Rooney:" I want Ben to retire a Steeler"

The problem is the Flacco contract. Flacco's contract made him the highest paid at a little over $120 million for 6 years. No way Ben is taking less than Flacco. Ben is a better QB and I guarantee whoever signs Ben's next contract, the Steelers or another team, will have to pay more than what Flacco is getting.

 

If Ben really gave a damn about "leverage", and was worried about money, above all else, he NEVER would have said, "I want to retire as a Steeler.", and something similar to, "I leave all that for my agent to figure out how to make that happen", when the rumors were swirling a couple months ago, about him asking for a trade.
The first statement, a direct quote, pretty much throws any "leverage" out the window, and I`m sure his agent, verbally assaulted him, for making his position so crystal clear...
I don`t get the feeling that Ben is gonna be "haggling", like shopping for a new car, whenever the negotiaions DO begin. His agent certainly will be...
Ben wants to stay here... The Rooney`s want to keep him here, as long as the agent doesn`t screw things up, I`m 90% certain the two sides will come to an agreement that is fair to both...
Then again, I can`t help but think about the linebacker(I think), from Denver, who wound up elsewhere, simply because of paperwork not being filed by the deadline...
IMHO, his agent will care more about getting his percentage cut of Ben`s contract(which by all rights, SHOULD command "top dollar), than Ben will care about actually getting "fair market value".
He`s plenty rich, and he knows it, as long as they offer him a "reasonable" salary, I don`t see him as having the ego, to go after a contract that has to be equal to, or better, than the top 3 qb`s (salary-wise), in the league, even if he does deserve it.
I think he knows the family will go back their roots, and refuse to pay an "exorbiant" contract.
And he already hurt his "bargaining position" by announcing it is important to him, to retire as a Steeler, instead of the usual "Well, we will see what the future brings... It`s a business..." type of statement MOST players make, nowadays...
GO BEN! GO STEELERS!!!

 

If Ben's agent does to him what Dumervil's did then he will probably need secret service protection for the rest of his life. What a moron.

 

We've got him for three more years no matter what transpires. Ben will be 35 or so at that time. If you'd asked me last year I might have said let's just ride his contract out and see what happens. But now that he's playing in an offensive system that keeps him clean and upright (thanks, Todd Haley!), I think we need to lock him up ASAP in order to avoid any distractions caused by the looming contract expiration.

 

I've never thought of you as "that guy" but "THE GUY"!

If we decide to franchise him, we'd have him for three. That's what I was referring to.

 

So do you think they can convince Ben to take less money than Flacco or do you think they will have to pay him more?

 

I know I would need convincing. If it were Brady or Brees, that's one thing. But it's Flacco. No way Ben agrees to go out there twice a year and play against that bum for less money. I predict that Ben will hold out until he can get Flacco money.

 

flacco waited till his contract was up , ben has still two years in the book

 

Understood. But the Steelers are in a salary cap spot and really need to lower the hit from Ben. This is why I am saying it is going to be a problem sooner than later. I know a lot of people think Ben will be OK taking a deal less than Flacco's for some cosmic reason like he loves Pittsburgh or he wants to retire as a Steeler but I don't believe it. This is Ben's last shot at making big money. He is one of the top QB's in the league and still young enough for one more long term contract. He is not going to make much money as a spokesperson or commentator after he retires because most of the country hates him. He is going to negotiate to get every possible dollar he can, even if that means not agreeing to an extension and moving to another team in a couple of years.

 

as a cap standpoint , we will better wait to extend ben and find money elsewhere , if he wants a cutler deal we will be in cap hell for the next years

 

Look at it this way:

Rooney II says: I want Ben to retire a Steeler.
Rooney II does not say: So, I'm gonna pay him top $ to make sure he does.


Ben says: I want to retire a Steeler.
Ben does not say: So, I'll take less money than Flacco and Cutler to make sure I do.

So we have negotiation to settle this. If they don't redo Ben this year, he won't be cheaper next. And if they wait until his contract is up and franchise him, he won't be cheap at all. The Steelers will have to decide their priorities in managing the cap in 2014 and beyond. But, if Ben doesn't get extended this off season, he can rightlfully feel he took one for the team in 2014.

 

Flacco is 5 years younger than Ben he had more bargaining power. Ben probably has 5 good years left at 32 years old and he's still under contract until after the 2015 season, the team can control him for 3 more years if they want to (franchise tag) if they can't reach a deal.

 

What would the Steelers exit plan be on the back end of the contract?Lets say he gets a 5 yr contract and lets say his skills diminish in the 3rd year. What would are
protection be?
I am just afraid of a Lamaar Woodley situation.

 

At best, I'm thinking a 3 year extension. Based on some of the above, that puts him at about 37. That's a pretty old QB.

From a business standpoint, if this was a copier, id' take the last two years of his contract, franchise him if wanted and see where we are at the end. Then buy the copier or get a new one. But copiers don't think or have feelings.

Treating a human like this screws with their heads and the last thing you want is a QB who is a head case.

Therefore, 3 year extension at a fair number plus enough in the signing bonus to bump up the last two years of current contract.

My guess is the sticking point will be years not dollars.

 

I actually hope you and BF are right.

 

Let me offer this opinion.


The view amongst Stiller Nation seems to be: Well, sure Ben can make big money elsewhere, but he REALLY wants to win so he'll stay for less money here 'cause the Stillers are a winning organization.


Ok, fair enough, but Ben ( a top 5 QB) has made less than top 5 money and his teams have been 8-8 for the last 2 yrs. So his salary sacrifice has got him what, exactly?

Trust us, Ben, give us money relief and we promise we'll try to build a real team around you now. And next time won't give you an OC that takes 2yrs to figure out how to develop a relationship with his 2-time SB winning QB.

Ben may say fine, I'm in, but not on bottom dollar.

 

yes but he signed a big contract that still is not expired

 

true, but the longer they wait to redo the deal, the bigger these issues get. Say, the 2014 Steelers go 8-8, with a fantastic Ben driven no huddle offense, and a terrible D in transition. Not an unrealistic prospect.

Ben's one year closer to being an FA, and the Steelers say: You've carried the team, thanks, but here's 80% of Jay Cutlers money, so we can afford to keep our winning ways. Ben may not buy it, his agent definitely won't.