers’ offer, he would have earned more than double that by the end of 2019.

Bell also lost a full year of his NFL career. The Steelers play at the New York Jets this year.

Cool post on the contract details. 

Bell defiantly loss money, in the total amount and upfront amount in the first 2 years. 

However, in guaranteed money, he gets 4.5 more with the Jets

Its rare for an NFL star player to play and complete a full contract in today's NFL.

The player can outperform the contract before the deal is over. The player then asks for a new deal on the last year of the deal or he will tell the team he is going to test the free agency market next year. Team either signs or trades mostly 

The player under performs during the contract. As soon as the guaranteed money is up, which is usually structured for you in the first 3 years of your 5 year deal, the team cuts you. (Hint exactly what is going to happen to Tru Johnson if he doesn't play well this year) 

[CanadaSteve]

That was WELL explained for the lay-football knowledge person

[jack48]

5 hours ago, Apache 51 said:

Bell had a top rate OL in Pittsburgh. Jets TBD.

I think Bell actually makes his line better.  The way he sits back and picks his hole. Most guys cannot do that.

[Apache 51]

 

1 minute ago, jack48 said:

I think Bell actually makes his line better.  The way he sits back and picks his hole. Most guys cannot do that.

I think he cam make a mediocre line look better, however, Pittsburgh has a very good OL.

[jack48]

4 hours ago, JiF said:

Thanks for posting.  I was actually going to say something along the lines of, I think people forget how good this dude is, in the "Bell has arrived" thread.  But typical of Jets fans, that thread didnt go past 1 page.  The threads about him not showing?  5-6 at least.  shocker.  Jets fans are basically high school cheerleaders.

Bell is amazing.  He's so fun to watch.  He's incredible.  Legit, best skill player to put on Jets jersey in his prime potentially ever. 

I watched some of his tape.  He can actually take advantage of OL failures with his approach as well as their successes.  Because he reacts so quickly once a hole is exposed.

[sec101row23]

1 hour ago, slats said:

I never begrudge any player doing all he can to make the most money he can. You know this, as we were on different sides of this issue with Revis, with the difference being that Revis was good at getting his money. I didn't want the Jets to cave to Fitzpatrick, but never had a problem with him leveraging everything he had to make as much as he could. 

The difference here is that Bell's holdout cost him a lot of money. Probably north of $20M all told. That's gotta be nearly as big a hit to the ego as it is to the bank account, if not more. So I hope he's pissed off and motivated, not disgruntled and less than motivated. I agree, the workout videos are impressive. 

But a comparison of the contract he turned down to the one he accepted...

Ed Bouchette: Le'Veon Bell's contract with Jets even worse than it first looked

 

ED BOUCHETTE

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ebouchette@post-gazette.com

 

 

MAR 14, 2019

 

3:50 PM

 

 

Le’Veon Bell vowed to reset the NFL’s running back market in 2019 after refusing to play for the Steelers in 2018, and he did just that.

He set it back.

The details of Bell’s four-year, $52.5 million contract with the New York Jets have been reported, and it’s even worse than it first looked.

Bell will earn $26 million in the first two years of the contract, $25 million of it guaranteed, according to NFL Network. There is no other guaranteed money in his deal. 

The five-year, $70 million deal the Steelers offered him last summer that he turned down included $33 million in the first two years, $20.5 million of that guaranteed in the first year, as reported by CBS’ Jason LaCanfora.

Thus, Bell may have set another NFL precedent – the first player in history to hold out an entire season for less money.

The Jets reportedly were the only ones bidding on Bell, and he had nowhere else to turn when he accepted their deal Monday night. It is far below the annual $17 million he once predicted he would get and not even close to the virtual guarantees he would have received from the Steelers.

NFL Network reported that Bell received only an $8 million signing bonus from the Jets with a total take of just $14.5 million in the first year. Had he accepted the Steelers’ offer, he would have earned more than double that by the end of 2019.

