Le’Veon Bell - Pro Football Rumors

Jets To Sign Le’Veon Bell

March 13th, 2019 at 8:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Jets have reached agreement on a deal to sign Le’Veon Bell, as Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The former Steelers running back will receive a four-year, $52.5MM contract with $35MM guaranteed. The deal will carry a maximum value of nearly to $61MM, including incentives.

Bell was said to be deciding between about six teams on Tuesday, though the list of clubs might not have been completely accurate. The Ravens, for example, did not make an offer to Bell, according to Schefter. On top of that, the Ravens never even had conversations with Bell’s agent about signing him, Mike Florio of PFT (on Twitter) hears.

Still, plenty of other teams were hot on his tail. The 49ers, for example, made a strong offer to the running back and “were engaged in a wild tug-of-war with the Jets” in the final hours before Bell agreed to join Gang Green, Schefter hears.

For the Jets, the Bell signing redeems a difficult week of misfires. The Jets thought they had a deal with Vikings free agent linebacker Anthony Barr only for Barr to bail at the last minute and re-sign with the Vikings. The Jets were also heavily in pursuit of center Matt Paradis, but he stunned the league on Tuesday night by joining up with the Panthers instead.

Bell gained nearly 2,000 total yards in 2017, a year in which he was franchise tagged by the Steelers. When tagged again, Bell opted to sit out the entire 2018 season, resulting in the forfeiture of a $14.5MM salary, or $855K per game. Bell managed to make it to unrestricted free agency without the risk of injury in his final Steelers season, but it’s debatable as to whether the $14.5MM sacrifice was worthwhile.

In 2017, his last season on the field, Bell led the league with a career-high 321 rushing attempts. In the past, Bell has spoken of reducing his workload, so the Jets may have to dial down his usage. In any event, Bell profiles as the Jets’ most talented running back since Curtis Martin. The franchise has enjoyed the post-prime star power of LaDainian Tomlinson and others in the past, but Bell is a generational talent in his prime who can keep defenses honest and open up the passing game for youngster Sam Darnold.

With Darnold in the fold, the Jets are deploying the strategy used by many NFL teams with quarterbacks on rookie deals: surround the young signal-caller with talent while he’s on a cheap deal. Bell will give the Jets a boost in the running game, and he’ll be working behind an offensive line that includes new addition Kelechi Osemele, whom New York acquired from Oakland. New slot receiver Jamison Crowder, too, should give Darnold another weapon in the latter’s second pro campaign.

Jets Have Sizable Bell Offer On Table

March 12th, 2019 at 6:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Le’Veon Bell saga has gone quiet over the past several hours, and some around the league are wondering why the two-time All-Pro running back has not accepted the Jets’ offer.

The Jets have submitted a “sizable” offer to Bell, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY reports. Leery of being used as leverage, as they were with Kirk Cousins and now Anthony Barr, the Jets want a Bell answer by Tuesday night.

It is not known if the Jets have any serious competition for Bell. The other reported suitors, as of this evening, were not believed to be making a serious run at the 27-year-old star. Some in NFL circles are curious if Bell’s camp is using the Jets to ramp up an offer from another team, Vacchiano adds, or if Team Bell is attempting to force the Jets to bid against themselves. As a result, the Jets are “getting antsy,” according to Mike Silver of NFL.com (via Pro Football Talk).

Bell turned down a five-year offer from the Steelers at last year’s franchise tag deadline. Specifics on that proposal varied, but reports had Bell being in line to receive $30MM over that deal’s first two years and $45MM over three. The Steelers in 2017 reportedly offered Bell $13.3MM per year. It’s possible Bell’s camp is attempting to justify the running back’s decision to sit out 2018 in order to best position himself for this week of free agency. But as of now, Bell remains without a team.

Latest On Le’Veon Bell

March 12th, 2019 at 5:10pm CST by Ben Levine

The market for Le’Veon Bell may not actually be all that robust. Albert Breer of The MMQB tweets that the Bears, Colts, Ravens, Texans and Bills “haven’t really been in it” for the All-Pro running back.

