Cowboys have cornered the market at just under 8% of 2024 salary cap

For a long time, the Cowboys were a struggling secondary when it came to getting interceptions. From 2015 through 2020, they never picked off more than 10 passes in a single season, and doing that only twice in the span. Then, in 2021, All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs did that by himself with his his league-leading 11 picks while the team totaled an amazing 26. 17 of those turnovers came from the cornerback room that season. In 2022, Dallas had 16 interceptions as a team while 2023 added another 17 making it three straight seasons in which Dallas ranked in the top 10 in total interceptions.

Wondering if Dallas can do it again under a new scheme is a valid question with Dan Quinn in Washington and Mike Zimmer taking over the defense and changing the playbook. Another question ishow much depth Dallas really has looking beyond their two projected starters. Five players under contract means the Cowboys have a sneaky need at the position and questions linger after the top two guys. Nonetheless, the current corners in Dallas rival another group for the best-managed room on the roster.

Trevon Diggs | Age: 25 | Cap Hit: $15,367,647 – 5.9% | UFA: 2029

The five-year, $97 million extension Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs signed is now in full effect. With four seasons completed, Diggs now eats up a larger portion of the pie. Diggs signed for top-5 cornerback money but didn’t set the bar. Unfortunately, Diggs 2023 season was cut short due to an ACL injury in Week 2.

A recent positive report on his recovery still carries a cloud of concern. Wideout Michael Gallup and lineman Terence Steele both struggled to return to form from their serious knee injuries. The NFLPA report from the players’ perspective on the Cowboys training staff could bring doubt about recoveries in Dallas.

Diggs is younger than all five cornerbacks whose contracts have a higher average annual salary (AAS).  Diggs averages $19.4 million per season meaning his contract begins under the franchise tag number this season. His deal only gets better and will be pushed down percentage-wise the higher the salary cap grows. Although his salary percentage rises and dips throughout the life of the deal, it does not currently go over 7.9% of the cap.

There’s an obvious restructure lever waiting to be pulled, which can shave up to $8 million off Diggs’ 2024 cap number and reduce his cap-impact percentage down a great deal.

Nahshon Wright | Age: 25 | Cap Hit: $1,437,821 – 0.6% | UFA: 2025

Reserve cornerback Nahshon Wright has the second-largest salary in the room which may be a surprise to many. Wright only saw 52 defensive snaps in 2023. He got off to a slow start when a high ankle sprain landed him on injured reserve to begin the season and he suited up for only 12 games.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, time may be running out for the former third-round pick. Others may think he could have a great shot of receiving more playing time as defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has been known to prefer long-limbed players a the position.

Wright has done the majority of his work on special teams, recording 258 snaps in 2023 sending him over 600 career plays. To all of the young players looking to latch onto an NFL roster, Wright is living proof that special teams play can earn you extra time to hone your primary craft.

DaRon Bland | Age: 24 | Cap Hit: $1,061,197 – 0.4% | UFA: 2026

By the time anyone knew what was going on, Cowboys All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland was threatening the Pick-6 record, which he ultimately broke. His ascension made the loss of corner Trevon Diggs to a torn ACL hurt just a little bit less. That duo now gets a chance to become the best young cornerback tandem in the NFL.

Being paid slightly over $1 million this season makes this story even more unbelievable. While the NFL’s performance-based program will certainly fill his temporary monetary situation, Bland has outperformed his rookie contract. He is one of five players from the 2022 draft to reach the highest Proven Performance Escalator, which pays out the equivalent of a second-round tender.

Before the bill comes for one of the finalists for the Defensive Player of the Year Award, Dallas will enjoy the fact that they have two All Pro cornerbacks heading into the 2024 season.

Eric Scott | Age: 24 | Cap Hit: $969,577 – 0.4% | UFA: 2027

Rookie cornerback Eric Scott, Jr. did not see much action in his first season. He shot out of the gates in training camp with an interception off of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and continued to impress all the up to the regular season.

After that, Scott was relegated to just practicing. He made the 53-man roster but did not see any game action in 2023. The depth the room carried last season prevented him from getting any regular season snaps but it would be irresponsible to dismiss Scott.

It’s easy to forget Dallas traded a 2024 fifth-round pick to move up 10 spots to select him. This 6th-round pick aims to get the attention of a new defensive staff a year after impressing the previous regime during OTA’s and minicamps last offseason.

Josh Butler | Age: 27 | Cap Hit: $795,000 – 0.3% | RFA 2026

Being an undrafted cornerback attempting to make an NFL roster is tough sledding. The road Cowboys cover man Josh Bulter took just for the opportunity is heartbreaking. While at the University of Michigan, Butler lost his father from a heart attack just hours before a game in 2017. A year and a half later, he lost his mother to breast cancer. On senior night under the skies so his parents could see him from above, Butler was accompanied by his beloved pets, Remi and Roxy.

After going undrafted, Butler signed with the USFL in hopes of garnering attention. With a massive following on social media, getting an NFL team to notice him for his on-field performance finally worked. With so much success signing players that went that route, the Cowboys gave Butler his chance. He now aims to have an impact such as names like return specialist KaVontae Turpin and kicker Brandon Aubrey who also started their careers in the spring league.

Corner Recap:

Draft Capital Spent

2nd-round pick (2020), 3rd-round pick (2021), 5th-round pick (2022), 6th-round pick (2023)

Cowboys Vice President and COO Stephen Jones receives a lot of criticism on how he handles contract negotiations in Dallas but this is not one of those instances. With 7.6% of the salary cap taken for a total of $19.6 million, the Cowboys cornerback room is in great shape. So are their cornerback evaluations as four of the six corners taken in the last four drafts remain. Cover guys Kelvin Joseph and Reggie Robinson are the lone players no longer on the team. It is hard to complain about those misses. Landing two All-Pro cornerbacks without using a first-round pick is serious value. Hats off to Will McClay and the Dallas scouting department.

The ability of this team to identify and draft past the first round is a key component of team building and Dallas is reaping those rewards. A solid group of incoming rookies could solidify this group for a few years if the team decides to take another defensive back early in the draft.

Story originally appeared on Cowboys Wire