Cowboys Trade 'Door Open': Could Lions Buy Low on DaRon Bland?

The Dallas Cowboys may have done more than beat the Detroit Lions to Joey Porter Jr.

They may have created a potential trade partner in the process.

Detroit was "very much in" on Porter before Dallas acquired him from Pittsburgh, a pretty clear indication that the Lions were looking for help at cornerback. They didn't get Porter … but the Cowboys now have another starting-caliber option in a room that already includes DaRon Bland.

And that's where an admittedly strange hypothetical starts making a little more sense.

There is no report that Dallas is shopping Bland or that Detroit has called about him. But if the Lions still want secondary help, would they give up something like a fourth-round pick to take a chance on a former All-Pro whose value has cratered?

NFL teams have made those bets before.

Atlanta sent Detroit a fifth-round pick for former No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah in 2023 after injuries and uneven play derailed his first three seasons. New Orleans sent the Giants a fourth- and seventh-rounder for Eli Apple in 2018 after the former top-10 pick's time in New York had gone sideways.

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Bland would come with a better résumé than either. He would also arrive in the middle of a rough opening month.

The same cornerback who earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023 and set an NFL record with five interception returns for touchdowns currently owns a 55.5 PFF grade, ranking 72nd among 101 qualified corners. His 57.0 coverage grade ranks 63rd, quarterbacks have produced a 129.2 passer rating when targeting him and he has yet to record an interception.

That is why a fourth-rounder doesn't sound outrageous.

Now, again, let's tap the brakes here. .... in three ways, as our Mike Fisher points out in the above video.

1 - Jones said this week that "the door is open'' for another Porter-like trade. That suggests Dallas would want to add, not subtract.

2 - The owner also expressed faith in Bland, saying that Porter's presence would make DaRon a better player.

"I understand how our fans could be concerned (about Bland),'' he said. "But I'm not as concerned as you might think.''

3 - If Dallas did a deal like this, it would be "selling low'' - always a bad idea.

Nevertheless ...

Detroit wouldn't be paying for 2023 Bland. It would be betting that a 27-year-old with that season on his résumé can find some version of it again.

The Lions could afford the experiment, too.

Over The Cap currently lists Detroit with roughly $34.5 million in cap space. Bland's four-year extension included $90 million in new money and can reach $92 million through performance escalators, but Dallas already converted $10.75 million of his 2026 salary into bonus money.

That money has already been paid by the Cowboys. It wouldn't follow Bland to Detroit.

The larger decision would come next March. Bland is scheduled for a $12 million base salary and up to $1 million in per-game roster bonuses in 2027, with both set to become guaranteed March 17.

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Ironically, the contract might be a bigger problem for Dallas.

Because the Cowboys restructured Bland, moving him now would save only about $1.96 million against the 2026 cap. Dallas would also be staring at roughly $21.5 million in 2027 dead money from bonus proration already paid.

This wouldn't be much of a salary dump.

Then comes the football question: Would the Cowboys actually be better without him?

Not necessarily.

Porter has played one game for Dallas, while injuries to Cobie Durant and Shavon Revel Jr. were part of the reason the Cowboys needed another corner in the first place. Trading Bland immediately after creating some depth could leave Dallas one injury away from regretting it.

But Porter's arrival changes the calculation.

Dallas sent Pittsburgh a 2028 second-round pick and 2027 sixth-rounder for Porter. The Cowboys now have only four selections scheduled for 2027: a first, second, Pittsburgh's fourth and a seventh. Adding another fourth would begin replenishing a draft cupboard Dallas has spent from aggressively.

Detroit needs help. Bland needs a turnaround. Dallas suddenly has another outside corner.

That doesn't mean Jerry Jones should be calling Brad Holmes with an asking price.

But if Holmes called first and put a fourth-round pick on the table … the exploration of cap relief alone might mean Cowboys would at least have a reason to stay on the phone.

The best solution, however? Guide DaRon Bland back to where he's a play-making DB.