WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Playing for Future? 0:00:04.920 --> 0:00:07.480 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:19.640 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Clubs. Are you ready for 0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:23.320 a Break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:27.680 Ready for a break? Yeah? And so much for that. 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:33.080 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:33.840 --> 0:00:39.360 with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek Eagleton. 0:00:40.920 --> 0:00:44.680 It is Tuesday, November third, two, twenty, season sixteen, episode 0:00:44.760 --> 0:00:48.120 number fifty seven. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. 0:00:48.120 --> 0:00:50.599 We're life from the s WBC Mortgage studios at the Star. 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:53.360 Got Nick here, got Amber here, got Dave here, and 0:00:53.600 --> 0:00:55.200 we got a forty five minutes show to be able 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:57.120 to talk to you guys about the Cowboys. We're gonna 0:00:57.120 --> 0:01:00.760 do some big picture um analysis of this team. It's 0:01:00.800 --> 0:01:03.680 the midway point. Cowboys are two and six. The midway point. 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:06.160 I don't think any of us expected that going into 0:01:06.160 --> 0:01:08.479 this season, but I'll have some questions for these guys 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:10.880 to kind of recap what's happened in the first half 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:13.200 of the season and to look forward not only at 0:01:13.200 --> 0:01:15.440 the rest of the season, but going beyond that, and 0:01:15.520 --> 0:01:17.560 how the Cowboys should be looking at their team at 0:01:17.560 --> 0:01:21.720 this point. The deadline. Trade deadline happens today at three 0:01:21.840 --> 0:01:25.720 pm around the NFL, but the Cowboys have already made 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:30.440 a trade for one Eli Ankou with Houston Dave. What 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:32.800 did they give up for him and what's the scouting 0:01:32.840 --> 0:01:37.119 report on him? They gave up a seventh round pick 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:40.959 in twenty twenty two, so it's not even this coming draft, 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:46.400 it's the next draft. You know, basically nothing. I mean, 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:49.280 who knows what they might get in compics in that 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:51.800 time frame. And it's also a seventh round pick. It's 0:01:51.840 --> 0:01:55.680 not very valuable. So they they wanted a run stuffing 0:01:55.720 --> 0:01:58.680 one technique, they don't really have one, and this allows 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:02.560 them to get it. Eli has been He's been on 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.000 and off of teams. He was just with the Texans, 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:06.560 but he was with the Colts at the start of 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:09.840 the season. I believe he spent training camp with the Browns. 0:02:10.400 --> 0:02:13.919 He's kind of kicked around six three three thirty. Mike 0:02:14.040 --> 0:02:16.160 McCarthy said it himself last night, like this is a 0:02:16.200 --> 0:02:18.720 guy who can sit down an anchor. I think they 0:02:18.840 --> 0:02:21.880 got him with an idea and trying to improve their 0:02:21.960 --> 0:02:24.360 run defense. That's what he's here to do. Is he 0:02:24.400 --> 0:02:26.760 a guy that immediately steps in Nick as the starter 0:02:26.960 --> 0:02:31.760 or that looks like they got one of these, so probably, 0:02:31.880 --> 0:02:34.000 I mean, I don't know if he's ready to play, 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:36.519 you know, this game against Pittsburgh, but I would think 0:02:36.520 --> 0:02:39.480 that after a bye week he would be. You know, 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:41.880 as Dave said, I mean that they need to somebody 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:44.120 to stop the run. There's guys are just getting you know, 0:02:44.160 --> 0:02:47.840 blown off the ball, and they don't really have that guy. 0:02:47.919 --> 0:02:51.000 They were hoping that, obviously Don Tarpeo would would be 0:02:51.040 --> 0:02:54.960 there for them, and that didn't work out obviously. So yeah, 0:02:55.120 --> 0:02:57.440 I think that he comes right in. I don't know 0:02:57.440 --> 0:02:59.359 if he's got all the terminology and ready to play 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:02.880 almost every but and again those one techniques don't play 0:03:02.919 --> 0:03:06.000 every snap, but I think he probably will step in 0:03:06.040 --> 0:03:09.200 