Bell has map for switch to tight end
By Eric Branch
Rookie tight end Blake Bell smiled when posed the question Friday: Have his new teammates on the 49ers already asked him to show off his right arm?
“Yeah, they asked me jokingly when I got here, ‘Can you still throw?’ ” Bell said.
That’s an odd question to ask a tight end, but Bell has taken a strange path to Santa Clara.
The fourth-round pick grew up as a quarterback, played the position for his first three seasons at Oklahoma and arrives in the NFL after making 16 catches last year in his lone season at tight end.
The 49ers’ 10-man draft class is populated with projects, but Bell might have the steepest learning curve: a converted quarterback feeling his way through still-foreign territory at the highest level? Is there any evidence this actually can work?
Short answer: Yes.
The evidence: Denver tight end Owen Daniels.
Daniels, 32, is a nine-year veteran who has set a promising precedent for the rare road Bell is traveling. Like Bell, Daniels, 32, was a Division I quarterback (Wisconsin) who switched to tight end in college and entered the NFL as a fourth-round project.
Daniels is winding down a career that has included two Pro Bowl berths and 433 career receptions, fifth among active tight ends. In looking back, Daniels said the most challenging aspect of his switch was blocking. His quarterback training was of no use when it came to using proper technique against industrial-size linemen.
However, he believes his background also proved beneficial. Daniels, who began playing quarterback in eighth grade, was accustomed to doing sleuth work when he surveyed defenses. And that has served him well during an NFL career that has included four 50-catch seasons. Daniels made the switch a bit earlier in his college career, after his redshirt-freshman season, and played one season at wide receiver and two years at tight end.
“Just being able to recognize defenses, recognize coverages, knowing where to look to get a hint of what might happen — that was all very useful,” Dan- iels said in a phone interview. “Things change faster in the NFL than they do in college, but seeing the defense presnap, knowing how it might change, and knowing to make adjustments based on that information on the run ... it’s been a big help in my career.”
Daniels believes his diverse athletic background helped him make the transition, and Bell shares his multisport resume.
Daniels (6-foot-3, 245 pounds) also played basketball and was a long jumper at Naperville (Ill.) Central High. He grew up playing different positions in football, including running back, before becoming a full-time quarterback in junior high.
Bell (6-6, 252) played basketball and baseball at Bishop Carroll Catholic High in Wichita, Kan., and was selected in the 43rd round of the 2010 MLB draft as a pitcher. He also played wide receiver for one season in high school and rushed for 24 touchdowns in his first two college seasons as a quarterback in short-yardage packages.
“Being a well-rounded athlete really helped,” Daniels said. “Basketball helped out with footwork, and short-space quickness and being able to separate from defenders. The track helped out with the speed and running form. I was fortunate that I was involved in those sports that involved route-running and being able to catch the ball.”
Bell changed positions later in his college career, partly because he had success as a quarterback. In 2013, he made eight starts and completed 140 of 233 passes for 1,648 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He moved to tight end when it was clear that Trevor Knight would be the Sooners’ quarterback in 2014.
In contrast, Daniels was encouraged to switch positions by Barry Alvarez, then Wisconsin’s head coach. As a redshirt freshman, Daniels had come off the bench and completed 2 of 6 passes for 7 yards with two interceptions. His passer rating: minus-20.6.
“I was not aware that a quarterback rating could go below zero,” Daniels said. “I’ve got to hold some type of record. I try not to think about that too much.”
Bell has Daniels beat when it comes to their college-quarterback resumes, but he has plenty of work to do when it comes to matching Daniels’ NFL accomplishments. Bell’s education began in earnest last week when rookies joined the team for practices in advance of their three-day rookie minicamp, which began Saturday. On Friday, Bell said he’d received some tutoring from tight end Vernon Davis, 31, a nine-year veteran.
“Vernon took me through different routes and how he does it, and how he sees it,” Bell said. “He was watching me and telling me the correct stuff. (All the tight ends have) been a great help, and I’m just excited to keep moving forward and keep learning.”
For his part, Daniels said he’s willing to share his knowledge with Bell when the 49ers pay a preseason visit to Denver in August, jokingly pledging to “tell him all my secrets.” Daniels hopes the youngest member of their small fraternity upholds the tradition of success.
“I always see who is coming out at the tight-end position (in the draft) and know a little bit about their history,” Daniels said. “So I know a little bit about the kid. I’m pulling for him. I’m hoping he does well.”