Le’Veon Bell To Houston? What Do Texans Have To Lose?

The NFL world was rocked by the release of two-time first-team All-Pro running back Le’Veon Bell on Tuesday night. His tumultuous time with the New York Jets has finally come to an end and it leads to the question, where to next? 

While in our view it’s unlikely Houston will go after him … we do think there is something Bell himself once said that means it’s worth an examination.

After holding out of the 2018 NFL season due to contract negotiations falling off a cliff with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bell ended up with the Jets for the 2019 season. 

However, this move was doomed from the start after a rift appeared between the Jets and head coach Adam Gase – who did not want Bell. 

Meanwhile, Bell revealed last October, that the Texans looked into trading for him. 

“But there were teams like Houston, the Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and surprisingly the Steelers,” he said, “(who) were all in the mix of trying to trade for me.”

How series was that pursuit then? Could the Texans get more serious about it now?

What’s changed: They already have David and Duke Johnson in their backfield and while the on-field production has been up and down in this 1-5 start to the season, the Texans have had nothing but positive words for both since their respective arrivals. 

David has been their primary back this season after they essentially traded All-Pro wideout DeAndre Hopkins for him and inherited his $10.2 million base salary for 2020 as a result. As such, there is no reason to suspect they won’t want to get every ounce of football he has left in him out while he’s in Houston. 

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However, this was all done under the Bill O’Brien administration. Now that he is out and Jack Easterby is interim general manager and Romeo Crennel is interim head coach, they may see this as an opportunity to make their own mark on the team while they can – or at least, they represent a fresh set of eyes to examine all ideas.

Bell played behind an abhorrent offensive line last season for a coach that seemingly did not want him there, which could explain his underwhelming production. However, it is clear that he still feels he has plenty of tread left on the tires.

Houston has an offensive line that has been heavily invested in and is improving slowly as the year goes on. While David Johnson has not been the player he was back in 2016, much of this can be blamed on the line’s blocking and maybe the scheme – though he hasn’t shown a great deal of pace or elusiveness when given the chance. 

If the Texans are serious about getting something out of this season despite their 1-4 start, they should be serious about considering all options.

Bell, at his best, was one of the best backs of his era. He’s had three seasons rushing for over 1,200 yards and has 3,160 receiving yards to his name. And he’s still just 28.

The downsides are well-understood. The Texans’ cap situation is not ideal, and he’s due $6 million for this season. Meanwhile, their running back room is costing them an amount of money that they haven’t seen a return on yet.

Additionally, New York tried to trade him away in the last week and there were no takers … and Bell’s recent history with two employers suggests he’s something less than a get-along guy.

In summary, though, the Texans’ talent base does not allow this organization to casually wave away possibilities. If the organization makes an in-house decision that results in a “no,” that’s acceptable. But if they understand that they’re presently in a “What do we have to lose?” on talent like Le’Veon Bell?

To us, that mindset would be even more acceptable.