WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Fixing This Defense 0:00:05.600 --> 0:00:08.119 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:08.160 --> 0:00:19.880 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Lets go. Are you 0:00:19.920 --> 0:00:24.000 ready for a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:24.160 --> 0:00:28.360 Ready for a break? Yeah, and so much for that. 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:33.720 It's time for the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:38.839 Were with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and 0:00:39.159 --> 0:00:44.400 Derek Eagleton. It is Sunday, August first, two, twenty one, 0:00:44.440 --> 0:00:47.560 Season seventeen, episode number six. Welcome to the latest edition 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:51.120 of The Break. We live from Oxnard, California. It is 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:53.880 day eleven of training Camp twenty twenty one, presented by 0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:56.960 American Airlines. Got David Nick with me and we got 0:00:56.960 --> 0:00:59.240 forty five minutes of Cowboys Talk here with you guys today. 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:01.440 The schedule for the day, we got the show here 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:05.360 at nine. At ten am, we've got coach McCarthy. He 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:08.240 will have his daily presser, and at eleven o'clock the 0:01:08.480 --> 0:01:11.000 team will take the fill for their practice for today 0:01:11.280 --> 0:01:14.160 it will be I guess the next The next practice 0:01:14.160 --> 0:01:15.520 it will have will be on Tuesday. And this is 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:17.760 the week that starts to get a little bit wonky 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:21.680 because games start this week. Cowboys will be traveling to Canton, 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:25.160 Ohio to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:28.920 of Fame Game, and don't expect to see a lot 0:01:28.959 --> 0:01:31.640 of starters. I don't think for either team in my opinion, 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:33.560 But we'll see how it goes. It'll be good for 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:37.039 some of those younger guys, second third team guys to 0:01:37.080 --> 0:01:38.720 get in there. We'll talk a little bit more about 0:01:38.800 --> 0:01:41.440 that on our Tuesday show by some of the things 0:01:41.480 --> 0:01:44.720 you guys may be looking for. But seven practices are done, 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:47.880 You've got six more to go, and let's start first 0:01:47.920 --> 0:01:50.560 by giving an injury update, Dave, why don't you tell me, 0:01:51.320 --> 0:01:53.400 looking at this team, what are some of the injuries 0:01:53.400 --> 0:01:55.920 we got? Tyren Smith, Jordan Lewis, Kelvin Joseph, tell me 0:01:55.960 --> 0:01:58.120 where they are. Some came back to practice, some are 0:01:58.160 --> 0:02:01.760 still not practicing fully. Where are we? Yeah, It's it's 0:02:01.800 --> 0:02:04.760 tricky because at this time of the year, at this 0:02:04.840 --> 0:02:07.880 point at camp, like guys are sitting out for all 0:02:07.960 --> 0:02:12.040 kinds of reasons, some not most really not necessarily serious. 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:15.560 You know, Tyron has been out quote unquote for two 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:18.160 days with elbow tendonitis, but he was out there in 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:21.280 full pads and did the compete period reps and did 0:02:21.320 --> 0:02:24.400 some individual stuff, so you know, has he heard or 0:02:24.480 --> 0:02:26.040 is he Tyrn Smith and they just don't want to 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:28.240 overwork him. The same thing goes for Zach Martin. You know, 0:02:28.360 --> 0:02:31.239 somebody on the fence line yesterday was like, Dave, Dave, 0:02:31.320 --> 0:02:33.239 what's what's wrong with Zach? He's missed two days? Is 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:34.800 he okay? And I was like, he's getting in the 0:02:34.880 --> 0:02:38.440 huddle right now, He's fine. Um, I didn't know you 0:02:38.440 --> 0:02:41.440 were giving people personal injury reports. Yes, absolutely, no, Come 0:02:41.440 --> 0:02:43.720 find me in Oxnard and I'll let you know. Um, 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.440 Jordan Lewis mixed back in yesterday, Kelvin Joseph mixed back 0:02:48.480 --> 0:02:54.080 in yesterday. I haven't seen Bradley and I return. Um, 0:02:54.080 --> 0:02:59.760 I forgetting anybody big, Nick, that's that's well, I mean, 0:03:00.040 --> 0:03:04.000 and I for sure, I mean that's no. Josh Ball 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:09.360 did leave practice. McCarthy will probably update that today. But like, 0:03:09.400 --> 0:03:12.440 I don't get the impression that it's something crazy severe, 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:14.960 And that really goes for almost all of these. Like 0:03:15.440 --> 0:03:17.640 somebody like Bradley and I needs to get on the 0:03:17.639 --> 0:03:19.840 field because he needs to be making an impression and 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:24.240 be available for preseason games. But buying large, these are 0:03:24.280 --> 0:03:28.560 all just more knocks and bumps than serious injuries. All right, 0:03:28.600 --> 0:03:31.000 let's let's get some of our observations. Rolling Nick, give 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:35.680 me an observation from yesterday's practice. Well, I mean, I 0:03:36.040 --> 0:03:40.200 thought that the quarterbacks responded a little bit better yesterday. 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:42.760 I thought, I thought, you know, from now now we 0:03:42.920 --> 0:03:45.040 kind of get an idea. Okay, you know that's that's 0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:47.680 not throwing for a couple of days, and who knows 0:03:47.680 --> 0:03:50.960 how far that extends into. But I thought Garret Gilbert 0:03:51.080 --> 0:03:54.200 settled down a little bit. I thought Cooper Rush had 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:57.800 his best practice, if you will. I mean, I think 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:00.360 he's kind of the forgotten guy in this whole roadation, 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:03.280 but you know he's he's actually been a backup to 0:04:03.360 --> 0:04:06.040 Dak Prescott for a few years and it kind of 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:09.880 understands their quarterback room and a relationship with him. So 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:12.680 I you know, I thought that all the quarterbacks responded 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:15.840 and had a better day. They did, But that's the 0:04:15.880 --> 0:04:19.960 fun thing about training camp is you don't the play 0:04:20.040 --> 0:04:22.839 doesn't end when you get sacked, you know. And I 0:04:22.920 --> 0:04:25.680 thought I thought the defensive line was impressive yesterday. You know, 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:28.799 Tyron Smith didn't do a ton. Zach Martin was mixing 0:04:28.839 --> 0:04:32.200 in and out didn't do a ton. Connor McGovern's getting reps. 0:04:32.240 --> 0:04:35.600 Connor Williams is playing center and guard Tyler Beotis is 0:04:35.720 --> 0:04:38.520 running with the ones but also letting Connor Williams do it. 0:04:38.839 --> 0:04:41.640 And I thought, you know, Randy Gregory was teeing off 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:45.200 on people, Dorian's Armstrong was teeing off on people. Ohso, 0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:48.760 Diggi Zooa had a couple really impressive reps, as did 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:51.920 Quentin Bohanna. I believe like it just seemed like they 0:04:51.920 --> 0:04:54.800 were getting to the quarterback and the quarterbacks were they 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:58.520 were making really like Cooper Rush made an amazing throw yesterday, 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:01.120 But how many of those rep up came after they 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:03.560 would have been sacked in a live situation. And that's 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:07.240 the thing, you know with Gilbert Cooper rush them and 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:11.520 then they they're not the most agile quarterbacks. Dak obviously 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:14.360 is and it's very strong. One thing I hate it 0:05:14.440 --> 0:05:17.880 really annoys me is when defensive players, especially on the 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:21.719 pass rush, get off the line and whatever it touched 0:05:21.720 --> 0:05:25.840 the quarterbacks waste and then they're like, well we've seen 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:28.800 guys for years. I mean, I've seen If that's the case, 0:05:28.839 --> 0:05:31.120 then d law would have thirty six. I mean like 0:05:31.200 --> 0:05:35.480 they in a season embodies are Ecuba and I mean 0:05:35.839 --> 0:05:37.880 be in the Ring of Honor for sure, But like 0:05:37.960 --> 0:05:39.800 that doesn't have it, doesn't you know? They move up 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:43.600 in the and so I get it. For defensive guy, 0:05:43.640 --> 0:05:44.480 it's like, well, what do you want me to do? 