Bengals bring back safety Vonn Bell almost exactly one year after watching him leave
The Cincinnati Bengals are reuniting with veteran safety Vonn Bell.As first reported by Sports Illustrated's James Rapien, and now confirmed by NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Bell is re-joining the Bengals on a one-year deal 367 days a year after he left the team. The best part? The deal is being paid almost entirely by the […]
The Cincinnati Bengals are reuniting with veteran safety Vonn Bell.
As first reported by Sports Illustrated's James Rapien, and now confirmed by NFL Media's Ian Rapoport, Bell is re-joining the Bengals on a one-year deal 367 days a year after he left the team. The best part? The deal is being paid almost entirely by the Carolina Panthers, who signed him last year and still owe him money after cutting him this week.
Bell played three years with the Bengals from 2020-22, and they were three quality years. He provided an authority against the run in the box, and kept players accountable as a leader. His partnership with Jessie Bates III created one of the best safety duos in the league.
While he's not signing back to be a starter, there's a clear reason why Bell is finding his way back to Cincinnati.
Why Vonn Bell is back with the Bengals
The Bengals didn't want to lose Bell in 2023, but their offer wasn't anywhere close to what the Panthers offered him. Bell took the three-year, $22.5 million deal with the Panthers, endured the 2-15 season, and got cut this week as the new coaching staff makes its stamp on the roster.
Bell was supposed to provide the same veteran presence for a young team as he did for three years in Cincinnati. He wasn't enough to salvage a terrible situation, but he can salvage what the Bengals have to fix in their secondary.
Geno Stone is expected to take Dax Hill's place at free safety, and Jordan Battle is set to become the full-time starter next to him at strong safety. Having Bell behind both of them, specifically the younger Battle, can help the pairing avoid the midseason struggles that were prevalent with Hill, Battle, and Nick Scott last year.
Communication before and after the snap was one of Bell's greatest strengths. It was arguably the Bengals' biggest weakness in the secondary after he left. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo saw it coming before Bell and Bates left.
"It would be huge," Anarumo said of their potential departures. "You know, leadership too. Vonn and Jessie, they do a lot of things that people don't see. You know, they organize meetings on their own. So yeah, I'd rather not think about that dark day."
The dark day did come, just over a year ago as Bates went to Atlanta, and Bell went a little further east to Carolina. Scott proved to be a bust of a signing, and Hill is now essentially a nickel cornerback more than a safety at this point.
Cincinnati failed to immediately replace one of the biggest strengths of the defense. That has to be accepted before reveling in how much better the group looks now a year later.
A bonus? The Bengals are getting Bell back for mere pennies, relatively. The Panthers owe him $6 million in guaranteed salary this season despite letting him go, so the Bengals will pay him veteran minimum for his accrued seasons, and the Panthers will pay the difference.
Consider Stone the replacement for Bates, Battle is the new Bell, Hill is an advanced version of Tre Flowers, and Bell becomes the younger version of Michael Thomas, who was the locker room glue of the group and kept guys in line.
Anarumo will gladly take this group compared to last year.
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