The Facts: GM Joe Douglas said last week he would listen if teams call about Bell. But it sounded Monday like Douglas expects Bell back with the Jets in 2020. In an appearance on The Michael Kay Show on ESPN, Douglas called the running back a “very good player.” Douglas added: “We value Le’Veon. We value the competitor. We value the teammate. We’re excited [for him] being in our program another year, going through our offseason again.”
Diehards Line:
Douglas was not the general manager when Bell signed a $52.5 million contract in free agency last March, including $27 million guaranteed. But Bell is due a fully guaranteed $13.5 million in 2020, which would make trading him difficult. Cutting him isn’t an option because of the massive dead-cap hits. So, with Bell likely back, the Jets will have to find a way to better utilize this talent after he rushed for only 789 yards and three touchdowns in 2019.