Speaker 1: This is the Talking Cowboys break streaming live on Dallas
Speaker 1: Cowboys dot Com and the officials Dallas Cowboys app After
Speaker 1: an eight year run, the Dez Bryant Era in Dallas
Speaker 1: is over. Cowboys officially part ways with their veteran wide
Speaker 1: receiver today after a brief visit with Jerry Jones here
Speaker 1: at the Star in Frisco. We're inside the SWBC mortgage
Speaker 1: studio for instant reaction breaking it all down. Rob Phillips,
Speaker 1: joined as always by Nicki. Ben Brian brought us Mickey Spagnola. Guys.
Speaker 1: It's about three four months in the making, and it
Speaker 1: looked like the meeting between Jerry and Dez that was
Speaker 1: long awaited lasted. I don't know, maybe a half hour
Speaker 1: or something like that. Left the building, Mick, you saw him, Yes,
Speaker 1: that is goodbyes, got in his car, said, didn't sight
Speaker 1: too much to too many people. I think he went
Speaker 1: in the weight room, greeted a couple of guys who
Speaker 1: greeted him when he first showed up. Had two I'm
Speaker 1: guessing buddies, a driver somebody else in the car with him,
Speaker 1: and I'm told he said, I'll see you guys twice
Speaker 1: this year, so let your imaginations wander with that one. Well,
Speaker 1: I think everyone kind of thought that he was if
Speaker 1: he does, you know, he's gonna sign with another team.
Speaker 1: When he does, he's gonna be somebody on this schedule.
Speaker 1: Maybe maybe he's already got something in the works there.
Speaker 1: Who knows. Of course, that would be tampering if it was.
Speaker 1: But I think overall, I mean, we saw this coming
Speaker 1: for a while. It's still surprising though. It's still there's
Speaker 1: something about it that just when watching him and you know,
Speaker 1: we actually saw him drive off, it's you know, it
Speaker 1: was kind of a surprising thing. It just too many
Speaker 1: the timing of everything appeared that this was going to happen,
Speaker 1: just if you look at with the the OTAs, the
Speaker 1: workouts all starting on Monday, Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, Jason Garret,
Speaker 1: Will McLay. They waited till really the last possible minute
Speaker 1: to get this too done. You know, they had opportunities
Speaker 1: if they were going to bring him back, they had
Speaker 1: opportunities for that. They could have told him the plans,
Speaker 1: but des went a long time without hearing anything from
Speaker 1: the front office here, and so as you started to
Speaker 1: see things with the signings of the free agents, that
Speaker 1: they had with Hearns Thompson. Then you look at what
Speaker 1: they've done with the thirty visits, how they've worked guys out.
Speaker 1: It just became very clear to me, and I said
Speaker 1: it on our round table that I just too many
Speaker 1: things were lining up for this day to happen. I
Speaker 1: just never felt like that they were going to to
Speaker 1: bring him back under these circumstances. And you know, it's
Speaker 1: just you know, decisions made by the front office. You know,
Speaker 1: Jerry Jones talked about once again input from a lot
Speaker 1: of different voices and that's always been his style, and
Speaker 1: whether that's the coach, of the front office, members, maybe
Speaker 1: even some players there all had a hand in this one.
Speaker 1: Get the idea that there was a consensus on what
Speaker 1: they wanted to do, but the last person that had
Speaker 1: to sign off on it was Jerry Jones. I don't
Speaker 1: think Jerry Jones wanted to release Dees Bryant. Yeah, I don't.
Speaker 1: This This goes back to very much the you know,
Speaker 1: Jerry Jones, his uh say what you want. I think
Speaker 1: the love he has for his players reminds me so
Speaker 1: much of what Al Davis. The love he has Al
Speaker 1: Davis would blame the coaches before he blamed the player.
Speaker 1: And I think Jerry Jones really does love does Bryant.
Speaker 1: And I think that some things just not think they
Speaker 1: lined up. There were people that lined up and said
Speaker 1: we cannot have him here anymore. And Jerry is a
Speaker 1: very good listener. He is a very good listener, and
Speaker 1: you know, when you have a large number of people
Speaker 1: that are lining up against people, or a constant guy
Speaker 1: or whatever, he's going to make that decision, and this
Speaker 1: was one. I think it was very painful for him
Speaker 1: to have to make. Is this a good move? I'm
Speaker 1: still tarned by it because we got I guess we
Speaker 1: should read the release that the Cowboys put out. It
Speaker 1: was a statement from Jerry, but it doesn't say why. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think you can go down a lot of avenues
Speaker 1: on why. I think it takes a lot of nerve
Speaker 1: to do what they did. And I'll yeah, yeah, But
Speaker 1: at the same time, you're right. I mean, at the moment,
Speaker 1: if he were to have stayed, he would have been
Speaker 1: the best wide receiver on this football team, and certainly
Speaker 1: in the most accomplished receiver. But you know what they
Speaker 1: did this in two thousand and nine, they got rid
Speaker 1: of an All Pro Pro Bowl wide out who was
Speaker 1: less than a year into a big time extension Tarall Owens,
Speaker 1: and I'm not directly comparing the two, but they did it.
Speaker 1: That was a chemistry move, and this was probably mostly
Speaker 1: a production move, but I bet there might be a
Speaker 1: little bit of locker room involvement here in terms of
Speaker 1: helping the locker room out. Stephen Jones came out earlier
Speaker 1: in the offseason and said, first time I think I've
Speaker 1: heard anybody say this, some of his off sideline stuff
Speaker 1: could be a distraction. He's got to do a better
Speaker 1: job of handling his emotions. I think that probably was
Speaker 1: at least a little bit of a factor here. They
Speaker 1: didn't they didn't let them in, you know. I mean
Speaker 1: I see that. I mean, I hear what you're saying.
