Back in April, Dallas Cowboys safety Markquese Bell was arrested in Prosper, Texas, after he had been pulled over in a traffic stop. Not only were the circumstances not great for Bell, but the timing was poor, too. According to a police report via ESPN, the Bell smelled of marijuana and his car was searched. The searching officer found marijuana and a THC cigarette, and Bell was arrested.
He was then charged with possession of a controlled substance, a felony, and possession of marijuana, misdemeanors.
It was not great timing because, though the Cowboys have long appreciated Bell’s work ethic since he was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Florida A&M, the team was remaking the safety room, and Bell was not figuring to be a prominent figure in it. Already, the Cowboys had added Jalen Thompson and PJ Locke in free agency, and soon after, they used the No. 11 overall pick on Caleb Downs.
Around The Star, the guess was that Bell was not going to be on the team for much longer.
Markquese Bell Getting the Start in Rio
But the Cowboys overlooked the charges and decided to keep Bell, who has been a bit of a tweener as a big safety/small linebacker. He’s also a valued special teams presence, and when it came time to cut the roster to 53 players, that very much worked in his favor.
Now, with the injuries to Locke and Malik Hooker, the Cowboys are grateful for their lenience–not only will Bell get snaps with the defense, he will be starting on Sunday against the Ravens in Brazil.
Cowboys Also Starting Shavon Revel
On Thursday, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer had high praise for Bell, who is in his fifth year, as well as Shavon Revel, who will also be pressed into starting action.
Said Schottenheimer: “They’re both pros. Markquese has been around a long time. He’s attacking this the exact right way that you would expect. It’s good because the plan for us is easier because we can put those guys in spots. We’re featuring what they do really, really well. I thought both guys having played and getting that experience last week was good, but it’ll definitely be different and we’re not going to play perfect. We’re not going to coach perfect, but at the end of the day, we feel really good about the plan and both of those guys’ preparation.”
Cowboys Set to Start Veteran Who Was Nearly Cut After Arrest