Markel Bell’s rookie camp has already taught him one of the NFL’s bluntest lessons: nothing lasts forever.
The Eagles third-round tackle had a front-row seat to cut-down day this weekend, and even though his own roster spot was secure, the scene around the Jefferson Health Training Complex still hit him hard. Bell stopped by for treatment and ended up saying goodbye to teammates who were being released as Philadelphia trimmed from 90 players to 53 by 6 p.m. on Sunday.
“Kind of crazy,” Bell said. “Coming from college and me experiencing that first-hand, kind of crazy.
“It’s different when you’re actually in it. Actually seeing people, like one day you’re here and next day you don’t see them at all.
The message from that to myself is that you can’t take it for granted. You can’t take nothing for granted.
Every day you have to take advantage of it and seize the opportunity.”
Bell saw that reality up close with two of his offensive line teammates, Myles Hinton and Cameron Williams, both of whom were waived and then claimed by other teams - Hinton by the Bengals and Williams by the Falcons. Bell said he plans to stay in touch with both, along with other players who were let go earlier in camp, including former Rutgers tackle Hollin Pierce.
Even Bell’s own summer had a little turbulence. Minor injuries kept him out of the last stretch of camp and the final preseason game against the Bengals, but he said that absence opened the door for other linemen to get more work and put better film on tape. He was happy to see them get those reps.
There were good moments in all the roster chaos, too. Bell got to celebrate with rookie lineman Micah Morris and Willie Lampkin, both of whom made the team. Morris, a sixth-round pick out of Georgia, had no guarantee of sticking, and Bell said the two rookies have grown close since rookie offseason work and their first training camp together.
“I was looking for [Morris] more than I’m looking for me,” Bell said. “I was happy to see his name on there.
Him, Willie. Me playing beside Willie, I was happy about those two things.
My two buddies, man. I got to celebrate with them.
“Me and Micah, we’re going through it as rookies and now we’re both on the team. And just knowing Willie’s story, undrafted free agent coming from the Rams.
Man, he made the team, made the 53-man roster. Not many people can do that.
Like I said earlier, just can’t take it for granted.”
Bell’s own rise this summer was one of the Eagles’ camp stories. He piled up first-team snaps when Lane Johnson missed four days of practice and held his own at right tackle. Johnson even described Bell as one of the best rookies he has ever been around.
For Bell, the part he feels best about is how he handled the challenge of learning on the fly, especially on the right side. He had taken some reps there at Miami, but the NFL version came fast and without much of a safety net. The answer, as always, was repetition.
“I’m not going to lie,” Bell said. “At first, I tried to compare it to some other things I did at Miami.
‘OK, this is this play at Miami,’ and that’s how I learned it. Now that I’m maturing more in the system, I feel like I’m learning the details of it.
We’re getting new plays every day. I feel like I’m taking it very well.”
Now the challenge shifts. Bell isn’t staring at a starting job in 2026, because the Eagles are bringing back their entire starting offensive line from last season.
So for now, he’s a backup. But that doesn’t mean he’s just waiting around.
Bell said he’s spending plenty of time on film and treating every mental rep like it matters. During practice, he stands behind the starters, asks O-line coach Chris Kuper for the play call and then pictures himself running it. It’s a new role for him, since he hasn’t been a backup since his early days at Miami, but he knows the drill.
“It’s kind of an anxious feeling,” Bell said. “It keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just stay calm, stay cool and prepare like you are a starter.”
His aim for year one is simple enough: stay ready.
“The big goal, man, is just staying ready week-to-week. Obviously, don’t want to see any injuries but if my name is called, I want to be ready. I want to go out there and dominate with no drop-off.”
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