Cowboys news: Now at full health, Shavon Revel Jr. has a big opportunity

Shavon Revel feels ‘100 percent’ and looking to grow under Christian Parker – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com

Shavon Revel’s draft pedigree paired with new DC Christian Parker’s experience developing talented draft prospects could pay off in a big way for the Cowboys secondary in 2026.

“It’s very beneficial,” Revel said of being healthy during the offseason. “Just because I can clean up a lot of things, a lot of errors I didn’t see last year, or I did see last year, that I could clean up this year.”

“We’ve got a new coaching staff, they’re very detailed and very technical. When it comes to things, each day is intentional to get better. That’s what I feel like I’ve been doing. Of course there’s some things I need to work on. My knee is 100%, so now it’s time to focus on situational ball and I’ve got to see what I need to fix or get better at.”

Now in town to help Revel grow in situational ball is Dallas’ new defensive coaching staff led by defensive coordinator Christian Parker, whose resume of developing cornerbacks includes the likes of Patrick Surtain, Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell among others.

At the NFL Combine earlier this year, Parker recalled he and Revel meeting in a combine interview the year prior while he was in Philadelphia. Now that the two are working together, it seems their plans for improvement align.

“He has a hell of a story,” Parker said. “Football means a lot to him, and he wants to work hard at it, so I think that’s where it starts. He has that built in his mind. Physically, his traits, the height, the speed, the power, he has all of that. So now it’s about just working form the neck up in terms of how the position needs to be played.”

4 key Cowboys defenders showing improved health – Dan Rogers, Blogging The Boys

Revel isn’t the only Cowboys cornerback in better health and looking to lead the defensive turnaround.

DaRon Bland

The injury: Bland has been dealing with foot issues for the better part of two seasons. It first surfaced in the form of a stress fracture in his left foot during training camp in 2024. He underwent immediate surgery and was sidelined for the first 10 weeks of the season, finally returning in late November. Bland played the final seven games of the season without issue. Last season, he endured another foot injury, this time to the right foot. It was only a sprain, and he only missed two games early in the season. Unfortunately, he reaggravated his left foot as his initial stress fracture flared up. The Cowboys placed him on injured reserve, shutting him down for the final three games of the season. He underwent a second surgery on his left foot in January.

The progress: Bland has not been given the medical green light, as the team is proceeding cautiously, but reports indicate his lateral movement looks good in OTAs this past week. The expectation is that he’ll be a full go when mandatory minicamp officially opens on June 15th.

The outlook: Upon his return, Bland will play a key role in Christian Parker’s defense. He possesses sharp zone instincts and will use his closing ability to bait quarterbacks and jump routes. He has inside/out flexibility as he has excelled in both roles, but he’ll serve as one of the team’s starting boundary corners.

Shavon Revel Jr.

The injury: The second-year cornerback missed the first nine games last year as he was still recovering from an ACL injury he suffered at the beginning of his final college season in 2024. The injury was one of the main reasons this promising talent fell to the third round in last year’s draft. Last July, he suffered a minor setback when the knee flared up as he was ramping things up. This delayed his pro debut until mid-November in a Monday night game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Revel Jr. played a total of seven games, slowly raising his snap counts before suffering a concussion late in the year, forcing him to miss the final game of the year.

The progress: Despite returning to the field last year, the rookie showed some clear trust issues with his knee. His mobility was stiff at times, and he just didn’t show that same explosiveness. Nothing about this was surprising. Now, Revel Jr. is moving well. The protective leg brace is no more, and he was seen at OTAs looking significantly more fluid in his movement.

The outlook: With no medical restrictions, he’s a full go. His length and speed are going to be nice weapons for Parker and his scheme as Revel Jr. will battle for the other boundary corner spot, opposite Bland. Free agent Cobie Durant is also in the mix and is the utility of sorts corner who can handle outside and the slot. And we shouldn’t forget about third-year corner Caelen Carson, who has caught the attention of the coaches, consistently making plays on the ball. He, too, is returning from a knee injury.

