There's a lot of talk about how the Jets are going to use running back Le'Veon Bell as a receiver, how they're going to get him the ball in space. Let's separate fact from fiction.
Bell caught 66 passes last season, seventh among running backs, so it's hard to question the volume. The issue is location: Where was he getting the ball? He wants to be able to cross the face of defenders at full speed, giving him the chance to gain yards after the catch -- "a chance to be special with it," he said.
That didn't happen too often.
In 2019, Bell made 55 of his 66 catches out of the backfield (83%). That included 13 screen passes. In five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the number was 78%, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The Steelers liked to use him out of the slot, as 14% of his overall catches came from there. With the Jets, the number dropped to 5%.
Former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley once told me he felt Bell had the skill set to be a factor when split out wide, but the Steelers scaled back his usage because quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't feel comfortable with Bell lining up outside the backfield.
So, yes, there's a lot that goes into the deployment of a player. In Bell's case, Gase should absolutely try to find ways to get him the ball in space. I wouldn't be surprised if he uses Bell and Frank Gore in the same package. That way, they can split out Bell and try to exploit a mismatch against a base defense.
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Bell caught 66 passes last season, seventh among running backs, so it's hard to question the volume. The issue is location: Where was he getting the ball? He wants to be able to cross the face of defenders at full speed, giving him the chance to gain yards after the catch -- "a chance to be special with it," he said.
That didn't happen too often.
In 2019, Bell made 55 of his 66 catches out of the backfield (83%). That included 13 screen passes. In five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the number was 78%, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The Steelers liked to use him out of the slot, as 14% of his overall catches came from there. With the Jets, the number dropped to 5%.
Former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley once told me he felt Bell had the skill set to be a factor when split out wide, but the Steelers scaled back his usage because quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't feel comfortable with Bell lining up outside the backfield.
So, yes, there's a lot that goes into the deployment of a player. In Bell's case, Gase should absolutely try to find ways to get him the ball in space. I wouldn't be surprised if he uses Bell and Frank Gore in the same package. That way, they can split out Bell and try to exploit a mismatch against a base defense.
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