Was Le’Veon Bell really on the table for the Kansas City Chiefs?
By Matt Conner
The current rumor is that the New York Jets will not trade running back Le’Veon Bell, but the Chiefs were reportedly among the teams interested.
On paper, there is still a chance that a deal could happen for the Kansas City Chiefs, specifically one based on some floated rumor that surfaced on the day of the NFL trading deadline involving running back Le’Veon Bell. Yes, that same Le’Veon Bell who sat out all of last year and then signed a ridiculously large contract this offseason with the New York Jets.
If your brow is furrowed at this point, you have the right response. The Chiefs have the salary cap space to get a deal done, but the idea of importing a high priced running back isn’t exactly the biggest need on a roster laden with injuries in the trenches on both sides as well as cornerback. The team’s biggest talent issue is at linebacker, and the Chiefs are hardly hurting for talent among its running backs corps as it is.
Still that didn’t stop the following from floating around earlier.
Sources: Eagles, Bucs, Colts, Texans, Lions, Chiefs and the Bills are all showing interest in Le’Veon Bell. pic.twitter.com/rsBeqLzwUI
— Mike Ortiz Jr. (@TrustOrtiz) October 29, 2019
From my understanding, talking to sources, #Jets aren’t shopping LeVeon Bell as much as teams are calling them. They heard fire sale, and phoned Douglas to see price.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 29, 2019
Is there a price? Yes. It’s high. #Chiefs & #Texans most interested. Chiefs have more to possibly get it done
You get the idea. The Chiefs have a mega-offense and is somehow hungrier for more weapons than they already have (never mind the lack of snaps for players like Mecole Hardman already).
At this point, the rumors say that the Jets will keep Bell, but again, it’s an hour before the deadline.
Barring a last-hour change, the Jets don’t plan to trade RB Le’Veon Bell before today’s 4 pm deadline, per source. Jets received calls, but not enough interest to make a deal.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 29, 2019
All that to say: who knows what is real or what is not, but the idea of the Chiefs adding Bell just seems silly. It’s akin to having to buy a Christmas gift for your boss or someone who already has everything, as they say. The Chiefs don’t have everything (not at 5-3), but they know what they do need and it ain’t a running back.
The Chiefs have been linked with cornerbacks all season long for good reason: they’ve needed one. They had rumored interested in Jalen Ramsey, Patrick Peterson and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Those are the kinds of deals that make sense. For Le’Veon Bell? The question that comes to mind immediately is “Why?”
Bell was a free agent not so long ago. If the Chiefs were stoked about the potential of adding Bell months ago, why not sign him then? Instead the Chiefs waited, signed LeSean McCoy and traded Carlos Hyde because there was already too much talent. Guys like Darrel Williams are already rarely played and Darwin Thompson is a healthy scratch each week.
Bell is averaging 76.5 yards/game from scrimmage for the Jets so far this year. Yes, they are offensively deficient compared to the Chiefs and Bell would, of course, be an upgrade over any back the Chiefs have on the roster. But that’s also not a major boost, since Shady himself has put up roughly those same numbers with the Chiefs already and proven capable of breaking off big plays in the first half.
Even worse, Bell would require the Chiefs to pay him $15.5 million next year guaranteed or else take a $17 million hit in dead cap space. It simply makes no sense at all. The money might be there. The offensive wish list might see it as a wonderful luxury addition. But the reality is that any smoke here isn’t coming from a fire but from some agent overly anxious to create some interest in his client.
This whole thing is silly.