The Jets entered this offseason looking to improve at safety. They believe they took another step toward doing that yesterday.
The team agreed to a one-year, $1.4 million deal with veteran safety Yeremiah Bell, according to sources. Bell has played his entire eight-year career for the Dolphins, where new Jets offensive coordinator Tony Sparano coached him for four of those seasons.
The Jets view him as a starting safety opposite LaRon Landry, another free agent acquisition they made in March. The question now is whether the Jets have improved their speed at the position. Bell, Landry and 2011 starter Eric Smith all are iewed as better “in the box” run-stoppers than ball hawks with coverage skills.
Bell, 34, started all but one game for the Dolphins over the past four seasons and had 100 tackles in each of those years. He was highly respected in the Miami locker room and was a team captain.
He visited the Eagles, Chiefs and Titans in addition to the Jets. His deal contains a $200,000 signing bonus, $100,000 workout bonus and a $1.1 million base salary, according to a source. There is a full guarantee of $1.3 million.
The addition of Bell likely spells the end of Jim Leonhard’s career with the Jets. Leonhard, a free agent, still is recovering from right knee surgery. There is a chance he could be back, but it seems unlikely with the team signing two players and drafting two players at the position. They selected Josh Bush and Antonio Allen in last month’s draft.
How Landry and Bell will operate on the field together will be interesting. Jets coach Rex Ryan’s system does not have a true “free safety” and “strong safety” but Leonhard often played a deep “center field” in certain defenses.
“Neither guy is a true free safety,” a league source said. “At end of the day, for me, you pay big money to a safety who can cover well and make plays on the football. Bell is a solid tackler and run supporter, but part of his issues in Miami were liabilities in coverage and he doesn’t produce much ball disruption.”
The Jets also have concerns about Landry’s health, and Bell gives them some insurance. Landry is coming off a season-ending foot injury that he is rehabbing. A source said Landry has not been a regular participant in the team’s offseason workouts, which are voluntary. It was unclear whether his absence is related to his injury. He often skipped the offseason program while with the Redskins.
* According to a source, Quinton Coples, the Jets’ first-round pick, has a deal worth $8.8 million fully guaranteed, which includes a $4.8 million signing bonus.
The Jets announced the signing of guard Terrence Campbell, an undrafted free agent from South Carolina. … Jeff Bauer was named director of college scouting and Kevin Kelly was hired as an area scout. Bauer, who has been with the Jets for 12 years and has spent 11 seasons as the team’s Midwest scout, replaces Joey Clinkscales who became the Raiders director of player personnel.