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Dallas Cowboys Events Featured Highlighted

During joint practice, Cowboys wide receiver Trevon Diggs made a play and reported feeling…

OXNARD, Calif. — It was a brand-new development and a sight all too familiar, all at once. When Los Angeles Rams backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo launched a pass deep toward the left sideline in a joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, he was looking for the ball to end up in the hands of wide receiver Demarcus Robinson.

Trevon Diggs had other plans.

The All-Pro cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys performed as he has shown throughout his brief career. At a high height in the air, Diggs attacked the ball, made a perfect catch, and planted his right leg just inside the bounds. Right after for the toe-tap, his left leg, which has just had its ACL repaired (he tore the ligament during practice before Week 3 of last season), went down. With one finger pointing skyward and the other carrying the football, Diggs leaped off the grass and dashed across the field.

Jubilation.

“It felt good, getting back, moving around, other players flying around, getting adjusted to bodies near me,” Diggs said. “It was good. I had a lot of great work in today.”

Diggs said that Wednesday was a significant day for him following practice. It was a nice interception, but Diggs was accustomed to that kind of thing. In his first three NFL seasons, he intercepted 17 passes. The real reason to celebrate was just getting on the field.

This has been a slowly building moment over the past year. Diggs’ ascent was gradual; he went from not being able to walk to not being able to run, then not being able to fully train. The group swore to go cautiously, but they continuously showed their excitement for Diggs’ growth via each phase.

While DaRon Bland filled in nicely for Diggs last season, the Cowboys’ secondary was left without two All-Pro cornerbacks in their prime playing together. During practice on Wednesday, the Rams witnessed that.

“I hope they continue to throw balls at us so we can make plays,” Diggs said. “I hope it doesn’t change because we’ve got two ball hawks on each side. We’ll see what happens.”

Diggs is clearly not going to play in the preseason, and the Cowboys’ joint session on Wednesday was the final one of the camp schedule. Diggs participated fully for the first time, and if this is a sign of things to come, he will be primed to go when the Cleveland season begins.

Here are other takeaways:

Attendance

From the start, the defense was a touch more lax. Damone Clark, a linebacker, did not work out. DeMarvion Overshown had to leave practice early due to a hip ailment. Overshown did not completely leave practice after being evaluated by the team physician. Alongside his colleagues, he was on the sidelines but did not wear a helmet and did not return to play following the injury.

Cornerbacks Caelen Carson (rookie) and Sheldrick Redwine also did not practice.

Near the conclusion of practice, offensive tackle Earl Bostick was transported out due to an injury. Bostick has filled in as a reserve left tackle and right tackle sometimes. Chuma Edoga, a left tackle for Dallas, will be sidelined for some time due to a broken toe sustained during Sunday’s game against the Rams. Asim Richards, who has been playing guard and tackle, would be taking more plays at tackle, head coach Mike McCarthy announced before to practice. Cole Cabral, an offensive tackle, was also signed by the Cowboys.

Linebacker depth

The Cowboys had a thin linebacker position because Overshown and Clark were both sidelined. In the middle, veteran Eric Kendricks was a mainstay, accompanied by youngster Marist Liufau. Mike Zimmer, the defensive coordinator, gushed about Liufau’s potential on Tuesday.

“I think he can play linebacker for us,” Zimmer said, indicating that Liufau could be more than a special teams player as a rookie. “We have a good set of linebackers, I really feel that, with those four or five guys. … I think he’s a thumper but he understands coverage pretty well. I think there are some pressure things we can do with him as well. He played good (in the preseason game) but he’s played better in practice.”

Overshown, who had an ACL tear during the preseason of the previous season, made a standout tackle on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Getting chippy

This time, unlike the Rams and Cowboys’ first combined practice, things did got chippy. Following the initial team sessions for offense and defense, special teams moved to one field while individual exercises were conducted on the other. Cowboys pass rushers faced battle against Rams offensive lineman on one side.

Osa Odighizuwa’s rep featured the first extracurricular moment when he concluded his rush with a little more violence. The two sides got into a full-fledged brawl as a result.

Albert Huggins, a defensive tackle, completed his rep by pushing a Rams equipment intern to the ground during the subsequent play. The Rams and Cowboys were obviously against Huggins’ behavior.

“It’s just tensions high,” Odighizuwa said about the Huggins play. “Got to be a little smarter in that situation but it happens.”

Micah Parsons was once again settling into the Rams backfield during the first parts of practice. It was not going to be in the practice takeaways because it happens quite frequently—against the Rams or the Cowboys offense. However, Parsons was unrelenting on the last drive as the Rams advanced down the field in an attempt to win the game. Although it may sound monotonous, it would be careless to overlook how dominant Parsons appeared, particularly when he rushed the passer.

Red zone defense struggles

The red zone practice for the Cowboys defense was difficult. The running backs for Los Angeles were able to find large gaps to run through repeatedly. In addition, Garoppolo scored two touchdowns against Cooper Kupp—once in the end zone over Malik Hooker and again in the back of the end zone with Bland in coverage.

Wednesday marked the running back’s return to practice following a two-week absence due to a hamstring ailment. In contrast to last week’s practice, the Dallas running game did not enjoy the same level of success against the Rams’ run defense. However, Deuce Vaughn was given multiple chances to both carry the ball and receive it. The sixth-round selection from the previous season, Vaughn, ought to get some playing time in Dallas’ preseason matchup with Las Vegas.

Sloppy

The first unit offense had trouble managing the ball. During team exercises, Dak Prescott and rookie center Cooper Beebe mishandled a snap, which resulted in a fumble. After that, on a red zone drive, Dallas made two fumbles, the second of which was a pass from Prescott to Ezekiel Elliott. All things considered, the first-team offense did not appear to perform as well as it had during the prior Rams session.

The top tight end in Dallas appeared to be a player ready for a huge season. Throughout team exercises, he caught multiple passes. Last season, Jake Ferguson ranked second on the team in receiving yards, targets, and receptions. Nothing to suggest that in Year 3, he will not be able to accomplish the same.

Prescott’s main target is still Brandin Cooks because CeeDee Lamb is not at camp. On Wednesday, the two were once more in agreement. About the receiver, who is starting his eleventh season, McCarthy remarked, “He is having a hell of a camp.” “I believe we saw last week that for every three catches he is made in the teamwork, it is been a major play or a score. His offseason has been fantastic. He is in top form all the time. I genuinely believe that he is at the top of his game based only on our interactions.

(Photo of Trevon Diggs: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)

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