Cowboys news: No hurry for Earl Thomas, and more stories coming out of training camp

Cowboys apparently in no rush to sign Earl Thomas as market cools for former All-Pro - John Buhler, Fansided

The Cowboys are doing the smart thing and seeing what the deal is first.

On Adam Schefter’s ESPN podcast, he revealed some interesting information about how the Cowboys aren’t dropping everything they are doing to sign the former All-Pro defensive back of the Seattle Seahawks. Thomas spent last season as a member of the Baltimore Ravens. While he made his seventh trip to the Pro Bowl, his offseason has been tumultuous and he has been cut.

“I’m not getting the vibe initially that the Cowboys are rushing to do anything with him,” said Schefter on his podcast. “I think the market for Earl Thomas might not be as robust as some people seem to think. They want to know what happened in Baltimore, why that relationship went sour, the circumstances that led to his release.”

“And because of that, I don’t think teams are exactly rushing to go sign Earl Thomas at this point and time. I think teams are trying to get more information before they make any move, and I think Dallas is in that category, making calls across the league and not necessarily loving what they are initially hearing.”

Whatever happens between Cowboys and Earl Thomas, we’ll find out how big Mike McCarthy’s voice will be in Dallas - David Moore, DallasCowboys.com

It will be interesting to see how the Earl Thomas decision plays out, and how much Mike McCarthy is involved.

What happens here is about Mike McCarthy. It will give the latest glimpse of what type of team he wants to assemble and how he intends to assert himself in personnel decisions going forward.

One of many factors that intrigued McCarthy about joining the Cowboys was that he would be given a greater voice in the organization than he had in Green Bay. He would help shape and build consensus, not just enact management’s decisions while being held responsible for the consequences.

If McCarthy wants Thomas, he’ll be in a Cowboys uniform before the week is done. If not, the former Seattle star and Baltimore headache will need to seek employment elsewhere.

If the new head coach straddles the fence, if he maintains he’s fine whatever the decision and declares he can make it work either way, then it comes down to the Jones family. That’s when the calculation shifts.

The goal at that stage becomes the ability to strike a reasonable deal that insulates the club from financial harm, one that carries a high reward and minimal risk. This is where the Jones family must be careful. They have been known to fall in love with the contract more than the player at times.

Poe Discusses D-Line’s Potential, Anthem, More - DallasCowboys.com

Dontari Poe discussed a few different subjects in a recent interview.

But Poe, who has been working back from a similar injury suffered in Carolina last November, is still excited about the current defensive line group that includes two-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence and newcomers Everson Griffen and Aldon Smith.

“I think it will be great. I think it’s going to be amazing,” said Poe, who increased his practice work Sunday after coming off the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list a few days ago. “You named those guys who have a history of making a lot of plays. But guys like Ty Crawford and Antwaun Woods, those guys have been helping me a lot get acclimated to how we’re doing things.

“I like the defense. I like the scheme. I like the direction that the team is heading, as was explained to me before I got here, and when I did get here it all fit the same. I figured it was the best fit and it’s turned out to be so far.”

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Poe was also asked about the national anthem and his July comments to Bleacher Report that he was leaning toward kneeling this season. Poe has kneeled in the past to peacefully protest social injustice in the U.S. He said he looks forward to speaking with Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones about the subject.

“I do still plan on kneeling, but we haven’t had the conversation yet,” Poe said. “But we did have a team meeting where he kind of expressed a couple of feelings and he always told us that he has an open door for us to talk to him at any time, so I look forward to taking advantage of that and just getting in his ear and seeing how he’s feeling about it.”

Trying to Make Sense of Cowboys Murky Safety Situation - Jess Haynie, Inside The Star

The Cowboys are looking at all options at safety.

Between his former draft status, a past Pro Bowl trip, and his relationship with Mike McCarthy from Green Bay, Clinton-Dix felt like a safe bet to be a starter in 2020. But his fall from 1st-round grace appears to be continuing if Thompson is even close to challenging for the job.

That’s not to say Darian is a scrub. He was a 3rd-round pick by the Giants in 2016 who quickly earned a starting job but then struggled with injuries. He eventually found his way to the Cowboys during the 2018 season as a reclamation project and appears to be doing just that.

Of course, neither will probably be a starter if Earl Thomas ends up coming to Dallas. We should see Thomas and Xavier Woods atop the depth chart at that point.

But you see why previewing this position right now would be a farce; it could all change by later this afternoon. Thomas now looms over everyone and until he is confirmed to either be with Dallas or one of the 30 other possibilities, forecasting anything about the Cowboys safeties right now is a fool’s errand.

Connor Williams’ Long Offseason Is Paying Off - Staff Writers, DallasCowboys.com

Connor Williams is off to a strong start, but he’ll need to keep it up with a new staff on hand.

But even if you forgot about Williams’ injury, he obviously did not. Just nine months after suffering the injury, Williams is back in his usual spot in the lineup. The fact that he’s even available at all, let alone routinely getting practice reps, is a testament to some hard work.

“Obviously, it was a very long road,” Williams said on Monday. “First ACL and it’s a huge injury, so I didn’t really know what to expect at first. But slowly day by day, head down, grinded.”

Like many other Cowboys players before him, Williams had glowing praise for associate athletic trainer Britt Brown, who is the team’s Director of Rehabilitation. Even in an offseason that was shut down by a global pandemic, players who were recovering from injuries were allowed to use team facilities. So Brown was on hand throughout the spring to help Williams get back up to speed.

“I’ve been here all offseason doing rehab and recoveries and Britt Brown’s done a great job with me trying to get me back on the field,” Williams said. “I honestly feel really great right now and I feel better where I left off last year.”

The hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Asked about Williams during his Monday morning press conference, Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said he’s been very impressed with what he’s been able to do.

Trevon Diggs Showing he’s a Playmaker in Cowboys Training Camp - John Williams, Inside The Star

Diggs could end up being the biggest steal of the Cowboys 2020 draft.

After one week of training camp, they’ve found one in Trevon Diggs.

After yesterday’s practice, the Dallas Cowboys released a video of Trevon Diggs providing really nice coverage on veteran receiver Noah Brown on an “out and up.” Brown initially gets a bit of separation on the out part of the route, before Diggs reasserts his coverage as Brown heads upfield. Once he is stride for stride with Brown, Diggs plays with his back to Brown keeping a feel for where he is while watching the quarterback and the football the whole way.

On the contested catch, Brown gets two hands on the football, but Diggs in perfect coverage gets his hand in between Brown’s and rips the ball away as the two go to the ground. Sure, Brown isn’t an elite receiver and is battling for a roster spot, but that’s the kind of thing you want to see out of your rookie second-round pick. Excellent technique, confidence, and finishing.

Later in practice, Diggs found himself with another opportunity to make a play, this time attacking the football in the air and converting for the interception.

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There is a lot going on with the Cowboys right now. We discussed it all with The Athletic’s Jon Machota on the latest episode of Girls Talkin ‘Boys.

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