Le’Veon Bell - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Looking To Trade Le’Veon Bell?

October 29th, 2019 at 11:15am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Le’Veon Bell‘s run with the Jets might only last a half season. New York is “amenable” to trading their new running back, sources told Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Bell is drawing interest and the Jets are listening, but they aren’t “actively shopping” him, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com clarifies in a tweet.

Although he’s not sure what kind of compensation the Jets are looking for in return, Mehta notes there are “legitimate buyers” for Bell’s services. If he really does get shipped out in the next few hours, it would end an extremely odd tenure with the team. Shortly after Bell was signed to a massive four-year, $52.5MM deal with $27MM guaranteed, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan was fired. Right after that, word leaked that head coach Adam Gase never wanted Bell in the first place.

The new Jets front office led by Joe Douglas clearly isn’t a fan of committing that much money to a running back, and at 1-6 it certainly makes sense for them to be sellers. As for potential suitors, Mehta floats the Texans, Chiefs and Bills as teams that could potentially be interested. After sitting out the entire 2018 season, Bell has been having a down year. Through seven games he’s averaging just 3.2 yards per carry, and only 5.8 yards per reception.

Of course that’s not really Bell’s fault, as he hasn’t been getting much help from the offensive line or the rest of the offense. All this being said, Mehta does concede that a trade might ultimately be challenging because of Bell’s contract. There are cheaper running backs on the market, and Kenyan Drake was only able to fetch a late-round pick yesterday.

As Albert Breer of SI.com points out in a tweet, Bell is only due a little over $1.3MM more for this year, so it won’t hurt teams too much in 2019. However, he’s owed $13.5MM in 2020, most of which is fully guaranteed. We’ll keep you posted once we hear anything more about Bell.

Trade Rumors: Williams, P2, OBJ

October 13th, 2019 at 10:46am CST by Rory Parks

With the trade deadline coming up at the end of the month, and with NFL general managers expecting an active trade season, let’s round up a few of the biggest trade rumors floating around this morning:

Multiple teams have inquired about the availability of Jets DE Leonard Williams, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. New York is reportedly not interested in dealing Williams, who is in the last year of his rookie contract, at this time, but that could change. Indeed, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv says multiple sources expect GM Joe Douglas to be extremely active over the next few weeks. Schefter suggests that a third- and fifth-round draft choice may be what it takes for an interested club to land Williams, and Kelechi Osemele, Trumaine Johnson, and even Le’Veon Bell could also be on the move (though the last we heard, there were no trade talks surrounding Bell).
In recent weeks, the Cardinals have gotten calls from at least three teams interested in trading for cornerback Patrick Peterson, per Schefter. Peterson is currently serving a six-game ban for violating the league’s PED policy, but we heard several weeks ago that Arizona has no interest in dealing him. According to Schefter, that stance has not changed, as the Cardinals have turned away all potential suitors.
Although you won’t find it on PFR, there was apparently a report this past week suggesting that the Browns were listening to offers for receiver Odell Beckham Jr. However, Cleveland GM John Dorsey called that report “fake news,” per Schefter. Dorsey said he has not taken any trade calls on OBJ and has no interest in doing so.
If the Bills beat the Dolphins next week to improve to 5-1, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic expects Buffalo GM Brandon Beane to work the phones in search of a wide receiver, defensive tackle, and/or offensive lineman.

GMs Expecting Active Trade Deadline

October 6th, 2019 at 9:00am CST by Rory Parks

The NFL has experienced a dramatic rise in significant trades over the past several years, and there may be a few noteworthy swaps going down this month as we get closer to the October 29 trade deadline. Indeed, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports says there is a sense among general managers that we may see more trades in advance of this year’s deadline than ever before, largely because there is a larger gulf between pretenders and contenders than in seasons past (indeed, there are still six winless teams, which is the highest number at this point in the season since the 1970 merger).

La Canfora says the teams most actively laying groundwork for potential deals are the Saints, Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, Patriots, and Seahawks. Of course, a number of those clubs have already been pursuing Jacksonville CB Jalen Ramsey, and the Saints, Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs are casting a wide net for cornerback upgrades.

One of this year’s still-winless clubs, the Broncos, are reportedly more open to moving veteran pieces than they were last year, as La Canfora writes in a separate piece, with Derek Wolfe, Chris Harris, and Emmanuel Sanders all generating interest. Wolfe could make sense for Baltimore, and the Saints are expected to renew their pursuit of Sanders. Even Von Miller could be on the block, per La Canfora, especially since all of his major bonuses and guarantees have already been paid. Miller, 30, is reportedly open to a change of scenery at this point, but Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network says the Broncos will not trade him (video link). However, the other players mentioned above could be available if Denver continues to scuffle.