Speaker 1: And I don't know exactly what side of the fence
Speaker 1: I'm on here, but I've heard them say that kind
Speaker 1: of stuff, like he needs to do better at this,
Speaker 1: and he needs to be better at that. But he
Speaker 1: didn't get He's not getting a chance here to do that, right.
Speaker 1: But I'll answer that first. I mean, I threw it
Speaker 1: out there and I wanted Brian stake. I think This
Speaker 1: won't be a good move unless they do something with
Speaker 1: this money. If they're gonna save money, then they need
Speaker 1: to spend the money. I don't they need to do
Speaker 1: something else. They cut Daz because they are going to
Speaker 1: get this player or trade for this player, that better
Speaker 1: not be done because what are you saving money? I
Speaker 1: will say this, they needed to free up some money
Speaker 1: just to have money under the cap to get your
Speaker 1: draft picks done and all that kind of stuff. But
Speaker 1: I hear you. I mean there was other guys to
Speaker 1: cut for that could have done that you could have done.
Speaker 1: So what you're saying if if are you excluding them
Speaker 1: using that money to extend Zach Martin, Because if you
Speaker 1: extend Zach Martin, it should cost less than his nine
Speaker 1: million dollars, right right, So there's got to be another
Speaker 1: rain pot at the end of the rainbow that you're
Speaker 1: looking for to use the eight million dollars a lot
Speaker 1: in Seattle. Yeah, and the implier is doing his best
Speaker 1: right now to try and conduct I want them to
Speaker 1: go get Earl Thomas, That's what I wanted to do,
Speaker 1: or go get a safety that they can spend this
Speaker 1: money on. Yeah, I think that in in Cowboy Nation,
Speaker 1: eyes if if they sit here and and giving the
Speaker 1: money to Zach Martin is the right thing to do.
Speaker 1: But yeah, I think that the Cowboys, if they really
Speaker 1: really wanted to to say, Okay, we did this to
Speaker 1: try and as the last line help our football team
Speaker 1: the best interests. We did this because exactly the best
Speaker 1: interests of our football team. I feel like though, that
Speaker 1: if you know, Seattle is sitting there without a second
Speaker 1: round pick, they don't have a third round pick either.
Speaker 1: But if you're sitting there and you say, Okay, we
Speaker 1: took Dez Bryant's money and we went and got one
Speaker 1: of the best safeties in the National Football League, you know,
Speaker 1: and said Seattle, and I think you I think Seattle
Speaker 1: is a little bit over a barrel right now, I
Speaker 1: really really do. And I haven't talked to John about
Speaker 1: it at all, but I know that they don't have
Speaker 1: a second round pick. They don't have a third round pick,
Speaker 1: you know. And if you and John Snyder is well
Speaker 1: aware that he's gonna have a difficult time resigning this
Speaker 1: guy after next year, So John might be in the
Speaker 1: motive let's get something now and go. You know, you're right, Nick,
Speaker 1: you go make a move and you go get something
Speaker 1: like that because you release Dad's Bryant. Now you're that's
Speaker 1: considered a good football move. They're gonna pay a safety
Speaker 1: fourteen million dollars a year. I think that's what he wants. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think that you have to I think that you
Speaker 1: have to look at everything is negotiable. In my opinion,
Speaker 1: he wanted Seattle, wanted a one in a three, and
Speaker 1: you're gonna give him a two. And you're gonna tell
Speaker 1: him that's my best offer. Whether you could take the
Speaker 1: one in the two or you could you could try
Speaker 1: for one in the three. But I'm giving you the
Speaker 1: fiftieth overall pick John Snyder. If you don't want that,
Speaker 1: then I'm gonna I'll go I'll go trade that fifty,
Speaker 1: go up and try and draft Irwin James. But I'm
Speaker 1: not taking him on a one year deal. No, you're not.
Speaker 1: But but that's what I'm saying, how bad does or
Speaker 1: if you're gonna make this trade, you want the opportunity
Speaker 1: to sign or to again we're talking about trade when
Speaker 1: it's about Dez Bryant. Well but but but but yeah,
Speaker 1: it's got to be you should take that money and
Speaker 1: try and make your football team better agree and that
Speaker 1: And I hear what you're saying about one year deal
Speaker 1: if if you were to do that, and we're getting
Speaker 1: a little bit ahead of ourselves on that particular player.
Speaker 1: But he did chase down Jason Garrett before he went
Speaker 1: to the locker room and said come get me. So
Speaker 1: I'm just saying he may not be looking for one
Speaker 1: year's one year deal anyways, he's not. But the thing
Speaker 1: about it is, it's you would not make this trade
Speaker 1: unless you said, I want the opportunity to talk to
Speaker 1: him first, ye give me permission to talk to the
Speaker 1: player and is representative. If they can hammer something out,
Speaker 1: then make the trade. If they can't. You know, like
Speaker 1: I said, you got the draft, You've brought in several
Speaker 1: guys to have that optunity. They're not Earl Thomas, but
Speaker 1: there's several guys that can help. We're just speculating now
Speaker 1: on that player. But but but we're just talking about
Speaker 1: I am and I think Brian agrees. I mean, they're
Speaker 1: gonna cut him. It's got to be for for something,
Speaker 1: because he was fitting under the cap. I see what
Speaker 1: you're doing. You're trying to say, why would you let
Speaker 1: Dez Bryant go. We gotta be a reason because he
Speaker 1: was fitting under the cap. It was gonna work. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it was gonna work, but it would have been I
Speaker 1: think thirty million bucks under the cap committed to your
Speaker 1: wide receivers in a run first offense. And we've been
Speaker 1: saying that on our shows. I know Dave was hitting
Speaker 1: this really hard, like something's got to give, right, I mean,
Speaker 1: you can't. You can't allocate that much resource, many resources,
Speaker 1: one of these guys, see, and that's where I was
Speaker 1: going to. Let me read this, this this guise could be there.