Bell also lost a full year of his NFL career. The Steelers play at the New York Jets this year.

When you only had one team seriously interested in his services, his contract wasn’t going to be that crazy.  It was going to be nearly impossible for him to recoup the money he lost by sitting out. 

[Klecko73isGod]

1 hour ago, Warfish said:

Because only in Sports do non-parties to the contract (i.e. fans) have a vested rooting interest in one side, in this case, the Organization's side, and outcome.

The best thing for a player is to make the most money possible.

The best thing for the fans is to pay them as little as possible so we can afford more stars!

Wrong!

Everyone on here has a vested interest in my anchor sales and I don't give a crap what any of you think about how much I make.

[PS17]

5 hours ago, JiF said:

Thanks for posting.  I was actually going to say something along the lines of, I think people forget how good this dude is, in the "Bell has arrived" thread.  But typical of Jets fans, that thread didnt go past 1 page.  The threads about him not showing?  5-6 at least.  shocker.  Jets fans are basically high school cheerleaders.

Bell is amazing.  He's so fun to watch.  He's incredible.  Legit, best skill player to put on Jets jersey in his prime potentially ever. 

It’s funny, I follow the /r/nyjets page on Reddit and it’s the total opposite. The majority of posters are young, happy go lucky, optimistic Jets fans. Here it’s the total opposite. I enjoy this forum way more, darksider that I am.

[Doggin94it]

7 hours ago, Apache 51 said:

Bell had a top rate OL in Pittsburgh. Jets TBD.

No he didn't. In fact, the Pittsburgh line was between ok to subpar for most of Bell's time there, by PFF grades, especially in run blocking (for example: 2015, it was the 10th best OL overall, but only 23rd in run blocking)

[Drums]

5 minutes ago, Doggin94it said:

No he didn't. In fact, the Pittsburgh line was between ok to subpar for most of Bell's time there, by PFF grades, especially in run blocking (for example: 2015, it was the 10th best OL overall, but only 23rd in run blocking)

Yeah, I remember Ben getting destroyed in most games so I'm not sure where all of this glorious o-line talk comes from exactly. 

[Rsherman28]

7 minutes ago, Doggin94it said:

No he didn't. In fact, the Pittsburgh line was between ok to subpar for most of Bell's time there, by PFF grades, especially in run blocking (for example: 2015, it was the 10th best OL overall, but only 23rd in run blocking)

Great point, I never thought to look for the run blocking grades from Bell's time with the Steelers.

What were the run blocking grade in Bell's break out 2016 year?  

[bitonti]

i was going to start a new thread (and someone might have already) but this Cimini-Bell article about what kind of shape he's in has even me the grinch feeling cautiously optimistic

LeVeon at 219 could be explosive AF

 

Quote

Inside Le'Veon Bell's offseason: Joint alignment, biomechanics and sweat

---

By Rich Cimini
ESPNNewYork.com

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Le'Veon Bell has a unique running style. If he doesn't see immediate daylight, he waits ... waits ... and ... vroom. You can't argue with the results: He has more than 5,300 rushing yards in five seasons.

You might say he has taken the same approach to his first offseason with the New York Jets, training in South Florida in March ... April ... May ... and ... here he comes.

After skipping the voluntary workout phase, during which time he ignored the pleas of past and present teammate Steve McLendon and subjected himself to criticism from a new fan base, Bell is expected to report Tuesday to the Jets' mandatory minicamp. Because of his season-long contract dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers, this will be his first football practice in 17 months, raising the curiosity level to an unprecedented high for a June workout.

"Of course he will be in great shape," Pete Bommarito said Friday in a phone interview.

 

Bommarito, the president of Bommarito Performance Systems, is Bell's personal trainer, which means he has spent more time with the star running back than Jets coach Adam Gase. Bommarito is the mastermind behind Bell's offseason program -- a comprehensive, scientific regimen that includes everything from 40-yard sprints to Pilates to banded TKEs (terminal knee extensions) for quadriceps development. Bell also has access to a nutritionist, a massage therapist and an acupuncturist; if he wants to grab a meal, there's an in-house chef ready to prepare his order.

