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Things might be heating up on the Le’Veon Bell to New England Patriots front. Immediately after the New York Jets released Bell on Tuesday, the Patriots were one of the teams mentioned as a potential suitor for the two-time All-Pro running back.
On Wednesday, we learned from ESPN’s Adam Schefter the Patriots were among a group of teams that had trade talks with the Jets before New York ultimately released Bell.
With the Jets unable to find someone to take Bell in a trade, he was released, but now some of the teams that were interested in potentially trading for him are now among the group that might sign him via free agency.
The Patriots are reportedly a part of that group, per Mike D’Abate of Full Press Patriots.
Hard to Trump the Chiefs
If you’re a veteran free-agent, on either side of the ball, it’s hard to imagine you not wanting to play for the Chiefs. The defending Super Bowl champions have looked pretty strong this season as they have gotten out to a 4-1 start and they still have one of the league’s best quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes.
It makes sense for Bell to be interested in playing for the Chiefs, and they may very well be the frontrunners. Bell and Mahomes reportedly followed each other on Twitter on Wednesday night.
On the flip side, Bell was just released by the Jets. It’s natural for a player who has been released to want to stick it to his former team. If Bell signed with the Patriots, he’d have two opportunities to do just that against the Jets.
In a scenario where money may not be a major deciding factor, something like that could be the thing that pushes a player in one direction over the other.
Do the Patriots Really Need Bell?
The big question on the Patriots’ side is: do they even need Bell?
The Patriots did recently place Sony Michel on injured reserve, but even with him out of action for at least three weeks, there is still considerable depth at the position.
Damien Harris went over 100 yards in his first start against the Chiefs during Week 4 and projects to be the primary back for the rest of the season. The Patriots also have Rex Burkhead, who has had a fantastic start to the season running and catching the ball, third-down specialist James White who provides versatility and leadership, and rookie spark plug J.J. Taylor.
Where would Bell fit in that already crowded running back room?
It would appear he’d be in contention to take touches away from almost everyone and Taylor would likely be headed to the practice squad.
At this point, I’d expect Bell to sign with the Chiefs, but it’s interesting to note the Patriots’ reported interest on any level.
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