Add Le'Veon Bell to the extensive list of people within the Jets organization that want star safety Jamal Adams to stay in town.
Head coach Adam Gase, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and Jets brass have publicly stated their desire to keep Adams in New York since he formally requested a trade in June. And, despite their best efforts, a split might be inevitable. Unless you ask Bell, who believes the contrary.
"I think he wants to be [with the Jets], I just think he wants to get paid," Bell said during an interview on Friday with Hot 97 in New York, per ESPN. "I think he's in the same situation I was three years ago. He's a young player. He's been at the top of the game, playing at a high level and feels like, 'Dang, I just want to get compensated.'"
The situation Bell is referring to, of course, is his well-documented 2018 dispute with his former employer in Pittsburgh. After having the franchise tag placed on him for a second straight year, Bell -- one of the league's best running backs at the time -- refused to sign the tender, believing it undermined his talents. To his credit, Bell was a multi-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection by the end of his age-25 season in 2017. It's worth noting, though, that the apprehension to sign him long-term could've come from the few nagging injuries he had dealt with during his time there.
Nevertheless, Bell's holdout lasted from March to late fall when he did not sign the tag by the Nov. 13 deadline. He had already missed nine games and his decision cost him the rest of the 2018 season, effectively ending his five-year run with the Steelers. He signed a lucrative deal with New York as a free agent the following March.
Despite the parallels he sees in Adams' issues with the Jets, Bell thinks -- and hopes -- the team will hold on to the disgruntled DB.
"Me, personally, I hope he doesn't get traded," he said. "But I don't think he'll get traded. I do think he'll be playing with the Jets. That's just me, personally, because I don't think he's going to get traded. Honestly, why would you trade him? I wouldn't trade him."
Adams' resume, while not as lengthy as Bell's at the time of his issues, warrants the noise he's been making. In fact, being the type of player Adams already is three years into his career is more than enough to compel a team to take advantage of the mounting tension and offer whatever it takes to get him.
After a down year, Bell is looking to bounce back next season and help the Jets win games, something Adams can obviously assist with on the defensive end. But, as we've seen countless times, the business side of sports will play out accordingly, regardless of whether anybody hopes something doesn't go down or not.
