Would you bench LeVeon 1st game? Partially?? Fully???

That's the most lucid thought I've ever seen from AB.

 

Wasn't it AB threatening to sit out a couple years ago if his money wasn't right? If he hadn't gotten paid, I'm not so sure he wouldn't be doing the same thing Bell is.

 

No, AB did not do that.

 

He didn't threaten to?

"Antonio Brown, under contract for three more seasons, has asked the Steelers for a new contract and is prepared to sit out until he gets one, the Post-Gazette has confirmed."

http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...to-hold-out-for-contract/stories/201504200132

"Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown plans on skipping the team’s offseason workouts as he seeks a new contract, Fox Sports' Mike Garafolo reports."

https://www.si.com/nfl/2015/04/20/pittsburgh-steelers-antonio-brown-contract

 

No, he didn’t.

 

This wouldn't be the first time I misremembered, so I googled those articles to confirm. Were those and the other 20 articles stating the same thing rumors?

 

Yes

And Brown made a point of stating so

 

Okay. They did give him a $2 million raise about a week before the season started, so whatever did transpire was enough to spook the higher-ups.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap30...rs-restructure-antonio-browns-deal-give-raise

 

That's the thing that gets lost in all of this. The Steelers actually take very good care of their players. They have ideals that they stick to. But they definitely take care of their own.

 

In recent years, yes. The way they treated Rod Woodson at the end still bothers me.

 

Honestly I would rather not have him back, he's all bad karma. Although he got skills, I don't think he's a winner...

 

That is why you bench him. They are telling him he has to be there. Tomlin said there would be a consequence for time he missed. You're contradicting yourself.

 

My only problem with how they treated Woodson is that they let him leave far too soon. He still had some great years left in him.

 

Sorry, but you are not correct here. Brown did threaten to hold out, but he didn't follow through on the threat. He showed up, which is what Bell should be doing. He's hurting the team and his own value by sitting out until after the preseason ends. It hurt his performance last season and may do even more damage this year with the changes on offense.

 

That was Tom Donahoe. He was truely one of the worst GMs in NFL history IMO. I'll give him credit helping to build the 90s Steelers. But he deserves ALL of the blame for dismantling that team. The way he treated star players on the way out the door was ridiculous.

 

As I recall they didnt give him a raise they only gave him an advance on his next years salary, not really a restructure as I see it just some finagling with the numbers....

 

In hindsight, he certainly did. But considering the injury he was coming off of, you would have needed a really good crystal ball to predict what he continued to do. Apparently the team didn’t have one?

 

Since he is slow to get up to speed, as last year showed, I would use Conner more than usual starting in game one, then taper off gradually over the first few games until Bell is back at full speed. Bell has reason to make this year his best so he can get a big contract so we should play him as much as possible when he is 100%.

 

If there is one position I recommend not playing in the preseason, it's star running back. I would rather risk 2 or 3 games at the beginning of the season to work on timing with blocks than get a season ending injury as well as more wear and tear at a position that only has 7 years of prime ball, at the most.

 

I think Ridley will be the back up when it is all said and done. Conner has the heart to play, but I do not know if he has enough talent to sustain a back up running back role.

 

I have no doubt Conner has the talent. I just wonder if he can pass protect. Thursday wasnt a good start.

 

Woodson had 6 picks and 2 defensive TD's the season after his injury. There was no reason to believe he was slowing down. He tried to put together a performance based contract to ease their minds about his future production. They made a low ball offer, said take it or leave (it).