Tag: Markquese Bell

3 things to watch for in Cowboys preseason finale vs Raiders

Preseason games are meaningless in the record books, but not to the coaches, front office, and many Dallas Cowboys players. | From @cdpiglet

By this time in the preseason, NFL teams have most things figured out and are simply preparing for the start of the regular season. The Dallas Cowboys have likely already answered most of their own questions regarding the 53-man roster.

They know which veterans they can cut now to bring back later so they can protect and stash a young prospect like pass rusher Isaiah Land or offensive guard T.J. Bass. The coaches understand who not to play to protect them for the games that matter. Seeing them a few extra snaps would not be worth the risk of injury in the coaches’ minds.

Even though 90% of the questions might be answered, the last preseason game still has the ability to answer a few outstanding ones. A handful of roster spots are still in question, and the team could want to see someone in a different role. Here are some of things fans should watch for when the Cowboys take on the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday.

Building blocks among 3 things to watch for in Cowboys-Seahawks

What can fans look for the Cowboys to expand on in Game 2 of the preseason? | From @cdpiglet

Winning and losing take on different meanings in the preseason as compared to the regular season. In the regular season, the point total is what determines a successful outing, but exhibition-game success is measured differently. The Dallas Cowboys “lost” to the Jacksonville Jaguars in their first preseason game of 2023, but in reality, Dallas left that game feeling like they won overall.

The Cowboys’ second-team defense handled the Jaguars’ first-team offense with a forced turnover and a three-and-out, and had a bunch of guys on the bubble show up and look like potential contributors. Most importantly, they left the game with no serious injury concerns.

Now the team turns to a road game against the Seattle Seahawks and looks to continue to improve on the work they have done all training camp, but especially what they saw in real game reps last week. Here are some things fans should keep an eye on in this game that could help tell the story about the 53-man rosters and the success of the team going forward.

Injuries at safety provide prime opportunity for this Cowboys youngster

Losing Donovan Wilson in practice is unfortunate, but his absence will open up opportunities for young, hungry players like Markquese Bell. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys didn’t waste any time testing out their injury tent in Oxnard this year. On the first day of practice, they had the unfortunate privilege of breaking it in when safeties Donovan Wilson (strained calf) and Israel Mukuamu (hamstring) fell to injury.

Wilson, Dallas’ top free agent re-signing of the offseason, was the key playmaker in the Cowboys’ trinity of safeties. Together with Jayron Kearse and Malik Hooker, the three safeties offer the defense versatility and veteran savvy. Both he and Mukuamu are expected to miss multiple weeks. A sidelined Wilson opens the door for other safeties down the depth chart to shine in training camp. A player like Markquese Bell, perhaps.

Bell, a prized undrafted free agent signing from Florida A&M, fits the mold of a Dan Quinn safety. Standing 6-foot-3, 205-pounds, Bell is stout enough to play run fits, and athletic enough to handle TEs and slot receivers in coverage.

An ideal box player, Bell can blitz and play a variety of roles in high traffic areas. Pad-level inconsistency was arguably his biggest weakness entering the NFL. When he was low, he was strong against the run. When he was high, he was a non-factor.

While Bell’s game and position fit better resemble Kearse’s, the loss of Wilson and Mukuamu will provide Bell a prime opportunity to show he’s matured and developed in the system.

Bell’s development doesn’t just impact the Cowboys’ safety group, but he could influence how they handle the LB group as well. Since Bell and Kearse are both hybrids in many ways, they could overlap in roles and duties with Dallas’ LB group, allowing them to go thinner than normal at LB in 2023.

It’s safe to say everyone would prefer if Wilson and Mukuamu were healthy and playing in camp right now, but with the absence come some advantages. And those are more opportunities for players like Bell.

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Next Men Up: These 11 Cowboys are primed to takeover big roles

The Cowboys have a ton of depth, but also a ton of pending FAs. Here’s who will look to use 2023 to springboard into more prominent roles. | From @KDDrummondNFL

It’s a dog eat dog world in the NFL. In most cases, the competition is fierce but friendly. Veterans know their job is not just to perform, but to help in the development of younger players who could eventually push them for playing time. As the goal of each player is (normally) to win as a team, the overall talent level of a club’s depth is an important part of reaching that end.

It’s not always friendly, but the camaraderie of the league in general lends itself to this mindset more often than not. For the Dallas Cowboys, that would be highly beneficial in 2023 because there’s are many veterans currently on the 90-man roster who have expiring deals and the money is earmarked for the select few big-name veterans.

