The Dallas Cowboys made a very telling yet confusing decision before their preseason game vs Cardinals
The Dallas Cowboys’ decision to sit this veteran was surprising and raises some questions about the building of the 53-man roster.
The Dallas Cowboys care about preseason football. Just not that much. All in all, the team decided to sit 29 players ahead of their second game of the preseason. Most names on that list aren’t surprising.
The Cowboys rested surefire starters, which is commonplace around the NFL these days. From stars like Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to first-round rookie safety Caleb Downs. But the list also included backups whose roster spots are “secured.” That includes safety P.J Locke and interior offensive lineman T.J. Bass.
But there’s one more name on the list Even those two aren’t exactly a shocker but there’s another one that was: safety Markquese Bell.
Is Markquese Bell a roster lock?
Bell went from playing in 59% of the defensive snaps in the preseason opener to not suiting up in Week 2 despite being healthy. Though it’s not uncommon for NFL teams to feel vastly different about a player than fans and media, this is one I don’t understand.
Has Bell done enough to separate himself from other roster candidates like Julius Wood? It doesn’t feel like it.
The latter has been a standout throughout training camp and has played well through two preseason games (though he exited Saturday night’s game after seemingly entering the concussion protocol). Bell played well in the opener, but enough to win the competition?
Not only that but that would mean the Cowboys sat Malik Hooker, Jalen Thompson, Caleb Downs, Locke, and Wood. Why sit your fourth and fifth safeties? Bell can’t be that safe, can he?
Two things working in favor of Bell: He was signed to a three-year deal in 2025 and was a special teams leader in 2025. Even still, that just doesn’t seem like enough to warrant a place in the “ball cap club.”
Some in social media have speculated the Cowboys might be interested in moving Bell as part of a trade. Maybe that’s the case but I quesiton how much value Bell would pull in the market.
For now, it’s a confusing decision that doesn’t bode well for Wood’s roster chances. We’ll see how this turns out or if more information emerges regarding the decision to sit Bell.
