Safety Vonn Bell was a key member of the Cincinnati Bengals defense that was traded to the for a season.
Bell gave an explanation of one of the factors influencing his decision to rejoin the Bengals on a podcast on Thursday. For a year, the Panthers effectively rented him, and in 2024, they will be footing the brunt of his contract.
Joe Burrow, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, is well-known for being crucial to the team’s free agency recruitment efforts, and Vonn Bell’s return was no exception.
Bell clarified that throughout the 2024 free agency process, Burrow was among the first players to reach out to him and recruit him.
Before earning a contract with the Carolina Panthers in 2023, Bell played with the Bengals for three seasons. He played alongside Burrow on the team for all three of those years. Bell was a pillar of strength in the back of the defense, his physicality frightening the opposition.
Arguably, his three seasons with the Bengals were the most fruitful of his career. With the Bengals, he recorded his two highest season tackle totals and two highest season forced fumble totals.
After Vonn Bell and fellow safety Jessie Bates left the team in 2023, the Bengals defense was perhaps the weakest unit on the field.
While they won’t be able to get Bates back, Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin explained that he has hope in the young players who went through some growing pains in 2023 in an article from the Dayton Daily News.
“We like both of those young players,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. “They’re both pretty versatile, which is a positive when you’re playing in the backfield. Dax is really versatile. Finding the best role for him to maximize his skill set would be something we’re working on this offseason.
“And how best to utilize him to show off his range and his size and his speed and his toughness and all the things that he has. Same thing with Jordan. What’s the best role for him and how does he fit within the defense, and who’s the communicator? All those things are things we go through in the offseason and that coach Lou (Anarumo) will try to fit together the best that we can. But both those players are young, talented and shown that they belong in this league.”
The Bengals finished 28th in passing defense and 31st in total defense in the league due to a young, inexperienced secondary that lacked talent.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, who hadn’t amassed more than 400 yards since the 2020–2021 season, racked up 421 total yards on the Bengals, which was a very bad defensive performance. The quarterback who achieved that feat has subsequently been released by the Steelers.
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