Dominate the Super Bowl-Chapter 566

Chapter 566: Spring wind and rain Chapter 566: Spring wind and rain A stir rippled through the crowd.

Whether media journalists or Chieftain players, everyone fell into shock under Hunter’s indiscriminate barrage, their mouths agape and eyes wide.

Clearly, this was unexpected—

After all, this was only the spring training camp, attended voluntarily.

Each year, players would skip spring training to posture for better contracts, forcing teams to negotiate, but it wasn’t something to make a fuss about.

The real issue would be the mandatory summer training camp, which everyone had to attend.

Missing that would be a declaration of war, with both players and teams preparing for the worst in full alert.

...

At the moment, the situation between Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers was tense, and that was a fact; but Bell had only missed the spring training, and neither the media nor anyone else were ringing alarm bells just yet.

Escalation needed to happen gradually.

However.

Right off the bat, Hunter had detonated a bomb, adopting a do-or-die stance that pushed the atmosphere to its limit and tensions soared instantly.

A bombshell!

An absolute bombshell!

One could almost feel the shockwaves rippling outward.

Veach, who was just turning to head back to his office, was stopped by the coaching staff informing him of the commotion at the entrance of the training facility.

His mind blew up and his ears rang, drenching his back with cold sweat.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers were thrust into the spotlight to handle a tricky situation, the full-guarantee contract between Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings making other teams sensitive, shifting all eyes toward Bell’s running back contract, putting immense pressure on the Steelers, whose managers were relieved they weren’t the ones facing the problem.

But who would have thought that a lone assassin would emerge within the defending champion team?

One could imagine, the Kansas City Chiefs would soon be dragged into the storm; moreover, they also had another top running back in the limelight, making Veach’s scalp tingle just thinking about it.

Damn.

Damn damn damn damn damn!

Originally, Veach had planned during these days at the spring training camp to have a talk with Li Wei, to reassure and encourage him, letting him know the team was on his side; but there was no need to rush, he could see how the Steelers would handle Bell’s absence from the camp, yet the bomb had exploded on the first day.

Before he could even swear, Veach turned and sprinted toward the training facility.

From afar, Veach could see Li Wei encircled by reporters, his temples throbbing wildly, barely catching his breath, his voice just about audible.

“…Of course, I support Bell.”

Veach’s vision darkened, first Hunter, then Li Wei, the Chieftain’s main running backs both supporting Bell’s absence from the spring training camp?

What next?

The two running backs might just turn around and demand better treatment from the team!

As Veach ran, his knees buckled, almost causing him to topple over.

The crowd hadn’t noticed Veach, their attention completely focused on Li Wei.

“Without a doubt, Bell is an excellent player, who has proven his abilities and value time and again through his actions on the field.”

“Football is a team sport, every position holds its significance and function, quarterbacks and kickers alike, running backs and safeties alike, not a single one can be missed.”

Veach: Wait, this statement…

it seems somewhat off.

The positive kind.

The truly brilliant aspect of Li Wei lay in the fact that he didn’t say the running back and the quarterback were equally important, but rather, he emphasized that every position was indispensable.

At the same time, comparing a running back with a safety was a masterstroke.

In a league that increasingly values the passing game, teams tend to pay high salaries to quarterbacks, wide receivers, both lines, and cornerbacks among others, due to the pressure of a hard salary cap, resulting in compressed salaries for other positions, with running backs, linemen, and safeties being the first to be impacted.

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Of course, there are always exceptions, but that is the general trend.

This is a situation worthy of deep exploration.

In a league that venerates the passing game, it’s perplexing that safeties, who are positioned farthest back on the field, gradually lose both their game value and their salary to defensive tackles.

Once, safeties had multifaceted roles, functioning differently when near or far from the scrimmage line; but over the past two years, particularly after the decline of the Bombing Corps’ popularity, the role of safeties has become more monotonous.

Safeties merely need to stand sincerely far back, beyond twenty yards from the scrimmage line, guarding the mid-field area; quarterbacks then automatically find ways to avoid risky deep passes.

Naturally, the tactical function gap between top-level safeties and ordinary safeties has become smaller, and what’s more often tested now is the safeties’ ability to start from a deep position and defend ground attacks or tackle wide receivers in the mid-and-short pass zones, while safeties like Earl Thomas of the Seattle Seahawks, who could tightly cover individuals and single-handedly dominate the deep field, are becoming rarer.

The decline in safeties’ abilities naturally leads to a decline in their value.

Moreover, at the turn of the century, safeties were synonymous with forceful impacts, their powerful hitting abilities making wide receivers tremble; but over the years, as league rules increasingly protect offensive players, not just quarterbacks but also wide receivers, the hands of safeties are tied, and impact-style safeties are almost vanishing.

Indeed, some cornerbacks, after their peak periods and when their physical capabilities significantly declined, switched from playing cornerback to safety, which is also indicative of the trend.

Currently, in high schools and colleges, most young people with exceptional physical talents choose to play cornerback instead of safety.

Today, the annual salaries of safeties are about the same as those of running backs—

even slightly lower on average than those of running backs.

In other words, both safeties and running backs are the result of a league that focuses on the passing offense.

That is, the plight of the running back is not an isolated phenomenon.

The focus shifted back to Li Wei.

A brief statement that was enormously informative.

Perhaps laymen may not feel any special way, but the difference is stark in the ears of professionals.

Veach paused slightly, no longer rushing to continue.

Faced with the swarming circle of reporters, Li Wei remained composed, managing to converse with ease and humor.

“Of course, Bell’s excellence doesn’t need my acknowledgment or praise, as it is evident to everyone, and no one understands this better than the Pittsburgh Steelers,”

“Coach Tomlin has on multiple occasions publicly expressed his admiration and approval, owning a remarkable team with an excellent lineup.”

“So, I believe the Pittsburgh Steelers will offer Bell fair and equitable treatment, and I trust that the Pittsburgh Steelers will provide a top player with the treatment he deserves.”

With a smile, as refreshing as a spring breeze.

One moment caught in Hunter’s rapid storm, the next calmed and brightened by Li Wei’s refreshing manner.

Is this normal?