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Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs signs 5-year, $97M extension - Todd Archer, ESPN
The Cowboys can knock one contract issue off the list.
Not two hours after discussing the importance of keeping their homegrown talent on long-term deals, the Dallas Cowboys signed two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs to a five-year extension that sources said is worth $97 million and includes a $21.25 million signing bonus.
Diggs is guaranteed $42.3 million, a source said.
Diggs was scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season, but he is now signed through 2028. The deal can max out at $104 million if he hits on incentives.
The Cowboys picked Diggs in the second round of the 2020 draft, and he has 17 interceptions in his first three years. In 2021, Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions, tying a franchise record held by Everson Walls. That year, he became the first Cowboys cornerback to earn All-Pro honors since Deion Sanders in 1999.
Diggs had an interception in each of the first six games of the 2021 season to become one of four players to have a pick in that many games to start the season. As a rookie in 2020 and again last season, Diggs had three interceptions.
Lewis, Schoonmaker to start camp on injury lists - Nick Harris, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys got good news and bad news on the health front.
Jourdan Lewis (foot) will begin training camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List while Luke Schoonmaker (foot) will begin camp on the Non-Football Injury (NFI) List. Tony Pollard (leg) and Terence Steele (knee) are active and are expected to be available for the start of training camp on Wednesday.
Pollard will return to the field in full action on Wednesday after suffering a broken fibula in the playoff loss to San Francisco just six months ago. The 2022 Pro Bowler will play on the franchise tag this season after he did not agree on a long-term deal with the Cowboys ahead of the July 17 deadline.
Steele, who suffered a torn ACL and MCL in the week 14 win against Houston last season, worked off to the side with the training staff during OTAs and minicamp as he continued his recovery, and will now be ready to go full speed in Oxnard.
Lewis, who suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot during the week 7 win over Detroit last season, just recently started running again in recent weeks. Tuesday’s news on Lewis echoes what executive vice president Stephen Jones said in June in regards to him beginning camp on the PUP List.
Cowboys sign ex-USFL standout to training camp roster - Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
Cowboys filled the open roster spot with Josh Butler from the USFL.
Trevon Diggs isn’t the only cornerback who received a new deal from the Dallas Cowboys as they prepare to fire up 2023 training camp. For while that move secured the top of the totem, the decision to sign Josh Butler adds depth beneath Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis.
Butler, a former USFL standout of the Michigan Panthers, has agreed to terms on a new deal that will toss him into the CB competition — giving him a chance to prove himself at the NFL level.
Having found his way to the USFL by way of his career at Michigan State, he spent five years with the Spartans (including a redshirt freshman season) and finished his career there with 25 games played, producing 52 tackles (35 solo) and 11 pass deflections.
Look for Butler to match up against veterans like Nahshon Wright and Kelvin Joseph, amongst others (e.g., rookie sixth-round pick Eric Scott, Jr.).
Even the Cowboys, rich in their running back history, are adjusting to ‘less RB friendly’ NFL - Christina Huang, Yahoo Sports
The Cowboys are learning that running backs might not be worth the big investment.
Running backs have been integral to the franchise over the course of its history, but the Cowboys are refocusing their offensive priorities as the rest of the NFL does too.
“Obviously, this franchise has had some of the best running backs in the league. When you look at Tony Dorsett, you look at Emmitt Smith, you look at Zeke Elliott — we’ve had great running backs and great respect for that position,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said.
With Elliott gone, Dallas’ next running back is Tony Pollard, who earned his first Pro Bowl selection in a breakout 2022 season. The Cowboys placed their new RB1 on their franchise tag. Pollard will make around $10 million on the one-year deal.
“We tried to make a deal with Tony, it wasn’t something that worked for either one of us,” Jones said at training camp. “So we’re gonna play under the tag this year and respect that and we’ll see where we end up going forward.”
Dallas Cowboys’ all-time great isn’t happy with his contract - Lou Scataglia, NFL Spin Zone
The Zack Martin issue could cast a shadow over training camp.
This is something that we’ve seen for years; players not reporting to camp due to them being unhappy with their current contract. Most of the time, some type of resolution is made, and I would expect the same to happen with the Cowboys and Martin.
Dallas does seem to take care of their own for the most part. Martin, 32, has been an elite fixture along the Cowboys’ offensive line since 2014 when he was drafted. He’s made eight Pro Bowls and has earned six All-Pro nods. He was also named to the HOF All-2010s team as well.
He’s only missed nine games during his career and was, at one point, the highest paid guard in football. Well, as we all know, contracts get one-upped all the time in the NFL with the rise in the salary cap, so Martin’s current deal, which is worth $14 million per year, ranks fourth among right guards and eighth overall among all guards.
If nothing else, the Dallas Cowboys have usually always had a strong offensive line in their recent history, and I think it’s become part of their identity. They’ve had Martin as the best player on that OL for years, and without him in the lineup, this OL looks totally different.
According to overthecap.com, a restructure of Martin’s contract would save Dallas just $401k this year but does save them $8.5 million next year.
Overthecap.com also states that the Cowboys have the fourth-most cap space in the NFL currently with over $20 million. Honestly, I’m not sure why the Dallas Cowboys would not do something here.
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