and contribute immediately. According to Stephen Jones, it doesn't look 0:03:09.240 --> 0:03:11.080 like the Cowboys are going to be looking to do 0:03:11.280 --> 0:03:14.760 much here before the trade deadline. Beyond that, his quote was, 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:17.160 I think we're basically in a mode that if something 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:19.600 came to us and made a lot of sense, then 0:03:19.639 --> 0:03:21.799 we'd certainly look at it. I don't know that we're 0:03:21.840 --> 0:03:25.960 aggressively out here right now, either trying to get somebody 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:29.360 or move somebody. What we want. What we want to 0:03:29.400 --> 0:03:32.040 do right now is play some of these young guys 0:03:32.320 --> 0:03:34.519 that we have, give them the reps that they need, 0:03:34.880 --> 0:03:36.880 see what we have as we move through the rest 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:38.920 of the season. And but does it sound like to 0:03:38.960 --> 0:03:42.640 you that they are basically, I guess relacable, way better 0:03:42.640 --> 0:03:44.600 way to put it, that they're conceiving the rest of 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:47.360 the season and really looking forward to twenty twenty one. 0:03:47.600 --> 0:03:52.040 And if so, is at the right approach. I think 0:03:52.040 --> 0:03:55.640 it might sound like that given what we've seen from 0:03:55.640 --> 0:03:58.000 the season. But usually when you look at what the 0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:01.880 Cowboys normally do, they don't tend to make these kind 0:04:01.920 --> 0:04:04.320 of traits. So it's just part of who they are, 0:04:04.400 --> 0:04:06.640 and they usually like to stick to the guys that 0:04:06.680 --> 0:04:10.360 they already have. Now this is a season that this 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:12.600 is the first time I would say that I actually 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:16.840 agree with that mentality, just given the fact that there's 0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:19.680 just so many issues this year that I don't think 0:04:19.720 --> 0:04:22.600 that a simple trade will change anything. So I do 0:04:23.120 --> 0:04:25.320 think that this is the time to give this younger 0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:29.760 guys some good game reps. And when you know, I've 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:32.320 been seeing on Twitter all these possible trades, you know, 0:04:32.680 --> 0:04:36.279 you start talking about Michael Gallup Amari Cooper, even as 0:04:36.360 --> 0:04:40.520 Ze Gil Elliott. And I'm not on board of making 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:43.359 any of those kinds of traits or trading any of 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:46.800 those guys. So as of right now, I am for 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:52.680 the whole idea of let these young guys play. You agree, Nick, Yeah, 0:04:52.839 --> 0:04:55.720 I mean I think that they're going to go and 0:04:55.760 --> 0:04:58.120 try to win games. I kind of think this is 0:04:58.240 --> 0:05:01.479 this is going to be like a preseason mentality where 0:05:01.520 --> 0:05:04.279 you try to win games, you're just not using all 0:05:04.279 --> 0:05:08.279 of the resources that you have available. Um and and 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:10.880 that's probably not fair either. The healthy guys are gonna 0:05:10.880 --> 0:05:12.520 are going to play, but I think when it's close, 0:05:12.600 --> 0:05:15.480 you kind of defer to a younger guy here. But 0:05:15.880 --> 0:05:18.200 you know they're gonna they're gonna still try to win. 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:20.520 I think there's value in winning games. I really do. 0:05:20.600 --> 0:05:24.479 And so I think that, um, you know, I'm not 0:05:24.520 --> 0:05:26.280 gonna be mad if they win a game. Now, the 0:05:26.320 --> 0:05:29.640 fans will be, but to me, that's stupid. But if 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:33.280 if they think that it's you know, clearly better to have, 0:05:33.440 --> 0:05:37.480 you know, the sixth pick over the ninth pick, I'd 0:05:37.560 --> 0:05:40.520 rather win games. Personally, it doesn't sound like I mean, 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:44.320 it sounds like they aren't necessarily like winning games. It's important, 0:05:44.360 --> 0:05:46.240 and I think Jerry said even on his call this 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:48.640 morning that with one or five out three, the fan 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:50.600 I think he was he was making talking about it 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:53.159 more from the standpoint of, Yeah, this doesn't have anything 0:05:53.160 --> 0:05:55.200 to do with the players that are on the field, 0:05:55.240 --> 0:05:57.280 the