The Browns and rookie wide receiver David Bell have reached an agreement on Bell’s four-year, $4,894,904 rookie contract. A league source confirmed the agreement for cleveland.com.
Rookie contracts are dictated by the league’s collective bargaining agreement and are a standard four years for players selected after the first round.
Bell was picked by the Browns last month with the No. 99 pick in the draft. A three-year starter at Purdue, he caught 232 passes for 2,946 yards and scored 21 touchdowns.
We thought he had some of the best hands in this draft class,” Browns GM Andrew Berry said after Bell was selected. “He is also very savvy as a route runner, just very nuanced and polished and has the ability to separate. We think he is a guy who can really play both outside and inside, but we think that he can really make a living with his size, his savvy and his hands in the slot, but we are excited to get to work with him.”
The Browns selected Bell after trading down from No. 44, initially passing on what many thought to be a strong group of second-tier wide receivers which included Bell. They gained picks used to select cornerback Martin Emerson at No. 68, defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey at No. 108 and kicker Cade York at No. 124 while still coming away with Bell.
I think part of the reality of it is just he did not run as well as he had hoped or as expected in the spring,” Berry said, “but a highly productive player and has a skillset that is playable in the NFL, and we are happy to have him.”
I don’t really think it will be an issue for me,” Bell said during an introductory press conference at the Browns’ training facility the day after he was selected. “I have never been the fastest going back to high school and college, but I really take a lot of real hard look into my craft. I like to be really technical on how I can beat defensive backs, and that is one thing I take pride in. Knowing that I am not the fastest, I have to find different ways to win.”
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