In Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins rookie wide receiver Chris Bell nearly made the first of what fans hope will be many remarkable plays in his career. Early in the second quarter, Bell shook free down the sideline on a scramble drill, and Malik Willis found him for what would have been a 68-yard touchdown. As we all know, Bell unfortunately had a toe out of bounds before the catch.
The Illegal Touching penalty nullified that score, and it forced a Dolphins punt. While the TD didn't end up counting, and Bell would finish the day with zero receptions on three targets, the explosiveness he showed on that play is exactly why offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik needs to make him the focal point of the passing game.
Now that he has had time to get acclimated following his ACL injury last November, there is no reason he shouldn't be able to handle a bigger workload. Add in that fellow rookie Caleb Douglas remains sidelined with an ankle injury, and Bell is the only receiver with the potential to elevate the offense beyond what we have seen through four weeks.
The Miami Dolphins need to get the ball in Chris Bell's hands as much as possible
Bell has been targeted just 11 times through four games, despite playing over 60% of Miami's offensive snaps so far. Part of that has been Willis only attempting 103 passes in four games, which ranks just 24th in the league thus far.
Still, Slowik hasn't used Bell in the way that I think would be best for him as he continues to develop in the NFL. His combination of size and speed makes him the perfect target for screens, slants, crossers, and other quick hitters where he can make plays after the catch. Despite that, nearly 50% of his routes this season have been outs, digs, or go balls, according to Sumer Sports.
While he can certainly win on routes like that, they are either low-percentage plays or lack the YAC upside that would help create more explosives in the passing game. With Willis having a tendency to hang onto the ball a tick too long, incorporating more easy throws (on early downs especially) to help get him into a rhythm could go a long way towards getting the offense into a better place.
No receiver on the roster is better equipped to receive those kinds of targets than Bell, aside from maybe Malik Washington. At least until Douglas returns, it's time to start leaning on their most gifted athlete at the position and make a concerted effort to get him the ball in space.
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