But while Denver may be willing to talk shop, rival GMs are skeptical that the 0-4 Bengals, led by old-school owner Mike Brown, will be amenable to moving big-name vets despite their fading fortunes. La Canfora’s sources say Cincinnati could net a first-round pick for WR A.J. Green if the acquiring club is able to work out a new contract with him as a condition of the trade (and if Green recovers from his foot injury soon). The Patriots and Saints could make a push for Green or Bengals tight end Tyler Eifert, and Cincy could also swing deals for players like Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap if the club is willing to listen to offers.

Like fellow winless outfits Denver and Cincinnati, the Jets could be active in shopping veteran players in advance of the deadline. La Canfora specifically names Kelechi Osemele and Leonard Williams as players who could be on the move, though he says there has been no trade chatter surrounding Le’Veon Bell at this point.

Finally, though the 0-4 Redskins have been steadfastly refusing to trade Trent Williams, some believe that the team will relent at some point and will ship Williams to a contender in need of O-line help.

AFC East Notes: Bell, Bills, Cannon, Dolphins

September 12th, 2019 at 4:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

At last, a piece of good news for the Jets. It appears Le’Veon Bell‘s MRI came back clean, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler tweeting the exam showed no tears or notable damage in Bell’s injured shoulder. Bell played every Jets offensive snap Sunday, and Jets doctors felt the veteran running back would need more than just a couple days’ rest to surmount this shoulder setback. But this MRI looks to be a good sign for his availability Monday night against the Browns. Should Bell play, he will be taking handoffs from Trevor Siemian. Sam Darnold is out with mono.

Let’s look at the latest from the other AFC East teams:

Marcus Cannon left Sunday night’s Patriots win because of a shoulder injury and may miss time. New England’s starting right tackle underwent tests this week, per Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who adds this injury is not believed to be a long-term setback. Cannon is practicing on a limited basis. Guard Joe Thuney moved to right tackle against the Steelers, but Reiss adds swing tackle Korey Cunningham may draw that assignment against the Dolphins (Twitter links). Cunningham was inactive in Week 1. The Pats just signed Marshall Newhouse as well, pointing to a possible Cannon absence in Miami.
Teams have been monitoring the Dolphins‘ situation regarding trades, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes GMs have been calling Chris Grier about potential deals. The Dolphins have traded Laremy Tunsil, Kenny Stills, Ryan Tannehill and Robert Quinn this year. However, there is not much left in terms of trade assets on the roster, at least among players the Dolphins would be willing to deal.
Bills linebacker Tyrel Dodson drew a six-game suspension Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Dodson, a rookie UDFA who has resided on the commissioner’s exempt list, was arrested on a disorderly conduct charge in May.

Jets’ Le’Veon Bell Undergoing MRI

September 12th, 2019 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets running back Le’Veon Bell is undergoing an MRI on his shoulder, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Between this, and other maladies suffered by key players, Gang Green is not off to a rollicking start in 2019.

Bell has been dealing with soreness in his shoulder and doctors fear that it may require more than just a couple days of rest. After the MRI, the team should have a clearer picture of when Bell will be able to suit up again.

Earlier today, the Jets also announced that Sam Darnold will miss Monday night’s game against the Browns after being diagnosed with mono. It’s possible that he could miss even more time than that, depending on how quickly he recovers.

On top of that, the Jets were without linebacker C.J. Mosley (groin) and Quinnen Williams (ankle) in practice on Thursday. Between all of those question marks, and season-ending injuries for wide receiver Quincy Enunwa and linebacker Avery Williamson, the Jets’ season already appears to be in peril.

Jets Notes: Bell, Clowney, Johnson, Kalil, LBs

August 18th, 2019 at 8:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

For a player without a major injury, Le’Veon Bell has gone through a historically light amount of organized football work over the past 19 months. Bell’s game-action delay will continue until Week 1, with Adam Gase indicating (via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com, on Twitter) his top running back will be held out from Jets preseason games. Bell has not played in a game since the Steelers’ divisional-round loss to the Jaguars in January 2018. His most recent regular-season game was Week 16 of that season. Gase had slammed the door nearly shut on Bell seeing preseason reps, but the first-year Jets coach said Avery Williamson‘s season-ending injury finalized that conversation (Twitter link via SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano). For a player who based his ’18 holdout on conservation, this should go along well with his late-2010s M.O.