This is particularly notable following reports from earlier today that six teams were in the running for Bell: the Jets, Colts, Ravens, Packers, Texans, and Bills. With four of those teams out of the running (along with the Bears), that would seemingly mean that New York and Green Bay are going head-to-head for the running back’s services. The Raiders have also been mentioned as a potential suitor for Bell.

Breer notes that the market’s been tough for the former Steelers offensive weapon, and he adds that more teams may enter the bidding if the asking price drops. As of right now, there’s a feeling that Bell could be secured for a deal that will pay him between $11MM and $12MM per season.

Regardless of who’s in and who’s out of the bidding, we may get a resolution sooner than later. We learned earlier today that the Jets have given Bell a deadline to make a decision. If the Jets don’t hear back by that unreported time, they’ll likely move on to other free agent targets.

Jets Give Le’Veon Bell Deadline On Decision

March 12th, 2019 at 1:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The team most closely connected to Le’Veon Bell this offseason has given the running back a deadline to determine if he will or will not sign. The Jets have notified the All-Pro back of a deadline, per The Athletic’s Connor Hughes (on Twitter).

Gang Green has plenty of cap space to outmuscle others on this market, and with the Ravens potentially set to bow out, the Jets’ offer may be the best one out there for Bell. But nothing concrete has emerged from about how much the Jets are proposing yet.

Bell maneuvered his way to the market by becoming the first player in 20 years to sit out a full season after being franchise-tagged. He watched Todd Gurley and David Johnson each reshape the running back market, with each signing for at least $13MM per year. Both of those backs have far less mileage on their NFL odometers, which will make Bell’s pact interesting — especially given how much he has prepared for this week.

The Jets have been the team most consistently and heavily linked to Bell over the past handful of months, but the Ravens were believed to be making a late push and coming on strong. But we also just heard the Ravens were the “frontrunners” to sign Mark Ingram, which could limit their willingness to compete with the Jets for Bell.

The Jets were just spurned by linebacker Anthony Barr, and the latest word is that the team was going to use some of the newly available money to make “a last and final big offer” to Bell.

Bell opting for another team would remind of the Jets’ 2018 Kirk Cousins pursuit, which involved a better offer than the Vikings submitted. Cousins revealed the Jets were the leverage team that drove up the Vikings’ price. It is unclear, however, if another team will enter the Jets’ ballpark for Bell.

Ravens Out On Le’Veon Bell?

March 12th, 2019 at 12:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It appears the Le’Veon Bell sweepstakes are coming to an end. It “seems like” Bell is down to the Jets and the Ravens as his final two choices on where to sign, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link).

Contradicting Rapoport’s report, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that he continues “to be told the Ravens are not in on Le’Veon Bell.” It’s unclear who’s right, but the Ravens would definitely be at a significant disadvantage as they’re in a much worse cap situation than the Jets.

The Jets have been the team most consistently and heavily linked to Bell over the past handful of months, but the Ravens appear to be making a late push and coming on strong, depending on who you believe. We also just heard the Ravens were the “frontrunners” to sign Mark Ingram, which could limit their willingness to pursue Bell.

Bell appears genuinely interested in the Ravens, and “has indicated to some friends around the league how much he likes Baltimore,” Rapoport writes. Less than an hour ago it was reported the Raiders hadn’t quite ruled out signing Bell yet, but it appears they’re lagging far behind if they’re even still in it at all.

The Jets were just spurned by linebacker Anthony Barr, and the latest word is that the Jets were going to use some of the money they were going to pay Barr to make “a last and final big offer” to Bell. The Jets desperately need a running back and have some of the most cap space in the NFL, so they can outbid anybody.

The Colts have officially been declared out and other teams like the Texans and Bills always seemed like long-shots. If it’s really down to just the Jets and Ravens like it appears to be, we should know where Bell is heading very soon.

Raiders Haven’t Ruled Out Le’Veon Bell

March 12th, 2019 at 12:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders have already made big splashes by trading for Antonio Brown and signing Trent Brown. However, a pursuit of Le’Veon Bell should not be ruled out just yet, Michael Gehlken of the Review-Journal tweets.

