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Schefter announced that Bell will sign with Jets. What it means.
First off, as you all know, I probably wouldn’t have done it because giving running backs in their late 20’s big money is very, very risky.
And this is perhaps why there didn’t seem to be any other legitimate suitors for Bell.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport announced on Tuesday that it was down to the Jets and Baltimore Ravens for Bell.
But ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced a little after 5 am this morning that the Ravens never made an offer to Bell.
Perhaps the Ravens fake interest was pay back for the Jets stealing C.J. Mosley from them, to hurt the Jets, by driving the price up.
So what other team truly was willing to ante up for the 27-year-old running back?
It’s one thing for the agent to leak to a media surrogate that “six teams” were interested, but being “interested” and making an legitimate offer are two entirely different things. Hey, I’m interested in a Maserati, but I’m not going to get one.
Bell has had a lot of wear-and-tear, there is no way around that.
From Groveport High School to Michigan State to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he’s toted the rock quite a bit.
At Michigan State, he had 671 carries and then 1229 with the Steelers. I don’t have his stats from Groveport-Madison High School, but there was plenty of carries there.
And let’s not forget, he’s also a gifted receiver, and has caught many passes over the years – 312 with the Steelers and 78 with the Spartans. Obviously, running backs take a lot of hits after catching passes as well.
He also hurt his knee in knee in 2015, but it should be pointed out, it was not an ACL, but for an MCL and PCL.
Look, Bell could turn out to be fine physically over the next two years, and these kind of deals are generally two-year deals. He got a four-year deal, but we all know these kind of deals are essentially two-year deals. Bell got $35 million in guaranteed money according to several surrogates. That is what really matters.
So hey, the Jets could possible get some really good work from him at the ages of 27 and 28 – old, but not that old. Keep in mind he has a fresher body than most 27-year-old running backs since he took last season off.
And you have to gave Dave Socie a lot of credit.
Who is Dave Socie?
He is the Jets’ new contract negotiator/cap expert hired last summer.
All things considered, this Bell contract isn’t insane – 4 years, $52.5 million.
Perhaps they were bidding against themselves, but Socie and Mike Maccagnan didn’t go too far overboard with the contract.
The deal is less money than Todd Gurley got, which was smart, because Gurley is three years younger.
This is another example of Maccagnan growing as a GM. When he first got to town, he spent like a drunken sailor throwing tons of money at four defensive backs, and none of them really worked out.
This contract is another example of his growth on the job.
Perhaps Maccagnan/Socie overpaid for C.J Mosley, but he fills an enormous need. The Jets’ run defense up the middle was a big problem the last couple of years, in part due to Darron Lee’s issues getting off blocks. This will not be a problem with Mosley, one of the best 3-4 ILB’s in football.
As for Bell, if he stays healthy, he should be able to help the Jets a lot the next couple of years, with his running skills, and his top-shelf receiving ability out of the backfield. With super-quick slot receiver Jamison Crowder and Bell out of the backfield, Sam Darnold is going to have some easy quick options to throw to, a huge help to a young QB.
March 13, 2019
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