Think: Pumping iron at the Ritz.

Bell has been training with Bommarito in North Miami, Florida, since he came out of Michigan State in 2013, and the running back didn't want to disrupt his routine after signing a four-year, $52 million contract with the Jets. Bell has caught some flak for skipping practice with his new teammates, but it's not like he is wasting time by taking leisurely jogs along Ocean Drive in South Beach.

He spends up to five hours a day, sometimes five days a week, at Bommarito's facility. Each day begins with an appointment in the medical room, where his joint alignment is checked out. Based on the results, Bommarito can adjust his daily script for Bell, who currently is in the high-specificity phase of his training cycle -- drills that include a lot of running back-style motion.

Bell always shows up wearing his game face, according to Bommarito.

"He's highly intelligent and he definitely knows what we're doing," said Bommarito, who has trained running backs such as Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, Matt Forte and Frank Gore. "He knows my philosophy, and he has bought into the approach that we sold him. That's what makes him great. He's got the talent, but he's so serious about how he takes care of his body. That's what makes him elite.

"It isn't about work ethic; anyone can work themselves into the ground. It's about the focus on the little things during the high-intensity training, understanding that everything counts. Le'Veon is so focused that a bomb could go off and he wouldn't even notice."

Gase claimed he doesn't mind that Bell has been away from the team, saying he figured that would be the case based on his recent history. In his next breath, Gase acknowledged it's easier to disseminate information to players and correct their mistakes when they're at practice and in the classroom. Bell watches practice video on his computer tablet, which is fine, but he can't interact with his coaches and teammates.

"I know he feels comfortable with [Bommarito], which I'm good with because I know once we hit training camp, he'll be ready to go," Gase said.

McLendon, a defensive tackle who played with Bell from 2013 to 2015, called him recently to say he was needed at practice. In particular, McLendon stressed the importance of building chemistry with second-year quarterback Sam Darnold, whose development is paramount to the organization.

"I told him, 'You understand, this place is different than Pittsburgh. You need to get back here and understand your quarterback and the situation,'" McLendon said.

McLendon's appeal didn't work. He said he respected Bell's decision, knowing the kind of impact Bell can make once he does arrive.

"I know what I've seen in the past from him," McLendon said. "I understand he sat out a year, but for a running back, that's good, especially with all the hits they take. I can say this: He's still going to be fast; he's still going to be shifty. I'm excited for him to come back."

Former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley said Bell "always came to camp in phenomenal shape, 218 or 219 pounds." Haley doesn't expect that to change now. If anything, he suspects Bell will be more motivated than ever.

"He's a highly competitive guy and an extremely hard worker," Haley said. "Besides AB [Antonio Brown], nobody came in and looked in better condition, and he did most of it on his own because I don't know if he was ever there for much of the offseason except his rookie year. He'll have a chip on his shoulder, and he's very talented. It'll be interesting in New York. It'll be fun to watch."

If you watch Bell's Instagram stories, you can see some of his on-field workouts. A couple of weeks ago, he did speed training with 30-, 40-, 50- and 60-yard sprints. A lot of players say they never run 40s once they get into the NFL; Bommarito believes running backs need an extra gear once they get to the second level. Last week, Bell focused on resistance running (a band attached to his waist) and a jump-cut drill that simulated a typical running play.

"It's not like we have to teach him how to cut -- he's already got that pattern down -- but it's a great training mechanism for the muscles across the ankle joint, the joint to the feet and the joint to the knee," said Bommarito, who has a master's degree in exercise science with a specialization in sports biomechanics. "You have to get those stabilizing muscles strong if you're going to withstand and sustain a whole season.

"That type of threshold training works very well with NFL running backs, especially taller running backs like Le'Veon. They respond well to that because, even though he's tall [6-foot-1], he plays low. The feet angles and the ankle angles are at such a great angle that you have to make sure those muscles surrounding those joints are strong."

