A Step Behind? Have the Cowboys upgraded their defensive back room from 2024?
The Dallas Cowboys had high hopes for their defensive back unit going into the 2024 season. They had two All-Pro cornerbacks playing on the outside; DaRon Bland, the king of the Pick-6, and Trevon Diggs, who averages an interception every three games. The nickel corner, Jourdan Lewis, was one of the best slot corners in the league.
The safety room had two solid starters in Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson, plus backups Markquese Bell and Juanyeh Thomas had given Dallas quality defensive snaps. Unfortunately injuries kept the Cowboys from playing any combination of this unit together except for one game. And as time waits for no man, the defensive backs room is going to look a bit different in 2025. The question is, did Dallas upgrade the unit overall?
Advertisement
The defense as a whole is under new leadership, with Matt Eberflus taking over for Mike Zimmer. That trickles down to position coaches as well, as Al Harris is no longer in the building, replaced by Andre Curtis, one of several coaches who came over from Chicago with the new DC. As for the players on the field?
Losing Lewis, who signed a lucrative slot-corner free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, could be crippling to the Dallas defense. Dallas traded a Day 3 selection for Kaiir Elam, a former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills still on his rookie contract.
The team then drafted ECU standout Shavon Revel Jr., who many considered to have first-round talent but an ACL injury had him available in the third. Both newcomers are outside corners, though, and Bland is an All-Pro on the outside as well. Moving him back to the slot could be a net negative.
Elam and Revel Jr. could each be used as insurance in case the Diggs injury sets his play back., but that leaves the Cowboys with minimal certainty inside. Israel Mukuamu played a successful playoff game in the slot a few seasons ago, but not much since then. Caelen Carson showed promise before a shoulder injury, but was never the same afterwards. Kemon Hall and Troy Pride Jr. are possibilities, but in reality are depth pieces and it wouldn't be a smart option to rely on them.
Advertisement
The safety room didn't change much. The veteran starters have gotten a year older, and the younger guys have gotten a year wiser. Have the four players intersected enough to get any new starters? Only time will tell.
Dallas added three possible safety options as undrafted free agents (UDFA). Alijah Clark, Zion Childress, and Mike Smith Jr. Both Bell and Thomas were prior UDFA players who are now major contributors, and if one of the new guys can do that, the unit could be improved.
The path to compensating for Lewis' departure hinges on how the new additions will deploy. The Cowboys would have to either see something Elam hasn't shown yet in three years, a Pro-Bowl caliber ability, or have a fully healthy Diggs return, or a fully healthy Revel step in and have a rookie-of-the year campaign. That would have to be combined with Bland moving back inside and playing at a similar level to where Lewis was.
There are way too many contingencies to consider this unit better than last season's.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys have changed defensive back depth, but have they improved?
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
30 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs keeping his discussions with team about viral boat video private
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs declined to share specifics about his conversations with coach Mike Vrabel and the team in the aftermath of a viral video that showed him passing what appeared to be a bag of pink crystals to women on a boat last month. 'Obviously, I want to be as candid with you guys as possible. I kind of have this thing where I don't talk about my personal life with people I don't know personally," Diggs said Tuesday following the team's final minicamp practice. "I'm pretty sure everybody here, men and women, are great people. But I kind of keep my personal life personal.' Tuesday marked the first time Diggs had spoken with reporters since videos were posted online of him chatting with three women before producing the substance. It wasn't clear what the substance was. An NFL spokesman said previously that the league would not comment, and Vrabel said the team would handle the matter internally. 'Obviously, it's a conversation that's happening internal. I can't really get into too much of the conversation about it," Diggs said. "The conversation I had with (Vrabel) and the people in the building is going to handled internal, in-house.' Diggs missed multiple optional team workouts this spring, but was present for the next one following the release of the video. He also was present for the Patriots' mandatory minicamp practices on Monday and Tuesday. Vrabel canceled a third practice originally scheduled for Wednesday. Diggs, 31, has attended multiple events this offseason with hip-hop star Cardi B — including the Met Gala and a Boston Celtics-New York Knicks playoff game. It has created an even bigger spotlight on the 10-year NFL veteran since he signed with the Patriots this offseason as a free agent, getting a three-year, $69 million deal that guarantees him $26 million. The four-time Pro Bowl selection posted six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons for the Vikings and Bills before he was traded from Buffalo to Houston last spring. He had 47 catches for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games for the Texans before he tore the ACL in his right knee in October. 'I'm grinding each and every day," he said. "Obviously, I can't do too much of the team stuff. But I'm eager to get out there, so whenever they do press the button I'm going to be ready. I'm trying, though." He did line up at times with the first-team offense on Tuesday as it installed new plays. But he wasn't allowed to participate in any full-speed drills, instead doing individual work with trainers. But it hasn't lessened his resolve to be cleared for full contact. "I'm confident. I've kind of took my rehab pretty serious," Diggs said. 'In beginning phases I wasn't as confident, but I was trying it out. ... When I came back here, I was in a mindset of I'm trying to get after and get going. But it's kind of like a dog on a leash, you want to hold it back a little bit, especially because I want to go. But it's the timing of everything and I'm looking forward to training camp.' ___
