Bell Sits atop RB Depth Chart: Not the one You Think
Mr. Bell has made the top of the deep Denver running back depth chart. He has impressed Mike Shanahan and the other coaches enough to finally take his place on the top of the depth chart, ahead of Ron Dayne and the other Bell: Tatum.
What?
Everyone, including me, expected Tatum Bell – one half of the second-ranked rushing threat in the NFL last year with Mike Anderson – to assume the top spot on the depth chart this year. People figured he would garner most of the carries and then Shanahan would bring in Dayne for two or three yard situations. (We’ll refer to Tatum Bell as “Mr. T” from now on because this could get confusing).
But no. This morning we get word via the Denver Post that rookie Mike Bell has done well enough this season to supplant Mr. T and Ron Dayne on the top of the depth chart. This doesn’t mean he will start the team’s first game Sept. 10 at St. Louis, but it gives him a hell of a good chance. Shanahan told the Post that Mike Bell will start in the preseason opener this Friday in Detroit. Mike Bell rushed for 952 yards on 200 carries in his senior year at Arizona, averaging a respectable 4.76 yards. Let’s see how well that will translate at the pro level.
Mike Bell was the No. 3 running back but has switched spots with Ron Dayne, while Mr. T has been No. 2 the whole time.
There are two immediate thoughts on this.
1. Mike Shanahan has a good eye when it comes to running backs, so perhaps we should trust him if he thinks this rookie will do better for him and the Broncos than veterans Ron Dayne and Mr. T can do. When it comes to running back decisions, the whole league should defer to Shanahan because the Broncos have had the most running yards in the NFL since he took over.
2. This is a deliberate move by Shanahan and the coaching staff to light a fire under the rumps of both Dayne and Mr. T to have them work harder and realize that in the Shanahan running system, there are no sure bets. Imagine what it feels like for Mr. T to work hard to get the top spot for two years and then a rookie comes along and pushes him aside. This will either motivate him to work that much harder or it will break his will and he will have a mediocre season as the No. 2 running back.
The saying goes that you could put anyone in the Shanahan/Broncos running system and they’ll get at least 1,200 yards. That may or may not be true (it probably is) but let’s just hope that Mike Bell has what it takes to keep the Broncos on top of the NFL in the rushing department.
By the way, first round draft pick Jay Cutler has also moved up on the depth chart, passing Bradlee Van Pelt. This isn’t really big news; anyone with an ounce of intelligence could have seen this one coming. There are rumors that if Jake Plummer underperforms this season Cutler will be the starter next year. Plus, if the Broncos were that confident in Van Pelt as a backup they wouldn’t have wasted a top-20 draft pick on Cutler.
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1. Tony - August 9, 2006 @ 1:05 pm
On your points of 1, 2, and 3 all are right on and I could not agree more with your insight as to how its all going to play out… Jakey better have a pro-bowl year or he is going to find himself being a Raider in 2007 by default, I say this because on the market Davis would snatch him up and would love to put it back into Shanahan’s face…