Le’Veon Bell is not getting paid the money that he could have gotten with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he is still receiving a four-year, $52 million contract to sign with the New York Jets, which certainly isn’t pocket change.
Most NFL teams worry about running backs when they hit the horrible age of 30. Bell has had a year off, and some would view that as a good thing. He could be extremely fresh this coming year. He could have a blue chip on his shoulder. There is a possibility that he could be rusty and injury prone, and that’s what some teams were worried about. There could be a factor that he could be out of shape after a year off, but I seriously doubt that.
This boiled down to a few select teams: the Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens, and the New York Jets. The Ravens were close to signing Bell, possibly because they are close to contending with a run-first offensive scheme and a young running quarterback who stretches the field. They also have a top tier champion head coach. All of that was appealing for Le’Veon Bell. The Jets do not offer much more than the Ravens. Actually, they have a worse team. The quarterback, Sam Darnold, is extremely young, however, he is not as good as Lamar Jackson. Their team is in a rebuilding mode. The Jets increased their offer the night before Le’Veon Bell signed. That is what got this deal done. Bell wanted to get paid, he wanted the money. The Jets offered the best contract.
Everyone needs to pump the breaks on the New York Jets. Here’s why.
The Jets were 4-12 last year, finishing last in their division. This move will put them in third in their division. The Dolphins are possibly getting worse based off of their moves this off-season. The Bills have gotten better and have a young franchise quarterback that is destined to take another step next year. The Patriots are the Patriots. The Jets will be better, there is no doubt. However, they are at least two full seasons away from seriously competing for a championship. Signing Bell will no doubt help their team and, more importantly, the development of their young franchise quarterback. That being said, this is a great signing for the New York Jets.
As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, they will be fine without the drama that Le’Veon Bell caused because they have a younger, cheaper running back in James Conner, who had a great season last year.
