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Trevon Diggs

Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs Battling Torn Calf

November 1st, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

Trevon Diggs‘ run on his second Cowboys contract has not gone especially well. The former All-Pro cornerback entered this season after an extensive rehab effort, one stemming from an ACL tear suffered during an early-season practice last year. Diggs now looks likely to miss more time.

The fifth-year player has not practiced this week, and Jerry Jones said during his latest 105.3 The Fan appearance (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) that a calf tear is behind the absence.

While it appears Diggs will not play against the Falcons on Sunday, Jones’ news drop comes after the highly paid cover man played 99% of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps in Week 8. Diggs returned from his ACL rehab during training camp, being activated off the active/PUP list. He has played in all seven Cowboys games this season. That said, Jones added (via Machota) he is not sure Diggs will miss the Atlanta contest. Though, three DNPs often signal an absence. Diggs’ Friday status has not been determined yet.

Jones’ refusal to rule out Diggs comes as DaRon Bland, whom the Cowboys activated off IR this week, is still experiencing pain in his surgically repaired foot. Bland suffered a foot fracture during camp, and while he had progressed to full practices, the 2023 All-Pro — who moved to the outside position after Diggs’ September 2023 injury — has not practiced this week. Bland is back on Dallas’ 53-man roster, as he would have been shuttled to season-ending IR had the Cowboys not made that activation this week.

The Cowboys gave Diggs a five-year, $97MM extension before training camp last summer. Diggs, 26, made it through two games before the knee injury ended his season. The former second-round pick, who had become the first player to reach the 11-INT mark in a season since the Cowboys’ Everson Walls did so in 1981, has cultivated a boom-or-bust reputation at corner. This season, Pro Football Focus has the Alabama alum slotted 95th at the position.

Boom-or-bust also accurately labels the Cowboys’ 2020s run at corner. Each of the team’s current top three (Diggs, Bland, Jourdan Lewis) has sustained a significant injury in the recent past, with Lewis going down with a Lisfranc injury deemed career-threatening. The Cowboys also missed on second-round pick Kelvin Joseph and did not re-sign Stephon Gilmore this offseason; the Dallas one-and-done CB landed in Minnesota.

The Cowboys, who sit 3-4 as their offensive and defensive units rank outside the top 20, also have not seen Micah Parsons return to practice. The All-Pro edge rusher has missed three games with a high ankle sprain. DeMarcus Lawrence remains on IR with his Lisfranc issue.

Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs Off PUP List

July 30th, 2024 at 12:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trevon Diggs‘ recovery from an ACL tear sustained during practice has reached a key stage. The All-Pro cornerback is ready to practice once again. He is officially off Dallas’ active/PUP list.

The Cowboys had nearly a month to activate Diggs from their active/PUP list, a training camp-only designation, but his being ready before August represents a positive direction for this particularly rehab odyssey. Team officials, per the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, have been confident Diggs will be ready for Week 1. Today’s activation certainly points to a return on time.

Dallas managed to remain a top-tier defense despite losing the former 11-interception player early last season. DaRon Bland delivered a ballhawk season for the ages, setting an NFL record with five pick-sixes. The Cowboys now have 11- and nine-INT players rostered at corner, and they are close to playing together once again. Dallas has planned a Diggs-Bland-Jourdan Lewis trio at the position under new DC Mike Zimmer, and the veteran coach will see his top troops together for the first time.

It sounds like the Cowboys will ease Diggs back into action, per ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. That makes sense given that the fifth-year corner is just more than 10 months removed from the injury. Diggs going down so early last season helps him on this front, and the injury did not end up costing him any value. The Cowboys extended the former second-round pick during last year’s training camp, and the injury soon made signing early — as opposed to playing out his rookie contract — an important decision.

Diggs, who will turn 26 in September, earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2021 — after he became the first 11-INT player since Cowboys then-rookie Everson Walls in 1981. Diggs parlayed that season into a five-year deal worth $97MM. That still ranks fifth among CBs. In terms of AAV, this year’s batch of cornerback accords — for the likes of Jaylon Johnson, L’Jarius Sneed and Tyson Campbell — did not eclipse that. Though, each of the three 2024 big-ticket CB extension recipients outdid Diggs for guarantees.

