1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Stephen Jones joining us now right here on your home 2 00:00:02,560 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: of the Cowboys. Good afternoon to you, sir, Thanks for 3 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: jumping on with us again. Hey guys, good to be on. Okay, So, yes, sir, 4 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: we're good. Yeah, the schedule is out. Yes, we can 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: hear you. Pretty good. Schedule is out. Stephen, Mike and 6 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 1: I have you guys pegged at eleven and five on 7 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: the year taking a look at the schedule. Would that 8 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: be a success in your eyes? Yeah, I think so. 9 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: I mean obviously that usually we'll get you the division, 10 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,080 Speaker 1: get you the division and uh, you know, in the 11 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: tournament and a lot of times with the buy. So 12 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: you know, that's certainly good. You know. Would we love 13 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:41,120 Speaker 1: to do better, of course we would, but certainly wouldn't 14 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: be a bad projection at eleven and five. To what 15 00:00:44,440 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: extent will January wins define success for twenty nineteen? I 16 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: think in a big way. I mean, obviously, we've made 17 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,400 Speaker 1: no you know, we've been real clear that we have 18 00:00:54,440 --> 00:00:58,080 Speaker 1: to take the next step. You know, We've we've done 19 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: well around here. We've won the East two out of 20 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 1: the last three years, you know, been in the playoffs 21 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: two out of the last three, and but we have to, 22 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: you know, we've got to take the next step, and 23 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: that means getting to a championship game and hopefully on 24 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 1: to a Super Bowl. Steven. We love to study your 25 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:18,520 Speaker 1: thirty visit list before the draft every year, and there's 26 00:01:18,520 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: a number of safeties on there. When you look at 27 00:01:21,560 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: those players, what are the traits that you value, Like, 28 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 1: how much do you consider who's on your roster now 29 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: and who you think they would be playing with. What 30 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: are the traits that you're looking for if you're going 31 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: to pick a safety early. Well, I think the biggest 32 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: thing you're looking for is, uh, you know, a safety 33 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:41,560 Speaker 1: who can make plays on the ball and also can 34 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: be an accurate tackle tackler. Doesn't necessarily have to you know, 35 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: be a take your head off tackler, but at you know, 36 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,160 Speaker 1: you certainly want them to be accurate tackling the ball 37 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: carrier or the receiver. And then you know, at the 38 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,640 Speaker 1: same time, probably as big, if not bigger, as to 39 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 1: be able to make plays on the ball. And you know, 40 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 1: in our league, when you when you turn the ball over, 41 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: you certainly improve your chances to win the game if 42 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: you can win the turnover battle. I think that's been 43 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: forever in our league, if you win that turnover battle, 44 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:14,960 Speaker 1: there's a pretty good chance you're gonna win the game. So, 45 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 1: you know, those are the most important traits. As far 46 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:20,280 Speaker 1: as looking at what's on your roster, I think there's 47 00:02:20,320 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: a we were just discussing that again today. I think 48 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: there's a lot of ways you can go. I mean 49 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: there's the traditional free safety slash strong safety. But if 50 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: you have accurate tacklers you can have you know, you 51 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 1: can you can play uh, you know with two safeties 52 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: that can do both. So uh, you know, I don't 53 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: think we want to limit ourselves to just saying, hey, 54 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: we've because we've got a young, young free safety and 55 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 1: Xavier that we can't take another uh free safety as 56 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: long as they're accurate tacklers. Xavier's an accurate tackler as well. 57 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 1: He can improve, but he's certainly accurate with it. You know, 58 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 1: his size limits his ability to uh, you know, be 59 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: really physical gold but he certainly, uh when he gets 60 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: a chance, he'll certainly deliver some big licks. But uh, 61 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: I just think we you know, want good football players, 62 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: and if you know that presents itself and happens to 63 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:15,079 Speaker 1: be the best player on our board certainly will look 64 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 1: at that I mentioned the other day. You know, probably 65 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,920 Speaker 1: safety is a position on our team where we've used 66 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,400 Speaker 1: the least amount of resources when you consider either uh 67 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: draft pick capital or you consider you know, the amount 68 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: of money we've spent on safeties. Are there any positions 69 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: on your team that if it was the best player 70 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,600 Speaker 1: at fifty eighth that you would not take? You know, 71 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: that's a tough one. Uh, you know, I'm sure there is. Uh. 72 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: You know, usually a you know, a quarterback is something 73 00:03:47,600 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: when you got one that you really like a lot, 74 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,440 Speaker 1: you know, using another high pick, especially when that quarterback's 75 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: young like dak is. Uh, you know, you might really 76 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: struggle maybe to pick pick one there. But you know, 77 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,320 Speaker 1: other than that, I don't I don't think there's any 78 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: position left that we wouldn't uh, you know, we wouldn't 79 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,000 Speaker 1: at least consider it. So, Stephen, we've been discussing y'all's 80 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: drafts over the last five years and how good you 81 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: guys have been doing, especially in the top three rounds. 