Blake Bell could be odd man out in Chiefs tight end room

After being selected 117th overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Blake Bell also spent time with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2019 offseason. Following winning Super Bowl LIV, Bell spent a season with the Dallas Cowboys before returning to the Chiefs last year.

Blake Bell isn’t much of a receiving threat but is more of a blocking tight end in Kansas City. In 103 career NFL games, Bell has only recorded 62 receptions for 648 yards and a single touchdown, with that one TD coming in the Chiefs’ historic 51-31 win over the Houston Texans in the 2019-20 NFL Divisional Round.

One of the reasons that Bell is not a lock to make the team this season is that he’s not as much of a receiving threat as Travis Kelce or Jody Fortson. According to Pro Football Focus ($), Bell played 379 offensive snaps last season, with 269 as blocking snaps. In the receiving game last year, he had 10 catches for 90 yards and no touchdowns on 12 targets. He also had 4 rushing attempts for 10 yards in 2021.

Blake Bell is on his second stint with the Kansas City Chiefs. The veteran tight end may be the odd man out in Kansas City’s tight end room.

While Bell never has and never will be a primary receiving weapon for Patrick Mahomes, he does serve a purpose for the Chiefs. Bell’s main role on offense is blocking. In 2021, according to PFF ($), Bell had 227 run-blocking and 42 pass-blocking snaps, earning grades of 70.2 and 70.5 grade in each, respectively.

When it comes to projecting the final roster, I believe that the Chiefs will carry three tight ends, four is possible but I think three is more likely. Travis Kelce is a stone-cold lock to make the team. The final two spots will probably come down to Blake Bell, Jody Fortson, and Noah Gray. If Fortson demonstrates growth as a receiver, I imagine he will make the team due to his sky-high potential. For the final spot, it’s between Bell and Gray, in my opinion.

Both Blake Bell and Noah Gray were primarily blocking tight ends last season, with Bell seeing a bit more action in the passing game as a receiver. Their blocking quality was similar to each other, with Bell again seeing more snaps in that regard.

In the end, I do see Bell as the odd man out in Kansas City’s tight end room and believe Noah Gray will make the final roster over him. This is because Gray has more room to grow in every aspect, in my opinion, and is also more cost-effective than Bell. Bell is signed through this season at a $1.0475M cap hit, while Gray is signed through 2024 at $903K, $1.018445M, and $1.13345M cap hits.

While I would not be surprised if Blake Bell makes the team this September, I think it makes more sense for the Chiefs to keep Gray over him as it makes too much sense. Gray is more cost-efficient and has more potential than Bell. It would make sense to have another seasoned veteran behind Kelce but I believe it makes more sense to go with the best three options, no matter if it’s Blake Bell or Noah Gray.

Do you think Blake Bell will make the Chiefs’ final roster after training camp? Which tight ends do you think makes the team behind Travis Kelce? Feel free to let me know in the comment section or on Twitter (@StrozinskyLucas)