News broke late on Tuesday night that the New York Jets released former All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell after just a couple of seasons with the team, which were deemed largely disappointing considering the massive contract that NY gave the RB to sign there in 2018.
While Bell had just three total touchdowns in his time with New York, don’t let that make you forget what he did in the first part of his career, where he was undoubtedly the best RB in all of football during his five years with the Steelers. In that time, he was named to three Pro-Bowls and racked up a total of 42 touchdowns. It’s possible that he still has a lot of football left in the tank going forward for whatever team may look to sign him.
That team should not be the Washington Football Team.
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Yes, Washington is technically trying to make a push for the playoffs, and yes they desperately need help on offense in terms of weapons. However, the RB position is actually one of the few areas where they should feel pretty good about their roster depth, with rookie Antonio Gibson looking like a steal in the third round of the draft, and J.D. McKissic performing well in his third-down back role. Going out of their way to add Bell to the roster would hinder Gibson’s ability to grow into an RB1 role going forward, and Bell’s skill-set doesn’t offer something that Washington is in desperate need of — both Gibson and McKissic have proven highly capable of adding a dimension to the passing game, which was Bell’s bread and butter in Pittsburgh.
Any time a hot free agent name becomes available, it’s totally understandable to rush to social media and clamor for your team to sign him. We are fans after all. However, in Washington, this move just doesn’t make a ton of sense. If you’re going to add someone to the roster, look for a safety or a wide receiver. That’s where they could really use the help.
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