With Jason Witten now officially an ex-Cowboy, Blake Jarwin theoretically ascends to the starting role at tight end. He won’t have any trouble remembering the name of the new guy behind him.
The Cowboys have agreed to terms with 28-year-old Blake Bell, primarily a blocking tight end, who spent last season in Kansas City. News of the signing was reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer on Wednesday morning.
It’s a one-year, $1.7 million contract with $450K guaranteed for new Cowboys TE Blake Bell, source said. Good blocker. He played a career-high 209 special teams snaps in 2019 with Chiefs. https://t.co/XicxwYCZjm
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) March 25, 2020
Bell earned the nickname “Belldozer” while at Oklahoma as a nod to his blocking prowess, but he actually began his college career as a quarterback, serving as the understudy to Landry Jones in 2011. He logged plenty of playing time in the team’s “jumbo” package, though, rushing 44 times for 171 yards and three touchdowns that season alone. In the 2011 Insight Bowl, his three scoring runs netted him the game’s MVP award.
He moved to tight end in 2014, and was selected in the fourth round of 2015’s draft by the 49ers. He spent two years in San Francisco, then did one-year stints in Minnesota and Jacksonville before landing with the Chiefs last April.
Nice adjustment by new #Cowboys TE Blake Bell coming across the formation to block Malik Reed. pic.twitter.com/1m7MmUg4wM
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) March 25, 2020
Behind superstar tight end Travis Kelce, Bell struggled to make much of an impact on the stat sheet. He did appear in 15 regular-season games in Andy Reid’s offense, though he averaged one target per contest. He scored his first NFL touchdown in Kansas City’s dramatic comeback win over the Texans in the divisional round of the playoffs. He caught one ball for nine yards in Super Bowl LIV.
Bell apparently had the opportunity to return to the reigning champs, but opted for a new opportunity with the Cowboys.
Source confirms TE Blake Bell is signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys, as @clarencehilljr reported.
Source further tells me the Chiefs expressed interest in bringing back Bell, and he had a hard decision to make. In the end, the native of Wichita, Kansas, chose Dallas.
— Herbie Teope (@HerbieTeope) March 25, 2020
Now in Dallas, Bell joins Dalton Schultz and Cole Hikutini in the tight end room behind Jarwin. And he adds an intriguing wrinkle for the Cowboys should offensive coordinator Kellen Moore choose to dust off Bell’s quarterback rush skills.
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