Getty Former Buccaneers LB Devante Bond
Whittled down to just four healthy linebackers, the Dallas Cowboys could be in the process of adding some insurance at the position.
“We’re definitely looking at guys and may have a prospect here showing up real quickly,” head coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday, December 29, via the Dallas Morning News.
Although the team has yet to announce any workouts, ESPN’s Todd Archer reported on December 28 that the Cowboys are “looking at” signing former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears LB Devante Bond.
“With Francis Bernard on the reserve/COVID-19 list and also dealing with a groin injury, the Cowboys are looking at LB Devante Bond, according to a source,” Archer tweeted. “He played for Tampa Bay and Chicago and would fill a special teams’ role.”
And indeed, Bond put pen to paper, joining the Cowboys’ practice squad on Wednesday, according to multiple media reports.
With Bernard sidelined and rookie Jabril Cox (torn ACL) out for the season, Bond — if promoted to the 53-man roster — will provide depth behind able-bodied ‘backers Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch, Keanu Neal, and Luke Gifford.
Cowboys signed LB Devante Bond to practice squad, giving them a fifth healthy linebacker in building behind Micah Parsons, Leighton Vander Esch, Keanu Neal and Luke Gifford. Francis Bernard is sidelined with COVID-19 and a groin injury. Jabril Cox tore ACL on Oct. 31.
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Background on Bond
The 28-year-old Oklahoma product entered the NFL as a 2016 sixth-round pick of the Buccaneers. Bond missed his entire rookie campaign due to a hamstring injury but made 14 appearances as a sophomore, starting two games.
Bond took his talents to the Bears in 2019 following a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, which precipitated his departure from Tampa Bay. He finished 2020 on Chicago’s practice squad and, his contract having expired, spent this season toiling on the free-agent market.
All told, Bond has recorded 39 tackles (31 solo) and two quarterback hits across 34 career games (six starts) — 384 total defensive snaps. He’s been a bigger contributor on special teams, with 482 snaps on that side of the ball.
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Quinn Praises Rookie Joseph
Absent primary slot cornerback Jourdan Lewis (Reserve/COVID-19 list), the Cowboys received a heroic effort from rookie CB Kelvin Joseph amid its Week 16 trouncing of the Washington Football Team.
Joseph, the 44th overall pick in last April’s draft, notched three solo tackles and two pass deflections, allowing one reception for negative-two yards on five targets in his coverage. It was only Joseph’s fifth game as a pro after he spent the first six weeks of the season on injured reserve — and it drew effusive praise from Dallas defensive boss Dan Quinn.
“I thought he played with a lot of confidence and I knew that he would,” Quinn said on Monday, December 27, via the official team website. “I thought he’d play well. He’s been preparing well in practice so you have a good chance when that comes to come up. But what I did like was at the line of scrimmage, and I think you guys probably saw that too, where he could really get his hands on somebody and lock them out. I thought he had a couple good tackles, in fact one a TFL on one of the swing screens. But for his first moment, it was exciting to see him get in and do all the things he’s been working on.”