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Some might consider this news, but it’s actually totally irrelevant.
Talking about Le’Veon Bell throwing his support behind Jamal Adams in the safeties’ contract dispute with the Jets.
“I think he wants to be [with the Jets], I just think he wants to get paid,” Bell said to DJ Peter Rosenberg on Hot 97 Radio. “I think he’s in the same situation I was three years ago. He’s a young player. He’s been at the top of the game, playing at a high level and feels like, ‘Dang, I just want to get compensated.'”
Absolutely not the same situation.
Bell played four years on his rookie contract, and then on the franchise tag his fifth year. His initial contract, was a second-round deal, so it wasn’t nearly as much money as Adams’ rookie contract. Then he played the fifth year under the tag. He was tagged again in his sixth year, but refused to sign it, and sat out the 2018 season. Then he signed with the Jets in 2019.
So Bell played for the Pittsburgh Steelers for five years under the CBA rules – four-year contract, and then a franchise tag.
Adams is entering the fourth year of his rookie deal, and the team picked up his fifth-year option, so he’s essentially under team control for the next two years.
Some comparing the Bell situation to Adams is comparing apples to oranges.
Bell told the DJ he had no issue with Adams demanding a trade.
“No,” Bell said. “Hell, no. You deserve every dollar you’re asking for. Everything he asks for, he deserves it.”
Is that how negotiations work? Every dollar you ask for, you deserve? If that was the case, not many deals would get done.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Adams wants $20 million-per-year. One source denied that. Fowler has very good sources. But for argument sake, let’s say he wants $17-18 million-a-year, some might argue that is still too pricey for a safety who spends a lot of time playing in the box.
Bell thinks Adams, who he spoke with last Thursday, wants to stay with the Jets.
So have a lot of first-round players after three years, but they to wait their turn. Remember what Yahoo’s Charles Robinson, who has a great Jets source, tweeted in May:
“Sticking point on extension is simple. Guys like Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack played four seasons (and won DPOY) before their extensions. #Jets don’t want to do Adams’ deal after three years for the highest-paid-safety money he wants. In 2021 it could be a different story.”
So if players like Donald and Mack had to wait until after their fourth year, why can’t Adams?
As far as Adams wanting to stay with the Jets, it’s hard to tell considering some of his comments on social media, like talking about being a Jet in the past tense.
But the bottom line is Bell’s comments made news, but will no zero impact on the Adams’ contract mess. He really doesn’t have seat at the table.
July 13, 2020
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