FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys made a lot of roster moves on Tuesday, most notably in reducing the roster to 53 by releasing over 20 players.
But not all of them went to the waiver wire. In fact, DaRon Bland was one that went to a specific list as the Cowboys played him on Injured Reserve/DTR (Designated to Return).
The stress fracture injury to Bland is expected to keep him out 6-8 weeks from last weekend, meaning the Pro Bowl cornerback could be out at least four games, and possibly up to six.
The NFL rules of IR/DTR state that Bland will not be eligible to return until Week 5 when the Cowboys travel to Pittsburgh.
The injury will keep him out of the opener in Cleveland, followed by home games against the Saints (9/15) and Ravens (9/22) and then a Thursday night game in New York on Sept. 26.
Bland is coming off an incredible season that saw him finish in the Top 5 of Defensive Player of the Year voting. He was an All-Pro and Pro Bowler after leading the league with nine interceptions, including an NFL record five returns for touchdowns.
Bland’s injury is even more costly for the Cowboys who are trying to get Trevon Diggs back to action after he missed most of last year with a torn ACL. Diggs has practiced with the team but it’s unclear how limited, if any, he’ll be when the Cowboys play the Browns on Sept. 8.
The rest of the cornerback position includes veteran slot corner Jourdan Lewis, rookie Caelen Carson and newly-acquired veteran Andrew Booth, who was traded by the Vikings in exchange for Nahshon Wright.
The Cowboys cut four cornerbacks on Tuesday – Eric Scott, Kemon Hall, Josh Butler and Josh DeBerry. All of them could return to the practice squad, which will be assembled on Wednesday.
