bengaldee Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 NFL.com wire reports DENVER (Aug. 7, 2006) -- Broncos rookie running back Mike Bell was told to see Mike Shanahan in his office for a meeting. As Bell nervously climbed the stairs Aug. 6, different scenarios raced through his head. All of them negative. "I was shaking," Bell said. Mike Bell will start Denver's first preseason game. Bell was shaking with excitement after Shanahan informed him he is the team's top running back, jumping ahead of Ron Dayne and Tatum Bell -- for now. On Aug. 7, Mike Bell was running with the first-team offense. Tatum Bell is second on the depth chart and Dayne third. "This is a dream come true," said Bell, an undrafted rookie out of Arizona who grew up a Broncos fan. "For him (Shanahan) to give me the opportunity to be the starter on a great organization like this is a blessing." Mike Bell's leap to the top of the depth chart is even quicker than Terrell Davis, who came into camp as a sixth-round draft pick in 1995 and won the starting running back job by the first week of the season. Bell, who grew up idolizing Davis, is No. 1 on the depth chart before playing a single down. "He's been real impressive," Shanahan said. "It is very close, and it could change day by day, week by week, but we felt like Mike deserves a chance to work with the first team and take a look to see if he can keep it." Bell will start Aug. 11 in Denver's preseason opener at Detroit. "Hopefully he can do it in a game situation," Shanahan said. "You never know if a guy can do it live." Dayne said he saw the move coming because Bell has been practicing so well. "Mike has been out here killing practices," Dayne said. Mike Bell entered camp as the fourth-string running back but quickly impressed the coaches when they went back and analyzed film from training camp. He simply stood out. "Mike (Shanahan) sent a message to the team that practices are important and we do evaluate every play, every snap on film and make decisions on that," assistant head coach Mike Heimerdinger said. "We're making this move after nine days (of practice) because he's had the better practices. If he can hold it, fine. If he can't, the other two guys will push him. We expect the other two guys to push him and take the position back." Not if Mike Bell has anything to say about it. "A lot of people in this situation will get complacent, but Ron and Tatum are great backs so they're going to be pushing and pushing, so I've got to keep pushing and pushing. Ultimately, it's going to be good for the team's success." Heimerdinger downplayed speculation the move was made to motivate Dayne and Tatum Bell. The battle for the top spot appeared to be between Tatum Bell and Dayne since last year's leading rusher, Mike Anderson, was let go in the offseason. "I don't think it was motivation," Heimerdinger said. "Mike earned it." After practice Aug. 7, Dayne jogged around the field with Mike Bell. The two chatted and joked as they ran a series of sprints. But Dayne's not admitting defeat. Neither is Tatum Bell, who wouldn't talk after practice. There's still plenty of camp left to win back the starting job. "We all are practicing pretty good, but Mike got the edge in practice so far," Dayne said. "Both of us (Dayne and Tatum Bell) have got to pick it up, keep going and press the young guy." As Mike Bell spoke with reporters, he couldn't help but flash a giant grin. Asked if he expected this, he just shook his head. "Never, never, never," Bell said. Yet he won't let the promotion go to his head. "Coach Shanahan is a great coach and I respect his decision, but I still have got to go out there in the preseason games and show what I can do," Bell said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumble In the Jungle Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 the first year i draft tattum bell, and they start the fucking rookie! that is bullshit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheWretchedMass Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 But..but...but.. He's a UDFA...how can he be any good and not a PS scrub???? He's PS material....anyone who was drafted is better than THIS guy...cause where you're drafted means how much success you'll have in the NFL... Just ask Ryan Leaf and Priest Holmes...both of their careers have mirrored where they were chosen/signed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ONYX Posted August 8, 2006 Report Share Posted August 8, 2006 Im really beginning to believe that Shanahan is a moron. He basically got rid of Clinton Portis, Deltha O'Neal when it was obvious they still were Pro Bowl caliber players. Now, it seems like he is either trying to light a fire under Tatum Bell's ass or push him out the door too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Montana Bengal| Posted August 9, 2006 Report Share Posted August 9, 2006 [quote name='sneaky' post='311405' date='Aug 8 2006, 06:40 AM']Im really beginning to believe that [b]Shanahan is a moron[/b].[/quote] I hope he is, I'm so sick of endless drooling over the broncos out here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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