The Le'Veon Bell Thread

[Paradis]

6 minutes ago, southtown24th said:

Going into 2019, in terms of:

Current RBs

and 

Current RBs/WRs

 

RBs:

Saquon

Bell

Hunt 

Gurley?

 

So he's second?

RB/WRs, I will leave up to the experts.

How old are you?

[Untouchable]

He was the best in the league prior to sitting out last year.

Elite runner both inside and out, elite receiver out of the backfield, and one of the best in pass pro.

He has some of the best patience and field vision that I’ve ever seen at the position. He’s a true all-around, workhorse back. A rarity in today’s NFL.

We’ll see where he’s at now. My guess is he hasn’t fallen off at all and still has at least another 2 elite level seasons left in him.

[Barry McCockinner]

6 minutes ago, Warfish said:

Dead last.  He had 0 yards in 2018.

Once he starts playing again, who knows.  He was pretty damn good before he took a year off whining about his pay (that he'll never ever make back), so he could very well be damn good again.  Or not.

Hence last.  We'll simply have to wait and see what Bell we get.  Elite and hungry....or satisfied and unmotivated after his big payday.

So you're saying the superbowl window is wide open?

[neckdemon]

1 minute ago, Warfish said:

Dead last.  He had 0 yards in 2018.

Once he starts playing again, who knows.  He was pretty damn good before he took a year off whining about his pay (that he'll never ever make back), so he could very well be damn good again.  Or not.

Hence last.  We'll simply have to wait and see what Bell we get.  Elite and hungry....or satisfied and unmotivated after his big payday.

Ranking him last is just not realistic. I guess you can rank his 2018 production as last, but he didnt even play so he shouldn't even be ranked for last year. Truthfully just based on talent, past production, and age he is probably around 4 or 5 after barkley, gurley and zeke

[jetstream23]

Bell is Top 5.  Whether he’s 2, 4, 5....doesn’t really matter.  He is a massive upgrade for this team.

[CrazyCarl40]

I’d say he’s somewhere in the top five as long as he returns to form. Barkley, Zeke, Gurley, McCaffrey, and Kamara are all in that discussion. There are lots of up and coming backs like Chubb, Lindsay, Carson, Mack, Michel, and Conner that will be pushing to be considered I think as well. 

[freestater]

The real question is where does he rank between Crowell and McGuire. Because that's who our options were

[Warfish]

2 minutes ago, neckdemon said:

Ranking him last is just not realistic. I guess you can rank his 2018 production as last, but he didnt even play so he shouldn't even be ranked for last year. Truthfully just based on talent, past production, and age he is probably around 4 or 5 after barkley, gurley and zeke

I don't have anything else to rank him, 2017 is irrelevant now.  That's what happens when players sit out entire seasons doing who knows what.  

Now, do I expect him to be dead last in 2019?  Nope.  Not at all.  Even a fat and lazy Bell will be middle of the pack in 2019 most likely, depending on what we do at WR and O-line going forward.

No, I would expect that if Bell is in shape, and still hungry, that he'll be a top 10 RB in 2019.

But today, all we have recently is nothing.  So I'm not going to rank a guy who sat around ahead of guys who played hard in 2018.  

Once he starts playing, ranks by fans become irrelevant, and he is what he is.

[ChuckkieB]

Not sure where he ranks on the RB scale, but he's definitely the best player we've had on this roster since Revis in his prime.  By a mile. 

[Warfish]

Just now, freestater said:

The real question is where does he rank between Crowell and McGuire. Because that's who our options were

He should be materially better in every single way.

[Warfish]

Just now, ChuckkieB said:

Not sure where he ranks on the RB scale, but he's definitely the best player we've had on this roster since Revis in his prime.  By a mile. 

Better than Darnold?

[14 in Green]

3 hours ago, Chrebetfan80 said:

the only issue so far has been barr backing out and it stopping us from getting into the bidding for zdarius smith and preston smith both who would have been targets had we known barr wasnt coming.  Williams wanted barr bad, thats why they targeted him.  