While teams can use accounting magic to make anything work, the Cowboys will likely sacrifice some veterans in order to carve out big chunks of cash for Dak Prescott, Trevon Diggs, CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons. Here’s a look at who could be a cap casualty of that chopping of the pie, and which young players are primed to replace them.

‘It’s surreal’: UDFA safety Markquese Bell on cusp of making Cowboys roster after big night

Dan Quinn wanted 3 weeks “in the lab” to see what Markquese Bell had. Right on schedule, Bell showed the world with a big night vs Seattle. | From @ToddBrock24f7

When Markquese Bell thinks back on his first interception at the NFL level, the memory will play out in slow motion.

Because it unfolded that way in real life.

The undrafted rookie safety snagged one of four Cowboys picks on Friday in the team’s preseason finale versus Seattle, but Bell had an extra second or two to think about it while the ball was in the air.

Seahawks quarterback Drew Lock’s third quarter pass bounced off the pads of wide receiver Aaron Fuller and then practically went into orbit. Cornerback Isaac Taylor-Stuart and Bell both converged on the ball as it tumbled back to earth; Bell hopped up to meet it and kept on running, racing 30-some yards before being dragged to the turf.

The pick played out just as Cowboys passer Dak Prescott was giving a sideline interview, coincidentally talking at that moment about the team’s young players stepping up to contribute when needed this season.

The timing almost seemed scripted, it was so perfect.

But Bell said later that he was just worried about ensuring the potentially star-making moment didn’t turn into a blooper.

“I’m looking at the ball in the air,” the 23-year-old recalled after the 27-26 win. “The ball was so big. I’m like, ‘Don’t drop it.’ Once I got it in my hands, I was just trying to score with it. I was just blessed to have the opportunity, [to] get out on the field and make a play.”

Bell has made plenty of plays since joining the Cowboys in the spring. He made a quick reputation in camp as a hard hitter who also has a nose for the ball.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn loved his multi-skilled qualities coming out of Florida A&M.

“I was really pushing to get him drafted as a linebacker,” Quinn recalled earlier in August, “and then when we selected a linebacker, I said, ‘This guy will make a hell of a safety.'”

Quinn joked then that he needed three weeks “in the lab” with Markquese to find out what he is truly capable of on a football field. Exactly three weeks and two days later, Bell showed it versus Seattle.

He even made NFL analyst Brian Baldinger a fan.

“He throws his whole shoulder in there, puts his body into it. Excellent tackler,” the ex-Cowboy said in a Twitter breakdown of the Seattle game.

“This kid’s got something to him,”Baldinger went on. “He’s a player.”

Bell seems a lock to make the team, the latest hybrid player on a Dallas defense that seems to be mass-producing them under Quinn.

But there is still the matter of officially surviving final cuts. The New Jersey native isn’t taking it for granted, admitting he’s just trying to enjoy every moment of this journey with America’s Team.

“It’s surreal,” Bell said. “I’m still like, ‘I’m here.’ I wear a star on my shirt every day. Like, ‘I’m on the Cowboys right now.’ You’ve still got to get used to it.”

It sure looks like Bell will have that chance when the roster is announced on Tuesday.

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WATCH: Cowboys’ Bell’s INT leads to toe-tap highlight from WR Brandon Smith

Witness back-to-back highlights from a pair of undrafted rookies to tie up the game for Dallas in their final preseason game.

As an undrafted rookie, Cowboys’ safety Markquese Bell was on the radar to earn a spot on the 53-man roster after an eye-opening training camp and solid preseason. To cap it off, Bell was in the right place at the right time for an interception against Seattle. Quarterback Dak Prescott interrupted his interview to celebrate the big moment from the Florida A&M product.

As the preseason comes to a close, Bell may have secured his spot on the roster for Week 1. The takeaway gifted the Dallas offense another short field, this one from the Seahawks 13-yard line.

Cowboys receiver Brandon Smith quickly jumped into the spotlight with a toe-tap touchdown grab that even had the officials uncertain but they corrected the initial call and ruled it a 8-yard touchdown grab for the fellow undrafted rookie.

The throw from quarterback Will Grier may be his best on the night and it’s his second score of the game. Smith’s touchdown ties the game at 20 and gives the Cowboys a chance to end their preseason on a high-note win.

