1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 1: We bring to you Dallas Cowboys Executive vice president Steven Jones. 2 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: Good afternoon, sir, Good afternoon. Guess well, we were listening 3 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: intently to your press conference. Gotta say your response was great, 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: but the line about who gets credit for taco and 5 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: Micah Parsons we all thought was hilarious as well well 6 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 1: as you can see that. That's the life I live 7 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: around here. But it goes well, the uh, it's Jerry 8 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: what It's not so good that it's me. I understand 9 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: a good cheek. I'm joking. Oh no, Stephen, I get 10 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: it too. The same thing with me and Kevin here 11 00:00:39,520 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 1: and Mike as well. They throw it all at me. 12 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: At the end of all my general managers after games 13 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: that I pitched, well, they're like, how did you do that? 14 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,239 Speaker 1: Good stuff? You said several really intriguing things, and you 15 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:55,560 Speaker 1: said at the small yellow at right now pick number 16 00:00:55,600 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: twenty four. It's it's really tough to project what other 17 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: teams are going to do. I know it and change 18 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: from a year to year, but is there a general 19 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: spot in the draft, whether it's you know, five, eight, 20 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 1: ten or wherever where you're like, it's really tough to 21 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: project this far down the road. How teams are going 22 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: to pick, Well, I think once you get into the 23 00:01:13,920 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: back half of the round, it gets really difficult, and 24 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: you know a lot of time, I mean, every now 25 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: and then you get the occasional wow. I mean, obviously, 26 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: quarterbacks are always a wild card in terms of how 27 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: people evaluate them. Obviously it's critical, uh you know, franchises 28 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,840 Speaker 1: that don't necessarily feel like they have one in the 29 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: mix might be willing to uh, you know, reach or 30 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: maybe reach as a bad word, or just uh you know, 31 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,840 Speaker 1: find the good qualities and let those outweigh anything any 32 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,240 Speaker 1: concerns they have, and make a pick. But you know, 33 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: once you get into the second half of the round, 34 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: I think it's very difficult to figure out if you're 35 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: you know, to figure out and and say, hey, well, 36 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: behind a reasonable doubt, I feel like this is how 37 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: it's going to all. I'm always kind of curious, like 38 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: the you have the John Wooden Pyramid of success, you 39 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,240 Speaker 1: have all these different things, hard and fast rules kind 40 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: of go in and I know there's always a way 41 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: to kind of say, well, we can bend that one 42 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: just a little bit. But do when it comes to 43 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: drafting players, do the Cowboys have a hard and fast 44 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: rules or a couple of things that you're like, we 45 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,720 Speaker 1: always stick to this, not necessarily, I mean, I you know, 46 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: obviously we've got our foundation as to how we evaluate players, 47 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: and you know what a first rounder, you know, what 48 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: he should what he should do in his first year, 49 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:33,400 Speaker 1: what a second rounder should do. You know, we have 50 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: definitions of you know, where you know where players what 51 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: how we would project a player to do in his 52 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: first year, second year, third year. So you know, I 53 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 1: do think there are those things, But in terms of 54 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,440 Speaker 1: just hard and fast things that you wouldn't play a 55 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: little option quarterback that you you know that you don't move, 56 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: move things a little here and there, I wouldn't say 57 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: that that's a you know, set hard and fast you 58 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: had me reference to. It looks like at least y'all 59 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: have about fourteen to sixteen first round grades. What's typical 60 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 1: for because we hear about that a lot. What's typical 61 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: for like second round grades? Do you end up with 62 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 1: their like usually thirty five to forty or is it 63 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 1: still kind of more limited? How does that usually play out? 64 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: And how's it looking for this year? I think as 65 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:26,000 Speaker 1: you go there's more in each round historically, so there's 66 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: usually more second round grades and there are first round grades. 67 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: There's usually more third round than seconds, more forced than 68 00:03:34,639 --> 00:03:37,400 Speaker 1: more force than thirds, and more fifths than force. But 69 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: you know, fourth and fifth being pretty equal. And then 70 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: and I think it starts to taper back off again. 