Le’Veon Bell - Pro Football Rumors

Jets Le’Veon Bell, HC Adam Gase In Contact

May 17th, 2019 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

New Jets head coach (and interim GM) may not have wanted Le’Veon Bell, but the two have been in constant contact this offseason, a source tells Brian Costello of the New York Post. Furthermore, Costello hears the conversations have been positive.

Armed with $100MM+ in cap space, the Jets used a big chunk of their available money to ink the running back to a four-year, $52MM deal. Gase didn’t want the club to spend big bucks on any rusher, but GM Mike Maccagnan got his way and landed one of the league’s most dynamic offensive talents with an average annual value of $13MM. This week, the Jets sacked Maccagnan in a curiously-timed move.

Meanwhile, Bell seems committed to making the relationship with Gase work.

“There’s been a bunch of false reports and speculation about me in the past about things I’ve said and done, so I’m used to this,” Bell tweeted earlier this week. “I don’t jump to conclusions when I hear or see a story that may affect me. Even if reports are true, that won’t stop me from doing what I came here to do…everyone has a job to do, and I’m gonna do mine whether people “like” me or not. I’m here to win football games.”

Bell and Gase have little choice in the matter as both men are set to be together through at least the 2022 season. The running back did not show for the start of the Jets’ voluntary workouts in May, but he is expected to arrive for mandatory minicamp in June.

Jets’ Adam Gase Didn’t Want Le’Veon Bell

May 15th, 2019 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

Try this one on for size – the Jets’ new head coach and recently appointed interim GM Adam Gase “absolutely” did not want the team to sign running back Le’Veon Bell this offseason, according to Manish Mehta of the Daily News (on Twitter). Of course, he lost that battle, as Mike Maccagnan inked Bell to a four-year, $52MM contract.

There were previous rumblings that Gase wasn’t thrilled about the Bell expenditure, but that came with further word that Gase’s dissatisfaction with the Bell signing and Maccagnan on the whole was “overblown.” Now that the Jets have canned Maccagnan, we know that the Gase-Maccagnan beef was real, and that likely goes for disagreement over the Bell signing as well.

Gase wasn’t just opposed to signing Bell – Mehta hears he didn’t want to spend a lot of money on any running back. Regardless, the two are tied together for the foreseeable future.

Meanwhile, Gase’s preferred choice to be the next Jets general manager is Eagles VP of player personnel Joe Douglas, Mehta hears (on Twitter). Douglas and Gase have history together dating back to their time with the Bears and he’s already said to be a top candidate for the job.

Bell Plans To Report To Jets Minicamp

May 11th, 2019 at 3:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Le’Veon Bell has not made an appearance at a minicamp or training camp since 2016, and he is now away from the team that doled out the contract he sought for years. It appears, however, the Jets’ recently signed running back does plan to suit up in practice gear for his team fairly soon.

Bell has skipped the Jets’ voluntary portion of the offseason so far, opting to train on his own. But Adam Gase expects him to show for their minicamp. The mandatory workouts run from June 4-6.

“We had a conversation about what was kind of his schedule,” Gase said, via Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. “We’ll kind of see how the OTAs go. As of right now, I know the mandatory stuff … he said he was going to be here for that. So, I don’t expect him to not show up for (minicamp).”

Despite the Jets’ public stance being they are OK with Bell skipping their offseason program so far, Mehta notes they are not exactly pleased by this development.

Bell in 2017 earned All-Pro honors despite missing the entire Steelers offseason program, during his first franchise-tagged season, but he obviously had far more familiarity with Pittsburgh’s offense than the does with his new team’s. Every other Jets starter has reported for the team’s offseason program. Bell skipped last season and made it to free agency, signing a four-year, $52MM Jets contract.

“When it’s time to play football,” Bell wrote (via Instagram) when asked when he will show up. “I got to stick to the formula that I know works for me to be the best player I can be…I’m not just tryna win football games; I want a ring! I want to desperately show everybody what I can what I can REALLY do…I’ll take the heat right now. Everybody will forget about that once January comes around.”

Gase and GM Mike Maccagnan were apparently not on the same page when it came to how much to pay Bell, but the Jets are committed to him now. It sounds like their best chance of getting their first glimpse of their new starting running back will come next month.

