“They’ve Got Everything They Need There”
May 19th, 2016
There’s a new Lieutenant Colonel of the Kenny Bell Mob
Joe’s never seen a little-known a receiver, a fifth-round draft pick, a second-year player who has yet to catch a preseason pass, garner so much love from intelligent fans and media.
The burgeoning Kenny Bell Mob is much different from the Mike Glennon Mob. At least Glennon won some games and was NFL Rookie of the Month back in November 2014.
What is it about Bell? Joe can’t figure it out. Is it the hair, the smooth talking, a handful of great practices last year during underwear football against the NFL’s most welcoming pass defense?
Bell has won over significant numbers of hardcore fans and media without doing anything. It’s a great study in sociology. Perhaps some professor at Eckerd College can pen a thesis.
Seventeen-year Bucs beat writer Roy Cummings, whose beloved Tampa Tribune was shut down by Big Media this month, is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Kenny Bell Mob. Cummings joined WDAE-AM 620 yesterday and professed his confidence in Bell and said of the Tampa Bay receiving corps, “They’ve got everything they need there.”
Joe respects Cummings, but Joe doesn’t get it, nor has Joe seen it from Bell.
Does Dirk Koetter really believe Bell is a quality No. 3 or No. 4 receiver? Joe can’t swallow that.
May 19th, 2016 at 10:08 am
Why do u hate on Kenny Bell so much. He is the second fastest, most agile receiver in our corps and has a lot of talent. I know he hasn’t played yet but at least he hasn’t dropped a crucial game winning pass or a historic TD like DD and Humphries. They proved they suck, all Kenny has proven is that he cares about the team and will work hard.
May 19th, 2016 at 10:09 am
After 10 years of misery , everything looks good to you.
May 19th, 2016 at 10:15 am
If you trust Licht & Koetter, there is a reason Bell is on the roster.
Maybe they know something fans don’t…
May 19th, 2016 at 10:37 am
Joe….you fail to point out he relationship between Bell & Jameis…..I think Jameis wouldn’t be a Bell supporter if he couldn’t catch the ball….
Granted, we have a very small sample size with Bell….time will tell….obviously, Licht, Koetter & Monken are relying on Bell to produce or they would have either picked up a FA WR or drafted one.
May 19th, 2016 at 10:39 am
You were saying the samething about charles sims last year at this time. Here is some advise for you…let the young guys develop. How or why is that so hard for you to understand?
May 19th, 2016 at 10:41 am
Not a big mystery , look at the tape at Nebraska and look at the potential
May 19th, 2016 at 10:48 am
It’s the great unknown. The needed qualities are there. It’s the application that’s uncertain. When he plays in an actual game, we will get a clue as to his true value to the team. Right now he’s somewhere between Evans and Dye, hopefully closer to Evans, only faster. Between Bell and Vitale there has to be an impact receiver for the Bucs. Vjax and Evans are good for yardage. Somebody has to get it in the end zone.
May 19th, 2016 at 10:55 am
I seen him play Vs Iowa in person and his ass broke my heart, (2 tds, one in OT after we were up, can’t remember think it was like 24-7 in the second half?) haha so hopin he could do somethin good for me. Feels weird wantin a Nebraska kid to do something good but I got over it with the whole Lavonte pick that I found my self yelling at the tv for us to draft. Bells fast. He had good hands in college I thought. Jameis loves him. Hopefully he can stay healthy and do some things.
May 19th, 2016 at 10:58 am
It’s gotta be the fro, shining gleaming screaming flaxen waxen.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:08 am
I think he is just a likeable guy so people are rooting for him. I like him too but I agree 100% that he has not proven anything yet and by his own admission they gave him a break last year by putting him on IR instead of cutting him. That was not a season ending hammy pull. We could use his speed though so I hope he comes in and kicks some butt!
May 19th, 2016 at 11:10 am
aside from Kenny we also have andre davis…kid is a stud…just needs an opportunity…he’ll get that in training camp and preseason….GO BUCS!!!
May 19th, 2016 at 11:10 am
@fan37- I was going with the hair too, but you took it to a whole new level my friend!
He’s definitely one of those guys we’ll all be watching for. If he develops, that’s just gravy!
