Saints Unpopular Opinion: Let Vonn Bell walk in FA. (1 Viewer)

[Saint Taysom]

I know many will not be on board here, but I believe the Saints would be best served by letting Vonn Bell leave in free agency (unless he is willing to re-sign to what is considered a below market value contract). I realize Bell is an excellent run-support SS, and he has a knack for being around the ball whenever a ball-carrier coughs it up... but he is still average-to-below average in coverage, and the Saints have Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who could immediately step in as the SS with little-to-no drop off and more upside (and on a cheap rookie deal). Bell will be seeking a new contract that will most likely pay him at least $6M per season, but in all likelihood he will land somewhere closer to $10M per. IMHO, that’s too much to pay for a DB w/ 1 career INT... and on a team that has an in-house replacement (that could be an upgrade) ready to go.
CJGJ is already a better coverage player than Bell, and he has shown himself to be a very aggressive and capable in-the-box Safety as well.
With many contracts coming due soon... Kamara, Lattimore, Davis, and Ramczyk among them... I don’t want to see the Saints overpay for a player like Bell.

 

[insidejob]

New Orleans Saints: Vonn Bell named 54th-best free agent by PFF

The New Orleans Saints community loves Vonn Bell, but in Pro Football Focus' recent updated free agency rankings, he's not listed in the top 50.

whodatdish.com

Looks like he might not be the hottest item on the market and could be re-signed on a fairly team friendly contract.

This quote is kind of confusing:

According to Pro Football Focus, Bell is the 54th-best player and is the ninth-best safety. In PFF’s top 50, there are 16 safeties listed. Bell’s former teammate D.J. Swearinger, a free safety unlike Bell who is a strong safety, also cracked the top 100.

Bell just completed his fourth season in the league.

After easily his best season in the NFL, Bell should be a more sought after free agent. He more than doubled his career fumble recoveries. He had his first career interceptions and tied his career-high in solo tackles. Bell also ended the season tied for 11th among safeties in receptions allowed.

The 2019 season was certainly a successful one for the 25-year-old former Ohio State Buckeye. It’s odd to see him not ranked with the top-50 spots, but at the end of the day, that could bode well for the Saints.

If he’s slept on in free agency, they could potentially sign him for less. He’s a superstar in the making, and it’ll be great for the future of New Orleans if they can bring him back for the long-term future.

How is he their 54th ranked player and 9th best safety but didn't crack the top 50 that has 16 safeties listed? Maybe they meant their top 100 players considering their comment about Swearinger.

ETA: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-the-50...jaff&cjevent=7aa03301413c11ea824c001c0a24060f

That's the top 100 FA's and Bell is listed at 53, not 54.

None of the Saints FA's cracked the top 50. Bell is the highest. (I guess they just didn't bother including Brees since he's not going anywhere in FA.)

 

[DerrickB]

I know many will not be on board here, but I believe the Saints would be best served by letting Vonn Bell leave in free agency (unless he is willing to re-sign to what is considered a below market value contract). I realize Bell is an excellent run-support SS, and he has a knack for being around the ball whenever a ball-carrier coughs it up... but he is still average-to-below average in coverage, and the Saints have Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who could immediately step in as the SS with little-to-no drop off and more upside (and on a cheap rookie deal). Bell will be seeking a new contract that will most likely pay him at least $6M per season, but in all likelihood he will land somewhere closer to $10M per. IMHO, that’s too much to pay for a DB w/ 1 career INT... and on a team that has an in-house replacement (that could be an upgrade) ready to go.
CJGJ is already a better coverage player than Bell, and he has shown himself to be a very aggressive and capable in-the-box Safety as well.
With many contracts coming due soon... Kamara, Lattimore, Davis, and Ramczyk among them... I don’t want to see the Saints overpay for a player like Bell.

Gut feeling is that Bell is gone IMO. They're saving money if Gardner can have Pro-Bowl level production on rookie deal.

 

[sammymvpknight]

Bell is better than Marcus Williams and the Saints have other options at nickel. If CJGJ can play FS, I say keep Bell and part ways with Marcus Williams in 2021 when his contracts up.

 

[RaisingTheBar]

Yeah I think we should re-sign Bell. Last year he showed he can be a play makers and sometimes just being in the right place is an asset. If we're looking to make a switch it should be at the other safety potion.

 

[TribuneUK]

It's usually wise for a team to draft a starter's replacement as he enters his final contract year, in case they need to go younger/cheaper by the next year. The replacement gets a year of seasoning and the team gets a trial run of him in practice and some game reps, rather than hoping they can draft someone just in time the following April.

This may have been the case with CJGJ, although with his versatility I was never sure if it was with an eye to replacing PJ or Robinson.

For me, given they initially lined him up as back up SS at the start of the season, I think CJGJ was originally planned as our Von Bell insurance and he may well still be.

 

[nosaints213]

I'm really wondering if we move PJ Williams to FS. He did a pretty good job filling in for M. Williams, so that would give us major negotiating flexibility with both safeties moving forward. We also drafted Saquan Hampton this past year, who the staff was reportedly high on.

I don't like CJGJ at FS. He needs to be in the box, at the line wrecking havoc, so naturally, he could slide into Bell's position.

Those 2 moves would save us a boat load of cap $$$.

 

[BCK30]

I got two words.....Malcolm Jenkins...that is the one player the Saints foolishly let go of and repeating that with Vonn Bell could be just as big a mistake.

 

[Taker597]

Dude lead our team in TOs.


He is the only play maker in our secondary

 

[Taker597]

I'm really wondering if we move PJ Williams to FS. He did a pretty good job filling in for M. Williams, so that would give us major negotiating flexibility with both safeties moving forward. We also drafted Saquan Hampton this past year, who the staff was reportedly high on.

I don't like CJGJ at FS. He needs to be in the box, at the line wrecking havoc, so naturally, he could slide into Bell's position.

Those 2 moves would save us a boat load of cap $$$.

Williams at FA is a disaster waiting to happen once the tape figures him out.

 

[sfidc3]

Dude lead our team in TOs.


He is the only play maker in our secondary

Agreed, and hopefully we retain Jenoirus Jenkins, then we will have 2 playmakers in the secondary....I'm fine with letting Marcus Williams walk....

 

[ELLIASJWILLIAMS]

Need more veterans in the secondary - I'd swap Bell for Sendejo which would allow CJG/Hampton to develop. The stench of losing multiple years in the playoffs because the secondary couldn't stop a big play is simply on some of those younger players. Need to swap guys out and Bell I'd be willing to let walk. Even in a somewhat abbreviated year Sendejo had better ball production than Vonn.

 

[Saint Kamara]

Safeties are dirt cheap these days.

Ask KV.

He's definitely getting signed before free agency.

 

[DoubleSaint]

Bell is not the safety we need to upgrade.

 

[ThrowbackSaintXXL]

I got two words.....Malcolm Jenkins...that is the one player the Saints foolishly let go of and repeating that with Vonn Bell could be just as big a mistake.

We let Jenkins walk bcuz he was barely average in a Saints uniform. Not the case with Bell who’s been way better