INDIANAPOLIS — Last season, Jets general manager Joe Douglas listened to trade offers for big-money running back Le’Veon Bell. This offseason, it sounds like there’s no chance a Bell trade will happen.
So he almost certainly will return to the Jets in 2020, for better or worse.
Douglas was asked Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine if he has initiated any Bell trade talks with other teams.
“No,” he said.
And teams haven’t approached Douglas, either.
“There hasn’t been talk, as far as him going anywhere,” Douglas said. “We’re excited about Le’Veon.”
(What else would you expect Douglas to say at this point? That he thinks Bell’s massive contract is a complete albatross?)
So how can second-year coach Adam Gase get the most out of Bell in 2020? Well, to hear Douglas tell it, that mission will start with improving a shoddy offensive line.
“I wouldn’t say his play declined [last season],” Douglas said of Bell. “I think we need to do a better job of opening holes for him. We need to put him in a good position to be as productive as he was in Pittsburgh.”
Bell sat out the 2018 season, while in a contract dispute with the Steelers. Then, last offseason, Jets GM Mike Maccagnan gave Bell $27 million fully guaranteed, in what is essentially a two-year contract (2019-20).
Jets acting owner Christopher Johnson replaced Maccagnan with Douglas after last year’s draft. But Douglas is stuck with Bell for at least one more season, due to his contract structure and lackluster stats in 2019. That’s the reality for Douglas, who now must embrace Bell.
Cutting Bell isn’t an option for Douglas. It wouldn’t make sense from a salary cap perspective. And Douglas surely wouldn’t get enough in a trade, especially considering the Jets would have to eat some of Bell’s $8.5 million salary in 2020, in order to facilitate a deal.
Bell last season ran for just 789 yards and three touchdowns. He gained a career-low 3.2 yards per carry. Bell’s total rushing/receiving stats (1,250 yards, four touchdowns) paled in comparison to what he did in 2016 and 2017 with Pittsburgh — 1,884 and 1,946 yards, with nine and 11 touchdowns.
Gase created the impression last season, with his usage of Bell, that he doesn’t really value him, further fueling the notion that Gase thought Maccagnan paid too much. Bell had 311 touches in 15 games, compared to 406 touches in 2017, when he also played 15 games.
If Bell struggles again in 2020, Douglas can easily cut him. Doing it would free up $9.5 million of Bell’s $13.5 million salary cap figure for 2021. (A trade after 2020 would have the same cap implications for 2021.) Bell’s cap hit in 2020 is $15.5 million.
Gase again insisted Tuesday that his relationship with Bell is fine. But Bell’s usage in 2020 will tell the real story, in terms of what Gase thinks about him. All Gase and Douglas can do now is try to make things work in 2020 with their underachieving, $27 million running back.
“He’s not a complainer,” Gase said. “He does his job. We’ve had a few text exchanges in the offseason, just checking in on each other. He’s been great for us. He’s done everything I’ve asked him to do. Whatever everybody else says, I think we’re both to the point of: We really don’t care. As long as our relationship is good, we’re good.”
NFL analyst Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater.
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