Latest news with #Diggs

NBC Sports
14 hours ago
- Business
- NBC Sports
Stephen Jones: Trevon Diggs paid the price for not being here, but his absence has hurt us, too
The Cowboys hurt Trevon Diggs' feelings for exercising the salary de-escalator in the cornerback's contract. Team officials said they expected Diggs to be a better leader by participating in 84.375 percent of the offseason program at the team facility, which was stipulated in his contract. Diggs credited his rehab team in South Florida for having him ahead of schedule in his return from chondral bone graft surgery on his left knee. The back-and-forth continued Tuesday when executive vice president Stephen Jones responded to Diggs' complaints about the team lowering his $9 million base salary by $500,000 for 2025. 'We expect leadership, and we expect him to be here,' Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. 'He paid the price for not being here, but we're paying a price, too. We feel like he'd be further along had he done his rehab here. He might differ with that.' Diggs does differ with that, having said Monday he hopes to be on the field sometime in September. The Cowboys could have avoided the dispute with one of their stars by using workout bonuses instead of de-escalators in their big contracts. Instead, they have angered another one of their big-name players for something they could have prevented.


USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Countdown to Kickoff: Fadil Diggs is the Saints Player of Day 40
Diggs has the attributes the New Orleans defense needs on the edge The New Orleans Saints will kick off their 2025 regular season just 40 days from today. They'll do it at home against the Arizona Cardinals under new head coach Kellen Moore. Wearing No. 40 for the Saints at the moment is rookie edge rusher Fadil Diggs. Our Saints Player of the Day, here's a closer look at Diggs as he tries to become the 18th player to wear No. 40 during the regular season in team history. An offensive and defensive standout at Woodrow Wilson High School in New Jersey, Diggs was the Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year as a senior. The Texas A&M Aggies won the battle for the four-star recruit. However, Diggs saw little playing time in 2020 or 2021. He'd work his way into more reps in 2022, managing 3 sacks and 5 tackles for loss. He'd increase that production with 11 stops for loss and 4 sacks in 2023, but would transfer to Syracuse at year's conclusion. Diggs blossomed for the Orange, leading Syracuse with 7.5 sacks, 14 stops for loss, and 3 forced fumbles. The Saints finally grabbed Diggs off the NFL draft board at pick No. 254, just three selections before the end of the draft. Despite his late draft status, Diggs could grab a legitimate role in the New Orleans defense. New defensive coordinator Brandon Staley is expected to employ more 3-4 concepts, meaning the Saints will need more athletic rushers along the edge. New Orleans got only 17 combined sacks and 27 tackles for loss from their edge rushers/defensive ends last season. Carl Granderson and Chase Young return as the probable stand-up rushers for Staley, but there is no proven skill behind them for depth. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 257 pounds, speed off the edge is a Diggs strength. Diggs will compete against undrafted rookie Jasheen Davis, Jonah Williams, and disappointing 2023 Round 2 draft pick Isaiah Foskey for reps at the position. If he can improve his instincts against the run and expand his pass rush moves to create consistent pressure, Fadil Diggs could be a late draft steal for a Saints defense desperately seeking a young and disruptive force.

NBC Sports
a day ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Trevon Diggs expects to return to the field by September
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs' 2025 season appeared in doubt after he underwent chondral bone graft surgery on his left knee Jan. 23. The surgery transplants pieces of bone tissue into the joint to stimulate growth. Diggs, thought, always had the season opener circled on his calendar. He might not make it back by Sept. 4 for the first game against the Eagles, but Diggs is ahead of schedule in his rehab and hopes to be on the field sometime in September. Diggs told Clarence Hill of All City DLLS he will not need to be placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, which would keep him out at least four games. He missed six games with his knee injury last season. The Cowboys docked Diggs $500,000 for not rehabbing at the team facility enough, but he credits his team in South Florida for getting him back quicker than expected. The two-time Pro Bowler tore the anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee during a Week 3 practice in 2023.


USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
First image of Christian Gonzalez facing Stefon Diggs at Patriots camp
The New England Patriots showed off the first image of All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez lining up against four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs in a social media post on Thursday. Gonzalez admitted earlier in the week that he was excited to match up against Diggs in practice. Iron sharpens iron, as the saying goes. Gonzalez is on the rise as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and Diggs is looking to climb back into the elite tier of wide receivers, following an ACL injury last October. Before the injury, Diggs was coming off six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. There's hope that he can get back to that same level in New England. One way for Diggs to test himself is frequent head-to-head matchups against one of the top corners in the game. Gonzalez recently made ESPN's top-10 cornerbacks list, which polled votes from executives, coaches and NFL scouts around the league. The former Oregon standout landed at No. 6 in the rankings with one NFL assistant comparing him to the No. 1 player on the list, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II. "I think Gonzo is the next great one," a veteran NFL assistant said, via ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Skills, patience, length. He's the closest thing to Pat [Surtain II]. Smooth, big athlete, travels a lot, can matchup against the best guy." Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Christian Gonzalez's seven-word reaction to facing Stefon Diggs
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is excited about potential training camp matchups with four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, and he said as much while meeting with media members earlier in the week. Diggs, who was recently cleared for training camp, was one of the Patriots' newest receiving weapons acquired in the offseason. He signed a three-year, $69 million deal with the team in free agency. Meanwhile, Gonzalez is a third-year cornerback coming off his first All-Pro season. He'll be looking to solidify himself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL this year. 'I'm excited for that. It'll be fun," Gonzalez said on the training camp matchup with Diggs, via NBC Sports' Phil Perry. This is a classic case of iron sharpening iron with the upcoming training camp battles between Gonzalez and Diggs. Before going down with the ACL injury, Diggs was coming off six straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons. If he returns to form, it could turn into an incredible matchup against Gonzalez, who locked down some of the best receivers in the league last year. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook. This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Christian Gonzalez's seven-word reaction to facing Stefon Diggs