D’Anthony Bell is making his case in Seahawks camp, but the clearest path to sticking around may not come at safety.
With Seattle set to open preseason play against the Dallas Cowboys in just a few days and training camp wrapping up next week, every rep matters more now. The safety group already has its top names lined up with Julian Love, Ty Okada, and Nick Emmanwori, while Bud Clark, Rodney Thomas II, and Bell are battling for backup and rotational work.
Bell is in an interesting spot. He spent most of last season with the Seahawks, and while he has the inside track among the bubble candidates, he is still very much fighting for a roster spot. What’s helped him this summer is that he has looked better than not, and head coach Mike Macdonald has clearly noticed.
Part of Bell’s advantage right now is opportunity. With Emmanwori easing back from ankle surgery, Bell has gotten far more snaps than expected.
He has used those reps well, including work with the first-team defense, and he has also flashed with one of the camp’s biggest defensive plays so far: a pick-six on Monday. Bell jumped a throw and returned it 90 yards for the score.
That extra playing time has also let Seattle see more of Bell’s versatility. He’s shown he can slide into the slot/nickel role, which gives him another lane to stay on the roster even if he doesn’t win a pure safety job. That kind of flexibility matters in a crowded competition.
Macdonald pointed directly to that broader value when talking about Bell’s chances.
"It was great to see him make a play today," Macdonald said." He's doing a good job.
There's a lot of competition for the job that he is trying to earn himself, so it's a process. One day at a time, but D Bell is doing a good job.
It's going to come down to special teams; how we package our personnel groups, things like that. He made a great play today that was awesome."
That last part is the key. Bell may still contribute at safety, but Macdonald’s comments make it sound like special teams could be the role that gets him over the line. Bell’s hybrid ability gives Seattle options, and that may be what separates him from the rest of the pack.
For now, he remains a bubble player. But the projections still lean toward Bell making the final roster, and camp has given him a strong case to do it again in Seattle. Whether it’s in the secondary or on special teams, he’s making himself hard to ignore.
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