Cowboys news: Dak struggles, Trevon Diggs betrayed, Micah Parsons aftershock

Training camp can only mean one thing: Football season is around the corner. And with football around the corner, Dallas Cowboys fans inch closer to inevitably being disappointed by their favorite team. Every year is their year until about November, when things inevitably unravel and the season feels like a lost cause. 

Those same horrors began to return this week as Dak Prescott and the rest of the Cowboys took the field to officially kickoff the run-up to preseason. There’s never a shortage of news when it comes to the Cowboys, so let's dive into all the nightmares Cowboys fans have been waiting seven months to re-live.

Cowboys news: Dak Prescott is in midseason form as training camp struggles take center stage

Death, taxes and Dak Prescott interceptions. It was Marshawn Kneeland who dropped back into coverage off the line and picked Prescott off for the first INT of Cowboys camp. Fitting it was Prescott to throw the first one, right? Not a great way to reignite Cowboys fans that have waited over nine months to see Prescott take the field again. 

Prescott is back from a hamstring injury that halted his season after just eight games. It’s the second time in his career he played less than 10 games. This season, Prescott probably has the most pressure he’s had in his career. When he’s healthy, he plays at an MVP level for the most part. And when he does that, the Cowboys reach the postseason. 

But moving forward, reaching the playoffs and winning just one game isn’t good enough for the Cowboys. They haven’t been to the NFC Championship game in three decades. Prescott signed a $240 million deal and with it, written in the ultra-fine print, was that he needed to deliver a Super Bowl to Jerry Jones and Cowboys fans. 

Prescott’s start to training camp feels like harbors another failed attempt at a Super Bowl run. Then again, it’s only day two, and a lot can change. Prescott’s struggles now shouldn’t overshadow what he can do this season. For what it’s worth, the last time Prescott came off a major injury he led the Cowboys to three straight playoff appearances. Maybe he can cook up his first NFC Championship appearance this season. 

Cowboys news: Training camp fine gives Trevon Diggs even more motivation to come back strong

Trevon Diggs was slapped with a $500,000 fine for missing too many offseason workouts while he’s been rehabbing his knee injury. He’s projected to miss the start of the season following surgery he underwent last fall. Diggs wasn’t too thrilled to get hit with the fine. 

"I didn't expect that. That kinda hurt my feelings. But it's okay, hopefully I can make it back in incentives," Diggs said, according to Calvin Watkins, who covers the Cowboys for the Dallas Morning News.

Knowing who Jones is, Diggs should have expected that treatment, honestly. Be that as it may, Diggs just got more motivation to not just come back healthy but ready to lead this Cowboys defense — because now he’s trying to make that money back. The Cowboys need a lot of help on defense, specifically in the secondary. So when Diggs does come back, it will be much appreciated. 

More motivation means he can have the impact on this team to help them end their playoff woes. Diggs won’t be the only player carrying that load, but with incentive money on the line, we’ll see the Diggs that earned him a five-year, $97 million extension in the first place. 

Cowboys news: Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones continue to trade blows amid contract dispute

Micah Parsons and Jerry Jones continue to be at odds with the star pass rusher still unsigned to a new contract entering training camp. Parsons is doing his job by continuing to show up to camp and not holding out like most players do. But Jones isn’t budging, instead pouring gasoline on this dispute. 

According to Watkins, neither Parsons nor his agent, David Mulugheta, have heard back from Jones about a potential extension. Not the best way to handle this, but if I’m Parson’s I’m really not too worried. Prescott’s deal got done just hours before Week 1 last year and the Pittsburgh Steelers just re-signed T.J. Watt, avoiding a lengthy holdout. 

A deal will get done, it’s just a matter of when. But Jones should learn from the Cincinnati Bengals' situation with Trey Hendrickson and not cause unnecessary friction during extension talks. Jones wants to win and Parsons gives them the best chance to do that. Jones knows that and will get a deal done. 

Parsons has every right to be mad and Jones has every right to play hardball. But making things harder than they need to be just makes things more complicated. The last thing Jones needs is more complications during a season that needs no distractions.