With Le’Veon Bell forfeiting his entire 2018 salary and becoming a free agent this offseason, many have pegged the Jets as front-runners to land the dynamic running back. The Jets currently have the best odds to land Bell, considering New York’s need and cap room, but there is no way to know for sure if he or the team will make it happen.

If the Jets do sign Bell and pair him with QB Sam Darnold, they have a chance to copy what the Rams had in 2017 and continue to have with Jared Goff and Todd Gurley. The similarities are obvious: Both Darnold and Goff would be second-year players coming off underperforming rookie seasons, while Bell and Gurley would be established, superstar running backs coming off down years.

The key difference between these two scenarios, and the one that will either make or break this dream, is who the Jets choose as their next head coach.

There’s no debating Bell’s talent or Darnold’s potential, just as there was and is for Goff and Gurley. However, the Rams were able to completely alter the careers of their quarterback and running back by firing perennial 8-8 coach Jeff Fisher for the young, upstart Sean McVay.

McVay’s offensive innovation was one of the driving factors in how the Rams became the No. 1 offense in 2017. Goff and Gurley looked reinvigorated behind a new offensive gameplan and a couple of new weapons.

The Jets have the opportunity to emulate that culture shift with Bell in tow, but also only if they move on from Todd Bowles and Jeremy Bates. That isn’t to say Bates and Bowles are the sole reason for Darnold and the Jets’ offensive woes in 2018, but what will be another down, playoff-less, sub-.500 season (if the Jets lose two more games, at least) can at least be somewhat attributed to the coaching staff.

While there might not be a coach as dynamic as McVay on the table at the moment, there are several potential candidates who could be hot names this offseason. One such coach, Titans offensive coordinator Matt LeFluer, actually coached with McVay in Los Angeles and Washington and should be on the Jets’ radar if they move on from Bowles and Bates.

That can all change with a shiny new running back and a new offensive-minded coaching staff. Bell would be the perfect weapon for a still-developing quarterback, especially if he comes with an upgraded offensive line. There is the potential for the Jets offense to be completely turned around should the team spend on Bell, but they also need to find an offensive-minded coach.