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With the rumors and reports of Jets G.M. Mike Maccagnan being on the outs coming to fruition, related rumors and reports need to be taken more seriously than they may have been.

Here’s what we wrote when the rumors of Maccagnan getting fired first emerged: “Some have pointed to the decision to sign running back Le'Veon Bell as the biggest sticking point between Gase and Maccagnan. (Or, more accurately, the decision to pay Bell as much as the Jets did, given that the Jets likely could have gotten him for significantly less.) Bell’s decision to skip a voluntary minicamp this week gave Gase plenty of ammunition for a round of I told you so’s within the team’s facility.”

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News now reports that Gase didn’t want Bell at all. Although the more accurate explanation would be that Gase didn’t want Bell at that price, the point remains that Gase wasn’t on board with the decision to break the bank for the former Pittsburgh tailback.

With Bell still absent from offseason workouts, the report makes an already awkward relationship even more awkward, and Gase and Bell could have a hard time getting and staying on the same page.

It will be for Gase to make Bell believe Gase wanted the player. And it will be for Gase to realize that what he wanted currently doesn’t matter, and that the best play will be to do whatever needs to be done to get the most out of Bell moving forward.