Hamstring Sidelines Kenny Bell
August 28th, 2015
Bucs rookie WR Kenny Bell has no catches this preseason
All eyes on the Buccaneers’ receiving corps tomorrow night.
The Bucs are down two men from a unit sporting a lot of competition and little depth.
Kenny Bell, the rookie fifth-round pick out of Nebraska has been ruled out by Lovie Smith this afternoon. Bell will miss the game against the Browns with a hamstring injury.
Bell has no catches this preseason. That’s a bad combination for a late-round rookie. Bell also had a hamstring issue in June that kept him out of minicamp and other spring practices.
With Mike Evans out with a hamstring injury, it appears Vincent Jackson and Louis Murphy will be starting at wide receiver. Veteran Russell Shepard got much love from the coaching staff after his catches from Jameis Winston and Mike Glennon against the Bengals on Monday night.
So who’s next? What a great opportunity for Robert “Hands” Herron to lose his dubious nickname, and for rookies Rannell Hall, Kaelin Clay and Adam Humphries. With Bell and Evans sporting tweaked hammys, Joe suspects the Bucs might keep an extra receiver when the 53-man roster rolls out in eight days.
August 28th, 2015 at 1:52 pm
Well, that’s one way to get him to stop picking up holding penalties….
August 28th, 2015 at 1:58 pm
I was impressed with Russel Shepard last week and look forward to seeing more from him Saturday night.
August 28th, 2015 at 2:12 pm
Russell Shepard seems to be the king of plays super unusual to the bucs playbook. That jet sweep and that wildcat last year at the end of the season were just super out of place from the bucs general play style.
Of course this is from the past, things may have changed. Hopefully.
August 28th, 2015 at 2:29 pm
Looks like Bell’s chances to make the final roster may have taken an unrecoverable setback.
August 28th, 2015 at 2:54 pm
GMs & Coaches hate to cut draftees……It’s an admission of a mistake……as far as WR is concerned…look for Bell and possibly even Herron to squeak by. I’m not so sure of Isoefa…..
August 28th, 2015 at 2:57 pm
I don’t know about that 37. I feel the Bucs believe Bell’s upside is too high to pass on. With that said, watch out for Humphries. That guy quietly had a great game last Monday and I like how he plays the game. He seems to have sure hands and is quick. He doesn’t have prototypical size but he could be a perfect future slot guy. The problem is we can’t keep 8 WR’s. I would expect that we keep 5 and possibly 6 so the odds are stacked against him. I like that Humphries might get a bigger chance to stake his claim. I think Clay is locked in as our returner and he looked pretty good doing it. I wouldn’t mind one bit having Humphries as a 4th WR and sprinkle him into the slot. He’s got Wes Welker written all over him.
August 28th, 2015 at 2:58 pm
I’m pretty down and out on both Herron and Sims. Herron needs to prove himself and time is quickly running out. Having speed doesn’t mean crap if you can’t get open and catch the ball.
August 28th, 2015 at 3:14 pm
Let’s go Adam Humphries this yo moment.
August 28th, 2015 at 3:16 pm
Agreed cmurda, Humphries reminds me of Wes Welker the guy has done nothing but fight his way onto squads.deserves a chance and I’d be proud to call him a buccaneer.
August 28th, 2015 at 3:23 pm
What about Dye #17?
August 28th, 2015 at 3:38 pm
I think the Bucs like Bell but he has not made any plays in preseason which may make it easier to retain him on the practice squad. I have my doubts that he makes the 53 man active roster.
August 28th, 2015 at 3:41 pm
Bingo. Bucs like him a lot, but he has shat the bed the past two or three weeks. Has not had a good camp after first week or so.
August 28th, 2015 at 3:54 pm
Cmurda
I think Clay is locked in as our returner and he looked pretty good doing it.
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Really? I didn’t get that impression. I’m not sure he got more than 5 yards from any return. Kinda crazy to keep a guy just to return punts, it’s not like he’s Hester.
August 28th, 2015 at 4:07 pm
Everything depends on Adam Humphries,I think our WR coach Andrew Hayes-Stoker likes Humphries a lot. If Humphries can return punts like he did at Clemson, he should be a lock. Kenny Bell did down a punt inside of the Bengals 5, and he knocked one out of the end zone to Leonard Johnson, and Leonard downed it at the Bengals one yard line. Kenny Bell will be a good receiver, he’s not the only receiver without catches. Mike Evans don’t have any and he been targeted more than Bell, ASJ has one catch. Kaelin Clay has done nothing in the return game, Rannell Hall has a few catches. VJAX,Mike Evans,Louis Murphy, Russell Shepard, Kenny Bell, Adam Humphries are my guys to make the final 53. Rannell Hall, Kaelin Clay to the practice squad.
August 28th, 2015 at 4:15 pm
Robert Herron could still make the team with a strong showing in the final two preseason games. There should be 2 spots open now, and Humphries,Bell, Clay, Herron, Hall are competing for them. It will come down to Special Teams and value as a WR, and I think Bell and Humphries has more value than the rest of them.
August 28th, 2015 at 5:00 pm
Hall can make the tough catches in traffic and return…. Give dude a spot o. The final roster or Bucs will regret it
August 28th, 2015 at 6:26 pm
If Bell needs time to heal, maybe he can get ready on the Practice Squad. “Speedy” Hall might be a good roster pick until Bell can contribute.
I’m more concerned about Mike Evans’ hamstring becoming a season long nagging injury and limiting his ability to contribute at a high level.
Lovie spoke about not knowing about Bell and some other WR’s “doing enough, so far”, to be fairly evaluated for the 53. The reality is that any of the Bucs rookie WR’s could start for the Panthers right now. So, let’s not give them the division by cutting good players, Lovie.
August 28th, 2015 at 9:58 pm
I think Bell makes the squad. Id keep him over Herron. Hes obviously having some troubles latley getting into a rythmn but I think once it clicks….he can be a playmaker. It will be interesting to watch tonorrow night. I wouldnt play Jackson to far into the game….we cant afford him to get hurt. Im actually predicting Jackson to have a career type year this season. He knows his window is closing and being a vet will want to help Jameis and take some of the sophmore pressure off of Evans.
Tell ya what Blake Bortles is looking damn good in this Jacksonville game.
August 28th, 2015 at 10:26 pm
I smell practice squad.
OK I am the blog pollyanna right. It’s all good and I’m expecting 10-6.
But you don’t have to be Realist to be concerned at this point about our receivingc corps. What once appeared to be a strength is starting to worry even me the blog optimist.
We have dependable VJAX and after that….a great receiver in ME IF he avoids a nagging hammy all season as well as the dreaded sophomore slump.
Then what? Louis Murphy. St. Pete guy so I gotta give him love and I do believe he’s a more than competent 3rd receiver but I don’t want to see him in the 2nd spot. We have a project in ASJ…who really knows yet…great physical skills but can he really play? Then it’s Myers who can at least hang on to the ball as can Cameron Brate but at WR…it’s Bell who has shown nothing yet…Humphries who has shown “some” promise and Rannell Hall who has had a good camp.
Yeow. I’m starting to worry if our OL is not actually ahead of our receivers! Especially if you consider depth! One of our strongest positions could actually be a liability and we simply can’t have that with a franchise QB on board.
Somebody better step up and do it quickly. ASJ needs to have a monster game. Hall, Humphries or somebody needs to step up at WR. Bell is practice squad material at this point.
August 29th, 2015 at 7:29 am
We knew Bell was raw when we drafted him I’m sure the personnel staff somewhat forecasted early struggles.
This is prime real estate for Hall and Humphries who both look more polished than Bell