News: Trevon Diggs at WR? Cowboys look to finally beat Brady, saying farewell to Marion Barber
Notehing like some hypothetical mind games to pass the time between minicamp and training camp. The Cowboys staff writers engage in a little what-if wondering as they’re asked about moving cornerback Trevon Diggs back to wide receiver, where he started in college at Alabama. It’s an interesting idea, given his evident ball skills…
Also in the alternate reality genre, make sure to play our build-a-team game, assembling your own Cowboys all-star offense with a $15 budget.
Elsewhere in the news, we’re looking at whether finally beating Tom Brady just got easier, we’re ranking the NFL’s divisions by quarterback, and we’re champing at the bit to hear if the Cowboys will bust out the white throwback helmets this season. The team is making good on its promise to work on reducing penalties, a Cowboys legend believes that HBCUs have always been good enough to compete on the national stage, we’re picking a rookie to keep an eye on in 2022, and we’re watching Jerry Jones get even richer. All that, plus Oxnard dates and saying goodbye to Marion Barber III at a celebration of his life.
Mailbag: Can Diggs get a Deion-like role at WR? :: The Mothership
The league’s interception leader only switched from wide receiver to defense in college out of necessity. Some of Diggs’s former coaches and close friends believe he’s actually better at receiver than corner. But it seems unlikely to the team writers that the Cowboys staff would entertain that thought seriously, unless they were in a major pinch. It is fun to think about, though…
Cowboys 2022 training camp dates announced :: Cowboys Wire
The team’s players, coaches, staff, and fans can now make travel plans. Training camp will be in Oxnard, Calif., with all players reporting on July 26.
Ranking the eight NFL divisions by quarterback: AFC West stuffed with stars; AFC North rising :: NFL.com
No real shocker here, but the NFC East is considered the weakest division in football, even when judging just the quarterbacks. The good news for Cowboys Nation is that Dak Prescott is the best of that bunch. Daniel Jones ranks second, although Adam Schein thinks Big Blue could go with Tyrod Tyler at some point this season. Jalen Hurts and Carson Wentz round out the East’s passer rankings.
One rookie from each NFL team who will surprise in 2022 :: Cowboys Wire
The NFL Wire editors each picked a rookie to watch out for this season. Our own K.D. Drummond is hitching his wagon to fifth-round defensive tackle John Ridgeway. A bully on the interior and a run stuffer, his motor and strength has been evident since joining the club. He could finally give Dallas a solution at stopping opponents’ ground game.
'It makes us all better': Cowboys practicing with extra officials in effort to reduce penalties in 2022 :: Cowboys Wire
The Cowboys have already put in extra work with NFL officials at OTAs and minicamp as they look to keep from repeating as the league leader in penalties. Coach McCarthy says the refs’ added presence and input as this early stage is all about “getting as close to the line as you can without getting a flag called.” They’ll also have more officials than usual in Oxnard and at their joint practices with the Broncos and Chargers.
Buy or Sell: Cowboys to finally beat Tom Brady? :: Inside the Star
Dallas has never beaten Tom Brady, but the 2022 season opener could see a breaking of that streak. Playing at AT&T Stadium helps the Cowboys. A new head coach in Tampa and no Rob Gronkowski could prove to be a factor, too.
You have $15, build the best Cowboys' offensive skill position group you can :: Cowboys Wire
You know the drill. Fill each of five position groups, spending only the allotted amounts for each player, and don’t go over $15. But you’ve got 25 of the franchise’s all-time greatest players to pick from, so choose wisely. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself going back and second-guessing yourself in this hypothetical exercise for the rest of the day.
Family, friends, fans gather to celebrate the life of former Cowboys RB Marion Barber :: Dallas Morning News
Ex-Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens was among the former teammates who said farewell to Barber on Wednesday at a celebration of life ceremony in Minneapolis. Owens recalled the musicianship displayed by the bruising running back when he once sat down at a piano at training camp. “I had no idea this guy was that gifted,” Owens said. “I wish I had that talent.”
HBCU stars reflect on past of few options: ‘I don’t know that too many SEC teams would’ve beat us’ :: The Athletic
Link (paywall)
HBCUs are finally getting their moment in the mainstream college football spotlight, but many players from the past say the talent was always on par with the big-money programs, even if the country at large wasn’t exposed to the programs. “I didn’t fear nobody when I would watch Notre Dame play USC,” said Cowboys legend Ed “Too Tall” Jones, who attended Tennessee State. “When I watched those games, I sized those players up and I said, ‘I can compete with any of them.'”
Jerry Jones mum on whether Cowboys will wear throwback white helmets in 2022 :: Cowboys Wire
With several teams already having shown off alternate helmets, the owner has deferred the call on Dallas wearing its popular 1960 throwbacks to daughter and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones. The Cowboys sported white helmets with an unbordered navy star for its first four seasons, and then again each Thanksgiving Day from 2004 through 2012.
Rich get richer. High gas prices help Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones earn billions :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
It’s good to be Jerry Jones. The Cowboys owner has seen his $1.1 billion dollar investment in natural gas company Comstock Resources turn into $2.6 billion in just four years. Crippling winter storms in Texas, the war in Ukraine, and rising domestic gas prices have all contributed to a boom in his bottom line.
