Bell relishes the opportunity

[BernietheKid]

Bell relishes the opportunity

By Matt Florjancic, ClevelandBrowns.com Staff Writer
Posted 5 hours ago


Prior to his first practice with the Browns Thursday afternoon, Mike Bell met with the media to discuss the transition from Philadelphia to Cleveland.

Coming off of 654-yard, five-touchdown season in which he helped the New Orleans Saints win Super Bowl XLIV 31-17 last February in Miami, Florida, Mike Bell left The Big Easy for the Philadelphia Eagles. However, he found himself in the back-up role behind LeSean McCoy.

With his trade from the Eagles to the Cleveland Browns being finalized, Bell met with the media before heading out to his first practice at the team’s Berea headquarters.

“This is like my fifth team in four years, so I definitely want to find a place to stay, but I know God has a plan for my life and everywhere I go, it’s been a good, learning experience,” Bell said Thursday morning. “As long as I’m still playing, I really have no complaints.

“It’s been a tough year for me just because I’ve been moving around so much, but it’s a blessing that I’m still playing,” he added. “The only thing I’m focusing on is I’m still in the NFL and I’m on a good team.”

Though the Browns head into their rivalry game with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon with a 1-4 record, Bell quickly looked beyond the standings and came up with his own opinion of his new team.

“This is a good football team,” he said. “They’ve lost a lot of close ones, so I’m coming to a good football team. I was on a good football team and before that, I was on a good football team. I couldn’t really ask for more. A couple breaks here and a couple breaks there, they’d be an undefeated team.”

Bell has some familiarity with a couple of current Browns players. As he was on his way out of Denver, Browns running back Peyton Hillis was entering the Broncos’ organization. During his two-year stint with the Saints, he teamed up with Browns linebacker and defensive captain Scott Fujita.

“I think that we’re two different backs, but we do the same thing in terms of running physically,” Bell said when comparing himself to Hillis. “I think we’re different styles in a sense. I’m physical and he’s physical, but I still think we’re different in a lot of ways.

I can’t really explain it. It’s more of a thing you’ve got to catch with your eyes. I don’t want to compare myself to anyone.”

“He is a hard runner. I think people will like him a lot,” Fujita said of Bell. “He’s one of those downhill runners and wants to get it downhill. I’ve seen how hard he runs. He’s one of those guys that even in the practices where you’re supposed to be taking it easy, he’s not taking it easy. That’ll be good for this offense.”

Bell has accounted for 1,404 yards and 14 touchdowns in his five-year NFL career. His most productive season came in 2006 with the Broncos, when he rushed for 677 yards and eight touchdowns on 157 carries. That season, he also caught 20 passes for 158 yards.

While some players may need time to figure out a new system, Bell does not consider himself one of them.

“I don’t think it’ll take long at all,” he said. “I’m used to this whole going-to-a-different-team thing, so I should be able to adjust pretty fast. I was surprised for a second, but then I was like, ‘This is a business. I’ve just got to keep it moving.’”

Bell relishes the opportunity

[Sez.EJ]

He fits our system well. I wanted him this offseason.. Not for a starter cuz he seems to get dinged up fairly often..but as a backup.. He's very good. He's no Hillis clone..but he hits the holes and can break tackles.

[TheBestPlayersPlay]

Mike Bell interview.

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[Tobalaz]

Seems like a decent fellow, could be we're better off with him over Harrislouch.

[Crow]

he will be more productive than hardesty this season

[Enigmatic Evil]

Astute observation Crow

I think Bell will flourish here, he seems to be a hard working player and the fact that he's more of the ilk of runner that we have been using will help our team i think.

Someone mentioned it a while back that it's a "belichick" style system (makes sense since Mangini is from that "tree"...) and that if the player can't fit the system (like Harrison) then it's the player who shoulders the blame. I think that's why Harrison's been riding the bench since Mangini arrived and that's why Mangini and him have always seemed to have this rift between them. Add to it, the fact that Harrison was having "motivation issues" and it all adds up to this trade.

I think that Bell will flourish here. A lot of people have written him off and it sounds eerily similar to when we grabbed Hillis in the Quinn trade and look at Hillis now, he's a perrenial fan favorite rivaled by maybe only Josh Cribbs.