Bell would be a huge acquisition for Jets but too costly

Running back Le’Veon Bell would be a huge acquisition for the New York Jets if he hits free agency but in the grand scheme of things, would be too costly for the team to invest so much money into.

The New York Jets will have a lot of salary cap money to play with this offseason and are figured to be big spenders in free agency. Of course, speculation will fly as to which direction the Jets will go in once free agency begins. Will they pursue quarterback Kirk Cousins to be their starter in 2018? Will they go after a premier cornerback to bolster their secondary? Could they break the bank to land star running back Le’Veon Bell if he even hits free agency?

When it comes to Bell specifically, it’s a tough situation to be in. In an article written by Rich Cimini of ESPN, Bell actually rejected an offer by the Pittsburgh Steelers about a year ago which would have paid him $30 million in the first two years of this mega contract. Imagine the kind of money he’d want now if he hits free agency?

At the end of the day, while it would be huge to land someone like Bell, the Jets have many other areas of need. Besides adding more offensive weapons, they need a better offensive line, quality depth at cornerback, bolstering their pass rush, and of course, an answer for their quarterback situation.

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All of which will require spending funds on key parts of the roster, not just at one or two positions on offense. Should the Jets make a serious run in acquiring Cousins if he hits free agency, they could afford Bell as well but that would severely limit their ability to fix other important parts of the team.

It’s all about fielding the best team possible and since the Jets are rebuilding the right way, they still have a very long way to go before they are contenders again. Realistically, they should use this year’s free agency period to immediately sign a quality starting quarterback, a cornerback, and possibly even a pass rusher right from the start.

That would be money well spent instead of spending it all on a single player that is literally looking for a monster contract and the most ever for a running back. Bell is a phenomenal player but the Jets are many players away from even resembling a team like the Steelers so it just wouldn’t make sense to commit so much money into one position when it needs to be spread across the roster.