Steelers GM says team will not use tag on Le'Veon Bell

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PITTSBURGH -- Le'Veon Bell will be a free agent.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will not place a franchise or transition tag on the All-Pro running back, general manager Kevin Colbert told local reporters on Wednesday.

"Le'Veon is still a great player," Colbert said. "We can't afford to use any other type of tags. Le'Veon will be an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year."

For losing Bell, the team will receive a 2020 compensatory pick that could be worth as high as a third-round selection. Colbert said the transition tag wasn't viable because of the number ($14.5 million) and the fact that Pro Bowl running back James Conner and rookie Jaylen Samuels were productive without Bell last season.

Bell, who turned 27 on Monday, declined to sign his franchise tender last year, leaving $14.5 million on the table and sitting out the entire season.

Leading up to Colbert's announcement, there was a battle brewing between the NFL and NFL Players Association over the value of a transition tag on Bell. Bell and the NFLPA would likely argue that the transition tag is close to $14.5 million based on the escalating value of tags, and the Steelers and the NFL would say it's closer to $9.5 million because Bell sat out. That point is now moot.

Colbert also said the Steelers will not offer a discount in a trade to get rid of disgruntled wide receiver Antonio Brown. The GM said no relationship is irreparable, so if the team can't find good value for him, keeping Brown might be an option.

"We're all disappointed we're at this point. How things transpired, we're all disappointed," Colbert said. "Respectfully, we did agree [that looking] into a trade would probably be the best course of action for both sides. .... By no means are we going to make a trade or any type of move that will not be beneficial to the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. We will not be discounting you on the trade market and we will not release you."

He added that the Steelers have not had any active trade talks about Brown with other teams to this point.

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