The New York Jets had been pledging to be aggressive for months. General manager Mike Maccagnan had been saying publicly all season the Jets were going to be big spenders, and he delivered. He landed perhaps the biggest fish of them all, signing Le'Veon Bell to a four-year contract.
Jets fans were understandably excited about the signing of Bell, and what it might mean to Sam Darnold's development. The only person who might be more excited than Jets fans to see Bell and Darnold play together? Bell himself.
Le'Veon Bell on Sam Darnold: "I'm looking forward on being… his security blanket. … I obviously think he has a high ceiling and his potential is through the roof."
— Manish Mehta (@MMehtaSports) March 14, 2019
Not only is he dynamic as a runner, but he can find soft spots in the defense and allow Darnold to rack up easy completions as a passer and build his confidence. Bell got $52 million over the four years, which probably isn't quite as much as he was hoping for. The deal might've been a slight “loss” for him financially, but he clearly isn't letting it affect his attitude.
Adam Gase is attempting to build a new culture in his first season as coach, and he needs guys like Bell to buy in fully. Aside from the on-field aspect, signing Bell brought a much-needed jolt of excitement to the team. Fans and the media will be buzzing about the Jets for the first time in a while, and the excitement is palpable. Whether he's the best running back in the league again or not, signing Bell was exactly what the Jets needed.
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