The team has not re-signed Stephon Gilmore, who remains a free agent. But Zimmer will soon see how the Diggs-Bland-Lewis trio looks in practice. Diggs has started 46 games for the Cowboys, becoming one of the team’s many draft finds in recent years. The Alabama alum will hope to join Lewis in putting an injury-marred chapter behind him.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/25/24

July 25th, 2024 at 7:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Placed on active/PUP list: FB Robert Burns

Carolina Panthers

  • Waived/injured: DT Popo Aumavae

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

  • Cut via injury settlement: WR Jared Wayne

Minnesota Vikings

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Signed: WR Griffin Hebert
  • Waived from active/NFI list: T Gottlieb Ayedze

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: WR Ty Scott
  • Waived: CB Andrew Whitaker
  • Activated from active/NFI list: LB Easton Gibbs

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: TE Sal Cannella

Tennessee Titans

Via this transaction, the Jets are temporarily moving Reddick off their 90-man roster. Unlike placements on the active/PUP or active/NFI lists that are commonplace in July, Reddick is technically out of the mix for the Jets until his holdout ends. The trade acquisition has not shown up at any point since being traded to the Jets in March.

Diggs suffered a torn ACL during a late-September practice. He is not expected to be sidelined past Week 1, but the Cowboys will not have him at practice for a bit.

Levin has been a Titans backup for most of the past six seasons, playing regularly on special teams and starting four games during his career. An interior O-lineman, Levin played the past two seasons on one-year Tennessee deals. This marks yet another chance for Ray, a Broncos first-rounder back in 2015. This agreement comes after Ray worked out for the Titans in May. Ray, 31, spent time with the Bills during the 2023 offseason but has not played in a regular-season NFL game since 2018.

Latest On Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs

June 6th, 2024 at 1:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

Trevon Diggs‘ 2023 campaign came to an unexpected end. The Cowboys’ highest-paid corner suffered an ACL tear during a September practice, sidelining him and leaving the team shorthanded in the secondary.

The 25-year-old is making progress in his recovery. To little surprise, though, Dallas will take a cautious approach with him in terms of usage during this offseason. It remains to be seen if Diggs will be available once training camp begins in July.

“Maybe,” the former second-rounder said when asked about his training camp readiness (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News). “Maybe not. But I’m feeling comfortable. I feel good.”

Diggs’ injury left the Cowboys notably thin at the cornerback spot even with Stephon Gilmore playing at a high level and DaRon Bland enjoying an historic season in terms of pick-sixes. The latter is still on the books for two more years, but the former is among the most high-profile players still on the open market. Gilmore has expressed a willingness to re-sign in Dallas, but little movement has been seen in his case this offseason.

Even if the former Defensive Player of the Year lands elsewhere in free agency, expectations will be high for the Cowboys after they ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards against last season. A healthy Diggs would certainly help the team given his status as one of the league’s top ballhawks. The Alabama product has racked up 18 interceptions and 52 pass breakups in 47 games, figures which helped him secure a five-year, $97MM extension last summer.

Three other Cowboys – linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, tight end John Stevens and receiver David Durden – also suffered ACL tears last year. Like Diggs, their respective rehabs are progressing with an eye on a patient approach from the team’s perspective. Diggs is nevertheless currently in a good place with respect to his recovery.

“We’ll respect the timeline, but Trevon looks great,” head coach Mike McCarthy said. “He’s in a good spot…. As far as when he gets back, let’s be honest, we’re going to be very cautious with those guys. We’re not going to put them out there too soon. Better later than too fast.”

If Diggs is not fully recovered by the beginning of training camp, he will be a candidate for the active/PUP list. Players can be activated from that list at any time during the summer, and the point at which the Cowboys do so with Diggs (if necessary) will be a key storyline to follow.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/23/23

September 23rd, 2023 at 7:55pm CST by Adam La Rose

Here are the various practice squad elevations and other minor moves from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

  • Signed to active roster: LB Sam Eguaveon
  • Elevated: OL Chris Glaser

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs Suffers ACL Tear In Practice

September 21st, 2023 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Trevon Diggs suffered a knee injury in practice Thursday, and it will deal a considerable blow to their vaunted defense. The All-Pro defender left Dallas’ facility today on crutches and went through an MRI, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports the MRI revealed an ACL tear. The Cowboys have since confirmed Diggs is expected to miss the season’s remainder.