Speaker 1: Let me read this official statement from Jerry real quick,
Speaker 1: because Mick, he's right about that. To that, he said,
Speaker 1: an organization, we hold Dez Bryan in the highest regard.
Speaker 1: We're grateful for his passion, spirit and contributions to this
Speaker 1: team for the past eight years. He will always be
Speaker 1: a valued member of our family. Does and I share
Speaker 1: a personal and professional relationship that's very strong, and he's
Speaker 1: one of just a handful of players with whom I
Speaker 1: have become close to over the past thirty years. This
Speaker 1: was not an easy decision. It was made based upon
Speaker 1: doing what we believe is in the best interests of
Speaker 1: the Dallas Cowboys. We arrived at this crossroad collectively with
Speaker 1: input from several voices within the organization. Ultimately we determined
Speaker 1: it was time to go in a new direction, So
Speaker 1: a lot of input. As you said, there's not a
Speaker 1: clear cut reason why. And you guys are talking defensive
Speaker 1: side of the ball, maybe trying to get some help there. Offensively,
Speaker 1: how does this receiver corps look? I mean, does this
Speaker 1: make the draft a huge need now? Or do you
Speaker 1: guys have confidence in Alan Hearns to step into that
Speaker 1: X spot. I think that there's several there's several options
Speaker 1: they have at nineteen if they want to go again.
Speaker 1: It depends on there's people that might have a Sudden
Speaker 1: from SMU ahead of more and Ridley. There might be
Speaker 1: people to have more ahead of both those. I mean,
Speaker 1: you're going to have an option at nineteen to draft
Speaker 1: a guy, the guy that makes the most sense that
Speaker 1: what could play the X would be Sudden he would
Speaker 1: be the guy. Now again, with all that being said, uh,
Speaker 1: you know, Hearns could play the X for you if
Speaker 1: they draft Ridly, he could play the Z. And then
Speaker 1: you figure out what you want to do with with
Speaker 1: Terrence Williams, that's that's could be the route you gotta
Speaker 1: get Cole Beasley going back on track two. But they
Speaker 1: will have an option at nineteen now which you have
Speaker 1: to worry about. You have to worry about Baltimore ahead
Speaker 1: of you at seventeen at at sixteen excuse me, and
Speaker 1: you have to worry about Seattle trading out of the pick. No,
Speaker 1: you got to worry about your decision being right. Yeah,
Speaker 1: that these guys can replace his production. They've they've they're made,
Speaker 1: they've made that bet, Mickey, Yeah, that's that's that's not
Speaker 1: a sure bet. Yeah, this is this is one of
Speaker 1: those things where you again, as as an organism, they've
Speaker 1: they've put their head down, they're gonna go forward. You know,
Speaker 1: we can question everything they're gonna do. They honestly believe
Speaker 1: that they can get somebody to help them in this draft,
Speaker 1: whether it's in the nineteen at fifty, they believe that
Speaker 1: they can get somebody with what they currently have on
Speaker 1: the roster, that they could get somebody to replace dead.
Speaker 1: Does Bryant soign No, I'm just I keep look at
Speaker 1: this Star magazine, which everybody in here contributed to and
Speaker 1: has done a lot of good work Brian, I know,
Speaker 1: did a ton of profiles, and I'm looking at the
Speaker 1: cover Sutton Kirk, James Washington, and I'm just thinking one
Speaker 1: of these guys, and it could be more. It could
Speaker 1: be oh yeah literally in DJ Moore, could be more
Speaker 1: guys than that. But between nineteen and fifty, is this
Speaker 1: going to be a situation where they're like, hey, just
Speaker 1: take the best guy available at nineteen. If we don't
Speaker 1: get the receiver there, there's some good ones we like. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I don't want to turn us into the draft show again,
Speaker 1: but yeah, you're absolutely right, they're going to have an opportunity.
Speaker 1: The problem is some of those guys like Sutton, if
Speaker 1: you know, if you want to trade back up in
Speaker 1: the second round, if you want to if you if
Speaker 1: you want to make a pick at nineteen where you
Speaker 1: take a linebacker and then you want to take fifty
Speaker 1: and go up, there's a possibility of ways of doing that.
Speaker 1: But I thought you already spent that. Yeah. Well, I'm
Speaker 1: just I'm just saying. I'm just saying if they didn't
Speaker 1: make that, yeah with you. But okay, that's a good point.
Speaker 1: Let's say that is on the table. Let's say that
Speaker 1: the fifth the second and maybe the third or something
Speaker 1: in that range is going to the Northwest. If that,
Speaker 1: if you knew that, does nineteen have to be a receiver?
Speaker 1: I think you would have to say yes. And they
Speaker 1: hate doing that, they hate going in but yeah, but
Speaker 1: they but they protected themselves in a way where again,
Speaker 1: Hearns can play the X. You know, if you again
Speaker 1: you draft Ridley, he's a Z more could play the
Speaker 1: X or the Z. Sudden I think is going to
Speaker 1: be an X. It's a six three guy. You know.