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rams Make Big Aaron Donald Announcement Before 2025 Season
Rams Make Big Aaron Donald Announcement Before 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Throughout their storied history, the Los Angeles Rams have been the home to a number of amazing players, but few are as recognizable as former defensive lineman Aaron Donald. After 10 years, he made a significant mark on the franchise, and on Tuesday, the team announced they'd be honoring his legacy during their Sunday Night Football matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 23 at SoFi Stadium. This will include a halftime recognition ceremony, as well as a limited-edition bobblehead giveaway, handed out to the first 60,000 fans in attendance. "Aaron Donald is one of the greatest Rams of all time and we can't wait to come together with our fans to thank him for everything he's done for our organization, our city and our game," Rams General Manager Les Snead said via the team's official website. "It will be an honor to recognize Aaron on the very field where he sealed our Super Bowl win." It's certainly well deserved because from 2014 to 2023, Donald was named to 10 Pro Bowls, earned First-Team All-Pro eight times, won AP Defensive Player of the Year three times and helped win one Super Bowl. All of those accolades are backed by 543 tackles, 111 sacks, 176 tackles for loss, 258 pressures (recorded since 2018), 260 quarterback hits, 24 forced fumbles, 21 pass deflections and seven fumble recoveries. Of course, there's no doubt he lived up to the high expectations he held coming into the league after the Rams selected him in the first round with pick No. 13 in the 2014 NFL Draft. This certainly won't be the last time Donald earns such a high honor either, as he will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2029, where there's a very strong chance he will be a first-ballot story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Spending spree among fans continues during Edmonton Oilers playoff run
After local spending climbed during consecutive rounds as the Edmonton Oilers marched through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it hit a fever pitch during the last home game of the third round against the Dallas Stars, with a more than 140 per cent jump in spending near the arena. 'Throughout the playoffs, Moneris' data has revealed a clear trend — when the Oilers play at home, restaurant spending in downtown Edmonton lights up,' Sean McCormick, director of business development and data services at Moneris, said in a release. As Postmedia has steadily reported throughout the past several weeks and during the team's run last year, according to data from Moneris, spending near Rogers Place and throughout the city fluctuates significantly during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last year's Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Final produced a stunning 200 per cent spend increase near the arena, and while data won't be available until this year's Stanley Cup Final is over, this year's spending was already surging in the third round against Dallas. While the Oilers glided to a comfortable 4-1 series win over Dallas inside, fans outside the arena and in the area gave their bank accounts a beating with soaring spending on May 27. 'Round three of the playoffs highlighted the passion of Oilers fans, with restaurant spending near Rogers Place soaring up to 143 per cent during Game 4,' said McCormick. Calculating the spending by comparing credit and debit card activity at its point of sale systems, Moneris' data shows that during Game 4 against Dallas, spending was the largest jump of this year's playoffs by some margin. The only game that came close to Game 4's spending increase came exactly a month prior on April 27, when the Oilers played their second home game against the Los Angeles Kings in the first round, when spending near the arena swelled to 89 per cent above average. 'Round one reminded us just how impactful the playoffs can be for both fans and the local economy,' said McCormick. 'Whether at home or tuning in from local spots during away games, Oilers fans created a ripple effect that lifted businesses and brought people together in a meaningful way.' The spending spree during Game 4 of the Western Conference Final wasn't just limited to near the arena — Moneris saw that the same game also spurred spending throughout the city, leading to a 27 per cent rise across Edmonton's bars and restaurants. Coincidentally, the other game that came close to game 4's local spend was also April 27, bringing a 24 per cent bump in activity throughout the city. Perhaps unsurprisingly, whether the Oilers are playing at home or away, spending increases are more pronounced when the team wins. For example, in the third round after falling 6-3 to Dallas in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final, spending near the arena and throughout the city saw just a two and four per cent bump, respectively. In contrast, the ensuing four games that Edmonton won brought a 38, 51, 143, and 41 per cent increase in spending near the arena, respectively. Now down 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers, the team, fans, and businesses affected by the Oilers' success will be pulling for a comeback, starting Thursday night with Game 4 that gives the Oilers a chance to tie the series before heading home for Game 5. Edmonton businesses near Rogers Place surged over 200% for Game 7 Edmonton restaurants already getting playoff boost from Oilers Edmonton Oilers playoff run could leave economic hangover when it's done Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
