A Quick Look at LB Beau Bell

Two players made pre-draft visits to Cleveland on Friday – inside linebackers Jared Mayo of Tennessee and Beau Bell of UNLV.  Mayo is ranked as high as the second-best inside linebacker in the draft, so unless the Browns move up, he will remain little more than a pipe dream.  However, Bell is also another strong inside linebacker, and is projected as a possible fourth-rounder.  Here is some extra information on Bell, courtesy of The Plain Dealer:

"The 2007 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Bell led the conference with 126 tackles and five forced fumbles. He also had four interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown, and three sacks."

Bell seems like a real possibility for the Browns, given how successful his visit was.  He was also a former teammate of current Browns cornerback Eric Wright, and has heard nothing but good things about the Browns and the city of Cleveland.  Apparently, Wright has “fallen in love with the city,” and is giving Bell a glowing review of the Browns’ defense.  Despite his 4.90 speed in the 40, Bell seems confident that he will again reach his former speeds of the mid-4.7s.  He suffered a bruised tibia during the Senior Bowl and was not able to prepare for the 40-yard dash as much as he would have liked.

For a fourth-round pick, the Browns could do a lot worse than Bell.  Besides, UNLV has been good in the past, giving the Browns Eric Wright last season.  Bell probably does play faster than his 40 time suggests, and one cannot overlook his accomplishments.