Tag: Vonn Bell

B/R found the perfect destination for former Saints starter in free agency

Andrus Peat remains unsigned in free agency, but Bleacher Report believes he’d be a perfect fit for this AFC Super Bowl contender:

There are still plenty of New Orleans Saints free agents searching for their new team, and the most notable of them might be Andrus Peat. New Orleans declined to re-sign Peat and in turn suffered a $13 million dead cap hit. Saints head coach Dennis Allen has left the door open to Peat returning to New Orleans this offseason, but the team signed Oli Udoh to fill a similar role on the depth chart.

So where could Peat end up? Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay thinks the former Saint would be a perfect fit with the Cincinnati Bengals, writing:

The Cincinnati Bengals would be a great fit for Peat, especially after they let incumbent tackle Jonah Williams walk in free agency and brought in Trent Brown as his replacement on the right side of the line. Brown has a history of inconsistent play and could struggle to live up to the $4.8 million deal he inked this offseason.

The great part of Peat’s skill set is he has the versatility to play guard or tackle. Peat has been viewed as a tackle in the offseason by publications ignoring his more expansive history as a guard. Signing right tackle Trent Brown doesn’t take Peat off the table at all. He’ll be inexpensive and can compete at both tackle or guard on the left side.

The offseason has been quiet for Peat. The versatile offensive lineman has visited with the Titans, but nothing came from it. Pairing him with the Bengals makes a lot of sense. Their Super Bowl window remains open, and protecting Joe Burrow will be imperative to ensuring it doesn’t close. Peat will help fortify their protection. He’d also be joining some familiar faces in Cincinnati like former Saints draft picks Trey Hendrickson, Sheldon Rankins, and Vonn Bell.

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Orlando Brown Jr. reveals his favorite Bengals free agency signing

Orlando Brown Jr. goes with a reliable name as his favorite Bengals signing.

The favorite free agency signing of Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. might not shock fans.

It’s Vonn Bell.

While Brown says he hasn’t played alongside Bell just yet, he’s heard plenty about him from Bengals teammates and understands his fit on the team.

“My favorite pickup is Vonn Bell and I haven’t even been around him,” Brown said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “When you bring in a guy like Vonn Bell, it makes things easier for a young guy like (safety) Jordan Battle as he’s learning to be a pro.” …

Given Bell’s reputation before leaving in free agency last year, this is probably a popular sentiment in the locker room.

What Brown describes is one of the biggest positives of Bell’s return to help a struggling secondary, too.

Funnily enough, perhaps Brown’s favorite signing would’ve been Sheldon Rankins, like many fans — but the fact he’ll have to battle the new defensive tackle all summer in some capacity played a role in Bell getting the nod, too.

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Former Panthers C Bradley Bozeman signing with Chargers

Bradley Bozeman will be joining Hayden Hurst out in LA.

Hayden Hurst is going to have some familiar company out west.

As first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Monday, former Carolina Panthers center Bradley Bozeman is expected to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers. The deal, per, Rapoport, is a one-year agreement.

The Panthers first inked Bozeman back in the spring of 2022. He’d eventually earn starting duties in Week 7 of that campaign, taking over for an injured Pat Elflein.

Bozeman played an integral part in Carolina’s turnaround to close out the season, helping establish a hard-nosed, ground-and-pound rushing attack for what was previously a listless offense. His impressive work led to a fresh three-year, $18 million contract last spring.

That pact, however, would only last through 2023—as Bozeman was officially released by the Panthers at the start of the new league year this past Wednesday. The team also parted ways with safety Vonn Bell and Hurst, who joined the Chargers last week.

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Lou Anarumo — of course — was first to call Vonn Bell in free agency

Lou Anarumo dropped a hilarious line while calling Vonn Bell in free agency.

Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell has made it clear he’s back to wrap up some unfinished business.

As fun as the move is for both parties and fans, it was a predictable one — Bell always felt like the one who got away that wasn’t supposed to and it showed on the field last year.

Also predictable? The guy who called Bell first after his release from the Carolina Panthers.

Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, of course.

“Thay’s my guy, man. We have a connection and a bond that will last forever,” Bell said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Just hearing his voice made me calm down.”

Anarumo’s opening line to Bell is hilarious, too, as captured by WLWT’s Olivia Ray:

What they’re doing is getting back a veteran safety who can help a young secondary that struggled with communication breakdowns that led to more explosives allowed than any defense last season.

And what they’re doing is getting a bonus compensatory draft pick while the Panthers pay Bell to play in Cincinnati next season, too.

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Vonn Bell is back to finish what he started with Bengals

Vonn Bell says he never stopped watching the Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell didn’t stop watching the team last year despite joining the Carolina Panthers via free agency.

After re-upping with the Bengals, Bell told onlookers at Paycor Stadium that he’s back to finish what he started.

“My eyes were still on it. I was watching every game. Watching every game, for sure. That’s what I was telling them. ‘That’s my people right there.’ Always kept in and locked in, kept tabs and saw how guys were doing. Checking in on them, for sure,” Bell said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Guys have to be on the same page. We have to see things the same. That’s huge, because if you get past us, strike up the band. Explosives can lose a game and you never want to do that when you’ve got a great offense.”

Bell calls the Bengals “home” and doesn’t sound too thrilled that a 2-15 team just cut him, either.

But the big takeaway from his presser was that the veteran safety kept eyes on the Bengals regardless of what was going on in Carolina and that he’s back to throw out a zero-tolerance policy on the communication issues that crushed the team in explosive allowances last year.

We’re a long ways from knowing how Lou Anarumo employs his safeties next season. New arrival Geno Stone is more of a rangy back-end playmaker like Dax Hill, who could move around to other spots, while Jordan Battle remains promising, too.

