FRISCO, Texas — The plan for players like DaRon Bland and Donovan Ezeiruaku during OTAs is a fairly simple one constructed by Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys: steady as she goes, so to speak.
The plan is to not rock their respective boats before the time is necessary to do so, especially considering both are still waiting to get a medical green light to get back on the field.
"We've got a few guys that we're gonna be smart with," Schottenheimer said from OTAs on Thursday. "[Donovan Ezeiruaku and DaRon Bland, guys like that, you'll see them throughout the next couple weeks advance into more individual drills and stuff like that, but a few of those guys are gonna be really smart with."
Bland is working to get back to All-Pro form after the end of his 2025 season was derailed by a foot injury that required surgery to repair, one season after a previous foot injury cost him several games at the start of the 2024 campaign.
Ezeiruaku underwent surgery earlier this offseason to repair a labrum tear in his hip, and the Cowboys are leaning on his potential heavily going into Year 2 — the scheme being installed by new defensive coordinator Christan Parker highlighting some of Ezeiruaku's best abilities that made him the best pass rusher in the nation at Boston College ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
So while both are feeling great during OTAs, the Cowboys likely won't unleash them now or in mandatory minicamp in mid-June, but both are expected to dodge the team's PUP list and be available for the start of training camp in late July in Oxnard.
"Oh yeah, absolutely, yeah," Schottenheimer said. "Both guys are doing great. It's more of us taking precautions and being smart. You know, they both want to get out there, but, again, it's OTAs. It's more important that they're learning the scheme and system and all of that, as opposed to them going out there and getting a tea lunch."
There are a lot of question marks still present within the defense as Parker works to completely overhaul it, and two big ones can be answered by a healthy and high-performing Bland and Ezeiruaku.