Diggs went down during a one-on-one drill, per ESPN’s Todd Archer, and an NFL.com report minutes earlier expressed the fear of a serious injury. The Cowboys gave Diggs a five-year, $97MM extension during training camp. While this development highlights the importance of Diggs locking in that deal when he did, it strips Dan Quinn‘s defense of a quality starter.

Through two games, Diggs had intercepted a pass and notched a forced fumble. He is two years removed from an 11-interception season — the most in a single slate since Everson Walls’ Cowboys rookie year produced 11 in 1981 — and had just begun his age-25 season. Diggs turned 25 on Wednesday.

The Cowboys began to build their cornerback group around Diggs early, drafting him after letting Byron Jones walk in 2020. A second-round pick out of Alabama, Diggs became an immediate starter. He has developed an earned reputation as a gambler; Pro Football Focus has yet to assign him a top-40 grade for a season. Nevertheless, the 6-foot-1 cover man resides as a key starter for a Cowboys team that entered the season carrying Super Bowl aspirations.

Routs of the Giants and Jets gave the Cowboys a staggering plus-60 point differential ahead of Week 3. The team had assembled a stronger cornerback group this year, acquiring Stephon Gilmore via trade. The Cowboys will depend on the 33-year-old corner remaining in form this season, as they no longer will have Diggs teaming with the former Defensive Player of the Year. Gilmore’s Colts-constructed contract expires after this season.

This also continues a trend for the Cowboys, who lost Jourdan Lewis and Anthony Brown to season-ending injuries last year. Brown is now with the 49ers; Lewis remains with the Cowboys. Lewis, 28, suffered a Lisfranc fracture in October 2022. The seventh-year veteran made his season debut in Week 2, playing 10 defensive snaps. In addition to Lewis, the Cowboys have Noah Igbinoghene — acquired in a corner-for-corner trade that sent Kelvin Joseph to the Dolphins — and sixth-round rookie Eric Scott Jr. rostered. DaRon Bland remains as Dallas’ top slot corner. Nahshon Wright is on Dallas’ IR; he can return in Week 5.

Bland moving outside to team with Gilmore, while Lewis steps back into the slot, represents a potential course of action for the team, Archer adds. This plan looks set to be how Dallas will align their corners after this injury, with Moore and NFL.com’s Jane Slater adding Lewis is on track to move back into the starting lineup. Lewis, who will kick Bland outside, played at least 74% of Dallas’ defensive snaps from 2019-21. Lewis remains attached to a three-year, $13.5MM deal agreed to in 2021. This will be new territory for Bland, in the NFL at least; he stepped in for Brown in the slot when the latter suffered an Achilles tear in December of last year.

The Cowboys identified Diggs as an extension candidate going into camp; he joined CeeDee Lamb and Terence Steele as such. Steele followed Diggs by signing a lucrative extension. Lamb’s fifth-year option always made him a more logical 2024 extension target. The Cowboys guaranteed Diggs $33.3MM at signing; an additional $9MM is guaranteed for injury. Diggs’ $19.4MM AAV ranks fifth among corners.

Signing the deal effectively ties Diggs to the Cowboys for two seasons, with 2025 representing an escape hatch. The Cowboys will presumably hope for a longer-term partnership, but Diggs now must go through a several-month rehab process. Considering the opportunity the Cowboys have this season, it would not surprise to see them dig deeper into the trade market to see if an upgrade exists. For now, they are without one of their core performers.

Injury Notes: Zylstra, Cowboys, Giants, Kancey

July 31st, 2023 at 9:46pm CST by Ben Levine

Shane Zylstra will likely miss the upcoming season thanks to a knee injury. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the Lions tight end suffered a “serious and significant” knee injury that will keep him off the field for six months.

