Mike Bell's call of duty with the New Orleans Saints has officially come to an end, as the team decline to match the offer sheet the Philadelphia Eagles signed him to. Mike Bell is now officially a member of the Eagles, and because of the level the Saints tendered Bell at, they will receive no compensation. It's really sad to see Bell go because he was one of the really good guys on the team last year from a character perspective. Despite an extremely fast start in terms of performance last year, he flamed out as the season wore on, in large part due to injuries he was playing with. Ultimately, the emergence of Lynell Hamilton during the tail end of the season is likely what made the Saints feel that Bell was expendable.
Like Fujita, I think Bell's play on the field is replaceable, so while this is a loss, I don't think it's a monumental loss. Still, I will greatly miss the power, aggression and purpose Bell ran with every time he touched the ball. If he's healthy, the Eagles have gotten a good back at a great price. The Saints' current financial situation is as much to blame for Bell's departure as anything else, and that's really too bad.Good luck to you with the Eagles Mike, and thanks for playing such a big part of the Saints' title run!
