What Team Will Le’Veon Bell Land With Next Year?

After failing to report to the Steelers and forfeiting his season and $14.5 million, Le’Veon Bell will be able to test the free-agent waters in 2019.

In all likelihood, he has played his last down for Pittsburgh as the team will get a compensatory draft selection if they let him sign with another club.

The question is, which NFL team will want to sign Bell after his year away from football?

There are a number of teams with a need for a quality running back, but there are only a few that would have cash, and the stomach, for bringing Bell into the fold after this year.

Those teams include the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and New England Patriots. But, the Jets aren’t really competitive enough to warrant signing Bell to a huge contract, the Bills have LeSean McCoy, the Niners have a corps of other running backs, and the Pats used a first-round pick on a halfback in the last draft.

Which leaves the Oakland Raiders who, according to Connor Orr of Sports Illustrated, have the best odds of inking Bell at 3-1.

“I think that Jon Gruden’s rebuilding plan is going to have to be tailored just a bit this offseason to accommodate both the bewildered fan base they’re leaving behind and the curious one they’re inheriting,” according to Orr. “The Raiders will have almost $90 million in cap space, and thanks to Gruden, not a whole lot of homegrown stars to extend. That leaves room for a few outlandish financial maneuvers. Oakland needs something to pacify Derek Carr, who looks desperate to escape his current situation. A running back safety valve, whose receiving ability can transcend even the most broken concepts, would be a nice start.”