Rapoport notes that Zylstra is set to undergo more tests “but there isn’t a lot of optimism.” As Justin Rogers of the Detroit News tweets, the tight end suffered the injury while taking a “low shot” during a red zone drill.

Zylstra emerged as one of Jared Goff‘s favorite red zone targets in 2022. The tight end finished the season with only 11 catches for 60 yards, but four of those receptions were touchdowns. The Minnesota State product had another three catches during his rookie campaign.

Fortunately for Detroit, the team has some depth at tight end. The organization used a second-round pick on Sam LaPorta, and the rookie is expected to slide right into the starting lineup. The team is also rostering the likes of Brock Wright, James Mitchell, and Derrick Deese.

More injury notes from around the NFL…

  • A bruised toe has kept Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs off the practice field, Mike McCarthy told reporters (via Jon Machota of The Athletic on Twitter). The injury isn’t serious, and it sounds like the coaching staff is simply playing it safe with the star defender. Elsewhere in Dallas, tight end Luke Schoonmaker revealed that he’s dealing with a partial tear of his plantar fascia (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News on Twitter). The rookie said the injury is more challenging to deal with than a complete tear, but the player is still hopeful he’ll be able to return to the practice field in a week or two.
  • It sounds like Giants backup offensive lineman J.C. Hassenauer is set to miss a significant chunk of the upcoming season, if not the entire campaign. Coach Brian Daboll told reporters that Hassenauer injured his triceps and will require surgery (via Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News on Twitter). The lineman is expected to be sidelined “long term.” Second-round rookie John Michael Schmitz is expected to lead the depth chart, but Hassenauer’s injury could open opportunities for Jack Anderson and Shane Lemieux.
  • There was a scare at Buccaneers practice today when first-round defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was carted off the field with a leg injury. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that an MRI showed nothing serious, but the Buccaneers may still take it easy on the rookie so he’s ready to go for the start of the season. Per ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the Buccaneers organization had been thrilled with Kancey’s preparation for his first professional season. “He’s adapting to the scheme mentally, and then he was adding his physical part to it,” coach Todd Bowles said (via Laine). “He’s putting it together quicker than normal rookies do. So hopefully it’s not that bad and he can get back.”
  • Texans fullback Troy Hairston was carted off the field today with an undisclosed injury, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston (via Twitter). The former edge rusher went undrafted out of Central Michigan last year but caught on with the Texans. He changed positions to fullback and beat out Andy Janovich for the starting gig, resulting in Hairston getting into 16 games for the Texans last season.

NFC East Notes: Barnett, OL, Cowboys, Giants

July 28th, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Derek Barnett is coming off a season that ended one game in due to an ACL tear. The Eagles also used a first-round pick on edge rusher Nolan Smith, crowding their depth chart. Barnett remains on the roster, but the team has since reached a pay-cut agreement with the former first-round pick. Barnett agreed to reduce his base salary from $7.5MM to $3.5MM, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, noting that the $3.5MM figure will be guaranteed. That marks a bump in guarantees from Barnett’s previous locked-in number for this season ($1.5MM), but the max value of the new deal is $6MM — down $2.5MM from its previous number.