Here is the Jets latest:

Despite the Jets devoting extensive resources to positions that are not typically tabbed as high-value areas, with Bell and C.J. Mosley making out great in free agency, the team largely left its persistent need for edge rushers alone. While Jadeveon Clowney would obviously start for the Jets, were they to make a move for the disgruntled Texans outside linebacker, Cimini writes no trade should be expected. A way it could work: the Jets trade a mid-round pick — worse value than the Texans would have received before the franchise tag extension deadline — and then flip Clowney in a 2020 tag-and-trade. The Jets hold $14.7MM in cap space, so they would have to perform some slight reorganization mechanisms to fit Clowney’s $15.9MM cap figure on their books. For now, the team will head into another season with Brandon Copeland and Jordan Jenkins on the edge.
On the inside, Neville Hewitt received the first crack at replacing Williamson. At the Jets’ Green and White scrimmage Sunday night, the four-year veteran — who played 16 Jets games (four starts) last season — lined up in Williamson’s inside ‘backer spot, per Vacchiano (on Twitter). Hewitt’s high-water mark for starts came with the Dolphins in 2016, when the former Miami UDFA started five games.
It still appears Bilal Powell, Trenton Cannon and Eli McGuire are competing for two spots. Although the Jets re-signed Powell this offseason, the 30-year-old not playing special teams stands to work against him, Cimini writes. Cannon remains the leading Jets kick-return candidate, pointing to a Bell-McGuire duel for New York’s final running back slot. McGuire is not a key Jets special-teamer, either, and only averaged 3.0 yards per carry last season.
Trumaine Johnson‘s adjusted timetable: Week 1. Gase said he is targeting his top cornerback for a return in time for the Jets’ opener. Johnson is dealing with a hamstring injury. He missed six games with leg trouble last year.
Not that Ryan Kalil‘s timetable is in question, but the recently signed center had yet to practice with his new team. The Jets deployed him with their first unit (which had some second-stringers sprinkled in) on Sunday night, Cimini adds (via Twitter). The former Panthers snapper has started in the past 12 Week 1s.

AFC East Notes: Bell, Bills, Flores

June 3rd, 2019 at 4:51pm CST by Rory Parks

The Bell has rung. As Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets, Le’Veon Bell has arrived at the Jets‘ facility in advance of tomorrow’s mandatory minicamp. There was never a chance that Bell would fail to show up for minicamp, but given the drama that has followed him from Pittsburgh to New York, it’s still noteworthy, if for no other reason than to see how he will interact with new head coach Adam Gase.

Now for several more items from the AFC East:

Speaking at Jim Kelly‘s annual charity golf tournament this morning, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he believes that a new stadium is essential to the stability of a franchise (via Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic). With respect to the Bills specifically, Goodell made it very clear that team ownership will need to address the club’s stadium situation at some point in the near future to keep the Bills in Buffalo. Goodell has made similar remarks in the past, but the article — which includes more of Goodell’s comments — are well worth a read for Bills fans, as it also details the unique challenges that ownership faces in meeting Goodell’s demands.
Brian Flores is making a strong first impression with the Dolphins, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes. A number of players are less than keen on the old-school mentality and the demanding nature of the new coaching staff, but others are enjoying it, and Flores himself has drawn rave reviews. Players have lauded the rookie head coach both publicly and privately, which is a bit more meaningful for Flores than it might be for another HC. The Dolphins are in full rebuild mode, so Flores will be judged not necessarily on wins and losses — at least not for a year or two — but on how his players respond to him and compete for him.
In the same piece linked above, Jackson notes that the Dolphins are taking a wait-and-see approach with several players entering the final years of their contracts like RB Kenyan Drake and WR Jakeem Grant.

Adam Gase Talks Front Office, Bell, Darnold

May 27th, 2019 at 9:49pm CST by Ben Levine

Adam Gase was named as the Jets’ new head coach back in January, and we’re confident that the 41-year-old had no idea how the next few months would unfold.

While the team seemingly did a nice job of utilizing their draft picks and abundance of cap space, their front office is in a bit of turmoil. The organization moved on from general manager Mike Maccagnan earlier this month, and Gase subsequently earned the interim GM tag. Since that time, the head coach has made several notable roster moves, including his decision to move on from a pair of former draft picks (tight end Jordan Leggett and linebacker Darron Lee).

