Trevon Diggs poised for return, boosting Dallas' defense. But lingering injury, commitment questions, and potential roster moves create intrigue.
FRISCO - It's been a long, strange trip for Trevon Diggs.
But he may be on the verge of packing his bags for Detroit as a continuing member of the Dallas Cowboys when "America's Team'' resumes play.
According to team owner Jerry Jones, controversial cornerback Diggs "will be on the field" during the red-hot Cowboys' Week 14 matchup with the Lions.
If this comes true - Diggs has been eligible for a week to come off IR after moving off the roster due to a knee and a concussion issue - and if he's anywhere close to where he once was as a player?
This could be a defensive boost along the same lines as the trades for Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams and the post-injury activation of DeMarvion Overshown.
"He'll be on the field,'' Jones said on Friday via 105.3 The Fan, noting that he "wanted to be on the field (in the Thursday win over the Chiefs). "But he'll be on the field at Detroit in my view barring any (setback).''
Diggs, when healthy a premium playmaker who has 20 career interceptions, hasn't played since the Cowboys' Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The former Pro Bowl cornerback was out with a concussion following an injury sustained in what the team called "an accident at home'' ... with no further explanation creating mystery.
The initial problem was concussion-related. But when he was sent to IR, the team also added that there were concerns over his "other knee'' in addition to whatever issues there might've been regarding his surgically-repaired knee.
Diggs has been in conflict with ownership and with the coaching staff, with the Joneses questioning his commitment to rehab after he signed his $20 million APY contract two years ago, and with Diggs announcing his dislike for coordinator Matt Eberflus' zone scheme.
Diggs also seemed to be in a bit of a funk after his buddy Micah Parsons engineered his way out of Dallas in a trade to the Green Bay Packers.
Diggs is currently on IR, so he'll have to be activated and return to the active roster of a 6-5-1 Dallas team that's won three in a row. Additionally, there will be some sort of a shuffle in the secondary, where in an ideal world he'd return to boundary corner, with Caelen Carson and Shavon Revel competing for the other outside spot, and DaRon Bland moving to the slot cornerback role in which he's excelled.
Dollars and sense suggest that Diggs might be done in Dallas after this year; there is a $12 million cap benefit to releasing him after 2025. But for now? Jones says the Cowboys want him back.
And Cowboys Nation surely hopes he can meet some level of expectations.