Barnett signed a two-year, $14MM deal to stay with the Eagles in 2022. Even though the team has since re-signed Brandon Graham and drafted Smith to join a group housing Haason Reddick and Josh Sweat, Barnett’s contract should give him a decent chance to stay on the team. Due to the void years the Eagles included in his deal, a release would lead to a $12.7MM dead-money charge. Should the 27-year-old defensive end indeed make the 53-man roster, this will be his seventh season in Philly.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • In a bit of news that might prove relevant re: Joe Burrow, the Cowboys are going to be without one of their starting safeties for a stretch. Donovan Wilson suffered a calf strain that ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes could sideline him for 4-6 weeks (Twitter link). Wilson, who re-signed with Dallas this offseason, still has a chance to return in time for the opener. After years with questions at safety, the Cowboys — when at full strength — have a nice setup with Wilson, Malik Hooker and Jayron Kearse.
  • The Cowboys did not use void years in Trevon Diggs‘ five-year, $97MM extension, and the cornerback’s cap number will vault from $5.8MM to $16.3MM from 2023 to 2024. Additionally, Archer notes Diggs’ 2025 base salary ($9MM) will become guaranteed in March of that year (Twitter link). Should this deal not pan out, that March trigger gives the Cowboys an escape hatch of sorts. They can cut bait for $12.8MM in dead money in 2025.
  • While the Eagles will provide Cam Jurgens with some competition — from third-round rookie Tyler Steen — Zach Berman of The Athletic notes the 2022 second-rounder is the frontrunner to replace Isaac Seumalo at right guard (subscription required). Jurgens is viewed as the Jason Kelce heir apparent, a title that briefly belonged to now-LG starter Landon Dickerson, but his 2023 place is at guard. Steen is attempting to convert from a college tackle, having started outside at Vanderbilt and Alabama. Jurgens played just 35 offensive snaps as a rookie, working behind the Dickerson-Seumalo-Kelce trio.
  • On the subject of positional frontrunners, it looks like the Giants‘ inside linebacker spot alongside Bobby Okereke is Darrian Beavers‘ to lose. Now that Jarrad Davis is on IR, the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy offers that Beavers is favored to win the job over fellow 2022 draftee Micah McFadden. Beavers was informed Tuesday he would have the first crack at the job, Dunleavy adds. Because Beavers suffered a torn ACL during the preseason last year, McFadden — a fifth-round pick — started seven games. A sixth-rounder, Beavers will have a chance to turn his offseason rehab into a starting role.
  • The Giants also recently worked out linebackers Nick Vigil and Sam Eguavoen, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Big Blue, which worked out Deion Jones this spring, also recently placed linebacker Elerson Smith on IR. Vigil is a seven-year veteran with 53 starts — for the Bengals, Chargers, Vikings and Cardinals — on his resume. Eguavoen spent the past four seasons with the Dolphins.
  • Offseason Giants signee Rakeem Nunez-Roches suffered a concussion in a car accident this week, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. The accident occurred when the veteran defensive lineman was leaving the team facility. No other injuries emerged from the crash. Nunez-Roches accompanied A’Shawn Robinson as veteran D-linemen to join the Giants in free agency.

Cowboys, Trevon Diggs Agree To Extension

July 25th, 2023 at 10:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

5:10pm: Providing an update to the max value of the pact, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets that is it actually $100MM, rather than $104MM. While that lowers Diggs’ ceiling slightly, he is still assured of a signficant windfall through this deal. ESPN’s Todd Archer notes that the extension includes $43.2MM in guaranteed money (Twitter link).

2:28pm: The Cowboys have taken care of an important piece of business with one of their top young players. Cornerback Trevon Diggs has agreed to terms on a five-year, $97MM extension (Twitter link via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero).

Pelissero adds that the contract has a maximum value of $104MM, and that Diggs will receive a signing bonus of $21.25MM. The 24-year-old is set to enter the final year of his rookie contract, so today’s deal means he will now be on the books through 2028 as one of the league’s highest-paid corners.

The $19.4MM annual base value of the pact matches that of the Saints’ Marshon Lattimore. By reaching incentives, Diggs will be able to join the three-member CB group which averages over $20MM in annual compensation. His three-year tenure in Dallas has established himself as one of the league’s top ballhawks, and the team has recognized that with this deal.

Diggs has racked up 17 interceptions in his career, including a league-leading 11 in 2021. His ball production has resulted in 49 pass deflections as well, making him an obvious candidate for a lucrative pact. The Alabama product earned a second straight Pro Bowl nod last season, despite his coverage statistics taking a step back from what they were in his first two years.

The former second-rounder was named as one of the up-and-coming producers the Cowboys intended to extend ahead of training camp. To no surprise, they have worked out a deal just in time for camp to open up, and Diggs can be penciled in for a continued starting role opposite trade acquisition Stephon Gilmore in the short-term, and as an anchor of Dallas’ secondary for years beyond that.

Wideout CeeDee Lamb and right tackle Terence Steele are also names to watch with respect to new deals being worked out in the near future. The former is on the books through next season via the fifth-year option, which likely helps explain why Diggs’ deal has been worked out first. The team’s corner room has its leader in place for the long-term future as a result. While the Cowboys have a more complicated situation on their hands with one of their veteran leaders, a member of the team’s young core has been rewarded with multi-year stability.

