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Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs returns, makes a play and ‘felt good’ in joint practice

OXNARD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 6: Trevon Diggs #7 of the Dallas Cowboys participates in drills during NFL training camp at River Ridge Fields on August 6, 2024 in Oxnard, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
By Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf
Aug 15, 2024

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.

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Trevon Diggs had other plans.

The Dallas Cowboys’ All-Pro cornerback did what he’s proven to do throughout his young career. Diggs attacked the ball at a high point in the air, made a clean catch and planted his right leg just in bounds. His left leg, the one with a freshly repaired ACL — he tore the ligament during practice before Week 3 last season — came down right after for the toe-tap. Diggs immediately got off the grass and ran on the field, a hop in his step, one finger pointing in the air and the other carrying the football.

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 acknowledged after practice that Wednesday was a milestone day for him. The interception was nice, but Diggs was used to that feeling. He intercepted 17 passes in his first three NFL seasons. Simply being on the field was the true cause for celebration.

The last year has been a slow build to this moment. From being unable to walk to being unable to run, then unable to fully practice, Diggs’ ramp-up was slow. The team consistently expressed its encouragement for how Diggs progressed through every step, but it vowed to take a cautious approach.

DaRon Bland stepped up admirably last season in Diggs’ absence, but it robbed the Cowboys’ secondary of two All-Pro cornerbacks — in their prime — on the field together. That’s what the Rams saw Wednesday in practice.

“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.”

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Diggs won’t play during the preseason, and Wednesday was the last joint practice on the Cowboys’ training camp schedule. It was Diggs’ first time as a full participant, and if it was an indication of things to come, he will be ready to hit the ground running when the season kicks off in Cleveland.

Here are other takeaways:

Attendance

The defense was a little lighter from the outset. Linebacker Damone Clark did not practice. DeMarvion Overshown began practice but had to stop early because of a hip injury. Overshown was examined by the team doctor but didn’t exit practice altogether. He was on the sidelines with teammates, but he did not have a helmet and did not go back in after the injury.

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

Offensive tackle Earl Bostick was carted off with an injury toward the end of practice. Bostick has played some left tackle and right tackle in a reserve role. Dallas already lost left tackle Chuma Edoga for the foreseeable future with a broken toe from Sunday’s game against the Rams. Before practice, head coach Mike McCarthy said Asim Richards, who has been playing guard and tackle, will take more snaps at tackle. The Cowboys also signed offensive tackle Cole Cabral.

Linebacker depth

With Overshown and Clark out of action, the Cowboys were thin at linebacker. Veteran Eric Kendricks was a staple in the middle and was joined by rookie Marist Liufau. On Tuesday, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer raved about Liufau’s potential.

“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.”

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Overshown is coming off a torn ACL from preseason last year and had a highlight tackle Sunday in Los Angeles.

Getting chippy

Unlike the first joint practice between the Cowboys and Rams, things did get chippy this time. After the first offense vs. defense team sessions, special teams went to one field while the other field had some individual drills. On one side, the Cowboys’ pass rushers went against Rams offensive linemen.

The first extracurricular moment came on a rep from Osa Odighizuwa, when he added a little extra physicality to the end of his rush. It led to a full scuffle between the two sides.

On the ensuing rep, defensive tackle Albert Huggins finished his rep by shoving a Rams equipment intern to the ground. It was clear that both the Cowboys and Rams disapproved of Huggins’ actions.

“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 dominates … again

Through the early portions of practice, Micah Parsons once again made the Rams’ backfield his home. It’s a fairly regular occurrence — against the Cowboys’ offense or the Rams — so it wasn’t going to be included in the practice takeaways. But on the final drive, with the Rams going down the field for an end-of-game situation, Parsons was relentless. It sounds repetitive, but it would be irresponsible to not mention once again how dominant Parsons looked, specifically rushing the passer.

Red zone defense struggles

The Cowboys’ defense had a rough red zone session. Los Angeles running backs found big holes to run through multiple times. Additionally, Garoppolo hit Cooper Kupp for a couple of touchdowns, once with Bland in coverage and another time in the back of the end zone over Malik Hooker.

Deuce Vaughn

The second-year running back returned to practice Wednesday after being sidelined two weeks with a hamstring injury. The Dallas running game didn’t have the success against the Rams’ run defense that it had during last week’s practice. But Deuce Vaughn got several opportunities to carry the ball and be a receiver. Vaughn, a sixth-round pick last year, should see notable playing time in Dallas’ preseason game at Las Vegas.

Sloppy

The first-team offense struggled in taking care of the ball. Dak Prescott and rookie center Cooper Beebe didn’t connect on a snap early in team drills, which led to a fumble. Dallas then committed consecutive fumbles during a red zone period with the second being a handoff from Prescott to Ezekiel Elliott. The first-team offense didn’t seem to play as well as the previous practice with the Rams.

Jake Ferguson

Dallas’ No. 1 tight end looked like a player poised to have a big year. He caught several passes during team drills. Jake Ferguson finished second on the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards last season. No reason to think he won’t be able to do the same in Year 3.

Brandin Cooks

With CeeDee Lamb not at camp, Brandin Cooks continues to be Prescott’s top target. The two were definitely on the same page again Wednesday. “He’s having a hell of a camp,” McCarthy said of the receiver entering his 11th season. “I think we had a statistic last week that throughout every three catches that he’s made in the team work has been either a touchdown or a big play. He’s had a great offseason. He’s always in peak condition. I really think, just in my time with him, he’s at the top of his game.”

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