ARLINGTON — The email arrived Saturday afternoon about 90 minutes before the final preseason game of the summer.
Cowboys starting cornerback DaRon Bland will miss six to eight weeks because of a stress fracture in his foot that will require surgery.
Bland suffered the injury sometime during the last week of training camp in Southern California. According to the email from the team, Bland experienced discomfort Wednesday and an MRI exam revealed the fracture.
One of the Cowboys’ starting cornerbacks is out until October. He can return Week 5 at Pittsburgh. That’s six weeks from the injury. At the earliest.
Maybe Bland returns following the bye week and plays Oct. 27 at San Francisco.
Nine weeks.
“I’m glad it’s not for an extended period of time,” team owner and general manager Jerry Jones said after the Cowboys’ 26-19 loss to the Chargers to end the preseason. “We lose him four or five ballgames, go through that pretty quick. It’s serious but the good news is we’ll have him for the meat of the deal. That’s the good news.”
Can the Cowboys survive without the man who led the NFL with nine interceptions and set an NFL record with five pick-sixes last season?
The possible replacements at outside corner start with rising rookie Caelen Carson, the fifth-round pick from Wake Forest. He’s in the lead right now.
“I feel like I’m a confident guy,” Carson said. “I’ve earned the right to play.’’
There’s a possibility the team could move slot corner Jourdan Lewis to the outside and put Carson inside.
You could shift safety Israel Mukuamu back to corner.
Andrew Booth, whom the Cowboys traded for on Aug. 9, is another possibility. Though his play against the Chargers left you wondering. Booth broke up two throws but gave up a 78-yard touchdown pass, allowing former Cowboys draft pick Simi Fehoko to get behind him.
Losing Bland opens the path for Eric Scott, Kemon Hall (North Texas) or Josh Butler to make the 53-man roster instead of starting the season on the practice squad.
On the free agent market, you have Xavien Howard, J.C. Jackson, Adoree Jackson, Patrick Peterson and Steven Nelson.
Jones put an end to any thought of signing a veteran, saying, “Not at all. Not in any way, no.”
It’s unfair to mention the Cowboys didn’t bring Stephon Gilmore back for 2024. Last season, he was a calming presence in the locker room and the right fit when Trevon Diggs went down with a torn ACL in late September. Bland benefited the most by having Gilmore to lean on after taking over for Diggs. Gilmore had a productive 2023, but his time was over the moment the season concluded.
Dallas wasn’t going to re-sign Gilmore unless it was on the cheap. He signed a one-year deal with the Vikings for $7 million. Dallas wasn’t giving Gilmore that, and besides, they had Diggs returning from injury; Bland; Lewis; and after watching a strong start in training camp, Carson.
“He’s done a lot of nice things,” coach Mike McCarthy said of Carson. “I think he was one of the rookies who probably made the quickest first impression as far as playmaking.”
Diggs has been outstanding in training camp. He looks like his old self and should be ready for Deshaun Watson and the Browns’ offense in Week 1.
Will Carson?
He’s got Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore and Jerry Jeudy waiting for him.
“It’s definitely a challenge,” Lewis said. “We talked about it. It’s a great welcome to the league moment. I had mine. I had Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders [who played for Denver in 2017]. It wasn’t an easy out for me either. It’s definitely going to get him ready. It’s definitely a good thing. He’s going against some of the best talent in the league as soon as he gets his first opportunity. It’s a measuring stick and something he can learn from as the season goes on.”
The loss of Bland is massive with the reality of a rookie corner starting for maybe two months. The Cowboys have dealt with injuries to this position before, including one to Lewis (foot).
Injuries are part of the NFL. You have to survive it.
“He’s always prepared,” Lewis said of Carson. “It feels like no moment is too big, whether we practice against the Rams or going against Dak and stuff like that. Going out there and competing, that’s all you can ask from guys.”
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