Cowboys Add Ballhawk to Practice Squad Who Could Help Replace DaRon Bland

The Dallas Cowboys received devastating news about their star cornerback DaRon Bland last week. One of the league's premier ballhawks is set to miss six to eight weeks following foot surgery. This creates a massive hole in the secondary. Caelen Carson was a training camp standout but at the end of the day, he is still a rookie. Trusting him to start immediately in Week 1 carries significant risks.

Therefore, the Cowboys are attempting to address the issue after the roster cutdown day. It's obviously extremely difficult to replace Bland's production, who had nine interceptions and five touchdowns last season, but the Cowboys may have found another ballhawk who could give them a somewhat close facsimile. According to Todd Archer of ESPN, Dallas is signing CB Amani Oruwariye to its practice squad.

NFL News: Cowboys Sign CB Amani Oruwariye

Oruwariye was once an intriguing prospect coming into the NFL. Thanks to his impressive junior and senior seasons at Penn State, he was a fifth-round pick of the Detroit Lions in the 2019 NFL Draft. After showing flashes in his rookie season, he became a full-time starter in 2020. He had the best season of his career in 2021 when he had six interceptions in 14 games before suffering a thumb injury that ended his season prematurely.

That season remains the high watermark of Oruwariye's pro career. He signed for the Giants in the 2023 offseason but mostly spent time on the practice squad before ending the season on the Jaguars.

Oruwariye is the second cornerback to be added to the Cowboys' practice squad roster after Kemon Hall. The Cowboys currently have Trevon Diggs, Caelen Carson, CJ Goodwin, Israel Mukuamu, and Andrew Booth Jr. as their cornerback rotation with Jourdan Lewis at nickel. Oruwariye will hope to get a chance at some point in the season and Bland's injury could provide him with that opportunity.

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