Buccaneers sign running back Le’Veon Bell

Le'Veon Bell (Google Images)

According to Rogers Sportsnet on Wednesday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed running back Le’Veon Bell of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. The Buccaneers become the fifth team Bell has played for following time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens.

In five games this season for the Ravens, Bell had 31 carries for 83 yards, and two touchdowns. His touchdowns came on a two-yard run in the Ravens’ 34-6 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on October 17, and on a one-yard fourth quarter run in the Ravens’ 34-31 win over the Minnesota Vikings on November 7.

Bell was released by the Ravens on November 15. The major reason for the signing is because Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette suffered a hamstring injury in Tampa Bay’s bizarre 9-0 shutout loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday night, and is questionable for Tampa Bay’s game on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

A three-time Pro Bowler, Bell had his best seasons of his NFL career with the Steelers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time after having 1361 rushing yards in 2014. That was followed by Pro Bowl seasons in 2016 and 2017, where he had 1268 rushing yards and 1291 rushing yards respectively. ‘

However a contract dispute with the Steelers in 2018 ended Bell’s time in Pittsburgh prematurely, and as a result, he did not play the entire 2018 NFL season. Then Bell’s time in New York did not work out very well either as he was released just over a year into his four-year deal worth $52.5 million.

The signing of Bell, means the Buccaneers could state they now have football’s version of the Killer B’s, as Bell joins quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Antonio Brown. The Houston Astros of Major League Baseball made the term Killer B’s famous in the late 1990’s and 2000’s, as their three top players were offensive stars Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman.

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