NFL Free Agency: Looking At OT Demetrius Bell

The 2011 season is over, save for a repeat of Super Bowl XLII featuring Eli Manning and Tom Brady. What I note most about these two QBs is how clean their uniforms are. Clean uniforms? Yes, meaning they didn't get sacked as often as other QBs of note, perhaps Kevin Kolb or John Skelton rings bells?

To keep a QB upright, a solid offensive line is in order. With that in mind, let's take a look at Demetrius Bell. Hit the jump to see what he is about.

First I'd like to point out that the RBs for Buffalo averaged 5.08 yards per carry, and that the offensive line gave up a league leading 23 sacks on the season. The Arizona Cardinals gave up 54, which placed them twenty-seventh in the league.

At 6'5" and 317 pounds, Demetrius Bell played a factor in this success, holding down the blind side at LT. His pass protection is above average, and his run scheme is even stronger. He's also a younger player, turning 28 later this year. With quick feet, he is able to move with defenders and seal off the edge.

The knock on him is that in three seasons he has suffered two separate knee injuries and a shoulder injury that sidelined him for a majority of those games. Linemen get hurt, that's the nature of manning the trenches. But knees and shoulders are concerns for big men who need to move and hit other big men.

Another point to note in the sack number is that the Bills favored a quick passing attack, which left very little time for defenders to get to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Does Bell look better because of the passing attack style, or is he truly a capable left OT?

The free agency market for OT is shallow this year. The OTs capable of playing the left side tail off after Matt Kalil and Riley Reiff come off the board. I still think Jonathan Martin's feet are too slow, and he will be the second coming of Levi Brown.

What do you think folks, should the Cards pursue Bell and offer him a performance based contract?