Cowboys UDFA safety looking to re-establish himself before free agency

reidhanson

Once upon a time, a hardly known undrafted free agent named Markquese Bell saved the Dallas Cowboys season. It was early 2023 and the Cowboys endured a rash of injuries to their linebacker group. Starters, back-ups, even practice squad call-ups fell to injury that season. It put Dan Quinn’s defense in quite the predicament.

Coming off two consecutive 12-win seasons, expectations were high in Dallas. The Cowboys were considered to be among the cream of the crop and couldn’t afford to fall flat at any position, especially the all-encompassing linebacker position. Quinn did what most coaches would do at that point; He stole from a position of strength.

Bell, a safety by trade, just wanted to get on the field. And since there’s considerable overlap between Quinn’s LBs and his safeties, moving Bell into the new role wasn’t that crazy of an idea. So, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound defensive back from Florida A&M made the move inside, playing 608 of his 701 defensive snaps (per PFF snap tracking) from inside the box.

Despite the slender build, Bell held up well that season. The Cowboys run-stopping issues were team wide and ongoing, but Bell did his best to fall onto on the asset side of the ledger rather than the liability side. His contributions were critical to the Cowboys’ success that season, and his presence allowed Dallas to post their third 12-win season in as many years.

Pro Football Focus graded Bell’s play as 16th among the 60 qualifying LBs (50 percent of total snaps) that year. His 83.5 coverage grade was good enough to rank fourth in the NFL in 2023. He played well, not just given the circumstances, but overall and without qualifiers.

Then 2024 came. Bell moved back to his natural position of safety and was effectively buried on the depth chart. He played just 34 defensive snaps in 2024. He was a bit player in a forgettable season.

Now with the 2025 season approaching, the Cowboys and Bell have decisions to make. The 26-year-old is a restricted free agent and eager to hit unrestricted free agency on a high note. If free agency would have happened after his 2023 campaign, he’d probably be playing on a hefty deal somewhere right now. But coming off a lackluster 2024 season his market is trending in the wrong direction.

2025 is a big year for Bell. The man who saved the Cowboys season two years ago is determined to reclaim his game in Dallas. Can he bump one of the veteran starters who are both coming off down seasons? Can he fight off fellow reserve safety Juanyeh Thomas for snaps?