Vonn Bell

In his first four seasons Bell was a good but not great IDP option, reliably producing 80-plus tackles but never much more than that because the Saints would often bench him in passing situations, limiting his snap counts. In his two seasons with Cincinnati, by contrast, Bell functioned in a three-down role, and with that he reached a new level of IDP production – 210 tackles in two seasons.

The Bengals signed Bell from New Orleans last offseason and installed him as a three-down player right away. The results were middling on the field — Bell was always known for coverage limitations — but his IDP results were excellent as he raced to a career high in tackles. Bell was a run-stopping specialist who would leave the field regularly with the Saints, and there might be a risk that the Bengals reduce him to a similar role eventually, but for now his only competition is Ricardo Allen, who was signed to a cheap one-year deal.

Bell was the highlight of the Bengals' second wave of free agent signings over the offseason, following the big outlays for D.J. Reader, Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander. He's another part of a big defensive overhaul for the Bengals, and will step in right away as the starting strong safety over Shawn Williams. Bell is a better performer in stopping the run game than he is in coverage, but fortunately for him that's what the Bengals needed after having the league's worst run defense last year. Bell has had between 83-to-89 tackles all four years of his career, but that number could rise in 2020 given how often teams are likely to run against Cincinnati. Just don't look for much help in terms of interceptions - he has just one over his four-year career.

Bell is an oddity, as his production is bankable even though his playing time is not. Presumably because the Saints view him as a coverage liability, Bell only plays about three-quarters of defensive snaps, but he still had at least 83 tackles in each of his first three seasons. He's yet to intercept a pass, but six sacks and five forced fumbles help. He could be a breakout tackle source if fourth-round pick Chauncey Gardner-Johnson fails to replace Kurt Coleman as the third safety that formerly rotated at Bell's expense.

For a time it appeared Bell would be a major breakout IDP candidate in 2018 after the Saints passed on Kenny Vaccaro, but the signing of Kurt Coleman put that possibility to rest. Still, Bell has already shown the ability to provide low-ceiling but still mainstream IDP utility with 80-plus tackles and standout sack production, even in a three-safety defense. He did it last year with Vaccaro and Marcus Williams around, and there's no guarantee that Coleman plays as much as Vaccaro did, anyway.

Bell, the Saints' 2016 second-round pick, enjoyed a relatively successful rookie season in which he accounted for 87 tackles, one sack and four passes defensed. While he'll need at least a few interceptions in order to elevate to the next tier of the IDP ranks, the Ohio State product will be given every opportunity to do just that in 2017, especially with Jairus Byrd no longer in the fold.

The Saints traded up to select Bell in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, but with both Kenny Vacarro and Jairus Byrd locked into starting roles, Bell will likely start the season as a reserve. There is hope that Bell could have some fantasy value during his rookie season, as Saints' defensive coordinator Dennis Allen frequently deployed a defensive scheme featuring three safeties last season, but the offseason signing of veteran Roman Harper likely further limits the rookie's upside.