Should the Dolphins Limit Chris Bell’s Snaps Early in the Season?
The Miami Dolphins are about to start their season Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders. I’m excited to get things started with the new regime, with new GM John Eric Sullivan and HC Jeff Hafley, as they embark on this rebuilding process.
The Dolphins have 13 rookies on their roster, the most in the league, and that will come with growing pains, with the hope of improvement as the season goes on. They aren’t going to win a lot of games, and I won’t judge them based on their record. I will judge them by how they perform as the season goes on.
One player who will be playing is rookie wide receiver Chris Bell, who tore his ACL less than 10 months ago. His draft stock took a hit because of the injury, as he was projected to be a 1st-round pick, but he slid to the end of the 3rd round, where the Dolphins drafted him.
As expected, he started training camp on the non-football injury list while he worked his way back from rehab. I actually expected him to stay on that throughout training camp and possibly into the regular season. However, things changed as he made a remarkable recovery and returned to practice and even played some snaps in the final preseason game. He was fine the next couple of days, and Coach Hafley said he wouldn’t be on a play count.
I’d like to see Hafley and the Dolphins take a more conservative approach because he injured this knee less than a year ago, and while he’s made a remarkable recovery, medical care has advanced so much for injuries like the ACL. I think the Dolphins should have a play count on him just as a precaution to start the season.
Why Miami Should Manage Chris Bell’s Workload
Maybe I’m being a little too conservative, but the reality is the Dolphins are rebuilding and aren’t going to win a lot of games this year. Bell is their most talented receiver, so they should slow-cook him into the lineup and increase his role as the season goes on. There could be a setback or another injury, such as a soft tissue injury, which can happen during knee rehab.
I remember in 1997 when the Dolphins drafted Yatil Green in the 1st round. He tore his ACL in camp and came back the next year in training camp, and then coach Jimmy Johnson pushed him hard. Green’s knee swelled up, and he ended up tearing his ACL again and wasn’t the same player because of it. Green did have an injury history in college, but it was mostly hamstring injuries. You want to monitor the knee injury and be careful.
I’m going to trust Coach Hafley in this process because he is seeing things firsthand that all fans and I don’t. If he doesn’t have him on a play count and Bell balls out, then I’ll eat my words and take it, but I would take the safe route and would think Hafley should do the same thing, especially for a player of Bell’s talent who figures to be a big part in this rebuilding process.
