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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Josh Keatley

What the Browns are getting in D’Anthony Bell

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The Cleveland Browns signed a plethora of undrafted free agents after the 2022 NFL Draft and although expectations are usually held in check for undrafted players, every now and again a diamond in the rough emerges. We discussed previously how I admire that this current front office leaves no stone unturned and taking chances on small school guys that weren’t provided the attention of an FBS program is another example of this regime turning over another stone.

The defensive backfield is set to be a fairly strong positional group in Cleveland, but there is opportunity and a player that may get an opportunity to earn a roster spot is D’Anthony Bell. Let’s dive into what he can do!

Strengths

[Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
D’Anthony Bell is an undrafted free agent from Divison II, West Florida. Although going from Division II to the NFL is a steep hill, Bell is expected to make some waves. It shouldn’t be shocking to see Bell’s name added to the list of undrafted free agents in Cleveland as they had communication with him during his impressive performance during the NLFPA Collegiate Bowl.

Bell has good NFL size listed at 6′ 1″ and 211 pounds and honestly, he looks bigger than that or at the very least the “Hit Man” plays bigger. Bell’s calling card is his aggressiveness and ability to lay the wood on ball carriers.

His no-fear mentality and size give him the potential to develop into a variable chess piece that could see him play in the box as a strong safety or linebacker. Bell is also a good enough athlete to play free safety or play in the nickel or dime.

Weaknesses

[Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]
Figuring out D’Anthony Bell’s biggest weakness is pretty obvious. Making the transition from a Division II school to the NFL is a tough task and transitioning to the speed and strength of the NFL can take time and that is time that the Cleveland Browns may not have.

The other issue is Bell’s lack of speed. He reportedly runs a 4.45 forty-yard dash, but I would like to see that verified. His overall athleticism is a tad underwhelming, but he is by no means a liability.

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