Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys have a lot of questions on defense, with many of them having the same theme. They have several players who offer intriguing upside, but it’s contingent on other factors. Can young players take the next step? How will these guys do absorbing Christian Parker’s new defense? And what type of players can they be if they can regain a clean bill of health and play to their full potential? So many ‘what ifs’ on the menu.
The range of outcomes for this Cowboys defense is quite wide, but there have been some promising reports out of the first week of organized team activities (OTAs) that start bringing out the optimism. Today, we’ll run through four key defensive players and review their health status and project what we should expect this upcoming season.
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.
The injury: At some point in the season last year, Ezeiruaku suffered a torn labrum in his hip. The rookie quietly played through the injury, never appearing on the injury report, and played in all 17 games last year. While his availability wasn’t hindered, his ability was, as many suspect that his slowdown as the season progressed was an effect of him dealing with his ailing hip. A once-promising hot start faded down the stretch, and now we know why. He underwent hip surgery in January to fully repair the tear.
The progress: The young edge rusher has spent all spring rehabbing and has been seen participating in individual drill work during OTAs. Similar to Bland, he hasn’t been a full go...
