‘Great for me’… DaRon Bland is very pleased with Dallas Cowboys biggest off-season decision so far

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Coming off a terrific 2023 campaign, DaRon Bland has very different goals in mind next season.

The 24-year-old became a household name this past season, stepping in for the injured Trevon Diggs and becoming an instant sensation.

It’d be an understatement to say the 2022 fifth-round draft pick far exceeded his expectations in 2023 for the Dallas Cowboys.

Bland’s 2023 Stats and achievements

Filling in for a two-time Pro Bowler and a First-team All-Pro corner Bland had some massive shoes to fill last season.

He knew the expectations would be high and that this was his chance to make an impression.

While there were a couple of challenging games throughout the season, for the most part, Bland knocked it out of the park in terms of performance in 2023.

The Fresno State product had a league-high nine interceptions, including an NFL single-season record five pick-sixes.

Bland’s five defensive touchdowns in 2023 equalled Ken Houston’s NFL single-season record from 1971.

He was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.

In addition, he and teammate Micah Parsons were nominated for Defensive Player of the Year Honors, losing the award to the Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett.

Bland’s 2023 reflections

Speaking on the club website, Bland admits it’s somewhat “surreal” when considering how the campaign started for him and where it ended.

“I just tried to have fun with it”, he added.

He also admits that losing the Defensive Player of the Year award was disappointing.

“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.”

Bland’s thoughts on the Cowboys new defensive coordinator

The biggest off season decision in Dallas so far was to bring in Mike Zimmer as new defensive coordinator replacing Dan Quinn.

The last time Mike Zimmer worked for the Dallas Cowboys, Bland was seven years old.

Bland admits he’s not familiar with his coaching style during his days as the head honcho with the Minnesota Vikings.

At the same time, he’s looking forward to handling his hard-nosed intensity as the team’s new defensive coordinator.

“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.”

Bland says too early for personal goals

After putting forth the kind of season Bland just did, expectations among outsiders will understandably be high.

However, Bland says his 2024 goals are solely on this team’s success.

“I’m thinking about a little bit of everything,” Bland said. “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.”

Where Bland sits on the Cowboys’ depth chart

Entering the 2024 campaign, you’d think Bland’s done enough to climb up the Cowboys cornerback depth chart.

He began 2023 as the #3 guy at that position before the Diggs injury.

At the same time, question marks surround how the secondary will look next season.

Stephon Gilmore and Jourdan Lewis are unrestricted free agents on March 13, while it’s unknown what the Cowboys will do at the draft in April.