Matt Eberflus finds silver lining in Dallas Cowboys' injury woes

The Dallas Cowboys are just one week into training camp, and the injury bug has already plagued Oxnard. Several key Cowboys players have gone down with injuries, including two members of the 2024 NFL draft class, first-round pick Tyler Guyton and fifth-round selection Caelen Carson.

The Carson injury is especially brutal because the team is already thin at cornerback, with Trevon Diggs, Shavon Revel, and Josh Butler all sitting on the PUP/NFI lists as they recover from season-ending knee injuries suffered last year.

Add in Carson, and the Cowboys are looking for someone to step up in the defensive backfield.

MORE: Trevon Diggs injury update gives optimistic timeline for Cowboys return

On Tuesday, Dallas took a flyer on cornerback Christian Matthew, who spent a season under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus with the Chicago Bears, but the team would still benefit from some reinforcements.

But while the injuries and lack of depth are reasons for concern, Eberflus is finding the silver lining.

Chicago Bears cornerback Christian Matthew during warmups before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

While relying on backups and camp bodies is never an ideal situation, Eberflus loves that the the team can get first-team looks at some of the under-the-radar guys to see how they fit in with the team's top unit.

"I always look at that as an opportunity first, because you get a chance for the guys that are competing to step up and move into the ones or twos, which they wouldn't normally be if the starters are there," Eberflus said, via Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com.

MORE: Cowboys need Stephon Gilmore more than ever after Caelen Carson injury

You never know who can break out and become a star.

Entering the offseason, no one could have imagined the type of impact that Kaiir Elam would immediately have after being acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Bills. All Elam needed was a fresh start and a second chance to remind everyone why he was a first-round pick.

Buffalo Bills defensive back Kaiir Elam pulls in a throw as he works on individual drills. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

So, maybe, just maybe, there is a diamond in the rough waiting for their chance to run with the 1's and they will get it now that the opportunities are there for the taking.

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