Summer camp sightings
Tom Brady, Le’Veon Bell on hand for first day
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. – Le’Veon Bell finally practiced with the Jets Tuesday.
Bell, who skipped most of the team’s voluntary workouts this spring after signing a big free agent contract in March, reported for mandatory minicamp Monday and participated in his first practice Tuesday morning.
So how did Bell look, and what did he have to say when it was all over? Here’s our takeaways.
Taking it slow
Jets coach Adam Gase said he was going to be cautious about the way he used Bell. The running back hasn’t been in a competitive football setting since January 2018 when he was in the playoffs with the Steelers.
“We’ll be smart because he hasn’t been here,” Gase said. “I know he’s been working out, I’m not really worried about him being in shape. It’s more about, kind of, football. Just getting back to that, getting used to terminology and what we’re doing . ... We’ll just be very selective in what we put him in on.”
He practiced with the first team but took only four snaps during 11-on-11 drills and three in 7-on-7 drills. He looked rusty and a little lost at times, which is to be expected considering he hasn’t practiced in nearly a year-and-a half and is learning a new offense.
But Bell moved well, looked to be in shape and said he’s physically ready.
“I don’t want to let anyone down,” Bell said. “That’s why I was training one-on-one with my trainer, getting to where I need to get to where I’m in shape, so when I get here I can come take every snap, if they ask me to.”
Catching up
Bell missed the first nine voluntary workouts of the spring program. While he spent time in Florida using his team-issued iPad to keep up with the offense, and picking the mind of teammates, especially running back Ty Montgomery, Bell acknowledged he’s behind his teammates in learning the new system.
“Of course, just because of the fact that they’ve been here longer and heard the terminologies longer,” Bell said. “But football is football, so the terminology here is different than where I was before, but it still may be the same play or the same route.”
Bell is confident he can figure out the new terminology quickly and can be fully up to speed on the playbook before training camp begins. And he put in some extra work Tuesday to accelerate the process, standing next to quarterback Sam Darnold during team periods on the plays he wasn’t involved in so he could get the call from the quarterback.
“I literally was trying to listen to every word of the play,” Bell said. “A lot of times, you’ll hear a play (in the huddle), but people will tell you (only) what you’ve got (to do on that play). But I went to the quarterbacks and literally listened to the whole play, so I could know what everybody’s got ... because that’s going to only help me understand the offense quicker.”
Relationship, staying away
❚ After the Jets fired GM Mike Maccagnan a few weeks ago, several reports emerged that there had been friction between Gase and Maccagnan about Bell’s contract. Gase, apparently, felt that the Jets had paid him too much. Bell admitted he heard about the reports, but he said he’s not bothered them — even if they’re true.
❚ Bell admitted that just one day of practice has helped him grasp the offense much more quickly. But after the mandatory minicamp concludes Thursday, Bell will be headed back to Florida. He won’t participate in the team’s final two voluntary OTA workouts next week.