Speaker 1: That's a big man that you know, and we'll see
Speaker 1: how the development of him is. But I don't think
Speaker 1: they've pinned themselves accord because I feel like though, but again,
Speaker 1: I just want to say this, you have to worry
Speaker 1: about a couple of teams ahead of you, and I
Speaker 1: think you have to worry about the Ravens, and I
Speaker 1: think you have to worry about the Seahawks. Not the
Speaker 1: Seahawks will take a guy that somebody knows now that
Speaker 1: Dallas is going to take one of these receivers at
Speaker 1: nineteen and all of a sudden, Seattle gets their second
Speaker 1: round pick back. Seattle gets a third round pick back
Speaker 1: because somebody knows Dallas Dallas did it to draft Dez Bryant.
Speaker 1: They did it to the Baltimore Ravens. Jerry Jones moved
Speaker 1: up ahead of Ozzie Newsom to take Dez Bryant. I
Speaker 1: think you have to be concerned, but yeah, they probably
Speaker 1: feel like they protected themselves with the guys they currently
Speaker 1: have on the roster. Is it as good as Dez Bryant, No,
Speaker 1: it's not. Is it similar in some ways? Yes? Okay,
Speaker 1: that's great. That's great information. And all of a sudden,
Speaker 1: now looks like wide receiver, you're throwing line back, you're
Speaker 1: throwing defensive line, I mean safety. There's a several spots
Speaker 1: now where they could go in certain directions, and we'll
Speaker 1: find out in a couple of weeks what they I
Speaker 1: think that all along they've kept this very open. I
Speaker 1: think if you if you think about the thirty visits
Speaker 1: and who they've visited, I think they've kept it open
Speaker 1: with receivers, with offensive linemen, with linebackers. I think they're
Speaker 1: very open to the possibility. Last year we saw them
Speaker 1: visit defensive ends and corners. They really didn't telegraph anything
Speaker 1: what they're doing so far this year with the way
Speaker 1: they've kept their thirty visits really open. Let me let
Speaker 1: me ask you this, and this is hindsight at this point,
Speaker 1: but how would you evaluate where Dez was after the
Speaker 1: season and where you think he could have been in
Speaker 1: this offense going forward if they decided to keep. I mean,
Speaker 1: we've seen them do this before as a franchise. They
Speaker 1: will part ways with a guy maybe a year early
Speaker 1: before it's a year too late, and had two years
Speaker 1: left on his deal. You know, they did it with
Speaker 1: I think Greg Ellis was a guy to Marcus ware.
Speaker 1: It doesn't always work out that way, right You think
Speaker 1: he could have worked it out with Dak Prescott on
Speaker 1: the field or do you think they the riding was
Speaker 1: on the wall? They were not a match together on
Speaker 1: the field. Yeah, I think that there is something to
Speaker 1: be said for that. And I also want to say
Speaker 1: this about Dak. You know, I think it's high alert
Speaker 1: for him now too, Like, hey, you know you've and
Speaker 1: who's to say that this is exactly just them two
Speaker 1: couldn't get along. But but I think des was a
Speaker 1: great receiver for many years with Tony throwing him the ball,
Speaker 1: and now all of a sudden he forgot how to play.
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't. No one believes that. But this
Speaker 1: is Dak friendly. Maybe it isn't considered Dak friendly anymore.
Speaker 1: That's fine, but they better find somebody that can be
Speaker 1: friendly to it. And Dak needs this is a this
Speaker 1: to me, Dak needs to step up and and and
Speaker 1: play better as well. I mean, is this isn't just
Speaker 1: about all of a sudden they don't mesh well, I mean,
Speaker 1: we could be doing an emergency show next year with
Speaker 1: a lot of changes. Well, you know that's that's that's possible.
Speaker 1: Does this move make this team better? I think that's
Speaker 1: a that's a fair question, because still I still need
Speaker 1: They're not better on April thirteenth. I still need a
Speaker 1: lead receiver. I ain't got one. Yeah, all right. I
Speaker 1: still need an insurance policy at linebacker because I ain't
Speaker 1: got one. Right, I still need a backup offensive tackle.
Speaker 1: I don't think I have one unless they find a
Speaker 1: guard Fleming and Fleming and the Marl stays at right tackle. Right,
Speaker 1: Fleming's my backup. Right, So there's a lot of things
Speaker 1: they've got to figure out here now in July twenty third.
Speaker 1: But you don't go buy a new house typically unless you,
Speaker 1: you know, sell the other one, so that that might
Speaker 1: got you, that might be what they're doing here. And
Speaker 1: but I'm totally with you. Right now they're not better.
Speaker 1: They're not a better team than they were yesterday. But
Speaker 1: if this move, this money makes them better down the road,
Speaker 1: we'll see, but as of right now, they're not. But
Speaker 1: you didn't answer my question. What was it? Do you
Speaker 1: feel like the dak des marriage could have been fixed
Speaker 1: or do you think the organization just felt like, look,
Speaker 1: we're dancing around it. We're dancing around that. Because that
Speaker 1: that's that was the big question at the end of
Speaker 1: the season, Right, these two play together, I say no,
Speaker 1: I'll go no, and there wasn't dislike I'm not saying
Speaker 1: that on that one. I'll since we in the business
Speaker 1: of speculation, and I understand Mickey, I mean one, I'm
Speaker 1: asking on the field chemistry, what happened? Why? Why did it?
