The buzz around Dillon Bell has cooled at the exact wrong time.
The Minnesota Vikings rookie receiver, an undrafted free agent out of Georgia, flashed enough during the offseason program to get people talking. He even worked with the first team during June’s minicamp, which only added to the sense that he might be one of those summer finds teams uncover every year.
Then came Saturday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, where Bell caught six passes for 51 yards. It was a solid line, and The Athletic’s Alec Lewis said Bell “excelled” in that latest preseason showing. But even with that performance, Lewis’ roster projection suggests Bell still may not have done enough to crack the 53-man roster with cuts nearing.
Bell entered the summer with plenty going for him. He’s listed at six feet and 209 pounds, has the kind of sturdy build that stands out, and has been timed at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash. His versatility also made him an interesting name to watch, and former Carolina Panthers receiver Steve Smith Sr. called him a “ diamond in the rough ” during the pre-draft process.
The production at Georgia was respectable, too. In 56 games, Bell recorded 119 catches for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. Still, Smith had concerns about how Bell was used and also took aim at quarterback Gunnar Stockton, saying he would “go on strike” if he were to play with him under center.
Bell’s former teammate Zachariah Branch didn’t have those same issues. Branch caught 81 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns for Georgia last season after transferring from USC, then went in the third round to the Atlanta Falcons in last year’s draft.
For Bell, the early camp signs pointed upward. He looked better as a route runner and carved out a notable role in minicamp, enough to make him seem like a real candidate to stick. The problem is that the rest of the receiver room has kept moving.
Tai Felton has looked much sharper after a quiet rookie season, and he hauled in a 50-yard pass from J.J. McCarthy in the preseason loss to Baltimore. Myles Price has also pushed himself into the conversation, scoring in the preseason opener against the New York Giants and nearly adding another touchdown Saturday before McCarthy’s throw sailed to him in the end zone.
Bell did produce against the Ravens, but the way he produced is what raises the flag. According to PFF, his average depth of target is 4.7 yards, which ranks 14th lowest among 188 qualifying receivers this preseason. That can hint at a receiver working close to the line of scrimmage rather than threatening defenses downfield, and it also could point to issues in Bell’s route tree that were easier to hide in minicamp than in live action.
That matters for Kevin O’Connell, who is looking for explosive plays downfield. If Bell isn’t showing that part of the game, he looks more like a developmental piece than the potential difference-maker he seemed to be in June.
Roster math now makes the situation even murkier. If Minnesota keeps six receivers, Bell may still sneak onto the team and avoid waivers. If not, he could land on the practice squad or become another promising offseason name who never turns into much at the NFL level.
For now, the Vikings appear to have a decision to make. If Bell ends up being one of the cuts, the preseason excitement around him will look like a mirage plenty of fans bought into.
In Other News...
Vikings May Have Found The Run Stuffer Brian Flores Needed
Domonique Orange has quickly become one of the more interesting early developments in Vikings camp, and it is easy to see why. The rookie third-round pick out of Iowa State already looks like he can help Minnesota shore up the middle, bringing the kind of size and power that can make life miserable for interior offensive linemen. Analysts have even drawn a familiar comparison to former Vikings nose tackle Pat Williams, a name that still carries weight around these parts for the way he anchored the run defense.
For Brian Flores, that sort of presence is exactly the kind of addition the front would be looking for. Orange has shown the ability to push blockers back and hold his ground in the gaps, which gives Minnesota a chance to get sturdier up front without asking too much of him too soon. The expectation is that he will have a role right away in the rotation, and if those early signs hold, the Vikings may have found a useful run stuffer before his first season even gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Are Trying An Unusual Chaz Chambliss Experiment
Chaz Chambliss has become one of the more unusual camp stories around the Vikings this summer, spending time at fullback during joint practices after lining up as an outside linebacker. He also switched his jersey number from 57 to 40, a move that makes him eligible to handle both roles and gives Minnesota some added flexibility as it sorts through the depth chart behind the starters.
Chambliss arrived as an undrafted free agent last offseason and spent most of his rookie year working on special teams, so this is not exactly a sudden reinvention. Still, the Vikings seem to be exploring him as an emergency fullback option, potentially as a backup to rookie Max Bredeson, which is the kind of cross-training that can quietly shape a roster even if it never becomes a headline move on game day. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Roster Crunch Now Starts With A Quarterback Decision
With the final preseason game still to come, the Vikings are now deep into the kind of roster math that turns every snap into an audition. The most immediate call centers on quarterback, where Kyler Murray has been named the Week 1 starter as Minnesota moves toward the deadline for cutting the roster to 53 players. From there, the staff is still weighing backup options and sorting through several camp battles that have carried into August.
The quarterback choice only sharpens the pressure on the rest of the roster, especially with projected spots still up for grabs on both sides of the ball. Minnesota has seen encouraging stretches in camp and preseason action, but there are still clear questions to settle at key depth spots on offense and defense before the next round of decisions arrives. [Read more 🡒]