Bell re-signed

SS Yeremiah Bell signed his one-year tender offer worth $1.3 million today. It's unfortunate that a longer deal wasn't able to get done, but Bell is still hopeful of getting one done during the season.

After being inserted into the starting lineup replacing Travares Tillman, Bell proved to be the only consistent playmaker in the secondary. Although he can still use some work in coverage and stopping the run, the energy and knack for making big plays is something this secondary sorely needs more of. He's still relatively young, too, and it should certainly be a priority to get him signed to a longer deal.

After replacing Tillman in the starting lineup, the Dolphins were 5-4 and the defense averaged 15.3 points allowed per game. Without Bell, they were 1-6 and the defense averaged 20.7 points allowed per game. And, even though Bell only started midway through 2006, he managed to finish fourth on the team in tackles with 68.