Will Le’Veon Bell transform the New York Jets offense?

Last we saw Le’Veon Bell, he was lighting up the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The New York Jets are a younger team with an unknown offense. Will Bell successfully transform New York into a dominant force?

It has been a year and a half since Le’Veon Bell last played an NFL game. After sitting out all of last season in a contract dispute, Bell joined the New York Jets this offseason. The last we saw of him, Bell was arguably the best running back in the sport. Is this Bell still that Bell?

A number of the most intriguing players in the NFL switched teams this offseason. For one reason or another, these stars find themselves in new homes for the 2019 season. Each has a story behind their move, and all have question marks surrounding their future. Will Le’Veon Bell transform the New York Jets offense into a winner?

Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate Le’Veon Bell in today’s NFL Sports Debate.

Todd Salem:

On the team side of things, New York made a splash by signing Bell. Maybe it overpaid for him. As has been discussed ad nauseam, running backs aren’t worth large investments in this league. For latest proof — see, Todd Gurley. Maybe the Bell signing was partially why ownership fired the general manager. Either way, he is in uniform for 2019, and we get to see his impact on the field.

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The fact that head coach Adam Gase was reportedly against the Bell signing in the first place doesn’t bode well for the two’s relationship. But even the dumbest coaches can utilize a player of Bell’s talents. And Gase is not a dumb offensive coach.

The Jets are trying to make a mini-leap this season into playoff contention. They are building around Sam Darnold and their defense. Other than a question of instituting a new offense and executing, the Jets’ main concern is in regards to offensive skill players. This is where Bell comes in.

Bell is definitively New York’s top runner. Bell is also probably the team’s best receiver. So after missing an entire season, how much of the load can he be expected to carry? He is still only 27 years old. His heaviest-usage season was the last one he played: a league-leading 406 touches in 2017. Maybe it was a good thing he then took 2018 off. He has had two other seasons topping 330 touches. His rookie year saw far fewer than that; as did his injured 2015.

For a 27-year-old, workhorse starting running back, entering his seventh year in the NFL, Bell actually hasn’t had that much of a workload. He is just over 1,500 career touches. The NBA is infatuated with “load management.” Maybe Bell is ahead of the curve and simply managed his own load with his contract decisions.

Compare Bell’s work to other active running backs when they were entering their seventh seasons. Adrian Peterson was just a shade under 2,000 touches. LeSean McCoy had topped 1,700. The immortal Frank Gore, who didn’t even start as a rookie, was up over 1,600. This brings up the unavoidable question of rest versus rust. Will Bell be fresh or rusty?

Even if he is fresh, will he find room to operate? The aforementioned Jets’ receiving corps is lacking a number-one option. Defenses will be focused on thwarting Bell on every touch. It will be up to Gase to find space for Bell and up to Darnold to get him the ball. Who knows if either man is up to the task. With all the questions surrounding Bell, his success or failure may end up having nothing to do with his year off. As with all football questions, there is so much more to it.

Dan Salem:

Last season I naively believed the New York Jets offense could succeed with two or three solid number two receivers, and no No. 1 guy. This was clearly wrong because the Jets did not have a dominant running game. It was dominant on several occasions but overall fell flat.

Le’Veon Bell changes that dynamic for New York and literally opens up the field for the entire Jets offense. Whether or not he puts up the numbers we are accustomed to, Bell is going to successfully improve New York’s offense by leaps and bounds.

The only thing better for Sam Darnold than the addition of Bell would be Pro Bowl talent across the entire offensive line. But don’t kid yourself. Bell will improve the line as well, simply by spreading out the defense. You cannot simply double-team Bell. New York has Bilal Powell in the backfield as well, plus three dynamic receivers all improving year after year.

How will Bell perform within Gase’s offense? He makes everyone around him better and opens up the new playbook. Bell will be given the ball a lot, but don’t expect a ton of direct carries up the middle. Gase’s offense is unpredictable. Bell’s production will be as well.

There is no player in the NFL hungrier to prove himself than Bell. The Jets will be smart to slow him down and help him pace his performance. New York’s goal is the playoffs, not a strong September followed by a forgettable year. I can’t speak to Bell’s fantasy value, because if the Jets use him correctly he will put up nice numbers, but not be the sole source of production on offense.

New York is attempting to build a three-back rotation. They just brought in a premier rugby player to solidify the unit alongside Bell and Powell. The competition for RB3 is fierce. This means Bell may play decoy a lot, then catch a pass. It means we truly don’t know how the Jets will use him.

It’s easy to question a player after not seeing him play for a full season. We have short term memories and Bell is on a new team that is completely different from last season. But unlike the star wide receivers who changed teams this offseason, it’s rather common for a running back to join a new team and have an instant impact. Their learning curve is smaller and it’s easier for them to find success. Don’t sleep on Bell this season. He’s aiming for the Pro Bowl once again.