The bidding war for Le’Veon Bell is almost underway and the Jets are likely to be among the fiercest bidders for the running back’s services.
Bell sat out the entire 2018 season with the Steelers over contract disputes. After the team decided not to franchise tag him, Bell will look for a big payday in free agency. There are many reports about Bell’s contract demands, but chances are he’ll command a deal greater than Todd Gurley’s four-year, $57 million contract with an average annual salary of $14 million.
While the Jets certainly have the cap space and are the betting favorite to land Bell, they certainly won’t be the only team in the vying for Bell’s attention.
Here are six other teams potentially competing to sign Bell.
Indianapolis Colts
Armed with an NFL-leading $106.8 million in cap space, the Colts have the money to sign Bell and the talent on the roster to make Indianapolis the most attractive destination for the running back.
Andrew Luck and T.Y. Hilton are stars, the offensive line is vastly improved and the defense is young. The Colts were probably the hottest team in the second half of the 2018 season, winning 10 of their last 11 games before running into the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs.
The Colts are reportedly high on Bell’s list, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano, because “he sees Luck and that offense and all that cap room and they’re much closer than the Jets. He wants to go someplace he can win right away.” Not to mention, Bell commented on an Instagram post about Luck’s insane 2018 stat line.
Of all the teams on this list, the Colts make the most sense. It will all depend on if the team wants to invest as much as $17 million a year on a 27-year-old running back.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles don’t have nearly the cap room to sign Bell, so they’d need to get creative in order to land the dynamic rusher. But if they find a way to make the money work, the Eagles could be an intriguing landing spot for Bell, who’s already socialized his interest.
With Carson Wentz at the helm, the Eagles offense could really use a nice pass-catching running back. Philadelphia operated with what was at some points a four-man committee in 2018, with neither of the four playing at a high level. The Eagles are still good enough to contend in the NFC. They might just be one Le’Veon Bell away from playing for another Super Bowl.
Houston Texans
Another playoff team with tons of cap room, the Texans would be an ideal fit for Bell for financial and personnel reason.
Houston has $75.5 million in cap space and could save another $6 million if they cut incumbent running back Lamar Miller. Houston has the added bonus of being in Texas, meaning Bell wouldn’t pay state income tax on his lucrative deal.
Even better, the team is already primed for another playoff run with a dynamic offense and hard-hitting defense. Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins are already one of the best QB-WR duos in the NFL. Adding Bell could create a trio better than the one he had in Pittsburgh with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders actually have the second-highest odds to land Bell, according to OddShark, and are an intriguing option for Bell. They have $70 million in cap space but lack identity. If Oakland landed Bell, he would immediately become the focal point of the offense after the team traded away wideout Amari Cooper.
It appears as though the Raiders are in a bit of a rebuild, so adding Bell might not turn the Raiders around immediately, especially with Marshawn Lynch continuing to regress. The team does have three first-round picks, though, so adding Bell to whatever they do in the draft could push the Raiders back into relevancy as they get closer to their move to Las Vegas.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If the Buccaneers want to stay competitive in the NFC South, they’ll need to add Bell. Tampa Bay’s offense was among the best in the league in 2018, but failed to finish off drives. Bell would be a tremendous upgrade over current backs Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones. He would also be a third offensive weapon with Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson already in the mix.
The problem is the money: The Buccaneers don’t have enough. With only $14.7 million in cap space, Tampa Bay would need to make some massive roster moves to open themselves up to pay for Bell.
Green Bay Packers
One thing Aaron Rodgers has never really had in his career is a solid, pass-catching running back. Bell would immediately fill that role and push the Packers back into relevancy in the NFC.
New Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has already said he’d like to run the ball more to take pressure off Rodgers and neither Jamaal Williams nor Aaron Jones is on the same level as Bell. Given the Packers aren’t known to break the bank for players, it would be a surprise to see Bell in Green Bay.
