© Kareem Elgazzar-USA TODAY Sports
Browns Need To Utilize David Bell In 2024
The former Purdue wide receiver was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Since that time, he has been severely underutilized.
The first two years of David Bell's NFL career have been quiet. Since being selected with the 99th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Bell has only seen 58 targets come his way. Of those targets, Bell has 38 receptions for 381 yards and three touchdowns to show for the small amount of work he has been given.
As time passes, it gets easier to forget how productive of a receiver Bell was at Purdue. At times it feels like he is a forgotten man in Cleveland. I can assure you that I have not forgotten my third-ranked receiver prospect in the 2022 draft class.
Dec 10, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver David Bell (18) runs in for his first NFL TD.
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Only Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave sat ahead of Bell in my rankings just two years ago. Despite being behind those two Ohio State Buckeyes in my rankings, Bell actually beat them both out for Big Ten Receiver of the Year in 2021. During his final season with the Purdue Boilermakers, Bell compiled 93 catches for 1,286 yards and six touchdowns in just 11 games.
Bell has never been the fastest, most athletic wide receiver. Sometimes when evaluating wide receivers specifically, it is easy to get too invested in straight-line speed. In order to succeed in the NFL, receivers need a lot more than the ability to only run go-routes. This is part of the reason why Jameson Williams is off to a slow start in Detroit, why Anthony Schwartz never did anything in Cleveland and why I have some concerns about Troy Franklin's boom or bust potential in this upcoming draft. The best receivers are dangerous at every level of the field.
Bell is a smart route runner and knows how to find space, especially when the defense is sitting in zone coverage. He is excellent at sitting down in his route right past the sticks, securing the catch with strong hands and moving the chains. Even in his short time with the Browns, he has proven to be a reliable option on third and fourth down when the offense has to move the chains.
In the final third of the 2023 season, some flashes of Bell's ability were showcased. In a win at home against Jacksonville, Bell scored his first NFL touchdown. Coach Kevin Stefanski decided to go for it on fourth and three, Bell ran tight behind Elijah Moore and as Moore cut across the middle, Bell turned and caught a quick pass from Joe Flacco before turning to green grass ahead of him.
Just a few weeks later, the Browns were resting what felt like half of the roster in Cincinnati with a playoff spot already locked up. With Jeff Driskel at the helm for that game and a lack of receiving targets on the field, Bell became the go-to guy. On four targets, he hauled in all four for 68 yards and two touchdowns. After really proving his value in that Week 18 game, Bell saw plenty of reps in the Browns Wild Card round loss to the Texans. In a game which felt like most of the roster didn't show up to play, Bell caught all eight of his targets for 54 yards.
In many ways it has felt like the slower start to his career has been to no fault of his own. The organization has talked about wanting to spread the ball around the field with Deshaun Watson and utilizing their receiving weapons. Due to the Watson suspension in 2022, the system with Jacoby Brissett was predicated on the run and play action. Often times only two receivers were on the field at a time. In 2023, Watson's shoulder injury caused a bit of a quarterback carousel, again preventing the exact offense desired. It wasn't until the addition of Joe Flacco that Cleveland truly began to "air it out".
If Watson can remain fully healthy in 2024 and get to the level he and the coaches would like him to get to, then the full receiving corps should be utilized in a higher capacity. Stefanski appeared to really like David Bell as a prospect and seems to like getting him reps when he can. With Bell's performances trending in the right direction at the end of last season, that could bode well for the third-year receiver in 2024.
Oct 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver David Bell (18) makes a diving catch.
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Last season, Cedric Tillman looked a bit lost and out of sync on his routes. As he needs more time to develop, Bell should be utilized as the fourth receiver behind Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore. Bell's ability to operate out of the slot or on the outside adds to his versatility and he can attack defenses underneath, on intermediate routes or can leak out and stretch the field, similar to against Cincinnati.
Before getting too invested in NEEDING another receiver this season, perhaps Bell is a key to the passing game. If he can put on a good showing in 2024, maybe he is in line to become a top three receiver on this team if Amari Cooper or Elijah Moore leave as free agents in 2025.
