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Le'Veon Bell is now a free agent after the New York Jets just released him this evening. This move isn't a total surprise because Bell clearly wanted out and the team was trying to trade him. With the amount of money Bell was owed, a trade was never going to happen. However, this could end up even better for Bell, who will now get to pick his own team and play for a winner, if he decides on that route. It's crazy that it came to this, but the pairing in New York was really just a disaster from the jump and Bell never meshed with Jets coach Adam Gase.
Since the news just broke we'll have to see what teams reach out, but we're sure there will be many. When healthy, Bell is still one of the best backs in the league. There will be many suitors and with the news now official, we picked out five teams who should try and sign Bell right now.
San Francisco 49ers
Let's start with a team that tried to trade for Bell last season in the 49ers. This really seems like a perfect fit for Kyle Shannahan's system, and with all the injuries to start the season, this would make sense for everyone involved. With a stacked division that includes the Rams and Seahawks, the 49ers will need all the help they can get to make another run at the Super Bowl.
New England Patriots
This is easy. Not only do the Patriots love inflicting pain on the Jets, they love picking up talented players who failed on other teams. The Patriots love to use a running back by committee system, but Bell would fit in perfectly with Cam Newton and company. Nobody should be surprised if Bell ends up with the Patriots.
Pittsburgh Steelers
How about a reunion in Pittsburgh? Unlike Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell left Pittsburgh because they wouldn't pay him. It wasn't because he didn't get along with Big Ben or Mike Tomlin. A few bridges would need to be mended, but we're sure they could figure it out in the name of winning. You'd have to think this is at least an option to some degree, especially with the Steelers off to a 4-0 start. Why not add more talent and really go for it this season?
Chicago Bears
The Bears are one of the more surprising teams to start this season, and with the loss of Tarik Cohen, Le'Veon Bell would fit right in on this offense. In fact, we're pretty sure that Nick Foles would absolutely love to add a guy like Bell to this team. It's unclear if the Bears are actually a contender, but adding a talent like Bell would certainly help them get to that level.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Why not? The Buccaneers are obviously in win-now mode with Tom Brady at QB and have been more aggressive than anyone in adding talent over the past few months. Yes, they already have Ronald Jones, Leonard Fournette, and LeSean McCoy, but Shady isn't the same type of player that he was, and Bell would be a clear upgrade. This would be an interesting move for Bell because he wouldn't be the main guy in the offense, but he'd be going to an immediate contender and would be helping put them over the top.
Seattle Seahawks
Why not reunite Le'Veon Bell and Jamal Adams? Things didn't work with them in New York, but both could help put the Seattle Seahawks over the top. We already know that the Seahawks are one of the most aggressive teams in the NFL, and they could always use more offensive weapons. Bell would be a nice complement to Chris Carson and give Russell Wilson a nice assortment of backs to work with.
