After having been waived by the Buccaneers on Saturday, running back Le’Veon Bell has, not surprisingly, went through unclaimed. As Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports (via Twitter), he is now a free agent.
Bell signed with Tampa Bay in December to provide depth for a banged-up halfback room. With Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones missing time down the stretch, Bell found himself in essentially the same situation as when he joined the Ravens earlier in the year. Season-ending injuries to J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards had Baltimore searching for veteran replacements, ultimately settling on Devonta Freeman and Latavius Murray throughout the campaign.
The three-time Pro Bowler ended what wound up being a very brief stint in Baltimore with 31 carries for 83 yards and two touchdowns. In Tampa Bay, meanwhile, he totaled 12 touches for 49 scrimmage yards, including one receiving touchdown. Prior to Fournette’s return, Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovani Bernard handled a larger share of the workload in the backfield.
Bell’s likeliest move may well have been to re-join the Bucs’ practice squad had they won on Saturday. Now that their season is over, and Bell went unclaimed, he is free to sign anywhere and continue trying to find a new permanent home in the NFL.
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