For what its worth, I hear the jets are absolutely livid with the situation and have called the league about it because his decision to back out after him and his agent verbally agreeing to a deal cost them players they would have targeted.  Now will anything come of them contacting the league? probably not, but there are some interesting things being asked for.. Im just glad the jets are trying to fight it since sh*t like this costs teams.  

Mac has to get creative with passrushers now but hteres still talent out there to sign, and a lot of it can come at a decent price so hopefully we hop on it.  So far though a solid solid job. 

This is an interesting topic. It's something I think should become a "stand alone " thread, for fear it will get buried in this one. When the Barr thing blew up, the first thing I thought of was the effect this had on moves the Jets would've or could've made instead. Nobody knows where the dominoes would have fallen if Barr had simply taken his time before verbally committing to us. The Vikings? What they did might be legal under the letter of the law, but I think the league has to address the ramifications of a team backdooring another in this way. My feeling is do away with this "legal tampering" charade. When guys are committing 15 minutes in, it only shows what a farce it is. 

I get that the past two days are what is called a "legal tampering" period, but the Barr fiasco(along with the Paradis/Morse thing to a lesser extent) has cast a pall over everything good that DID happen yesterday for the Jets.Just look at this board 12 hours after the Bell signing. The lack of buzz is palpable around here, even though we got the "jewel" of this FA class there is the sense our plan was sabotaged through no fault of Macc or the Jets FO. 

Shame on Barr and his agent, and especially the Vikings. The NFL needs to make this right, or change the rules...

[New York Mick]

1 minute ago, Warfish said:

Better than Darnold?

At this point yes. Darnold is a two year rookie who hasn’t done anything yet. Bell was a top RB already. 

[southtown24th]

10 minutes ago, Paradis said:

How old are you?

I am 12 and 1/2.  6th grade rules!

[southtown24th]

3 minutes ago, ChuckkieB said:

Not sure where he ranks on the RB scale, but he's definitely the best player we've had on this roster since Revis in his prime.  By a mile. 

WWAYYYYYYY BETTER THAN REVIS

[southtown24th]

Probably the best skill position player to ever wear the Jets uniform.  Period.

 

Better than Martin.

Better than Keyshawn.

[southtown24th]

8 minutes ago, jetstream23 said:

Bell is Top 5.  Whether he’s 2, 4, 5....doesn’t really matter.  He is a massive upgrade for this team.

right but the question was: where does he rank?

[freestater]

Just now, southtown24th said:

WWAYYYYYYY BETTER THAN REVIS

He definitely stands a better chance of changing a game single-handedly

[jetstream23]

Just now, southtown24th said:

right but the question was: where does he rank?

He’s at 3.5

[KRL]

Since Bell sat out 2018 it's fair to rank him below the other RB's.  But once

he proves he's back there's no one better than him

[southtown24th]

Just now, KRL said:

Since Bell sat out 2018 it's fair to rank him below the other RB's.  But once

he proves he's back there's no one better than him

this is what I am looking for...

So heading into 2019 here (barring something unforeseen), he should be ranked #1

[ChuckkieB]

6 minutes ago, Warfish said:

Better than Darnold?

Right now - for sure. 

[Warfish]

Just now, ChuckkieB said:

Right now - for sure. 

Ok, was just checking.  

[slats]

3 hours ago, Chrebetfan80 said:

yea its out there now so i feel like i can say it... The league actually has a pretty big issue on its hands with this... I'm not sure how many times something like this has happened, but in a period the nfl created to drive FA popularity further, their first real hiccup is this with the jets where they  have a player that agreed to a deal, Would have signed it if it was actual FA, and then backed out costing a team valuable time with other FA. the fact that he backed out so much later and other guys at that position who the team would have targeted signed elsewhere in that time frame is a very bad optic for the league.  Like i said legally the jets have no leg to stand on really since its known players cant sign, but with how the league caves to media pressure its worth holdign their feet to the fire to see if you can get anything. 

