Tatum Bell

If Bell couldn't excel in Denver's system, maybe he just isn't very good. Still, Mike Martz might be the closest thing to Mike Shanahan when it comes to producing monster numbers from running backs. Martz turned Kevin Jones into a Top-10 option before he got injured last year. Bell hasn't shown much receiving ability, a crucial aspect in Martz's system, but neither had Jones, who caught more balls in the first nine weeks under Martz's tutelage than he had in his career. Bell's fantasy potential is directly tied to Jones' health. At press time, it’s unclear when Jones will return from a serious foot injury, though he hopes to be ready for training camp. But Detroit wouldn't have traded Dre Bly for Bell if the team wasn't concerned about Jones' status for the season. If Jones is out for an extended time, Bell has little competition for reps in Detroit. T.J. Duckett might be used in short-yardage situations, as Bell has been unsuccessful in that area, but that's probably all Duckett would be asked to do. Ball security is another issue for Bell, as he led the NFL with five lost fumbles last season. He's disappointed before and likely won't score a ton of touchdowns, but the presence of Martz makes Bell a high-risk, high-reward pick.

With Mike Anderson gone to Baltimore, Bell has his best chance yet to establish himself as the Broncos feature back. Physically he's not your typical Broncos one-cut, downhill runner, relying far more on his elusiveness than Portis, Terrell Davis and other previous Denver stars. That might, in fact, be the problem, as his running style doesn't necessarily mesh well with the team's blocking schemes. The Broncos system isn't well-suited for juking, jiving and creativity, and if Bell can't discipline himself enough to hit that first hole regularly, he could once again find himself in coach Mike Shanahan's doghouse. Bell hasn't been much of a red zone producer (he had a 12.5% conversion rate, 5-for-40, last year) and could lose goal-line carries to Ron Dayne or Mike Bell, limiting his potential fantasy value. He also doesn't add much to the passing game. He's a home run threat every time he gets the ball, however, and is worth extra consideration in leagues that give bonuses for long scores.

If Olandis Gary, Mike Anderson and Reuben Droughns can be productive in this system (and keep in mind that Droughns did it without offensive line guru Alex Gibbs), then for a back with Bell’s speed and change-of-direction ability, the sky’s the limit. We saw a taste of Bell’s potential during the last four games of the season when he averaged 5.7 yards per carry despite playing with a separated shoulder, but his overall totals were limited both by the injury and the time-share with Droughns. Now that Droughns has been shipped to Cleveland, Bell should have the bulk of the Broncos tailback duties to himself. While Quentin Griffin, and to a lesser extent Mike Anderson and Ron Dayne, could still be in the mix, Griffin is undersized and returning from an ACL injury, Anderson hasn’t been used regularly since 2001 and Dayne was a big disappointment in New York. At 5-11, 213 pounds, Bell could stand to put on more bulk, and he needs to improve his route running and pass-catching ability, but the second-year back vowed to address both of those weaknesses this past spring. That Bell hasn’t proven anything yet at the NFL level makes him a risk, but with his skills and in this system, we wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the top-five on everyone’s 2006 draft board.

A good summer will shoot him very high on most team’s draft lists, as owners look for the next Clinton Portis. But offensive line play was the key to the Broncos’ success with different running backs, and the architect of that line, Alex Gibbs, has moved to Atlanta. The fourth back drafted in April, Bell runs bigger than his 5-10, 212-pound frame would suggest and fits coach Mike Shanahan’s mold. Bell also has great straight-line speed. Quentin Griffin is too small to be a feature back, and Mike Anderson and Garrison Hearst are over 30; so the Broncos job is Bell’s for the taking, but he’ll likely be eased into the starting role over the first month as Portis was in ’02.