The New England Revolution transfer news being quiet over the past couple of weeks has fans clamoring for anything to hold onto. Enter Jon Bell, a Revolution II player in 2020 who is under contract through the 2021 season. On December 13, 2020, the Revolution acquired the college rights from San Jose for a natural 4th round SuperDraft pick. This acquisition brought the potential to join the MLS roster to the forefront of the fanbase,
Jon Bell The Man
The 23-year-old left-footed center back out of UMBC was drafted 38th overall by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. Bell chose not to sign with them after being drafted as San Jose returned three of their starting backline. From a depth perspective, if Jon had joined San Jose, he would have been 4th overall for center backs.
Bell signed a contract with Revolution II on July 14, 2020, becoming an integral part of the inaugural team. In the 2020 season with the Revolution II, Jon Bell started and went the full 90 in 15 of the 16 matches. In those games, he was part of a -10 goal differential. To be fair to Bell, the Revs II form in the beginning was not the same as the last half.
Jon Bell The Myth
This may seem weird, but I think the myth here is that the Revs will bump Bell up to the first team in 2021. Jon Bell is under contract with Revs II through December 31, 2021. If Bell is moved up to the first-team roster, he will be 4th or 5th on the depth chart behind Kessler, Farrell, De La Garza, and Verfurth.
The acquisition of his rights is a proactive measure for the Revolution. If they continue to see Bell’s growth in the 2021 season with Revolution II, he could become a piece for the future. Unless there are unforeseen injuries, I do not expect him to be with the MLS side this season.
Jon Bell The Cult Hero
If Bell does come up to the first team this season, he can become a cult hero. The fanbase is calling for him to be signed, and when this happens, you usually get some cult status. I see him filling the boots of Femi Hollinger-Jansen or Donnie Smith with the fan base.
[…] now 24 first team players after Edward Kizza was announced recently. Highly anticipated Jon Bell (#AnnounceJonBell), Connor Presley, Colby Quinones, Joe Rice and Maciel are the Revolution II players joining the […]