What's Le'Veon Bell got left in the tank ... and who needs him most?
A special look at the five teams who make Bell a commodity again.
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Wither Le’Veon Bell?
Adam Gase outlasted Le’Veon Bell in New York. If there were a German word for “surprising and completely expected at the same time,” this is where I would use it. Schnoodledorf? Let’s call it Schnoodledorf.
The good vibes of Bell’s arrival in north Jersey didn’t even last through the offseason as rumors flew about his head coach’s disdain for the high-priced running back. Gase reportedly didn’t want the former Steeler and made limited efforts to incorporate him into his offense. That standoff, ineffectiveness, and injuries all contributed to a significant drop off in usage for the All-Pro tailback, lingering hostility, and some passive-aggressive social media management.
Hours after news broke of potential trade talks, New York released him onto the free market with no recompense. Bell and Gase were no longer a couple. The eternally unfixable Jets chose the head coach who’d designed the league’s 30th-ranked scoring offense over a former All-Pro they were stuck paying in 2020 regardless. Schnoodledorf.
Bell was always going to be difficult to trade thanks to the $6 million in remaining salary he's due this season. Teams don't have to worry about that cash now that he's been released; he’s a free agent after clearing waivers. While there's likely some salary offset language that will reduce New York's final cost, the Jets will be paying Bell roughly $500,000 per week *not* to play for Adam Gase this winter.
That journey back to free agency also gives the tailback some control over his future. Bell will be able to choose his next destination, though his list of suitors and the money offered won't approach the level of interest he received in 2019.
Anyone investing in Bell for the latter half of the season will be rooting for a post-Adam Gase glow-up. That's actually a fairly safe bet. We've seen several skill players improve significantly once freed from Gase's influence.
Ryan Tannehill went from getting discarded for a swap of Day 3 picks in Miami to an MVP candidate in Tennessee. DeVante Parker had more touchdown catches in his first season without Gase (nine) as he had in the previous three seasons with him (six). Kenyan Drake, Jarvis Landry, and Damien Williams all set career highs in various stat categories after leaving south Florida. Robby Anderson’s currently doing it in his first season out of New York.
Bell could be next on that list. Though he's 28 years old, he's fairly fresh after earning only 264 carries the past two-plus seasons (including a 2018 missed due to holdout) — fewer touches than he had in his 2017 campaign. He only rushed for 3.3 yards per carry, but an often crumbling offensive line played a role there. His 1.2 yards before contact since 2019 would rank 40th out of 44 qualified runners in 2020. His 2.1 yards after contact would rank 25th. That's not great, but there's still life in Le'Veon's legs.
Who could be the best fit for his services?
Chicago Bears
The Bears are 4-1, and while they aren’t as threatening as that record suggests, they still have a clear path to the postseason. Chicago also has a distinct need at running back after losing the newly extended Tarik Cohen to an ACL tear in Week 3. Bell, who would fit easily within the team’s salary cap space, would provide a valuable counterpunch to David Montgomery, who has yet to prove he can be an effective full-time RB1 since entering the league last fall.
Bell’s running would improve the league’s 26th-ranked rushing offense. His receiving would also be a boon for a franchise perpetually in search of a strong presence behind center. His yards-per-target dropped from 6.7 as a Steeler to a below league average 6.2 in New York but, you know, the Jets of it all. A fresh Bell would be a significant upgrade for a Bears offense in dire need of playmakers who aren’t named Allen Robinson. The former three-time All-Pro could do just that — and create a launching pad for his 2021 free agency campaign as well.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals should be set at tailback between the aforementioned Drake and Chase Edmonds, but Arizona’s run game hasn’t offered much reliable production beyond Kyler Murray in 2020. The duo has averaged only four yards per carry and only 1.2 yards after contact, which suggests their struggles may not be solely applicable to Arizona’s rebuilding line.
Edmonds has been the more explosive threat, so it’s unlikely Bell’s arrival would take much from his already-limited snap count. Instead, he could steal touches from Drake, who went from averaging 102 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown per game with the Cardinals last season to 67 yards and 0.4 touchdowns this fall. Arizona has shown promise in 2020, but inconsistency is likely to take them out of the NFC West race. Bell could be a stabilizing presence who allows Murray a little extra room to grow.
Tennessee Titans
Bell may not put much of a dent in Derrick Henry’s workload, but he’d be a valuable third-down back who can provide the pass-catching chops the burly Henry lacks. Like the Bears, Tennessee is short on receiving weapons; A.J. Brown is an explosive gamebreaker and Jonnu Smith has emerged as a Pro Bowl tight end but the rest of the roster lacks reliability, starting with 2017 first-round pick Corey Davis.
The former Steeler-turned-Jet would give the team a presence who can shift out of the backfield and into the slot when pressed or provide much-needed passing down blocking in the pocket. Rookie Darrynton Evans and three-year veteran Jeremy McNichols have been used to spell Henry so far in 2020, but they’ve combined for just 41 snaps over four games. Bell could help keep the All-Pro tailback ahead of him a little fresher for the latter half of the season, which is exactly when Henry does his heaviest damage. He could also be a breath of fresh air for a unit that ranks 25th in the league in yards per carry (3.9).
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs have gotten solid production from Clyde Edwards-Helaire, but he could use a little help. After rushing for 138 yards on 5.2 yards per carry in his NFL debut, the rookie has only 206 total yards on 3.7 per touch in the four games since. Kansas City has typically used a running back platoon behind Patrick Mahomes -- Kareem Hunt, Spencer Ware, and Damien Williams in 2018, Williams (who opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns) and LeSean McCoy in 2019. Bell would be an upgrade over Darrell Williams, who has just 35 rushing yards through five weeks behind Edwards-Helaire.
It’s tough to imagine a better place for Bell to restore his value as a playmaker than with the defending champions. The Chiefs have a penchant for involving their tailbacks in the passing game; nearly 17 percent of Mahomes’ passes have gone to running backs this fall, compared to only 12 percent from the Jets. Bell would immediately add some veteran gravitas to those wheel routes, screens, and pre-snap jogouts to the slot. He’d also be playing behind a line that has allowed runners to gain 2.6 yards before contact, which is a significant improvement from where New York’s reconfigured blocking corps sits.
Kansas City would likely only be able to afford Bell for a half-season rental; its massive contract extensions for Mahomes and Chris Jones will soon anchor the team in salary cap hell. Still, the Chiefs would provide a top destination for a veteran who was a part of four playoff teams in Pittsburgh, but never sniffed a Super Bowl.
San Francisco 49ers
The Niners have a penchant for running backs with health concerns, and Bell could be the next to join a depth chart filled with guys you kinda/sorta trust to play a full season. San Francisco has been stung by injuries to Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman. While Jerick McKinnon is a useful platoon back, his two turns as the team’s starter (while Mostert was sidelined) resulted in 28 carries for only 92 yards.
Bell would immediately spice up that running back room and give the 49ers another weapon in their battle against an ongoing Super Bowl hangover. While he may not be an upgrade over the Mostert-McKinnon pairing, he’d be invaluable insurance for a club that seems to perpetually be shifting its running backs on and off the injury report. San Francisco’s offensive line has cleared the room for its top two rushers to gain an impressive 4.2 yards before contact this fall, so it could be a major boost for Bell’s numbers even if he doesn’t get the lion’s share of carries out west.