The Steelers did Najee wrong

I have heard many in the local media say the team should've picked up his 5th year option .

 

Then you should learn to think for yourself

I do

And I know they are wrong

Are these the same media who said the Steelers were signing Aiyuk or the ones who said Tomlin was retiring

Think for yourself

 

Lack of incentive

 

They did Najee a huge favor by not picking up his option. Now Najee can explore his options.

 

Their opinion>your opinion

 

I assume you didn’t understand

 

I think for myself

I guess you have to do the best you can with other people thinking for you

No shame there

 

Keep in mind I’ve been watching studying and learning football much longer than the kiddies you quote

 

It's possible, but if that was the goal, why weaken their negotiating position by refusing the option and giving up control over him for 2025?

 

Only 12 NFL running backs reached 1,000 yards in 2023. Only six had more than Harris.

 

That I can't answer, but I still believe they will. Hell I had no belief they would sign Muth, but they did. I will wait, and see.

 

Still not impressive … once again 58yds a game to reach 1000yds… once again everybody throws the ball

 

He's has played 3 years ,and is 4th in yards in that whole time.....while sharing the load....Yet he's average ??? This is like never having a losing season. If it's so easy, and average....please tell me why everyone else doesn't do it??? LoL

 

I doubt it, but as a business you play the chance your moves, they made a decision for whatever reason, if he shines this year then they have another decision to make.

Business. Najee is a good back, but not elite. By locking in the 5th year option that set his market at 7 million. A few backs are difference makers, in itself 7 million is not much against a ever growing CAP, but if that bigger than his market starting point, then negotiating a 3-4 year deal stretches the budget on a position that for the most part is easier to fill with younger/less expensive talent. As someone said, they could have picked up the option and even tagged him, run the wheels off and let him go. You can do that, but if you tag someone the actual mindset is to try and lock the player up long term. If you abuse it, the locker room drama (and around the league) can lead to issues trying to sign others in the future. At the end of this year the team can still tag him if there is interest (renewed or otherwise) and seek a long term deal, they can try and work it out before FA, he can test the market and perhaps see the teams offer is the best. Business, always business.

 

Teams dont run, they are passing. Come on dude, 58 yds a game sucks. When i was younger the mark was 100yds a game. Game has changed.

 

Yet You keep leaving out He shared the load yet is still up there with Derek Henry, Jacob's, and Taylor in those 3 years. I guess they are average also???? If so.....I guess all Rbs are just average then.

 

I was just going to give credit where credit was due… he does share workload with Warren

 

Maybe? I don't remember seeing him run from the shotgun at all. I'd be interested to see those stats for sure. Was it most yards, or he just had a better average?

 

They kinda do because of how few RB spots there are in the league. There are just as many good RB's in the league as there are WR's and every team plays 3 and 4 WR sets all the time, but almost never more than one RB. There's like 50 or more backs in the league worth giving the ball to and only 32 teams. Only a select few have backs that are good enough to be "true workhorse" RB's and Derrick Henry's definitely don't grow on trees...

Like, its nice that Harris is durable and doesn't fumble. He's generally pretty consistent too. He's gonna take your 15-18 carries, get like 55-65 yards with them, and score 7ish rushing TD's a year. He will once or twice a year take a 25 carry performance to 120 yards and look really good, and once or twice a year take 12 carries for 28 yards. Like he's not a total scrub or a total bust, but he also just isn't that good.

I only thought that extending him would be the huge mistake. The option would've been an overpayment for his services, but I could have lived with it if we had to have him. I just think the Steelers believe we have another back on the roster that is at least as good as him, and they don't feel like they will have a hard time replacing what he brings to the table. 7 million is just a lot for RB's (only 10 RB's make more) and I just don't see any justification to spend that much on Harris.

 

I never argued that they should franchise him after the fifth-year option. My argument was always that they should have kept him on the option, then let him leave. Let some other team overpay for the the inevitable decline. My more recent point was that if they were going to sign him to an extension, not picking up the option actually hurt their negotiating position.

 

If this was the Steelers line of thinking, then I hate the decision even more. Najee has not been injury prone, and he certainly doesn't have a reputation of a guy that will "coast".

 

The non-exclusive franchise tag costs $11.9 million. There is no tag that would cost less than the $6.79 million option year. Najee is not getting tagged, and if he does, Omar got some splainnin to do.

 

Average per carry.
I’ve lost the link now but will dig it up.

 

that is b/c RB is not that important any longer Dime a dozen, as they say.

very few must have RB's in the league any longer......