The Jets recently signed journeyman edge defender Quinton Bell to their practice squad. Today, we break him down in detail.
The 30-year-old Bell is listed at 6’4” and 253 pounds and was a seventh round pick out of Prairie View A&M in 2019. He played in 33 regular season games in his career, starting three, with 38 tackles and one sack recorded.
Bell was an unranked prospect as a high school recruit, following a career in which he played wide receiver and outside linebacker, while also being on the basketball team and running track.
He headed to Prairie View A&M as a wide receiver in 2015. In three seasons, he played in 25 games and caught 19 passes for 169 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown.
Before his senior year, the coaching staff suggested that Bell should move to defensive end and he accepted the move as he earned second team all-SWAC honors.
In 10 games, he made nine starts and finished with 46 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks with five of those sacks coming in the final four games.
After a very good pro day workout, Bell began to receive some draft buzz and was eventually selected in the seventh round by the Raiders.
He failed to make the roster as a rookie, although he was initially signed to the practice squad. However, he ended up on Tampa Bay’s practice squad at the end of the year and subsequently signed a futures deal with them.
In 2020, Bell made the Bucs’ roster and made the first five appearances of his career, although he did not register any stats and returned to their practice squad.
After re-signing for the Bucs in 2021, he failed to make their roster and ended up on the Falcons’ practice squad, then signed a futures deal with them at the end of the season.
In 2022, Bell made the Falcons’ roster and played in four games with them, recording three tackles, including one tackle for loss. Again, he made the practice squad and signed a futures deal for 2023.
He didn’t play in 2023 as he spent time with the Falcons, Eagles and Dolphins, eventually signing another futures deal, this time with Miami.
2024 was Bell’s best season as he made the Dolphins roster and played in every game. He made three starts and had 27 tackles and three tackles for loss, the first sack, forced fumble and pass breakup of his career.
Last season saw him again in Miami, although he was in and out of the practice squad throughout the year. He finished seven bench appearances with eight tackles, one quarterback hit and one fumble recovery.
Bell signed with the 49ers before training camp but was released during final cuts and was without a team until the Jets worked with him and signed him to the practice squad earlier this month.
Let’s move on to some more in-depth analysis of what Bell brings to the table, based on in-depth research and film study.
The bell is of decent size and good length. His athletic numbers at his pro day were outstanding as he ran a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash with a 41-inch vertical and a 136-inch broad jump. He also posted a 7.25 in the three cone drill.
He did 23 bench press reps at his pro day and appears to have improved his strength playing at the NFL level.
Since converting from wide receiver, Bell has played almost exclusively on the edge, with any reps in the slot, outside the line or in the interior being rare. He has experience standing or putting his hands in the dirt.
Bell is a player who fights and works hard in the trenches and shows hustle in pursuit.
It’s fair to question whether he has the ability to handle a starter’s workload as he has never played more than 32 defensive snaps in an NFL game. He once played 47 in a preseason game but that was when he was a rookie.
Bell’s strong finish to his college career helped him get drafted based on projection but he never really proved he could be productive at the NFL level as a pass rusher.
His pressure rates are low at the NFL level, although he does have one sack. In preseason action, he played a lot but again had a low pressure rate without a sack.
However, Bell has an impressive get-off and the burst to chase down quarterbacks in pursuit.
His only sack at the NFL level was an impressive rep against a longtime starter in Alaric Jackson.
Bell’s run defense grades were generally about average on analysis sites such as Pro Football Focus, and weren’t much better in the preseason where he saw more work.
However, he made some good plays in or behind the line when he had the opportunities, particularly impressive in his ability to chase from the back.
The book on Bell when he entered the league was that he needed to improve his power play to establish an advantage but this has become a major strength of his, and may be his primary role in Miami.
Bell didn’t come into the league with an arsenal of pass rush moves, or any kind of ability to transition well into a counter, but in his only NFL sack he came out well and ripped for a strip sack. He hasn’t done enough.
On this play, the linebacker gets credit for the sack, but Bell still beats his man with hesitation and an effective rip move.
His placement and hand technique were also very raw when he first entered the league but he has shown improvement in how he picks up blocks and has shown that he can throw them away at times.
Bell wasn’t used much on special teams in college but has plenty of experience in that role at the NFL level, having played on all units besides the placekicking unit.
He had six special teams tackles with one penalty (for defensive blocking on a punt) in regular season action and another five with another penalty in preseason action.
In one preseason game, he set up a touchdown with this blocked punt.
Bell’s tackle efficiency numbers have often been good, as he always seems to end up with a good closeout where needed.
However, he failed to complete the sack on this play, leading to a first down scramble.
He has just one forced fumble in his entire career, including college and preseason games.
Bell’s experience as a receiver can give him an edge in coverage situations if he has to make a play on the ball but it’s rare for him to drop into coverage often at the NFL level and when he does it’s usually in zone coverage.
However, he showed some flashes of the ability to make tackles on short passes and on this pass breakup on Brock Bowers.
Being relatively new to the position, it may have taken Bell a little while to learn all the nuances of an NFL scheme but his film doesn’t show any glaring issues with missed assignments, even if he reacts more than expected.
As a pass rusher, his approach has always been somewhat raw and mechanical and he has never been a player who can set up and execute a counter.
Bell’s uncle played for three years in the NFL, so he has a good idea of what it takes and he’s impressed with his hard work and dedication in terms of not only making it into the league, but still being here now that he’s in his thirties.
He has a team-first mindset, earning accolades for his scout team work in Maxx Crosby’s role a few years ago as the Dolphins prepared to face the Raiders.
His field discipline is solid with only two defensive penalties at the NFL level. He jumped offside once and was flagged for a face mask penalty.
Bell did not have any significant documented injuries during his professional or college career.
Bell would be a solid fit for the Jets’ edge rotation, and his ability to set the edge could be a useful replacement following Braiden McGregor’s season-ending injury.
Nate Lynn was added to the roster and was in the rotation for the Patriots game with Joseph Ossai injured, so Bell could see some playing time if there are more injury issues or if he can outplay Lynn in practice.
Otherwise, his athleticism will make him a useful scout team asset and his experience on special teams should make him a good option to bring up if they need some extra depth on the edge.
Bell came into the league with a lot of upside but never really realized that potential. Still, he’s shown he can be someone you can add as a functional short-term rotational option, and he can be a role player in the running with the Jets like he was in Miami.
The Jets also have Paschal Ekeji and Nathan Voorhis on the practice squad, but both are raw and inexperienced so Bell could be the next man up if the Jets need another body on the sideline. Expectations are probably low in terms of him making a big impact though.