82 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: And you mentioned Xavier Woods in twenty seventeen. You found 83 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 1: a gym there later in the draft, but we are 84 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: looking at that to twenty seventeen class you have, especially 85 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,720 Speaker 1: the top three picks, and said, well, maybe they've been 86 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: a little bit disappointing in Taco and Cheeto and Jordan Lewis, 87 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:31,800 Speaker 1: and I know they've had contributing moments, but what are 88 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: you expecting out of those top three guys that you've 89 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: picked in their third year coming up? Well, we certainly, uh, 90 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: you know, probably you know, you hope all of them 91 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 1: continue to contribute it. You know, Jordan's a really good 92 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:48,680 Speaker 1: football player that we have. We're totally comfortable with him, uh, 93 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: you know, being in the game. Unfortunately, he's got a 94 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:56,360 Speaker 1: log jam there at the corner position with our other corner, Cheeto, 95 00:04:56,920 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 1: who we have just think, you know, we have high 96 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: expectations for him. And then of course Byron, who had 97 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: an all pro slash Pro Bowl type year last year. 98 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: So and then you got Brown, who's uh, you know, 99 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: a little longer than Lewis and uh, probably a little faster, 100 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,360 Speaker 1: but certainly we would feel very comfortable with Jordan, uh 101 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,239 Speaker 1: playing playing in a game for us and making plays, 102 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: which he did several times last year. And of course 103 00:05:24,839 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: I spoke to Cheeto, certainly a starter, force feel great 104 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: about him. And then uh, Tyco. Uh, you know, obviously 105 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: hadn't made his way into the starting lineup yet and 106 00:05:34,839 --> 00:05:37,039 Speaker 1: had an injury last year which set him back and 107 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: he didn't necessarily come back as strong as he was 108 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: doing before he got hurt. So it's a big year 109 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: for Tyco to step up. We certainly need him. I mean, 110 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: as you know with our defensive front with Rod, he 111 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: likes to rotate those guys and you know, starting's not 112 00:05:52,600 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: in near as important as the number of snaps you get, 113 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:58,040 Speaker 1: and uh, we certainly need him to step up and 114 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:01,120 Speaker 1: be productive. It's Steve Jones here with us on one 115 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: O five three the Fan. How'd you like having Gil 116 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 1: Brand up there at the podium breaking down everything with Well, 117 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:11,520 Speaker 1: he's he's he's certainly legendary. That's why he's not only 118 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 1: in our Ring of Honor, which we had a ceremony 119 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: for him yesterday, but being in the Pro Football Hall 120 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 1: of Fame. He's one of the best ever be a 121 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: personnel director, evaluate personnel. I think he has to have 122 00:06:25,880 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: a photographic memory with the way he's able to recall 123 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:36,720 Speaker 1: recollect players what they do, and he's still amazingly good 124 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,479 Speaker 1: at it in terms of knowing the players in this 125 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: up and coming draft, so you know, he's a special man. 126 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: He certainly left his fingerprints all over this organization. I 127 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: think they said yesterday, and I might not have it exact, 128 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: but twelve of the fifteen Ring of Honor members he drafted. 129 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: So he did a great job for this organization. They 130 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: obviously won a lot of football games, one two super 131 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: Bowl championships, and he's just special and it was certainly 132 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: an honor to get to share a table with him yesterday. 133 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,440 Speaker 1: Do you agree that there's a big group of players 134 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:16,280 Speaker 1: from eighteen to seventy that are fairly interchangeable. Absolutely, And 135 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: I think that's how good things happen to you. I think, 136 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,080 Speaker 1: you know when you get a grouping of players like that, 137 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: and we do think there's areas, uh, you know, where 138 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: the draft is deep and have a number of players 139 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: that just happened to be spots where we'd love to 140 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: get a player in terms of positions. So I think 141 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: those things can happen. And then, of course, as we 142 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,160 Speaker 1: all know, I think Jerry Mitchen in the press conference 143 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:44,720 Speaker 1: say yesterday that you know, there's a couple of really 144 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: good football players up there that fall in that Jalen 145 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 1: Smith Sean Lee type category that could fall that are 146 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: you know, might have an injury issue, but you ultimately 147 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,040 Speaker 1: think they're going to totally get over it and go 148 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:01,320 Speaker 1: on to you know, play really good football. So certainly 149 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 1: that's something that we always keep an eye on. As 150 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:07,880 Speaker 1: you well know, Stephen, how tough are those conversations when 151 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: a Jalen Smith is on the board, or whether it's 152 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: Sean Lee, it's injuries or some other thing off the field, 153 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: and you guys have a high talent grade on them, 154 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: and you have approximately ten minutes and I know you 155 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: have a little bit longer leading up to your pick, 156 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: but once that other pick goes off the board in 157 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: the second round, you have approximately ten minutes to make 158 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 1: that huge discussion point of do we take the guy 159 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: risk reward or do do we take more of a 160 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: safe player? And how tough or kind of those conversations go. Well, 161 00:08:34,520 --> 00:08:37,320 Speaker 1: in most cases, you've done your homework and you know 162 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: we'll go through those scenarios in depth next week in 163 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: terms of really vetting out players who might have an 164 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: issue and where you might where does the talent level stop, 165 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: where you'd plug those guys in and say, look if 166 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 1: everything from this point forward or up the board or 167 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: off the board. Then this is where we'd better be 168 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: ready to pull the trigger. And certainly that's happened to 169 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: us before, and we were very comfortable pulling the trigger 170 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: with Jalen. You know, obviously we've pulled the trigger on 171 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:14,559 Speaker 1: a player like Randy Gregory, a player like Sean Lee, 172 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: where you just say, hey, at some point, you're just 173 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,960 Speaker 1: getting too much value for the long term, you know, 174 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:25,560 Speaker 1: where you might have to sacrifice not having a player 175 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: for half a year or a year. So those will 176 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: be certainly in depth discussions that we'll have. Appreciate you 177 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: as always, Steven, have a great day. We'll catch up 178 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 1: with you next week. Thanks loud guy.