While the Detroit Lions are busy focusing on OTAs and minicamp, understandably so, there are clear holes on the roster that need to be filled after losing both offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Obviously, head coach Dan Campbell still has a foundation set with promising pieces on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Jared Goff enjoyed a career year with standout wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has established himself as the premier slot wideout in the league.
Regardless, one Detroit veteran now needs a miracle if he's going to make the 53-man roster this fall.
Michigan has found themselves a DUDE in Ronnie Bell. pic.twitter.com/FMVWDc7Qqa
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) September 21, 2019
Lions WR Ronnie Bell Facing Uphill Climb to Make Detroit's Roster
The Kansas City, MO, native who starred at Michigan is facing an uphill battle to make the final roster despite his strong collegiate profile.
Bell was taken in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, yet he failed to show enough to earn a roster spot. During his short two-year career, Bell has caught eight of 19 targets for 90 yards and three TDs.
That's obvious, and though his red-zone production suggests that he's a player who could develop into an intriguing prospect. San Francisco lost a versatile weapon in Deebo Samuel this offseason, implying that Bell could take over that role.
Even still, there are currently five receivers ahead of him on the presumptive depth chart, which complicates his path to a roster spot.
Bell offers some intrigue in the return game as well, though he's more of a "jack of all trades" than a master of any. He's not someone that the Lions can build around, and at best, he'd serve as a fifth option with special-teams chops.
He needs a miracle to make the roster, to be frank. Bell's NFL career is reaching its end, yet he could turn things around with a strong summer. Hers's hoping he does.