Ahead of their final preseason game of the season, the Dallas Cowboys‘ defense was dealt a tough blow. Reports state star cornerback DaRon Bland is out for an extended period of time with a foot injury.
We discuss the timeline, what it means for Dallas, and who will need to step up in his absence following the news.
DaRon Bland Expected To Miss 6-8 Weeks
Just before the Cowboys took the field for their final preseason game of the season, the organization’s PR team announced that Bland would be out for 6-8 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot.
Cowboys CB DaRon Bland experienced foot discomfort on Wednesday of last week during training camp in Oxnard. Subsequent imaging revealed a stress fracture in his foot. He will undergo surgery to repair the injury and is currently projected to be out for 6-8 weeks
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 24, 2024
According to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, “Cowboys CB DaRon Bland experienced foot discomfort on Wednesday of last week during training camp in Oxnard. Subsequent imaging revealed a stress fracture in his foot. He will undergo surgery to repair the injury and is currently projected to be out for 6-8 weeks.”
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With two weeks until the Cowboys’ Week 1 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, it’s fair to assume Bland may now be a short-term injured reserved candidate, setting him up to miss at least the first four weeks of the season.
Bland is fresh off his best year in the NFL where he finished with a record five pick-sixes.
The combination of Bland and the returning Trevon Diggs was expected to be one of the best cornerback tandems in the league. But now, the two will have to wait a little longer before playing together in 2024.
Dallas is now faced with developing a contingency plan. This plan may include a few internal candidates, monitoring cutdown day moves, and possible trade targets as it looks to lessen the blow of the absent playmaker.
Who Steps Up in Bland’s Absence?
Many believe the Cowboys’ deepest position group is their secondary. With Bland now expected to miss an extended period of time, that depth will assuredly be tested.
While the team may opt to look outside for help, it will most assuredly look internally first before making any external moves.
From veterans they trust to rookies they feel good about, the Cowboys have a few internal options who may get a chance in Week 1.
The first name that comes to mind is Caelen Carson. The rookie from Wake Forest has turned heads in camp thus far and may get the first crack at being an outside corner in Bland’s absence.
Another name that could make sense is veteran Jourdan Lewis, who is slated to start at nickel. Dallas may opt to kick him outside to strengthen the boundary while possibly moving Carson inside or putting someone else in the interior.
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Other veteran pieces include Israel Mukuamu, who has shown versatility as both a cornerback and safety, Andrew Booth Jr., who the Cowboys recently traded for, and preseason star Kemon Hall.
While these are names the Cowboys may look at and feel good about in a vacuum, none of them provide the type of confidence that having Bland would.
With a full preseason to evaluate all of these guys, one may wonder if the Cowboys still tap into outside sources to find the help they need. Last year’s starting cornerback, Stephon Gilmore, recently signed with the Minnesota Vikings, and had this injury accrued sooner, one may have wondered if Gilmore would’ve been an option for Dallas.
Instead, the Cowboys are now forced to get creative as they look to replace one of the most productive ball-hawking cornerbacks in the NFL.
