Dallas Cowboys: Did Byron Bell just help his case to be a starter?
By Tim Kohut
There are several candidates for the Dallas Cowboys’ starting left guard spot, but could Byron Bell now be the front runner ?
In a world where professional athletes are now cashing in on doing what their supposed to be doing (being in shape), guys are working harder than ever to shed those extra pounds before the season starts.
One of those guys, is Byron Bell, who lost over 40 pounds for the Dallas Cowboys in order to earn an extra $150,000 bonus.
While the left guard spot has been a revolving door at OTA’s, with the latest candidate being Chaz Green, Bell’s impressive transformation could make him the latest in line to be tried out at the position.
While Bell’s best position is right tackle, where he was an above-average starter with the Panthers, he has also shown the versatility to move inside at guard.
Bell was originally brought in to compete for the right tackle spot, but with La’el Collins impressing at that spot thus far, most of Bell’s reps have come at guard.
Bell certainly has shown to have the strength to move interior defenders, but now with his weight loss, he should also have a better ability to pull and get out in space.
Although there have been no indications from the coaching staff thus far that Bell has the inside track to be the Cowboys’ starting left guard in Week One, it certainly provides an intriguing option if Bell’s weight loss has indeed made him a better overall player.
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With 72 career starts under his belt and just 28 years of age, don’t count Bell out just yet. He did lose 40 freaking pounds, after all.