FRISCO, Texas – Last padded practice of the week here Wednesday night before Friday night's last of three preseason games at AT&T Stadium.
The clock is ticking. Then just 13 days until the Sept. 4 season opener at Philadelphia. So much to decide, so little time.
Here is of utmost concern still in the TBD category, maybe more so than backup quarterback, which is not in the same category since we are talking a backup spot, or even defensive tackle since an inability doesn't usually create an instant drain.
Not like cornerback, where lightning-bolt plays can occur, chewing up gobs of yards all at once. Plus, this one is complicated.
We've received no indications – yet – if two-time Pro Bowl corner Trevon Diggs will be ready for the season opener. If he is, reduces the blood-pressure-rising concern. If he's not, causes the likely rising of one of those beachside hurricane warning flags.
Because the injury concern at cornerback is not just Diggs still rehabbing from knee surgery. There is also Josh Butler and third-round draft choice Shavon Revel still rehabilitating from ACL surgeries. And now last year's five-game starter Caelen Carson still dealing with a sprained knee. That's very well four guys when healthy all on the final 53-man roster.
No wonder the Cowboys gave DaRon Bland a break on Wednesday. He was a tad sore and rather vital to be ready, considering this situation.
With Diggs, Bland and the resurgent Kaiir Elam, a former Buffalo first-round draft choice and son of former Cowboys safety Abe whom Dallas traded for this offseason, they could breathe much easier.
Without, not so much.
Diggs has yet to be activated off the PUP, meaning he has yet to practice. Continues rehabbing and ramping up his conditioning. And by Aug. 26, that is this coming Tuesday, the day teams must reduce, in the Cowboys' case, a 91-man roster down to 53. Transitioning Diggs to Inactive PUP would mean he would at least have to miss the first four games of the season. To keep him on the 53, they would have to be convinced he at least would be ready to play sooner than that.
"I do think we have some help on the way," head coach Brian Schottenheimer said, without naming names. "I do feel like we have plenty there to do what we need to do to win a football game."
And if Diggs is not, then comes the TBD. At cornerback then would be Bland, Elam and … and … what the Cowboys would then need to be determined as the third. 'Cuz when going to nickel, and for sure that likely will become the Eagles' base offense, if not already planning to expose the Cowboys' lack of cornerback experience that way.
Now, heading into Friday night's final preseason game against Atlanta, the top two candidates are Kemon Hall and Zion Childress, not necessarily in that order. Both are getting first-team defensive snaps. Both at times have impressed, Hall coming down with an interception against the Ravens along with one pass breakup and six tackles, while Childress led the team with six tackles in the first preseason game against the Rams and has generally been a defensive pest in practices.
Hall at least has bounced around NFL rosters and practice squads for seven seasons, three of those totaling 24 NFL game appearances, including six last year with the Cowboys.
Childress is an undrafted rookie, having played the past three years at Kentucky. He began his career with the Wildcats playing safety and says at his request to head coach Mark Stoops moved up to nickel corner, where he earned All-SEC honorable mention honors, finishing with 55 tackles. And remember, part of the nickel corner's responsibility is to play the run that close to the line of scrimmage.
The Cowboys' other alternative, probably depending on the opponent, is moving Bland inside, with Elam and TBD at outside cornerback. Right now, that has been Andrew Booth, who picked off Cooper Rush in last Saturday's preseason game but has been inconsistent in covering on the outside.
"With what we have out there, I do feel like we can put together a helluva defensive plan with (defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus) and the staff to slow down a really good offense and a damn good football team in Philadelphia," Schottenheimer insists.
Well then, that about, uh, covers this concern for now.
- Forgotten Man: Not a wanted title, but that's been the case with linebacker Damone Clark, one year leading the team in tackles with 115 in 2023 and the next getting just 164 snaps out of 1,104 and starting only two of 14 games played. And now, Clark is considered a top-four linebacker on the Cowboys, getting play even in varied linebacker combinations with the first team. A blinking light once again. He credits his offseason preparation and fitting into linebacker guru Eberflus' defensive system. "If you can't believe in yourself, you can't expect nobody else to believe in you," Clark says. "And that's something I've been telling myself as well." Well, he believes again, and evidently so does "Flus."
- Never Fails: Just when you start thinking there's a position with excess depth, creating thoughts of possibly trading away a player so not to cut a talented one, then by golly an injury occurs. Why, see the Cowboys' wide receiver position. Seemed crowded. Hear overtures of trading Jalen Tolbert from outside the building. And then Saturday occurs, Jonathan Mingo, figured to be one of the team's top-four wide receivers, sprains his knee in the preseason game. And seems quite possible Mingo could miss more than the initially reported four to six weeks with a PCL sprain. If that's the case, he could be one of the two designated IR-return candidates newly instituted this season without first having to be placed on the 53-man roster for 24 hours. Now how does that depth look?