Latest On Jets’ Adam Gase, Mike Maccagnan

May 11th, 2019 at 9:26am CST by Ben Levine

We heard last month that there was friction between Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan and new head coach Adam Gase. Maccagnan had already downplayed the reports, and Gase also dismissed those whispers yesterday.

“I don’t know who decides to put that stuff out there,” Gase said (via Brian Costello of the New York Post). “It kind of pisses me off a little bit. We have discussion on everything. That’s our job. We have to work through so much stuff. That’s what we have to do. That’s all we’ve done since we’ve been here.

“Since we started, we’ve been in constant communication whether he’s coming down to my office or I’m going to his office, that’s all we’re trying to do is make sure we’re on the same page all the time. We’re trying to put this thing together as well as we can in a short period of time.”

The initial report said that Maccagnan and Gase disagreed over the Jets’ free agent strategy. CEO Christopher Johnson subsequently visiting team facilities to “observe the dynamic between the coach and general manager.”

Costello acknowledges that the duo hasn’t always seen eye to eye during their brief stint together. Specifically, the two had differing opinions on how much the organization should pay star free agent running back Le’Veon Bell. Ultimately, the writer says that the “issues were settled and things were overblown.”

Latest On Le’Veon Bell’s Jets Deal

March 17th, 2019 at 7:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Coming off one of the boldest attempts to secure a top-market contract in NFL history, Le’Veon Bell landed on his feet. While his market was on the verge of getting to a place that would have made his gamble foolish, with several teams either bowing out early or not having the level of interest previously indicated, the Jets saved the All-Pro back.

Bell’s deal will come with $27MM fully guaranteed, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That number gives Bell the third-most fully guaranteed money among running backs (and the most among backs attached to veteran contracts, with only rookie-contract players Saquon Barkley and Leonard Fournette standing to earn more over the course of their deals). There is an additional $8MM in injury guarantees, bumping the four-year, $52.5MM deal’s total guaranteed money to $35MM.

While the Jets can get out of this contract after Year 2, after having paid the $27MM due through the 2020 season, Bell’s 2021 salary ($8MM) is guaranteed for injury. That figure becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2021 league year. Bell’s non-guaranteed 2022 salary is $9.5MM, Florio adds. The $8MM signing bonus will be completely paid by January 2020. If Bell is on the Jets’ roster through 2021, he will be due $38MM — without factoring in per-game roster bonuses, which max out at $500K per season.

In terms of per-game incentives, Bell can collect $1.5MM per season — but the thresholds are lofty. In each year of the contract, Bell can earn $500K for surpassing 1,800 yards from scrimmage — something he has done three times, including in 2016 when he only played 12 games. Should Bell exceed 2,000 yards from scrimmage, he would collect an additional $500K. If Bell gains 1,800 yards from scrimmage and the Jets make the playoffs, that means another $500K for their starting running back, Florio notes. No Jet has recorded 1,800 yards from scrimmage since Curtis Martin in 2004.

Bell gave up $14.5MM on the Steelers’ 2018 franchise tag to be in position to command this contract, and while that was a debatable strategy, an injury may have ruined the 27-year-old’s chances of securing it. Bell had suffered key setbacks during the 2014, ’15 and ’16 seasons.

And Just like Antonio Brown‘s gamble depended on the Raiders, who were willing to redo the wide receiver’s deal when other suitors would not, Bell’s market depended on the Jets. The 49ers’ offer did not include guarantees in the vicinity of the Jets’ proposal, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News tweets. This follows a report that placed San Francisco’s three-year, $38MM deal as being “just about fully guaranteed.”

Extra Points: Bell, Steelers, Tannehill

March 16th, 2019 at 10:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

There was a lot of confusion surrounding Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers last season. It was widely reported during the early part of the season that Bell planned on playing for the Steelers in 2018. The timeline varied but it was consistently reported that Bell planned on showing up sometime after Pittsburgh’s Week 7 bye week. Then he never did, and we never knew what happened, until now. Bell had previously thought he needed to play six games to earn an accrued season and avoid his franchise tag from tolling over to 2019, but then realized that wasn’t the case, he explained in a recent interview with Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com.