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:46.039 You mean, I mean you mean hit the guy in 0:05:46.040 --> 0:05:49.520 this red jersey. I love that. So there's this fine line. 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:51.360 But a lot of time we see these defensive guys 0:05:51.360 --> 0:05:52.760 are like sack it would have made the player. That's 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:54.400 a good point. I mean, corner comes up to ze 0:05:54.480 --> 0:05:56.280 because like I got you, you know, he probably would 0:05:56.279 --> 0:05:58.840 have trucked you getting there. Getting there doesn't mean that 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:01.640 you necessarily want the rep. But they were getting there. 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:03.760 They were getting there. It stops the drill, or at 0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:06.720 least it halts the drill a little bit. And we 0:06:06.760 --> 0:06:08.839 have also talked about the fact that precious can be 0:06:08.880 --> 0:06:11.160 just as important as sacks in a lot of instances, 0:06:11.160 --> 0:06:14.400 and so that would be in that instance. Pressure. Talk 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:16.720 to me a little bit about the offensive line, because 0:06:17.040 --> 0:06:19.760 Dave you mentioned you mentioned that you know, you got 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:21.480 all these guys on the offensive line that are kind 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:23.719 of moving in and out, some getting reps with certain 0:06:23.760 --> 0:06:26.159 teams and that kind of thing. One thing we've heard 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:29.640 from coaches over as long as I've been covering the 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:32.240 Cowboys is you know, you kind of want to find 0:06:32.279 --> 0:06:35.240 that continuity with your offensive line, and you want those 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:38.080 guys to work together that first unit. You want them 0:06:38.120 --> 0:06:41.040 to work together as much as possible to create that continuity. 0:06:41.240 --> 0:06:43.640 But what we're seeing in this camp flies in the 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:45.880 face of that a bit because they're moving guys around, 0:06:45.880 --> 0:06:47.680 They're trying to get a little help, and I think 0:06:47.680 --> 0:06:49.960 there's some value in that and seeing like can this 0:06:50.000 --> 0:06:52.200 guy play at this position with the ones or whatever? 0:06:52.800 --> 0:06:55.440 Talk to me about how you how you rectify that 0:06:55.480 --> 0:06:59.240 in your mind of continuity versus trying to give guys 0:06:59.240 --> 0:07:01.719 opportunities to see what they can do with in different positions. 0:07:01.760 --> 0:07:04.440 I asked McCarthy that the other day, and I don't 0:07:04.720 --> 0:07:06.320 he didn't. I don't. I didn't feel like he gave 0:07:06.360 --> 0:07:08.320 me a very good answer because I don't even remember 0:07:08.360 --> 0:07:10.160 what he said, so it couldn't have been that memorable. 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:13.320 But I'm I'm with you, like and you you want 0:07:13.360 --> 0:07:15.960 to be trying as many combinations and seeing what works 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:18.400 and who can play and who can't. But like it's 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:21.360 important to have you know, offense and defense, Like they 0:07:21.360 --> 0:07:23.679 didn't play together all at most unless which I wonder 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:26.080 if maybe they're scarred by what happened last year, Like 0:07:26.120 --> 0:07:28.440 let's get as many guys as reps as possible in 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:32.320 case this happens again. But um, I agree, I agree, 0:07:32.400 --> 0:07:35.600 Like you know, continuity is important. Knowing the tendencies and 0:07:35.640 --> 0:07:38.200 the you know, the particulars of the guy next to 0:07:38.240 --> 0:07:41.640 you is important. Um. And they've been mixing and matching 0:07:41.640 --> 0:07:45.080 a lot, even by training camp standards this year. But 0:07:45.120 --> 0:07:47.640 I will see, you know, it's still you know, I 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:49.600 guess we're into the second week now, but like they 0:07:49.600 --> 0:07:52.760 haven't played a preseason game. I feel like the first 0:07:52.840 --> 0:07:55.480 ten to twelve days of training camp is you know, 0:07:55.520 --> 0:07:58.360 I mean, they's actually they're not done installing, Like today's 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:01.320 the final install and I feel like you'll probably the 0:08:01.400 --> 0:08:03.440 further and further we go, especially like when we get 0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:05.560 back to Frisco. That's when you kind of settle in 0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:07.720 and you're like, all right, these are the guys that 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:09.840 we're counting on. Whereas right now, I think you got 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:12.680 a little more freedom to experiment. That's there every position 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:14.800 right now, you could see there. I don't think there 0:08:14.880 --> 0:08:16.640 is a position on the field where you don't see 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:19.640 guys working with the first team that are probably going 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:21.840 to be on the first team. They've got things all 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:23.920 over the place at every position, right, Yeah, And that's 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:26.240 a good thing to do because I mean that's what 0:08:26.280 --> 0:08:28.960 happens in the season, like like we saw last year, 0:08:29.200 --> 0:08:31.800 and so, you know, offensive line, I think it's the 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:35.440 one group where you do want that continuity. Other than that, 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:38.760 I think, you know, Gifford has to go in there 0:08:38.760 --> 0:08:40.880 and play and play next to late vander esh or 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:42.960 play next to Jaylen. I mean, d line, I'm the 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:45.840 same thing. You never know what happens, and that's a 0:08:45.840 --> 0:08:49.480 great way to evaluate a young corner Reggie Robinson or 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:51.440 somebody all of a sudden is running with some ones. 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:53.800 It's like he doesn't look that much different than the 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:56.880 other guys, or he looks way different, you know. Yeah, 0:08:56.960 --> 0:08:59.679 I mean it's most important on the offensive line, but 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:03.400 I will think you want guys who know each other working. 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:05.640 You know, you want your safety to kind of know 0:09:05.800 --> 0:09:09.839 his cornerback. You know, defensive lineman like knowing how to 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:12.680 run twists and stunts and all of the fun games 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:14.800 that they do and kind of feeling each other out. 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:18.440 I think that's important. Which if they're still if they're 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:20.680 still rotating this much when we get back to Frisco, 0:09:21.000 --> 0:09:24.319 I think that'll be weird. And I would even say 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.959 I would be alarmed by that. But out here, whatever, 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:29.719 unless they plan to get into the season and that's 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:32.440 how they're going to play, they're gonna constantly be rotating guys, 0:09:32.480 --> 0:09:34.600 which again will be a different thing than we've seen. 0:09:34.880 --> 0:09:37.160 You've seen that in some positions, but not at all positions. 0:09:37.360 --> 0:09:39.720 If that's their planning, then you know, because I do 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:42.040 get the impression at linebacker we might see that. We 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:44.200 might see a lot of shuffling of guys in and out. 0:09:44.240 --> 0:09:46.520 And you know, my line all you know, three to 0:09:46.559 --> 0:09:49.800 play two at linebacker, But like this defense feels like 0:09:49.840 --> 0:09:52.840 it's gonna be fifteen to play eleven. You know, like 0:09:52.920 --> 0:09:56.200 there's gonna be yeah, And defense doesn't bother me as much, 0:09:56.320 --> 0:09:59.240 but like the offensive line in particular, you know, and 0:09:59.559 --> 0:10:01.640 I get it, Connor Williams needs reps if he's going 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:04.559 to be the second stringth center. Spect Joe Looney is 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:06.600 a New York Giant. Now, I guess we should bring 0:10:06.600 --> 0:10:09.720 that up. So we've been sitting here in we were joking. 