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Rumors have been flying about the possibility of a running back needy team signing veteran Le'Veon Bell. That came to fruition as the rival Baltimore Ravens have now signed Bell to their practice squad.
Recent injuries have led to the Ravens taking drastic action to sign anyone of value. First, J.K. Dobbins lost for the season, suffering an injury during the preseason. Dobbins tore his ACL. A mere 5 days later, Justice Hill tore his Achilles tendon, also ending his season prematurely.
How long before Le'Veon Bell will make an impact?
Bell's signing points to the fact that the Ravens could be in crisis mode. Tough luck for the Ravens as the New Orleans Saints also happened to release Latavius Murray today. Signing Murray could have been the better option.
Bell joining the practice squad and not the current 53-man roster means that there could be some lag time in which the Ravens are allowed to use Bell.
The sooner that Bell can take the field the better. Currently, the Ravens only have Gus Edwards and Ty'Son Williams at their disposal. Should any one of the two be hurt, the Ravens will be in some deep trouble.
Bell's production has dropped exponentially over the past two seasons, but he should add some much-needed and valuable depth to the depleted Ravens backfield.
Bell has a storied history as he sat out the entire 2018 season due to contract negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This led to Bell seemingly being labeled "difficult," with most teams seeing Bell as a problem. That, coupled with his production, led to a drop in value for the once-great veteran.
Bell is coming off a stint with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he barely made a dent with his numbers and their crowded backfield. Bell logged 254 rushing yards with 2 TDs and 99 receiving yards. These numbers are a bit misleading as Bell will still be a welcome addition to the Ravens running back room. At the very least, Bell can offer a veteran presence. Especially for Ty'Son Williams, who is entering his first season at the NFL level.
Bell should not see any action in Week 1. There is too little time to get him up to speed, especially with the regular-season game for the Ravens taking place on Monday night football against the Las Vegas Raiders.
The reports are that Bell is definitely in game-ready shape. That is great news and should point to Bell being able to soak up some of the playbook in preparation for Week 2.
