The debate of whether or not preseason should be a thing of the past won’t die down anytime soon, especially for the Dallas Cowboys.
Many NFL starters were reminded to steer clear of the football field until September after the events of this past Saturday.
That message was delivered loud and clear in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex.
The news that wasn’t equally impactful, but it stood out for me, was the injury to John Stephens, Jr. He was building his brand with each passing day, and I believe he was on his way to stealing a roster spot.
However, watching DeMarvion Overshown fall back to the ground after what was otherwise a routine tackle pulled me to the edge of my seat.
His athleticism, instincts, and versatility make this loss even more significant. When one person goes down, the next man needs to step up.
Luckily for the Dallas Cowboys, that man currently resides on the roster.
DeMarvion overshown’s replacement is already on the roster
You can argue that the Dallas Cowboys’ penchant for identifying undrafted free agents is second to none.
Other fan bases may throw stones at that statement and call it a lofty opinion, but the history speaks for itself.
Present day, Markquese Bell continues the trend for America’s team and is going to make the loss of DeMarvion an easier pill to swallow.
Without Overshown, there is a gaping hole in the athletic linebacker area. The team has both Damone Clark and Jabril Cox, who could provide substantial snaps in that spot.
But would that be enough?
I believe Bell would be a better fit, and Defensive Coordinator Dan Quinn agrees in part.
He has decent size at 6’2″ and 212 lbs and boasted some good athletic testing scores during the combine. He ran a 4.41 in the 40-yard dash with a 10’3″ broad jump.
It’s not elite testing, but more than enough to play the hybrid linebacker role like Jayron Kearse.
Dan Quinn had a vision for Bell coming out of Florida A&M. He stayed on the active roster for most of the season, which tells me that they valued him and didn’t want another team to pouch on him sitting on a practice squad team.
What will Markquese offer to this current team?
Markquese has been a bright spot this preseason for Dallas with his ability to be all over the field.
He excels near the line of scrimmage, making solid tackles, and is consistently around the ball.
Quinn tried a similar move not long ago with safety/linebacker hybrid Keanu Neal. During his time with Atlanta, he provided the hammer to receivers and running backs trying to maneuver their way down the field.
The problem with Neal is that his ability to play in coverage needed to be more consistent. By the time he got to Dallas, he was a shell of himself.
Now, Dan gets a do-over.
Bell isn’t the hitter that Neal was, but he could provide enough fluidity at the linebacker hybrid role to cover players in the intermediate parts of the field.
Saying that he can play the role is one thing but proving it on the field backed by statistics is another.
Prior to DeMarvion’s injury, Bell was already making a case to be on this 53-man roster.
With the circumstances as they are now, he is not only going to make the roster, but he may also have a role to get snaps on the field.
For this defense, the depth of their talent stands tall and the next man up motto lands at the footsteps of one, Markquese Bell.
