Why Eagles should look to sign Le'Veon Bell originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Le’Veon Bell is now on the open market and the Eagles should be at the front of the line for his services.
The Jets released the running back Tuesday night after attempts to trade him and his hefty contract came up empty. Giving up assets to take on that monster deal was a non-starter for Howie Roseman. But now that Bell’s available? The Eagles need to get involved.
They’ve gotten virtually nothing from the Boston Scott/Corey Clement combo behind starter Miles Sanders and have looked to upgrade the position at multiple junctures. They had reported interest in Carlos Hyde before he signed in Seattle in May. They also brought DeVonta Freeman in for a workout just a few weeks ago, but he opted to sign with the Giants after they lost Saquon Barkley for the season.
Bell is still only 28 years old, and while he’s now three years removed from his most recent Pro Bowl season, the situation in New York was an absolute disaster both on and off the field.
Bell averaged just 3.3 yards per carry in his tenure with the Jets behind a brutal offensive line. His head coach, Adam Gase, reportedly didn’t even want to sign Bell, but then-general manager Mike Maccagnan still threw four years and $52.5 million his way. Maccagnan was fired later that same offseason and replaced by former Eagles vice president of player personnel Joe Douglas.
Having Sanders and Bell in the same backfield would give the Eagles options on offense. Bell is one of the best pass-catching backs the league has ever seen, and Sanders has quickly shown he’s a true dual threat. Bell isn’t likely to garner anything more than a relatively cheap one-year deal. It’s a price the Eagles should be more than willing to pay for a player who could still have plenty left in the tank.
