The Kansas City Chiefs made waves last October by beating out four competing teams for the services of All-Pro RB Le’Veon Bell, who was cut by the New York Jets just two games into his second season in the Big Apple.
While the soon-to-be 29-year-old was not expected to revert to his elite production of yesteryear, Bell’s contributions were minimal in nine regular season appearances for Kansas City. Even after first-round RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire went down with multi-week hip and ankle injuries in Week 15, Bell took a backseat to third-year backup Darrel Williams, and didn’t see a single touch in the team’s AFC Championship and Super Bowl appearances.
Now set to become an unrestricted free agent in March, the eighth-year veteran will likely hit the open market once again assuming Kansas City prioritizes the 25-year-old Williams, an impending restricted free agent.
Raiders Named Potential Landing Spot for Bell
In a recent exercise in which Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton examined where 10 top free agent running backs could land in 2021, Bell was seen as a fit with the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders on a one-year deal.
Through nine contests with the Chiefs, Bell recorded 76 touches for 353 yards and two touchdowns. Apparently, he wants to extend his career rather than wear himself down in a featured role.
Bell can find a new home with the Las Vegas Raiders, who will probably allow backup running back Devontae Booker to test the open market. Head coach Jon Gruden has signed notable veteran tailbacks in all three of his most recent offseasons with the team: Doug Martin (2018), Isaiah Crowell (2019) and Booker (2020).
While the Raiders would need to shed some salary cap space to bring Bell aboard, he shouldn’t garner much more than the $1 million total salary received from the Chiefs this past season.
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Chiefs Sign 2 More Wide Receivers to Future Contracts
After Kansas City’s latest round of reserve/future signings on Tuesday, which included 10 familiar faces from the practice squad this season, the AFC champions will be adding four more wide receivers to their 90-man offseason roster when eligible on March 17. On Friday, the team added two more pass catchers into the offseason mix.
According to the NFL’s official transaction report for February 12, the Chiefs are bringing back WR Gehrig Dieter, as well as former Los Angeles Chargers WR Dalton Schoen. Despite being listed on the transaction wire, the future contracts won’t take effect until the first day of the new league year.
Dieter, 27, is already a very familiar name within Chiefs Kingdom after bouncing around between the practice squad and active roster for much of the last four seasons. Schoen, 24, is a local prospect having spent three seasons at Kansas State before entering the league as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers in 2020. Originally a walk-on with at K-State, the 6-foot-1, 209-pounder still managed to compile 92 receptions, 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns.
At present, the Chiefs have now 18 players inked to future contracts, including Dieter and Schoen:
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Chris Licata is an NFL contributor covering the Kansas City Chiefs from enemy territory in Denver, Colorado. Follow him on Twitter @Chris__Licata or join the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook community for the latest out of Chiefs Kingdom!
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Chiefs All-Pro Free Agent Predicted to Sign With Raiders