By Jordan Long
The New York Jets will take on the Baltimore Ravens tomorrow night. They look to improve their 5-8 record. There is talk they could explore trades for running back Le’Veon Bell and safety Jamal Adams this offseason.
On March 13th, 2019, the Jets agreed to a 4-year, $52.5 million contract with Bell. They were hoping Bell would improve their running game. Bell didn’t play at all in 2018 because he held out, hoping for a long-term contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers but that didn’t happen. The Steelers gave him the franchise tag in 2018 and he didn’t sign it. They moved on from Bell in the 2019 offseason.
Bell has been a disappointment this season. He appeared in 12 games, rushing for 589 yards and 3 touchdowns. His average yards per rush is 3.2 yards.
Bell is able to sneak out of the backfield to catch passes either by screens or running a route. Those catches usually lead to 1st downs. Bell totaled 403 passing yards and 1 touchdown with an average yards per catch of 7.3.
Those are not the numbers the Jets hoped Bell would have. He has struggled in the Jets’ offense. The Jets might be smart to deal him to another team. That franchise may be better suited for Bell and his running style.
According to CBSsports.com, Ralph Vacchiano of Sports Net New York said, “But the question now is, will it be his only season with the Jets? Multiple sources around the NFL told me this week that they really do expect that the Jets will make Bell available this offseason.”Vacchiano added, “And that the Jets could be even more receptive to a trade than they weren’t the deadline. They did get several calls on him back then, and their asking price was high. One source said it didn’t seem like the Jets were really willing to move him then, but since then it’s become pretty clear that Adam Gase can’t find a way to make him the centerpiece of their offense, or doesn’t want to.”
Jamal Adams is in his 3rd year with the Jets. His numbers are up this season from last year. Adams is a safety who comes on safety blitzes. Those are quarterback pressures or overthrows. Adams has 6.5 sacks this year.
On passing plays, he knocks the ball away from being caught. He has 6 passes defended. Adams can also pick the ball off for interceptions with a total of 1. Adams rarely misses a tackle in the open field since he is the last line of defense with 64 tackles.
The only reason to explore a trade for both of them is to save money. Bell is going to make $8.5 million next season and the cap hit will be $15.5 million. Once that is over, the Jets can opt-out of the deal but would take a $4 million dead cap space hit in 2021 and 2022. That might be too much money for another franchise to take on.
For Adams, he is the cheaper choice. He is going to make around $5.5 million for this year and next. The Jets shouldn’t give up on him. He is young at 24 years old and will continue to make plays for this defense for years to come.
The Jets will do what they feel is the best decision for the franchise. It could be dealing Bell and keeping Adams or letting both of them go. Right now, the Jets want to finish the next 3 weeks on a high note then worry about the offseason.
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