DaRon Bland: Will he Bust in 2024?

Have you ever sat outside under the stars? Maybe it was with a loved one, or it could be by yourself. Either way, you’re looking up at the vastness of space and pondering all of life’s wonders. Then, as if out of nowhere, the sky lights up, and a shooting star soars across the sky. It's fast, bright, spectacular. It takes your breath away to see one of the world’s most random and exciting events. Last season, football fans saw the player version of a shooting star when second-year corner DaRon Bland had one of the greatest seasons a corner has ever had! He ascended into one of the most talked about players on the most talked about team in all professional sports. Many people feel this ascension was the beginning of a career filled with moments like we saw last season. Unfortunately, I am here to be the clouds covering the sky. DaRon Bland will Bust in 2024.

Who is DaRon Bland?

Coming into last season, you likely had never heard the name DaRon Bland. Don’t beat yourself up, not many people follow defensive players, and even fewer follow a second-year corner who originally was drafted in the fifth round. Bland had by all accounts a good rookie year. He had over 50 total tackles and five interceptions. If you are brave enough to have a corner on your team, a rookie corner is usually a good spot, and Bland provided a best-case scenario with his production on the field. So, a good rookie year is one thing, but how did the kid do in year two? He had arguably the greatest season any corner has ever had. Bland had 69 total tackles, nine interceptions, 15 defended passes, and SCORED 5 TOUCHDOWNS! If you want to talk about a league winner, look no further than the 2023 version of Bland. He broke the NFL record for interceptions returned for touchdowns, but also had a good tackle floor and a fantastic number of defended passes. This was a good enough resume to be in the top 20 of all players in IDP Fantasy Football.  

So What's the Problem?

Everything is great, right? He’s the GOAT at the position and will continue to improve upon those numbers! Unfortunately for IDP fans and Cowboys fans alike, I am saddened to say he will fall off the cliff this year, and you need to avoid him at all costs. There are various issues with players like Bland, who play the corner position. When you prove to teams that you’re a credible threat to disrupt the passing game, they flat-out avoid throwing your way. It is a compliment to your play when teams are scheming to avoid throwing the ball your way. Bland may be in the rarified air that some of the all-time greats were in at their peak. Darrelle Revis, Richard Sherman, Deion Sanders, and Charles Woodson were all players who, when given the opportunity 1-1 with receivers, had just as good of a chance at coming down with the ball as the offensive player. When teams noticed this, they did everything in their power not only to eliminate the opportunities these players had but, in some cases, didn’t target receivers matched up against them!  Maybe Bland isn’t at that caliber quite yet, but when you have 14 interceptions in just 33 games played, and you’re beginning to take them back for touchdowns, the NFL will adjust to your play style.

Fewer Opportunities

IDP Fantasy Football is a game predicated on statistical performance. To win, you must play many snaps, and you must contribute to the box score in some way. Corners are already in a hard-pressed position to get consistent snaps and stats in those snaps. Now factor in the previously mentioned scenario where Bland may not see as many balls come his way. This is a worst-case scenario for a player who finished as the third-ranked defensive back overall. Corners are only good when they have consistent tackle floors, and even then, they are a risky position to have on your roster.

In many cases, you can go to your IDP waiver wire and find big-name corners without a home due to the risk of them not showing up in the box score. If you show me a consistent top-10 defensive back who is a corner, they’re either having an outlier season like Bland produced last season, or they’re getting burned in coverage consistently and aren’t long for the NFL. The only exception we see is the rookie corner, who, despite the level of talent some have, will be tested by veteran quarterbacks, ensuring that you’ll have that tackle opportunity for the player. This is a lot of word salad to say: Don’t heavily invest in corners. Whether it is draft capital or trade acquisition, don’t get sucked into the vortex of a lockdown corner with name recognition.

But What About That Name Recognition?

Bland is a star player in the league now. He also happens to play for the team that is talked about the most in all of sports. That means there is an opportunity that someone would be interested in acquiring him, and I think all managers should let him go. He will NEVER achieve the numbers he did last season again. You will be selling him at the high point of his career, likely after acquiring him for mere pennies. There are Cowboys fans everywhere in the country, and if you look hard enough, you may find one in your league. If you do know a fan or two, I promise you they know who Bland is and likely wouldn’t mind having him on their roster.  So, get anything you can for Bland because I promise you, he will never be more valuable than he is right now. He had a season unlike any we’ve seen in a long time; don’t chase that in a second consecutive year. Be happy you were on the ride, but have someone else be responsible for the maintenance.

Closing

Shooting stars are one of life’s coolest events. They arrive when no one expects and are so bright and fast. Last season, IDP fantasy football saw a shooting star in DaRon Bland when he broke an NFL record for defensive touchdowns. Just like a shooting star, though, just as quickly as it appeared, it faded off and became a cool memory. Bland’s 2023 production is likely one of the fonder memories of the Cowboys defense that fans will have forever. But ask yourself this when making your decision with him this season: Can he produce that season ever again?

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