May 19th, 2016 at 11:10 am
It’s the size and speed, Joe. He’s our only hope of taking the top off a defense. Dye won’t make the team.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:22 am
Reminds me of how folks were down on Charles Sim prior to last season. Something tells me Bell will have a nice coming out party this season and hush many nay-sayer.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:25 am
FSUKing
how is expecting a pro receiver to earn his keep by catching a meaningful pass Hating on him. Bell has done nothing. I am pulling for kid and like him however, he has done nothing. He has to earn the right to make the team. Holding people accountable or expecting realistic production is not hating. I realize the word hate no longer means anything similar to the word Friend which means nothing thanks to facebook but I find it laughable when people drop the hater comment when all someone is pointing is out they like the player to prove his worth or earn his keep.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:25 am
My bad Tim I scrolled str8 to the bottom and said what I said. I guess it’s true what they say about those minds.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:26 am
Maybe the coaches are drawing up a special “statue of liberty” play where Jameis turns his back to the defenders and hides the football in Bell’s hair. No one would touch him.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:27 am
Are people really questioning why Joe’s down on Bell??? Ummm, it might be because every report you read anywhere says that all he did in camp last year was drop passes.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:30 am
Poppa called it. Bell’s our only hope to stretch the field right now.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:35 am
Because our playoff chances are strongly correlated with Bell and ASJ. VJ and ME and Simms will get their yards but we aren’t scary without someone who stretch the field and a TE who can be the go to guy in thre RZ
May 19th, 2016 at 11:38 am
Im not impressed with a receiver that weighs about 150 lbs… When thaty drafted him I said he was too small… He steps on the pratice field and gets hurt immediately… Now we are somehow depending on this guy to contribute? This is a joke… Lets see if he can stay healthy through training camp first… I am very disappointed that the Bucs have done relatively nothing to improve a very weak receiver group…
May 19th, 2016 at 11:38 am
We prefer to be called the Bell Brigade 😉 “TOUCHDOWN TAMPA BAY, KENNY BELL!” – Future Gene Deckerhoff.
May 19th, 2016 at 11:41 am
Absent anything else….I decided to look to his Nebraska highlights for encouragement…..And, was encouraged!!!
“Afro-Thunderites”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5gathIyj0Y
May 19th, 2016 at 11:44 am
It’s not Bell’s fault he was placed on IR. Just one of those things that happened. Maybe it was the FL heat/dehydration that got him early .Anyhow, if were going to give Spence two years…..why not give Bell two years, too, Joe??
May 19th, 2016 at 11:46 am
Besides, if Bell hits…it would be a quintuple grandslam….who wouldn’t want a quintuple dong out of Bell?
May 19th, 2016 at 12:08 pm
all Kenny has proven is that he cares about the team and will work hard.
___________________________________________________________
Which means dick until he actually does something.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:10 pm
Here is another pretty good Kenny Bell link.
https://youtu.be/qk1LfMamBoA
The man does appear to have pretty good hands. Maybe last years preseason was a fluke with the dropped passes.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:10 pm
He still needs to make the 53 man roster. ALL he’s been given is another chance, nothing more.
I suspect a year watching, learning, hitting the weights and a conditioning program may help him greatly.
If he “hits”, that would make last years’ draft even more spectacular.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:10 pm
@Tampabaybucfan
Thats nothing!!! We need to find a multi-threat play maker!!! Meet Sam Gordon!!!!
“Sweet feet”!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmXtDLdyEow
May 19th, 2016 at 12:11 pm
I think he deserves this preseason / season, if healthy, to prove himself. If he can’t catch a cold, or goes on IR again, then, let him go.
ASJ is getting down to his last chances as well.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:14 pm
I think the main thing about Kenny Bell is that he really hasn’t had the chance to show much. The injury cancelled his first year before it really even started.
The kid was a great kick returner in college. He had good hands. He was fast enough.
Really, this is sort of his Rookie year, since he didn’t get to play his rookie year.
So I think the “Kenny Bell Mob” doesn’t actually exist (yet). There are just fans that want to see what he can offer, and refuse to write him off until we do.
He’ll have to earn his props like anyone else, but he’s got to be given the chance to.
And frankly, I believe Joe is underestimating him.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:17 pm
Whether he succeeds or not, there is only one nickname for him.
Side Show Bob.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:18 pm
Sorry.
Side Show Bell
😉
May 19th, 2016 at 12:24 pm
Ye hath little faith Joe, watch game film and know that he had more touchdowns that Irving Fryar. I know you know that name Joe say it again Irving Fryar. The guy is money and only Lovies lame “If he has a hamstring put him on IR” mentality benched him. By midseason he was ready to go but Lovie ofcourse would have none of that.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:37 pm
Put me in the hoping but not counting on anything group.
Would like to sign Boldin or someone as a 3rd WR.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:39 pm
We seem to keep forgetting Sims. He is more than simply a good back who can catch out of the backfield. He’s a hybrid and can run routes just as good as any WR.