- The Gambler: Only had time Tuesday to watch a couple of the eight episodes of America's Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys. So far a pretty, pretty good and revealing account of the Jerry Jones purchase of the Cowboys in 1989, and the ensuing midseason trade of Herschel Walker to Minnesota. But what was failed to be initially mentioned when the trade came down is the fact there were draft choices tied to the five players the Cowboys were receiving in return. That not until a few days later. Which is why there was such an outcry, myself included, at the time while covering the team for the Dallas Times Herald, over what little the Cowboys were receiving in return for a top running back who combined fort 2,000 yards in 1988. That until learning the part of the trade the team most coveted, the draft picks tied to each of those five players the Cowboys would receive if not keeping them. Oops. So beware of revisionist history, since main characters on this docuseries are relying on their 37-year-old memories for undocumented facts and feelings at the time.
- Micah, Micah: Here is the latest we know by what we can see and what we can hear concerning Micah Parsons' status. First, he did eventually attend Tuesday night's practice. He has been working on his conditioning outdoors at The Star with temps from like 95 to 100 degrees out here. He has been participating in the walk-through portions of pre-practice before the pads come on in the evening. And according to what Schottenheimer said before Wednesday night's practice at Ford Center, when asked if Micah would be ready to play if and when the extension stalemate ends or he agrees to participate, "Micah is going to be prepared." And then about how much time he would need to be ready to play in a game even though he has not been in a game or even practiced in pads so far since Jan. 5, Schotty said, "One thing he hasn't lost is his ability to rush the passer." So at least, maybe, designated pass rusher on definite passing downs?
- Can't Wait: That is to see how many snaps the Cowboys give rookie running back Jaydon Blue in Friday's game against Atlanta. He finally returned to padded practices these past two nights, actually taking snaps during the 11-on-11 team periods for the first time since missing at least a week worth of practices back in Oxnard, California, with a sore knee. Before that, and with Miles Sanders nursing a sore knee as well, Blue was getting some first-team snaps and showing amazing ability to accelerate with the ball in his hands at the line of scrimmage while running between the tackles. Now would like to see the same when he knows he's getting tackled.
- Eyes Wide Open: Sure like the Cowboys lining up in formations I've been hoping to see now that Blue has returned to practice – his speed on the field at running back with the speed of KaVontae Turpin in the slot … Kicking indoors sure is a lot easier for Brandon Aubrey than having to deal with that dastardly wind in Oxnard, going five for six on Tuesday between 33 and 51 yards – his miss from 51 high off the right upright, his make from 47 good by 10 yards – then going five for five on Wednesday between 33 and 51 yards … Think defensive line coach Arron Whitecotton is all in. Should have seen a loose ball in the backfield after an incompletion that he picked up and ran like 15 yards the other way into the end zone to spike the ball … The Cowboys obviously like what they are seeing from sixth-year veteran tackle Hakeem Adeniji, getting some snaps with the first-team offense knowing they are looking for a backup swing tackle if indeed Tyler Guyton isn't ready for the opener … And lastly, and the Cowboys have to hope this continues into Friday night's game, but saw Joe Milton throw several impressive passes these past two days: a slant on time to Traeshon Holden, no more than 10 yards down the field hitting him on the run, and following that with a deep completion in the end zone to Jalen Brooks.
So when it comes to Micah, and it always seems to come to Micah, Schottenheimer was told Troy Aikman said the Cowboys can't win without him, giving Parsons negotiating leverage, and then wanting to know the head coach's thoughts. Not if Aikman's assessment was right or wrong, but how important is Micah to what the Cowboys can do defensively.
"Well, to me, this is a team game," Schottenheimer begins. "I'm not going to sit here and say any player is more important than any other players. I started off the press conference saying it's going to take all 53 players. Everybody has their thoughts and opinions on the Micah situation, and to me what's going to make us special and allow us to win the Super Bowl will be when we're ALL performing. We all know it takes 53-plus in this league and the elevations you do on game day with your practice squad guys.
"It's the ultimate team game, that's the way I look at it, and I don't see this situation any different."
Could Micah make a difference if he were ready to play?
Of course.
But if not, Schotty is right. This is the ultimate team game. Nobody is out there playing singles or golf or bowling or hitting a baseball or shooting free throws.
It's "allball."
