The New York Jets signed Le'Veon Bell to a four-year $52.5 million contract last month. Although he was a workhose running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the past, he'll need to work his way up to a bigger workload in the Big Apple.
Bell was a second-round pick in the 2013 draft that has made a strong case for himself as being the best running back in the NFL. His patience, versatility as both a running back and pass catcher, and high football IQ were the many things that made him widely recognized as a top player.
But after sitting out all of the 2018 seasons due to contract issues, he will have a lot of rust to work off. Of course being laid off the entire season has kept his legs fresh, it puts into question how football ready he is for the upcoming season.
He could be more susceptible to injury with all of that time off once he returns to the football field. Jets' coach Adam Gase will have to ease him in. They will have to limit his workload and make sure not to overwork their star running back.
In the five seasons that Bell has played for the Steelers, he's had 1,229 carries for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns. He has also caught 312 passes for 2,660 yards and seven touchdowns.
Whether or not Bell will return to the player he was before is a big question but the Jets need to make sure that he is in football shape as they get ready for the 2019 season. They already have promising third-year running back Elijah McGuire on the roster, who is capable of splitting the workload with Bell.
For now, Gase seems to be leaning towards a running back by committee ground attack for the upcoming season.
Follow Us
Subscribe