The Baltimore Ravens have dealt with season-ending injuries to all three of their remaining running backs from 2020. To fill in that hole, the team signed running backs Latavius Murray, Devonta Freeman and Le’Veon Bell in free agency before the start of the 2021 season.
Baltimore placed Murray and Freeman on the active roster to handle ball carrying duties behind Ty’Son Williams. However in Week 4, Baltimore activated Bell to the roster for their game against the Denver Broncos and made Williams a healthy scratch, which was a surprise to many.
On Wednesday, Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay spoke with the media about what it’s like to have Bell on the team.
"It's been surreal." @Dev_Duv5 on playing with @LeVeonBell pic.twitter.com/gfohyOipTf
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 6, 2021
Many are quick to say that Bell is not the same player he once was when he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Sunday, Bell rushed for 11 yards on four carries against the Broncos. Despite the low numbers, Bell was not utilized much in Week 4, with his work coming against the No. 5 ranked defense in terms of yards on the ground allowed in the NFL. Denver held the Ravens to just 102 rushing yards on the day, which is a low number for what Baltimore’s ground attack is used to putting up on opposing teams.
Bell has veteran leadership qualities that can help the Ravens in many different ways. He also impressed in pass protection in Week 4, which is an area that can earn him more playing time if he continues to play relatively mistake-free. It would not be surprising if Bell gets utilized more in the offense as the season progresses.