DaRon Bland
The injury: Bland has been dealing with foot issues for the better part of two seasons. It first surfaced in the form of a stress fracture in his left foot during training camp in 2024. He underwent immediate surgery and was sidelined for the first 10 weeks of the season, finally returning in late November. Bland played the final seven games of the season without issue. Last season, he endured another foot injury, this time to the right foot. It was only a sprain, and he only missed two games early in the season. Unfortunately, he reaggravated his left foot as his initial stress fracture flared up. The Cowboys placed him on injured reserve, shutting him down for the final three games of the season. He underwent a second surgery on his left foot in January.
The progress: Bland has not been given the medical green light, as the team is proceeding cautiously, but reports indicate his lateral movement looks good in OTAs this past week. The expectation is that he’ll be a full go when mandatory minicamp officially opens on June 15th.
The outlook: Upon his return, Bland will play a key role in Christian Parker’s defense. He possesses sharp zone instincts and will use his closing ability to bait quarterbacks and jump routes. He has inside/out flexibility as he has excelled in both roles, but he’ll serve as one of the team’s starting boundary corners.
Shavon Revel Jr.
The injury: The second-year cornerback missed the first nine games last year as he was still recovering from an ACL injury he suffered at the beginning of his final college season in 2024. The injury was one of the main reasons this promising talent fell to the third round in last year’s draft. Last July, he suffered a minor setback when the knee flared up as he was ramping things up. This delayed his pro debut until mid-November in a Monday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Revel Jr. played a total of seven games, slowly raising his snap counts before suffering a concussion late in the year, forcing him to miss the final game of the year.
The progress: Despite returning to the field last year, the rookie showed some clear trust issues with his knee. His mobility was stiff at times, and he just didn’t show that same explosiveness. Nothing about this was surprising. Now, Revel Jr. is moving well. The protective leg brace is no more, and he was seen at OTAs looking significantly more fluid in his movement.
The outlook: With no medical restrictions, he’s a full go. His length and speed are going to be nice weapons for Parker and his scheme as Revel Jr. will battle for the other boundary corner spot, opposite Bland. Free agent Cobie Durant is also in the mix and is the utility of sorts corner who can handle outside and the slot. And we shouldn’t forget about third-year corner Caelen Carson, who has caught the attention of the coaches, consistently making plays on the ball. He, too, is returning from a knee injury.
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