For the second straight year Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell will play the 2018 season with a franchise tag and will be set to become a free agent next year. Bell with over 1200 carries for over 5,000 rushing yards in a course of five years in his entire career with the Steelers, wants to be paid not just as a running back but as a receiver too. According to ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, the 27 year old running back has turned down a $15 million a year offer from the Steelers because he wanted to get paid as an elite offensive weapon. Although, I agree that Bell is a good player and probably one of the better running backs in the NFL right now, the Steelers were right to not pay him more than what they offered because he is 27 years old. Most running backs don’t make it passed 30 with the exception of Frank Gore, and it sounds to me that Bell is trying to cash in as much as he can before he leaves the game. Will the Jets pay him the amount he desires?
I don’t think they should and I can’t seem them doing it either, unless they think he is the one piece away from winning a championship. They certainly would have the cap space to pay him the money with the projection of a league high of $88 million of cap money next year (overthecap.com), and he would fit in Jeremy Bates system, also Powell will be 30 years old and Crowell is a year to year on his contract. Bell could be the weapon that the Jets need in not only the run game but the pass game as well. Seems like the perfect fit for the green and white.
But here is my main reason why they shouldn’t sign him, He doesn’t seem to want to play for the Jets even if they would offer him big money. I’m sure we remember a few months ago, he tweeted that he wouldn’t sign with them for $60 million in cash. I don’t know about everyone else but that read me off the wrong way and let’s say the Jets sign him, all of the current players on this team saw that and it could potentially bring in some Drama to the locker room. That is something the Jets have tried to get rid of after the whole Brandon Marshall and Sheldon Richardson controversy.
Another reason why the Jets shouldn’t sign him is offering him a bunch of money to a running back that may have one or two good years left in the NFL and with him carrying the load in Pittsburgh, there is a lot of wear and tear in him. The Jets don’t need that in their locker room, they should try making a push to signing a pass rusher like Demarcus Lawrence or Ziggy Ansah who have both will be playing on a franchise tag.