Cowboys news: Trevon Diggs making good progress in knee rehab

Trevon Diggs might not be ready for the season opener, but this is an encouraging sign.

Diggs tore his ACL after two games in 2023 and suffered an injury on the same knee in December of 2024. He was sent to the IR after 11 games, meaning he’s suited up for just 13 over the past two years.

Determined to return to full health, Diggs has been rehabbing this offseason and has made excellent progress. He even surpassed a major milestone recently as he was able to run laterally while working with Alkeme Sports RX.

Cowlishaw explains why he thinks the Cowboys are ready to compete in 2025 and why it’s George Pickens.

The in-house belief is that three straight 12-5 seasons weren’t erased in 2024. That was just a bad, injury-fueled lost season that cost Mike McCarthy his job and brought Brian Schottenheimer into the mix.

And I can’t tell you enough how much difference I think George Pickens can make as the Cowboys’ best No. 2 receiver since Amari Cooper was an 800-yard, 8-touchdown complement to CeeDee Lamb in 2021. I expect the former Steeler to go even better than that playing opposite Lamb in a more creative offense that — at least this is how the club’s argument goes — will be unshackled with “Schotty” in charge.

Why didn’t the Cowboys do more at running back? – Dan Graziano, ESPN

Don’t get your hopes up for additional RB signings, Graziano explains.

The answer to the question really has to do with Dallas’ current position on running back value relative to other positions on the roster. The Cowboys are paying Dak Prescott more than any other quarterback in the NFL. CeeDee Lamb makes more than all but two other wide receivers. And Dallas is probably about to pay edge rusher Micah Parsons more than any other defensive player. The front office has to find ways to cut salary cap costs.

Over the past couple of years, the Cowboys have made it clear that they intend to find bargains at running back. Dowdle’s journey from the middle of the depth chart to a 1,079-yard rushing season in 2024 supports their idea that they can find production at RB without spending big. Williams got one year and $3 million, while Sanders got one year and $1.34 million. Sanders was a Pro Bowler who rushed for 1,269 yards with the Eagles in 2022, while Williams was an explosive tackle-breaker before tearing an ACL in October of that 2022 season. Williams is also still only 25 years old.

Especially for the prices they paid, the Cowboys believe these are exactly the kinds of chances they should be taking at the position, and that one of Williams, Sanders, Blue and Mafah will emerge the way Dowdle did last season.

Stephen Jones on getting Cowboys’ stars ‘running mates’, 2025 schedule, more – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com

The Cowboys were able to get several complementary pieces to their biggest stars this offseason.

For Cowboys’ COO/co-owner Stephen Jones and the rest of the organization, player acquisition is a 24/7, 365-day process. As the team inches towards the start of OTAs and minicamp, they still may make additional moves, but for the most part have fielded a roster they’re happy with.

“I just think the offseason really came together good for us and we feel really good about our football team…” Jones told reporters at AT&T Stadium following a Pro Bull Riders event on Thursday. “You start to look at all the guys we’re going to get back that didn’t actually play last year, it’s a good feeling.”

Crucial pieces of the puzzle like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons and Zack Martin all missed time at various points of the season as the Cowboys were ravaged by injuries. In the 2025 offseason, Dallas focused on building their depth as much as possible.

“We got them all running mates,” Jones said. “Tyler Smith was out there and I said ‘We added Booker for you,’ Micah was there and I said ‘We brought Dono[van Ezeiruaku] for him,’ everybody’s got some running mates to go with them that they didn’t have last year. It’s exciting to see all these guys come together.”

The running mate for CeeDee Lamb was George Pickens, who the Cowboys traded a third and fifth round pick for on May 7 after emphasizing the need for a second wide receiver threat all offseason. Pickens’ addition was a massive boost to the offense, but he isn’t the only new piece that Dallas is high on.

“When you break the huddle, you want weapons…” Jones said. Certainly, we were needing that. You bring the juice of a [Jaydon] Blue that we drafted, that’s why we picked him. You see a lot of times a 4.4 beside a guy’s name and you turn on the tape and say, ‘Where is it?’