On Tuesday morning, we heard that there were five teams still in on Bell – the Jets, Ravens, Packers, Texans, and Bills. The Raiders were conspicuously absent from that list, but we can add them back into the mix. Bell now appears to have six leading suitors and a decision could be just around the corner.

Anthony Barr‘s decision to spurn the Jets and return to the Vikings prompted the former to make a stronger push, possibly a take-it-or-leave-it proposal, for Bell. But nothing concrete about terms for any of these teams’ offers have emerged.

The Raiders have a barren running back depth chart, with both Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin residing as free agents. Oakland placed a second-round tender on Jalen Richard. While some of Richard’s game overlaps with Bell’s, he is not nearly as well-rounded as the two-time All-Pro.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the Raiders still hold more than $42MM in cap space. Their skill-position situation remains somewhat thin, with Jared Cook also a free agent. A Bell addition would stand to give this corps a significant upgrade. Although Bell has more tread on his tires than most marquee running back free agents have over the past several years, with 1,541 career regular-season touches, he avoided further punishment by making the rare decision to sit out an entire season. He figures to have some prime years remaining, though it can’t be certain how many are left.

Anthony Barr Cancels Jets Deal, Re-Signs With Vikings

March 12th, 2019 at 11:49am CST by Zachary Links

Anthony Barr won’t be signing with the Jets after all. The linebacker’s contract has been called off, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Instead, he’ll re-sign with the Vikings.

The Vikings gave Barr a five-year deal worth $67.5MM, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets, with $33MM of this pact being guaranteed. Incentives can raise Barr’s earnings to $77MM.

This is pretty shocking news, as the contract with New York was reported as having been a done deal last night. His deal with the Jets was reportedly going to pay Barr over $14MM annually, so it sounds like he took slightly less to stay in Minnesota.

Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News tweets that the Vikings sweetened their initial offer, which helped sway Barr to change his mind. Barr’s desire to remain in Minnesota helped make up for the slight disparity between the two proposals, Mehta adds (on Twitter).

As for the money Barr did receive, it will make him the second-highest-paid off-ball linebacker in the game. The Jets’ C.J. Mosley deal tops the list, by a considerable margin. Both of this week’s deals set a new high bar for what had been a stagnant market, with Jamie Collins‘ 2017 Browns deal being non-rush linebackers’ high-water mark for nearly two years — prior to Cleveland cutting Collins.

While it certainly caught the Jets by surprise, it might not end up being all that bad for New York. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweets that the Jets have taken some of the money they were going to pay Barr, and used it to make “a last and final big offer to Le’Veon Bell.”

Rapoport writes that it’s now “decision time” for Bell, as the Jets appear to have made their final offer. The Jets have been saying for months they were going to be aggressive in free agency, and they’ve certainly delivered on that promise. The Jets have been the team most consistently linked to Bell, and they seem to be the frontrunner for his services as of now.

Barr has spent his entire five-year career with the Vikings, earning four Pro Bowl nods along the way, and had always maintained that he wanted to stay a Viking. The former first-rounder had another standout season in 2018, finishing with 55 tackles, three sacks, and one forced fumble. The Vikings ultimately decided to pass on franchising Barr, a move that would have cost $15.9MM.

This represents another major Vikings investment in their homegrown core, with Barr joining numerous defensive starters in being signed to long-term deals. This also figures to scratch a possible move to more of an edge-rushing role. The Jets were planning to incorporate more of Barr’s college-years edge work into their scheme, but with the Vikings, the five-year veteran has consistently worked as an off-ball linebacker. It appears he is comfortable in this role and will not be leaving the Twin Cities.

Le’Veon Bell Deciding Between Five Teams?

