The Dallas Cowboys did not get a grace period to start training camp. In just six practices, they’ve already lost several key players to injury, including left tackle Tyler Guyton, guard Robert Jones, tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford, and cornerback Caelen Carson.
Fortunately, the Cowboys have the numbers to get by until Guyton returns. It seems free agent signee Hakeem Adeniji will step in as the interim starter, with Asim Richards, Ajani Cornelius, Nathan Thomas and Matt Waletzko providing competition behind him.
The same cannot be said about cornerback, which is arguably in crisis mode after it was ruled Carson would miss 4-6 weeks after he hyperextended his knee in Sunday's practice. There aren't a lot of options out there, but veteran Rasul Douglas makes a lot of sense.
Cowboys should call Rasul Douglas after Caelen Carson injury news
Cowboys fans are champing at the bit for a Stephon Gilmore reunion. The front office should certainly be open to signing Gilmore if the money is right, but he visited The Star in April and left without a deal. He will also turn 35 in September.
Douglas, meanwhile, only turns 30 in August. He played almost exclusively on the outside with the Bills in 2023 and 2024, but he enjoyed arguably his best season in 2022 when he logged 198 snaps in the nickel (a career high) with the Packers.
Read more: Cowboys reporter reveals Tyler Guyton replacement plan (and fans won't love it)
That season, Douglas logged 13 passes defended and only allowed a 84.0 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus. He added 32 defensive stops and a robust 71.1 run-defense grade. He is a physical corner who is more than happy to get his hands dirty.
The Cowboys signed vet Christian Matthew on Tuesday, but he hasn't seen the field in the regular season since 2022. They need bodies, but they need proven players as well.
Carson will now enter the season without valuable reps after injuries limited him to six games as a rookie. Trevon Diggs is ahead of schedule in his knee rehab, but he's expected to miss the start of the season, while rookie Shavon Revel Jr. opened camp on the non-football injury list.
DaRon Bland is the only sure thing on the active roster. Kaiir Elam has shined all offseason, but he isn't exactly proven in the regular season.
Douglas would knock out two birds with one stone.