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Dallas Cowboys hope to turn a corner with Trevon Diggs, Kelvin Joseph - Todd Archer, ESPN.com
Trevon Diggs and Kelvin Joseph, or will Anthony Brown take a job?
FRISCO, Texas — At first glimpse, there appears to be a lot of similarities between Dallas Cowboys cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and Kelvin Joseph.
Both were second-round draft picks — Diggs in 2020; Joseph in April. Both played in the SEC — Diggs at Alabama; Joseph at LSU and Kentucky. Both have good size — Diggs is 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds; Joseph is 5-foot-11 and 197 pounds.
The Cowboys drafted both cornerbacks because of their abilities to make plays on the ball.
Diggs showed that last season, leading the Cowboys in interceptions (three) while starting 11 of the 12 games he played. Joseph had four in his nine-game season at Kentucky in 2020.
The Cowboys hope the similarities between the two continue through the end of the offseason program, into training camp and then the regular season.
Over the past two seasons, the Cowboys have found themselves in a transition at the cornerback spot with Byron Jones leaving after the 2019 season for the Miami Dolphins and Chidobe Awuzie leaving after the 2020 season for the Cincinnati Bengals — both as free agents. The Cowboys felt Jones’ price was too high to keep on the roster, and Awuzie had a disappointing season last year, mostly because of a hamstring strain.
Mailbag: Most Impressive Rookie DB? - David Helman, DallasCowboys.com
Nahshon Wright just keeps impressing people.
I realize it’s very early, but who so far has impressed the most of the rookie DBs: Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, Israel Mukuamu, Tyler Coyle? — ROBERT FERGUSON / CARROLLTON, TX
David: I promise I’m not blowing smoke. We’ve had a chance to watch two practices, and Nahshon Wright has shown up in both of them. His instincts are impressive, and he’s consistently contesting passes thrown his way. It doesn’t mean much in an unpadded practice, but it’s at least encouraging that he’s making the most of the opportunities he’s seeing.
Cowboys Should ‘Break The Bank’ To Sign All-Pro DT Geno Atkins - Timm Hamm, Cowboy Maven
The Cowboys could still use some veteran help in the middle of the defense.
The Cowboys have their 90 man training camp roster set, right? Not so fast. The club has taken a look at former Bengals captain and DT Geno Atkins.
Atkins was taken by the Bengals in the fourth round in 2010. He quickly established himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the game making his first of eight Pro Bowls in just his second year.
The 33-year-old was more of an afterthought for the Bengals in 2020, however, playing in just eight games. He suffered a shoulder injury prior to the start of the season, and it clearly limited his effectiveness.
It’s the end of an era in Cincinnati, but can it be the beginning of something special in Dallas?
Atkins has a checkup with Cowboys team doctor Dan Cooper in a few weeks and is expected to be cleared from a torn rotator cuff by July 1.
Atkins could certainly help shore up the Cowboys’ run defense, which last season ranked 31st in rushing yards allowed (2,541) and 26th in rushing touchdowns allowed (20).
The Cowboys have the cap space ($8.9M) to sign Atkins, who made $11M last season in Cincinnati but should be expected to sign for considerably less.
Tarell Basham is ready to write the next chapter with the Dallas Cowboys - Peter, Texas News Day
Tarell Basham is a sneaky good addition to this Cowboys defense.
After spending several seasons at the AFC, the Dallas Cowboys welcomed defensive end Tarell Basham in 2021 as part of a defense-improving solution.
Dallas — Defensive End Tarell Basham won’t start over at the Dallas Cowboys after signing a two-year contract with a free agency.
As he sees at the age of 27, his move to Dallas is a continuation of his journey, which began as a third-round nominee from Ohio in 2017.
“This will definitely be a new chapter from the previous chapter, but it’s the same book,” Basham told reporters on June 3. But one thing I want to say to everyone is that the toilets are different, so I’m still drinking the same thing, I just went to a different toilet, you know what I mean. We are moving. Up. “
After spending 2017-18 in Indianapolis Colts and playing 16 games, Basham played 42 games in the New York Jets from 2018 to 2020, starting 12 games. 6-4, 266 lbs edge rusher, 69 combined tackles, 8 lost tackles, 19 quarterback hits, 5.5 sack, 3 forced fumbles, fumble recovery, intercepts, 7 times Collected pass breakups, but Jets is in the worst category. NFL team in his span.
During the Adam Gase era, Jets recorded 9-23 and 2-14 in 2020.
“Crazy, I didn’t even know that the environment was like that,” Basham said. “I didn’t feel like that while I was there, but then going in this positive direction, top-down, everyone wins, from the office to the headquarters to the equipment staff. I’m looking forward to this building, you can feel it. That’s the difference. “
Summing up the good and the bad from the Cowboys 2021 OTA sessions - Tom Ryle, Blogging the Boys
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Dak is back
All eyes have been on Dak Prescott as he returns from his brutal ankle injury. While he is being held out of 11-on-11 work out of an abundance of caution, he has been doing everything else, including some nifty throws in 7-on-7.
If Prescott is 100% back, then the future is indeed bright. He is finally being recognized as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He is surrounded by some great weapons like CeeDee Lamb, featured above. His leadership and dedication are second to none. His loss last year doomed the season.
The grain of salt here is that he has not taken a hit, and probably will not take one until the Cowboys open the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and their impressive defense. We will all hold our breath the first time someone collides with him, and probably will every time after that all season. It does not seem likely that he will become overly cautious of his ankle. However, most of us have no idea what he went through. We think we have prime Dak again. The proof is yet to come.
Who Turned Heads At Thursday’s Practice? - Hek’ma Harrison, DallasCowboys.com
Who impressed the media in Thursday’s practice?
Dalton Schultz isn’t just keeping Blake Jarwin’s seat warm while he rehabs from an ACL injury. In fact, at Thursday’s minicamp Schultz played like a guy ready to shine in 2021. During team session Schultz ran excellent routes. In man coverage against Jaylon Smith, Schultz came close to making a one-handed catch that would have turned a lot of heads. Schultz will be a security blanket for Dak Prescott and proving his reliability may benefit the fourth-year veteran in a contract year.
La’el Collins: “I’m Just Starting To Feel Like Myself” - Matthew Lenix, Inside the Star
La’el Collins health could be key to the Cowboys offensive success.
The Dallas Cowboys were hit by the injury bug hard in 2020. One unit that suffered major damage was the offensive line and starting Right Tackle La’el Collins was hit the hardest after having to have hip surgery which kept him out for the entire season.
It couldn’t have happened at a worse time for Collins. Just before the 2019 season, he signed a five-year, $50 million dollar extension with $35 million in guarantees. He responded by looking like one of the best right tackles in the NFL, causing many to wonder why he didn’t make the Pro Bowl. Now, he’s returned to the practice field during OTAs as he gradually continues to progress during his rehab, and he mentioned recently how the grind to get back has him feeling like years past.
“To be honest with you, I’m just starting to feel like myself,” Collins said on Thursday. “And it feels good. I’m working overtime with treatment and physical therapy to make sure this goes right. All the hard work is definitely paying off.”
Coming off of the best season of his career, Collins was looking to further established himself as one of the best right tackles in the league in 2020. However, his hip had become a continuous nuisance and he had to do something about it.
“It was something that had been lingering for a while,” Collins said. “I couldn’t get down to what was going on. I kept working on it and it came down to the point where something had to be done.”
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