Saints lock up safety Vonn Bell on four-year contract

General Manager Mickey Loomis announced on Tuesday that the New Orleans agreed to a four-year contract with Ohio State safety Vonn Bell.

The team traded back into the second round on night two of the NFL Draft to take Bell with the 61st overall pick in the draft. It was a move that was surprising to many, but made sense in the end.

The Saints gained a safety that can ball-hawk and could insert himself in nickel packages immediately. If you can believe it, the Pro Football Focus comparison for Bell is Jairus Byrd. Be sure to check out The Advocate‘s article on Bell by Nick Underhill, who did an extensive film study.

Christopher Johnson, who actually breaks down Ohio State’s film, says that Bell is  pure free safety with corner cover skills. He added that he makes big plays in big games. After he was drafted, Bell told the media that Sean Payton called him a few times over the past couple of weeks, and requested video of him doing different things. The simple fact that he went the extra mile to send the film in says a lot about Bell. He has strong instincts that help him win.

Only David Onyemata remains to be signed by the black and gold, as Sheldon Rankins, Daniel Lasco, and Michael Thomas all signed four-year deals on Monday.

You can check out some of my thoughts on the New Orleans Saints draft picks, as well as their free agent moves, on Prime Time Sports with Scott Alexander.