Cowboys give a masterclass in defense construction with Trevon Diggs extension

The Cowboys locked down one of its key secondary pieces by extending Trevon Diggs on Tuesday. Here’s what it means for their defensive future.

Finally, Trevon Diggs can go home for Thanksgiving. Usually, it’s “Stefon this, Stefon that.” Well, Trevon Diggs sees his brother’s four-year, $96 million contract and did him one better with a five-year, $97 million deal finalized on Tuesday.

The Cowboys decided to act now to secure one of the league’s most efficient ballhawks, and at long last, Diggs has flattened the playing field of his and his brother’s long-standing rivalry.

But of course, this deal is less about sibling competition than it is about the terrifying state of the Dallas Cowboys defense.

The Cowboys just made Diggs one of the highest-paid corners in the league not only to keep him in Dallas but to pave the way for a sparkling defensive future.

Now, despite what Madden says about Trevon Diggs, he’s been a baller since Day 1. In his three years on the Cowboys, Diggs has played 49 out of 53 games, earned two Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro, and recorded 17 total interceptions, 11 of which came in 2021.

Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Diggs gets a well-deserved extension that maxes out to $104 million over the next five years including incentives. Tom Pelissero first reported the news.

Cowboys extend Trevon Diggs in preparation of landing the Lion

Let’s talk about the timing of this re-signing.

There was little doubt that a top-10 cornerback like Diggs would remain in Dallas, and it was only a matter of time before the Cowboys’ front office got its wits together and re-signed him.

Within the last year, several other top corners have gotten their extensions, notably Browns’ Denzel Ward and Packers’ Jaire Alexander. Marking the opponent’s No. 1 wideout week after week will get you a truckload of cash, and Diggs’ peerless ball skills and disruptive ability to pick off quarterbacks made him an invaluable asset for a stacked Cowboys defense.

The Cowboys could have waited until after the 2023 season to extend Diggs, but they did so early this summer likely in anticipation of Micah Parsons’ monstrous deal. Parsons, who has two years left on his rookie deal, is set to receive perhaps the most lucrative contract for a defender in NFL history in the coming seasons; by securing Diggs early, the Cowboys give themselves a little extra leeway to make cap space room for the Lion.

And once they do that, Dallas’ defense may be absolutely unstoppable. In the backfield, the Cowboys have elite rock-and-roll starters like Diggs, Stephon Gilmore, Donovan Wilson, Malik Hooker, and Jayron Kearse; on the front end, they’ve got high-upside talent and heavyweights like Parsons, Mazi Smith, Demarcus Lawrence, and more.

The NFC East should be very, very scared. Trevon Diggs’ extension only marks the beginning of what could be a deafening decade of defensive dominance for Dallas.