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When the Dallas Cowboys lock up star cornerback Trevon Diggs, it won’t come cheap.
Diggs can become a free agent after this season and the former second-round pick has already made his mark as one of the top cornerbacks in the league.
Diggs has been named to the Pro Bowl the past two seasons and is coming off a year where he had three interceptions and 14 pass breakups. In 2021, Diggs led the NFL in interceptions with 11 picks.
If he puts together another big season — now playing opposite of a former DPOY in Stephon Gilmore — it could end up costing the Cowboys big time for not getting a deal done sooner.
The Cowboys have let other cornerbacks walk with the price too high, like Chidobe Awuzie and Byron Jones. But Jon Machota of The Athletic doesn’t see Diggs’ negotiations going that way.
“Diggs is in a different class than those other two. I’d be much more willing to pay him than Jones or Awuzie. And the Cowboys feel the same way,” Machota said in his latest. Q&A column. “Now, that doesn’t mean that the number couldn’t climb beyond Dallas’ comfort zone. I would expect him to be looking for something among the highest-paid at the position. So, that’s in the neighborhood of $20 million per year.”
Cowboys Exploring Options With Diggs & CeeDee Lamb
For a cornerback capable of making game-changing plays, Diggs is a solid investment — even at a big number — and one the Cowboys will weigh carefully going forward. Especially so considering their situation with quarterback Dak Prescott, who has yet to get to the negotiating table on an extension that would lower his massive cap hit.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said in February that they were working on potential extensions for both Diggs and No. 1 wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
“You always look at something like that,” Jones said. “Looking for the right opportunities, the right situation, obviously they’re in our plans long term. Always look.”
Jones did note that getting to a resolution on keeping their key guys long term would take patience.
“Used to be people would be ready to go ahead and do something,” Jones said. “It seems like representatives, players are more patient to wait their turn. They feel like they probably got a little more leverage, those type of things.”
Cowboys Decision on QB Dak Prescott Key in Freeing Up Cap Space
The top thing the Cowboys could do to free up some cap space for other players is work with Prescott to extend his deal. However, there hasn’t been much movement on that front, per The Dallas Morning News.
Prescott also hasn’t been too eager to make moves, at this time at least.
“I’m excited to be a Dallas Cowboy,” Prescott said in March. “Always dreamed to be here. Now that I’m here, I don’t expect to play for any other team. Now it’s just about winning and now it’s about to get that done and just to hear the [support from the] front office. Looking forward to an extension. When that time comes, it will happen. I’m with Stephen (Jones), it may just happen overnight. When it happens, it happens. It will be great.”
Prescott is coming off a year where he led the league in interceptions despite missing five games. However, at times he still looked like one of the top quarterbacks in the league, passing for 2,860 yards and 23 touchdowns. The Cowboys finished the regular season 12-5 but were bounced in the Divisional Round by the San Francisco 49ers.
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