Despite leading the league in interceptions in 2023, Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland will enter 2024 as a potential second-stringer. With Trevon Diggs returning to the lineup after his ACL tear and Stephon Gilmore‘s free agency status up in the air, Bland could once again have to battle for playing time. It would be unheard of for any other team but Dallas has quite a few ballhawks.
Looking ahead to 2024, the former fifth-round draft pick isn’t setting goals like a career-high 10 interceptions or six pick-sixes. His focus is on the team. After falling short in the first round of the playoffs, Bland is thinking about some redemption.
“I’m thinking about a little bit of everything,” Bland said this week, via DallasCowboys.com. “It’s hard to put out some personal goals right now after last season. It’s really important for us to focus on our team goals right now.”
After recording an NFL-record five pick-sixes in 2023, Bland earned a spot as a finalist for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award. He went to the NFL awards ceremony, as did teammate Micah Parsons, but both ultimately lost the prize to Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett.
“I just tried to have a lot of fun with it,” Bland said while admitting a bit of disappointment. “It was an honor to just be a nominee. But I definitely thought I had a shot with the season that I had. But it was cool to just be there.”
Mike Zimmer takes over Cowboys defense
Bland will have a new defensive coordinator this season after his first two years under Dan Quinn. With Quinn’s departure for the Commanders head coaching job, Mike McCarthy brought in former Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer to handle the defense.
Bland, just 24 years old, doesn’t remember the old Zimmer days in Dallas, but he’s begun to learn about the new DC’s reputation. During his introductory press conference, Zimmer had to assure reporters that he wasn’t a “jerk” as some might suggest.
For Bland, it doesn’t make much of a difference. He’s eager for aggressive coaching, which he says he grew accustomed to from his father’s teaching.
“That’s great for me. My hardest coach ever was my dad,” Bland said. “To me, nobody would ever be harder on me than him. I’m just excited to get started again.”
Going into his third year, Bland has started 23 of 34 possible games for the Cowboys. He has 123 total regular season tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss, 14 interceptions and five pick-sixes.
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