Bills rookie Skyler Bell is earning praise from Josh Allen and Pete Carmichael after handling a bigger role and multiple positions at training camp.
The Buffalo Bills aren't making life easy for Skyler Bell during his first training camp, but the rookie receiver continues to show that he's capable of handling whatever the team puts in front of him.
Buffalo has been intentionally giving Bell a lot to learn, moving him around the offense and asking him to play multiple positions while also learning a variety of routes.
According to offensive coach Pete Carmichael, Bell has responded exactly how the Bills hoped.
"We have thrown a ton at him," Carmichael said on Monday. "We've put him at a ton of different positions, ton of different routes. I mean, we have asked him to do a lot, and he has gone out there and he's done everything we've asked."
That's particularly notable for a rookie who is trying to carve out a role in an offense with established players such as DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Joshua Palmer, and Dalton Kincaid.
Carmichael said Bell's ability to play multiple positions and run different routes has stood out, adding that the rookie has shown he can handle the mental side of the offense.
"He's smart. He can play those multiple positions. He can run a lot of routes," Carmichael said.
Josh Allen has noticed the same thing.
Allen said the Bills have been "putting a lot on his plate intentionally" and that Bell has been "excelling really in any spot that we've put him in so far."
The quarterback also believes Bell's versatility could become particularly useful as Buffalo continues to move its receivers around.
Bell has enough speed to play outside, according to Allen, while also possessing the quickness and route-running ability to work from the slot. Allen specifically pointed to Bell's crisp routes and ability to make plays downfield.
That versatility could give the Bills another way to make their offensive personnel difficult for defenses to predict.
With Moore, Shakir, and Bell all capable of moving between the slot and outside, Buffalo can change formations without necessarily changing the concepts it wants to run. Kincaid and Dawson Knox can also be moved around, creating even more uncertainty for opposing defenses.
For Bell, however, the immediate focus remains on proving he can handle everything the Bills ask of him.
Carmichael noted that there have been opportunities where Bell has gotten open but the coverage dictated that the quarterback throw elsewhere. That suggests the rookie's ability to create separation hasn't gone unnoticed, even when the statistics aren't necessarily going to show it during practice.
As the preseason approaches, Bell will have his first opportunity to turn those practice flashes into game production. When looking at the depth chart, he sits as the fifth receiver. With a strong showing, however, Bell could find himself with more opportunities as the year progresses.