0:10:09.880 --> 0:10:12.640 Kellen Moore like two days ago said Joe's not with 0:10:12.720 --> 0:10:14.720 us right now, and we were like, are you saying now? 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:16.920 It might be all right now? So I guess that's 0:10:16.920 --> 0:10:19.400 not going to happen. So I get it. Guys need 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:21.640 the reps, but but I would like to see a 0:10:21.640 --> 0:10:24.280 little more continuity as we get closer to the real stuff. 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:26.360 All right, So talking about the quarterbacks, I want you 0:10:26.360 --> 0:10:28.920 guys to based upon what you've seen so far. Obviously 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:31.800 we know Dak is the starter. Put him in order 0:10:32.480 --> 0:10:34.120 of the way you think they should be, not the 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:35.600 way they are right now or the way you think. 0:10:35.600 --> 0:10:38.120 Coaches you then, based on what you've seen, how would 0:10:38.160 --> 0:10:42.640 you order though that second through fourth quarterback Nick Gilbert, 0:10:43.360 --> 0:10:48.959 Rush Denucci. That doesn't mean those are year three yep, 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:54.040 Because if I think to keep on the I think 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:56.800 Gilbert would be your number two. I think you cut 0:10:56.840 --> 0:10:59.319 the other two and I think the Nucci's the one 0:10:59.320 --> 0:11:02.439 I keep on the Yeah, I think I agree with 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:04.520 I don't think I'm sorry to cold drop it. I 0:11:04.559 --> 0:11:07.240 just don't think that you know, if you had to 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:09.600 play in a game, I would play Rush over Nucci. 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:15.640 I think I agree with that, although like Rush looked 0:11:15.679 --> 0:11:18.719 good yesterday, but has he looked good any other days? Yeah, 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:20.640 I think it might be a little bit of recency bias. 0:11:20.840 --> 0:11:22.960 Was it also because maybe he's getting more reps now 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:26.160 and he's working in Yeah for sure. And he had 0:11:26.200 --> 0:11:28.640 back tightness so he missed two days of practice. That 0:11:28.720 --> 0:11:32.720 might be why. But and like de Nucci doesn't look terrible, 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:36.880 but it can be spotty. I mean for a lot 0:11:36.880 --> 0:11:38.959 of reasons, Like the play breaks down a lot when 0:11:39.000 --> 0:11:42.480 he's in there. There's some accuracy issues. He has trouble 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:44.800 getting it over the defensive line sometimes if he is 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.760 in the pocket. Um, so it's it's not awful, but 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:50.520 I just it's very spotty. He's a scout team type 0:11:50.520 --> 0:11:52.480 of quarterback though, Yeah, that's why. I mean, he know, 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:55.720 he's got a you know, I'm not saying he'll be hey, 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:58.240 you're playing Arizona, you're Kyler Murray. I'm not saying he 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:00.800 could do that, but there's not many on the team 0:12:00.800 --> 0:12:02.800 that can. But he gives you a little bit more 0:12:02.840 --> 0:12:06.640 of a mobility type guy. And I think it's easy 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:09.360 for me to imagine Danucci being on the practice squad, 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:12.920 Whereas I think if if Cooper gets cut at the 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:15.079 end of this camp, I think that's probably it for 0:12:15.200 --> 0:12:18.040 his career, for his career here at least, I don't. 0:12:18.080 --> 0:12:20.520 I mean, he's been in the league since twenty seventeen, 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:24.720 played like he's been in He's gotten into like two games, 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:26.960 both of which were like well over with by the 0:12:27.000 --> 0:12:30.240 time he got in there. And the you know, his 0:12:30.600 --> 0:12:32.640 Jason Garrett, his coach who brought him in as an 0:12:32.679 --> 0:12:35.720 undrafted free agent and loves him, let him go from 0:12:35.800 --> 0:12:38.840 New York. Yeah, so I'm you know, I don't know, 0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:42.000 maybe not, but it's easier for me to imagine Jannucci 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:45.240 being here than Cooper Rush. You know, when that waiver 0:12:45.360 --> 0:12:47.520 wire hit the first time that that, you know, a 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:51.160 bunch of quarterbacks hit the waiver wire, it'll I mean, 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:54.880 all of them are going to be evaluated against them, Garrett, 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:59.120 Gilbert included. And the biggest thing there is just availability 0:12:59.240 --> 0:13:01.520 to learn the offense and play like, you know, do 0:13:01.559 --> 0:13:03.959 you want to get this guy? Is he better than Gilbert? Yeah, 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:08.440 he might be, but he doesn't know this offense right now, 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:11.760 and so I don't, you know, it'll be interesting to 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:13.920 see what that happened that they've tried, They've tried to 0:13:13.920 --> 0:13:16.520 find guys they haven't yet. Lake Bortles would be here 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:19.360 if anybody gave a damn about my opinion, but they don't. 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:23.800 Over the last few days, have you seen anything since 0:13:23.800 --> 0:13:25.720 he's been running with the ones? Have you seen anything 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:28.960 from Garrett Gilbert that gives you more confidence than you 0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:32.560 had maybe before camp begin that he let's assume that 0:13:32.640 --> 0:13:34.800 Dak is down for four games, that he could at 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:36.920 least get you to a five hundred record in that time. 0:13:37.000 --> 0:13:39.600 That that Dack's out. I think my opinion of him 0:13:39.679 --> 0:13:42.640 is exactly the same, Yeah, which is like I don't 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:44.560 feel great about it, but I don't feel awful, Like 0:13:44.679 --> 0:13:47.240 he doesn't gonna look lost out there. It's it's easy 0:13:47.280 --> 0:13:49.720 to forget because he's only started one NFL game, which 0:13:49.720 --> 0:13:52.280 was last year. We've been playing horrible in that game. No, No, 0:13:52.320 --> 0:13:54.520 he didn't know. But he's been playing pro football for 0:13:54.559 --> 0:13:57.079 a long time. I mean he left, he got out 0:13:57.080 --> 0:13:59.080 of college and like he was twenty he was on 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:01.880 the Patriots Super Bowl team that beat the Seahawks. That's 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:03.960 how long he's been playing pro football. And he was 0:14:04.000 --> 0:14:06.600 the he was like the MVP of the Alliance of 0:14:06.600 --> 0:14:09.160 American Football for however many weeks that lasted, Like he 0:14:09.320 --> 0:14:12.320 was great in that league and so, and he was 0:14:12.520 --> 0:14:17.680 Baker Mayfield's backup for a year, so he's he shouldn't 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:20.320 be lost out there, and he definitely isn't, especially having 0:14:20.400 --> 0:14:22.880 had a year to get acclimated and understand the offense. 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:26.760 So you know, he's not dicing the defense up by 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:30.160 any means. But he doesn't look awful. So I feel 0:14:30.200 --> 0:14:32.400 the same. Yeah, I saw him yesterday in practice. There 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:34.200 was a couple of throws I saw him make. I 0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:36.600 was like, oh wow. And then there was one play 0:14:36.720 --> 0:14:38.560 where I think it was Cedric Wilson was in the 0:14:38.600 --> 0:14:42.400 end zone and by himself and he just completely overthrew him. Oh. 0:14:43.040 --> 0:14:45.600 And those are the moments where just like, yeah, You're like, 0:14:45.640 --> 0:14:47.200 I want to give him the benefit. I want to 0:14:47.200 --> 0:14:49.800 say he's like, he'll be fine. And then you have 0:14:49.880 --> 0:14:52.800 those moments where you like, can't miss that kind of thrown. Right. 