Le’Veon Bell finally got a day off from drug testing Sunday.

But the Jets’ new running back still missed time during practice because of leg cramps. He was more involved in the offense during team drills, though after one run he delivered a brief scare, hobbling off to the sideline to be looked at by trainers. He came back and later took more reps in seven-on-seven, before running into the issue again.

Coach Adam Gase said he was not concerned about Bell’s health and didn’t think it would be something he’d need to monitor.

“I think just the beginning of camp, we’ve had some guys cramp up, they’re out a little bit and then they go back in there,” Gase said. “We’re just emphasizing hydration. Just doing a good job of eating every meal and making sure we’re putting the right stuff in our body. Sometimes you’re in the hotel and different environment, guys kind of sip on drinking water and Gatorade, things like that.”

There was a more serious injury during Sunday’s practice as backup offensive lineman Brent Qvale had to be carted off with an air cast around his right leg after an early team drill. Gase said it was a knee injury, the severity of which was not immediately clear.

“We’re evaluating him right now,” Gase said. “It didn’t look good. He’s getting an MRI.”

Qvale started two games last year at right tackle after Brandon Shell went down with a season-ending injury.

The Jets will be without tight end Chris Herndon for the first four games of the season as he serves a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, but Gase has been impressed with the rest of the players at the position.



“I think they’re doing a really good job,” Gase said. “We’re not really having a lot of errors from that group. … That whole group, you don’t have finesse guys over there. Even the move-type tight ends you think would be passing game guys, they’re more physical than guys I’ve been around in the past. It’s nice to have an entire group that can do all three phases of what a tight end needs to do.”

Ryan Griffin, whom the Jets signed after Herndon’s suspension was announced, was active in the passing game Sunday.

Linebacker Avery Williamson went back to school in the offseason and graduated from Kentucky five years after getting drafted. His degree was in integrated strategic communications.

“I’m glad it’s over with,” Williamson said. “I encourage kids to finish while they’re in school.”