The Seattle Seahawks are just days away from playing their first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, and training camp will officially come to a close next week, which means position battles and competition are growing more important by the day.Â
At safety, the Seahawks are set with their starters, Julian Love, Ty Okada, and Nick Emmanwori. Fighting for backup and rotational duties are rookie Bud Clark, Rodney Thomas II, and four-year player D'Anthony Bell. Safety is one of Seattle's more interesting position competitions on defense because, realistically, they could keep most of the competing players, save for likely one.Â
Bell, who spent most of last season with the Seahawks, has the edge, but he's also a roster bubble candidate. That being said, his push in this summer's training camp has shown more positive signs than negative, and Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has taken notice. The question is: would Bell serve at another position besides safety better, and would that position save him a roster spot?
Seattle Seahawks' bubble candidate D'Anthony Bell could secure a roster spot on special teams if not at safety
At this point in training camp, Bell is getting significantly more reps than projected because Emmanwori is slowly working his way back from ankle surgery. Bell has taken full advantage of this and run with it, and Macdonald is impressed. Not only is Bell getting tons of reps, but many of them have come with the first-team defense.Â
Additionally, Bell has made one of the Seahawks' defenses' most impressive plays in camp yet, with a pick-six on Monday. Bell stepped in front of a throw and took the ball 90 yards the other way.
With Emmanwori in flux, Bell has been able to showcase his ability to slide into the slot/nickel role. Because Bell can play multiple positions, this gives him the edge over the others, despite still being a bubble player.
According to Macdonald, though, Bell could also have an opportunity to earn playing time this season with another group if he gets beat out at safety by someone else or multiple others. Regardless, the effort and work Bell is putting into camp has garnered Macdonald's attention, and the Super Bowl-winning coach didn't shy away from praising the veteran.
"It was great to see him make a play today," Macdonald said. "He's doing a good job. There's a lot of competition for the job that he is trying to earn himself, so it's a process. One day at a time, but D Bell is doing a good job. It's going to come down to special teams; how we package our personnel groups, things like that. He made a great play today that was awesome."
It sounds like Macdonald already has a place for Bell to make the Seahawks roster this season: on special teams. That's not to say Bell would never take snaps at safety, because again, he can play a hybrid role. The path forward for Bell appears to be more special teams related than other, however.Â
Right now, Bell is a bubble player, but most projections point to him making the final Seahawks roster. From there, it's just a matter of where he plays most: in the secondary or on special teams. Either way, camp is proving Bell deserves a second season in Seattle.
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