New York Jets sign Le’Veon Bell: Grades, reaction and more

One of the final major dominoes fell early Wednesday morning as Le’Veon Bell signed with the New York Jets. Despite the late signing, there was some interesting reaction to the move.

It’s been over a year since we’ve seen Le’Veon Bell on the football field, but he was still quite possibly the most intriguing free agent in the NFL. He’s playing the running back position, one that doesn’t usually come with major pay days, but he’s one of the most dynamic weapons in the entire league.

And now he’s signed. It was so late Tuesday night when the move was announced that it became Wednesday, and Le’Veon Bell is now a member of the New York Jets. Gang Green adds another major player after signing C.J. Mosley and Jamison Crowder and re-signing Henry Anderson. The Jets are spending money like there’s no limit.

This is huge for a Jets team that’s looking to finally unseat the Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots. They have the quarterback in Sam Darnold, an upgraded wide receiver corps, an above average defense and now Bell, who could be the best overall weapon in the league. Bell provides the Jets with that player that needs multiple players to keep at bay, and sometimes that doesn’t even work.

Contract Details

Adam Schefter reports that Bell signed a four-year deal for a total of $52 million. That gives his contract an annual value of over $13 million. That has him battling with Todd Gurley for the highest paid running back in the league.

National Reaction

It’s late, so one might expect most of the national media to be sleeping, but the NFL offseason never sleeps.

When it comes to Twitter, we knew it would start with Le’Veon himself. Going through the replies to that Tweet shows an array of emotions. You have fans of the Jets elated with joy. Fans of other teams beg Bell not to sign his contract. You also have those with the blue check mark giving their two cents.

Of course, this came up A LOT. Just over a year ago, Bell said on Twitter it would cost way more than $60 million to play with the Jets. Well Le’Veon, Twitter never forgets. Bell signed for under $60 million, and the fans are not letting him forget.

https://twitter.com/ColinCowherd/status/1105690484867919873

Colin Cowherd is right. This move is huge for Sam Darnold, as he now has the right pieces to succeed. This move was taken as a great one for many around the internet. Bell seems like the right fit in New Jersey, and the Jets now have a guy to market the franchise around besides Darnold.

This is a very good move for the Jets. They get the player they need to put true fear into the hearts of Patriots fans. Bell is a monster, and most teams don’t have the right personnel to cover him throughout the game.

The contract isn’t too bad either. Sure, $13+ million for a running back sounds like a lot, but Bell just turned 27, has one less season of wear on his body, and has something to prove. That’s a scary combination, and could prove deadly for the rest of the AFC.