Le’Veon Bell is a former all-pro and pro bowler with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He held out and went to the Jets. Now the Jets hate him. They tried to trade Bell, but no one wanted his massive contract. Now in an attempt to cut their losses, the New York Jets have cut Le’Veon Bell. Although Bell is not in his prime form, he is still a decent runner, pass catcher, and pass blocker. Therefore, he is an upgrade to plenty of teams’ running back room. Here are the top five places that Le’Veon Bell could sign before the season is over.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have no running backs. They had Tarik Cohen as their backup at the beginning of the season, but he is out with a torn ACL. David Montgomery looked promising, but he has failed to top 30 yards, rushing or receiving in the first five games of the season. The Bears have used Cordarrelle Patterson sparingly, but he has not been as effective as the coaching staff would have liked. Bell could quickly become the number two back in this offense, and if David Montgomery fails to produce, Bell could even become the number one.
The Bears also have over $10 million in cap space, so they could easily make a move if they wanted to. With a 4-1 record and over a 50% chance to make the playoffs, the Chicago Bears may be an enticing option for Bell.
Arizona Cardinals
Much like the Chicago Bears, the Arizona Cardinal’s running back situation is less than optimal. Kenyan Drake is not performing at all like anyone thought he would. Chase Edmonds is doing well in the backfield; however, there is no one to compliment him. At this point, Chase Edmonds could even start over Kenyan Drake. However, if Edmonds gets injured as he did last year, the Cardinals would be in serious trouble. Therefore, as a contingency plan, and maybe as competition for Drake, they could pick up Bell
New England Patriots
No one ever knows what Bill Belichick is thinking, but usually, it is genius. Belichick likes picking up old stars and bringing them back through the patriot system, mostly when he does it cheaply. In the pre-season, it was Cam Newton. Now could it be Le’Veon Bell? Sure, the Patriots’ backfield is quite full, but the size has shrunk with Sony Michel placed on IR. Moreover, according to Bill Belichick, “It’s good to have depth.”
What’s more important is the versatility that Bell would bring to the offense. Cam Newton was excellent with Christian McCaffrey in the backfield. Le’Veon Bell is not as good as McCaffrey, but he can be the same type of explosive pass catcher and runner that he was
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs are not an obvious choice, especially with rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire playing as well as he is. However, Edwards-Helaire has struggled in the red-zone. He has not scored once on a carry within the five-yard line. Even more concerning is that behind Edwards-Helaire is Darrel Williams, who has done horrendously when given the rock, only averaging 3.2 yards per carry.
If Bell goes to Kansas City, he will add dimensions to the running game and will be able to open up the offense with screens and check downs. The real question is, can the Chiefs afford him? But I’m sure that if they wanted to, the front office could figure something out.
Seattle Seahawks
Seattle has been throwing the ball, and now they are 5-0. If you look at the Seahawks, you would think the only thing genuinely lacking is their defense. However, their two running backs are Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde. Carson has never completed a full 16 game season. Carlos Hyde is currently injured.
Therefore, if Carson were to fall to an injury like the ones he has in the past, Seattle would have to rely on Travis Homer and Deejay Dallas. Both are serviceable, but both are inexperienced. Especially in pass-catching and blocking, both areas that Bell excelled at in Pittsburgh. Even if Hyde was healthy and Carson remained uninjured, Bell would still be the best receiving back on the team. Given all the liability Seattle has at the position, Le’Veon Bell may be a smart move.
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