The Lions signed the 49ers 2023 seventh-round pick.
The Detroit Lions signed former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ronnie Bell to a reserve/futures contract. Bell, who finished the season on the Niners practice squad, was not among San Francisco’s practice squad players to immediately ink reserve/futures contract following the season. While he will not be back in San Francisco, he has landed with another organization.
Bell was drafted by the 49ers in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Michigan. After five seasons with Jim Harbaugh in Ann Arbor, Bell impressed the coaching staff (and fanbase) throughout the preseason. Bell made the team as a rookie and appeared in all 17 of San Francisco’s games. Bell was on the field for nearly as many special teams snaps as offensive ones. He recorded six receptions for 68 yards and three touchdowns on 13 targets. He also averaged 7.0 yards per punt return.
While Bell flashed some ability to get open and make defenders miss, he was constantly hampered by egregious drops and a fumble. Bell was back with the Niners this past season, but was buried deeper on the depth chart and bounced between the roster and the practice squad. He appeared in nine games, hauling in two receptions for 22 yards on six targets.
Bell would be far from the first player in the Shanahan era to struggle early in his pro career before contributing in a bigger role after an up-and-down start to his career. If he is going to find a way to be a more consistent contributor in Detroit, he will need to develop more consistent hands.