The Dallas Cowboys have already made some big moves since their offseason began.
Following a 7-10 regular season and missing the NFL Playoffs, the Cowboys elected to part ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after five seasons, making way for offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to take over.
Although star linebacker Micah Parsons is due for a contract extension, the Cowboys have prioritized some other players, including defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who re-signed on a four-year, $80 million extension.
On Sunday, just a few days before free agency begins, the Cowboys made another defensive move, bringing back safety Markquese Bell on a three-year extension worth $12 million, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
"The Cowboys and safety Markquese Bell have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with a max value of $12M, per sources," Fowler wrote on X.
After three seasons with Florida A&M (one of which was canceled due to COVID), Bell went undrafted in 2022. He was signed by the Cowboys after the 2022 NFL draft and made the team in his first season, becoming a key component of the special teams unit.
In his second season, he appeared in 17 games, earning eight starts. Although his primary position was safety, he was used as more of a safety/linebacker hybrid for the 2023 season, recording 94 tackles and two forced fumbles.
With linebacker Eric Kendricks joining Dallas in 2024, Bell lost a majority of his playing time on defense, becoming more of a special teams guy once again. His season ended nine games in after he suffered a season-ending dislocated shoulder.
The Cowboys have made moves to clear up cap space in hopes of extending players like Bell and Parsons, including restructuring the contracts of CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott. However, with Myles Garrett signing a four-year deal with the Cleveland Browns worth $40 million per year and includes $123.5 million in guaranteed money, Parsons' price likely just went up for Jerry Jones.
