Kansas City Chiefs: Team calling about Le’Veon Bell, but should pass
By Cullen Jekel

With the NFL trade deadline today, the Kansas City Chiefs are reportedly calling the New Yorks about running back Le’VeonBell.
The Kansas City Chiefs‘ interest in the 27-year-old running back, in his first season in New York after sitting out last year to force his way off the Pittsburgh Steelers, comes from Connor Hughes, a reporter covering the Jets for The Athletic.
Hughes tweeted:
From my understanding, talking to sources, #Jets aren’t shopping LeVeon Bell as much as teams are calling them. They heard fire sale, and phoned Douglas to see price.
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) October 29, 2019
Is there a price? Yes. It’s high. #Chiefs & #Texans most interested. Chiefs have more to possibly get it done
Just what that high price tag remains to be seen. The Jets are, once again, outside of the playoff picture looking in with a 1-6 record in head coach Adam Gase’s first year with the team. Since beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 6, the team has been shut-out by the New England Patriots, 33-0, and shut down by the Jacksonville Jaguars, 29-15.
Yesterday, the Jets traded former first-round pick and defensive tackle Leonard Williams to the New York Giants.
For the Kansas City Chiefs, a team one of my co-writers argues should stand steady at the deadline, the team has struggled running the ball all season. Right before the season began, the Chiefs dealt away Carlos Hyde to the Texans (who, interestingly, is the other team Hughes notes has inquired about Bell) only to see him outplay the stable of running backs kept in Kansas City.
Among them, veteran LeSean McCoy, signed shortly before the season began after getting cut by Buffalo, leads the team in rushing attempts, rushing yards, and yards per attempt, but was benched Sunday night against the Packers after losing a costly fumble deep in Chiefs’ territory.
Damien Williams, who took over as the Chiefs lead back last season after the team cut Kareem Hunt and an injury sidelined Spencer Ware, has played sparingly this season as he’s battled his own injury. Since his return against the Colts, Williams has yet to play at least 50% of the Chiefs’ offensive snaps.
Kansas City also has at its disposal Darrel Williams and Darwin Thompson, a rookie sixth-round pick. Darrel enjoyed playing time against the Ravens and Lions earlier this season, scoring two touchdowns in the win over Detroit, but has seen his playing time precipitously drop since then. Thompson has played sparingly all season.
Would acquiring Bell help the Chiefs? Undoubtedly.
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Despite his sub-par numbers as a member of the Jets, he’s a dual threat out of the backfield, capable of breaking open a game either by rush or through a reception. Think of what Green Bay’s Aaron Jones did against the Chiefs linebackers Sunday evening. That’s what Bell could do for the Chiefs.
He could very well be the missing piece the Chiefs offense needs to explode.
And yet, there’s the cost. The Chiefs, with around $23 million in cap space as of this writing, could certainly afford Bell’s contract, which runs through 2022, but has an out after 2020 with just $4 million dead money.
But the Chiefs haven’t made a first-round pick since selecting Patrick Mahomes No. 10 in 2017, and will need its middle- to later-round draft picks in 2020’s draft to replace potential departures Chris Jones and Demarcus Robinson as well as to upgrade the secondary and offensive line.
In the end, that’s what kills this deal: the trade compensation.
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Surely the Jets wouldn’t demand a first-rounder for Bell (then again, it’s the Jets, so who knows?), but it would demand several middle-round selections, like what the team got from the Giants for Williams. That’s too much to surrender for a guy who plays a position with such a short career-span, regardless if he’s one of the best today at that position.
The Kansas City Chiefs should pass on Le’Veon Bell.