0:14:53.080 --> 0:14:55.960 He had a gay a game winner in the two minute, 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:58.040 like last play of the game. They're down by six. 0:14:58.480 --> 0:15:01.160 He hits Cedric on a post for the game winning score, 0:15:01.400 --> 0:15:04.280 and I was all I was impressed. And kind of 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:06.040 juiced up. And then I went back and looked at 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:09.760 my phone video and Cedric was matched up on Micah Parsons, which, like, 0:15:09.760 --> 0:15:12.760 I mean, that's the defense's fault, but kind of a pita. 0:15:13.320 --> 0:15:18.440 It's been okay, he's been okay, but yeah, I mean, which, Hey, 0:15:18.480 --> 0:15:20.400 they got him into a bad matchup. Good for them, 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:23.040 but it was kind of less impressive. When I realized, 0:15:23.120 --> 0:15:25.160 I was like, oh, yeah, well you should be able 0:15:25.160 --> 0:15:27.800 to find him if he's going against a linebacker. All right, 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:29.240 we're gonna take our first break. When we come back, 0:15:29.240 --> 0:15:31.720 I'm gonna talk defense. We're gonna focus in on the defense. 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:36.360 I went and identified four areas of defensive play that 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:40.360 I think are most representative of good defenses. Those that 0:15:40.400 --> 0:15:42.640 do well in these categories tend to be good defenses 0:15:42.640 --> 0:15:45.080 and tend to be on good teams. And we're gonna 0:15:45.080 --> 0:15:47.120 talk about those and talk about where the Cowboys rank 0:15:47.160 --> 0:15:49.440 in those areas and where we think the Cowboys may 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:51.400 be able to get better in some of these areas, 0:15:51.480 --> 0:15:52.920 or if they can get better in some of these 0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:55.560 areas heading into the twenty twenty one season. We'll be 0:15:55.640 --> 0:15:58.560 right back. This is Dallas Cowboys Dot com radio before 0:15:58.640 --> 0:16:00.640 there was a draft. 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Where Turkey is always 0:16:36.880 --> 0:16:39.840 the second best part of Thanksgiving Day, Where we are 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:44.040 all defined by one single thing, the Star, where we 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:46.960 as fans know it's our job to keep the tradition going. 0:16:47.640 --> 0:16:49.920 Bank of America is proud to be the official bank 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:52.480 of the Dallas Cowboys and to support the quest of 0:16:52.520 --> 0:16:56.240 living life. The Cowboys Way copyright twenty twenty. Bank of 0:16:56.280 --> 0:16:59.360 America Corporation. Want to use what the pros use? How 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:02.960 about the usual men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, 0:17:03.040 --> 0:17:05.800 Jack Black. Right now you can get the Jack Black Starter, 0:17:06.040 --> 0:17:08.879 a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:12.480 ten bucks with free shipping. 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Now We're gonna jump into this conversation 0:18:28.280 --> 0:18:29.760 on defense. What I want to do is there are 0:18:29.800 --> 0:18:33.600 four different areas that I've identified as the key indicators 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:37.159 of good defense in the NFL. Let's start first with 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:41.320 stopping the run. Run defense. Last year, the top five 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:45.639 run defenses in the league, all of them won at 0:18:45.680 --> 0:18:48.480 least ten games. Dallas. You want, guys, want to guess 0:18:48.480 --> 0:18:51.760 where Dallas was ranked first thirty hundred and fifty eight 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:55.720 point nine yards per game. Exactly. Question for you guys, 0:18:55.720 --> 0:18:58.120 how much of a problem was it for this team 0:18:58.160 --> 0:19:00.360 and what are they counting on this year in order 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:02.479 that they will in order to be better than they 0:19:02.480 --> 0:19:06.640 were last year. It's fine, I mean, won six game, 0:19:07.440 --> 0:19:09.600 that's fine, but there are a lot of things that 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:11.159 could be a part of that. But how much a 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:13.080 problem was that in the context of all the other 0:19:13.080 --> 0:19:16.000 things that were going wrong. I mean, it's it's the 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:20.760 Garrett says it. It's line one in anything, pro, college, 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:23.840 high school, junior high stop the run or stop the run. 0:19:23.920 --> 0:19:25.800 That's the teams are gonna try to run the ball. 0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:27.480 And if you can't do it, then that means that 0:19:27.560 --> 0:19:30.439 you're not physically strong enough to handle it, you know, 0:19:30.480 --> 0:19:32.320 in the trenches, you know. I mean, it doesn't matter 0:19:32.359 --> 0:19:34.159 if you got these fast guys around the edge, they 0:19:34.160 --> 0:19:36.680 can get sacks if they can't hold up and block. 0:19:36.760 --> 0:19:38.960 I mean, that's that's how that's why a six A 0:19:39.080 --> 0:19:40.639 high school team is going to be to one A 0:19:40.760 --> 0:19:43.080 team every time. They got bigger guys up front and 0:19:43.119 --> 0:19:45.760 they're gonna dominate you on the line of scrimmage. And 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.960 it's same with the NFL. It's a passing league. And 0:19:49.240 --> 0:19:51.880 you know, I love the analytics side of football, and 0:19:52.400 --> 0:19:55.119 throw it, throw it and early and often I get it. 0:19:55.160 --> 0:19:57.600 I'm I'm down with that. But we learned last year. 0:19:58.680 --> 0:20:01.439 If you can't stop the run, and everybody knows you 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:04.639 can't stop the run, that's almost all that matters. Like 0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:08.440 you're so screwed. I mean, they were so bad. Two 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:12.320 different three hundred yard rushing performances. I mean, we said 0:20:12.359 --> 0:20:15.120 it all last year, like high school defense has handled 0:20:15.560 --> 0:20:18.600 the fundamentals of stopping the run better than Dallas Cowboys 0:20:18.600 --> 0:20:22.200 did last year. That's not an exaggeration. And I mean 0:20:22.240 --> 0:20:24.200 you you you can't win. You cannot win if the 0:20:24.240 --> 0:20:25.920 other team just knows that they can run it down 0:20:25.960 --> 0:20:27.520 your throat whenever they want to. And I think they 0:20:27.600 --> 0:20:29.760 faced four of the top five backs in the league 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:32.840 this year. This year man or Derrick Henry, you know, 0:20:32.920 --> 0:20:37.000 put him in there, and they got Kamara, they got 0:20:37.680 --> 0:20:41.440 se Quon twice, Dalvin Cook again. Kaffrey's not bad. Kaffrey's 0:20:41.480 --> 0:20:45.600 pretty damn good. Not bad, that's good. Hey, if it shoot, 0:20:45.640 --> 0:20:48.000 if the playoff version of Leonard Fournette shows up on 0:20:48.600 --> 0:20:52.359 number one, yeah, I mean that the way that they 0:20:52.680 --> 0:20:54.880 run the ball, you, I mean, it doesn't matter who 0:20:54.880 --> 0:20:57.240 it is. I mean, you know Jones as the other guy. 0:20:57.320 --> 0:20:59.520 They but they both of them, they're efficient enough that 0:20:59.520 --> 0:21:01.879 they're gonna run it. And you know, you gotta stop 0:21:03.920 --> 0:21:07.840 Clyde Clyde Edwards, Zhilaire. I mean you want to go 0:21:07.880 --> 0:21:12.040 through the whole thing, Hi, Yeah, Yeah, I don't know it. Yeah, 0:21:12.040 --> 0:21:15.159 it's your guy, it's your gay forever. But I mean 0:21:15.320 --> 0:21:17.520 like it, and I get My point is it's it's 0:21:17.560 --> 0:21:20.800 easy Raiders oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah. I didn't even 0:21:20.800 --> 0:21:23.840 think about him. But yeah, it's easy to overlook that 0:21:23.960 --> 0:21:26.399 because you know, most NFL teams are at least decent 0:21:26.440 --> 0:21:29.160 at it, you know, I mean, the Cowboys have never 0:21:29.200 --> 0:21:32.119 the Cowboys have not added any elite defense in the 0:21:32.320 --> 0:21:35.960 entire time that I've worked here. But more often than not, 0:21:36.520 --> 0:21:39.560 you're not going into the game like really, You're like, yeah, 0:21:39.600 --> 0:21:40.880 I mean, they might be able to run the ball, 0:21:40.880 --> 0:21:42.680 but it's not gonna be crazy. I mean, last year, 0:21:42.840 --> 0:21:45.439 I've never seen anything like it. It was unbelievable. And 0:21:45.480 --> 0:21:48.679 so the bad part is you're not gonna have a 0:21:48.720 --> 0:21:50.960 winning record playing defense like that. But the good part 0:21:51.080 --> 0:21:53.840 is it shouldn't be that hard to improve from that. 0:21:53.880 --> 0:21:55.960 I mean, that's how bad it was, and that you know, 0:21:56.359 --> 0:21:59.280 you can see the blueprint in front of you. They 0:21:59.320 --> 0:22:03.480 bolstered the linebacker crew and the defensive line is enormous 0:22:03.560 --> 0:22:06.280 compared to what we've been used to. I mean, Rod 0:22:06.320 --> 0:22:09.680 Marinelli loved those Let think about the guys that played 0:22:09.720 --> 0:22:11.560 defensive line for this team over the last five years, 0:22:11.600 --> 0:22:15.040 like he loves the undersize three techniques. But you know Austin, 0:22:15.080 --> 0:22:18.240 you know, fun guy, underrated player maybe, but Antoine Woods 0:22:18.320 --> 0:22:20.760 was tiny by defensive lineman standards. That was not the 0:22:20.760 --> 0:22:22.680 case here. I wrote a note about it yesterday. I mean, 0:22:23.320 --> 0:22:27.240 Bohanna's six four three thirty, Brent Urban six seven three ten, 0:22:27.680 --> 0:22:32.639 Carlos Watkin is six four three ten something like. I mean, 0:22:32.640 --> 0:22:35.680 these guys are enormous and they're long too, and so 0:22:36.520 --> 0:22:38.840 putting that much beef in front of these linebackers and 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:41.200 hoping that cleans them up to make more plays, I mean, 0:22:41.200 --> 0:22:43.400 it's it's pretty obvious what they're trying to do. Don't 0:22:43.400 --> 0:22:45.199 get all work. You think they'll be better stopped and 0:22:45.240 --> 0:22:48.240 run this year. It will work in the sense like 0:22:48.280 --> 0:22:50.159 they will be better they will not give up one 0:22:50.200 --> 0:22:52.399 hundred and sixty yards per game. I refuse to. But 0:22:52.480 --> 0:22:54.919 like dan Quinn's been doing this for too long, and 0:22:54.960 --> 0:22:58.960 I know his defenses haven't weren't amazing in Atlanta, But 0:23:00.040 --> 0:23:02.680 they're going back to something these guys are more familiar with, 0:23:03.359 --> 0:23:04.800 and I think they have a little bit more talent. 