The Raiders are still piecing together their receiver depth, and on Thursday they added another name to the mix: Ronnie Bell.
Las Vegas signed the former San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints wideout to the practice squad nine days before the season opener against the Miami Dolphins. The team confirmed the move on its official transactions log, where Bell appeared alongside former New York Giants guard Evan Neal and former Giants defensive end Azeez Ojulari.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter first reported the three practice-squad additions on X: “Raiders signed former Saints WR Ronnie Bell, former Giants G Evan Neal and former Giants DE Azeez Ojulari to their practice squad.”
Bell is not on the 53-man roster, so this is a depth move rather than a Week 1 roster shake-up. Under NFL rules, teams can elevate two practice-squad players for each game, which gives Las Vegas a path to get Bell into the lineup against Miami if injuries or matchups push the issue. For now, he’s another body in camp and another target for four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins to work with in practice.
The 26-year-old Michigan product brings a modest pro resume. Official NFL.com career stats list him at 10 catches for 113 yards and four touchdowns in 28 games.
His time with the Saints last season was brief: two receptions for 23 yards and one touchdown in two games. That’s a far cry from the larger seven-catch line that surfaced in some early reports.
Bell’s most interesting stretch came in 2023 with the 49ers, when he made the most of limited chances. Drafted in the seventh round under Kyle Shanahan, he scored three times on six catches and showed enough timing in a West Coast-style passing game to make him worth another look.
That familiarity matters in Las Vegas, where first-year coach Klint Kubiak comes from the same offensive family he learned in Minnesota and Seattle. Bell also spent a short stretch in Kellen Moore’s system in New Orleans before the Saints waived him on Aug. 29, according to the club’s roster announcement.
The Raiders’ interest fits the larger picture. According to NBC Sports, the team worked out 16 players Thursday at Intermountain Health Performance Center and kept three. To make room on the practice squad, Las Vegas released defensive end Jahfari Harvey, tackle Kamar Missouri and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam Jr.
This all comes with the quarterback situation settled for now. Cousins won the job over No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza this week, and Kubiak said Wednesday, per NFL.com, “Kirk’s had a really good offseason, very good camp and he’s earned it.” Cousins is set to start Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium against Jeff Hafley’s Dolphins.
The need at receiver is obvious. The group behind Cousins is young and dealing with injuries, with Tre Tucker, Jalen Nailor, Jack Bech, Malik Benson and Dareke Young listed as the healthy names on the 53-man roster.
Second-year wideout Dont’e Thornton Jr. is on injured reserve and will miss at least the first four games, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal after final cuts. After the second preseason game, Kubiak said the staff was “still looking” for a receiver who can be counted on on Sundays, according to The Athletic.
Las Vegas also missed on some bigger-name help. Stefon Diggs signed a one-year deal with the Washington Commanders in August, The Athletic reported.
Deebo Samuel returned to the 49ers on a one-year contract worth up to $7 million after Ricky Pearsall’s knee injury, an AP source said. The Raiders’ biggest offseason addition at the position remains Nailor’s three-year deal.
So Bell lands in a very specific role: special teams, scout team, and maybe a red-zone package if the Raiders need one. He is not walking in as the answer to a missing No. 1 receiver. Tight end Brock Bowers remains the offense’s most reliable target, and if Bell gets a Week 1 jersey, it will come through one of those weekly practice-squad elevations.
Miami enters the opener in a reset year under Hafley, whom the Dolphins hired in January after firing Mike McDaniel, the AP reported. Both first-year coaches now have a week to decide which practice-squad names deserve a game-day spot. In Henderson this week, Bell is one of them.
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