Bengals Roster: Realistic expectations for Vonn Bell in 2022

Vonn Bell is entering what could be his final year on the Bengals roster. What should fans expect from him in 2022? 

Another name that often gets forgotten about in the “key free-agent signings by the Cincinnati Bengals” discussion is Vonn Bell. The organization signed the safety in the 2020 offseason after he had spent four years with the New Orleans Saints.

Bell was a second-round pick by the Saints in the 2016 NFL Draft and was solid but not a superstar during his stint in New Orleans. When the Bengals signed him, however, it was to pair a talented safety with Jessie Bates and we’ve seen the secondary look much better since Bell came to town.

This past season, Bell finished with a PFF grade of 74.2 during the regular season. His production in the playoffs dipped a bit, as he had a 59.7 PFF grade during the postseason.

Bengals Roster: What should fans expect from Vonn Bell?

This is the final year of Bell’s three-year $18 million deal that he inked with the stripes back in the 2020 offseason so there will be a major incentive for him to play well this year. He’ll only be 28 years old when free agency kicks off next offseason so it’s very possible that he gets another decent deal when he hits the market again.

Bell has been relatively healthy during his Bengals tenure so if that continues, fans can expect him to have roughly 100 tackles (he had 114 in 2020 and notched 97 in 2021) while also providing assistance to fellow safety Jessie Bates (if he plays this year).

Bell has a lot to prove during the 2022 season and hopefully the Bengals reap the benefits of that even if it doesn’t lead to him getting an extension and staying in Cincinnati past this upcoming season.

With how well he’s played the past two years, however, fans should expect to see another strong season from Vonn Bell in 2022.