The Washington Commanders held tryouts with five different players Tuesday. The most notable player in attendance was veteran safety D’Anthony Bell.
According to the NFL transaction wire, Bell tried out for the Commanders with fellow defensive backs Malik Spencer and Delarrin Turner-Yell. Washington also hosted linebackers Kyle Kennard and Jamie Sheriff at the tryouts Tuesday.
Bell spent three seasons with the Cleveland Browns to begin his career. Over that stretch, he started seven contests while playing in 50 total.
Last season, Bell played for the Seattle Seahawks. He finished the year with the Seahawks, playing in 14 contests, starting two of them, and winning a Super Bowl ring.
With the Seahawks, Bell posted 15 combined tackles, including one tackle for loss. He also had one quarterback hit and 0.5 sacks.
After the tryouts Tuesday, Commanders insider Lake Lewis Jr. reported the team signed Kennard from the workout to their practice squad. That signing, though, hasn’t been on the transaction wire yet.
Safety D’Anthony Bell Tries Out for Commanders
If the Commanders don’t officially add Kennard or want to sign another player from Tuesday’s tryouts, the team could add quality safety depth with Bell.
The 30-year-old began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent with the Browns in 2022. He made the team’s initial roster after training camp. As a rookie, he also started two games in Cleveland.
Overall, Bell posted 14 combined tackles in his first NFL season. The safety then started four contests in 2023, posting 28 combined tackles, including four for loss, four pass defenses and two interceptions.
In three seasons with the Browns, Bell mostly played special teams. He lined up for at least 248 snaps on special teams in all three of his seasons with the club. In 2023, Bell also had 227 defensive snaps.
After three seasons with the Browns, he signed with the Seahawks. Bell spent nearly the entire 2025 regular season in Seattle, but after getting waived in late December, the Carolina Panthers claimed Bell off waivers.
Bell played for Carolina in the NFC wild card round against the Los Angeles Rams. The safety then returned to the Seahawks in March, where the team presented him with a Super Bowl ring despite the fact he wasn’t on the roster during the postseason run.
The Seahawks released Bell in late August at the NFL’s roster deadline.
Commanders Sign LB Kyle Kennard: Report
Kennard doesn’t have the same NFL experience as Bell, but there’s a lot of upside to the reported signing.
After a good career at Georgia Tech from 2020-23, Kennard transferred to South Carolina for his final college season. At the SEC program, he became a star, posting 11.5 sacks with three forced fumbles and a pass defense.
That led to the Los Angeles Chargers selecting Kennard in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The Chargers waived the edge rusher with an injury after this year’s preseason. But despite flaming out in Los Angeles, there remains quite a bit of intrigue around Kennard’s potential.
“Kennard keeps his long frame clean with well-timed punches and has plus range as a playmaker. He can be slippery when he finds edges in either phase,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. “He is frequently knocked off-balance at contact points, though. He will create pressure with his get-off and length alone but needs less predictable rush patterns and more hand skill to beat NFL tackles.
“He fits as a wide nine-technique, where he can avoid early contact and create rush momentum.”
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