Perhaps no player on the 49ers has boosted his stock this preseason than rookie wide receiver Ronnie Bell. It’s coming at a good time, too, as Ray-Ray McCloud (broken wrist) and Danny Gray (shoulder) are looking doubtful to begin the regular season healthy.
Bell shined in Saturday’s 21-20 win against the Broncos, showing off his YAC skills with seven catches for 114 yards, including a 43-yard catch-and-run to set up Jake Moody’s walk-off winning field goal.
Listed at 6-foot, 190 pounds – Bell doesn’t have the same frame or physicality as Deebo Samuel, but the veteran has taken a mentorship role for the rookie in his first summer with the squad.
“It’s been smooth,” Deebo said of his relationship with Bell. “In our receiver room we harp hard on (things), first we start off with run blocking. He was struggling with that at first, so me and Brandon (Aiyuk) was on him hard about that. Once he got that and then his reps started going up, I started to reflect back on when I was a rookie and how hard it is and how hard you gotta practice to get ready for a game. He be getting better at that and it shows in the game. He’s a real life gamer.”
Aiyuk knows all about coach Kyle Shanahan’s doghouse, as he had to re-establish himself and his practice habits to begin his second season in 2021.
Deebo also worked through his own fitness issues during his down season in 2022 but sounds like a refreshed and refocused player for this season. That includes a leadership role with Bell.
“It’s just a big-brother relationship,” Bell said after Saturday’s game, via David Lombardi of The Athletic. “I appreciate that more than anything. Throughout this whole process, he’s taken me under his wing. He’s really been with me in any situation, when I’m struggling thinking about this, thinking about that, at the beginning of camp, not really getting any reps. He always has been in my hip, letting me know to keep going. So I definitely appreciate him for that.”
Perhaps some of Samuel’s bully mentality will continue to rub off on Bell, who also flashed nice running ability on a 15-yard jet sweep against the Raiders in the preseason opener.
“100-percent. It is something that I've always prided myself on,” Bell said of running after the catch. “And last year, I wasn't very pleased with the way that I ran with the ball in my hands. That was something that was a big point of emphasis on myself to improve in my game. So yeah, that's something I want to continue to improve on, especially around these guys, the way that they're toting the ball. I want to be able to do the same thing.”
Bell is also a top candidate to fill in for McCloud and Gray as a punt returner and shown solid ability in that area.
That’s not to say it’s been all gravy for Bell so far. He has dropped a pass in each preseason game that has resulted in an interception, though he had a clean look at the ball each time.
“It starts by being able to make plays,” Shanahan said. “And lots of guys you expect guys to catch it, when they're in a good spot. And he's missed two of those which were very similar, both of them that've led to picks. But, I think all you guys saw the plays he has made. Just with the ball in his hand breaking tackles, I think that's a lot for a guy to do that in his first two games as a punt returner and as a receiver. Shows that he can hang with our group and hopefully he can clean this stuff up because we did give him a lot of opportunities. So, by no means was he perfect, he's still got a long way to go and he has got to get better.”
Deebo, Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings have to be considered locks to make the roster this season, but Bell finds himself in the thick of the competition with others like veteran Chris Conley and fellow rookie Tay Martin.
“Playmakers,” Bell said of the receiver room. “It's everything that I've always wanted to be about and been about. Just to be a part of this group, with these guys, is a huge blessing.”
