Dallas Cowboys: 5 Free agents who could start at cornerback
By Randy Gurzi
2. Bashaud Breeland
A former fourth-round pick out of Clemson in 2014, Bashaud Breeland and the Dallas Cowboys know one another very well. As a rookie, he was thrust into a starting role for the Washington Football Team and put himself on the map with a stellar performance against Dez Bryant, who was at the top of his game that season.
It was a Week 8 matchup and Breeland held Bryant to just three receptions. He also forced a fumble on a hit to DeMarco Murray and was a key reason Washington won that game in overtime. Breeland remained a starter for the rest of his time in D.C. but then struggled to find a home in free agency.
He didn’t sign with anyone until September of 2018 and wound up with a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers. He’s then played the past two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs on back-to-back one-year contracts.
There’s clearly a reason Breeland isn’t getting long-term deals but it’s not as if he’s a complete detriment to a team. He still has 88 starts in 94 career games and while he isn’t highly rated in run defense, he’s a solid coverage corner who excels in man-to-man.
He also has a nose for the ball with 14 interceptions (never having a full season without at least one and only one season with fewer than two) and six fumble recoveries. Breeland also has two career defensive touchdowns and will likely be starting for someone in 2021 — why shouldn’t that team be Dallas?