Bell had “absolutely intended” to report after Week 7, “but shortly before then, Bell learned that he didn’t need to play any games to hit free agency. Before then, he thought he needed to play six games for an accrued season, but turns out he was free as long as the Steelers didn’t tag him again,” Fowler writes. Bell apparently learned on social media that he wouldn’t have to play, and took the plan to his agent. Bell also revealed that he came close to returning once more, in Week 11.

“‘I was so close to doing it,’ he said. ‘At the same time, I was so torn. Do I go through that? Will they embrace me or will they not? I eventually decided I sat out 10 games, I can sit six more. At the time, the team was malfunctioning, having problems, a lot of blame on me. I didn’t want to come back and not feel welcome,'” Bell said. It won’t change anything, but it’s nice to finally have some clarity on what went down with Bell and the Steelers as he prepares for his new life with the Jets.

Here’s more from around the league as the free agency frenzy is finally starting to quiet down:

Ryan Tannehill is no longer a Dolphin, after he was traded yesterday to the Titans. But he’s leaving behind a significant impact, as Tannehill will leave the Dolphins with $18.423MM in dead cap, according to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com. As Florio points out, it only would’ve been $13.423MM in dead cap had they designated him a post-June 1 cut and released him outright. Essentially the Dolphins ate an additional $5MM in dead cap to get back a fourth and seventh round pick, the compensation they got from the Titans in the trade. They also gave up a sixth round pick of their own.
Panthers offensive lineman Taylor Hearn was caught on camera getting into a fight outside of a bar and getting knocked out, according to TMZ Sports. Jourdan Rodrigue of The Charlotte Observer tweeted out the Panthers’ statement on the incident, which reads “we are aware of the video, and have been in contact with Taylor and the league about the incident. We will have no further comment at this time.” Hearn, a rookie undrafted free agent from Clemson, appeared in just four games for the Panthers this past season. Already a bottom of the roster type player, this could effect his status with the team.
Our friends over at Overthecap.com are out with a great new page to track free agency spending this offseason, keeping track of each team’s signings, how much money they’ve doled out, and how much in guarantees they’ve pledged. So far the Jets have guaranteed by far the most money, as they’re on the hook for at least $115.5MM with the contracts they’ve signed so far. The Lions, Raiders, 49ers, and Bills round out the top five in terms of new money guaranteed. In terms of total spending, including non-guaranteed money, the Packers have been the biggest spenders, dishing out contracts worth a total of $184.1MM.

49ers Offered Le’Veon Bell ~$38MM

March 15th, 2019 at 7:15am CST by Ben Levine

It sounds like the 49ers really did make a big push for Le’Veon Bell. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports (via Twitter) that the organization offered the running back a three-year, $38MM contract that was “just about fully guaranteed.” Bell ended up inking a four-year, $52.5MM deal ($25MM guaranteed) with the Jets.

We heard conflicting reports earlier this week regarding the 49ers’ interest in Bell. The team would have been a relatively peculiar fit, as the team already invested a four-year, $30MM contract in Jerick McKinnon last offseason. Matt Breida also emerged as a potential two-down back for San Francisco, meaning Bell wouldn’t have been as much of a necessity as a commodity. Ultimately, the 49ers ended up adding former Falcon running back Tevin Coleman to their backfield.

Meanwhile, while Bell had an idea he was going to join the Jets around the NFL Combine, it sounds like a team besides New York and San Francisco continued to push for his services. Fowler notes that Raiders quarterback Derek Carr and wideout (and former Steelers teammate) Antonio Brown were trying to get the running back to join Oakland.

Fowler also tweets that Bell intended to return to the Steelers in Week 7 last season. However, the running back subsequently learned that he didn’t need to accrue a full season in order to reach free agency, a revelation that changed his plans. Had the running back returned, he would have played around 10 games for Pittsburgh.

