Veteran Safety appreciative for another opportunity with Bengals

Vonn Bell doesn’t regret his decision to sign with the Carolina Panthers last year, even though it might have seemed like a setback for his career.

When things didn’t work out with the Panthers, Bell had the chance to return to the Cincinnati Bengals, bringing with him a fresh perspective. This offseason, he’s making the most of his time on the field with a defense that, while still familiar, has changed since 2022.

Bell has quickly resumed his role as a mentor to a young group of defensive backs, but he’s also determined to prove he can still make an impact on the field.

“It was a hard one for me (last year in Carolina), but I guess God put me in a season to prepare myself for a moment like this,” Bell said. “I’m glad to be here and glad for the opportunity.”

The veteran safety joins a young secondary that is being rebuilt after the Bengals found it challenging to replace Bell and Jessie Bates last year. Cincinnati had relied on first- and second-year draft picks to fill those roles, but there wasn’t enough progress to continue the experiment.

Geno Stone has signed as the team’s new free safety, raising questions about Dax Hill’s future, and Bell will be competing with Jordan Battle to regain his strong safety position after the Nick Scott trial didn’t pan out. Bell never had competition in his previous three seasons with the Bengals but now returns with something to prove after a down year in Carolina, where he started 13 games and forced just one turnover (compared to six in 2022).

“I don’t set goals for myself personally because I think I’m selfless,” Bell said. “I just want to be the best version of myself. I just want to keep growing and keep being ripe in this game and keep studying and just being hungry. That’s my expectation, just to take care of the little things.”

Although Bell will turn 30 in December, he aims to show he’s still the same player the Bengals remember. His role is currently that of a mentor fighting for a job, but Bell is “invested in the locker room” and plans to share his knowledge as always.

Joining a defensive backs room filled with second- and third-year players, aside from slot corner Mike Hilton, Bell sees his role as a leader as even more critical. He’s already noticed significant growth since players began offseason workouts in mid-April.

The offseason program is an opportunity to “get out the kinks” and address issues from last year, Bell said. This applies to his performance and to the defensive backs’ collective improvement. The added experience from Bell and Stone should be beneficial.

“The communication has very much improved,” Bell said. “It’s noisy, guys talking before motions, pre-motion, post-motion, pre-snap and post-snap, so it’s great, but we’ve still got strides, and we’re still trying to make positive strides every day and keep on striving in the right direction. I’ve told them physically and mentally and collectively as a unit we’ve got to keep making the right strides, so it’s day by day and we’re heading in the right direction.”

Bell said “putting that B back on” his chest has been a great feeling, but it has required adjustment due to defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s tweaks and many new faces.
Returning to Anarumo’s system without Bates beside him feels strange, but Bell sees it as an opportunity to build something new.

“That’s my guy for life, and what we did together was special, but just keep on going,” Bell said. “We’ve got a great group. I love the guys in the room and guys are hungry, ready to make plays. There’s been a little adjustment. Lou’s added a few nuances, but pretty much he is still him. We always thinking like-minded so we’re on the right track for sure.”

“Everybody has a lot of confidence, everyone has swagger and that’s what you want in a DB room,” he added. “I’m going to approach each day and be grateful for the opportunity, come in each day and approach it one day at a time.”