0:23:04.840 --> 0:23:06.800 I'm not saying they're gonna be top ten, but they 0:23:06.880 --> 0:23:09.879 have to be better. There's no way they can be worse. Definitely. 0:23:09.880 --> 0:23:11.400 I think the scheme will be there. I think they'll 0:23:11.440 --> 0:23:14.359 play more downhill, they'll put the linebackers will be closer. 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:18.520 I think you got physical players, now you got physical safeties. Yeah. 0:23:18.640 --> 0:23:20.359 I do think that they're going to be a better 0:23:20.600 --> 0:23:24.320 run stopping team. And I think that's important when you 0:23:24.359 --> 0:23:26.840 look at the quarterbacks that they face this year, they 0:23:26.920 --> 0:23:29.199 face better running backs, and they face quarterbacks. And I 0:23:29.280 --> 0:23:30.960 know that they faced the top two in the league 0:23:31.200 --> 0:23:32.879 and the two and they're in the super Bowl. But 0:23:33.000 --> 0:23:37.480 after that there's a considerable drop off. You have quarterbacks 0:23:37.520 --> 0:23:40.320 that are good, they don't necessarily scare you all the time, 0:23:41.200 --> 0:23:43.080 not as much as the running backs. I think stopping 0:23:43.119 --> 0:23:45.640 the runs way more important. Yeah, you made that point 0:23:45.680 --> 0:23:46.800 to me the other day, and I was I had 0:23:46.800 --> 0:23:48.320 to take a second and think about it, because you do. 0:23:48.359 --> 0:23:52.159 You immediately think the top two quarterbacks in the league 0:23:52.480 --> 0:23:55.239 arguably that you got, you know, during this season, and 0:23:55.280 --> 0:23:56.920 you don't think about all the rest, and you're like, yeah, 0:23:57.000 --> 0:23:58.919 there are a lot of quarterbacks that are pretty good. 0:23:59.000 --> 0:24:00.360 There are a lot of quarterbacks that you even think 0:24:00.359 --> 0:24:04.160 are sending but don't face it at the top eight quarterback. 0:24:04.200 --> 0:24:06.760 And I say eight because even though ten is what 0:24:06.840 --> 0:24:09.639 people like to say, I think eight is if you 0:24:09.680 --> 0:24:12.000 ask people the top eight quarterbacks in the league, I 0:24:12.040 --> 0:24:14.359 think you wouldn't get a lot of different answers. I 0:24:14.400 --> 0:24:16.760 think after eight is where it starts to get a 0:24:16.760 --> 0:24:19.640 little different. And I don't they don't. They don't face 0:24:19.840 --> 0:24:22.960 any other top eight except for Brady and Mahomes, which 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:25.920 is big, and they have a top eight, which so 0:24:26.240 --> 0:24:29.280 in all but two games you probably give the Cowboy quarterback. 0:24:29.480 --> 0:24:31.800 They face the top eight, And Dak is that you're saying, 0:24:31.840 --> 0:24:35.480 You're saying, yeah, yeah, so in fifteen of the seventeen 0:24:35.880 --> 0:24:38.240 there's you'll feel pretty confident that the Cowboys have the 0:24:38.280 --> 0:24:41.600 better quarterback. Yeah, da, Dave, that's pretty impressive. Dave and 0:24:41.600 --> 0:24:43.320 I were talking about that. You know, I think when 0:24:43.320 --> 0:24:46.399 you're ranking quarterbacks, I think there's four at the top 0:24:46.600 --> 0:24:49.159 because because we judge them by winning super Bowls, and 0:24:49.240 --> 0:24:50.920 four of them have won and they're playing at a 0:24:50.960 --> 0:24:53.720 high level. I don't judge Roethlisberger anymore like that. He's 0:24:53.760 --> 0:24:56.679 on the down slope, But you know, after after you know, 0:24:57.560 --> 0:25:01.400 Rogers Wilson Mahome and Brady and not in that order, 0:25:01.400 --> 0:25:03.320 but those four, and then you got another four guys 0:25:03.320 --> 0:25:05.200 that are just right there that are just if they 0:25:05.240 --> 0:25:07.320 have a big year that they jump into it. They 0:25:07.320 --> 0:25:09.760 get a little help from the teams. Yeah, Roger, I 0:25:09.760 --> 0:25:14.320 mean Dakh, Dak Jackson, Alan, Mark Jackson, Allen we don't 0:25:14.320 --> 0:25:17.200 know even what to do with, but yeah, but he 0:25:17.280 --> 0:25:19.399 should be in that list if he's playing, he's playing. 0:25:19.480 --> 0:25:21.199 And then and then it's then and then you got 0:25:21.280 --> 0:25:24.240 veteran guys Matt Ryan, which the Cowboys do face. Yeah, 0:25:24.240 --> 0:25:26.160 and then you got those ascending guys like you don't 0:25:26.240 --> 0:25:28.240 know what's gonna happen with the guy, you know, with 0:25:28.359 --> 0:25:31.280 guys like Baker, with guys like Kyler Murray, with guys 0:25:31.320 --> 0:25:33.719 like you know, there's a lot those guys that are 0:25:33.800 --> 0:25:35.560 kind of right there on that cusp of of taking 0:25:35.560 --> 0:25:37.280 that next step. We'll see if they do it this year. 0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:39.480 But the thing about Kyler Murray, and then I think 0:25:39.560 --> 0:25:42.280 on our list when we ranked top ten quarterbacks on 0:25:42.320 --> 0:25:44.800 the schedule, you know they put we put Dak third 0:25:44.880 --> 0:25:47.760 because he's you know, obviously in the game. I think 0:25:47.840 --> 0:25:50.200 Murray was fourth. I have to go back and look 0:25:50.280 --> 0:25:52.680 justin Herbert might have. Herbert is another guy that could 0:25:52.720 --> 0:25:54.560 have a really great year. Yeah. But but the thing 0:25:54.560 --> 0:25:58.160 about Murray is that, I mean he dominated the Cowboys 0:25:58.160 --> 0:26:00.239 in that game because they couldn't stop him and get 0:26:00.280 --> 0:26:02.760 him on the ground. We had Murray for well, I 0:26:03.000 --> 0:26:06.000 don't who else. I don't mean, yeah, I mean we're 0:26:06.000 --> 0:26:09.080 getting off the Rams, right, But is Stafford on the 0:26:09.080 --> 0:26:11.560 schedule this year? The Rams aren't on the schedule this year, cousins, 0:26:12.359 --> 0:26:14.440 it wouldn't be. I would take I would take Murray 0:26:14.440 --> 0:26:17.440 over both of those guys. Williams over there, william or 0:26:17.560 --> 0:26:23.480 rank them. Oh busy, Now let's go into the next 0:26:23.960 --> 0:26:27.480 The next area on defense that I identified sacks. Uh 0:26:27.680 --> 0:26:31.280 Three of the top five in the NFL had ten 0:26:31.320 --> 0:26:34.680 wins or more. Dallas was tied for twentieth last year. 0:26:34.720 --> 0:26:42.679 How important of sacks for a defense to be successful. Yeah, 0:26:40.840 --> 0:26:44.720 And the reason for the pause is like we've gone 0:26:44.760 --> 0:26:47.160 you know, this is the argument we've used to defend 0:26:47.200 --> 0:26:49.080 Tank for two years. Is like, there's way more to 0:26:49.160 --> 0:26:50.720 it than whether or not you're getting him on the ground. 0:26:50.760 --> 0:26:54.000 Pressures are important, moving him off his spot, forcing bad throws. 0:26:54.840 --> 0:26:58.479 So you know, the pure number of sacks maybe doesn't 0:26:58.480 --> 0:27:00.879 define how good you are if you're getting there, but 0:27:02.280 --> 0:27:04.760 if you're top five six in the league in sackstra 0:27:04.840 --> 0:27:07.000 defense is probably pretty good. I mean, like, I don't 0:27:07.080 --> 0:27:08.720 I guess maybe I'm talking out on both sides of 0:27:08.720 --> 0:27:10.720 my mouth there, Like I think you can be good 0:27:10.720 --> 0:27:13.120 without him, but it's nice to have him. I guess, Well, yeah, 0:27:13.160 --> 0:27:14.960 it's the difference of getting into the red zone and 0:27:14.960 --> 0:27:16.919 getting a field goal or getting a touchdown. I mean, 0:27:17.200 --> 0:27:19.399 it's nice to be moving the ball. It's nice to 0:27:19.440 --> 0:27:21.439 be able to get pressure and do that, but at 0:27:21.440 --> 0:27:23.119 some point you need to actually get the guy on 0:27:23.160 --> 0:27:25.480 the ground. That gets them off the field. And a 0:27:25.480 --> 0:27:27.639 lot of times it causes a fumble as well, it 0:27:27.680 --> 0:27:30.720 pushes it back even more. Don't even it's fourth down. 0:27:31.520 --> 0:27:34.560 You know it's fourth and probably fourteen fifteen field position 0:27:34.840 --> 0:27:36.960 as well. You know it could be third and five 0:27:37.000 --> 0:27:39.400 and you and you rush to the quarterback, he throws 0:27:39.400 --> 0:27:41.200 it away, and it's fourth and five. You gets still 0:27:41.200 --> 0:27:44.200 worry about a fake putt and all that. You drop 0:27:44.280 --> 0:27:47.240 him for an eight yard loss and maybe he's hurt, 0:27:47.320 --> 0:27:50.280 maybe he fumbled. That pushes them back even more. I mean, 0:27:50.320 --> 0:27:52.560 so yeah, it's a. It's a big difference in in 0:27:52.640 --> 0:27:54.640 the play and it's just it's just a good play 0:27:54.720 --> 0:27:57.040 versus a great play. And I think that's what makes it. 0:27:57.240 --> 0:27:58.800 You have an elite team. You got to get to 0:27:58.880 --> 0:28:00.879 the quarterback? How many things? How many? How many they 0:28:00.920 --> 0:28:03.440 have last year? Did you look that up? I did, 0:28:03.520 --> 0:28:06.080 but I don't have it all. I'm sorry, Yeah, silly. Mean, 0:28:06.600 --> 0:28:09.360 here's another question though, but how how how much does 0:28:09.440 --> 0:28:13.600 Randy Gregory improve the pass rush Overalled and Smith? And 0:28:13.720 --> 0:28:16.800 in what ways? I saw you put that on there 0:28:17.440 --> 0:28:20.800 when you should send us the rundown? And like, can 0:28:20.840 --> 0:28:25.879 we answer that? Can we truly answer that? Like I 0:28:25.920 --> 0:28:28.280 love Randy and I'm so excited for what isn't But 0:28:28.400 --> 0:28:30.159 he said it yesterday. He was like a lot of 0:28:30.160 --> 0:28:32.240 people are talking about how awesome I am, and I 0:28:32.640 --> 0:28:34.359 don't feel like I've proved a whole lot. And as 0:28:34.440 --> 0:28:36.600 much as I'm rooting for him, he's kind of right. 