David

Bell

Bell had three early receptions against the Jaguars in Week 2 before sustaining the hip injury and being carted to the locker room. Bell’s season is likely over, leaving Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore as the Browns’ top three wideouts.

Bell landed hard on his right knee after being tackled from behind. He remained down for some time before being helped to the cart. Bell could be seen laying on his back with his right leg elevated and supported by a Browns trainer as the cart sped off.

Assuming Bell is back within two weeks, he should be ready in time for the Browns’ regular season contest against the Cowboys. The third-year receiver caught one pass for five yards in the team’s preseason opener against the Packers and is hoping to carve out a role as a backup in camp. Bell has caught 38 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns in his career since being drafted in the third-round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Texans rolled additional coverage over to Amari Cooper all game after the veteran wide receiver put up historic numbers the last time the two teams played, leaving Bell and his newfound WR3 role additional room to operate over the middle of the field. Bell is likely to remain behind Cedric Tillman in 2024, leaving little fantasy value outside of the deepest leagues.

With the Browns trying to get Amari Cooper, David Njoku and Elijah Moore healthier/fresher for the playoffs, Bell had his first relevant outing of the year. He entered the proceedings with 10 total catches. A nice pop-up effort, but Bell will revert to afterthought status for the postseason. He now has 38 career catches across 31 career grabs, with only 14 of those receptions coming this season.

The second-year receiver will miss at least one game after sitting out the practice week. Bell had seven targets on a 10% snap share as the Browns’ WR4 before going down.

The Browns’ offseason moves have put Bell, a 2022 third-rounder, on the roster bubble. With Cleveland no longer expected to sign DeAndre Hopkins, Bell’s roster status is safe going into Year 2. Bell is expected to compete in the slot this preseason after playing 62% of his snaps there as a rookie.

This has been foreshadowed with the Browns adding Marquise Goodwin and Cedric Tillman, along with Elijah Moore, this offseason. Cleveland was clearly unhappy with its wideout depth. Schwartz has 14 receptions in two seasons and has missed time to concussions and knee injuries. He doesn’t have to be rostered in deep dynasty leagues.

The shine has worn off a bit on Bell (6'2/205) following an underwhelming 4.68 40-yard dash at the combine. With that being said, Bell brings a body of work to this year’s class that not many receivers have. He went for over 1,000-yards in two of his three seasons, and was on pace for another 1,000-yard season in his sophomore year had it not been shortened to six games due to COVID-19. Like Williams, Bell is a sure-handed receiver who has the ability to win the contested catches at the high point. Where he will go in the draft is the biggest question surrounding him heading into this week.

Bell went into the pre draft process as a possible early Day 2 pick. After some not so stellar numbers at the combine, including a 4.68 40-yard dash, his stock has plummeted. This doesn’t mean he isn’t a good prospect and this could help him become a a good value. He’s a sure handed receiver that’s come away with at-least a 77.0 PFF receiving grade and had the fewest drops in the Big 10 since 2019. Team show not be worried about the testing numbers and see the value he has.