Le'Veon Bell contract latest bold move in Raiders' pivotal offseason

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Le’Veon Bell’s free-agent market was expected to touch the sky, too high for the Raiders’ blood after landing Antonio Brown, Trent Brown and Lamarcus Joyner.

Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock never gave up hope, sources said, and waited patiently for the elite running back to decide where he wanted to play. Their offer had limits, with far less money to work with than the New York Jets’ caverns of salary-cap space and desire to give quarterback Sam Darnold a backfield partner in crime.

They waited and waited and kept their fingers crossed, and eventually made another big splash. Bell agreed to terms with the Raiders on a xxx-year pact that will become official Wednesday afternoon when the NFL league year begins.

The Raiders were always interested in Bell, though they weren’t always optimistic he’d wear Silver and Black. He indeed joins a Raiders offense that now features quarterback Derek Carr, All-Pro receiver (and former Steelers Pittsburgh teammate) Antonio Brown and high-priced offensive tackle Trent Brown.

That crew should scare many, and vastly upgrade a Raiders offense that struggled mightily last year.

Bell cashed in this offseason after sitting out the entire 2018 season over a contract impasse with Pittsburgh. He held out over playing on the franchise tag, but the Steelers didn’t slap one on him this year and allowed him to hit the open market.

The Jets were always a favorite, with the Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens and Raiders among others hoping Bell would join them.

He’s an exceptional talent, totaling 1,946 yards of total offense and 11 touchdowns in 2017 along with nearly identical stats the year before. He’s a patient runner with explosiveness, vision and elusiveness. Bell’s a smart football player with a skill set perfect for head coach Jon Gruden’s offensive scheme.

Adding Bell and both Browns will jump-start the offense. Lamarcus Joyner will help defensively, as will the Raiders’ four NFL draft picks in the top 35.

These free-agent agreements have accomplished Gruden’s goal of accelerating the team’s rebuilding process, all without sacrificing the assets required to build a young foundation for long-term franchise health.

The Raiders have made big, bold moves early in this free-agent period that should make them more competitive. There’s no doubt they’ve made them a lot more interesting, too.

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