Jamie Nye: Steelers and Bell – a lesson in negotiation

The drama of the Pittsburgh Steelers and running back Le’Veon Bell continues to draw on.

It’s been going for two years now, with the Steelers trying to sign their dynamic running back but unwilling to make him one of the highest paid players in the league.

Bell does it all from running to receiving. Bell is a three-time all-pro in his five seasons.

His agent says the Steelers want to pay the position, not the person. And here I am thinking, yeah. The Steelers have it right. If they have a salary structure that limits how much they want to spend on a running back, then sorry to Bell, it’s either compromise or best of luck elsewhere.

And let’s be honest. Look at the new crop of running backs coming up the league. Alvin Kamara, Leonard Fournette, Christian McCaffery, Joe Mixon, Dalvin Cook and Kareem Hunt all drafted last year.

Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry, Jordan Howard the year before.

Running backs like Bell should realize, they’re not as rare as they seemed to be a few years ago. Will Bell get his money elsewhere? Sure, but it will be a team who will likely overpay.

Pittsburgh doesn’t want to be that team.

Neither side is wrong, but the drama is getting a little old.