Speaker 1: Mickey will argue at the end of the end of
Speaker 1: the playoff run that they were rolling along. What was
Speaker 1: wrong with what he did the year before? Yeah? Right,
Speaker 1: But but I all of a sudden, yeah, I think
Speaker 1: all of a sudden, I think team said, you know what,
Speaker 1: we're not letting letting you have that that's right. We're
Speaker 1: gonna you're not getting Beasley for seven yards over the middle,
Speaker 1: and you're not getting Witten anymore. You Dak have to
Speaker 1: make that throw to Dez and des has to run
Speaker 1: the right route. I think Blast, I think you're right
Speaker 1: about all that time. And I don't think Dak is
Speaker 1: capable of doing that kind of stuff that Romo did
Speaker 1: at that point. At this point in his career, he's
Speaker 1: two years in. Yeah, but he did think more about
Speaker 1: the quarterback about the receiver. Yeah. But that's what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: But Robert Griffin did it his first year too, and
Speaker 1: they figured him out too. I mean, I'm just like
Speaker 1: they figured him out. It wasn't that it was the
Speaker 1: wide receiver's fault. No. I think there are certain routes
Speaker 1: that are good for Dak, and I think that some
Speaker 1: of the stuff that does well, the stuff that Dak
Speaker 1: does well. After a couple of years of seeing that
Speaker 1: and the coordinators saying all right, let's let's take this away.
Speaker 1: I'm not saying that they couldn't do it in year three. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I mean they might have been able to kind of
Speaker 1: mess some stuff. If Scott Lanahan, he's you know, he's
Speaker 1: highly talented around here. He's another man you need to
Speaker 1: put on black. He could have he you know, he
Speaker 1: can work that kind of stuff too. I'm just saying
Speaker 1: they decided after two years. One year was really good. Actually,
Speaker 1: you know, their years were about the same. Des his
Speaker 1: staff were about the same. They just weren't winning as
Speaker 1: many games. See, they're running the ball. Though he threw
Speaker 1: more balls, threw more balls this year than they did last.
Speaker 1: The offense overall was more film okay, And that's why
Speaker 1: when you know the runner, the runner, the runner, and
Speaker 1: yet the runner in the left tackle. If you're a
Speaker 1: defensive coordinator, what would you worried about those six games? Yeah,
Speaker 1: it certainly wasn't Alfred Morris. It wasn't Easily, It wasn't Witten,
Speaker 1: obviously wasn't Williams. No, they said, I'm taking Dez out
Speaker 1: of this and see if you can beat me. And
Speaker 1: they couldn't. That's why I ask about the offensive coordinator
Speaker 1: as well. But I say no because I feel like, though, again,
Speaker 1: could the offensive quarter could they scheme stuff up for him?
Speaker 1: They tried to, they said, you know, they tried to
Speaker 1: put him in the slot. They tried to move him around,
Speaker 1: you know, So what happened in twenty sixteen he had
Speaker 1: a rookie quarterback, a fourth round pick, and they won
Speaker 1: thirteen games. Yeah, I think they again the running game
Speaker 1: to Mickey, which he talked about you all right, you've
Speaker 1: been you've been harping on that, and it's right, But
Speaker 1: but that was also that was also over a year ago,
Speaker 1: and and he's now approaching thirty years old. I mean,
Speaker 1: I guess the question needs to be asked from their mindset.
Speaker 1: So did you feel like skills? Yeah, it was? Is
Speaker 1: that a factor that I feel like, Okay, he's reaching
Speaker 1: a point in his career where he's not as dynamic
Speaker 1: as he's been and for what he's making and it's
Speaker 1: not a fit. And I think teams played them differently
Speaker 1: last year than they didn't in twenty sixteen. I think
Speaker 1: that they let me ask you, this is this more
Speaker 1: about then the locker room stuff? Not off the field?
Speaker 1: But is it more about the locker room? Is it
Speaker 1: more about what Stephen Jones was talking about? Is it
Speaker 1: more about is this is this more about not the
Speaker 1: ability as it is the personality? You know, if if
Speaker 1: that's the case, they're going to find out here in
Speaker 1: less than a week. Yeah, oh yeah, there's no doubt
Speaker 1: because if some team goes out there and grabs him,
Speaker 1: they don't know about that stuff, right, they just look
Speaker 1: at the talent. Sure, and if somebody swoops him up
Speaker 1: and pays them, yeah, yeah, I think you got your answer. Well.
Speaker 1: But also teams need a splash too. You know, there
Speaker 1: could be a team out there that that maybe needs
Speaker 1: something like that and does Brian certainly would provide that,
Speaker 1: you know, and they have the money for it, and
Speaker 1: let's let's do it. But you know, was it somebody
Speaker 1: was telling me this about Brian? Was it Brian Billick?
Speaker 1: You used to always say that the reason they they
Speaker 1: Randy Moss. Yeah, the reason they hire you is the
Speaker 1: reason they'll fire you. Yeah, exactly, And if that's kind
Speaker 1: of you know, Dez was a passionate and explosive player.
Speaker 1: It was all great when they're winning, and now it's
Speaker 1: kind of the same thing. I'll say this about Dez though,
Speaker 1: every single thing that we were told about him when
Speaker 1: he was drafted has been true. And he read my mind.
Speaker 1: I was just gonna go with what's his what's his
Speaker 1: legacy here in Dallas. But by the way, he retires
Speaker 1: with a career five hundred and thirty one catches and retire. Retire?
