Yeremiah Bell: Cards made me feel wanted

Last year, the Jets had made Yeremiah Bell feel wanted.

After eight years in Miami, the veteran safety was looking for a new home. And soon, he found it on Rex Ryan’s defense.

But now, Bell, 35, has found himself a new home in Arizona. The former free-agent safety signed a one-year, $905,000 contract with the Cardinals Wednesday. (The deal includes $555,000 guaranteed, including a $65,000 signing bonus.)

Those financials were surprising, considering the Jets signed Bell last May to a $1.4 million deal that included $1.3 million guaranteed.

Two weeks ago, a league source told Newsday the Jets were interested in re-signing him. But ultimately, it was the Cardinals who made Bell feel wanted -- just as the Jets had done back in 2012. 

In an email to Newsday Thursday night, Bell explained the Jets wanted to wait on a deal, but "with the plethora of young defensive backs on the market I felt I needed to get somewhere."

The announcement of Bell's signing was sandwiched Wednesday in between news of Shonn Greene's three-year, $10 million deal with the Titans and LaRon Landry's decision to sign a four-year, $24 million deal with the Colts.

On Tuesday, free-agent defensive tackle Mike DeVito inked a three-year deal with Kansas City.

In the past month, the Jets have released Bart Scott, Calvin Pace, Eric Smith, and Sione Po'uha -- meaning Ryan's 2013 defense will look vastly different. But, nevertheless, Bell believes the Jets will be fine.

Asked to give a parting message to Jets fans, Bell wrote: "Just thanks for being great fans and Rex will get them back where they need to be. Really enjoyed being a jet."