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Seahawks sign former Browns special teams ace

The Seattle Seahawks are re-shaping their safety room for the second straight season.
Cleveland Browns safety D'Anthony Bell (37), center, celebrates an interception in the first quarter during a Week 18 NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati.
Cleveland Browns safety D'Anthony Bell (37), center, celebrates an interception in the first quarter during a Week 18 NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. | Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

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After parting ways with Rayshawn Jenkins and staying idle on re-signing K'Von Wallace, the Seattle Seahawks are reimagining their safety room for the second straight season.

The Seahawks signed former Cleveland Browns safety D'Anthony Bell to a one-year deal, per FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz. Bell went undrafted out of West Florida in 2022 and was primarily a special teams contributor for Cleveland while also playing 21 percent of the team's defensive snaps in 2023.

Though he's never had a full-time starting role, Bell has appeared in 50 games (seven starts) and compiled 61 tackles, five tackles for loss, four pass deflections, and two interceptions. He's played over 1,000 special teams snaps in three seasons with the Browns.

Bell (6-foot-1, 211 pounds) signed with Seattle for the chance to be part of the Seahawks' three-safety packages, according to Schultz, which head coach Mike Macdonald frequently deployed in 2024. That role was previously filled by Wallace and Coby Bryant last season before the latter stepped in as a starter for the final 11 games of the season.

Veteran Julian Love — who signed a new three-year extension before last season — and Bryant are expected to remain the team's starters into 2025. Bryant finished with 73 tackles, six pass deflections, three interceptions and a pick-six last season.

Seattle has not moved to re-sign Wallace, who struggled to stay on the field in his lone season with the Seahawks. Wallace ended up playing in just nine games, totaling 15 tackles and a forced fumble.

The Seahawks' safety room continues to evolve since the team parted ways with Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams last offseason. Both were cap casualties under Macdonald's new regime in Seattle. Bell is another exciting addition who will have a chance to prove himself in a defensive role.

Bell's signing also makes it less likely the team will draft a safety, despite many pundits predicting Seattle will take athletic South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori at No. 18 overall.

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