71 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 1: I think, you know, then you're starting to be you know, 72 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 1: even more you know, judging even more harder in terms 73 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: of whether a player should be drafted or be a 74 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: college free agent. And that's what you know, our six 75 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: and seventh rounds are. Now, I've been been very adamant 76 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: about defensive tas close valuable spot for me, But I've 77 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: been curious about the spot for y'all. What is the 78 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: philosophy on the value of defensive tackle and and maybe 79 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: even this year's defensive tackles because there are a couple 80 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: of interesting, interesting players out there. Yeah, I mean, we 81 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 1: obviously have a high value on defensive tackles, we do. 82 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: You know, we're fortunate we've spent some resources between Galimore, 83 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: between Tristan, between Osa and Bohannon. Uh, you know, we've 84 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: we've drafted some defensive tackles that are on this football team. 85 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: And then you uh, you know, then you've got some, uh, 86 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: but you know, you've got some other guys there. But 87 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: in general, there's two different types of defensive tackles. You 88 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: got the big tackle and then you got the three technique. 89 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: And obviously Bohannan's more of a you know, he's more 90 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,919 Speaker 1: of that big defensive tackle, run stopper type that you 91 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: have in there on first and second down. And then 92 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: you've got your three technique, which is you know, you know, 93 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: the best in the business, says Aaron Donald. That can 94 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: give you pass rush, that can give you uh, you know, 95 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: big plays, those type of things you know that are 96 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: in there not only on the first and second but 97 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 1: are you know, part of your pass rush as well. 98 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 1: So there are some really good defensive tackles in this draft. 99 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: And we're always uh you know, looking for depth, looking 100 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: to improve, and uh, certainly we'll be looking at that. 101 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: But that defensive front's no different than the offensive front. 102 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:29,599 Speaker 1: This is a big man's game, and we're always looking 103 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:33,159 Speaker 1: for not only to improve, but for depth and and 104 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:36,159 Speaker 1: to have numbers because uh, you know, to get through 105 00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: an NFL season, to work through that a game in particular, 106 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: and the defensive front, you certainly uh you know, you 107 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:47,799 Speaker 1: want to have you don't want to have guys getting 108 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 1: too many plays. You want to be able to have 109 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,240 Speaker 1: them fresh in the fourth quarter. So it's important to 110 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,840 Speaker 1: have the numbers, y'all. Y'all talked about how important the 111 00:05:55,920 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: draft is, and I think we certainly understand that. Have 112 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: you ever gone into a draft feeling like it was 113 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 1: more important than in other years, like with the free 114 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: agent departures? Does this feel like a more important than usual? Draft? Oh? 115 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: I think our draft is stressed. Uh, you know, as 116 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 1: as high as it can be year in and year out. 117 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: I just think it's your lifeblood. Obviously, you know your 118 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: first you know, the first four years of a player's career, 119 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:28,200 Speaker 1: they're playing under their under their draft contract. And you 120 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 1: know that's so important because you can't just uh, you know, 121 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: as I mentioned in there, as much as you'd like to, 122 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: especially when you draft successfully, you'd like to, you know, 123 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: continue to give your gas second contracts, but you know 124 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 1: that's just not how how it works, and you have 125 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: to make some tough decisions along the way. But it's 126 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: important to you know, replenish as you move forward with 127 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: guys that can step up make a difference from Troy 128 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: Aikman to Patrick Mahomes to Kyler Murray. We saw a 129 00:06:55,240 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: lot of people at the MAVs game last night. Has 130 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:00,039 Speaker 1: there ever been a celebrity in the box with you 131 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,320 Speaker 1: guys that you were kind of nervous about or kind 132 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: of excited to see. Well, we've had a lot of 133 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: different guys in our day, a lot of different men 134 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:15,240 Speaker 1: and women who are celebrities. That are interesting. I guess 135 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: the most interesting thing was when we opened up at 136 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: and T Stadium, and uh, I'm going, boy, this is 137 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:25,720 Speaker 1: gonna be unique. We had married Giuliani in there right 138 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,720 Speaker 1: when we were opening up the new stadium against the Giants. 139 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: So I said, this will be interesting having the Mayor 140 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 1: of New York in our box and seeing how he 141 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: reacts as we've moved forward in the game. So that 142 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: that was pretty unique there, having married Giuliani in the 143 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: box when we were playing the Giants. Appreciate the time 144 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: very much, Good sir, We'll catch up with you Friday 145 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: after the first round of the draft. Sound great, guys. 146 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: Thank you.