Cowboys CB Caelen Carson potentially gets big, but not unexpected, opportunity

CB injuries are inevitable so it’s safe to assume the Cowboys were prepared for Caelen Carson to fill in, says @ReidDHanson.

“We won’t be looking at all,” Jerry Jones bluntly stated when asked about looking to the veteran market to fill the Cowboys needs at the cornerback position. DaRon Bland, now out the next 6-8 weeks, created such needs when he suffered a foot fracture in training camp.

Finding a temporary running mate for Trevon Diggs at CB is something the Cowboys have suddenly been tasked with. Bland was expected to start opposite Diggs with veteran Jourdan Lewis manning the slot. Dallas is now required to initiate Plan B for at least the first four games of the new season. That plan B is likely to be rookie Caelen Carson.

Many times, team will elevate their nickel CBs to cover sudden needs on the outside. That doesn’t appear to be the strategy in Dallas. With Lewis, the Cowboys prefer to keep their nickel man in the nickel position. And based on statements from Jones, they also prefer to avoid the veteran market and fill the outside job from within.

Lucky for them they have Carson, their standout rookie fifth rounder, available to slide into Bland’s temporarily vacated spot. Carson impressed onlookers throughout training camp and into the preseason. He looked like the next great mid-rounder of the Cowboys and the favorite for the CB4 job heading into the 2024 season.

It may not sound like much landing fourth on the CB depth chart, but in Dallas, CB4 is far from a reserve role. Between injuries and rotations, over the last two seasons the CB4 has averaged 664 defensive snaps in Dallas. It was almost inevitable Carson would see a start here or there in 2024. It might not have been right away in Week 1, but it was likely to be coming.

Carson’s expected entry into the starting lineup was something the Cowboys have been prepared for. They know the score and they understand their track record at the CB position. It’s why Jones is so confident in his team’s ability to man the post while Bland recovers and it’s why Cowboys fans should feel confident under these less-than-ideal circumstances.

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