Earlier this week, there was yet another tense moment between Jets head coach Adam Gase and running back Le’Veon Bell. As Rich Cimini of ESPN.com details, Gase pulled Bell after two series during Wednesday’s scrimmage because of hamstring tightness. That prompted Bell to take to Twitter to say that there was nothing wrong with his hamstrings and that “it’s tough to stay loose when you do a bunch of standing around.”
Gase said that he spoke with Bell for a long time after the Twitter posts and that the two sides are on the same page. But as Cimini writes in a separate piece, the latest episode might not be the last one. Bell has reportedly had an unimpressive camp, and Gase has previously indicated he wants to reduce Bell’s workload in 2020. So Bell, who needs a productive season in order to avoid being cut — or to land a lucrative contract with another club — is unlikely to appreciate his fellow backs siphoning off his carries. It remains a situation ripe for future turmoil.
Now for more from Gang Green:
- Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has previously reported that GM Joe Douglas is under cash-flow restrictions imposed by Jets ownership, and he reiterated that report today. He says ownership gave Douglas a “hard time” after last year’s one-year, $8.4MM contract for Ryan Kalil didn’t pan out, and he also suggests that the club’s tight-fistedness prevented the team from pursuing Yannick Ngakoue, who was just traded to the Vikings (Twitter links).
- On the other hand, the restraint that Douglas showed in free agency this offseason was generally lauded in light of the team’s recent history with splashy signings, so it’s difficult to say whether that restraint was due to a mandate from ownership or just a deliberately measured approach. And as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets, the Jets were not hugely interested in Ngakoue to begin with given his struggles against the run and the fact that the deadline for an extension passed on July 15.
- Backup QB Joe Flacco is eyeing a Week 3 return, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Jets signed the former Super Bowl MVP to back up Sam Darnold, and Flacco has been working his way back from neck surgery.
they gotta can Gase asap or all the talent on that team will leave.
Besides Peyton, is there a player in the league that actually like Gase? He seemed to tick off the entire Fins roster and doing the same in NY. Why Manning endorsed him really seems strange.
Gase is definitely a coach that validates your “my guy” theories JJ.
Who has Manning not endorsed? The guy endorsed every guy and every business under the sun.
If mainsh said it, it has to be real…….
Can ownership just let Douglas operate without meddling in front office affairs? I don’t think it was unreasonable to sign a once above average center to a one-year flier. If the team ever wants to be relevant again, they need to be willing to spend money. It’s not his fault the team is restricted by that awful Bell contract. Speaking of which, I’m so glad the Steelers sidestepped their way out of that predicament
Kyle Walker of Bricktukey Herald is reporting that Bell is going to be cut a couple days before the first game.
Let Bell be a great example of why taking a year off and going to place where you aren’t wanted are two horrible ideas.