0:28:36.720 --> 0:28:41.640 I mean, he's had he's had like one season that yeah, 0:28:41.840 --> 0:28:43.680 not even his rookie year because he twisted his ankle 0:28:43.760 --> 0:28:45.880 his rookie year. Like he's had one season where he 0:28:45.960 --> 0:28:48.440 played more than twelve games, I think, and like it 0:28:48.480 --> 0:28:50.560 was a solid season. He had five or six sacks, 0:28:50.600 --> 0:28:52.560 and I think he's a better run defender than he 0:28:52.600 --> 0:28:55.240 gets credit for. And to be you know, Alden Smith 0:28:55.280 --> 0:28:57.400 was kind of similar last year, coming off of a 0:28:57.480 --> 0:29:02.600 five year absence from playing pro football. Um, so I don't. 0:29:02.720 --> 0:29:06.080 I don't know that he I don't know how big 0:29:06.080 --> 0:29:08.240 of an improvement he is. Right, was there an appreciable 0:29:08.320 --> 0:29:11.280 difference between because in the first half of the season, 0:29:11.280 --> 0:29:16.000 Alden Smith was probably getting more opportunities and Randy started stared. 0:29:16.080 --> 0:29:18.120 So did you see an appreciable difference between the first 0:29:18.160 --> 0:29:20.200 half with Alden and the second half with Randy? No, 0:29:21.080 --> 0:29:23.040 not really, But I mean I don't think Alden Smith 0:29:23.120 --> 0:29:25.360 really had that great of a season. I don't I 0:29:25.400 --> 0:29:29.360 think he had. Think early he played, he had three 0:29:29.400 --> 0:29:31.960 sacks in the Seattle game. One of them he touched 0:29:32.200 --> 0:29:35.400 Wilson when he fell, and that's a sack. Yeah, counts. 0:29:35.440 --> 0:29:37.480 I mean, this team needs it. But I don't think, 0:29:37.560 --> 0:29:41.560 you know, it wasn't like just you knowd where you know, 0:29:41.680 --> 0:29:44.440 just taking over a game. I finished with five and 0:29:44.520 --> 0:29:47.520 a half I think, right, so yeah, and and four 0:29:48.800 --> 0:29:51.160 very early. Yeah, he wore down a little bit and 0:29:51.160 --> 0:29:53.800 and Gregory took some of his snaps. I think his 0:29:53.920 --> 0:29:57.680 story was, you know, that's what we remembered, was like, Wow, 0:29:57.800 --> 0:30:01.640 what just being here is awesome, But it wasn't the 0:30:01.760 --> 0:30:04.760 impact that Robert Quinn made on the other side from 0:30:04.800 --> 0:30:07.640 two years ago. And that's something that was not replaced 0:30:08.000 --> 0:30:10.600 last year, and that's that's where they need to get to. 0:30:10.720 --> 0:30:13.800 I'll take Randy's potential, no doubt. I'll take it that 0:30:14.000 --> 0:30:16.160 ten times out of ten, but I'm not ready to say, 0:30:16.320 --> 0:30:18.160 you know, at the end of the day, he's still 0:30:18.160 --> 0:30:19.840 got to prove it. All right, We're gonna take our 0:30:19.840 --> 0:30:21.440 final break. When we come back, We're gonna talk about 0:30:21.440 --> 0:30:24.080 points aloud. We're gonna talk about takeaways. Takeaways being a 0:30:24.120 --> 0:30:26.959 big topic of conversation for this coaching staff and an 0:30:26.960 --> 0:30:29.240 emphasis for them. We'll talk about when they come right back. 0:30:29.240 --> 0:30:32.320 This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Hi, I'm Clint 0:30:32.320 --> 0:30:35.400 Tullison with you United Agginturf. 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Right here in Texas, there's still the 0:32:20.280 --> 0:32:24.120 unofficial crowd of all self respecting Cowboys, and Stetson is 0:32:24.120 --> 0:32:26.960 proud to be on the field with America's team. Find 0:32:26.960 --> 0:32:31.680 a retailer nearest you at Stetson dot com slash Cowboys 0:32:31.680 --> 0:32:39.320 Back to the Break. Don't mess your chance to see 0:32:39.320 --> 0:32:42.600 a Cowboys game at ATENC Stadium this season. Limited number 0:32:42.640 --> 0:32:46.440 of single game standing room only tickets are on sale now, 0:32:46.720 --> 0:32:49.760 get yours today at Dallas Cowboys dot com slash tickets. 0:32:50.080 --> 0:32:52.440 All Right, we're back. It's the final segment of the 0:32:52.480 --> 0:32:56.239 Braakeloft Boxnard, California. We were at the twenty twenty one 0:32:56.320 --> 0:32:58.680 Cowboys training camp. Remember there will be a practice today 0:32:58.720 --> 0:33:01.360 at eleven am Pacific time, So if you're in the 0:33:01.360 --> 0:33:03.040 area and want to come out, you might want to 0:33:03.040 --> 0:33:07.840 get here early because they're saying there's been a lot 0:33:07.880 --> 0:33:11.000 of people coming out the cap on the number of 0:33:11.000 --> 0:33:12.880 people that are allowed in, So make sure you come 0:33:12.880 --> 0:33:14.480 out early if you want to make sure you get in. 0:33:14.520 --> 0:33:17.040 And by the way, yeah to parking forty dollars for 0:33:17.080 --> 0:33:19.520 people that might be figuring that out. Don't want you 0:33:19.560 --> 0:33:21.680 to get out here and not have your your money ready. 0:33:21.720 --> 0:33:24.560 So so yeah, well let's get back to it. We're 0:33:24.560 --> 0:33:27.120 talking about defense. The next category I want to talk 0:33:27.160 --> 0:33:30.200 about is points allowed. In my opinion, this is the 0:33:30.240 --> 0:33:33.720 most important and in my opinion, it should be what 0:33:33.760 --> 0:33:37.000 we what what should be used in at the You know, 0:33:37.040 --> 0:33:39.000 when you talk about total defense, when you talk about 0:33:39.040 --> 0:33:41.080 the best defense in the league right now, they use 0:33:41.360 --> 0:33:44.520 actual yards. I think points allowed is a better indicator, 0:33:44.840 --> 0:33:46.520 just because at the end of the day, that's kind 0:33:46.560 --> 0:33:48.400 of the point of it. You give up less points, 0:33:48.560 --> 0:33:51.560 you win the game. But either way, um, last year, 0:33:51.640 --> 0:33:54.400 five of the top six had ten or more wins 0:33:54.680 --> 0:33:57.959 in points allowed. Eighteen to twenty one points per game 0:33:58.080 --> 0:34:00.720 is what those teams were giving up Dallas twenty eighth 0:34:00.760 --> 0:34:04.160 giving up twenty nine point six, almost thirty points per game. 0:34:04.240 --> 0:34:06.479 What was the biggest reason for the Cowboys giving up 0:34:06.520 --> 0:34:11.799 so many points last year? They sucked some piade analysis? 0:34:12.920 --> 0:34:15.239 Did you watch did you watch the games? Did you 0:34:15.320 --> 0:34:18.840 see did you see the receipt? I just I'll know, 0:34:19.000 --> 0:34:22.399 like the Arizona game, I mean well, I could think 0:34:22.440 --> 0:34:25.520 of eighteen different moments, like the obviously the Cleveland game, 0:34:25.560 --> 0:34:30.040 but like Arizona, Christian Kirk just eighteen yards behind the 0:34:30.040 --> 0:34:33.880 nearest dB. I think Tyler Murray only completed nine passes 0:34:33.920 --> 0:34:35.960 in that game, but he threw for like two eighty 0:34:36.000 --> 0:34:39.200 and two touchdowns or something stupid like that. That's the 0:34:39.360 --> 0:34:44.759 number of like untouched touchdowns that happened last year. Was pathetic. 0:34:45.000 --> 0:34:46.680 So do you think that was the biggest problem with 0:34:46.719 --> 0:34:49.320 this defense? That's the question. That was the biggest problem. Okay, 0:34:49.480 --> 0:34:52.719 any sorry, it was real quick. Any Like any success 0:34:52.760 --> 0:34:56.240 that this defense had during the rod era was because 0:34:56.880 --> 0:34:59.879 they didn't do that. They didn't. I mean, obviously, over 0:34:59.880 --> 0:35:02.000 the course of eight years they did, but by and large, 0:35:02.040 --> 0:35:06.879 they didn't allow the forty fifty sixty yard bust they 0:35:06.880 --> 0:35:09.080 made you drive down the field and you know death, 0:35:09.120 --> 0:35:11.920 buy paper cut and buckle down and try to force 0:35:11.960 --> 0:35:14.479 a fuel goal and you know, twenty eighteen twenty it worked, 0:35:14.480 --> 0:35:16.600 and it worked three out of the eight years that 0:35:16.680 --> 0:35:20.759 Rod was here, and last year, no, oh my god. 0:35:20.840 --> 0:35:25.080 I mean I've never seen so many like not just touchdowns, 0:35:25.120 --> 0:35:28.080 but bust touchdowns, just like just giving three points to 0:35:28.080 --> 0:35:31.319 the defense. Didn't stop the run, couldn't stop the big play. Like, 0:35:31.680 --> 0:35:33.560 they didn't really stop much of any of it. It's 0:35:33.600 --> 0:35:35.440 not that hard to analyze why they were bad. That's 0:35:35.440 --> 0:35:38.200 what I like. That's why they sucked is good analysis 0:35:38.280 --> 0:35:41.279 because it was unlike anything I've ever seen. I mean, Nick, 0:35:41.440 --> 0:35:44.040 it's the same. They couldn't give up big plays. Seattle 0:35:44.080 --> 0:35:46.520 games the one for me, because they couldn't stop them. 0:35:46.600 --> 0:35:49.000 And even when though Dak got them back in that 0:35:49.120 --> 0:35:51.200 game and then you know they fought back into it, 0:35:51.640 --> 0:35:55.120 they were never gonna stop Russell Wilson. Ever, fourth down, 0:35:55.160 --> 0:35:56.600 they have a chance to get off the field and 0:35:56.640 --> 0:35:59.120 they can't do it. You know it where it's Lockett, 0:35:59.120 --> 0:36:01.840 whether it was Medcal, whether it was Will said himself. 