FRISCO - We're pretty sure Dallas Cowboys fans can forget the gossip about a Jalen Ramsey trade.
We're also pretty sure Cowboys Nation can slide back off the edge of its collective seat when it comes to some major move on Trevon Diggs.
Really, when it comes to the Cowboys and cornerback, there is one name to focus on ...
That of DaRon Bland.
The Cowboys have a host of guys to focus on when it comes to getting new deals done. Micah Parsons is a timetable priority as he's told the team he'd like to sign a five-year extension (we'll go with $200 million in total value there).
But there are others who are approaching the front burner.
Kicker Brandon Aubrey and guard Tyler Smith deserve mention. (Some think tight end Jake Ferguson, also heading into a contract year, does as well.)
But to us? Bland, who earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 and was also was first-team All-Pro and fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting, merits prioritization here.
Bland, still just 26, became a national sensation after leading the league in interceptions (nine) and setting an NFL record for pick-sixes (five).
So how are the negotiations going?
“No talks. Just worried about the season right now,” Bland said, via the team website.
Oh.
It is possible that the Jerry Jones-led Cowboys want to see a little more here because paying Bland even more than the $20 million APY that Diggs got two years ago. Maybe Diggs' 21 games missed in two years is causing Dallas to be a bit gunshy.
Or maybe Bland's recent history is doing that, as he missed the first 10 games of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot that required surgery.
Last year, after his eventual return, he recorded no interceptions.
Is there time on Bland? Sure. Plenty of it. Indeed, Dallas could cut Diggs a year from now and save $12 million ... and apply that money to his cornerback room mate.
So for now? What's the plan?
“Really,'' Bland said, "just play my heart out, try to do my best out there and do whatever I can.”