Gase recently sat down with Albert Breer of SI.com to discuss the organization’s search for a new GM, his outlook for the season, and his thoughts on some of the team’s notable free agent additions. The entire article is worth a read, but we’ve compiled some relevant soundbites below:

On his role in finding a replacement for Maccagnan:

“Christopher [Johnson]’s making the decision. There are a couple of us that are trying to help put the right type of guys in front of him. And the biggest thing, you’re looking for a guy that has leadership qualities. … [But] that has to be both of us [as GM and coach]. We both have to do it. We got to work together to accomplish that. It’s been a while—eight years since they made the playoffs. It’s been a while.

“There are a lot of people here that haven’t experienced that yet.”

On the Jets signing free agent linebacker C.J. Mosley:

“His reputation is no secret around the NFL. People know. Eric Weddle actually texted me when we were in free agency and laid it out—‘Do whatever you gotta do to get this guy, this guy is a stud.’ [Weddle] had just signed with L.A., and it was great to get confirmation on the things we’d already heard.”

On second-year quarterback Sam Darnold:

“When you watch him just throw, anyone can watch him throw and go, ‘that guy can throw the football. I think the side that I didn’t know as much, and I’ve seen it since I’ve been here, is how competitive he is as far as learning football. He wants to be as good as he can be. He wants to be a great player. And you can tell by his work ethic, that’s what he wants to do. He’s not just talking the talk.”

On the addition of running back Le’Veon Bell, who Gase was reportedly against signing:

“I think he’s very motivated to do well and help this team win. And I think the more people keep talking, the more he keeps putting his head down and working. For me, I’ve combed through a lot of the things he’s done in Pittsburgh to make sure I really understands what he loves doing, and make sure we do a good job of building this offense, because it’s very fluid and flexible, it’s chameleon-like.”

Jets Won’t Try To Trade Le’Veon Bell

May 20th, 2019 at 12:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets head coach/interim GM Adam Gase didn’t want the team to sign Le’Veon Bell this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they’ll try to trade him just months after inking him to a four-year, $52.5MM contract. When asked about the possibility via text, a team source replied to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano with a flat “No.”

This should come as no real surprise – the Jets have already paid out $12MM in bonuses to Bell and that’s money that could not be recouped in the event of a trade. Meanwhile, any team acquiring Bell would only be on the hook for $40MM over four years with $13MM remaining in guarantees.

Hypothetically, that would make Bell more attractive to other clubs, but it’s hard to see the Jets getting an offer strong enough to justify that financial hit. In all likelihood, shopping Bell would not result in a trade and would only serve to create a divide between the club and its best playmaker. That would be a disaster for the Jets, especially since Bell is already aware of Gase’s opposition to his signing.

Over the weekend, Veteran NFL reporter John Clayton said that he could “absolutely see” the Jets trading Bell before the start of the season, but it’s hard for us to imagine such a scenario. Moving Bell would leave the Jets with unproven options like Elijah McGuire and Ty Montgomery in the backfield and make the Jets look even more foolish in the midst of a bizarre turnover.

Latest On Jets’ Star Players, GM Search

May 19th, 2019 at 8:26am CST by Rory Parks

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com passes along a number of interesting notes about the Jets this morning, including a few thoughts and reports on the futures of certain key players and the team’s hunt for a new GM.

For instance, Cimini reports that there is already speculation in league circles that head coach/interim GM Adam Gase is looking to move on from defensive lineman Leonard Williams. That does not mean that Gase wants to trade or cut Williams in 2019, but it sounds as though the new regime would be perfectly willing to allow Williams to sign elsewhere when he becomes a free agent at the end of the year. Cimini suggests that the club could franchise tag Williams or execute a tag-and-trade, but a long-term deal with the Jets does not seem likely at this point.

With respect to Le’Veon Bell, whose signing was a factor in the deteriorating relationship between Gase and former GM Mike Maccagnan, Cimini says it would not be surprising to see the Jets trade Bell after the 2019 season. If they cannot find a trade partner, then Bell can easily be cut after the 2020 season, when all of his guaranteed money will have been paid.

Robby Anderson‘s future with the club is more straightforward. Gase appreciates Anderson’s talent, and if the big-play wideout has a strong 2019, he could be back with Gang Green on a multi-year pact. If he disappoints, he will be gone.

And as far as the club’s GM search is concerned, Cimini says that the rumors connecting Peyton Manning to the job have no substance and that Manning is not on the Jets’ radar at the moment (which jibes with a report from yesterday). Cimini also hears that Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas remains the odds-on favorite for the job. Douglas has been billed as the front-runner since Maccagnan was fired.