Big Bag of Footballs - Boys and Draft Notes
There is a lot happening in a lot of different sections of the Cowboys world so here is a bunch of it in small bites.
Today is March 3 and things are picking up the pace as the NFL silly season is underway. Perhaps, a Monday-adjacent column like this between now and the middle of May (when they quiet back down) is the way for us to go so that I don’t miss anything too substantial.
If nothing else, I am always trying new things. Let’s see where this goes:
COWBOYS TAKES
All signs seem to continue to tell us the Cowboys are going to retain Osa Odighizuwa. Now, the franchise tag deadline is tomorrow (March 4), but it often is used as a place-holder for a bigger deal before July. Of course, if the player sees $25 million in his pocket, he might sit back and hold firm that his new deal needs to average that and this might motivate the team to see if he can look like a $25m player all year, rather than a big mistake. This is a sticky situation, of course, because it is a ton of money. But, I do think it is the only way forward. And honestly, you can make a case that you should let him play on the tag to prove that 4-5 years at that rate is not insane. But, the roster right now cannot let him walk. Read more below to understand why I think it is a no-brainer to keep him.
There was a twitter rumor this weekend that suggest the Cowboys were going to shop Trevon Diggs and that his time in Dallas might be winding down. There is some truth to the idea that Dallas might be wondering about Diggs and his performance with regards to a very big contract. Five years and $97million (from ‘24-28) includes a rightful belief that he will be a massive part of your defense and he has played in just 13 of 35 games in the last two seasons. But, he will be here in 2025 and there is almost no way around it as his knee surgery will take him into training camp. Meanwhile, his deal guarantees $9 million on the fifth day of the league year, which is March 17th. You cannot cut a guy who is not fit and nobody is trading for a guy with back-to-back knee injuries ending consecutive seasons. The good news is that his guaranteed money is almost completely paid out so now he is on a year-to-year deal after 2025. But, he will certainly be here in 2025, so do not sound those alarms at this point in time.