The Dallas Cowboys have lots of troublesome choices to make this offseason. Over the following a number of months, they’ll want to determine what they need this group to seem like subsequent season and past. One place group that presents some difficult choices is cornerback.
Yesterday, we ran by a few choices they’ll want to determine within the subsequent few months, however there’s one resolution we didn’t get to. Right this moment, we’ll dig into this one a bit of deeper.
DECISION #3 – Choosing between Trevon Diggs or DaRon Bland
The truth that the Cowboys have such a small window the place each these guys had been on the sector wholesome is a tragedy, however accidents have introduced unhealthy luck to this group. Diggs has suffered season-ending knee accidents in every of the final two seasons. After which Bland suffered a stress fracture in his foot in coaching camp that resulted in him lacking the primary 10 video games of the season.
Quickly, the day will arrive when the Cowboys should select which of those gamers will probably be part of their future. Diggs is getting into the second 12 months of his five-year, $97 million deal he signed in 2023. On the floor, it appears as if the Cowboys are dedicated to him regardless, nonetheless, that isn’t fully true. The group was in a position to get a deal achieved early with him and within the course of, solely a 3rd of it was assured. This implies the group has some early-exit escape hatches inbuilt. That is vital as a result of Diggs simply had chondral tissue graft surgical procedure final month. His timetable is unsure, however he’s anticipated to overlook offseason exercises and components of coaching camp. When will he be again on the sector and enjoying at full power?
The Cowboys have already paid out his assured cash and so they haven’t restructured a cent, which means will probably be simple for them to get out of his contract at any level throughout his previous few years with the group. If they aren’t proud of what he’s doing on the sector, they will merely transfer on with none large monetary repercussions.
Transferring away from Diggs means transferring ahead with Bland because the group’s new CB1. Bland is within the final 12 months of his contract. In the event that they need to transfer ahead with him, they need to attempt to work in an extension this summer time earlier than he hits free company subsequent offseason. In the event that they let him play out his rookie deal, they’ll both should let him stroll and get a compensatory choose, or franchise tag him whereas they determine what they need to do. It’s a slippery slope, and this one could not have an apparent reply, however the Cowboys don’t look like a group that may be keen to pay high cash for 2 cornerbacks. And in that case, certainly one of them has bought to go, however which one?
What they need to do…
Debating over which one you’d reasonably have is nearly like splitting hairs. They each are good gamers, however they each additionally include flaws. Choosing which one to roll with isn’t as minimize and dry as one would assume.
Diggs is a pesky nook. He can mirror his man and is a ball-hawking stud. He’s additionally a danger taker, poor tackler, and lacks the make-up velocity to avoid wasting a landing if the receiver will get behind him. And we will’t look previous that he’s had two knee accidents in two years, so what kind of participant he’s going ahead is much from a assure.
Bland has size, wonderful closing capacity, and excellent learn and anticipation to leap routes. Proudly owning the NFL single-season for interceptions returned for a landing just about speaks to that. However he additionally lacks the fluidity to deal with nice route runners and is prone to double strikes. He’s higher served laying again and letting the receiver come to him.
The contract flexibility they’ve with Diggs affords the group the luxurious to hedge their guess. They need to attempt to negotiate an extension with Bland similarly they did with Diggs which might lead to a five-year deal that’s actually a two-year cope with an possibility for 3 extra. This could purchase them a bit of extra time to determine issues out. If one fades, the group can transfer on from them later. If each are enjoying properly, however they don’t need to pay a excessive value twice, they will commerce one away in alternate for some good draft capital that may be greater than only a compensatory choose.
What they don’t need to do is guess on the improper man or get themselves too financially dedicated to at least one man forcing them to go in that path. This example should be dealt with appropriately.