Speaker 1: Did I say retire? His career with the Cowboys has
Speaker 1: ended with five hundred thirty one for now catches, seventy
Speaker 1: five hundred yards, seventy three touchdowns and what were those
Speaker 1: seventy three touchdowns the franchise record. Yeah, it's the best. Sorry, Nick,
Speaker 1: go ahead, No, I was just saying when we when
Speaker 1: he first got drafted, he was a guy that was
Speaker 1: the best player in the draft or the most explosive, athletic,
Speaker 1: dynamic receiver can make all these plays jump out of
Speaker 1: the gym. And then but also you have to deal
Speaker 1: with some some off the field stuff. He's emotional, he's
Speaker 1: got always done. He doesn't he doesn't you know, he
Speaker 1: doesn't arrive on time. He's gonna miss you know, meetings here,
Speaker 1: he's gonna have run routes. Yeah. Well, OK, that was
Speaker 1: it that it never changed and all of it and
Speaker 1: everything that he was he was proven to be, but
Speaker 1: he was still he was still awesome. I mean, let's
Speaker 1: not forget what Mickey just said. I mean, nobody's caught
Speaker 1: more touchdowns than him, So you know, it's part of
Speaker 1: one of the most famous plays, infamous plays in team history.
Speaker 1: I never go away. I just think this is more
Speaker 1: about personality conflict that it is. Which I brought that
Speaker 1: up because you hear things and Stephen said it publicly.
Speaker 1: You know, he's got to be able to control his
Speaker 1: emotions and it factors into what's his production level, Like
Speaker 1: at this point in his career, what can you deal with?
Speaker 1: I love Dak Prescott, I do. I think he's really
Speaker 1: he's going to be a really, really good player. I
Speaker 1: think he already is there. But the honeymoon is definitely
Speaker 1: over now for a lot of folks. Ye, But now
Speaker 1: like when this happens, and I'm not saying, oh no,
Speaker 1: this is some big move. A lot of people they
Speaker 1: could be best friends. I'm not saying they are. They're not,
Speaker 1: but they obviously don't mesh well together as players on
Speaker 1: the field. And that's the Cowboys don't feel that way.
Speaker 1: So now it's like spotlights on you. You got to
Speaker 1: find players that are Dack friendly and you've got to
Speaker 1: go out and perform. I mean, the stakes have been
Speaker 1: raised for him at this point in my opinion, and
Speaker 1: they when they let TiO go at the end of
Speaker 1: the O eight season, they didn't really have a replacement.
Speaker 1: Miles Austin emerged midway through that season, found the guy.
Speaker 1: He made a Pro Bowl the next year. They've got
Speaker 1: to have somebody step up. Alan Hearn's a couple of
Speaker 1: years ago, thousand yards season, ten touchdowns, had some injuries
Speaker 1: the last two years. Maybe you're banking on the fact
Speaker 1: that he stays healthy. He maybe you know, realizes that
Speaker 1: hopefully they do a better job than when they release
Speaker 1: their previous three franchise players. Yeah, they released Troy Aikman,
Speaker 1: Quincy Carter took over. They released emmett Or his contract
Speaker 1: ran out, released him, rights Bill Parcels released him and
Speaker 1: took over. Yeah, they release where Jeremy Mincy took over
Speaker 1: pretty much. No, you're better have a better answer for
Speaker 1: this one. Yeah, I think this is where released. Yeah,
Speaker 1: well that would work, but they needed to make playoffs.
Speaker 1: You know. Obviously they feel like, yeah, you're right, right.
Speaker 1: Obviously they feel like they they have guys in place
Speaker 1: that they can they'll be okay with. But again, you
Speaker 1: gotta be right. Nick talks about the draft and really
Speaker 1: what it is. Yeah, and it and it I don't
Speaker 1: think it's I don't think it's saying, Okay, just go
Speaker 1: that route. But I think now with all the legwork
Speaker 1: that they've done, that is that is the consideration. So
Speaker 1: do you worry that I know that the rookie guy's
Speaker 1: not gonna be good the first year, make right, that's
Speaker 1: what you're gonna ask. And and they haven't been Those
Speaker 1: first round picks haven't been that good. Well, you back
Speaker 1: since Julio Jones, Yeah, fourteen, you could go back with
Speaker 1: Odell Beckham and those guys. Yeah, three out of twenty five. Yeah, Julio,
Speaker 1: AJ Green and Beckham and then Amari Cooper. Yeah. Mark
Speaker 1: Cooper made it. He's the only one in the last
Speaker 1: few years that's made the Pro Bowl. And if you
Speaker 1: go back to twenty twelve, so six drafts, only those
Speaker 1: other three guys who have been to the Pro Bowl.
Speaker 1: It's a difficult position to draft, at least the first year.
Speaker 1: The first year, Yes, it's absolutely because of the style
Speaker 1: of offenses they play in college and in addition to
Speaker 1: the quality of defensive backs you play against in college.
Speaker 1: You're a receiver at Oklahoma, you never play against press
Speaker 1: coverage in the Big twelve. Right, It's it's a track meet.
Speaker 1: The kid James Washington. That's why he's a downfield threat
Speaker 1: because nobody ever presses him or anything like. And in
Speaker 1: the NFL just yeah, you get you get knocked around.
Speaker 1: You've got to figure out how to be a pro
Speaker 1: in the NFL early, and a lot of guys don't.
Speaker 1: And NFEL not early. You know, son Jay Lyle is
Speaker 1: not going to be sitting there with a card telling
Speaker 1: his wide receiver Okay, there's your route. Yeah, you know,
Speaker 1: you got to figure it out on the run, right,
Speaker 1: And those guys are used to run into a spot
Speaker 1: and mostly stopping, and all of a sudden they get
Speaker 1: in here and go, oh, I got a route tree,
Speaker 1: and I got three alternatives here, and I got to
Speaker 1: figure out which one's the one I'm supposed to run.