Le’Veon Bell Contract Details

March 14th, 2019 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Parks

Le’Veon Bell received a four-year, $52.5MM contract from the Jets, thereby bringing an end to one of the most-discussed storylines in recent memory. And although that is a hefty sum for a running back, even one as explosive as Bell, New York appears to have managed the risk-reward aspect of the contract quite nicely. Here are some details:

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News provides a breakdown of Bell’s payouts (via Twitter). He notes that the total guarantee is $25MM, as opposed to the $35MM that was first reported, and he also points out that the Jets will pay out $26MM in cash through the first two years of the deal.
Bell’s base salaries in 2019 and 2020 ($2.5MM and $6MM) are fully guaranteed, but after that, the guaranteed money is gone. That means that the Jets can cut bait after two seasons –having paid just $26MM — and would incur a fairly modest $4MM dead cap charge while saving $11.5MM against the cap.
Mehta also tweeted Bell’s salary cap hits for each of the four contract years. He will count for just $8MM against the cap in 2019.
As Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network tweets, the deal also includes $3MM training camp reporting bonuses in 2021 and 2022, which could disincentivize Bell from staging another holdout after his guarantees dry up.

All in all, then, the Jets appear to have secured a great player on a reasonable contract, and if things don’t work out as planned, the deal will not handicap them in the long-term.

Raiders Notes: Brown, Bell, Williams, Joyner

March 13th, 2019 at 5:28pm CST by Ben Levine

The 49ers weren’t the only team to miss out on Le’Veon Bell. Vic Tafur of The Athletic writes that the Raiders made an offer to the star running back, and “there was some real buzz in the building” yesterday.

The reporter also notes that the Raiders thought they could land Bell if “money wasn’t the most important thing,” as the running back reportedly preferred to play for the Raiders. After missing out on Bell, the team also took a run at Mark Ingram, who ended up landing in Baltimore.

Bell ultimately agreed to a four-year, $52.5MM deal with the Jets, forcing the Raiders to look elsewhere for a running back. At the moment, the team is rostering three backs in DeAndre Washington, Chris Warren, and James Butler.

Let’s check out some more notes out of Oakland…

The Raiders weren’t even considering an Antonio Brown trade until the deal between the Steelers and Bills fell apart, general manager Mike Mayock told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com (Twitter link). The organization ultimately acquired the Pro Bowl wide receiver in exchange for a third- and fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.
The Raiders continued to show interest in wideout Tyrell Williams even after pulling off the Brown trade, according to Jason La Canfora (on Twitter). The team ended up agreeing to a four-year, $44MM deal ($22MM guaranteed) earlier today. La Canfora notes that several other teams pursued Williams, including the Ravens, Saints, Steelers, Jets. Many of those teams were offering contracts between $8MM and $9MM annually, with the 27-year-old ultimately receiving $11MM a season from the Raiders.
The Raiders are planning to rely on Lamarcus Joyner as their primary nickel cornerback, writes Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The 28-year-old has primarily played safety throughout his career, although he did play some cornerback early on his career. The team will occasionally deploy Joyner at safety, although Gehlken notes that the team could still add another player at the position. Joyner is set to sign a four years, $42MM deal with the Raiders.

49ers Made Push For Le’Veon Bell?

March 13th, 2019 at 2:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The 49ers made a “serious push” for running back Le’Veon Bell before he signed with the Jets, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). However, Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area says he doesn’t believe San Francisco had real interest in Bell.

Bell’s market may not have been as strong as he once hoped, so it’s possible reports of 49ers interest were being used as leverage. Other clubs, such as the Ravens and Colts, were expected or reported to be suitors for Bell, but those clubs never actually discussed a deal. Ultimately, Bell landed $52.5MM and $35MM over a four-year term from New York.

San Francisco would have been a curious fit for Bell, at least on paper. The 49ers signed Jerick McKinnon to a four-year, $30MM deal just last offesason, a pact that still makes McKinnon the NFL’s seventh-highest paid back. He tore his ACL last summer and missed his debut campaign with San Francisco, but it would cost the Niners cap space to cut McKinnon now. SF could have conceivably used a post-June 1 designation on McKinnon (and thus lessened the 2019 cap hit for releasing him), but the team hasn’t indicated it’s ready to move on from its 2018 free agent addition.

With McKinnon out, Matt Breida took over as the 49ers’ running back and thrived, posting 5.3 yards per attempt 153 carries. He’ll be back next year, as will restricted free agent Raheem Mostert, leaving even less room for a potential Bell acquisition.