Maybe the only thing that is known for sure about the Dallas Cowboys career of Markquese Bell is that he is a pretty good football player. But what remains unknown is whether he has a place in the team’s defense, a prominent question since he arrived as an undrafted free agent in 2022.
Bell is a safety by name, but at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds is a good bit bigger than most safeties. He had his most effective season with the Cowboys in 2023, when he was moved to linebacker to cover the spot after the neck injury that eventually ended the career of Leighton Vander Esch, starting eight games, but went back to mostly playing special teams in 2024–and eventually seeing that season cut short because of a shoulder injury.
Bell played 17 games last season, starting three, and played the most at safety as he has in his career–according to Pro Football Focus, 160 snaps. He played 116 at linebacker and 57 as a slot corner, according to the site.
Cowboys Will Be Making Defensive Changes
The problem for Bell is that, in the defense run by former Cowboys coordinator Matt Eberflus–and in most NFL defenses these days–there isn’t much room for that kind of hybrid big safety/small linebacker type. And Bell did not exactly thrive last year, posting a PFF grade of 46.8, 87th out of 91 safeties in the NFL.
But there’s some hope that maybe Christian Parker, the new Cowboys defensive coordinator, has a role for Bell.
As Nick Eatman of DallasCowboys.com said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas this week, Bell is a name to watch:
“The name that I’ve been told twice in the building was Markquese Bell, as a guy that I think they have a vision for. I will be honest, that worries me a little bit, but, you know, sometimes it just takes a different voice, a different plan for some of these players because, I think the reason why is, here’s a guy who has played some linebacker, he has played some safety, he might even play some cover corner in the slot.
“So, versatility and tweeners are going to be very important in a defense like this because you’re gonna play multiple fronts. So the guy that can be a tweener, is probably going to play a lot.”
Cowboys’ Multiple Defense Might Not Mean Players at Multiple Positions
Again, that might sound better in theory than in practice. Playing a multiple defense, as Parker said the Cowboys will, does not necessarily mean players need to play multiple positions. Bell thrived most with the Cowboys when he was playing mostly linebacker and could focus on that position. Or he could stay at safety, where he is not exactly a coverage ace.
Players who move from the back line to the box the way the Cowboys could require Bell to do often struggle. The Cowboys also lean heavily on Bell in special teams, where he is one of the better players on the team.
Also of note is that Bell is entering the third year of a three-year, $9 million contract, and the Cowboys could cut him altogether for a savings of nearly $3 million. That is unlikely, but certainly a consideration.
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