The Baltimore Ravens are in dire need of running back help, and they’re enlisting the services of a three-time Pro Bowler to bolster their depth chart.
They are reportedly signing Le’Veon Bell to their practice squad, and he will likely be added to the active 53-man roster once he’s physically prepared and brought up to speed on the playbook. The team had worked out several running backs since starter J.K. Dobbins suffered a torn ACL in Week 3 of the preseason, and more recently backup Justice Hill tore his Achilles.
Bell’s glory years came with the Pittsburgh Steelers, shredding defenses with his dual-threat capabilities from 2013-17. He was honored as a first team All-Pro twice, a bellcow who routinely handled 25 rushing attempts per game while also being a proficient receiver out of the backfield. Bell helped propel the Steelers to the 2016 AFC championship game, averaging 120 yards per playoff game.
Bell’s career trajectory took a drastic turn after refusing to budge on a contract dispute and sitting out the 2018 season. He inked a four-year deal with the New York Jets in March 2019, but his typical production plummeted, as he averaged only 53 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry in 2019. The Jets cut their losses with Bell midway through the 2020 season. Bell subsequently signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, but was used sparingly and could never develop a rhythm in their offense. He was inactive for the Chiefs’ final two playoff games, including the Super Bowl.
Bell is now 29 and should be viewed merely as a complementary back, but finding running lanes might be easier playing in the league’s most potent ground attack, headlined by quarterback Lamar Jackson.
