Le’Veon Bell sat out the entire 2018 NFL season and will now have to find a new team. Where could the star running back end up next season? Here are five potential landing spots for Le’Veon Bell.
1. New York Jets
The Jets have been the team most rumored to sign Le’Veon Bell. After sitting out this season, it is very clear that Bell wants to get paid and get paid well. With that, the Jets and Bell appear to be a match made in heaven. New York will have a lot of cap room and incentive to pay Bell.
A young quarterback’s best friend would be a player like Bell. He can take some pressure off of the passing game with his running ability. Bell will also be a huge help in the passing attack, as he has proven to be one of the best receiving running backs in history. It would greatly help the development of Sam Darnold to sign Bell.
Vegas odds: +285
2. Oakland Raiders
Much like Antonio Brown, Bell could be a target of the Raiders. After trading away playmakers, Jon Gruden needs to resupply the talent on the roster. With Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin aging, Bell could be a major upgrade. He will also help Derek Carr improve, as Carr did not have a great season in 2018.
Cap room will not be an issue for the Raiders, as they have just one player with a base salary of over $10 million, which is Carr. The hard part of getting a player to sign with the Raiders is that they don’t know where they will be playing their home games yet next season. In a multi-year deal though, Bell could like the prospects of playing in Las Vegas.
Vegas odds: +450
3. Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis has Andrew Luck back and has won a playoff game. The offense could be the most dynamic in the NFL with a player like Bell in the backfield. The Colts have shown in the past they are willing to do a lot for a star running back, after trading a first-round draft pick for Trent Richardson, who ultimately faded. While things have changed since then, getting Andrew Luck a star running back is not a bad idea, as long as they don’t have to give up too much (whether through trade or through a contract offer).
Because the Colts have such a young team, they have plenty of cap room to work with next season. If they can sign Bell and also make sure that they have money left over for the next couple years of re-signing key players, Indianapolis will be in a great position.
Vegas odds: +900
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers have made it clear in their coaching search that the new head coach will need to work with Jameis Winston. If that is the case, they may want to get him some support. With the latest rumor being that Bruce Arians is the frontrunner to be the Bucs head coach, Bell could like the idea of playing in an offense operated by an offensive guru.
They don’t have the most cap space, but with a few moves, could afford Bell at his high-asking price. Signing Bell wouldn’t solve all of their issues, but if they can’t fix the defense through free agency, Bell could be signed, while the defense is addressed in the draft.
Vegas odds: +650
5. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore made the playoffs with a rookie quarterback starting down the stretch. They still haven’t found their long-term answer at running back though. Both Alex Collins and Gus Edwards have shown flashes of being solid, but they could upgrade at running back. Having Bell as a good runner and safety valve for Lamar Jackson to throw to would improve the offense’s efficiency. For Bell, the motivation to sign with a team that plays Pittsburgh twice a year is a given.
The Ravens have a decent amount of cap space, but they are also going to try to get rid of Joe Flacco, which will free up even more cap space. With the defense already being great, signing a top-tier running back like Bell would help make the team more complete.
Vegas odds: +900
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