March 12th, 2019 at 10:03am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Free agents have been flying off the board but perhaps the biggest name, running back Le’Veon Bell, remains unsigned. The market does appear to be narrowing down for Bell’s services, and there’s a “good likelihood” he signs with one of the Jets, Colts, Ravens, Packers, Texans, or Bills, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com soon tweeted that the Colts are officially out on Bell, which would narrow down the list to five teams. Furthermore, the Packers have already spent a ton of money today on Adrian Amos, Za’Darius Smith, and Preston Smith, so they might not no longer be able to fit the massive contract Bell is seeking into their cap.

The Jets have been the team most heavily linked to Bell for months now. There have been conflicting reports about their level of interest, and rumors they’re concerned about his weight, but they’ve been the one constant when discussing Bell. The Jets are looking to add some excitement, need a running back, and have plenty of cap space, so they still make the most sense on paper.

The Ravens make some sense as well, as they’re looking for weapons for Lamar Jackson and are planning to have a very run-heavy offense. The Texans and Bills are more outside the box options, as both have established running backs. The Texans have Lamar Miller, while the Bills have LeSean McCoy and just added Frank Gore. Both Gore and McCoy are getting up there in age while the Texans could get out of Miller’s contract fairly easily, so they’re both definitely options.

Interestingly, Anderson’s list doesn’t include the Raiders. After trading for Antonio Brown, rumors began swirling that Jon Gruden would attempt to re-pair him with Bell in Oakland. That could still be the case, although they didn’t make Anderson’s shortlist.

Raiders Interested In Le’Veon Bell

March 11th, 2019 at 9:16am CST by Zachary Links

Could Le’Veon Bell reunite with Antonio Brown in Oakland? The Raiders are a sleeper team for the running back, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com hears similar buzz as the Raiders are seeking to use their cap room on offensive firepower while bolstering the defense through the draft.

Many teams would like to add Bell to the backfield, but only certain clubs are expected to go into the $12MM+/year range for his services. The Raiders, who are desperate for an offensive spark, could be in a position to add another elite weapon days after adding Brown.

Meanwhile, the Jets are the favorites to sign Bell, in the estimation of Peter King of NBC Sports. Lately, we’ve been hearing that the Jets will focus their efforts on second-tier running backs, but it appears there’s been a shift of thinking in New Jersey. Armed with $100MM+ in cap space, the Jets certainly have the resources to add the ex-Steelers back. King can’t envision Bell joining the Colts, unless it was at a discount, and that seems unlikely given the money sacrificed by Bell in 2018. King also believes the Redskins and Dolphins will be in the mix.

AFC Notes: Texans, Broncos, Jets, Bell

March 5th, 2019 at 8:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans are expected to release cornerback Kevin Johnson, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. As previously reported, the Texans have discussed trading Johnson, but it’s much more likely that he’ll be cut given his contract (due $9.1MM in 2019) and recent concussion issues (played only one game in 2018). Still, releasing Johnson will leave the Texans extra thin at cornerback, so the position figures to be a priority for them in March and April.

Here’s more from the AFC:

The Broncos are expected to have interest in linebacker C.J. Mosley, according to Troy Renck of Denver7 (on Twitter). This week, we learned that the Ravens will not use the franchise tag on Mosley and the expectation is that he will be an unrestricted free agent later this month. Mosley, 27 in June, is a perennial Pro Bowler and anchored Baltimore’s linebacking corps for several years.
The Jets are expected to target second-tier running backs during free agency, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com, which signals that Le’Veon Bell is not the team’s focus. The Jets could theoretically sign Bell, Pauline hears, but only if they do not come away with a big-time pass rusher. Speaking of the pass rush, the Jets have been connected to Dante Fowler, but people at the combine told Pauline that contract length may be a sticking point for Gang Green. Fowler probably wants something in the four-year range while the Jets are hesitant about such a commitment.
The Dolphins haven’t told Minkah Fitzpatrick whether they want him to play safety or cornerback in 2019, but they want him to be a safety in the long run, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. He could get a head start on the safety plan this year, but that will depend on what happens with incumbents T.J. McDonald and Reshad Jones. Right now, it seems unlikely that the Dolphins would move on from either safety. Cutting McDonald would save only $1.4MM versus $4.6MM in dead money. Meanwhile, Jones is already guaranteed $11MM for 2019.