Maurice Jones-Drew suggests Todd Gurley’s new contract

Maurice Jones-Drew suggests Todd Gurley’s new contract and teammates’ comments altered Le’Veon Bell’s return plans While there are many names within the national media who attempt to speak on behalf of Le’Veon Bell Carnell Lake Jersey , few of them actually have any intimate knowledge of his situation with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, one exception to that statement might be NFL Network analyst and former Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Having had the same agent as Bell and also one of his friends with whom he speaks fairly regularly, Jones-Drew probably has had more contact with the Steelers’ absentee running back than anybody else in the organization in recent weeks. If we assume his insights have more value than most, then his appearance as a guest on the Rich Eisen Show revealed some telling information about Bell’s current thought processes. Perhaps his most interesting revelation was his take on why Bell didn’t show up for the start of the season. As Eisen observed in his opening question, his agent, Adisa Bakari, had always implied the plans for his client would closely follow the way he had approached the 2017 season when playing under the franchise tag, barring something exceptional happening. When it became obvious Bell wasn’t going to arrive in Pittsburgh for opening day, Bakari appeared on a radio show suggesting something out of the ordinary must have occurred to change his client’s mind, but no answer was ever given to questions about what that incident was.Jones-Drew did his best to explain what this exceptional circumstance had been when speaking with Eisen, and it turns out Bell’s continued absence is not inspired by only one event.With Johnson signing a three year deal that included a $30 million guarantee and Gurley a four year extension with potentially as much as $45 million guaranteed, Jones-Drew is clearly voicing Bell’s displeasure when he noted the level of guarantees the Steelers were offering.It’s worth noting that $19 million is a much lower figure than the $33 million in guarantees reported in July Ryan Switzer Jersey , when Pittsburgh made their last offer to Bell. But perhaps Jones-Drew is referring to the signing bonus amount the Steelers offered him and a number more in line with the figure expected. Citing James Conner’s 37 touches in Week 1 as proof his friend was right to sit out, Jones-Drew was quick to explain Bell’s continual appearances on TMZ’s website as a consequence of being a “music artist” doing “other things.” Claiming Bell was still training, despite how he looked when last filmed in Miami, laughably, Eisen concurred, adding that he “looks great.”Jones-Drew’s suggestion that he wouldn't show up until Week 11 if he was in Bell’s shoes gives a fairly strong indication that this is probably his friend’s intention too, but it seems clear that Pittsburgh should see their star runner return by then, if Jones-Drew really is repeating what Bell has already told him.While we’re wary of putting too much stock in the words of an analyst from the NFL Network, much of what Jones-Drew said appears to fit with decisions Bell has made to this point. And if the Steelers’ running back is listening to the advice coming for the former NFL back, it seems obvious his holdout will not be ending anytime soon either. The Pittsburgh Steelers are approaching training camp, and we provide some potential predictions for 2019." Latest NewsFeatures and Long FormThe Steelers’ offensive line will keep Ben Roethlisberger atop the Sack % categoryNew,7commentsThe Pittsburgh Steelers are approaching training camp Mason Rudolph Jersey , and we provide some potential predictions for 2019.EDTIn case you didn’t know, the Pittsburgh Steelers will return to Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA in exactly 2 days of this article being published. With that, I decided to revive an old series we used to do as a lead up to training camp. 30 predictions in 30 days.Myself and Simon Chester are alternating days giving a prediction for the upcoming season. Some will be team oriented, while others will be specific to individual players. Either way, read on to see the reason why we think today’s prediction will come to fruition, and why it might not come true.Give your thoughts in the comment section below the article.Training camp is almost here! Here We Go!Prediction: The Steelers’ offensive line will keep Ben Roethlisberger cleaner than any other QB in 2019.Why it will happen: When it comes to continuity, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive line has it going on. The 5-man starting crew remains intact, all but one Marcus Gilbert. Gilbert was shipped off to the Arizona Cardinals for a 6th round draft pick, and while many might see this as a huge loss, Gilbert has watched more football the past two seasons compared to games played.In his stead will be a competition for right tackle. The participants in this competition will be Matt Feiler, who filled in for Gilbert last year Ernie Stautner Jersey , Chukwuma Okorafor and Jerald Hawkins, among others. The fact the Steelers have several quality options speaks volumes about the scouting department, as well as the team’s overall ability to find talent at the position.With all that said, the Steelers’ line will be in charge of keeping Ben Roethlisberger upright this season. Something they did very well in 2018. Last season Roethlisberger had the third lowest sack percentage in the NFL, trailing only Drew Brees and Andrew Luck.His 3.43% was a tremendous mark, but if you ask any of the offensive linemen, they want to lead the league in this category. With everyone returning, assuming Feiler is the man at right tackle, there is no reason to think this unit can’t continue to improve to the point where Roethlisberger is atop the list after the 2019 regular season is in the books.Why it won’t happen: While their 2017 and 2018 stats are impressive, the Steelers’ offensive line had some issues in pass blocking last season. Roethlisberger was sacked 24 times in 2018, and that was a slight increase from the 2017 number of 23. This isn’t to suggest the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line is bad, or the 2019 version of the line will fall flat on their faces and become a turnstile for defensive players en route to the quarterback. What this is suggesting is the Steelers’ will certainly have their hands full Joe Haden Jersey , and when it comes to dealing with pass rushing units like the Browns, Ravens, Bengals, Rams and more this season.I fully expect the offensive line to be near the top of this statistical category in 2019, but when talking about quarterbacks like Brees, who get the football out of their hands so quick, and Roethlisberger’s tendency to hold onto the football, it doesn’t seem like leading the league would be a high probability.<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="aw3mMh">What are your thoughts on this prediction? Do you think it will happen? Or are we crazy? Let us know by voting in the poll, and letting your voice be heard in the comment section below!