The Cowboys aren’t exactly flush with depth right now at linebacker. With the position already thin due to existing health concerns from other players, Dallas has now lost veteran Devante Bond for the season after a major knee injury in last week’s practices.
Bond was a 6th-Round pick by Tampa Bay in 2016. He spent four seasons bouncing between the Bucs’ roster and practice squad, appearing in 29 games and starting six. He also spent some time with the Chicago Bears from 2019-2020.
The Cowboys signed Devante to their practice squad last December as they closed the season and prepared for the playoffs. He was re-signed in January to return and compete for a job.
Given his experience, Bond had a decent chance of making the team for at least the start of 2022. Right now your only locks to be on the active roster in Week One are Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch, and Luke Gifford.
Jabril Cox is expected back, having just recently declared that he should be healthy for the start of training camp. The Cowboys’ exciting LB prospect suffered his own season-ending knee injury last October.
Until Cox does return and prove he’s ready, though, Dallas has to think about other potential options. They also know that rookie Damone Clark, a 5th-Round pick last April, may not play at all in 2022 follow spine surgery. His best-case scenario is to be activated sometime late in the year and get some limited experience.
Devante Bond was the only other experienced option currently on the roster. The other hopefuls are all rookies; 6th-Round pick Devin Harper and undrafted free agents Aaron Hansford and Storey Jackson.
One mitigating factor here is the Cowboys’ use of safeties in a hybrid role. Jayron Kearse saw time last year from a traditional linebacker spot and UDFA Markquese Bell is also reportedly getting similar reps there. That flexibility will reduce the workload on the actual linebackers.
If Parsons, Vander Esch, Cox, and Gifford are all healthy for Week One then Dallas should be able to get by. But if they take anymore losses at the position, and especially to one of those four, then the Cowboys will likely be in the market for some additional talent.
