This afternoon, free agent offensive tackle and veteran Byron Bell visited with the Dallas Cowboys – now he is the newest member of America’s Team. Bell, a former Carolina Panther and Tennessee Titan, has signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys.
Cowboys have signed veteran OT Byron Bell to a one-year deal.
— David Helman (@davidhelman_) March 24, 2017
Moves like this further add to the Cowboys’ free agency strategy of preparing for the NFL Draft by entering it with no glaring roster holes. While offensive tackle may not be a significant need, the addition of Byron Bell will help this team focus purely on the best players available in the draft.
Bell will join Emmett Cleary and Chaz Green – the projected starter at right tackle following Doug Free’s retirement – on the depth chart at OT but was also being worked as a guard by the Titans leading up to 2016, a season he missed due to injury.
It is this versatility that the Cowboys love in their backup offensive linemen, with so much money invested into starters like Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick. The latest addition to the Space Cowboys is Byron Bell because of this versatility, along with his experience and potential to step in and compete.
Bell is 6’5″, 340 lb >
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byron_Bell
He was an undrafted FA who went on to start a bunch of games for the Panthers & Titans.
So going by that profile, Bell has size but not real athletic (would have been drafted), and is an overachiever with a motor (walks on, makes his way to starter).
It’s depth that probably puts someone like Green on the bubble. Like at CB, that camp battle for RT is going to get interesting. It suggests that Collins stays at LG, but I think theses are moving parts until they see what goes on in camp. You have Cooper in the mix also, presumably for LG or to backup inside.
We needed OL depth anyway and may now be building it. Defense remains the big off-season fix IMO.
Free at last! ;^)