KC Chiefs still have surprising players available in free agency

Le’Veon Bell, RB

We should start with this, since Le’Veon Bell himself is perhaps the most surprised that he’s still available in free agency.

We’re not quite sure how effective Bell will be at reminding us of whatever he’s wanting to remind us of, but we’re pretty sure it has something to do with being arguably the best running back in the NFL as recently as 2017. Subsequent seasons can be filed under “holdout” and “Jets” in pretty understandable terms, but his stint in Kansas City was a confusing one as well.

The Chiefs signed Bell as a free agent and drafted Clyde Edwards-Helaire in the first round and yet still leaned heavily on Darrel Williams in the postseason when it mattered most. While it was clear Bell was going to be part of a rotation, the Chiefs rarely used him despite solid bursts that showed his running style was still effective in moving the chains on offense.

Bell only had 76 total touches in 9 games played for the Chiefs during the regular season, but that total dropped to a mere two touches in 3 postseason games, hardly the sort of workload that Bell was likely looking forward to in his only season with Andy Reid.

At this point, Bell is now four full seasons removed from the height of his playing days, so expectations need to be adjusted accordingly going forward, but even still, it’s hard to see how the likes of Ameer Abdullah has found a place to play in 2021 while Bell waits for his chance. The upside play alone is worth a signing.