Again he reminds me of one of my boyhood idols…Lennie Moore of the Baltimore Colts. Moore was an all time great!!! I am NOT comparing Sim’s talent to that of Moore…just that they have similar styles and and talents. And while I do not expect Sims to become an “all time” great like Moore, there is no reason Sims can’t become a solid receiver in the mold of Moore.
Like Sims, Moore came into the league as a running back. But his receiving skills emerged and he became a true hybrid lining up all over the field.
Moore made 40 receptions for 687 yards and seven touchdowns in 1957, the first of five straight years in which he would have 40 or more catches. In 1958, he caught a career-high 50 passes for 938 yards and seven touchdowns in helping the Colts win the NFL championship. Then in 1959, Moore had 47 receptions for 846 yards and six TDs as the Colts repeated as champions.
There is no reason Sims can’t emerge as a favorite target of #3!
May 19th, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Joe doesn’t believe in player development. Doesn’t trust under-the-radar players. If you don’t produce in year one, Joe writes you off. Joe never heard of Cameron Brate before he caught his first TD pass. Thought of Kevin Pamphile as a milk carton, and then acted surprised when he could play.
Usually, when you hear rumblings about how much the coaching staff and front office are excited about a player, there’s something to it… Other Bucs news sources bring this info to the fans. Joe shoots it down, because negativity is Joe’s MO.
May 19th, 2016 at 12:59 pm
@ Realist
Sam Gordon…….and with the 32nd pick in the 2027 NFL Draft….the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select……Sam Gordon….Wide Receiver, Running Back and Safety….
St. Pete
My favorite was Tom Matte
May 19th, 2016 at 1:22 pm
Hope
May 19th, 2016 at 1:35 pm
@tmaxcon
All I want to see is optimism. I can’t be optimistic for Adam Humphries or Dontee Dyes future, because I saw them play last year. They are CFL backups. Kenny Bell has potential. Joe hates on the fact that he hasn’t played like he choose not to. He’s done everything asked of him. I just wanna see one article about his potential or role in the offense. Not another one bashing him or the people that support him.
May 19th, 2016 at 1:35 pm
The mob that doesn’t exist for Kenny Bell is just those of us who believe he has the talent to be a quality #3 receiver and give the Bucs offense a dimension it otherwise lacks – speed… There is no mob outside of that.
May 19th, 2016 at 1:40 pm
813bucboi Says:
May 19th, 2016 at 11:10 am
aside from Kenny we also have andre davis…kid is a stud…just needs an opportunity…he’ll get that in training camp and preseason….GO BUCS!!!
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813 – I’m probably wrong on this but I could have sworn that the Bucs cut Andre Davis. Anyone have any info? Joe?
May 19th, 2016 at 1:47 pm
lol… Thought it to be ironic to see in those Bell Highlights him getting run down short of the goal line… Seems to me he will fit right in with what we do around here!!!!!!!!!!!
May 19th, 2016 at 1:49 pm
Go get em Kenny. Joe will hop on the Bell bandwagon soon enough once the Afro Thunder starts flashing his talent in a meaningful way. Dude was a total steal in the 5th round and WILL play a significant role for the Bucs in 2016 if he stays healthy. He’s one of our better special teams gunners if nothing else – and even that is an important attribute. But Bell is much more I believe. Hope I’m right. Time will tell.
May 19th, 2016 at 1:51 pm
You know who you never see getting run down when he is healthy??? ASJ…. He was my prediction for break out player last year and was well on h
May 19th, 2016 at 2:01 pm
I remember when Kenny Bell and un-drafted Rannell Hall were both in camp together and Hall was getting all the praise from the coaches, but the bucs let him go.
With Hall gone and Bell, Murphy, and Vjax injured we were left with Dye and Humphries and we all know how that turned out. The bucs have had a solid off season, but why in tarnation did we not draft or pick up a WR???
May 19th, 2016 at 2:02 pm
Joe
Watch Kenny Bell in college at Nebraska. He was a super star to them. Anytime they needed a big play he was the go to guy. He can go up and get the ball with ease and has great hands. The kid is good. The tape doesn’t lie. Only a jackass like Lovie would put the kid on IR for a hamstring issue.
Let him get thru a training camp and preseason and watch what happens. We can line him up in the slot or put him out wide opposite of Evans. He has the skill set to do both. He can easily be our #3 WR and possibly our #2 once VJax gets hurt, that’s only a matter of time unfortunately. Support the guy instead of bashing him. Until then wait til September to judge him. He deserves that much.
May 19th, 2016 at 2:58 pm
People seem to ignore the fact that Bell was placed on IR for a minor injury because the Bucs were going to cut him and weren’t sure if he would make it through waivers back to the practice squad. I mean I hope the kid does well but last preseason when he did play he wasn’t good.
