Around the NFL

June 01, 2021

LeVeon Bell

Bell says he's looking for a 2021 team

I saw a blurb go by where LeVeon Bell says he’s looking to play. I find him to be an interesting prospect. We might all be looking back in late August and wondering why we didn’t have him among our top 50 running backs in June.

He’s only 29. And I queued up some of his stats from last year and gave him a look. He still looks like the same guy, with the patient running style and the really smooth hands. He would fit really nicely with a team that likes to use its running backs as pass catchers.

Bell lasted only a season and a half with the Jets, and he didn’t do much with KC in his half season there (at the end of the year, they were playing Darrel Williams ahead of him). But I’m not sure that Bell is at the very end of the road. I think he could have a little something left, in the right situation.

One team that comes to mind are the Falcons. They don’t really match in the pass-catching-running-backs department, but they look like a team that needs to add a running back body. Right now they’ve got Mike Davis, who did some good fill-in work for Carolina last year but is a modestly talented try-hard guy who’s been bouncing around the league for years. He’s their starter. And as it stands, they’re current backup (I think) is Qadree Ollison, a former fifth-round pick who wasn’t even active for most of their games last year.

Ollison followed James Conner at Pitt and is the same kind of back – a bigger, velocity-challenged banger.

The Falcons need to move Julio Jones, and that deal should come soon (now that we’re into June). Once Jones is gone, so that should free up some money for the Falcons to do other things. And on their checklist (I’m pretty sure) will be adding another viable running back.

The other notable veteran back out there is Todd Gurley (who played for Atlanta last year). He’s only 26, but I don’t think he has as much left as Bell. Gurley reportedly visited with the Lions last week.

Skimming over the 32 teams, I see a handful of others where I wouldn’t surprise me to see them add another back. In no particular order: Bills, Dolphins, Ravens, Bengals, Jets, Chargers, Cardinals.

Below see a list of the top 30 running back seasons of the past five years. Both Bell and Gurley have two seasons in the top 15.

TOP 30 RUNNING BACKS OF LAST FIVE YEARS
Year	Player	Ru Yd	Re Yd	Tot Yd	Recs	TD	PPR
2019	Christian McCaffrey, Car.	1,387	1,005	2,392	116	19	471.2
2016	David Johnson, Ariz.	1,239	879	2,118	80	20	413.8
2018	Christian McCaffrey, Car.	1,098	867	1,965	107	13	388.0
2017	• Todd Gurley, LAR	1,305	788	2,093	64	19	387.3
2018	Saquon Barkley, NYG	1,307	721	2,028	91	15	385.8
2020	Alvin Kamara, N.O.	932	756	1,688	83	21	377.8
2018	• Todd Gurley, LAR	1,251	580	1,831	59	21	374.1
2018	Alvin Kamara, N.O.	883	709	1,592	81	18	354.2
2017	LeVeon Bell, Pitt.	1,291	655	1,946	85	11	345.6
2020	Dalvin Cook, Min.	1,557	361	1,918	44	17	343.8
2020	Derrick Henry, Ten.	2,027	114	2,141	19	17	337.1
2018	Ezekiel Elliott, Dall.	1,434	567	2,001	77	9	331.1
2016	Ezekiel Elliott, Dall.	1,631	363	1,994	32	16	327.4
2017	Alvin Kamara, N.O.	728	826	1,554	81	14	322.4
2016	LeVeon Bell, Pitt.	1,268	616	1,884	75	9	319.4
2019	Aaron Jones, G.B.	1,084	474	1,558	49	19	318.8
2019	Ezekiel Elliott, Dall.	1,357	420	1,777	54	14	315.7
2019	Austin Ekeler, LAC	557	993	1,550	92	11	313.0
2019	Derrick Henry, Ten.	1,540	206	1,746	18	18	300.6
2016	LeSean McCoy, Buff.	1,267	356	1,623	50	14	298.3
2017	Kareem Hunt, K.C.	1,327	455	1,782	53	11	297.2
2019	Dalvin Cook, Min.	1,135	519	1,654	53	13	296.4
2016	DeMarco Murray, Ten.	1,287	377	1,664	53	12	295.9
2017	Melvin Gordon, LAC	1,105	476	1,581	58	12	288.1
2016	Devonta Freeman, Atl.	1,079	462	1,541	54	13	286.1
2018	James Conner, Pitt.	973	497	1,470	55	13	284.0
2017	Mark Ingram, N.O.	1,124	416	1,540	58	12	284.0
2018	James White, N.E.	425	751	1,176	87	12	276.6
2018	Melvin Gordon, LAC	885	490	1,375	50	14	275.5
2020	David Montgomery, Chi.	1,070	438	1,508	54	10	266.8

—Ian Allan

LeVeon Bell Todd Gurley

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