I'm excited to see two young players showing up on the first-team depth chart: Trevon Diggs and Trysten Hill. Do you think this is more about "need" or their individual development? — THOMAS NARRO
David: First off, I would like to remind everyone that the depth chart isn't official. I wouldn't put too much stock into it. But I think the answer is probably both. Trysten Hill has undoubtedly made a lot of progress this year, but I doubt he'd be starting if Gerald McCoy was healthy. Same for Trevon Diggs. He had a fantastic training camp, but remember that two corners have been hurt for a solid chunk of camp. It's not a knock on those guys, but it's worth remembering.
Nick: I think it started with opportunity. Jourdan Lewis got hurt and that allowed Diggs the chance to play more. He shined with those extra reps. As for Hill, he also got more snaps after McCoy went down. It's really too early to talk about development or if these guys are really playing well. Nothing has happened yet. If Diggs struggles Sunday night, no one will care about what we thought we saw at camp. It's early in the process but you can only go off what we've seen and it's a good sign that both of them are playing as much as they are.
Will the first four games of the season be a bit of a 'catch up,' where we will see the team solidify itself after missing the preseason? I am expecting the first week of NFL football to be a bit more experimental – not only in how it's rolled out, but the game play and personnel packages. What do you guys think? — J.M. SMITH
David: You know, prior to last night, I was right there with you. But I was pretty shocked at how clean that Chiefs-Texans game looked. So maybe it won't be as hard for these guys to get acclimated as we think. As far as personnel packages, I don't expect it'll be anything too out of the ordinary – but it'll definitely be new.
Nick: I think there's some truth to that but you can't spend too much time being experimental. That's when you find yourself getting beat and let's not forget, these games definitely count. It's still just a 16-game schedule and no one cares how little practice time you got in the offseason or if you're a new coaching staff or not. Doesn't matter, you have to go win the games right now. So I think the Cowboys have to be ready to go play and go win. Simple as that. Sure, you're going to learn things on the run, but there is no time to get cute. It's time to play and I think having such a veteran coaching staff should work as a benefit to the Cowboys.
