FRISCO - Not only are Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs planning to be here inside The Star on Tuesday when mandatory minicamp begins ...
They're already in Frisco, already working and hopefully all ready to settle some Dallas Cowboys issues in the coming days, weeks and months.
It's a Monday night team dinner and then three days of work ... and CowboysCountry.com will be there ... starting with our Dallas Cowboys Minicamp Preview With 10 Key Questions ...
1 - Is Micah Parsons Here? The Lion-backer make weekend phone calls to a handful of Dallas Cowboys pals, following up on the viral trend of contacting friends to wish them an out-of-the-blue "goodnight.''
Micah called Brian Schottenheimer.
"You know, I feel like player to coach, just checking in on you. Wanted to say goodnight, whole fam as well. See you Monday, you know, excited about next week," Micah said to his first-year head coach.
"See you Monday.''
We will take that as a "yes.''
Parsons has been "in and out'' (Schottenheimer's words) for the team's voluntary OTAs, and has all along vowed to not use an offseason holdout as leverage in his contract talks with team owners Jerry and Stephen Jones.
2 - Is Trevon Diggs Here? Is cornerback Trevon Diggs - five-year star-quality pro who has continued his rehab of a surgically repaired left knee but has done so in Miami - has not been an OTAs attendee.
That could cost him big money according to his contract.
But ...
When Schottenheimer addressed us last week, he made it clear that all parties appear to be on the same page here. He noted that he has spoken with Diggs, who has checked in with team doctors.
"Our understanding is he's getting the work done and he'll be back in, and we'll get a good look at him next week'' at minicamp,'' Schottenheimer said, applying a most positive spin.
We were going to take that as a "probably.'' But now we know more - and Cowboys Nation can feel OK about it.
3 - Is a Big Roster Move Coming? The internet can do what it does ("the Bills should trade James Cook to Dallas!'') ... but when it does do, the internet is only proving it can't read.
COO Stephen Jones was asked about any deal being on the front burner.
He bluntly answered, "No.''
There is no reason but to take him at his word.
4 - But What About The Cornerback Depth?We're not saying trading for Jalen Ramsey of the Dolphins and paying him $24 million is a bad idea; we're just saying - ESPN's bogus reports aside - that it's not Dallas' idea.
And yes, that goes for the suddenly available Jaire Alexander of the Packers, too.
The Cowboys plan to stick with DaRon Bland and company this week, and maybe once we get to training camp in Oxnard - and failure abounds at the position - they will revisit the idea of a move.
5 - Will Dak Prescott "Do It All''? The Dallas QB, coming off season-ending hamstring surgery, says he's healthy enough to "play a game today'' if needed.
That's not needed. But worth watching here is the issue of "mobility.''
Can he be that? It's a critically important threat at the position; one-dimensional won't cut it.
6 - Is The Tyler Guyton Investment Paying Off? He's in the weight room. He's pushing himself away from the junk food. And he's training with the retired legend Tyron Smith. That is progress for the 2024 first-round O-lineman ... times three.
7 - Is Joe Milton More Than An "Experiment''? Physically, there is very little the 6-6, 240-pound QB cannot do. ... including gymnastics. We've seen him climb the depth chart in the last two weeks and he's getting second-team snaps.
Was that an experiment? Is he keeping the job? Is "Bazooka Joe'' the real deal as Dak's caddie ... or maybe even as Dak's heir?
8 - Who's The Other Other Starting Receiver?The CeeDee Lamb/George Pickens "Goodfellas'' pairing? So far, so good. After that? Dallas needs competition. A bigger role for KaVontae Turpin? A steady climb for Jalen Tolbert? Jonathan Mingo finally doing ... something?
Maybe we're being greedy here, as a few weeks ago, Dallas only had one reliable wideout. ... and now we want three?
9 - Is Run-Stopping About X's and O's or Jimmys and Joes? More than a few players have suggested that Dallas' problems in stopping the run in 2024 were about scheme. ... and that the problem is all fixed now.
We're not buying it. At all.
But if the players are buying into new coordinator Matt Eberflus' approach?
That's a start.
10 - How Much "Juice'' Does Schotty Have? Add to all the "culture'' stories the new ones ... late-night phone talks with Micah and Greek Dancing with the QBs?! ... and you wonder when this new head coach rests.
But for now, for sure? His approach has energized the locker room and the building.
Now all he needs to do is win at Philadelphia in Week 1.