NFL insider suggests Eagles could have interest in signing Le’Veon Bell

Will the Steelers running back move to the better side of Pennsylvania?

Impending free agent running back Le’Veon Bell is in the news today due to comments made by Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert.

According to Colbert, the Steelers will NOT be using the franchise tag or transition tag on Bell. Colbert went as far to say that Bell will be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year opens at 4:00 PM Eastern on March 13.

Following this development, NFL insider Jason La Canfora mentioned the Philadelphia Eagles “could be” among the teams involved in pursuing Bell as a free agent.

Bell is Seeking a deal worth 50 million dollars in the first two years of the deal. Plenty of skepticism he will approach that number. Jets, Eagles, Bucs could be among the teams involved

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) February 20, 2019

Does this rumor actually make any sense, though?

Well, it certainly isn’t the first time we’ve seen Bell linked to the Eagles. La Canfora previously reported on numerous occasions that the Eagles had interest in acquiring Bell prior to the 2018 NFL trade deadline. Of course, that trade never happened. But it’s much easier for the Eagles to acquire Bell now as a free agent than it would’ve been for them to trade for him during the season.

Another thing to consider is that Bell previously told ESPN he believes the Eagles would be interested in signing him as a free agent. Maybe Bell got that impression from La Canfora’s reporting. Or maybe it was something else entirely. It’s impossible to say for sure.

In any case, I don’t think it’s impossible the Eagles could have interest in Bell. Philly obviously needs to upgrade at the running back position and Bell theoretically fills a huge need for them. I’m sure the Eagles would love to have his pass-catching ability on the team.

But I just don’t think a Bell signing is very realistic.

First of all, the Eagles have been very reluctant to spend significant resources on the running back position. I think they might realize they’ve taken that reluctance a little too far but that doesn’t mean they’re going to suddenly spend huge at the position. Especially when they’re already limited on cap space.

That’s just the money issue. There are other red flags to be concerned about with Bell. Perhaps it’s a good thing he’s coming off a season of not having played football. He could have fresh legs. Alternatively, he could be out of shape, as this New York Daily News story suggests:

Word on the street is that Bell, who’s playing weight is about 225 pounds, ballooned to around 260 pounds during year-long hiatus. There’s a fair amount of concern from the Jets about what kind of shape he’s in at the moment. (You’d have to think that Bell has lost most of his extra baggage by now).

Again, I just can’t see the Eagles being a likely landing spot for Bell. If you’ve been paying attention, you know that’s not really how they operate.

The caveat here is that is that Howie Roseman has the ability to surprise us.

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