When seeing that running back Mike Bell was the first restricted free agent of 2010 to sign an offer sheet, the first question that came to mind was this: Is he the guy who stole Rudi Johnson’s luggage?
After realizing that it was Tatum Bell and not Mike Bell, the next question was this: Does the offer include a poison pill.
Per a source with knowledge of the transaction, it doesn’t. The Eagles, we’re told, decided that if the Saints had planned to keep Bell, they would have tendered him at a level higher than the level that guarantees a right of first refusal only.
We’ll find out within a week whether the Eagles guessed right.
UPDATE: In this context, “poison pill” means language that would make the contract fully guaranteed if matched by the Saints, but not fully guaranteed if he becomes an Eagle. For example, the offer could have included language making it fully guaranteed if Bell plays at least five games in Louisiana during the 2010 season. The offer cannot require the original team to pay more money than the new team would pay.