When Le’Veon Bell spoke with Jamal Adams in July, he was under the impression that Adams wanted to remain in New York if he could get the contract extension that he desired.
Or so he thought.
“I just thought there was a bigger picture,” Bell told reporters Wednesday. “Like, an understanding of what we were trying to do. I’m going to come here, there’s been some losing seasons, we’re going to try to turn things around. This, that and the other.”
Bell was referring to the Adams’ recruitment of the running back two offseasons ago. Adams got Bell to New York, but he left soon after. That left a bad taste in Bell’s mouth.
“It kind of looks like he forced his way out,” Bell added. “I was talking to him and he was telling me he wasn’t going to force his way out.”
Looking back, the Jets’ All-Pro back feels like he was duped by Adams. When Adams eventually forced his way out of town at the end of July, Bell took it rather personally. He felt like he had been lied to considering Adams played a large part in recruiting Bell to sign with the Jets just over a year ago.
“He was a big piece of why I came here in the first place,” Bell said.
By taking shots at every faction of the Jets’ power structure on his way out the door, Adams ensured that the Jets would have no choice but to trade him. The Jets eventually complied, shipping him off to Seattle.
Bell certainly didn’t appreciate how Adams went about his exit, but he did enjoy their one season together in green and white. At the end of the day, Bell doesn’t harbor any ill will toward Adams.
“I love playing with him. He’s a great teammate,” Bell said. “I just — sometimes you don’t like how people handle things.
“I’m not upset with Jamal. I want the best for Jamal. Jamal is a great player. You can’t take away from that. He’s a great, special player on the field and I loved playing with him. He’s a great teammate, too… I want the best for him, and I want him to have a great season.”