FLORHAM PARK — Jets defensive tackle Steve McLendon knows Le’Veon Bell from their three seasons playing together in Pittsburgh.

So after Bell signed with the Jets this spring, McLendon reached out to give his friend some advice.

“I talked to him and I told him, ‘You understand this place is different than Pittsburgh,’” McLendon said. “I said, ‘You need to get back so you can understand the quarterback and the situation.’ … I told him, 'The media is gonna get you if you don’t come back.’ That’s the truth. I did tell him that.”

Bell has yet to take McLendon’s advice, skipping the first two weeks of the Jets’ voluntary OTA practices and a voluntary minicamp earlier this month. Bell has faced some criticism from pundits and fans for skipping the workouts just months after signing a contract worth $27 million guaranteed.

But even though McLendon would prefer to see Bell in attendance, for a variety of reasons, he’s not at all concerned about his absence.

“I know there’s been a lot of people saying, ‘Why is he not here? Because he was paid,’” McLendon said. “Listen, man, he’s not an All-Pro, Pro Bowl running back for no reason. Sometimes people prepare differently. Would we love him here? Yes. But when he comes here and he’s rocking and rolling and helping us get to where we want to go this season, ain’t nobody going to be thinking about it. And I know I’m not.”

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McLendon played with Bell from 2013 to 2015 in Pittsburgh and saw first hand how hard the running back works and what he’s capable of. And he knows Bell’s conditioning won’t be an issue.

“One thing that I can say about Le’Veon, he’s going to be in extremely good shape,” McLendon said. “He’s going to be in some good shape. He always has been and I don’t see that changing. His physical condition [exceeds] anything else. And I know that. He trains hard.”

But McLendon also said that by skipping these OTA practices, he’s missing a chance to build a better chemistry with quarterback Sam Darnold.

“You just want to get to know your teammates, especially when we have a young quarterback,” McLendon said. “He needs to know your rhythm, he needs to know how patient you are. It’s easy to see on the film but it’s so hard to prepare with because [Bell] is very dynamic in the things that he can do. Out of the backfield, in the backfield, lining up at wide receiver, he can do a lot of special things, and for me it’s very amazing to have him on our team.”

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McLendon said he voiced that opinion to Bell, telling him he could have benefited from some extra time working with the young quarterback. But Bell said he’s been keeping in touch with Darnold, so McLendon let it go.

“I said, ‘Listen, that’s not my business then,’” McLendon said. “‘You handle your business and whatever time you get back, you get back and you do it.’ Like I said, I have no doubt when he comes back he’s going to be ready to go. That’s just me. He’s a hell of a player.”

Bell showed up for the first week of the Jets’ voluntary offseason program, but it’s unclear how much he’s been around since. He will be back in town next week, however. The Jets hold their mandatory three-day minicamp June 4-6. And McLendon doesn’t believe Bell will look any different, even though he hasn’t been in a competitive environment in more than a year after missing last season because of a contract dispute.

“I understand he has sat out a year of football, but for a running back that’s good — especially all the hits he takes,” McLendon said. “He’s still going to be fast, he’s still going to be shifty. I’m excited for him to come back.”

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