0:36:01.880 --> 0:36:03.560 I mean that was a game I just was like, 0:36:03.920 --> 0:36:05.759 you can be in this. You feel like you're in it, 0:36:05.840 --> 0:36:08.360 but you're really not, and you're not gonna win it 0:36:08.400 --> 0:36:10.640 because you can't you can't get off the field and 0:36:10.719 --> 0:36:13.160 you certainly can't give up the big plays. I mean 0:36:13.200 --> 0:36:17.359 the safety position. That's why you that's why everybody other 0:36:17.440 --> 0:36:19.960 than George Teague and Darren Woodson have been signed here 0:36:20.120 --> 0:36:24.640 this offseason, because because they gotta fix that. You know, 0:36:24.880 --> 0:36:29.600 Xavier Woods was was a He wasn't a good football 0:36:29.600 --> 0:36:33.440 player last year at all, and um, you know, sixth 0:36:33.520 --> 0:36:36.280 round pick, and let's see if he develops into something. 0:36:36.600 --> 0:36:38.719 And I think he had a good rookie year, but 0:36:38.840 --> 0:36:40.840 I think it got worse and worse for him. I 0:36:40.880 --> 0:36:43.480 saw bad angles. I saw it. Just he wasn't the 0:36:43.480 --> 0:36:47.319 only guy. He wasn't only digs. We love the arrow 0:36:47.360 --> 0:36:49.719 going up for him, and he struggle up a lot 0:36:49.960 --> 0:36:52.319 and just you throw you throw Kelvin Joseph out there, 0:36:52.320 --> 0:36:55.359 He's gonna struggle too. You know, that's what rookies are 0:36:55.760 --> 0:36:57.640 they do. I mean, it's gonna be tough, but you 0:36:57.680 --> 0:36:59.680 hope you kind of surround him with some other players. 0:36:59.680 --> 0:37:02.280 I think Anthony Brown is having a pretty solid camp. 0:37:02.719 --> 0:37:05.239 You know, he makes makes some good plays. Here. He's 0:37:05.239 --> 0:37:08.080 just a solid player. He's not the guy that people 0:37:08.160 --> 0:37:10.520 want to be the starter here, you know, and all 0:37:10.560 --> 0:37:14.760 that they want somebody that's more flashy. But he's solid. 0:37:15.120 --> 0:37:16.760 He's gonna be hard to take out of the starting 0:37:16.760 --> 0:37:19.320 lineup when you consider that and then the versatility to 0:37:19.400 --> 0:37:22.799 do two different jobs. Yeah, I expect him to start, 0:37:22.800 --> 0:37:24.880 at least at the outset of the season. All right, 0:37:24.960 --> 0:37:28.520 let's move on to takeaways. Dallas is tied for seventh, 0:37:28.640 --> 0:37:30.600 something I thought was kind of interesting. I had didn't 0:37:30.640 --> 0:37:33.759 even remember that with twenty three takeaways. Most of that 0:37:33.800 --> 0:37:36.160 came in the second half of the season. There were 0:37:36.200 --> 0:37:39.120 five games where they had two or more takeaways last year, 0:37:39.120 --> 0:37:42.160 and they won four of the five takeaways. Very important 0:37:42.200 --> 0:37:44.840 stat I think from the standpoint of overall winning. My 0:37:44.960 --> 0:37:47.600 question for you is, why are they so much better 0:37:47.640 --> 0:37:49.560 in the second half? Do you think than the first half? 0:37:49.680 --> 0:37:52.439 Quarterbacks that they faced were not very good. I think 0:37:52.440 --> 0:37:54.319 that's a big, big part of it. I don't think 0:37:54.360 --> 0:37:56.600 any of those quarterbacks and I'd love to see those 0:37:56.640 --> 0:37:59.920 four of those five games, but I'm gonna guess. Nick Mullin, 0:38:00.560 --> 0:38:06.160 Jalen Hurts, Daniel Jones, Brandon Allen, Brandon Allen and then 0:38:06.280 --> 0:38:11.000 the big one, which I love to say because it's 0:38:11.040 --> 0:38:14.080 Carson Wentz. They had four on him, right yeah, yeah 0:38:14.520 --> 0:38:17.439 they they they Alex Smith. They lost the game, right yeah, 0:38:17.480 --> 0:38:20.920 they still got four. Yeah that was however many they had. Yeah. So, 0:38:21.560 --> 0:38:24.160 but Carson Wentz was awful last year. He was one 0:38:24.200 --> 0:38:26.960 of the worst quarterbacks in the league. So right now, yeah, 0:38:27.040 --> 0:38:29.319 which so, I mean he you know, you don't think 0:38:29.320 --> 0:38:31.240 of him in the same vein as a Brandon Allen 0:38:31.480 --> 0:38:34.720 or a Nick Mullins because of where he was drafted. 0:38:34.760 --> 0:38:36.799 But he was terrible and they got a lot of 0:38:36.800 --> 0:38:40.160 takeaways from meaning Lamar Jackson played in that in down 0:38:40.160 --> 0:38:41.880 the Stretch, I think he threw a pick to him 0:38:41.920 --> 0:38:44.359 as well. And now he asked Anthony to Anthony Brown, yea, yeah, 0:38:44.440 --> 0:38:46.879 he ran, He ran all over the place. Well sure, 0:38:47.320 --> 0:38:49.000 but but yeah, I mean I thought at the second 0:38:49.040 --> 0:38:50.680 half of the season, I thought it was a quarterback 0:38:50.719 --> 0:38:53.120 play was part of it. I mean, there were more 0:38:53.160 --> 0:38:56.000 aggressive and down Dondron Wilson was really coming into his 0:38:56.080 --> 0:38:58.799 own more. He was a part of those. Uh so 0:38:59.040 --> 0:39:01.600 the Law was playing well too. You know, let's let's 0:39:01.680 --> 0:39:03.439 don't just put it all in the quarterback deep Law 0:39:04.000 --> 0:39:06.640 I thought was playing very well down the stretch, and 0:39:06.680 --> 0:39:09.320 that he helped some of those turnovers that he forced 0:39:09.320 --> 0:39:12.239 to fumble against forty nine ers, I believe, and so 0:39:12.239 --> 0:39:14.080 so yeah, I think it was just a combination of 0:39:14.960 --> 0:39:17.759 playing teams that weren't as good, playing quarterbacks that really 0:39:17.800 --> 0:39:19.879 weren't that good, and then also kind of getting after 0:39:19.880 --> 0:39:22.280 their ass a little bit more. It was Darian Thompson 0:39:22.320 --> 0:39:24.480 that picked off Jackson. I'm sorry, I remember he's not 0:39:24.480 --> 0:39:27.719 as their So if you guys are gonna pick one 0:39:27.760 --> 0:39:30.600 of these areas where you feel certain the Cowboys will 0:39:30.640 --> 0:39:35.040 be better, that's either run defense, sacks, points allout or takeaways. 0:39:35.400 --> 0:39:39.520 Which is it run defense? Just and I'm sorry if 0:39:39.560 --> 0:39:41.640 that's not bold, but it's just that it's the easiest. 0:39:41.680 --> 0:39:44.440 It's the easiest thing to fix. It's a one hundred 0:39:44.440 --> 0:39:47.680 and sixty yards a game. Yeah, it's I mean, and 0:39:47.719 --> 0:39:50.239 they've done They've done a lot, They've done a lot. 0:39:50.280 --> 0:39:54.480 They drafted Parsons, they drafted Osa and Gholston. I know 0:39:54.520 --> 0:39:57.600 he's not practicing whatever. Um you know, they all most 0:39:57.600 --> 0:40:02.520 of their primary free agency act positions were defensive tackles. Uh. 0:40:02.719 --> 0:40:05.399 You know, Gallimore is one of the big exciting names 0:40:05.400 --> 0:40:07.440 at this camp and then you know you've got a 0:40:07.440 --> 0:40:10.359 great run defender and tank. Yeah, I think they'll be. 0:40:10.480 --> 0:40:13.799 I think I think they'll be significantly better. And again 0:40:13.840 --> 0:40:17.239 I'm not saying top ten, but like you know, I 0:40:17.239 --> 0:40:20.040 think they could crack crack the top twenty. Maybe maybe 0:40:20.040 --> 0:40:22.359 that's too ambitious, but I think they can. I think 0:40:22.400 --> 0:40:24.520 they'll be better in sacks. I think they will be 0:40:24.640 --> 0:40:26.640 top ten in the league in sacks. I think that's 0:40:26.840 --> 0:40:30.400 what Dan Quinn prides himself on. I think with the 0:40:30.400 --> 0:40:33.080 way Mark Michael Parsons is going to be blitzing, the 0:40:33.120 --> 0:40:35.879 way Jalen Smith is going to be blitzing more, um, 0:40:36.000 --> 0:40:37.720 I just think there's gonna be more in an attack 0:40:37.800 --> 0:40:40.319 to kind of get to the quarterback, even more than 0:40:40.360 --> 0:40:43.160 we've seen. I think you'll see more sacks. That's probably 0:40:43.160 --> 0:40:45.560 something we haven't mentioned often enough, is that they are 0:40:45.800 --> 0:40:50.080 blitzing pretty frequently. But I'm obviously Micah and Jalen are 0:40:50.120 --> 0:40:53.840 doing it. But like Darian Thompson and Anthony Brown and 0:40:54.200 --> 0:40:56.879 you know, these these dvs are taking turns. I think 0:40:57.040 --> 0:40:59.719 mcquamu and Jayron Curse as well, they're you know, they're 0:40:59.719 --> 0:41:03.359 coming out of the slot. And that's why defense can 0:41:03.400 --> 0:41:07.799 look better in practice, because what the things you would 0:41:07.840 --> 0:41:10.040 do when people are blitzing blitzing, you can you can 0:41:10.120 --> 0:41:13.520 kind of change the play, gash them, do pop them 0:41:13.560 --> 0:41:16.120 with a draw. Well, you run a draw here to 0:41:16.200 --> 0:41:18.600 Zeke or Pollard and they get through the line and 0:41:18.640 --> 0:41:20.440 they put their hand on their shoulder and they're like, 0:41:20.520 --> 0:41:23.520 as dackle, that's not bringing Zeke down and it's not 0:41:23.560 --> 0:41:25.560 even bringing Pollard down, you know, and they can get 0:41:25.600 --> 0:41:27.840 fifteen twenty yards. It's like, well, don't blitz, don't do 0:41:27.920 --> 0:41:30.440 that crap again. But in a practice like this, they 0:41:30.520 --> 0:41:32.440 kind of blow the whistle, they stop it, you know, 0:41:32.560 --> 0:41:35.799 and so you can't team. I mean, defenses don't really 0:41:35.840 --> 0:41:39.799 get punished for blitzing as much in a practice like this, 0:41:39.840 --> 0:41:41.640 where you can really hurt them in a game. So 0:41:41.840 --> 0:41:44.080 that's why I think sometimes it's a little too early 0:41:44.120 --> 0:41:46.719 to say defense one or you know, and you can 0:41:46.800 --> 0:41:48.759 make the same case for the offense too, that the 0:41:48.800 --> 0:41:51.440 offense sits there for eight seconds and throws and stuff 0:41:51.480 --> 0:41:54.360 like that. So it's a great evaluation. It's great to 0:41:54.360 --> 0:41:56.759 be out here, but sometimes there's holes in the evaluation, 0:41:56.960 --> 0:41:59.160 all right, let's let's move on. I wanted real quick 0:41:59.200 --> 0:42:01.600 before we end the show. I have a few a 0:42:01.680 --> 0:42:03.640 few players I want to throw out in our I 0:42:03.680 --> 0:42:06.680 can't I get around segment basically the object tears. I'm 0:42:06.719 --> 0:42:09.239 gonna throw out a name. You guys are gonna talk 0:42:09.239 --> 0:42:11.600 about that player a little bit, give people insight on 0:42:11.719 --> 0:42:13.719 what you've seen from them, what your thoughts on on 0:42:13.800 --> 0:42:17.640 them throughout this first portion of training camp. Let's do first. 