expectations. They're going to play hard, and we expect 0:05:57.279 --> 0:05:59.720 them to play hard, and they will play hard. But 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:02.279 when you start thinking about it from the standpoint of 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:05.320 who's getting the playing time, you kind of opt more 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:08.360 toward letting the guys who you want to see from 0:06:08.360 --> 0:06:10.760 a contract standpoint, guys you want to see because you 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:12.960 think they're young and they need their reps. That's not 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:16.800 necessarily leading toward, you know, giving your best opportunity to 0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:19.159 win all the time. Are you saying that you would 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:22.560 opt for doing like keeping the best guy on the 0:06:22.560 --> 0:06:25.120 field at the best moment at all moments to make 0:06:25.160 --> 0:06:27.480 sure that you win, as opposed to maybe looking at 0:06:27.520 --> 0:06:31.440 some younger talent. Yeah, yes, trying to win. I'm trying 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:33.720 to win games, that's what. Yeah, I would do that, Dave. 0:06:36.160 --> 0:06:38.880 I don't think I've ever been more frustrated by a 0:06:38.960 --> 0:06:41.919 trade deadline than I am this year, and that's saying 0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:44.960 a lot, because every year it gets frustrating, you know, 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:48.719 talking about this type of stuff, even though the trade 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:51.800 deadline just historically is not this crazy day and it 0:06:51.839 --> 0:06:55.000 never really has been. I mean, there's more activity in 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:57.320 the last five years than before that, but it's still 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:01.240 it's not baseball. And what makes it frustrating for me 0:07:01.400 --> 0:07:08.040 is like people people expect these grand movements when it's 0:07:08.080 --> 0:07:11.560 really not. It's not necessary, Like the Cowboys don't need 0:07:11.640 --> 0:07:14.200 to trade anybody away. They don't need to come out 0:07:14.240 --> 0:07:17.239 and say we're tanking, we're not winning any more games, 0:07:17.280 --> 0:07:19.720 Like who who on earth does that in the first place? 0:07:19.800 --> 0:07:23.880 In the NFL, Like nobody says that. But you also, 0:07:24.040 --> 0:07:26.480 like you don't need to deal anybody away to know 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:30.360 that this team probably isn't gonna win a boatload more games, 0:07:30.480 --> 0:07:33.560 Like you can just evaluate the guys that you have, 0:07:34.200 --> 0:07:36.360 get some young players from playing time, play the good 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:39.560 players that you still do have, And I mean, what 0:07:39.600 --> 0:07:42.160 do we think is the realistic ceiling for the number 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:43.960 of games they're probably gonna win the rest of the way, 0:07:44.000 --> 0:07:46.280 Like six and ten seems like it would be a 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:52.320 fantastic effort in the second half. Guess what. That's what 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:54.680 I'm saying, Like six and ten is probably a best 0:07:54.680 --> 0:08:01.960 case scenario, the more realistic, So they don't need to 0:08:02.000 --> 0:08:05.320 do anything to tank. They're already compromised to the point 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:07.680 where it's not going to matter and you're up. You know. 0:08:07.720 --> 0:08:09.400 Then on the other side of the coin, there's people 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:12.200 that are like, well, if you're not conceding the season, 0:08:12.720 --> 0:08:15.080 go do something about it, Go get somebody like you 0:08:15.120 --> 0:08:18.120 did with Amari Cooper. Why on earth would they want 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:21.480 to do that. They're not gonna go far even if 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:23.720 they make the playoffs. They don't have Dak, they don't 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:27.400 have an offensive line, their defense is historically bad. There 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:30.040 is not a trade that they could do to significantly 0:08:30.080 --> 0:08:33.679 improve their fortunes, unless, you know, Kansas City for some 0:08:33.760 --> 0:08:37.240 reason wanted to deal Pat Mahomes. It's not happening. So 0:08:38.440 --> 0:08:41.800 I don't understand what people want them to do, like 0:08:41.880 --> 0:08:44.600 they don't they as it is right now, this team 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:47.320 