Cowboys scout hints 3rd-round pick about to leap off TV in new role – Todd Brock, The Cowboys Wire

The Cowboys depth chart at linebacker is crowded, but moving to a pass-rushing position will give Marist Liufau a better chance to stand out.

On the Doin’ Alright podcast, hosts Bryan Broaddus and Voch Lombardi sat down last week for a wide-ranging interview with Cowboys national scout Ross Wuensche as their guest. And though their conversation touched on a multitude of players and topics, it was Wuensche’s words about a Cowboys underachiever who many had been ready to write off that should only add to the optimism around the Dallas defense for 2026.

“He balled out yesterday,” Wuensche said of converted outside linebacker Liufau. “He looks good. He looks like he’s put on a little weight.”

The third-round pick from Notre Dame had high expectations pinned to him when he was taken as a top-100 pick in 2024’s draft. But Liufau has yet to really break through at the pro level.

Some of it has been lack of opportunity. While Liufau has appeared in all 34 games the Cowboys have played since he joined the team and made 14 starts, he’s been on the field for 50% or more of the defense’s snaps in just six of those contests.

Draft slot speaks to potential. Stats quantify performance. But snap count reveals whether the coaches actually believe. It can be argued that when it comes to Liufau, they largely haven’t.

And that’s also been a part of Liufau’s struggles up to now. The 25-year-old is on his third defensive coordinator in as many years. Liufau often looked lost under the 4-3 schemes of Mike Zimmer and (especially) Matt Eberflus, but the retooling to more of a 3-4 look under Christian Parker may be the thing that gets the Hawaiian-born heat-seeking missile pointed in the right direction.

The Dallas Cowboys remain a strong trade candidate for All-Pro defender, and it makes sense for everyone – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports

Even after drafting Jaishawn Barham and trading for Dee Winters in April, the Cowboys ties to another veteran linebacker won’t go away.

Cowboys named top landing spot for LB Jordyn Brooks

In an article listing the Top 5 trade candidates at this stage of the NFL offseason, Auman listed Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks. And his top landing spot for him? The Cowboys.

“He’s in the final year of his contract, making a reasonable $8 million,” Auman wrote. “It’s possible Miami wants to keep him as one key piece, but it should be active enough in 2027 free agency that it won’t be able to get a compensatory pick for losing him.”

On Miami’s side, it makes a lot of sense. The Dolphins’ offseason has been all about gearing up for the future, letting go of players such as QB Tua Tagovailoa, WR Jaylen Waddle, WR Tyreek Hill, and EDGE Bradley Chubb.

Why Jordyn Brooks makes sense for the Cowboys

I don’t think I have to convince anyone when I say the Cowboys could use more linebacker help. By the way, the Cowboys were reported to have discussed a trade for Brooks earlier in the offseason.

The coaching staff is confident in DeMarvion Overshown, Dee Winters, Shemar James, and even rookie Jaishawn Barham spearheading the position. But depth is a serious question, especially considering Overshown’s extensive injury history.

Brooks is fresh off of a first-team All-Pro season after leading the NFL in tackles with 183.

Malachi Lawrence deal headlines week 1 of OTAs, what to watch in week 2 – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star

A lot has been made about the Cowboys announcing there’s a bit of a competition for the starting left tackle job, between Nate Thomas and Tyler Guyton.

Guyton Or Thomas

Let’s cut right to the chase on this one. I am glad head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the starting left tackle position is wide open.

Tyler Guyton and Nate Thomas are both battling this offseason for the starting spot, but the issue is, I don’t think either of them are much better than the other and that sucks to say because one of them has to be the blind side for Dak.

I knew that Tyler Guyton would need a strong breakout type year, and the fact that he is already being pressured by Nate Thomas for the starting left tackle spot is either a good thing or a bad thing.

On the surface, it will probably make Guyton stay focused and put in the work that we know he has but struggle to stay constant.

Even when healthy, though, Guyton’s been far too inconsistent to be trusted to be the blind side blocker for Dak Prescott or whoever is playing the position.

He was flagged a whopping 25 times in as many games, 21 of which were accepted by the opposition.

When you take a look at Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys OL led the league with a total of 133 penalties.

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