The Le'Veon Bell Saga Concludes

Throughout this NFL and Steelers football season, I have pretty much avoided discussing the subject of Le'Veon Bell.    I chose to adopt the Chuck Noll-ian philosophy of addressing only topics as they pertained to the Steelers that were actually, you know, playing.  Today, however, the matter reached its denouement when Bell chose not to report to the Steelers by the CBA mandated deadline of 4:00 PM, so he will not be playing for the Steelers, or anybody else, in 2018.  This also means that he will no doubt never appear in a Steelers uniform again.

We won't be seeing this anymore.

So here are The Grandstander's thoughts on the matter.  They are presented in a somewhat disjointed fashion and in no particular order of importance.

1. It is important to remember, I think, that the only  person who took a risk here, the only person who has actually lost anything throughout this whole process is Le'Veon Bell himself.  He thinks that he is worth and that he deserves a whole lot more than what the Steelers were willing to pay him in guaranteed money, and in standing up for that principle, he has passed up the chance to make $14.5 million this year.  I like to think that I am a highly principled person myself, but I can't see myself ever walking away from that much money if the opportunity presented itself, which, of course, it never will.  So, give Bell some credit for that stance.
2. The Steelers are coming out fairly unscathed in the court of public opinion over this whole affair only because of the emergence of James Conner as a star running back himself, one who has been able to do pretty much everything that Bell had been able to do.  Had Conner fizzled the Steelers would not be sitting with the second best record in the AFC today, and the fan base would be screaming for the blood of the cheapskate Rooneys.  And such a scenario could still play out if Conner were to become injured.
3. As I understand it, the Steelers and Bell could go through this entire fandango again next year by putting the franchise tag on Bell, albeit at a price north of $25 million, for the 2019 season.  That will never happen. It would then appear that Bell would become an unrestricted free agent (although there is a way where Bell could sign an agreement with another team and the Steelers would have the right to match the offer, and if that happens, I can't see the Steelers matching such an offer).  
4. So it would appear that Bell will be free to sign with the highest bidder for 2019.  Will his roll of the dice produce a contract that will give him what he thinks he deserves?  And even if it does, will he ever be able to make back that $14.5 large that he didn't get this year?  We'll find out, but as I said at the outset, Bell is the one that was willing to take this risk, and only he will be the one who will either reap the reward, or pay the price for his stance.
5. One thing I heard on the radio today was the possibility that the NFL owners might agree to not pay Bell what he wants, if only to show other players that they can't play that sit-out-the-season card when their contracts come up for negotiation.  That, however, would be collusion, and you just can't see the NFL lodge brothers engaging in the practice of collusion, can you? Nah, that could never happen, right?
6. You will never get a full and complete answer from Art II, Kevin Colbert, and Mike Tomlin, but here are questions to which I would love to know the answers: (A) Did they ever really think that Bell would stick to his guns on this issue? (B) If they knew in July and August what they know today, would they have traded Bell to another team for a second or third round pick just so they could get something, anything for him?
7. Why do I just have a sickening feeling that Le'Veon Bell will return to Heinz Field one day wearing a New England Patriots or Baltimore Ravens uniform?