While the Cowboys weren't exactly quiet during free agency this spring, there is still plenty of work to do for this team that finished 7-10 in 2024.
Not only did they add some key players in free agency and via trades, but they also re-signed some of the core depth as well.
Still, there are other guys on this team that must take that next step in order for the Cowboys to be successful in 2025.
Today, we'll continue the Next Man Up series with cornerback Caelen Carson.
- Name: Caelen Carson
- Position: Cornerback
- Experience: 1
- Games Played/Starts: 6/5
- Years Left on Contract: 3
- How Acquired: 5th round (174th-overall pick), 2024 NFL Draft
- Key Stat: Logged 78% of defensive snaps in his 5 starts as a rookie
The Past: The Wake Forest product nicknamed "Seat Belt" received the call from the Cowboys on Day 3 of last year's draft because of his physicality and ability to lock down receivers for the Demon Deacons, and it didn't take long for him to cost at least one notable former draft pick his job — Eric Scott being waived later in the summer after Carson impressed in training camp. There was no time wasted in testing Carson against second- and first-teamers, and he acquitted himself exceptionally well, and to the point where he was named Week 1 starter in lieu of an injured DaRon Bland.
The Present: There's pressure, and then there's what Carson was up against when he took the field against the Cleveland Browns who, at the time, were a playoff-caliber team that featured none other than five-time Pro Bowl receiver, and former Cowboy, Amari Cooper as the lead receiver. All Carson did, and in short order, considering he had only recently discovered he'd be starting across from Trevon Diggs and along with Jourdan Lewis, was to help hold Cooper to only 16 receiving yards on two catches with no touchdowns in a convincing victory.
The Future: The needle on Carson was pointing due north following that dominant debut, but things got rocky thereafter and eventually derailed entirely. He'd suffer a shoulder injury that cost him time before trying to play through it unsuccessfully and, as such, he struggled at times on the field and looked little like the Week 1 version of himself en route to being placed on season-ending injured reserve in late November. With the departure of Lewis in free agency and the likelihood of Diggs missing a chunk of time to begin the season, the Cowboys are looking to Carson to again step up in a major way for Year 2, but to maintain consistency this time in both his health and his performances. He's lacking neither ability nor the dog mentality required to be an impact player at his position, and simply needs to piece it all together for Matt Eberflus.
