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Was money spent on Le'Veon Bell part of friction between Adam Gase, Mike Maccagnan?

The New York Jets are in the market for a new general manager, but there are of course questions as to why their now-former GM, Mike Maccagnan, was sent packing three weeks after the draft and a few months after head coach Adam Gase was hired.

One possible reason? Le’Veon Bell.

Money spent on Bell a point of friction

That didn't last long: Four months after hiring head coach Adam Gase, left, the New York Jets fired the man who had a role in his hiring, general manager Mike Maccagnan (right). (AP)
That didn't last long: Four months after hiring head coach Adam Gase, left, the New York Jets fired the man who had a role in his hiring, general manager Mike Maccagnan (right). (AP)

Yahoo Sports senior NFL reporter Charles Robinson tweeted that “philosophical differences bubbled up” between Gase and Maccagnan “on how money would be spent to build.”

One of those differences? The Le’Veon Bell contract.

Gase isn’t opposed to Bell the player, but he doesn’t believe in paying big bucks to running backs. The Jets and Bell agreed to a four year, $52.5 million contract in March that includes $25 million guaranteed.

Issues surfaced quickly

As Robinson notes, that kind of difference in team-building ideas should have been discussed by Gase and Maccagnan during the interview process.

The Jets introduced Gase as their new head coach on January 11, but within weeks it was apparent that the Maccagnan-Gase marriage wasn’t going well, and Gase felt it was an awkward fit.

Maccagnan is gone now, but Bell of course remains, and it might get a little awkward between the running back and his new head coach — and offensive coordinator.

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