All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland might be lining up somewhere different for Dallas in 2025. According to a report from Cowboys insider Calvin Watkins, Bland got some work in the slot during the team's OTA workouts earlier this week. Watkins also mentioned that "Bland said he prefers to play outside but is cool with everything."
Dallas lost their long time slot CB, Jourdan Lewis in free agency and with other injuries in the secondary, it is possible that Bland could see time there this season. The Cowboys have a few months to figure this out but will need to get Bland more reps in the slot if they do indeed choose to go this route.
DaRon Bland is best suited to transition to slot corner
Shifting from primarily playing the left or right CB position to playing inside can be a drastic change. On the outside, you have the sideline as almost an extra defender many times, especially deep routes outside the hash marks. When lining up as a slot corner, wide receivers have the option to go in any direction once the ball is snapped, making coverage even tougher.
Bland spent time in the slot last season and is viewed as the best option Dallas has currently in-house to play there even more this year. Having a guy with that level of versatility is highly valued and the Cowboys could put that to use quite a bit this fall. That’s the price of being talented. Sometimes you have to suck it up and take one for the team.
Last year, Bland played in just seven games because of a training camp injury. He made it back for the end of the season and contributed 41 tackles, five pass defenses and a forced fumble. Surprisingly, he didn't have an interception. The year before, he made All-Pro while leading the league with nine interceptions. As a rookie he had five.