Le’Veon Bell and other RBs for the Broncos to consider signing
The Denver Broncos should look at Le’Veon Bell and other running backs following Melvin Gordon’s arrest.
The Denver Broncos signed Melvin Gordon this offseason to a contract that most people thought was very pricey. Now, expected to miss some time due to a suspension, the team will be in need of a running back. The Broncos should take a look at recently-released running back Le’Veon Bell.
Under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, Gordon is going to be suspended for three weeks. The Broncos just had their bye week (unexpectedly, of course), so he would be guaranteed to miss three games, unless an appeal somehow lowers that number.
Last night on the show we talked about whether the Broncos would be interested in Bell.
— Benjamin Allbright (@AllbrightNFL) October 14, 2020
That was obviously a non-starter if Gordon and Lindsay were both a go, but with Gordon situation now, it's a legitimate talking point.
The New York Jets just released Bell (and his contract) after failing to find a trade partner for the disgruntled running back.
The Broncos’ offensive coordinator, Pat Shurmur, used running backs heavily in the passing game last year in New York with the Giants. Saquon Barkley caught 52-of-73 targets for 438 yards and two touchdowns.
Bell has caught 381-of-478 passes for 3,160 yards and eight touchdowns in his career—both with the Steelers and Jets.
Adding Bell to a backfield that will get Phillip Lindsay back from a turf toe injury could be a lot of fun.
Something to keep in mind, however, is the reason why Bell found his way out of Pittsburgh and New York: He hasn’t exactly been a team player. The reason he got out of Pittsburgh and New York was because he was unhappy there.
Would that sort of attitude continue with the Broncos?
With Gordon’s absence, Bell would definitely see a lot of time on the field. The Broncos won’t just stick with Lindsay and Royce Freeman. In fact, Freeman hasn’t done a whole lot this season in terms of running the football (9 carries, 30 yards).
Even if the Broncos go a different direction in the end, I believe that bringing Bell in for a visit should be on the team’s to-do list.
There are other options, however, if the Broncos don’t want to go the Bell route.