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The New York Jets' signing of Le'Veon Bell pleased quarterback Sam Darnold.

Jets' Darnold 'really pumped about' playing with Bell

New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold is happy his team added Le'Veon Bell.

New York signed the star running back to a four-year, $52.5million deal in mid-March.

Darnold, 21, was asked about Bell when he met with reporters on Thursday during OTAs.

"Obviously, we know what Le'Veon is capable of," Darnold said.

"Once we signed him I was pumped, just super stoked to have him on our team and for me to have him as a weapon. To be able to check the ball down, get him out in space, have him running routes, there's so many things we can do. So, I'm really pumped about it."

New Jets coach Adam Gase reportedly did not want the team to sign Bell, who missed all of 2018 after holding out from the Pittsburgh Steelers over a contract dispute.

Gase, however, denied that was the case when he met with reporters on Thursday.

Gase was promoted to interim general manager after New York fired Mike Maccagnan last week.

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Coach Gase speaks to the media during Week 1 of OTAs. https://t.co/aCN74Qem9Z
— New York Jets (@nyjets) May 23, 2019

"We signed him," Gase said. "I'm excited we have him. I've been in constant communication with him."

Darnold, meanwhile, completed 57.7 per cent of his passes and threw for 17 touchdowns, along with 15 interceptions, in 13 games as a rookie for the Jets last season. He said he was excited to learn Gase's offense.

"It's been really fun to learn a new offense, kind of understand what coach Gase wants to do, how aggressive he wants to be," Darnold said.

"But [we've been] really making sure that we take a step back and realise it's not going to be perfect day one or day two or day three. This week [at OTAs] it was definitely a process – that's the word I would use to describe it."

The Jets finished 2018 with a 4-12 record and missed the playoffs for an eighth straight season.

They fired former coach Todd Bowles in late December and hired Gase to replace him.

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