Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley is practicing patience when it comes to the potential breakout for rookie receiver Chris Bell.
The Miami Dolphins have a strong youth movement on the team, and many rookies are taking on prominent roles on both sides of the ball. One such rookie is receiver Chris Bell, who got the start against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Despite a generally slow start, Bell should be learning quickly, and that is what head coach Jeff Hafley is banking on. Hafley spoke about staying patient, as the pass catcher should start to break out more with time.
Bell spent the majority of the offseason recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered at Louisville, and his recovery has been way ahead of schedule.
Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan had stated that the expectation was Bell would be ready to play after the team's Week 6 BYE, but that was not the case. The rookie receiver made his debut in the third and final preseason game, and has also played in Week 1.
In terms of what Hafley has seen thus far, he likes where Bell currently is in his trajectory back from missing a lot of offseason practice.
"He's got to build his confidence, and I think the more we go, the better you'll see him be, but he flashed in that last game. He had the catch across the middle. There was a couple shots he had on down the field and putting DBs on the ground. I just I think with Chris, and even a lot of these rookies, but even more so with Chris, it's just a little bit of patience. I mean, he's ahead of schedule with his knee, probably playing sooner than we thought he would, and now we're counting on him. So just excited for him, and I'm not going to put any expectations on him. I like where he's at right now," Hafley said.
Bell has shown flashes of brilliance, such as in the preseason outing when he brought in 22 yards on two receptions. He would have had a big third reception, but he dropped the ball after being hit.
A similar situation occurred in the Raiders game, as Bell dropped a would-be first down. Either way, patience is what the offense also needs to practice. However, the rookie learning and making an impact might need to happen sooner rather than later.
Miami already lost to the Raiders, and now they face a bigger opponent in the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2. If Bell can continue to ascend, it will benefit quarterback Malik Willis even more.
Fellow rookie receiver Caleb Douglas has already shown what he is capable of, as he brought in 94 yards on five receptions. If Bell can also learn how to match that same energy, the Dolphins will have a strong duo for years.
Bell himself stated he is "trusting the process" and understands that he will continue to garner more snaps each week.
Again, if he can continue to ascend quickly as a strong pass catcher, it will lead to some significant gains on the offense. A strong wide receiver corps can also lead to more rushing opportunities and vice versa.
