The Dallas Cowboys were big winners of the NFL trade deadline, acquiring Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson and Jets Pro Bowl defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to improve the spine of their dumpster-tier defense.
Both players are under contract through the 2026 season (2027 in Williams' case) and figure to be a big part of not only helping the team compete next year, but also making the second half of this season interesting. The trades were clearly made with an eye on the next two seasons, which appear to be Dallas' window, for lack of a better term, while Dak Prescott is signed.
After all, the defense needs several more moves before it can be taken seriously. Unfortunately, a player thought of as part of the solution looked anything but in Monday's loss to the Cardinals.
As Zac Lee of The Landry Hat podcast noted, that player is DaRon Bland, who inked a four-year, $92 million extension right before the season. Lee's recap of Bland's performance starts at the 8:00 mark in the video below.
"They (the Cardinals) were going after DaRon Bland," Lee said. "Out of all the guys that the Cowboys that you can go after and take advantage of defensively, they chose your $90 million corner. They went after the guy making the most money on this defense outside of Trevon Diggs ... They made it a point that they saw DaRon Bland as a weakness."
Bland's performance was the most disconcerting part of the loss. The Cardinals could've gone after Kaiir Elam, Trikweze Bridges, or Reddy Steward. Any one of them would be a worthy piñata, but they circled Bland as the player to funnel their offense through.
Bland is a volatile cornerback by nature. He's had some bad games in his career, but Monday was comfortably his worst in a Cowboys uniform.
It's seldom a good thing when a CB leads a defense in tackles, and Bland did exactly that with 14 tackles. According to Pro Football Focus, Bland allowed 10 catches on 12 targets for 143 yards and a touchdown, equating to a 147.3 passer rating allowed.
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You'd be hard-pressed to pinpoint a worse game from a cornerback in the NFL this season, and it culminated in Bland getting tripped up on an admittedly disgusting route from Marvin Harrison and falling to the ground, leading to a Harrison touchdown deep in the red zone.
One game obviously doesn't mean Bland is a bad player. He's a fine CB2 who's probably best served as a starting nickel. But Monday was the latest evidence that he isn't a No. 1 corner, which is what he's being paid to be.
Fortunately, the Cowboys structured Bland's contract so they can make a decision on his future after next season. Only the first two years are guaranteed. It's not like he's locked into the extension for the foreseeable future.
While a relief, it hammers home that the front office most likely overpaid to keep the 2023 All-Pro in Dallas, and that cornerback will be the Cowboys' biggest need in the offseason.