Last week it was reported that the Baltimore Ravens had emerged as one of the favorites in the Le'Veon Bell sweepstakes, but it appears the Steelers' division rival are up against some stiff competition in the New York Jets.
According to The Athletic's Connor Hughes, the Jets should be viewed as "undeniably the favorite" to sign Le'Veon Bell this offseason.
The Jets have the second most available cap space of any NFL team this offseason, trailing only the Indianapolis Colts. That certainly bodes well for their chances of signing Bell, who is clearly looking to cash in after sitting out all of last season and missing out on $14.5 million.
However, reports out of the NFL Combine seem to suggest that Gang Green could take a different approach to their offseason spending. Contrary to Hughes' report of the Jets being the "undeniably the favorite" to sign Bell, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com reported Sunday that New York is targeting "second-tier running backs" and that they haven't shown much interest in Bell.
The 27-year old Pro Bowler has rushed for over 1,200 yards in three of his last four NFL seasons, and he racked up more than 1,800 yards from scrimmage in each of those three Pro Bowl campaigns.
Teams like the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are also considered as potential landings spots for Bell, according to reports.