doesn't need to acquire anybody because they're not going to 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:49.880 accomplish their goal of winning the Super Bowl. They also 0:08:49.880 --> 0:08:52.439 don't need to have a fire sale because it doesn't 0:08:52.440 --> 0:08:56.800 make any sense to do so, So just shut up, Honestly, 0:08:57.000 --> 0:08:59.960 like it's it's gonna be fine. The team, they're gonna 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:02.200 they're gonna fight hard, they're gonna win a few more games, 0:09:02.679 --> 0:09:04.680 they're gonna have a nice draft pick. But like all 0:09:04.720 --> 0:09:08.280 this handwringing about the trade deadline is so tiresome. Well, 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:10.319 let me ask you this, David, If that's where I'm at, 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.120 I get your point on that, But there are there 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:15.920 could be trades out there that maybe are not necessarily 0:09:15.960 --> 0:09:18.680 about this year, right, I mean, that's the one. I 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:20.160 think it's it's kind of like we put him in 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:22.560 these two categories of it's all or nothing. Either you're 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:24.240 trading because you think you got a shot at the 0:09:24.240 --> 0:09:26.880 super Bowl, or you're not trading because you don't. And 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:29.040 I think there's an in between. There could be players 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:30.719 out there that you look at and you say, if 0:09:30.760 --> 0:09:33.680 an opportunity becomes available, this is a player that is 0:09:33.720 --> 0:09:36.120 not just good for us for right now, which would 0:09:36.120 --> 0:09:38.319 be a marginal change because it's probably not going to 0:09:38.440 --> 0:09:40.560 change your fortunes this year, but he could be a 0:09:40.600 --> 0:09:42.920 really nice piece for you in coming years. If you 0:09:42.960 --> 0:09:46.600 trade for him now, you are not wrong. But like, 0:09:46.679 --> 0:09:49.640 how many of those guys exist? Like how many? How 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:52.840 many players that can be building blocks for several years 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:55.640 that the team actually wants to get rid of them, Like, 0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:58.000 it can't be more than three or four. Like a 0:09:58.040 --> 0:10:01.760 perfect example is the Chargers put Desmond King on the 0:10:01.760 --> 0:10:04.439 trade block yesterday. Tennessee only had to give up a 0:10:04.480 --> 0:10:06.679 sixth round pick to get him, and people are like, 0:10:06.920 --> 0:10:09.280 why can't the Cowboys do that? Well, he's only under 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:12.560 contract for eight more games, so you get eight games 0:10:12.559 --> 0:10:15.160 out of him in a lost season before now you've 0:10:15.160 --> 0:10:17.400 got to worry about paying him a longer term deal. 0:10:17.640 --> 0:10:20.480 It makes sense for the Tennessee Titans because they're gearing 0:10:20.600 --> 0:10:23.640 up to make a playoff push. This team's not. And 0:10:23.679 --> 0:10:26.480 so yeah, I'm only I would only be interested in 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:28.280 doing a trade if it was for a guy that 0:10:28.360 --> 0:10:31.079 had several years left on his deal. If the purported 0:10:31.160 --> 0:10:34.520 Quinnin Williams trade was really a reality, sign me up. 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:37.360 But I never like that. That was never gonna happen. 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:40.080 Guys like that don't get traded. Doesn't even I don't 0:10:40.080 --> 0:10:42.520 disagree with you, I just don't think those those players 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:44.600 are They're very few, and Fron doesn't make sense for 0:10:44.600 --> 0:10:46.959 the Chargers because they're going to get a better compensatory 0:10:46.960 --> 0:10:49.480 pick if he goes and signed somewhere else instead of 0:10:49.480 --> 0:10:51.960 trading him, trading him for a sixth round pick. I'd 0:10:52.000 --> 0:10:53.880 like to think you get a better compensatory if he 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:57.880 goes somewhere and plays well. Yeah. So, now so the 0:10:57.880 --> 0:11:01.400 Titans give a sixth maybe they sign them, maybe they don't. 0:11:01.440 --> 0:11:03.600 They probably get a better deal out of it, and 0:11:03.600 --> 0:11:05.440 and and help and have a better player down the 0:11:05.440 --> 0:11:08.120 stretch because they're making a playoff run. Yeah, so there's 0:11:08.760 --> 0:11:11.000 Dave's right, there's there's not a lot of situations that 0:11:11.040 --> 0:11:13.720 are that, you know, like the Raiders said, all right, 0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:16.400 we're gonna get rid of Amari Cooper, you know, because 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:18.120 they were trying to get rid of some good players 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:20.080 and try to stockpile some picks and stuff like that. 0:11:20.120 --> 0:11:23.360 But Cowboys wouldn't dare apart with a high pick this year. 0:11:23.720 --> 0:11:25.960 You don't know how good it's gonna be. Yeah, exactly. 