The Dallas Cowboys’ 53-man roster is taking shape, and head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s comments about safety Markquese Bell on Monday carry significant implications for the team’s final cuts. Bell, special teams, and the Cowboys’ safety depth chart are all connected in a way that could spell the end for at least two players who had legitimate roster hopes heading into the preseason.

And allow me to start here: I was wrong.

Last week, I told you about a Cowboys safety, Julius Wood, who had been turning heads in training camp and played well in the first couple of preseason games. I called him a roster lock hiding in plain sight. But based on what Schottenheimer said about Markquese Bell, Wood is highly unlikely to make the team.

Schottenheimer said Monday that Bell is one of their “most trusted leaders” on special teams. He brought this up unprompted while discussing the importance of special teams in making the 53-man roster. It honestly sounds like Bell is the Cowboys’ bet to replace what specialist CJ Goodwin was before him.

I don’t hate the Cowboys’ efforts to replace such a figure. But it does have many implications. 

Why Markquese Bell’s special teams role makes sense

If the Cowboys like Bell that much as a special teamer, I don’t blame them. Having a player on the roster specifically because he will make plays in kickoff coverage, kickoff returns, and punt situations is valuable. Dallas is no stranger to rostering players who contribute almost exclusively on special teams. Goodwin did that for years before retiring earlier this year.

The reality, however, is that the Cowboys are not going to carry six safeties. Bell, defense-wise, is the fifth-best man at his position. Look at the safety room right now: Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson, and Malik Hooker are the top three, and none of them are expected to contribute much on special teams because they’ll play major parts of the Cowboys defense.

PJ Locke is the fourth safety. Locke will likely have to contribute on special teams to be on the game day roster, but he’s also the top backup defensively at the position. If Thompson or Hooker goes down, Locke enters the conversation. The only wrinkle with Downs is that he’s expected to start at nickel, and Locke probably isn’t the nickel backup, so that would look a little different. But Locke is the clear top backup safety heading into 2026.

Conversely, for Bell to be on the game day roster, it has to be through special teams alone, which happens to be an area where Dallas really wants to improve. That affects Wood and one other Cowboys player fighting for a spot on the roster. 

Marist Liaufau’s roster chances take a hit

Wood isn’t the only player who loses in this situation. Outside linebacker Marist Liaufau still has a chance, but I’m leaning toward selling stock on that front right now. Let me back it up with numbers.

Liaufau last year was the second player with the highest special teams snap count. Goodwin was first, and Bell was third. The difference is that Bell had a 32% snap count on defense last year, a number that is likely going to shrink dramatically with the additions of Thompson, Downs, and Locke improving Dallas’ safety depth. Bell’s numbers should look much closer to Goodwin’s profile: close to 0% of defensive snaps and around 80% on special teams.

Liaufau had a 75% special teams snap count but also carried an 18% snap count on defense. My question is simple: can Liaufau match that near 20% mark? I don’t think the Cowboys are going to have two CJ Goodwins on this football team. I struggle to see them rostering two players on game day who don’t play defense but justify their spots through special teams alone.

So the question becomes whether Liaufau can do enough on defense to warrant that game day roster spot. I don’t think that is the case, if I’m being honest. I hate to say it because I really like Liaufau. He’s been dealt a terrible hand in his first three NFL seasons, playing different roles for Mike Zimmer, Matt Eberflus, and now Christian Parker. What I’ve seen in the preseason is a player who plays with tremendous effort and speed, with long arms that show up initially in every rep. But in the second half of the rep, he doesn’t win blocks, doesn’t get off blocks, doesn’t beat offensive tackles.

And who is he going to take snaps from? Ahead of him are Donovan Ezeiruaku, Rashan Gary, Malachi Lawrence, Von Miller, James Houston, and maybe Sam Williams. Liaufau is trying to make it as the sixth-best man in his group, and I’m not sure that’s going to work out.

Eating crow on Julius Wood

I do have to eat some crow here. Wood sounded like a roster lock to me a week ago, but the Cowboys surprised me when they didn’t dress Bell for Week 2 of the preseason. Since that moment, it became clear they might be higher on Bell than expected. Speculation even began about a potential Bell trade, but based on Schottenheimer’s Monday comments, that’s not happening. The Cowboys simply like him as a special teamer.

For now, we wait to see how the final cuts shake out.