0:42:17.719 --> 0:42:22.279 Let's move to Israel Mukwamu, who is a rookie rookie 0:42:22.360 --> 0:42:25.799 safety six round draft pick out of South Carolina. Dave 0:42:25.920 --> 0:42:30.400 Go I like him. I think the odds are really 0:42:30.440 --> 0:42:32.520 stacked against him. I think just because of where he 0:42:32.560 --> 0:42:34.880 was drafted and how many dvs are in this secondary. 0:42:34.960 --> 0:42:38.120 But I mean when him and Nashan right are standing 0:42:38.120 --> 0:42:41.400 next to each other, I mean, it's like freaking California 0:42:41.480 --> 0:42:44.240 redwood forest or something. They're so tall and so long. 0:42:45.640 --> 0:42:48.200 But he's he's he seems like he's got a knack 0:42:48.280 --> 0:42:50.520 for being where the ball is. Like he's he's had 0:42:50.560 --> 0:42:52.520 a couple of picks in practice, He's jumped a couple 0:42:52.520 --> 0:42:55.040 of routes, and when he hasn't he's at least gotten 0:42:55.080 --> 0:42:58.480 his hands on it. I'm positive he's you know, he's 0:42:58.520 --> 0:43:01.360 a rookie. I'm sure he's made mistakes. He's not perfect, 0:43:01.400 --> 0:43:06.360 but he's disruptive and versatile because he played corner in 0:43:06.440 --> 0:43:09.759 college and I haven't seen him play outside at camp, 0:43:09.800 --> 0:43:12.680 but they've brought him down into the slot. They've blitzed 0:43:12.719 --> 0:43:14.480 him from there. But they've played him in coverage there 0:43:14.520 --> 0:43:18.279 as well, So he's been fun to watch. Like I said, 0:43:18.480 --> 0:43:20.600 you know, I don't feel good about his chances of 0:43:20.680 --> 0:43:24.480 being on the team, just not because of anything against him, 0:43:24.520 --> 0:43:26.480 but just there's so many like veteran bodies in front 0:43:26.520 --> 0:43:28.560 of him. But I think he's looked good. Yeah, I 0:43:28.640 --> 0:43:30.319 think a year from now we're going to talk about 0:43:30.400 --> 0:43:34.239 mcquamu is playing two games in twenty twenty one and 0:43:34.360 --> 0:43:38.520 fifteen inactives on the team, inactive most of the time. 0:43:38.680 --> 0:43:39.960 You think they can get him, they'll have him on 0:43:40.000 --> 0:43:42.120 practice squads, or you think he's gonna make the active 0:43:42.160 --> 0:43:44.600 rossmans the team, he's inactive. It can't get him to 0:43:44.680 --> 0:43:47.520 the games, That's what I think. Although, which and this 0:43:47.600 --> 0:43:50.440 is cheating, and you know the fifty three is what matters, 0:43:50.480 --> 0:43:53.279 but the rules are going to be similar. I think 0:43:53.320 --> 0:43:55.279 like they haven't moved out, they haven't ironed it all 0:43:55.280 --> 0:43:57.480 out in terms of, like, can you move guys off 0:43:57.520 --> 0:43:59.560 the practice squad the day of the game. I don't know, 0:43:59.640 --> 0:44:02.560 but the act I was gonna be fifteen players. We 0:44:02.600 --> 0:44:04.920 should know by now that the vast majority of their 0:44:04.960 --> 0:44:08.200 cuts are going to clear waivers. Almost nobody ever gets claimed. 0:44:09.760 --> 0:44:11.839 So even if he gets cut, I think he's got 0:44:11.840 --> 0:44:14.440 a great, great opportunity to be here. I mean, he 0:44:14.880 --> 0:44:17.879 will be here if he even if he gets cut, 0:44:17.880 --> 0:44:19.319 he'll be here as long as he doesn't get claimed 0:44:19.320 --> 0:44:21.319 by somebody else. I definitely think that. All right, let's 0:44:21.320 --> 0:44:26.160 get one more player here. Justin Hamilton's fourth round I'm sorry, 0:44:26.160 --> 0:44:29.200 fourth year defensive tackle. He was a twenty twenty free 0:44:29.200 --> 0:44:34.080 agent that the Cowboys signed go Nick not being impressive 0:44:34.120 --> 0:44:36.200 to me. Can't remember a lot of plays other than 0:44:36.239 --> 0:44:39.600 getting thrown by Isaac oller Cohn. Uh and that's not 0:44:39.680 --> 0:44:42.640 a great thing. So um, he's still learning how to 0:44:42.640 --> 0:44:45.080 play football, so he kind of threw them around the 0:44:45.120 --> 0:44:47.600 other day. I was in a drill surprised to see that. 0:44:47.800 --> 0:44:51.200 I mean, I think Bohana is better. I think when 0:44:51.200 --> 0:44:55.480 you look at Watkins, Urban, Ohizula. I think Justin Hill 0:44:55.560 --> 0:44:57.960 will come back. I think when you talk about training 0:44:58.000 --> 0:45:00.920 camp bodies, that's what Justin him Mailton is. He's been 0:45:00.960 --> 0:45:03.360 around for a long time. He understands the business a 0:45:03.360 --> 0:45:05.759 little bit. He's a big guy. But I don't think 0:45:05.760 --> 0:45:07.960 his chances of making the team were very high at all. 0:45:08.480 --> 0:45:11.960 I don't disagree with you, except for the fact that 0:45:12.000 --> 0:45:14.719 the defensive coordinator shouted him out by name the other day, 0:45:14.800 --> 0:45:17.680 and that maybe that's an element of what they see 0:45:17.719 --> 0:45:19.480 in the meetings is a lot different because I mean, 0:45:19.560 --> 0:45:22.239 he's he's a big he's a big fatty. His job 0:45:22.360 --> 0:45:24.360 is to clog things up and make life difficult for 0:45:24.360 --> 0:45:27.160 everybody else. So that doesn't translate to what we see. 0:45:27.160 --> 0:45:30.319 And I'm not talking trash on you because I haven't 0:45:30.320 --> 0:45:33.359 seen him doing anything that either. Dan Quinn was like 0:45:33.600 --> 0:45:37.080 he was like, you know, I knew that Urban and Watkins, 0:45:37.280 --> 0:45:39.000 I knew what they could do. But you know, you 0:45:39.000 --> 0:45:41.480 get out here and you see Hamilton's like stuffing things 0:45:41.560 --> 0:45:44.360 up and blocking the run. So if the defensive coordinator 0:45:44.360 --> 0:45:46.560 brings you up without being prompted at a press conference, 0:45:46.600 --> 0:45:48.880 that's definitely a good thing. So and The other thing 0:45:48.880 --> 0:45:50.839 to note is yesterday I noticed he was out there 0:45:50.920 --> 0:45:54.239 running with the ones. Again. That happens right right now. 0:45:54.360 --> 0:45:57.799 You can't really put anything on who's running where. I 0:45:57.920 --> 0:46:00.960 do think though, it is worth noting that he's getting opportunities. 0:46:01.000 --> 0:46:03.000 That's the point. He is getting opportunities, and we'll see 0:46:03.000 --> 0:46:05.439 where they all lands. He has a game that does 0:46:05.520 --> 0:46:08.560 not translate to the way that we watch practice. Like 0:46:08.600 --> 0:46:11.319 if we could sit down in their meeting rooms and 0:46:11.360 --> 0:46:14.000 watch the you know, the zoom in on the lines 0:46:14.080 --> 0:46:16.719 and see how he's doing I'm watching the film would matter. 0:46:16.760 --> 0:46:18.720 It might be a different story, but it just doesn't 0:46:18.719 --> 0:46:21.680 translate to watching. One thing about defensive tackle. When you 0:46:21.719 --> 0:46:24.479 look at other positions and you think preseason games, who's 0:46:24.480 --> 0:46:26.520 gonna get in there? What are the starters gonna play? 0:46:26.760 --> 0:46:30.160 Defensive tackles one of those where the starters, even if 0:46:30.160 --> 0:46:33.640 it's a Gallimore, even if it's a Diggy Zooa, those 0:46:33.680 --> 0:46:36.080 are players that are gonna you want to play. They 0:46:36.120 --> 0:46:39.040 need to play against Pitts experience and so um. Other 0:46:39.160 --> 0:46:41.279 other starters are going to be kind of you know, 0:46:41.320 --> 0:46:43.319 they're gonna be in and out, you know. And and 0:46:43.760 --> 0:46:46.239 if at all, if they're even in. But I think 0:46:46.280 --> 0:46:49.080 tackles one where you know, Justin Hamilton may not get 0:46:49.080 --> 0:46:52.640 as many snaps as he would in another situation, because 0:46:52.680 --> 0:46:54.520 you want to see young players get on the field 0:46:54.560 --> 0:46:56.680 more than you would in other positions. All right, we 0:46:56.719 --> 0:46:59.400 appreciate you guys. Jonas will be back on Tuesday and 0:46:59.600 --> 0:47:01.480 we'll guess I get you guys ready for the Hall 0:47:01.520 --> 0:47:04.080 of Fame game that will be happening this Thursday now 0:47:04.160 --> 0:47:07.399 Cowboys and this Thursday night Cowboys versus Steelers untill they're 0:47:07.400 --> 0:47:09.279 for Nick Eaton, Dave helm and I'm Derek Eakleton. This 0:47:09.320 --> 0:47:12.960 has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. 0:47:15.360 --> 0:47:18.280 This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:47:18.280 --> 0:47:20.359 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.