Jets will be 'selective' with working Bell in during minicamp
Le'Veon Bell is making his long-awaited return to the field for mandatory minicamp Tuesday, but the New York Jets want to bring the running back along slowly.
"We'll be smart just because he hasn't been here," head coach Adam Gase said, according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra. "I know he's been working out. I'm not really worried about him being in shape, it's more just kind of football - getting back to that, getting used to terminology, kind of what we're doing.
"Really, this is going to be big for him to get used to the individual route we're going to be doing on the field; him kind of getting used to the practice routine that we're going to be doing, so the next few days will be a great opportunity for him to do that. We'll get him into practice as far as the actual competition part of it - we'll just be very selective of what we'll put him in."
Bell skipped voluntary workouts with the Jets after not playing in a single game last season for the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a contract dispute.
With his star ball carrier now in the fold, Gase is excited to see how his team's offense comes together.
"Any time that we can work on the field, it's great for the coaches," he said. "I think it's good for the other guys as well because you get used to guys' running styles. We all know he has a unique running style, that patience that he has and for me to get used to what he likes, that communication of him saying 'I'm not really a big fan of this, but I love doing this,' and just that constant communication just in person that helps a play-caller; I think it helps the line, the quarterback, and just kind of getting used to the communication those two guys have - that's critical.
"There's a lot of little tiny details that you really can accomplish when in person compared to just talking through a meeting or talking on the phone or through text message."
Bell is expected to be a focal point of New York's scoring unit and help second-year quarterback Sam Darnold make a sophomore leap.