The Dallas Cowboys have a ton riding on the 2025 season. After a disaster of a 2024 campaign, the enormous price of the roster, particularly Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, alongside the massive haul they gave up for George Pickens, has put a ton of pressure on the upcoming season.
While that trio should be able to build an explosive offense, the defense also needs some work in Texas. Typically, a strong point of the Cowboys, their defensive unit struggled last year. But before the new year begins, one analyst wants them to offload a veteran piece from that unit.
Dallas Cowboys Embracing Youth on Defense?
Last season, a plethora of injuries spelled doom for the Cowboys’ season. In particular, their defense was left in shambles, with the unit finishing 25th in PFSN’s Defense+ metric. As a result, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report wants the team to embrace its youth.
That happens in the form of trading Trevon Diggs and letting their third-round pick, Shavon Revel Jr., have a huge role from his first day on the field. And with the injury history Diggs already has, it is hard to argue with Sobleski’s assessment.
“Diggs has endured back-to-back season-ending injuries to the same knee, which resulted in only 13 total appearances. The 26-year-old could bounce back, but the Cowboys might not get the return they expected after signing the 2021 first-team All-Pro to a five-year, $97 million contract extension.”
A trade might be a smart option with four years left on his contract, with the Cowboys potentially eyeing the $9.6 million it can save by parting ways with Diggs post-June 1. Moreover, Sobleski believes this might be the best time for owner and GM Jerry Jones to make such a move.
“Dallas added depth at cornerback this offseason by trading for former first-round pick Kaiir Elam and selecting East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr. in the third round of the draft. That duo will join DaRon Bland and Israel Mukuamu, who can cover the slot after Jourdan Lewis’ departure in free agency.”
Cowboys CB Shavon Revel Jr. worked in a limited capacity in today’s OTA session as he slowly works back from a torn ACL suffered last October pic.twitter.com/GRhqiUvBUv
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) May 20, 2025
The money Dallas makes could help in bringing back Bland or potentially giving Micah Parsons the $40 million+ that he might be expecting as part of his new contract. And it would also allow a player like Revel, who many had as high as a first-round pick, to immediately be impactful for the Cowboys.
PFSN, too, had a similar idea with Revel. However, between Diggs and Bland, they believe the latter might be a better trade candidate. His smaller contract potentially gives them a better return than the single sixth-round pick that BR is proposing.
But with both Revel, who suffered a torn ACL in September, and Diggs’ health a major question mark, Bland might find his spot on the roster safe. Between the two, parting ways with Diggs might be a smart choice for the Cowboys.
It would clear up some cap space for them, offload a contract that might be an overpay given the availability from the two-time Pro Bowler, and also allow them to develop a potential draft day steal in Revel.
