PHILADELPHIA — There came the big man. All 6-foot-9 and 346 pounds of him. His skull cap and shirt drenched in sweat. His wrists braced. His hands gripping the Gatorade towel that hung around broad shoulders, which have taken on the unexpected responsibility of filling in for a franchise pillar.Markel Bell is temporarily the first-team right tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles. Lane Johnson, the team’s five-time All-Pro, missed his fourth practice Wednesday with an excused absence for a non-injury-related reason. The sudden situation brought the team’s swing-tackle battle back into relevance. Fred Johnson, the incumbent, first filled in on Saturday. Johnson did the same to start Monday’s practice, but Bell later subbed in. Bell remained there on Tuesday and Wednesday.The third-round rookie’s progress appears to be back on track. Bell initially filled in at right tackle during OTAs for Lane Johnson, who regularly misses the voluntary workouts to train on his own. Fred Johnson’s Saturday spot “start” suggested Bell still needed to improve.
Bell said Lane Johnson told him “the other week” that there would be “growing pains” in learning the system and playing right tackle. Bell had only played left tackle in college. He acknowledged “it’s a whole different ball game over there,” and that he’s had to adjust against a defense that’s ranked in the top nine in terms of EPA in both years under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.Eagles defense is outperforming the offense at training campZach BermanThe mental side has been the hardest to adapt to, Bell said. The blocking scheme is different. The play calls are longer. The snap cadences are different. But gradually, Bell is recognizing what the veterans have been saying: first-time offensive coordinator Sean Mannion’s zone-oriented system is friendly to its linemen, diminishes isolation by spreading help across pass protection, and empowers them as the aggressors in the run game by mobilizing them against laterally moving defenders.“I feel like it caters to me and what I can do,” Bell said. “I’m physical. I’m fast. I’m athletic. That’s what this system allows me to do: My talents on full display.”Bell’s massive build and unique mobility are partly why general manager Howie Roseman called Bell a “passion player” for the Eagles upon drafting him. It is partly why Bell is the heir apparent in the team’s succession plan for Lane Johnson. There has been no one more outspoken about their excitement to play in Mannion’s system than Lane, which, from a purely football perspective, does not indicate that Bell’s timeline has accelerated. But the situation touches on another reason why Bell was a fit for the Eagles: After transferring from Holmes Community College to Miami in 2024, Bell was thrust into the lineup as a junior when starting left tackle Jalen Rivers exited the regular season opener with an injury.“I’m kind of in the same position right now,” Bell said.First-year offensive line coach Chris Kuper has been “very helpful” and understanding of “the strain” his rookie tackle is taking on right now, Bell said. Bell said he is absorbing Kuper’s instructions both on the field and in the meeting room, “trying to seize the opportunity that’s in front of me.”Jordan Mailata, a seven-year veteran at left tackle, has also been an invaluable mentor.“He’s turned into the big brother that I needed — especially on this level,” Bell said of Mailata. “He’s been there with me, he’s been patient with me. We just talk about everything. We talk about life in general. We talk about football. We can laugh and joke all we want to.”Top takeaways from Day 6 of training camp
