Could the Raiders go after Le’Veon Bell in free agency? Derek Carr might like that
Le’Veon Bell is set to become a free agent.
Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told local reporters on Wednesday that the team will not use a franchise tag on Bell, thus making him an unrestricted free agent when the new NFL year starts March 13.
Bell took to Twitter to voice his happiness to be a free agent by offering a reference to Martin Luther King Jr’s speech on being “Free at last, Free at last, Thank God Almighty I am free at last.”
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr took a liking to that on Twitter.
Oakland will have at least $70 million in cap space according to OverTheCap and has a need at running back.
OTC projects the Raiders to spend $40 million this year.
The current running backs for the Raiders include Jalen Richard and DeAndre Washington.
Marshawn Lynch and Doug Martin are unrestricted free agents.
The Raiders could use Bell, who just celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday. He sat out the 2018 NFL season.
In five seasons with the Steelers, he had 5,336 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns.
In 2018, the Raiders’ running backs combined for 1,473 yards and eight touchdowns.
Bell, who is a two-time All Pro, had eight touchdowns in a season in 2013 and 2014, and finished with 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns in 2017.
Oddsmakers lists the Indianapolis Colts (+302) and New York Jets (+372) as frontrunners to land Bell. The Raiders (+709) are fourth.
This story was originally published February 21, 2019 at 1:44 PM.
