The Chicago Bears running game has run hot and cold most of the season thus far. David Montgomery has proven to be a solid back but the team’s depth took a big hit when Tarik Cohen went down. Since then they’ve been relying on Cordarrelle Patterson to pick up the slack. So here’s a question. Would Le’Veon Bell make a difference?
The former Pro Bowler signed a huge deal with the New York Jets last season. However, it became clear pretty fast head coach Adam Gase wasn’t enthusiastic about his presence. The Jets began to regret handing him his large contract and soon the attempts to trade him began as far back as the deadline of last season.
No team was interested in taking on that deal. So in the end after a year of trying, New York got fed up and just decided to release him. Bell is a free agent and can sign anywhere at much more feasible prices. Could the Bears be in that mix? Based on early indications, that is definitely a thing.
Bears maybe? Making calls now. https://t.co/efp67GZpER
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) October 14, 2020
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Statement from GM Joe Douglas pic.twitter.com/By9XevVXVv
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 14, 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsvCR66Sv5Q&ab_channel=SportsProductions
Le’Veon Bell could be a huge help to the Bears
Here’s the crazy thing. Bell still managed to be highly productive last season for the Jets. He amassed over 1200 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. Despite bad offensive schemes and crappy blocking, he was arguably their best offensive player. The fact the Jets couldn’t find a way to make it work is a testament to how poorly run that organization is.
At 28-years old he’s still in his prime as a player and a versatile weapon that any coach would love to have. Better still for the Bears, the Jets will be paying him regardless this year. That means Ryan Pace might be able to get him at a sizable discount. No doubt Bell would be most interested in joining a team that is 4-1 with playoff aspirations. Especially a team that has a long legacy of great running backs.
Pairing him with Montgomery could make for quite a tandem. Two guys who don’t go down easy and can take large amounts of carries whenever needed. Just imagine the packages Matt Nagy could put together.
Le’Veon Bell is absolutely worth the risk.