Broadway Joe
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- Mar 19, 2019
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Before running back Le'Veon Bell signed with the Jets as a free agent last offseason, there was some discussion about whether he’d be in shape after sitting out the entire 2018 season.
Those concerns didn’t stop the Jets from signing him to a four-year deal, but they apparently haven’t gone away as he moves into his second season with the team. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that the team feels Bell lost explosiveness as he put on weight over the course of the 2019 season.
Bell’s results on the field back up that analysis. He averaged a career-low 3.2 yards per carry, some of which can be pinned on playing behind a subpar offensive line but Bell didn’t look like the back who starred for the Steelers earlier in his career.
That’s why there’s been chatter about the Jets being open to a trade, but Cimini notes that the team doesn’t think it is a likely outcome. Bell, who turns 28 on Tuesday, is owed $13.5 million in guaranteed salary in 2020 and they probably couldn’t expect much in return even if they did decide to go that route.