It's hard to believe we've reached roster cutdown week. It feels like training camp just started, but only one preseason game separates the Dallas Cowboys from forming their 53-man roster ahead of Sunday's 3 p.m. CT deadline.
The initial 53 likely won't look identical to the 53 players Dallas carries into Week 1, but if there were any doubts that Markquese Bell would be on it, Brian Schottenheimer cleared the air while recapping the team's 34-13 win in Arizona.
Schottenheimer brought up Bell unprompted while discussing Dallas' special teams struggles last season.
“I’ll speak to this young man, Markquese Bell,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s one of our most trusted leaders on the special teams. He’s a really good football player. He’s a really good defensive player. I think he’s a great special teams player.
And there’s guys like that; they play like eight, nine, 10, 11 years sometimes because they have a trait that is needed. …”
It's time to include Markquese Bell on your Cowboys 53-man roster predictions
Well, there you have it.
Bell was among several Cowboys who did not play against the Cardinals. That was the most telling indicator of his job security. His defensive role may be scarce, but he's clearly going to have a significant workload on special teams.
That should hardly be a surprise, as Bell logged 304 special-teams snaps last season. Only C.J. Goodwin (388) and Marist Liufau (361) logged more snaps. The fifth-year pro was trusted in every facet. Here's a look at his snap distribution, via Pro Football Focus.
- Kickoff return: 81 snaps
- Kickoff coverage: 77 snaps
- Field goal block: 67 snaps
- Punt return: 40 snaps
- Punt coverage: 39 snaps
Was it ever in doubt that Bell would make the team?
Even though the safety room has four players you trust -- Malik Hooker, Jalen Thompson, Caleb Downs, and P.J. Locke -- Goodwin retired this offseason, leaving massive shoes to fill as Dallas' longtime ST captain. Bell was always the clubhouse favorite to replace him.
But Cowboys fans are all asking the same question:
What does Markquese Bell's roster spot mean for Julius Wood?
We now know with absolute certainty that the Cowboys will carry five safeties: Hooker, Thompson, Downs, Locke, and Bell. That might leave Julius Wood on the outside looking in, which would be a shame because he's earned a roster spot with his play this summer.
But can Dallas justify keeping six safeties? They might go deep at receiver for Jonathan Mingo and Camden Brown, which would make it harder to sneak Wood onto the 53.
The Cowboys' safety room is full of versatility, including Bell, who can play free safety, drop into the box, and even kick inside to the nickel. He can be a Swiss Army knife for a defense built around multiplicity.
It could mean bad news for Wood, who left Saturday's game with a concussion. Schottenheimer praised Wood's physicality, but he may get caught in a numbers crunch now that Dallas' depth is night and day compared to last season.
Cowboys fans won't be thrilled if Wood gets waived, but it's easy to understand the logic. Sacrificing a core special-teamer to keep a fifth safety just doesn't make much sense from a roster-building standpoint.
Sunday will have all the answers we need.
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