The Seattle Seahawks have been looking for a workhorse running back since Marshawn Lynch left them in 2015. They could find their guy in the form of a trade this offseason.
The New York Jets signed Le'Veon Bell this offseason to a four-year, $52.5 million deal. At the time, Mike Maccagnan loved the idea of Bell playing in New York alongside Sam Darnold.
Fast forward to now and Maccagnan just got fired and Adam Gase was announced as the interim GM. According to multiple reports, Gase was never on board with signing Bell in the first place.
That leaves the Jets in quite a dilemma heading into the 2019 season. Could they look to trade the All-Pro running back before he plays a down with the franchise? After all, it is the Jets so anything is possible.
There haven't been any rumors of any teams showing interest in the dual-threat back but the Seahawks could become one of them. Although, money could become an issue after Seattle just signed Russell Wilson to a historic extension.
Pete Carroll and the Seahawks know they need to surround Wilson with more weapons if they hope to return to being a contender again.
Here are three reasons why the Seahawks should strongly consider trading for Bell.
3. Make the Offense More Dynamic
To keep it simple, the addition of someone like Bell would make the Seahawks offense more dynamic. Even though he sat out all of the 2018 season, Bell is still one of the best dual-threat backs in the NFL.
In his career, Bell has three seasons where he has rushed for 1,000 yards while also catching 75 passes. Not many running backs are capable of those types of numbers in either category.
Adding a weapon like Bell would instantly make the Seahawks even more dangerous. Currently, Seattle is built to throw the ball downfield to guys like Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
Getting Bell could give them an option out of the backfield on underneath routes. Furthermore, the Seahawks could even line Bell up out as a wide receiver in certain formations.
The Seattle offense would be tough to game plan against with Bell on the field.
2. Form a Lethal Duo with Chris Carson
In 2018, the Seahawks found out that Chris Carson could be a solid running back for them. Most teams are turning towards using two running backs in their offense to keep multiple guys fresh throughout the season.
The Seahawks could have a very dangerous backfield if Carson was paired with a talent like Bell. Bell would get the majority of the snaps then Carson would come in and punish defenders on the ground.
Carson has shown he isn't quite there yet as a receiving back—catching just 27 passes in his two seasons in Seattle. Therefore, Bell could see the passing game snaps while Carson is used to be a bruiser in the rushing attack.
Having a great running game has been a calling card of the Seahawks offense for years.
They could have their best backfield ever with Bell and Carson together.
1. Take Some Pressure Off of Russell Wilson
After Marshawn Lynch left the organization in 2015, the offense has shifted to being solely Russell Wilson's offense. It's been hard to completely commit to that with struggling offensive lines and inconsistent running games.
With Carson last year, things were a bit different with his ability to run the ball successfully. Things could be even better if Bell was added into the equation.
No offense to Carson but no one is worried about him being a threat outside of the running game. Down the stretch in the playoffs last year, Seattle's offense became too predictable.
Having someone like Bell alongside Wilson would relieve some pressure off of Wilson. Defenses would be game planning to stop Bell—leaving Wilson more opportunities to make plays within the offense.
The NFC West is loaded with talent on offense and Seattle could improve drastically by acquiring Bell.
It's unlikely to happen but trading for Bell would undoubtedly make the Seahawks a true contender in 2019.
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