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:28.319 All right, we're gonna take our first break a little early. 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:30.840 When we come back, we're gonna get into our midyear reviews. 0:11:31.080 --> 0:11:33.000 I got some questions for these guys. Will give you 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:35.240 a good recap, an overview of what's happened the first 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:36.920 half of the year, how the Cowboys need to look 0:11:36.920 --> 0:11:38.600 at the second half, and how they need to look 0:11:38.600 --> 0:11:40.240 at their team going forward. We'll do all that when 0:11:40.240 --> 0:11:42.880 we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:47.400 We're back in a tasty treat that's sweeping airwaves and 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:50.720 taste buds. It's new Doctor Pepper and creep Soda. Let's 0:11:50.720 --> 0:11:56.160 take a listen. Is he a new combone that's music 0:11:56.200 --> 0:12:09.280 to my years? 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Get yours today at Shop 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:13.040 dot Dallas Cowboys dot com or at Stetson dot com. 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:17.040 It's funny as we travel places, often we find the 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:19.839 places we want to travel aren't really places at all. 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:26.240 They're people, their grandparents, moms, old friends, and new nephews. 0:13:27.200 --> 0:13:30.640 That's why at American Airlines we've been using enhanced cleaning 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:33.400 measures so you can feel confident every step until you 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:37.719 get to them. So, as always, our people can't wait 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:42.120 to take you to yours American Airlines, you are why 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:47.480 we fly back to the break Welcome back. It is 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:49.120 the final set, I mean, in second segment of the 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:52.440 Break life from the SWBC Mortgage studios at the Star 0:13:52.960 --> 0:13:55.240 and we're going to do a little midyear reviewing here 0:13:55.400 --> 0:13:57.880 of this Cowboys team. They are two and six at 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:00.600 the halfway point. Again, as I said at the beginning 0:14:00.640 --> 0:14:01.839 of the show. I don't think any of us, and 0:14:01.840 --> 0:14:04.959 I certainly will speak for myself. I had no There 0:14:05.080 --> 0:14:06.880 was no way anybody would have convinced me when the 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:09.400 season was beginning that would get to the midway point 0:14:09.440 --> 0:14:11.920 and the Cowboys would be two and six. But that's 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:14.000 where they are, and they are what they are at 0:14:14.040 --> 0:14:17.120 this point. They are a bad team, and there's not 0:14:17.320 --> 0:14:19.880 really a lot that you can salvage from that from 0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:22.520 the standpoint of wins. There are some things though, that 0:14:22.520 --> 0:14:24.600 they can look at down the stretching ways to maybe 0:14:24.680 --> 0:14:28.160 get this culture changed and maybe get more familiar with 0:14:28.240 --> 0:14:29.720 the coach and the coach trying to figure out what 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:31.120 he can do with this team to get him back 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:33.680 on a winning path heading into next year. So here's 0:14:33.680 --> 0:14:35.640 we're gonna do. I have a list of questions here. 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:37.440 I'm going to run through the questions, and you guys 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:39.320 are going to give answers. Everybody will give an answer 0:14:39.360 --> 0:14:44.160 for each question. Question Number One, position most in need 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:47.600 of a postseason makeover, and this is top to bottom, 0:14:47.960 --> 0:14:50.600 the whole position, Like, there may be a guy you 0:14:50.680 --> 0:14:53.840 want to keep, but what position has the biggest need 0:14:54.000 --> 0:14:56.640 for multiple parts? Does that make sense, here are the 0:14:56.680 --> 0:15:00.520 ones I'll give you, cornerback, offensive line, line back, or 0:15:00.640 --> 0:15:06.360 defensive tackle. Let's start first with you, Dave. I think 0:15:06.360 --> 0:15:09.120 the easy answer is cornerback, and I mean that's just 0:15:09.240 --> 0:15:11.760 the reality of the situation is you're gonna turn the 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.720 vast majority of that over. You know, Ab and Trayvon 0:15:14.840 --> 0:15:17.320 Diggs are the only guys with long term futures here. 