3 Cleveland Browns on the chopping block following offensive changes
By Greg Newland
Cleveland Browns Player No. 2 – David Bell
With David Bell being drafted just two seasons ago, some will argue that Berry won’t be ready to give up on him just yet. But I think we’ve seen enough of Bell, and he is another likely casualty with the change in offense.
Remember, Bell was an absolute stat stuffer at Purdue and had great production even against strong opponents. But with a lackluster combine that showed his true colors as slow and lacking explosion, he eventually fell to the Cleveland Browns in round three.
In two years, Bell had a total of 38 catches for under 400 yards and three touchdowns (two of which came in garbage time vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in week 17 last season. Bell is a possession receiver who struggles to get separation but had some success finding the soft spot in the zone.
With the new coordinator likely looking to push the ball down the field and work deep crossing routes, Bell doesn’t fit into the system even more. I think Berry made it clear that the days of Bell were limited when he drafted Cedric Tillman who has far more explosion.
The interesting piece at wide receiver this offseason will be what happens with Amari Cooper. His cap number is big, and many have expected Berry to part ways with the veteran. But we saw firsthand how limited this receiving group is without Cooper. No matter how the Cooper situation goes, look for some changes at the bottom of the depth chart which includes Bell no longer being on the roster.