Bell will break his routine to take a trip up to New Jersey for three days of minicamp practice. Finally, football.

 

[Jet Nut]

7 hours ago, Apache 51 said:

Bell had a top rate OL in Pittsburgh. Jets TBD.

He still makes the Jets a much better team.  He'll also make the OL better.

If we didnt have Bell we would have a lesser talent and the same OL.  So.........

[#27TheDominator]

2 minutes ago, bitonti said:

i was going to start a new thread (and someone might have already) but this Cimini-Bell article about what kind of shape he's in has even me the grinch feeling cautiously optimistic

LeVeon at 219 could be explosive AF

I am also optimistic, but the Grinch in me read that Matt Forte had been working with the same guy.  Hip! Hip! Hoo-Ray!

[Apache 51]

Career
2013	21
2014*+	22
2015	23
2016*	24
2017*+	25
2018	|

					Games		Rushing							Receiving										Total Yds
Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Rush	Yds	TD	Lng	Y/A	Y/G	A/G	Tgt	Rec	Yds	Y/R	TD	Lng	R/G	Y/G	Ctch%	Y/Tgt	Touch	Y/Tch	YScm	RRTD	Fmb	AV
2013	21	PIT	RB	26	13	13	244	860	8	43	3.5	66.2	18.8	66	45	399	8.9	0	43	3.5	30.7	68.2%	6.0	289	4.4	1259	8	1	8
2014*+	22	PIT	RB	26	16	16	290	1361	8	81	4.7	85.1	18.1	105	83	854	10.3	3	48	5.2	53.4	79.0%	8.1	373	5.9	2215	11	0	17
2015	23	PIT	rb	26	6	6	113	556	3	42	4.9	92.7	18.8	26	24	136	5.7	0	20	4.0	22.7	92.3%	5.2	137	5.1	692	3	0	5
2016*	24	PIT	RB	26	12	12	261	1268	7	44	4.9	105.7	21.8	94	75	616	8.2	2	32	6.3	51.3	79.8%	6.6	336	5.6	1884	9	4	15
2017*+	25	PIT	RB	26	15	15	321	1291	9	27	4.0	86.1	21.4	106	85	655	7.7	2	42	5.7	43.7	80.2%	6.2	406	4.8	1946	11	3	15
2018		Missed season - Contract dispute

[bitonti]

4 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

I am also optimistic, but the Grinch in me read that Matt Forte had been working with the same guy.  Hip! Hip! Hoo-Ray!

did Matt Forte ever go shirtless with a stack of hundos? 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx23heCgIJv/

[#27TheDominator]

26 minutes ago, bitonti said:

did Matt Forte ever go shirtless with a stack of hundos? 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx23heCgIJv/

I don't know.  I stopped following the Jets rap scene at Rontez Miles. 

 

 

[bitonti]

9 minutes ago, #27TheDominator said:

I don't know.  I stopped following the Jets rap scene at Rontez Miles. 

 

 

26 and 45 together?! 

collabohhhhhh

[#27TheDominator]

I ******* hate you for making me look this up @bitonti but he has one.

The guy sitting down in the Rontez video rhymed her with her about 17 consecutive times.  Matt Forte seemed to say it the way the company wants, but watching the chorus of his video all I could think of was...

 

 

[MasterChiefJets]

A year off and the pedigree of Gase. He should have an awesome year if everything goes according to plan.

[Mark78]

[Mark78]

8 hours ago, Long Island Leprechaun said:

No complaints, but wasn't this posted before?

Yes sir

[Philc1]

2 hours ago, Drums said:

Yeah, I remember Ben getting destroyed in most games so I'm not sure where all of this glorious o-line talk comes from exactly. 

Steelers have an ok OL it isn’t great

[jgb]

Bell quickest possible upgrade to OL. His ability to catch passes out of backfield must be accounted for.