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:20.080 But I don't want to cop out because I think 0:15:20.120 --> 0:15:24.680 the more important answers linebackers. That's the biggest problem to 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:26.680 sort out. You know, I don't want to hate too 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:29.120 much on Layton vander esh I thought he played pretty 0:15:29.160 --> 0:15:31.240 well the other night. He's still coming back from injury. 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:34.440 But as it stands right now, they got to figure 0:15:34.480 --> 0:15:36.200 out what they want to do with Jalen Smith. They 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.520 either got to figure out how to make him a 0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:41.280 more viable player or figure out how to get out 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:44.440 from under that contract. Obviously, you assume Sean Lee and 0:15:44.560 --> 0:15:47.600 Joe Thomas aren't going to play forever, so they got 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:50.640 a lot of big decisions to make their for sure, Amber, 0:15:54.120 --> 0:15:56.320 this is a tough one because I mean, you can 0:15:56.440 --> 0:15:58.960 are you every single one of those positions, But I 0:15:59.040 --> 0:16:02.280 think I would go with this secondary, either cornerback or safety, 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:06.720 I mean those positions. Last game, yes, there were some 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:09.840 good plays here and there, but just in general overall 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:13.600 looking at the season so far, that position has just 0:16:13.720 --> 0:16:17.520 been constantly terrible. There has been so many bad coverage, 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:22.640 bad huge separation between the corners and the receivers that 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:27.920 it's just absolutely unacceptable. And then this is an area 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:31.720 where we have talked about all off season and clearly 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:34.880 just didn't work out with the Cowboys giving these bringing 0:16:35.280 --> 0:16:37.960 and sticking with the younger guys and all that. So 0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:42.040 this is a position that just absolutely needs help, whether 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:46.120 it's coaching or the player, the talent itself. It just 0:16:46.400 --> 0:16:50.360 needs an absolutely shaken up and brings some help there. Yeah, 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:52.640 I like the safety position. You didn't mention that, but 0:16:52.840 --> 0:16:56.120 I think safety is one that you know, I don't see. 0:16:56.600 --> 0:17:00.040 I don't really see Xavier Woods coming back maybe, but 0:17:00.280 --> 0:17:02.400 I just you gotta get somebody better there. It like 0:17:02.480 --> 0:17:05.640 Donovan Wilson are like how he's playing, Um, you don't 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:07.680 really see a lot of You don't really see a 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:10.680 lot of him on tape for negative things. He's making 0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:13.960 some some some nice plays, but you don't really see 0:17:14.000 --> 0:17:16.760 a whole lot of others. So I like that there. 0:17:16.800 --> 0:17:19.960 But yeah, I think I think the secondaries the issue 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:22.920 to me because I Layton's going to be there at linebacker. 0:17:23.160 --> 0:17:26.000 I think Jalen will be there at linebacker, now I do. 