8

So here's the thing: no free agent has signed yet. Why have the Jets "missed out" on other players? Why can't/shouldn't they contact players they like who have verbal agreements with other teams and make them a better offer? 

Contacting the league is fine. Trying to fix a stupid system is fine. But in real time, they should be doing everything they can to improve the football team. Let some other team bitch about the Jets stealing their guy. I'd like that better. 

[New York Mick]

It’s impossible to say at the moment. He missed a year and is playing with a team that isn’t as good as his last team. The Steelers Oline is great and they had a better QB, WRs and TE. 

 

[CrazyCarl40]

6 minutes ago, New York Mick said:

It’s impossible to say at the moment. He missed a year and is playing with a team that isn’t as good as his last team. The Steelers Oline is great and they had a better QB, WRs and TE. 

 

This is very true. Not only did he have a great line but there were other weapons to have to gameplan for. No one else on the Jets is like that. Most defenses will key on Bell and try to have Sam beat them. I still don’t think the receivers are up to snuff, but time will tell. 

[neckdemon]

21 minutes ago, freestater said:

The real question is where does he rank between Crowell and McGuire. Because that's who our options were

If leveon bell were my balls then crowell would be my taint and McGuire would be the tiny piece of sh*t stained toilet paper caught in my a**hole hair 

Hope that helps

[freestater]

2 minutes ago, neckdemon said:

If leveon bell were my balls then crowell would be my taint and McGuire would be the tiny piece of sh*t stained toilet paper caught in my a**hole hair 

Hope that helps

A Crowell inspired analogy?

[jetstream23]

4 hours ago, KRL said:

Excellent schematic breakdown on how Bell fits Gase offense:

 

https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/03/13/leveon-bell-free-agency-signs-jets-revamps-offense

 

The talk over the next few weeks will center around whether Le’Veon Bell’s four-year, $52.5 million deal justifies his decision to sit out 2018 rather than play in Pittsburgh under the $14.54 million franchise tag. On the surface, the answer appears to be no, given that Bell’s new annual salary averages just over $13 million, second among NFL running backs to only L.A.’s Todd Gurley ($14.375 million). But as Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently explained, judgment of Bell’s 2019 deal and 2018 decision will be in the eye of the beholder, and it’s not as simple as annual salary vs. franchise tag value.

And so let’s stay out of those weeds and shift our attention to where this move actually matters: on the field. Recently hired Jets head coach Adam Gase loves a good receiving back. He’s never had a top-shelf one, but in his first year with the Dolphins, Gase took pride in some of his offense’s unique adjustments whenever underrated pass-catching back Damian Williams (now a Chief) was on the field. This continued in 2017 and 2018 with Kenyan Drake. When defenses started focusing on the run, Gase, a passing game connoisseur, would take umbrage and motion his running back out wide, creating an empty-backfield formation. From there he’d attack through the air.

With Bell, those empty-backfield formations may well become the foundation of Gase’s passing game. Bell was predominantly a weakside slot receiver in Pittsburgh’s empty sets, where he could work the middle of the field and execute nearly the full route tree.

Yours truly wrote a few weeks ago that cheaper free-agent tailback Tevin Coleman offered better value than Bell because, though not as dynamic a receiver as Bell, Coleman could more than suffice through the air. The one counter-argument I heard from some coaches at the Combine is that Bell has the ability to change directions in his route running, creating separation in a variety of ways, including late in the down. Coleman, on the other hand, like most receiving backs, is a one-cut mover. He can run hardwired slant patterns, but not the variety of pivot and option routes that Bell runs.

