NFL Notes: Le’Veon Bell, Trades, Draft

Le’Veon Bell

Steelers franchise RB Le’Veon Bell is still hoping to get a long-term extension in place before the July deadline, but he feels Pittsburgh should let him test the free agent market if they aren’t interested in keeping him long term.

“If they don’t want to pay me long term, then let me go test the market,” Bell told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN last week.

According to Fowler, Bell is targeting at least $14.5 million per year in an extension and the Steelers have reportedly increased their offer and are believed to be close this figure.

While turning 30 is usually the start of the end for running backs in the NFL, Bell thinks he’ll be able to be an effective running back into his thirties.

“For me to get hurt [again] will take a lot,” Bell said. “I know when I’m 30 or 31 years old, I know I’ll be productive because I don’t depend solely on my athletic ability to get open and get yards. It’s more my mind. The Steelers know that.”

Trades

We’ve already seen 11 trades agreed to by NFL over the past month and a half, even though these deals can’t be finalized with the NFL until Wednesday.

Rams GM Les Snead explained that texting with other GMs has helped fuel trade discussions over the past few years.

“The ability to text is huge,” said Snead, via the Los Angeles Times. “You’re not ever really going to group text, but you can shoot off a proposal, an idea, to 10 or 15 general managers in less than two minutes. In the days when you had to call, and let’s just say the other person says, ‘OK, I’ll get back to you.’ And then when you make your second call, here comes the GM you called first. Now, you’re playing phone tag.

“Communicating with 31 other GMs would take 10 minutes these days, whereas I don’t even know if you could have gotten that done in three days before texting.”

Chargers GM Tom Telesco agreed that it’s much easier to work on trades nowadays. In fact, the Chargers were in trade talks with a team last week about a deal while he was in a free agency meeting.

“It was actually very efficient, because I was doing two things at the same time,” Telesco said. “Before, you’d have to get up, leave, shut the door, make a phone call, then go back to the meeting.”

Draft

• Fort Hays State DL Nathan Shepherd will have dinner with the Bengals Sunday night and has visits/workouts set up with 11 other teams. (Tom Pelissero)
• Darren Wolfson hears that the Vikings are among the teams interested in hosting Shepherd for a pre-draft visit.
• Kansas State WR Byron Pringle has a private workout with the Chiefs and a visit with the Saints. (Aaron Wilson)
• The Buccaneers have private workouts scheduled with Alabama DTs Jamar King and Joshua Frazier Monday morning in Tuscaloosa. (Greg Auman)