Mailbag: Should Diggs be rehabbing with team?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

With mandatory minicamp getting underway, the expectation is Trevon Diggs will be on hand, though obviously not participating in drills due to his injury. But is it concerning that hasn't already been around working on his offseason rehab at the team facility? – Reginald Williams/Houston, TX

Nick: Sure, if that's what you want to be concerned about. I think it's one thing for players in contract situations to be holding out or holding in. But it's a different with an injury. The goal is to get these players back for the start of the season and in my opinion, the best way to do that is to have them here rehabbing their trainers as much as possible.

But we don't know all of the situation, especially for Trevon's part. I'm sure he has his reasons for being other places during the voluntary time. They have to be really good reasons for him to being missing out on the money he's lost by not participating in the OTAs.

But we all know this - if he can figure out a way to get ready for the start of the season and play to the level we've seen before, all will be forgiven. At this point, I just don't know if that's going to happen.

Kurt: There's no question the Cowboys wish Diggs was here at The Star rehabbing his second knee injury in as many years. With that said, there's no reason to assume he's not doing what's necessary to get back to full strength. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer even said "all signs are positive" about Diggs.

Then again, here's how much the Cowboys value having their own people oversee these types of things. As ESPN reported last week, the team has built in salary de-escalator clauses into the contracts of several of their marquee players that state if they don't participate in just under 85% of the offseason workouts, they'll see their base salary drop $500,000 for the season.

Having been away from the facility for most of the spring, at this point Diggs hitting the needed threshold seems doubtful. Losing half a million dollars may not seem like much for a guy who signed a megadeal just two years ago, but again, it's clear the Cowboys value having their players (and their salary cap investments) under their supervision.

And they should as the team has one of the best training staffs in the business with head athletic trainer Jim Maurer and director of rehabilitation Britt Brown leading the way. Former players swear by these guys. They know how to get results. For Diggs not to be under the direct guidance of Brown and instead working with his own trainers in Miami just isn't the same.

Although he could likely start the season on the PUP list, hopefully Diggs bounces back just fine, and this is all forgotten. But if he doesn't after choosing to do things on his own, well, not only is he perhaps hurting himself, he's hurting the Cowboys as well.