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Le'Veon Bell reports to Jets mandatory minicamp

Shalise Manza Young
Columnist
Le'Veon Bell reported to the New York Jets on Monday for media day; he'll take part in his first practices with his new team on Tuesday. (AP)

The New York Jets begin their mandatory minicamp on Tuesday and their top offseason signing, running back Le’Veon Bell, reported to the team facility on Monday.

Normally it’s not notable when a player shows up to an offseason practice, especially a mandatory one. But Bell is a special case.

‘We here, baby’

The Jets posted a video to Twitter on Monday afternoon; Bell is manning the camera, wearing his green Jets jersey and talking to fans.

“Uh oh, y’all. Y’all see it?” Bell says, panning the camera across the front of his jersey. “We here, baby. I’m in this green 26, we here, and it’s official. Media day and we having fun. Stay tuned.”

Bell posted the same video to his Twitter, writing, “Time to Take Flight!”

A second video followed a short time later, with Bell in his full uniform and helmet, green and white lights flashing around him and a camera man in front of him. He’s dancing to “Suge” by DaBaby.

The video is likely one that will be played in MetLife Stadium on game days.

First practice in almost 18 months

Though he’s new to New York, Bell did not take part in any of the team’s voluntary OTAs, and there’s already been a little drama because it came to light that new head coach Adam Gase and now-fired general manager Mike Maccagnan disagreed on spending as much money as they did on Bell — $52 million over four years.

Gase doesn’t believe in spending so much on running backs.

Given that Bell sat out the entire 2018 season because of his dispute with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Tuesday will mark his first formal practice with an NFL team in almost 18 months.

The last time Bell practiced was in the days leading up to the Steelers’ divisional round game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 14, 2018.

In recent weeks, Gase has both said he was not bothered by Bell’s absence and that it’s easier to disseminate information and correct mistakes when players are in the building.

‘Of course he will be in great shape’

ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini posted a story on Monday detailing what Bell has been doing while he wasn’t at the team’s Florham Park, New Jersey, facility.

He spent a great deal of time at Bommarito Performance Systems in North Miami, Florida, training with Pete Bommarito.

Bell has been working with Bommarito since he left Michigan State in 2013, and spends up to five hours a day up to five days a week at the facility.

“Of course he will be in great shape,” Bommarito told Cimini of Bell.

“He knows my philosophy, and he has bought into the approach that we sold him. That's what makes him great. He's got the talent, but he's so serious about how he takes care of his body,” he continued. “That's what makes him elite.

“It isn't about work ethic; anyone can work themselves into the ground. It's about the focus on the little things during the high-intensity training, understanding that everything counts. Le'Veon is so focused that a bomb could go off and he wouldn't even notice.”

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