Seahawks Boost Secondary Depth, Sign Ex-Browns Special Teams Ace
Cleveland Browns safety D'Anthony Bell drops back into coverage against the Houston Texans. Credit: D’Anthony Bell/Instagram
Following a free agent visit earlier this month, the Seattle Seahawks have reportedly agreed to terms with veteran safety and special teams standout D’Anthony Bell to shore up depth in their secondary.
According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Bell chose to sign a one-year deal with the Seahawks over several other suitors, valuing the opportunity to potentially contribute as a third safety in coach Mike Macdonald’s defense. Financial terms of the contract have yet to be disclosed.
Starring at Division II West Florida, Bell impressed at his pro day workout to put his name on the map for NFL teams, running the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds with a sub-7.0 3-cone drill. Still, coming from a smaller program, he went undrafted in 2022 and signed with Cleveland, making history by earning a spot on the 53-man roster out of training camp to become the first player in school history to make it in the league.
As a rookie, Bell didn’t see much action on defense, contributing five tackles on 72 snaps. But he emerged as one of the Browns’ key cogs on special teams, logging 249 snaps in the third phase of the game and racking up six total tackles on kick and punt coverage, proving the team’s decision to keep him on the active roster as an undrafted rookie was the right move.
The 6-1, 211-pound Bell nearly equaled those numbers in 2023 while seeing an uptick in defensive action with his first four career starts, recording 29 combined tackles, two interceptions, and three pass breakups to make the most of 226 defensive snaps. Despite that success, however, he reverted back to a reserve role last season with fewer than 100 snaps on defense, continuing to excel on special teams by tallying 11 combined stops on kick and punt coverage units.
Given how well Bell played when he received extended playing time on defense in Cleveland two seasons ago, Seattle may view him as the front runner to replace the third safety role previously held by Rayshawn Jenkins and K’Von Wallace. Wallace played 127 snaps as a rotational defender in just seven games before landing on injured reserve, while Jenkins settled into the role after losing his starting job to Coby Bryant while on injured reserve, playing 163 snaps in the final seven games functioning as a money linebacker on three-safety sets.
The Seahawks will also be needing reinforcements across the board on special teams and the duo of Bell and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles, who signed a one-year contract with the team after spending the last two years with the Saints, will be counted on to fill the gaps left behind with Jenkins/Wallace and Artie Burns departing in free agency.