“His is the opposite, he should’ve ran a 4.3 when you turn on the tape.”

Tiering 25 rookie running backs by expected role: Lead role in Dallas there for the taking – Mike Clay, ESPN

ESPN sees Jaydon Blue in a depth role in Dallas, but that could quickly change.

2025 projection: 107 carries, 446 yards, 3 TDs; 16 receptions, 111 yards, 0 TDs

Blue’s workload was limited in a crowded Texas running back room (214 carries in three seasons), but he was an effective rusher — his 3.8 career yards after contact per rush is fifth best in this class — and showed receiving chops with 42 receptions in 2024. He’s a bit on the small size at 196 pounds and has had issues with holding onto the ball. However, the speed is there; he ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash.

Blue will begin his career behind newly acquired veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, but neither have played well in recent seasons, so this depth chart is wide open. The lead back role in Dallas is there for the taking.

Crucial 6-game stretch will define Cowboys season, let them know if they are contenders – Mike Crum, Cowboys Wire

Dallas needs to play well during this stretch.

In this 2025 schedule, there is a stretch of four games in the back half of the season that will clearly define this season. It isn’t just about the opponents being some of the most formidable, but it’s how the schedule impacts each matchup week by week. The Cowboys go into their Week 12 divisional matchup with one less day to prepare. They face the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football, while the Philadelphia Eagles face off with the Detroit Lions on Sunday night. The Lions are one of the most physical teams in the league, so Philadelphia could be the more worn-down team, even with an extra day of rest.

Then the Cowboys move to the Thanksgiving game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. Both teams will be on short rest, but the Chiefs will have to travel. Kansas City plays at home, against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12, not exactly on par with the defending champions and chief rivals.

Dallas has to find a way to split these two games because the next matchup is the toughest on the schedule.

The game on the road against Detroit isn’t the toughest due to the opponent, but rather because of the schedule for each team leading up to the game. Neither team is getting the typical 10 days off after a Thursday night game. Both play on Thanksgiving, but this matchup is the following Thursday night game. The difference is that Dallas has to travel to Detroit while the Lions will be playing their third game in a row at home. This is a game that is set up for the road team to struggle, but with the talent on the Lions’ team, it isn’t a game the opponent typically survives.

The final game in the stretch is at home against the Minnesota Vikings. Everything Dallas had to deal with against Detroit, the Vikings will face at this time. The Cowboys are playing their third game at home in four weeks and have three extra days to prepare, having played on Thursday. Minnesota will be traveling for its third road game in four contests. Unless the Cowboys shock the Lions, they will need to bounce back and defeat Minnesota.

The George Pickens question.

When we have conversations around those types of things the word leverage often comes up. Players obtain more leverage against the Cowboys because the team allows them to get so close to free agency and the players can then weaponize that in the name of getting the best deal possible for them. Tale as old as time.

Examining the spirit of leverage when it comes to George Pickens, the Cowboys have already given him and his representation a lot. They spent a third-round pick to get him as he enters a contract year, which as we spent some time discussing up top, suggests that they have no plans of him leaving elsewhere. So why not nip that in the bud right now?

Dallas has made some very positive moves this offseason.

Offseason grade: A

The Cowboys’ late offseason splash trade for Pickens was exactly what this team needed to contend in the loaded NFC East. Dallas’s patient approach paid off, prioritizing the trenches in the draft while resisting the urge to overpay for skill players in free agency. Eventually, the Cowboys will need to decide whether Pickens is worth a lucrative contract extension, but if he is, then this risky trade was worth the dice roll.

With Booker’s first-round selection, Dak Prescott could have plenty of time to throw downfield to CeeDee Lamb and Pickens. The Cowboys are missing a bellcow back, but they gained a quality committee with the signing of Williams and the fifth-round selection of Blue.

On the defensive side, the team might have acquired two first-round talents during Day 2 of the draft, selecting Ezeiruaku and Revel. Suddenly, there’s plenty to like about this Cowboys team heading into Year 1 with coach Brian Schottenheimer.