Jets are trying to trade RB Le'Veon Bell, per reports, but will they find a buyer?
The New York Jets are trying to trade disgruntled running back Le'Veon Bell, according to multiple reports.
This is no surprise, of course. Bell chose to go passive-aggressive with his criticism of coach Adam Gase after Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals, when he went on a "like" spree of Tweets that were critical of Gase and the way he was deploying the running back.
But finding a trade partner will not be easy.
Bell has a massive $8.5 million base salary, about $5 million of which will go to whatever team he lands with. That's way too much for an aging running back, who just came off an injury, so the Jets would likely have to eat a significant part of the salary.
But if they can get any sort of draft pick -- it's hard to imagine them getting anything more than a sixth-rounder -- they should make a deal.
The Jets could end up cutting Bell before the start of next season anyway, when they can do it without major salary cap ramifications. Things have worked out terribly for both the three-time Pro Bowl running back and the Jets since the team signed him to a four-year, $52.5 million deal in March of 2019.
Moving on from Bell will also give rookie La'Mical Perine a chance to take on a bigger role, which should help his development. And it would benefit Bell, who wants to play for a winner and clearly wants out of a situation where he doesn't believe he's being utilized properly.