May 19th, 2016 at 3:12 pm
I don’t understand what the problem is with Humphries. He played well last year.
May 19th, 2016 at 3:52 pm
Am I missing something…how did you get Kenny Bell out of “They got everything thing they need there” …it is the off season though…lol!
May 19th, 2016 at 4:01 pm
You guys granting Kenny Bell the 3rd wide receiver job already might want to put that stuff on pause. If you google Kenny Bell Buccaneer highlights you get one hit, which is one pass from Winston in underwear football last years training camp. Thats because despite playing in multiple preseason games he caught zerro passes despite being targeted several times. Hey rookie jitters maybe, but lets be real, he was a 5th round draft pick who was on the bubble last year. Lets give him a chance this year but lets not get all carried away until he earns it.
May 19th, 2016 at 4:18 pm
Maybe I’m nutz, but a highly productive WR/KR from a top program who runs a 4.30 40 is given more than one chance to prove himself after even a minor injury.
May 19th, 2016 at 4:23 pm
Kenny Bell (6-1 197) is not that small of a receiver. He was first team All-Big Ten his senior year. Bell holds the career receptions and receiving yards records at Nebraska. He has speed to burn and big play ability. I too am disappointed that we didn’t draft a WR or pick up one in FA. There is a reason and that reason could be Kenny Bell. Just give him an opportunity and he will perform.
May 19th, 2016 at 4:50 pm
One can zero in on the lack of a clear #3 receiver right now, and an absence of an heir apparent to VJax, but when you look at the offensive personnel across the board, there’s plenty of weapons in the passing game. ASJ should be healthy. Brate can play. Vitale is going to be a weapon. Humphries is more than capable possession receiver. Dye has some speed and could develop as a more consistent player after coming in UDFA out of a very small program – clearly they think he has upside. They also like Evan Spencer from what I understand. There’s quite a bit going on with talent developing around Evans and VJax, and that includes Kenny Bell. I think they’re going to be a very productive offense.
May 19th, 2016 at 4:54 pm
I don’t have a problem with Bell, its the fact that we don’t have a bona fide slot receiver. Bell is a vertical threat but doesn’t have the shiftiness to create separation from the slot. He can develop into a decent 2, but will probably never be a 1.
May 19th, 2016 at 5:31 pm
TBBF…that’s why I’m part of his mob. College highlights.
Like Nole on Sat always says : “Just wait on it.”
May 19th, 2016 at 5:45 pm
no way man dood can’t stay healthy an was very very sketchy in practices lots of dropped balls
May 19th, 2016 at 6:30 pm
I think its called college tape. Call me crazy but the guy went later than he should have. Same reason some undrafted free agents become super stars. Also, maybe….just maybe being that jason licht and his staff have shown to be good talent evaluaters that fans are axtually starting to trust our general managers ability to find hiden gems later in the drafts???
Maybe its the same frame of mind expecting kenny bell to produce as it is to call Jameis Winsotn a pro bowl QB when he actually did not play at a pro bowl level whem compared to other elite qbs. We still know hes damn good so it rides. I dont understand the doubt. He was hurt last year and had no history with injuries prior. Give the kid a damn chance holy crap
May 19th, 2016 at 6:43 pm
I’m not sold on Mr Bell nor Hot tub ASJ. But we shall see. This could be a make or break year for both. We need contributions from both of them. If not, they can join the Clearwater fishermans club! Bell may not have the durability required to play in the NFl. And ASJ? He needs to get rid of that..pretty boy syndrome and start ballin. WE need Ballers in Tampa bay!
May 19th, 2016 at 7:51 pm
@shouldhavedraftedefiert-
If you’re going to go to the effort of using a guy’s name as part of your username, maybe you should learn to spell it correctly. F.
May 19th, 2016 at 8:15 pm
He looks thin and brittle. I hope he is all they say he is, but let’s see it first. Meanwhile Roddy White….. ahem.
May 19th, 2016 at 10:01 pm
We look at his college tape because that’s all we got.
Kind of like you Joe when you saw Johnny in college. 🙂
May 20th, 2016 at 5:23 am
There is a story on buccaneers.com about the three way battle going on for the 3rd WR position. It is between Louis Murphy, Kenny Bell and Evan Spencer. Urban Meyer said “He’s unbelievable.” “He’s the MVP of our team. He’s the leader of our team. He’s the guy that at the right time, I’ll probably make an executive decision and make him a captain.” Watch the video below. Spencer is the reason we did not draft or sign a WR in FA this year.
https://youtu.be/mxSYi_hKpU8
https://youtu.be/mxSYi_hKpU8
Oh, please. –Joe