Last week against the Chicago Bears , Jauan Jennings missed the game for personal reasons that were not injury-related. That opened the door for Dillon Bell to be promoted to the 53-man roster and potentially have a role in the Week 2 victory.
Sadly, Bell didn't get many opportunities to impress last week. He didn't register a single offensive snap for the Vikings in that game, but participated in three special teams snaps where he didn't record a statistic against the Bears.
A player can be promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster three times before a team must sign him to the active roster to make him available on game day again. One of those games should be Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .
During the preseason, Bell was a big contributor for Minnesota. He made seven receptions for 59 yards and added two rushing attempts for 27 yards, giving him 86 yards of offense over the course of three games.
Bell's preseason performance, coupled with his six-foot, 209-pound frame, convinced the Vikings to initially place him on the practice squad but then release him and bring him back on the practice squad.
As an undrafted free agent rookie out of Georgia, it is difficult to know if Bell's solid showing in the preseason will translate into success during the regular season. And without getting an opportunity to showcase his skills last week, it seems fair to give him another shot as soon as possible.
Outside of Justin Jefferson , the Vikings haven't gotten much out of their wide receivers. Jordan Addison has two catches for 21 yards through the first two games of the season, and Jauan Jennings, Myles Price , and Tai Felton have yet to record a catch this season .
With so many ineffective wide receivers on Minnesota's roster, it is time to give a fresh player some opportunities. Even if Bell is elevated and can't contribute against Tampa Bay, the Vikings can bring him up to the 53-man roster one more time before they need to sign him to the active roster to have him available again.
The Vikings' passing attack has been atrocious through two games. The team is averaging 147 yards per game through the air, which is 14.5 yards per game less than the second-worst passing offense in the NFL, the Tennessee Titans .
Minnesota needs an offensive spark, and the team can't rely on Jefferson to be the only wide receiver to contribute. Unless one of the Vikings' pass catchers can step up, there is no reason not to see if Bell can make something happen through the air in Week 3.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi as Why Dillon Bell Deserves to Be on the Vikings' Active Roster vs. Buccaneers in Week 3 .
