According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Raiders are preparing to make a run at former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell.
One sleeper team for RB Le’Veon Bell: The #Raiders. He’ll have a ton of suitors, but Oakland will be ready and is willing to spend for star power even after acquiring Antonio Brown.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2019
Bell, 27, was Antonio Brown’s teammate in Pittsburgh and has been loosely linked to the Raiders ever since it became clear the Steelers would let him hit free agency.
The question is, how interested are the Raiders in Bell and is this more of a situation where an agent is trying to drum up greater interest? The Raiders have a need at running back and have money to spend, so they are a natural fit for rumors – especially after just rolling out the Brinks truck for Brown. Another thing to think about – even if Gruden and company aren’t the strongest suitors for Bell, they’ll have no issue with teams believing they are.
So let’s wait and see on this one.
A report a few weeks ago indicated that Bell had gained significant weight after sitting out a season, but it’s not likely hid weight would be an issue by the time football returns to full swing.
At the very least, there’s no question Bell is looking for maximum payout as a free agent. He didn’t sit out a year to offer anyone a discount. That said, and unlike Brown, the team who signs Bell won’t have to give up any assets other than cash. So expect Bell, who just turned 27 last month and should have fresh legs, to have plenty of interest.
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