Escape clause: Cowboys executed most important preseason rule vs Chargers

The real focus of the preseason is getting to the regular season. It appears Dallas was fortunate in terms of injuries on Saturday night. | From @ProfessorO_NFL

In a night with many memorable moments for players competing for 53-man roster spots, the team completed its objectives of putting together a better performance than the previous week and eliminating many of their costly penalties. There were many individual standout performances, and that in turn made the total product look much better than it did against the Denver Broncos the previous week.

Perhaps the most important objective though, escaping the game without any serious injuries to players expected to be integral to the season, was met as well. The game ended with a 32-18 victory for the Cowboys and while the preseason score may not be that important, what is important is getting players game reps and staying as healthy as possible.

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Cowboys UDFA Markquese Bell turns in play of day with pick-six at Wednesday’s practice

The safety intercepted a Cooper Rush pass and returned it for an apparent 98-yard TD; it’s just the latest instance of Bell impressing. | From @ToddBrock24f7

He may not have heard his name called during the NFL draft, but Markquese Bell wasted no time in making sure his Cowboys teammates knew who he was at the team’s second practice session.

The safety out of Florida A&M was one of the team’s official 30 visitors before the draft, but managed to slip through all seven rounds without having his card turned in. The Cowboys pounced on bringing him in as an undrafted free agent, perhaps the most highly-touted of the entire class of 20 college players.

Bell quickly demonstrated that he may have a leg up on making the final roster by delivering the highlight of Wednesday’s voluntary practice. Several Cowboys reporters called him out for jumping a 4th-down-and-1 pass thrown by backup quarterback Cooper Rush.

On the final play of the two-minute drill that closed out the day’s work, Bell took the pick 98 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.

Maybe.

“I think he was out of bounds there,” head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters with a smile at a post-practice press conference. “But it was a great moment.”

Bell will be looking to string together several more of those moments, making it that much easier for the coaching staff to keep his name on the roster once cuts are due.

“He’s been impressive,” McCarthy continued. “He jumped out at the rookie camp. He was very impressive in the Zoom calls leading up to coming in here. To me, that’s all about young guys who keep stacking success. And then to start making plays like that, that definitely helps.”

The Cowboys currently have Donovan Wilson, Jayron Kearse, Malik Hooker, Tyler Coyle, and Israel Mukuamu at the position. Georgia Tech’s Juanyeh Thomas also plays safety and, like Bell, is an undrafted free agent looking to make the 2022 squad.

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From Maryland to Florida A&M, safety Markquese Bell checks the boxes for a Cowboys Day 3 draft pick

A Big 10 recruit who ended up transferring, Bell could offer intriguing upside to the team which selects him. Tyler Browning (@DiabeticTyler) takes a look at the official 30 visitor.

Looking through the Cowboys’ official 30 visits, an intriguing name appears in Florida A&M safety Markquese Bell. Bell was a standout for the Rattlers and topped off his senior year with an invite to the 2022 Shrine Bowl. A four-star recruit coming out of high school, Bell had offers from Michigan, Ohio State, Maryland and others. He eventually would choose Maryland and enrolled there in 2017.

Bell stepped on campus at Maryland with high expectations but never took a snap as he dismissed from the program due to an undisclosed violation of code of conduct. He would end up enrolling at Coffeyville Community College where he was a three-star recruit who attracted attention from Nebraska and South Carolina. He ultimately chose to attend Florida A&M, an elite HBCU institution thanks to the help of former teammate Elijah Daniels.

With his dismissal from Maryland being undisclosed, it makes sense why the Cowboys want him in on a 30 visit. He’s an intriguing prospect on the field, but any club interested would be looking to find out more about the off-field portion of his story.

7-Round mock draft 6.0: Jordan Davis edition

Vikings are eyeing Georgia’s freakish DT in the latest seven-round mock draft

I love mock drafts.

These aren’t trying to be predictive in a vacuum but rather be predictive based on the situation. Each of the first five editions of these mock drafts have done just that, and this one is no different.

There is a high likelihood of a top talent being available at No. 12. Would the Minnesota Vikings take a great player at a position they don’t need? This explores that exact scenario.

7-Round mock draft 5.0: Vikings trade up for elite talent

7-Round mock draft 4.0: Vikings make pass rush central focus

Vikings 7-round mock draft 3.0: Za’Darius Smith signing changes things

Vikings 7-round mock draft 2.0: Kirk Cousins’ extension changes things

Vikings 7-round mock draft: Will Minnesota take a different approach?