Speaker 1: Is Calvin Ridley an exception because he played in a
Speaker 1: pro style offense and his route running is well. Brian Dyeball,
Speaker 1: who is now the coordinator at Buffalo, Yeah, it means
Speaker 1: some route chies you look at. That's where Mariy Cooper
Speaker 1: came again, a different defensive a different offensive coordinator there.
Speaker 1: You know, I feel like the guy that has the
Speaker 1: least route experience is sudden he's the one at sim
Speaker 1: If you look at the scheme that they play in
Speaker 1: a lot of screens like quick passing game stuff. You know,
Speaker 1: there's guys in this in this draft though, that had
Speaker 1: that have great. The kid Miller at Memphis can run routes,
Speaker 1: you know. I mean that's you're just pointing to him,
Speaker 1: pointing to Anthony Miller, because I'm looking at this this
Speaker 1: magazine and it has all these receivers, and I'm looking
Speaker 1: at their bench press that they did the combine. I
Speaker 1: see ten, I see fifteen, I see twenty, I see ten,
Speaker 1: I see sixteen, see twenty two. Anthony Miller. Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: a five eleven one nine. Yeah. And he's a playmaker too.
Speaker 1: He absolutely it makes some circus catches for you. And
Speaker 1: that's what I'm saying. That's range his range. Probably I've
Speaker 1: mocked him to us at fifty before. I think he's
Speaker 1: somewhere between. Probably probably in that. We think just in
Speaker 1: the draft shore again not calling in it, but we
Speaker 1: think the run of the receivers is gonna start at
Speaker 1: the top of the second round, like Kirk and those guys.
Speaker 1: Exactly a lot of those guys. If if it's not
Speaker 1: late one it's gonna be the early two. I think
Speaker 1: people are gonna settle in and they're gonna say, just
Speaker 1: start picking these guys one after the other. So if
Speaker 1: you're the Cowboys, you kind of no man's land unless
Speaker 1: you want to spend nineteen on a guy. Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: that's what you got to know. That's what you you
Speaker 1: have to know if you know at nineteen you might
Speaker 1: not get necessarily the best guy is that guy Smith,
Speaker 1: Steve Who, Anthony Miller, Anthony Miller, Steve Smith. Yes, No,
Speaker 1: I don't jo the guy that really this more that
Speaker 1: DJ Moore's that way with the way he's a little
Speaker 1: bit thicker guy. Well that guy sounds thick. Ye yeah, no,
Speaker 1: no Millers, No, these are all comparison, and you know,
Speaker 1: Dane Brugler does a great job. His comparison Franthon Miller
Speaker 1: was Greg Jennings, the one that has me thrown off
Speaker 1: a little bit as DJ Shark or Shark. Yeah, comparison
Speaker 1: Ted gin If the quickness, the quickness that's the case
Speaker 1: at six vertical six. Yeah, and he's at and the
Speaker 1: Cowboys went and worked him out the other again small Yes, guys,
Speaker 1: time I played his whole college career without a quarterback.
Speaker 1: The way he's The comparison then is with Gain. This
Speaker 1: comparison is though when you watch Gain play, the quarterback
Speaker 1: was a problem there. So the inconsistent, inconsistency of the
Speaker 1: player trust me as an lsu alum. I've seen plenty
Speaker 1: of games where Shark, where he makes spectacular plays. He's
Speaker 1: a dynamic punt returner, but I've also seen the concentration
Speaker 1: problems with Lack. It's one of those things that you
Speaker 1: would worry about if he got into system like this
Speaker 1: and they're feeding him the ball, feeding him the ball
Speaker 1: and he's inconsistent catching the ball. That could wear on
Speaker 1: a guy. You want a guy that's got a lot
Speaker 1: of mental toughness to be that type of player. I
Speaker 1: think more with what we were talking about more from Maryland.
Speaker 1: Makes a lot of sits. He's played with like, you know,
Speaker 1: eight different quarterbacks. You know, he's seen a lot of
Speaker 1: bad balls he's seeing. You know, he hasn't had a
Speaker 1: lot of success as as this with the wins and losses,
Speaker 1: but he's a tough kid that has production. That's why
Speaker 1: they brought him in because you watch him play and
Speaker 1: I feel like they're guys there again, I worry about
Speaker 1: I would worry about sudden not the physical traits. I
Speaker 1: would worry about, though, the scheme to which he played in.
Speaker 1: Can he be consistent enough coming in here and making
Speaker 1: a difference initially? Can I ask you this? Does this team?
Speaker 1: Tell me? If this is a stupid question, does this
Speaker 1: team need a number one receiver the way they're constructed offensively?
Speaker 1: That's a good question. Is Zeke the deodorant for everything?
Speaker 1: If he's there for sixteen games and is pounding the
Speaker 1: rock and getting you five yards carry? I asked does
Speaker 1: Bryant this question one time about because I asked him
Speaker 1: about the running game? And he says, you know, and
Speaker 1: I've said it before, I never minded the numbers being down.
Speaker 1: As long as we won, right with the numbers. That's
Speaker 1: I always gave him credit for that, because not all
Speaker 1: receivers all like that. And now the minute they stopped
Speaker 1: running the ball and stop winning, then and his numbers
Speaker 1: needed to go up. But sometimes in this system you
Speaker 1: have to you have to put your numbers aside and say, okay,
Speaker 1: you know what made Cole Beasley is such a good
Speaker 1: player for them? Two years ago? Seven targets, six catches,
Speaker 1: you know, eight targets, seven catches. He doesn't misspasses when
Speaker 1: you got the opportunity to make catches. I think that's
Speaker 1: the problem with does Brian. I think that was the
Speaker 1: problem with Does Bryant. Does Bryant didn't have those one
Speaker 1: or two extra catches a game to get his numbers up.
