Cowboys News: Injury updates, highlights, observations from Day 1 of 2023 camp
The euphoria of being able to watch highlights of the Dallas Cowboys has emerged. The club took to the field for the opening day of training camp practice on Wednesday. Fans were treated to Dak Prescott’s accuracy, a glimpse of the new running back room and much more.
Unfortunately they were also treated to the reality that football is a sport of attrition. Not one, but two safeties came up hobbled on the first day of practice of Donovan Wilson and Israel Mukuamu were unable to finish the work. Ezekiel Elliott showed his support of his replacement. Jalen Tolbert looks to make his mark in Year 2. Trevon Diggs speaks to his continued motivation and the QB market shifts could be good for… the team? All this and more in the latest news and notes.
Twitter reactions and highlights from Cowboys 1st day of school :: Cowboys Wire
It’s great to have highlights to look at again as the Cowboys took to the field.
Cowboys 2023 Training Camp Day 1: Photo Gallery :: Cowboys Wire
A look at the classic photog skills of USA Today sharpshooters, including just how diminutive Deuce Vaughn is compared to his new brethren.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard 'fine' with tag: I'm ready to 'focus on the main thing and just stick to winning' :: NFL.com
There’s been a lot of talk about the running back market, but the focus has been on the other two backs who were franchise tagged, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs. Pollard signed his tag early, and spoke on his mentality in reporting to camp and getting to work as the new RB1 in Dallas.
Top 10 cornerbacks entering the 2023 NFL season :: NFL.com
Not on this list, newest Cowboys long-term deal recipient Trevon Diggs. On this list? Former Cowboy, traded for Parker Elhinger one training camp, Charvarius Ward of the San Francisco 49ers. Just a word to the wise when those down-roster deals happen at positions that were seen as a strength at the time.
Cowboys safety Donovan Wilson could miss 4-6 weeks, source says :: ESPN
Wilson suffered a calf strain in Wednesday’s opening practice. The fifth-year player has a new deal, three years for $21 million, but it looks like his season prep is over for the summer before it truly began.
Ezekiel Elliott wishes Tony Pollard, Cowboys RBs 'good luck' via text :: ESPN
There’s no bad blood emanating from the Ezekiel Elliott side of the phone. The former Cowboys star reached out to the man replacing him in the starting lineup. The brotherhood is strong and Elliott was the consummate leader of his group and the locker room, and he’s showing how strong the bond is by sending his support.
Why the Justin Herbert contract is good news for the Cowboys :: Blogging The Boys
Joey Ickes dives into why QB deals actually take care of most of the work for the organization when it comes to Dak Prescott’s next extension.
This is good news for the Cowboys in two ways. First, it gives them a precedent to point to in negotiations with Dak’s agent, that other quarterbacks are signing deals early and still reaching the top of the market. Second, it gives the Cowboys some precedent to point to if other veteran players try to use a new Dak extension as justification that they need a new deal with two years remaining. The Cowboys can claim a ‘QB exception rule’ for revisiting deals that early.
The next aspect of the extension that is good news for the Cowboys is the length of the deal, Herbert’s contract makes eight of the top-10 quarterback contracts in annual value, that are all at least five-year contracts.
NFL contract extension frenzy: Reacting to Justin Herbert, Trevon Diggs and more :: Pro Football Focus
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Some keen analysis of why it was smart to pay Diggs now, and a breakdown of the highlights.
Nearly every top contract among cornerbacks was at five years, and then Green Bay Packers star Jaire Alexander broke through and not only reset the market at $21 million per year but also secured a four-year extension. Diggs’ deal goes back to five years and has very weak early-year cash flows and guarantees.
Diggs will make $55.5 million through the third new year of the contract (2026), which ranks seventh among cornerbacks and trails the Miami Dolphins’ Xavien Howard and Buffalo Bills’ Tre’Davious White. In terms of guarantees, Diggs’ $33.3 million fully guaranteed at signing figure ranks 10th and his $42.3 million total guarantee ranks sixth, the latter of which is nearly $13 million less than the fifth-highest mark. In effect, this can be viewed as a two-year extension through 2025.
Trevon Diggs overcome with emotion, wants 'to be perfect' CB for Cowboys :: The Mothership
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Patrik Walker catches up with Diggs, who spoke on not being satisfied with his new deal, but rather him wanting to continue to ascend.
Bottom line? Diggs doesn’t feel like he’s reached top gear — not by a long shot.
“Hell no,” he said, emphatically. “I’m just starting. Literally. … I feel like money isn’t everything because, at the end of the day, you still have to go out there and perform. They give contracts to guys all the time and some guys don’t perform after.
“My main goal is to stay consistent, to stay building on my career, to build a great resume so that I’ll go down as one of the best DBs to play the game.”
Practice Points: 2 Safeties Leave Practice Early :: The Mothership
Wilson wasn’t the only safety to come up hobbled on the day.
What I’m watching at Cowboys camp: Dak Prescott-Brandin Cooks connection, Jake Ferguson :: The Athletic
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Saad Yousuf checks in with a series of things he’ll be keeping an eye on over the next four weeks. The QB and his new receiver are chief among them, as is the safety rotation which has already been dinged down a notch. What may be the biggest area of weakness for the club, though, could be the TE room.
It’s discouraging that Luke Schoonmaker isn’t ready for camp. It’s not that he’s viewed as the prodigal son at the position but that extra kick of competition would also be an extra kick of hope. Tight ends are a quarterback’s best friend and following Schultz’s departure, Prescott’s tight end pal is a big question mark right now.
Jake Ferguson and Peyton Hendershot are the two guys to monitor for that role but of those two, I’ve been more excited about what Ferguson’s potential can be. I don’t think he’s a finished product by an stretch but I think his fit in the offense will not only be something that will benefit Prescott but will also cater to the pace in which he must assume a premium role.
Cowboys training camp: Trevon Diggs on his contract and Stephon Gilmore, plus takeaways :: The Athletic
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Jon Machota checks in with his always potent list of observations, keying in on a few hot items. It looks like Jalen Tolbert is off to a strong start in his second season, which will be vital as Dallas has little proven depth outside their top three, which ranks among the best in the league.
Strong first day. Second-year WR Jalen Tolbert looked confident while making some nice catches with the first-team offense. He was working behind the team’s top three WRs CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup. This is a big camp for Tolbert to show he can be relied on as potentially the team’s No. 4 wide receiver. Wednesday was a good start.
