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Is the Le'Veon Bell signing over-hyped?


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Mods, please merge this thread if you feel it necessary.  

I was watching this video about which non-Paytoilets team will win the AFC East this year and the reasoning for the Jets chances are mainly because of Le'Veon Bell.  I agree that he posted some nice numbers in the past but he didn't play at all last season.  There's a big difference between being 'in shape' and being 'in game shape'.  Call me crazy but I don't think he'll be lighting it up for the Jets this season.  He'll put up decent numbers but I don't see any breakout year from him.  Having the threat of Big Ben throwing the ball to AB probably had more to do with his numbers then his actual running ability.  Your thoughts?

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1 minute ago, Peace Frog said:

Mods, please merge this thread if you feel it necessary.  

I was watching this video about which non-Paytoilets team will win the AFC East this year and the reasoning for the Jets chances are mainly because of Le'Veon Bell.  I agree that he posted some nice numbers in the past but he didn't play at all last season.  There's a big difference between being 'in shape' and being 'in game shape'.  Call me crazy but I don't think he'll be lighting it up for the Jets this season.  He'll put up decent numbers but I don't see any breakout year from him.  Having the threat of Big Ben throwing the ball to AB probably had more to do with his numbers then his actual running ability.  Your thoughts?

I think that the jets will have not done enough to strengthen their OL.....and that is going to hurt Bell

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I think LeVeon Bell is way over-hyped.   I mean, the guy is obviously a very talented back, but I don't think he turns a loser into a winner.  Why?

 

1.  You don't need a great running  back to win.  He's a luxury.   You need a great QB and a great line.   Where the Jets are in those categories is certainly an open question.

 

2.  Bell was great in Pittsburgh in his last couple of seasons because the Steelers' line was great.  Bell held the ball, danced, looked, sometimes just stood still, while the offensive line held their blocks, held their blocks and eventually moved someone in the right direction to create a hole.   I'd watch it and wish the Bills could block for Shady like that, because Shady is great at waiting for the hole and then bursting into.   I think that unless the Jets can block like that, Bell is going to look like an ordinary human being.   

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I think he'll improve their team. The question is by how much. The oline is obviously more important, but Bell can cover up some of that problem to a certain extent, I think.

 

But their success is tied to one guy, and that's Darnold.

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As with us, if they make the jump it’ll be because of Darnold taking his game to a new level. That’s the only way Bell is having some monstrous year is if Darnold is winging it around the field opening up the box for running lanes 

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For sure he's a really good and talented running back. That said I'd be concerned about his temperament. One of his major issues with the Steelers was his pay check, and moving to the Jets didn't get that addressed. When the season starts if he or the Jets are struggling then I'd bet he'll be back whining and complaining. 

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31 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I think LeVeon Bell is way over-hyped.   I mean, the guy is obviously a very talented back, but I don't think he turns a loser into a winner.  Why?

 

1.  You don't need a great running  back to win.  He's a luxury.   You need a great QB and a great line.   Where the Jets are in those categories is certainly an open question.

 

2.  Bell was great in Pittsburgh in his last couple of seasons because the Steelers' line was great.  Bell held the ball, danced, looked, sometimes just stood still, while the offensive line held their blocks, held their blocks and eventually moved someone in the right direction to create a hole.   I'd watch it and wish the Bills could block for Shady like that, because Shady is great at waiting for the hole and then bursting into.   I think that unless the Jets can block like that, Bell is going to look like an ordinary human being.   

Exactly! He IS very good but the Steelers line was exceptional. He'll upgrade the Jets for sure but I'd be surprised he makes that much of an impact. It does seem the Jets have improved quite similarly as the Bills during offseason so overall they might be much better, and that will help Bell. But in a salary cap sport? I'm glad the Bills passed him up. 

 

And I'd still take Josh over Darnold any day.

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I mean, I haven't heard a word about it since the day it happened, so maybe overhyped isn't the term.

 

However, he's a very good player, who just had his body rest for a year, in the prime of his career, I'd certainly say that he upgrades their offense as an explosive playmaker....but is he going to turn the team around? Absolutely not.

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I expect him to be similar to Shady for us when we first acquired him. Has to be accounted for and can take over games at times, while also not being able to do enough on his own to make the team a serious contender.

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58 minutes ago, Shaw66 said:

I think LeVeon Bell is way over-hyped.   I mean, the guy is obviously a very talented back, but I don't think he turns a loser into a winner.  Why?

 

1.  You don't need a great running  back to win.  He's a luxury.   You need a great QB and a great line.   Where the Jets are in those categories is certainly an open question.

 

2.  Bell was great in Pittsburgh in his last couple of seasons because the Steelers' line was great.  Bell held the ball, danced, looked, sometimes just stood still, while the offensive line held their blocks, held their blocks and eventually moved someone in the right direction to create a hole.   I'd watch it and wish the Bills could block for Shady like that, because Shady is great at waiting for the hole and then bursting into.   I think that unless the Jets can block like that, Bell is going to look like an ordinary human being.   

 

This. 

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The Jets clearly upgraded the running back position

But they did virtually nothing on the offensive line, which was one of their weak points last season. 

 

So at the end of the day, how much did they truly upgrade their rushing attack?  How much does that marginal improvement in the run game actually help the offense?  And will it be enough to make the team better in the win column?  FYI - I do realize the draft has not happened yet.

 

Just like us with Josh Allen, the biggest difference will ultimately be how much Sam Darnold improves in his second year.  I liked Darnold a lot as a prospect, and I thought he showed a lot of promise last season.  So although I do anticipate the Jets improving in 2019, very little of that is due to Le'Veon Bell.

 

When it comes to building a roster, I definitely prefer Brandon Beane's approach.  Instead of making a huge splash on ONE guy, we spread our dollars out and brought in solid starters/competition at multiple places.  At the end of the day, I think Morse, Gore, Brown, Beasley, Nsekhe, Long, Feliciano and Waddle will be a bigger boost than... Bell.

 

 

 

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I posted this in the other thread discussing the Bell signing:

 

https://deadspin.com/did-leveon-bell-make-the-right-decision-1833381292 

 

"Yes, he secured more full guarantees than any non-rookie running back. But Bell also left a lot of money on the table—money he was very, very, very likely to earn had he taken the Steelers’ offer, and money that ironically went straight back into the Steelers’ pockets."

 

"Bell essentially paid $19 million to gain an additional $7 million in full guarantees."

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We just need 5 Samoan O-Lineman and Shady and Gore will rush for 2,000 combined yards.

 

After rewatching a lot of games from last year Shady looks like he lost some top end speed but not any of his agility or shake and bake. That delayed foot drag followed by that double move will still turn defenders into statues. Gore also has lost a step but he might be the best downhill runner in the NFL even at his age. With Allen, Shady, Gore and a improved O-Line I will not be surprised if we lead the NFL in rushing this year.

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All good points so far.  I also think he's at a huge risk for injury this year especially if he's still fat.  

 

He doesn't have the three B's the strectch the defense anymore either.  He absolutely benefit from having those guys on his team.  Do the Jets have any receivers?

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