Le’Veon Bell has finally picked his new team in the NFL and it’s the current Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. The running back was cut by the New York Jets on Wednesday but it didn’t take too long for him to find a new franchise in the league.
Bell was, at some point, one of the best (if not the best) running backs in the league, creating a terrific association with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown on the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Bell’s demands for the team and his attitude to force the Steelers to give him a big contract forced his way out of the team.
He signed with the Jets last season after sitting out the entire 2018 season. The Steelers gave him the franchise tag for a second year, which prompted Bell to miss the whole campaign in order to hit free agency and get a big contract somewhere else.
The Jets appeared to be that team willing to give them the opportunity to show his talents but this year things changed. He reportedly met with head coach Adam Gase and general manager Joe Douglas on Monday to discuss his future with the franchise. They reportedly agreed to look for trade destinations and gave his agent permission to talk with other teams.
He narrowed his options to three, with the Chiefs, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills being considered the top three destinations for Le’Veon. Less than 24 hours later, he decided to take his talents to Arrowhead Stadium.
Pat Mahomes reacts to Le’Veon Bell signing
Patrick Mahomes has plenty of tools to use in the air, but he was missing a weapon to use on the ground. This is a good move for him and the Super Bowl MVP let people know how he feels about Bell with a gif on Twitter.
What Bell can bring to the Chiefs offense
This is a bet for both parties. Bell can bring a lot of good things to the Chiefs but can also damage the things Andy Reid has built with this team. They were missing a strong presence in the backfield and Bell can be that presence.
The Chiefs missed Damien Williams the first five weeks of competition, as he opted out of the season due to the coronavirus situation. Rookie RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire appeared to be a good replacement for Williams after rushing for 138 years in the season opener but his contribution to the team has been low.
Bell could work as their RB1 while mentoring Edwards-Helaire. He suffered playing with a weak offensive line in New York and that will change in Kansas. There are plenty of things that this man can do and the Chiefs expect to get all the good they can from Le’Veon.
He is strong, agile, can switch directions really quickly, doesn’t fear contact and can take a lot. His 863 yards and three touchdowns in New York look like nothing compared to all the good things he showed with the Steelers.
Bell rushed for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also had 312 receptions for 2,660 yards and seven scores, so you know he is a double threat for their rivals.
However, if he starts messing around in Kansas they won’t hesitate to cut ties with the veteran running back. If you have doubts about it, ask Kareem Hunt and how he’s doing right now.
This is a bet and it could pay very well for the Chiefs. If not, they can get rid of Bell before he destroys what Andy Reid has carefully built in Kansas.