What’s interesting, though, is that every coach agreed that Coleman, with his long-striding speed, is a better pure outside zone runner than Bell. Gase over the years has mostly featured classic outside zone runs. Bell, of course, is a better interior runner than Coleman (and maybe any NFL back). His uncanny patience and vision work to set up a lineman’s on-the-move block and to prolong double-team blocks. (Plus, it’s not like Bell isn’t still threatening on those traditional outside zone runs himself.)

Bringing in Bell suggests Gase will expand his rushing scheme. This might explain why the Jets, who have known all along they’d be major players for Bell, traded for Raiders Pro Bowl guard Kelechi Osemele on Sunday. The quickest — and maybe only — way to schematically expand your rushing attack is to get a quality guard. That’s the key position in almost every run-blocking design. With Osemele and Bell together, Gase can build one of football’s most diverse ground games.

Another defining trait of Gase’s scheme will be splitting the tight end alone on the weak side of the formation, with all wide receivers on the other side. Gase, like some in the Jets front office, believes last year’s fourth-round tight end Chris Herndon is a budding star. With Bell aboard, Gase can now leverage running back routes with those tight end routes, creating an either-or combination that puts weakside defenders in a bind. (The Patriots do this masterfully with Rob Gronkowski and James White, especially in the red zone.)

And the last defining trait of Gase’s offense is its use of the slot receiver. Gase wants inside receivers who can run after the catch. The Jets recently agreed to terms with one of the league’s best: ex-Redskin Jamison Crowder. Now, they just need to find a quality perimeter receiver to pair with Robby Anderson. Do that and this offense, built around Le’Veon Bell, has everything it needs to run Gase’s scheme and help develop young QB Sam Darnold.

 

[nycdan]

31 minutes ago, slats said:

So here's the thing: no free agent has signed yet. Why have the Jets "missed out" on other players? Why can't/shouldn't they contact players they like who have verbal agreements with other teams and make them a better offer? 

Contacting the league is fine. Trying to fix a stupid system is fine. But in real time, they should be doing everything they can to improve the football team. Let some other team bitch about the Jets stealing their guy. I'd like that better. 

Agreed.  Every team and player understands that nothing counts until 4pm today.  The Jets could make a call right now to try to pry one of the LBs away from GB.  And while docking a team a 3rd round pick for dealing with a player who verbally agreed (which is very hard to prove btw) doesn't really make sense.  The team isn't at fault and may not have even known a verbal deal was struck (not everything gets to Twitter in real-time even though it seems like it).  The league could award a comp pick to the damaged team, and conversely could dock a team a pick for bailing on a verbal agreement, but again, this stuff is really hard to prove and I'm pretty sure the league doesn't want to get into that business.  I think the NFL has already clarified that NOTHING is final until the league year ends.  

I'll give one alternative.  If you formalize the verbal agreement in writing to the league, you could make a rule that no other team but the player's current team can then negotiate.  So MIN would still have been able to retain Barr in that case, but once CAR signed Paradis, we would not have been able to try to steal him away.  That might make some sense.

What I do think in the current situation is that teams should be much less anxious to report agreements during this period, particularly with numbers attached.  Why show your hand to your competitors before you can close the deal.  All risk and no reward.  Let the fans scream for 48 hours.  We do anyway!

[J_Smith]

I’m hoping the combo of bell, Herndon in year 2, and a good slot receiver leads to much improved redzone efficiency.

if we can trade back, I’m hoping we can grab an o lineman in the 1st and hopefully Fant or irv smith jr in the 2nd round.

[MDL_JET]

I'd still be up for grabbing a guy like Renfrow in the draft. Reliable hands, quick and shifty, just a pain in the ass to cover on 3rd downs.

[windies07]

What you guys think this 3 wide with Bell and Cannon on the field. With Robby and Cannon on the outside with speed with spreading them 4 out wide with bell in the backfield. Mix it up with Robby,Quincy, Herndon, and Crowder including swapping them inside/outside. If Cannon can work with his catching/hands just imagine how much more the offense can be. 

[slimjasi]

I still think we need another WR, but lots of potential here. 

[Jetstream]

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