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It was just a week ago when it was announced the New York Jets would be releasing former Pro-Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell. When the news came out, Bears fans everywhere flocked to social media and begged general manager Ryan Pace and the team to sign the maligned playmaker, as is tradition when someone hits the open market.
The bell tolled for the Bears and 30 other teams as bell winded up signing with the Kansas City Chiefs a few days later. While many were disappointed, there is still a running back in the Meadowlands who may be available for an inexpensive price and would fill the Bears needs arguably better than Bell. It’s New York Giants running back Dion Lewis.
Lewis, who signed a one-year deal this offseason with the Giants as the team’s change-of-pace back, has seemingly fallen out of the rotation following the injury to running back Saquon Barkley.
After signing free agent Devonta Freeman to take the reins, Lewis has seen his usage diminish in three of the last four Giants games. He did see an uptick in usage when Freeman left the game with an injury in Thursday’s loss, but backup running back Wayne Gallman was the primary beneficiary of those touches. With those two more involved, Lewis is becoming a non-factor in the Giants offense. But he could become one in the Bears offense.
Lewis is in his 10th season in the league and may not be the player he once was, but he’s been an effective player in the pass game in the past. He possesses many skills that injured back Tarik Cohen has, who tore his ACL in week three against the Atlanta Falcons on a punt return, and would be a logical choice to take some of the snaps he would have had.
Since the Falcons game, the Bears have failed to eclipse 300 total yards in three-straight games. Head coach Matt Nagy loves to use Cohen in many different ways and he would get that type of weapon back in Lewis. Considering he’s a free agent at the end of the year, it also wouldn’t cost much in a trade.
Backup running backs like Lewis on cheap contracts would likely only cost a conditional seventh-round draft pick. For reference, last year the Miami Dolphins dealt running back Kenyan Drake to the Arizona Cardinals for a conditional sixth round pick, that later became a fifth. Furthermore, the Giants are setting themselves up for a liquidation sale, trading outside linebacker Markus Golden to the Cardinals on Friday and appear open to dealing other veterans.
Lewis can fill a need in the Bears backfield, giving Nagy and quarterback Nick Foles another weapon to work with. He’s no Bell and this won’t fix all the problems on the offense, but he’s a serviceable back who can be a mismatch coming out of the backfield. The NFL trade deadline is Tuesday, November 3rd at 3:00 p.m. CT.