Speaker 1: He had a high target, he'd have maybe ten targets,
Speaker 1: but four catches. You know. Let me tell you, Hearns
Speaker 1: is a little bit that way too. Hearns could be
Speaker 1: a ten target, four catch guy Latch Jacksonville. That's that's
Speaker 1: exactly what he can need to come up with the
Speaker 1: news that well, I understand the time. I'm just saying,
Speaker 1: our targets quality targets. So nope, exactly the quarterback and
Speaker 1: I'm throwing it over my head. Yeah, I'm just talking
Speaker 1: about the announces a target. Where was Deslon drops? Though?
Speaker 1: Last year? Too many? You had too many? Yeah, that's
Speaker 1: I'm saying, Okay, let's call drops. Then you know Des
Speaker 1: Brian doesn't normally drop the ball. It's just a bad
Speaker 1: It was a bad, bad campaign for him. He said
Speaker 1: he let things creep into his mind too much. Outside noise.
Speaker 1: He still had a better numbers than any wide receiver
Speaker 1: that was signed in free agency. Well, he was average.
Speaker 1: He wasn't bad. He was average. Yeah for him, unless
Speaker 1: you guys want to go in a different direction. I
Speaker 1: was thinking we wrap it up away. Where do you
Speaker 1: think we talked about where the Cowboys go next? What
Speaker 1: what do you think's next for him? I mean he's
Speaker 1: available now free agent, got an opportunity to go somewhere else.
Speaker 1: What would you tweet out, Mick? He said, I'll see
Speaker 1: you guys twice this year. Well, there's three options maybe
Speaker 1: within the division, could be four A Houston Houston. You
Speaker 1: play him in preseason? How far as Houston and the
Speaker 1: love not far? Not far, It's probably closer to here.
Speaker 1: It's not necessarily a good thing. No, would you guys
Speaker 1: be surprised if he latched on somewhere and picked up
Speaker 1: where he left off a couple of years ago, before
Speaker 1: before all the injuries. If he ended up with a
Speaker 1: quarterback that was accurate and can throw the ball like
Speaker 1: Tony Romo would throw the ball to him, he could
Speaker 1: be He could once again be Dez Bryant. That we
Speaker 1: knew absolutely he could. He needs he's now now, he's
Speaker 1: got the bit between his teeth. Not that he always
Speaker 1: didn't work out hard, I mean or getting himself in
Speaker 1: physical condition. Now it's gonna be there's gonna be that
Speaker 1: passion you see about working out and getting ready to play.
Speaker 1: This would be tough, I think. I don't know. I
Speaker 1: just see him going to San Francisco, not sure why,
Speaker 1: playing with a good young quarterback. I had New Orleans
Speaker 1: on my mind, but yeah, I had New Orleans as
Speaker 1: a team that Oh they've got that kid from Ohio
Speaker 1: State Award daddy, but they you know, Yeah, receivers or receivers. Yeah,
Speaker 1: if you get you can put a bunch of good ones.
Speaker 1: It's hard to cover them all. We kind of thought here,
Speaker 1: I think in your draft magazine, I think page forty
Speaker 1: eight and forty nine is going to hit hit your spot.
Speaker 1: It maybe Courtland Sutton. Oh yeah, there'll be a lot
Speaker 1: of guys check them out. Which, by the way, get
Speaker 1: yours today for only four ninety five exclusively. Got a
Speaker 1: lot of eyes. Shot shop dot Dallas Cowboys dot com.
Speaker 1: We're by calling one eight seven seven NFC boys. There
Speaker 1: you go. Well, any final thoughts mix Scrolling through his tweets,
Speaker 1: I was just trying to see if dezit any final thoughts.
Speaker 1: He was tweeting a lot last night, Yeah, a lot.
Speaker 1: I think he was very nervous. I think I think
Speaker 1: that's very nervous about what was going to happen. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I do well. I think the Cowboy fans are probably
Speaker 1: a lot of them are are upset um and because
Speaker 1: we talked about it, they are a They were a
Speaker 1: better team on April twelfth than they are in April thirteenth.
Speaker 1: Right now, however, you have to do this to open
Speaker 1: doors for something else, you might feel differently, but right
Speaker 1: now fans are frustrated. I don't blame why. I don't
Speaker 1: blame them because because this team doesn't have the talent
Speaker 1: on receiver that they did yesterday. That's true. We'll see
Speaker 1: if they We'll see if it changes. It's a good
Speaker 1: way to end at Dez Bryant officially released by the
Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys, the only team he's ever played for in state.
Speaker 1: Guy grew up just down the road. It's got to
Speaker 1: be disappointing for him, disappointing in for the Cowboys as well.
Speaker 1: I'm sure they would have liked to end his career.
Speaker 1: Go put your head into sand get out going. We'll
Speaker 1: find out where Dez lands next. You just put eight
Speaker 1: billion dollars into your salary cap for nothing. Let's see
Speaker 1: what happens. Thanks for tuning in, guys. Check out Dallas
Speaker 1: Cowboys dot com for all our coverage on Dez Bryant's release.
Speaker 1: For Nick, for Nick, for Brian, This is rob Thanks
Speaker 1: to Kim for producing, and everybody in the back. We'll
Speaker 1: see you next time. This has been a production of
Speaker 1: Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.