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:28.320 I mean, I know he might. Don't think the money 0:17:28.400 --> 0:17:30.240 makes sense. I'm not going to get rid of him 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:33.760 for nothing. I don't know. I just I wouldn't do that, 0:17:34.119 --> 0:17:36.920 not this year, now the next, I mean after this season, 0:17:36.960 --> 0:17:39.200 but the next season. Maybe I don't know what a 0:17:39.280 --> 0:17:41.679 wash really does for your team, but I look at 0:17:41.720 --> 0:17:44.360 it like this Nick on the linebacker. The money make 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:46.680 may make me make the decision as to who's on 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:49.159 my team, it doesn't make me make the decision on 0:17:49.240 --> 0:17:52.880 who's playing. Okay, And for that reason, I think if 0:17:52.960 --> 0:17:56.600 I'm the Cowboys, there's no way possible I'm going into 0:17:56.720 --> 0:18:00.640 next season with Jalen penciled in as a starter linebacker 0:18:00.720 --> 0:18:02.359 for me. Now, he might be a guy that comes 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:05.080 in and plays if somebody gets hurt, which having Layton, 0:18:05.280 --> 0:18:08.960 that's a real possibility, right. But I do think that 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:11.480 when you look at at what Jalen Smith has done, 0:18:11.600 --> 0:18:14.560 what he used to put on film the last few years, 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:17.119 Like I just don't think that would be prudent for 0:18:17.160 --> 0:18:19.520 the Cowboys to go into the season expecting him to 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:21.960 be their starter. He is just not playing at the 0:18:22.080 --> 0:18:24.119 level that you need a starting linebacker in the NFL 0:18:24.160 --> 0:18:26.399 to play. And I guess to go back to your 0:18:26.600 --> 0:18:28.840 point about the safety position, I agree with you. I 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:31.280 think Donovan Wilson, I think he might actually have some 0:18:31.840 --> 0:18:34.320 whereas well. I could see him staying a little bit long. 0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:36.840 I could see him being a starting safety here next year. 0:18:37.480 --> 0:18:39.239 I agree with you on Woods though, And so that's 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:40.800 why I didn't really go that one out is because 0:18:40.800 --> 0:18:42.920 I'm thinking that's not really a makeover. I think there's 0:18:42.960 --> 0:18:44.840 one position there it's up for grab. I think Donovan 0:18:44.880 --> 0:18:47.080 Wilson will be a starting safety for your team next year. 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:51.280 You agree with that on Donald Wilson, Yes, And then 0:18:51.320 --> 0:18:53.560 I'll take that point to linebacker and say, I think 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:55.440 one of the linebacker spots is going to be there 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:57.800 with Layton vander esh So, you know, I look at 0:18:57.840 --> 0:19:00.520 it like you know, Jalen, I think be there too. 0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:02.680 He's just gonna have to draft a guy and hope 0:19:02.680 --> 0:19:04.440 he's good. You have to draft the guy in the 0:19:04.480 --> 0:19:06.360 third or fourth round maybe, and hope that he's good 0:19:06.560 --> 0:19:09.760 like Anthony Hitchins and say maybe he's he's better, But 0:19:10.240 --> 0:19:12.639 I personally think if you've got two defensive tackles that 0:19:12.720 --> 0:19:14.680 were actually good and couldn't get moved off the ball, 0:19:14.840 --> 0:19:16.880 I think Jalen Smith would be a much better player. 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:19.200 I really do. There's a reason he made the Pro Bowl. 0:19:19.240 --> 0:19:21.600 It's not just because he plays for the Cowboys. He 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:23.359 made the Pro Bowl because he can make some plays. 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:25.720 I just think he needs a little bit better help 0:19:25.760 --> 0:19:28.600 in front of him, and I think that that some 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:30.560 of that is true. I think the part I have 0:19:30.640 --> 0:19:33.639 a problem with, though, is he just doesn't run in 0:19:33.760 --> 0:19:35.720 the way that I need my linebacker to run, right. 0:19:35.880 --> 0:19:39.720 I mean, there are situations where he has an opportunity 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:41.879 to get to the ball character there's no defender in 0:19:41.960 --> 0:19:44.080 his way, and he just doesn't have the speed to 0:19:44.160 --> 0:19:46.440 get there. And that's where I look at at Jalen 0:19:46.440 --> 0:19:47.800 certain I'm just like, I don't know if it's his 0:19:47.880 --> 0:19:50.640 ankle or not. All I know is he's not He's 0:19:50.680 --> 0:19:53.280 not capable from what I've seen consistently, of doing the 0:19:53.400 --> 0:19:55.639 job that you need your linebackers to be able to do. 0:19:55.760 --> 0:19:57.919 And that makes me a little bit, you know, sour 0:19:58.040 --> 0:19:59.719 on having him be a starter next year. Let's move 0:19:59.720 --> 0:20:03.879 want to next question. Didn't he go ahead? Didn't he 0:20:04.000 --> 0:20:06.359 make the Didn't he make the Pro Bowl as a backup? 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:09.760 I mean it's still the Pro Bowl? Yeah, but not 0:20:09.920 --> 0:20:12.520 as a backup. But he was like the fifth alternative 0:20:12.560 --> 0:20:15.600