Dolphins' Chris Bell: Hauls in 25-yard catch in NFL debut
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Bell caught one pass (on two targets) for 25 yards during the Dolphins' 27-13 loss to the Raiders on Sunday.
It wasn't until the third quarter that Bell logged his first NFL catch, hauling in a 25-yard pass from Malik Willis to keep the drive going and ending with a 14-yard touchdown run by the latter two plays later. The rookie wideout saw the field for 29 of the Dolphins' 56 offensive snaps (51.2 percent), which was third most among Miami's wide receivers behind Malik Washington (55) and fellow rookie Caleb Douglas (51). It was encouraging to see Bell on the field, seeing as he tore his ACL last December, and his snap count should steadily increase as his conditioning improves. Bell and the Dolphins face a tough Week 2 matchup Sept. 20 against a 49ers defense that limited last year's MVP Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense to just seven points Week 1.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Still working on conditioning
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Bell estimated Thursday that his conditioning is back to "80 to 85 percent" following last season's torn ACL, Joe Schad of The Palm Beach Post reports.
Bell underwent surgery for a clean tear of his ACL last December and isn't on the injury report for Miami's Week 1 game against the Raiders on Sunday, but the rookie wideout is still working back into game shape. While he won't be on a proverbial pitch count against Las Vegas, there's a chance the Dolphins use multiple receivers with some sort of rotation. Bell is listed as a starter, but he's highly unlikely to run 100 percent of the routes Sunday. He could develop into the team's No. 1 wide receiver by the end of the season.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Gets starter listing on depth chart
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Bell is listed as one of three starting wide receivers on the Dolphins' unofficial depth chart released in advance of Sunday's season opener versus the Raiders, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Though team-issued depth charts don't always reflect how players will be used, Miami had previously listed Jalen Tolbert alongside Malik Washington and Caleb Douglas rather than Bell. The rookie appears to have shown enough to leapfrog Tolbert in the pecking order, however. After opening training camp on the non-football injury list while he recovered from an ACL tear, Bell was cleared to practice Aug. 17 and made his lone preseason appearance just under two weeks later, reeling in two of five targets for 22 yards. Even if Bell gets the Week 1 start, the Dolphins could still limit his snaps to some degree.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Five targets in preseason finale
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Bell (knee) caught two of five targets for 22 yards in Friday's 17-12 preseason loss to the Falcons.
Bell got his first taste of NFL game action in Friday's preseason finale, as he has gained clearance to play after having the ACL in his left knee surgically repaired in December. The wide receiver out of Louisville is set to compete for playing time in an underwhelming Dolphins WR room that also includes rookie third-round pick Caleb Douglas, rookie fifth-round pick Kevin Coleman, 2024 sixth-round pick Malik Washington and offseason signing Jalen Tolbert.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Set to practice without limitations
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Bell (knee) is expected to be a full participant in Monday's practice, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
After being activated from the active/non-football injury list last Monday, Bell was a limited participant in his first handful of practices with Miami. With his surgically repaired left knee apparently responding well, Bell now will ditch his red no-contact jersey in what marks the final box he'll need to check before being cleared for game action. The Dolphins still could elect to hold out Bell for their preseason finale Friday versus the Falcons, but the rookie third-round pick looks to be trending toward suiting up Week 1 versus the Raiders.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Starting with individual work
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Bell (knee) was limited to individual drills in his return to practice Monday, Alain Poupart of SI.com reports.
The Dolphins are getting Bell into the mix now that he is off the non-football injury list. It will be a ramp-up period for the rookie receiver out of Louisville who suffered a torn ACL late in his final collegiate season. Bell's impressive progress in his rehab seems to move up his timeline for a debut. If he continues to make strides, Bell will be a name to file away for the later rounds of best ball drafts or for waiver-wire watch lists in redraft formats.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Returns from NFI list
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The Dolphins activated Bell (knee) from the active/non-football injury list Monday.
The transaction clears the way for Bell, a rookie third-round pick out of Louisville, to resume practicing with the Dolphins. Bell missed all of OTAs and the start of training camp while recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee, which he had surgically repaired in December. Given the nature of the injury, Bell is expected to be eased back into practice with a light workload this week and is unlikely to be available for Saturday's preseason game against the Giants. The 22-year-old wideout may have a better chance of playing in the Aug. 28 preseason finale versus the Falcons, however, which would set the stage for him to have a role in the Dolphins' game plans once the regular season gets underway.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Could play this preseason?
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Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley suggested Friday that Bell (knee) might have a chance to play this preseason, David Furones of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
It doesn't seem likely, given that Bell remains on the Non-Football Injury list through the first week of August. He'll presumably ease into practice once he's activated, and there would still be some chance of opening the regular season on an injury list. Still, it's a good sign that Bell's head coach isn't ruling out the possibility of a preseason appearance. The rookie third-round pick should get playing time at some point this year, though perhaps not early on.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Return not imminent
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Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik noted Tuesday that Bell (knee) is still "a long way's away," C. Isaiah Smalls II of the Miami Herald reports.
Bell, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his final collegiate season at Louisville, remains on the active/non-football injury list, but it's unclear when he'll be ready to resume practicing, and missed time early on this season is plausible based on Slowik's assessment. Once Bell is back in the mix, however, he'll have a chance to carve out a notable role in a retooled Miami WR corps that currently features Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert and Tutu Atwell, with rookies Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman also competing for slotting.
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Dolphins' Chris Bell: Shifts to NFI list
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The Dolphins placed Bell (ACL) on the active/non-football injury list Tuesday.
Bell is rehabbing from a torn ACL suffered during his final collegiate season at Louisville, and for which he underwent surgery last December. Though the rookie third-round pick has previously stated that he expects to be ready for training camp, it looks like Bell may need a bit more time before being cleared to take the practice field. Miami has yet to provide an official timetable for his return. Once cleared to practice, Bell will have an opportunity to compete for a significant role in an unsettled Dolphins receiver corps that also houses Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, Tutu Atwell, and fellow rookies Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman.
