The Dallas Cowboys simultaneously have a lack of depth and a bottleneck at the cornerback position. On paper, the club has two young All-Pros, another former first-round pick still on his rookie contract and a third-round rookie who most think had first-round talent from this most recent draft. But that's on paper.
In reality, Trevon Diggs has been injured since inking his five-year extension before 2023 and is not expected back for the beginning on the year. Kaiir Elam was a washout in Buffalo who is currently relying on offseason optimism that the Cowboys pulled a fast one on the Bills. Shavon Revel was an athletic freak before an ACL injury that will likely have him miss the beginning of the year as well. The only certified contributor is really DaRon Bland.
So of course it's suggested that the best move for the Atlanta Falcons is to acquire Bland from the Cowboys. At least, in the eyes of Pro Football Network, who went around the league and suggested a trade target for each team.
The Atlanta Falcons’ defense had a tough 2024, finishing 29th in our Defense+ metric. Edge rusher was a major issue going into the offseason, but the team addressed it in both free agency and the draft. Now, cornerback depth stands out as Atlanta’s biggest remaining need.
The Falcons ranked 25th in pass defense success rate (51.9%), partly because of an inconsistent pass rush. But the problems in the secondary go deeper. The spot opposite A.J. Terrell is still unsettled. Even the nickel role, currently held by Dee Alford, could use competition this summer.
On paper, the Cowboys have one of the league’s best cornerback duos with Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. Both are former first-team All-Pros, but they played just one game together in 2024 due to injuries.
Bland is now in a contract year, and his long-term future in Dallas is uncertain.
All of that is true, but unless the Cowboys' season tanks, it doesn't make much sense for them to look to trade the most reliable asset within the position group. Bland is projected to earn a $94.9 million contract, either as an extension or as a free agent this offseason and it is possible the Cowboys let him walk. In that mindset, getting compensation for him now instead of waiting for him to enter the comp pick formula makes a ton of sense.
But not at the expense of being competitive in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: NFL Analyst suggest Cowboys trade DaRon Bland to Falcons
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