David Bell readying for possible role at slot WR
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Bell could have an immediate opportunity to see high snap volumes if he can carve out a slot role. His competition will consist of two other young receivers in Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz, although both players mostly played on the outside in 2021.
To put it simply: The role is there for Bell to take, and the Browns have made it clear that they believe he has the tools to grab it as a rookie and be a sizable contributor in their offense from the jump.
"I think he has versatility outside and inside," coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday. "I do think he has a natural competitiveness both in route-running and in route-catching, and the ability in the route-running game to set people up and drop your weight. Those type of things."
That goes hand-in-hand with what Bell believes is the top advantage of playing in the slot.
Typically, the slot cornerback lines up a few yards behind the scrimmage rather than beginning the play right in the receiver's face. The extra room allows for a slot receiver a bit more time to possibly fool the defender and create separation.
"I think it gives you a little bit more freedom," Bell said. "He's about 5 to 6 yards off, so you can get up on his toes and have a lot of space to create even more space."
That task, however, will be much harder to do at the NFL level, and Bell knows it. That's why he's prioritizing learning the playbook first so he's ready to handle all plays necessary to train for the role in training camp.
And if Bell succeeds, get ready to see him a lot in the offense early in 2022.
"At first, it's going to be a little challenging," Bell said, "but once I get the repetition and be on the field and do it on the field with players around me, I think I'll be good."
