Bucs signing Le'Veon Bell
doubledragon
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Pending a physical, Le'Veon Bell will be a Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
Buccaneers signing veteran Pro Bowl RB Le'Veon Bell
Another decorated veteran is being added to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and another chance is being had by Le'Veon Bell.
The Buccaneers are signing Bell, pending a physical, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday.
The move comes following Tampa's top back, Leonard Fournette, leaving Sunday night's loss to the New Orleans Saints in the second half with a hamstring injury.
On Monday, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Fournette's hamstring injury was not deemed major but he would miss some time, likely a game or two. At this juncture of the campaign, heading into Week 16, though, getting reinforcements is paramount as Tampa looks to lock up the NFC South and a playoff spot with three games remaining in the regular season.
Should Bell, 29, pass his physical, the Bucs will sign him to the 53-man roster, Pelissero reported, and he'll be in line to back up Ronald Jones at the onset. Running back Giovani Bernard was placed on injured reserve earlier in the season.
Bell is now set to join his fourth team over the last two seasons, though it's his first go-round in the NFC. Bell played for the Jets and Chiefs in 2020 and was signed mid-season 2021 by the Ravens, who waived him on Nov. 16.
Once considered one of the game's elite runners and pass catchers out of the backfield when he was with the Steelers from 2013-18, Bell had a much-publicized divorce from the squad after sitting out the 2018 season. He landed a blockbuster deal with the Jets in 2019, but the three-time Pro Bowler never again found his phenomenal form.
Now, he'll reunite with his former Steelers teammate Antonio Brown in a surprising turn of events. He'll be another member of a star-studded veteran Bucs cast that includes quarterback Tom Brady, tight end Rob Gronkowski and makes for an offense that would've been a dream just four or five seasons ago.
In five games this season with Baltimore, Bell had 31 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns with just one reception for a loss of a yard.
However, if this season and the last are evidence, if there is a fountain of youth in the NFL, it's in Tampa Bay.
Comments
This guy has been a non factor since his holdout. Before that, he was arguably the best player in football.
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Lifetime, Bell averages 4.1ypc over his career. As a Steeler he averaged just 4.3ypc, and never averaged 5ypc over a season. Also, never rushed for 1400 yards in a season. He didn't have breakaway speed. He was a good receiving back though his yac were not very impressive. He was successful mainly due to the team around him. While in Pittsburgh he had one of the best lines in the NFL blocking for him which allowed him to patiently wait until a hole opened up. He also had a deep throwing future HoF QB forcing defenses to guard against the pass on every play. Outside that system he has looked way below average, and he's only 29, healthy, and got a full year if rest somewhere in there. Overrated, if you ask me.
With that said: A healthy guy on the field has a much better chance to help the team than an injured guy on the bench.
He’s done. Smells like TB desperation.
Dave
This should be an interesting experiment.
Steelers, Jets, Chiefs, Ravens, Bucs...
You forgot that he was allegedly on the Chiefs, as well.
I’m till surprised nobody will give Gurley a try
Ok, I also forgot the Steelers, I think I got it right now. 😂😂
It seems as though Le'Veon Bell has other things going on as well, he called out Jake Paul on Twitter two days ago and challenged him to a boxing match. Le'veon has apparently been in the gym training to box, roll the footage!
I guess they passed on Gus
Don't feel bad, they also passed on Yukon Cornelius.
You took the words right out of my mouth.... Word....for.....word!
WEIRD.
Gurley was finished before the Pats/Rams Super Bowl. After that game, Todd's Grandma asked him why he didn't get to play more. His response, while limping onto to plane home..... "Grandma, do I look like I can play?"....... If for nothing else.......Todd Gurley is a realist......gotta' respect that.
Averaging over 2,000 yds a season from scrimmage for 3 out of 4 years (missing most of another due to injury) was a quite a stretch, though.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
I bet Brady gives Bell his best shot at success, Bell is a great receiver out of the backfield and Brady is smart enough to check down so Bell should get a lot of opportunities for yards.
I didn’t know that he was that injured, I thought he came back injury free
As I implied earlier when I said Bell was "allegedly" on the Chiefs last year, the hopeful narrative was the same for him when he arrived in KC. All the weapons here in KC would divert attention away from him and he would have a chance to excel. Andy Reid has always had running backs that could catch out of the backfield when in Philly, so everyone thought if Bell had anything at all left to continue, Reid and Mahomes would find a way to get it out of him. I believe most games, he was either healthy but declared an inactive player, or when he was activated, he would get the dreaded DNP-coaches decision. I believe he only got into a few games and had nothing much to contribute. I can't recall for certain, but I believe he was left off of the Super Bowl roster, even.
Hr didn’t suit up for the Super Bowl, there had to be stuff going on behind the scenes because his tenure in KC was very weird, being a healthy scratch had to have had something to with Reid not liking him or something.
@Darin can probably add more context to Bell's tenure here than me, but I do believe Bell said as much, that he and Reid had their differences, and pretty much burned his bridges with the Chiefs on his way out of town. I believe Reid, without elaborating, would just tell the media every week that the best players were the ones that were getting in the games.
I don't have much to add, I never liked the signing of Bell. Like you said I think Reid and Bell had their
differences.
He looked good yesterday.
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