But as stressed in our analysis of the reunion, Bell’s mere presence and ability to impart schematic details and make real-time communication calls is more important than stat sheet production for a unit that needs the veteran leadership.

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Bengals win big with comp pick and cap space via Vonn Bell’s return

Two big wins for the Bengals while bringing back Vonn Bell.

The Cincinnati Bengals get Vonn Bell, a compensatory pick and free cap space in one free-agency move.

More important than anything is Bell’s return to help fix communication errors that led to a young secondary coughing up more explosive plays than other any team last year.

But the fine details sure don’t hurt, either.

For example, as Over The Cap’s Nick Korte pointed out, the Bengals earned a sixth-round compensatory pick that came in part because of Bell’s departure, yet he’ll be on their roster the same year as said draft pick.

To top it all off, the Panthers will effectively pay Bell’s salary for next season. By cutting him after the first year of his contract, Carolina pays him $6 million this year. The Bengals, meanwhile, signed him for the veteran minimum.

These are small side notes to Bell’s return. But getting an extra draft pick and watching another team essentially pay up for him to play in Cincinnati in 2024 are nice bonuses. The team, of course, will be more focused on how he can rotate with and mentor Dax Hill and Jordan Battle alongside new free agent arrival Geno Stone.

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Panthers officially announce releases of 3 players

The releases of Bradley Bozeman, Hayden Hurst and Vonn Bell were made official on Wednesday.

Not only did the start of the new league year bring the official announcement of some fresh additions, but it also brought the official announcement of a few departures.

On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers officially announced the releases of tight end Hayden Hurst, center Bradley Bozeman and safety Vonn Bell. The releases come before March 16, when each would’ve been able to collect on 2024 roster bonuses.

Hurst saw through just one year of the three-year, $21.7 million deal he signed last offseason. Derailed by a concussion, his lone campaign in Carolina resulted in just 18 catches, 184 yards and one touchdown.

Like Hurst, Bell is also a one-and-done for the Panthers. He started in each of his 13 games, posting 69 combined tackles and an interception.

Bozeman’s release comes a year to the day he signed his new pact to return to the team. He spent two seasons in Carolina and represented the organization as their 2023 Walter Payton Man of Year nominee.

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Bengals should be interested in reunion with safety Vonn Bell

The Bengals should want a reunion with Vonn Bell.

Former Cincinnati Bengals safety Vonn Bell will be back on the open market after his impending release from the Carolina Panthers just one season after signing with the team.

And the Bengals should be more than interested in a reunion.

Yes, the Bengals added Geno Stone on the same day the Bell news went public.

But Stone is a rangy type of player who permits the Bengals to move around Dax Hill and still use Jordan Battle.

A conversation about a Bell return isn’t so much about him starting as it is the concerning state of safety depth on the roster. After all, the Bengals love three-safety sets, yet Nick Scott is a possible cut for cap savings now and Tycen Anderson hasn’t been able to stay healthy.

And more important than depth is the cultural factor. Coaches and players have said what was obvious to fans — Bell was a big factor in turning around the culture (heck, remember that hit on JuJu Smith-Schuster after the Steelers wideout danced on the logo?).

Bell, now 29, was unremarkable in Carolnia last year (who wouldn’t be?). But there’s a huge value in his already understanding Lou Anarumo’s scheme and being able to fix the communication issues that plagued the secondary last year while serving as a mentor to young guys. There’s a built-in advantage he has over any draft pick or veteran free-agent arrival — and the team needs to be in the safety market still because of that shaky depth.

Provided Bell is willing to play a rotational role, he’s got a lot to offer the Bengals and vice versa through a reunion. If the Bengals are smart, they’ll make it happen.

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Panthers LB Shaq Thompson: ‘It’s a sad day’

Shaq Thompson summed up a pretty rough day for Panthers fans.

Shaq Thompson was all of us on Monday.

The opening of this year’s legal tampering period brought some punishing blows for the Carolina Panthers and their fans. We started the eventful and exhausting afternoon by taking the expected release of safety Vonn Bell on the chin and went on to eat two gut punches with the loss of linebacker Frankie Luvu and the trade of pass rusher Brian Burns.

With the defense losing three key members, one of its leaders tweeted this in the painful aftermath:

 

Thompson then went on to see another fellow backer in Yetur Gross-Matos find a new home, as he reportedly has a two-year, $18 million deal in place with the San Francisco 49ers. The dearly departed will also include tight end Hayden Hurst, center Bradley Bozeman and cornerback Donte Jackson—all of whom are expected to be let go before March 16.

Sadly enough, the second-longest tenured Panther may be next. Thompson, who turns 30 years old in April, is entering the final season of a reworked pact.

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49ers expected to sign former Panthers OLB Yetur Gross-Matos

The Panthers have lost another linebacker.

The Carolina Panthers are losing yet another linebacker.

As first reported by NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the San Francisco 49ers have come to terms with free-agent Yetur Gross-Matos. The pact, per Rapoport, is a two-year agreement worth $18 million.

Gross-Matos is now the fourth defender the Panthers lost on Monday—joining safety Vonn Bell, linebacker Frankie Luvu and two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Brian Burns. Bell is expected to be released, Luvu reportedly has a deal with the Washington Commanders and Burns was traded to the New York Giants in exchange for draft picks.

Carolina selected Gross-Matos in the second round of the 2020 draft. He ended up appearing in 55 games for the Panthers over his four-year career—recording 142 combined tackles, 13.0 sacks and four fumble recoveries.

With a new defensive coordinator in Ejiro Evero at the helm this past season, Gross-Matos made the transition from a 4-3 defensive end to a standup 3-4 outside linebacker. The change resulted in the best campaign of his NFL run, as he posted a career-best 4.5 sacks.

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