Former Browns 3rd-Round Pick Among ‘Biggest Names Who Could Be Cut’

Getty David Bell catching a pass

The Cleveland Browns have shown interest in adding a wide receiver, recently putting together a package to land Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers, according to Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. While adding Aiyuk would be to add one of the top wide receivers in the NFL to the roster, it could be a sign of what they think about their receiver room, too.

Jerry Jeudy and Amari Cooper are the top two receivers on the team, but there are others who’ll have to make an impact to help the Browns win.

Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report wrote that he didn’t believe David Bell would be one of the players doing that, listing Bell as one of the “biggest names who could be cut.”

“Two offseasons ago, the Cleveland Browns used a third-round pick on wideout David Bell,” Knox wrote on August 12. “While the Purdue product didn’t possess elite athletic traits entering the 2022 draft, he carried a good combination of size (6’0”, 212 lbs), play strength, body control and proven production — he amassed 1,286 receiving yards in his final year as a Boilermaker.

“However, there’s a numbers game to be played in Cleveland, and it could cost Bell a roster spot. The Browns have their WR1 in Amari Cooper and have traded for Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy in the last two offseasons,” Knox wrote. “They also used a 2023 third-round pick on Cedric Tillman Jr. and a 2024 fifth-round pick on Jamari Thrash.”

In the Browns’ preseason opener, a 23-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers on August 10, Bell went down with a quadriceps injury. Head coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Bell would likely miss “a week or two.” Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot tweeted that Bell had been having “an excellent camp.”

Bell’s First 2 Seasons Have Been Quiet

The Browns drafted Bell in the third round in the 2022 NFL draft out of Purdue, but he hasn’t lived up to expectations. In his first two campaigns, he posted just 38 catches for 381 yards with 3 touchdowns, including just 14 passes for 167 yards despite appearing in 15 games in 2023.

Dakota Randall of Pro Football Network also listed Bell as a cut candidate, writing that he needs to have an impressive camp to prove he belongs.

“David Bell might be cut if he doesn’t take a big step forward in camp,” Randall wrote in his July 19 article examining one cut candidate for each team. “The 2022 third-round pick (99th overall) has plenty of talent, but it’s translated to just 38 catches for 381 yards over two seasons.”

Browns Could Save Money by Cutting Bell

Cutting Bell would save the Browns slightly less than $1.2 million in cap space, according to Knox.

Having an extra $1.2 million doesn’t help much, but the Browns could turn around and land a veteran on the market. With the potential need for running back help due to Nick Chubb and others being injured, there are players on the free agent market who might be willing to take a small amount of money to fill that hole.

If they want a wide receiver to replace him, Hunter Renfrow and other veterans still remain without a team.