Cowboys Eyeing CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs, Terence Steele Extensions In 2023

July 18th, 2023 at 1:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys’ top extension candidates have come up on multiple occasions this year. While the team has options with each beyond this year, the goal looks to be new deals before heading into the 2024 offseason.

CeeDee Lamb, Trevon Diggs and Terence Steele remain on Dallas’ extension radar, and ESPN.com’s Todd Archer notes the team will look to use training camp to hammer out deals with each. Lamb’s contract runs through 2024, via the recently exercised fifth-year option, while Diggs is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Steele is tied to a second-round RFA tender.

This will not be an easy mission. Diggs’ reputation as a boom-or-bust gambler in coverage notwithstanding, the former second-round pick has a first-team All-Pro nod on his resume — for an 11-interception season — and does not have an extensive injury history. Diggs has missed one game over the past two years. Going into his age-25 season, Diggs will certainly want his second contract to land in the top cornerback tax bracket.

With three corners earning at least $20MM per year and five attached to contracts worth at least $19MM on average, the Cowboys have a high bar to clear. Dallas passed on going into the $16MM-AAV range for Byron Jones three years ago, drafting Diggs shortly after letting its previous top corner walk (for a record-setting Dolphins deal) in free agency. If Diggs is unsigned going into the ’24 offseason, he will likely be positioned as the Cowboys’ top franchise tag candidate.

The Cowboys have a history of extending core performers despite two years remaining on their rookie deals. They did this with Tyron Smith in 2014, with Travis Frederick in 2016 and Ezekiel Elliott in 2019. That said, no team — in the fifth-year option era, that is — has extended a wide receiver with two years left on his rookie contract. Justin Jefferson is also a candidate to become the first wideout since the 2011 CBA to be extended with two years remaining on his rookie deal, though the Vikings are not certain to proceed down this path. That could force Jefferson to contemplate a hold-in effort, and Lamb might be fine waiting until Jefferson raises the booming receiver market further before committing to a second contract. Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones mentioned players’ willingness to wait earlier this offseason.

Lamb, 24, may not be a threat to eclipse Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-per-year pact now, but if Jefferson raises the positional ceiling and the top Cowboys wideout builds on his 1,359-yard season, the price in 2024 stands to come in higher than it likely does now. Ely Allen assessed Lamb’s extension value last month. The Cowboys cut bait on Amari Cooper‘s five-year, $100MM extension after two seasons; as the salary cap keeps rising, Lamb’s value will be much higher.

Steele is still rehabbing the ACL tear that ended his season early, and his being an extension candidate would point to the Cowboys planning an O-line configuration that keeps him as the starting right tackle. Jerry Jones mentioned the prospect of Steele being a swingman behind Tyron Smith and Tyler Smith, but the notion of the younger Smith sliding to left guard — which he did late in the season — and having the All-Decade blocker back at left tackle (and Steele at right tackle) has also surfaced. How the Cowboys proceed would have a big impact on Steele’s value.

A former UDFA, Steele, 26, can certainly enhance his market by putting together a strong contract year post-injury. Nine years after signing what has become the NFL’s longest-running active contract, Tyron Smith is due for free agency in 2024 as well. Steele’s status would seemingly factor into the Hall of Fame candidate’s Dallas future. Center Tyler Biadasz also could land on the Cowboys’ extension radar, Archer adds, though the fourth-year blocker is likely behind the above-referenced players in the queue.

The Cowboys’ ability to extend Diggs and Steele this year could affect Tony Pollard‘s future with the team. The Cowboys not entering into serious negotiations with the Pro Bowl back led to him joining Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs in being tied to the $10.1MM franchise tag this season. Because of this, Archer adds it is “highly likely” this season will be it for Pollard in Dallas. The Cowboys can tag Pollard again in 2024 — at 120% of his current tag number — but higher-end tag options could be in place by then.

That raises the stakes for prospective Diggs negotiations this summer, though the increasingly grim running back market may also allow the Cowboys to re-sign Pollard if no extension is reached before the 2024 legal tampering period.

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