Le’Veon Bell has clearly lost a step since his All-Pro days in Pittsburgh, but that doesn’t mean he still can’t be a valuable player for a contender.
Bell’s time in New York isn’t a true reflection of the player he is or once was. And his new head coach clearly recognizes that, otherwise, the Chiefs wouldn’t have added Bell to a backfield that’s already occupied by the team’s first-round pick, Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
“He’s been a heck of a player,” Andy Reid said of Bell, per ESPN’s Adam Teicher. “I wouldn’t expect anything else here.”
The Chiefs brought Bell in as a change of pace back who can be a dynamic threat in the passing game and still pass block with the best of them. Bell’s burst isn’t the same as it once was because of the wear and tear on his body and it certainly doesn’t help that his running style relies on patience.
But if anyone can figure out how to use Bell as a complementary piece, it’s Reid. The coache’s pedigree speaks for itself, and he’s a big reason why Bell elected to come to Kansas City, according to NFL Network’s Jim Trotter.
Bell is going from Adam Gase, who couldn’t figure out how to properly use him, to Reid, one of the game’s best offensive innovators. When Gase was asked about Bell’s usage following the running back’s departure, the Jets head coach said it was “irrelevant.”
It sure seems like Reid expects Bell to be a relevant part of the team’s offense once he passes the team’s COVID-19 protocols. That should give him enough time to get up to speed before a Week 8 matchup against his former team.