WEBVTT - Talkin' Cowboys: WR Group Taking Shape? 0:00:02.279 --> 0:00:04.840 The following. He's a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:04.840 --> 0:00:16.640 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This he's Talking Cowboys 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:20.000 training live from the Dallas Cowboys World head hours at 0:00:20.000 --> 0:00:31.680 the Star in Friscola. Here are Mickey Spagnola, Brian Brothers, 0:00:31.760 --> 0:00:37.000 Rob Phillips, and Bill Jones, and welcome into Talking Cowboys 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:41.920 final practice of the week before the cowboys third preseason 0:00:42.000 --> 0:00:46.720 game against the Houston Texans at AT and T Stadium 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:50.000 on Saturday night. Rob Phillips, Mickey Spagnola, Brian brought us 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:53.680 right down yonder. Bill Jones might be joining us again today, 0:00:53.960 --> 0:00:57.440 He's got some TV duties to attend to. U. Cowboys 0:00:57.440 --> 0:01:00.040 starting to trickle onto the practice field here for like 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:02.720 I said, it's the third open practice of the week 0:01:02.880 --> 0:01:04.640 and their last prep if you want to call it 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:09.520 prep for for the preseason game against Houston first though, 0:01:09.959 --> 0:01:13.880 a somber feeling among the Cowboys organizations the Cowboys family 0:01:14.319 --> 0:01:18.440 this morning, as former Cowboys quarterback and current play by 0:01:18.480 --> 0:01:23.800 play man Babe Laffenberg's son Luke passed away after a 0:01:23.800 --> 0:01:29.120 courageous fight with cancer. Um just awful news, uh, that 0:01:29.120 --> 0:01:31.840 that Babe announced today and that you know, word has 0:01:31.880 --> 0:01:34.560 gotten through the Cowboys family. Just a tough moment right now. 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:39.119 You know, guys, it's never easy, even if you that 0:01:39.240 --> 0:01:44.959 was sort of the expected outcome. Unfortunately, when Luke's cancer 0:01:45.080 --> 0:01:48.400 came back, and and then when it happens, it just 0:01:48.680 --> 0:01:51.520 it just hits you, and it hit the head coach, 0:01:52.280 --> 0:01:54.600 which in turn hit the rest of us. I think 0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:56.920 when he talked for about I don't know, what do 0:01:56.960 --> 0:02:01.360 you think two minutes trying to explain what he thought 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:05.600 of Luke and just go to Dallas Cowboys dot com 0:02:05.640 --> 0:02:09.600 you'll be able to listen to it. And that's all 0:02:09.600 --> 0:02:14.640 he talked about today. It was very brief, and I 0:02:14.639 --> 0:02:17.720 don't think anybody would have even tried to ask a 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:22.440 football question. So yeah, it was pretty sad to see 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:26.160 Jason in that situation. He's out at practice right now, 0:02:27.000 --> 0:02:30.800 standing on the fifty yard line and I think practice 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:34.200 probably gonna it might start a little late. I'm sure 0:02:34.240 --> 0:02:36.840 it took him a while to compose himself. He was 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:41.560 very close to Babe and to Luke, Babe's family, and 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:44.320 so this one I think it hit really hard. And 0:02:44.360 --> 0:02:47.120 if if I noticed right, it looked like he and 0:02:47.200 --> 0:02:52.440 Darryl Johnston had an embraced there just before we came 0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:57.920 on the air. So, yeah, tough day. And as Jason said, 0:02:57.919 --> 0:03:00.640 he was an amazing young man. How hard he tried 0:03:00.720 --> 0:03:04.200 to fight to defeat this, and he had some choices 0:03:04.320 --> 0:03:08.040 and his last choice was I'll do everything I can 0:03:08.120 --> 0:03:13.640 to try to live. Coaches do a great job of 0:03:13.880 --> 0:03:18.800 putting things in perspective. They understand they deal with a 0:03:18.800 --> 0:03:21.720 lot of emotions as they go along. It was very 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:25.720 difficult to watch Jason Garrett stand up there because he 0:03:25.760 --> 0:03:28.880 was clearly grieving. We've always seen him as being a 0:03:29.000 --> 0:03:31.200 rock up there. If you want to say, I you know, 0:03:32.120 --> 0:03:34.640 we've all had our difference. I mean I've had differences, 0:03:34.680 --> 0:03:38.160 but you saw the human side of him today in 0:03:38.200 --> 0:03:41.680 this press conference. So he obviously has lost a close friend. 0:03:42.360 --> 0:03:44.720 It means a lot to him. You know, he tried. 0:03:44.760 --> 0:03:48.360 He'll try and celebrate Luke's life the best he can 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:50.400 as as a coach. He'll go out here and as 0:03:50.480 --> 0:03:52.920 Jason Garrett say, who will have the best day he 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:55.440 can have practicing And that's all you can do. You 0:03:55.520 --> 0:03:58.920 celebrate the young man's life. You move on. Jason Garrett 0:03:59.000 --> 0:04:01.200 is doing his best right now to be out there 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:04.440 and to coach his team, and you know he knows 0:04:04.480 --> 0:04:06.600 he has a job. But again, you saw the human 0:04:06.640 --> 0:04:10.280 side of Jason Garrett today. It's a very difficult situation 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:14.400 to deal with. But coaches tend to have this mechanism 0:04:14.440 --> 0:04:17.159 in them. It's in bread that they're able to take 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:20.440 things that happened to them, put them aside for a 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:23.159 little bit, focus on their job, and then come back 0:04:23.160 --> 0:04:25.440 to him when need be. Here's a go ahead, and 0:04:25.480 --> 0:04:26.719 I was going to say, if we can get a 0:04:26.720 --> 0:04:29.640 shot at the field, they normally get going right, and 0:04:29.720 --> 0:04:33.039 he's called the team up and probably trying to explain 0:04:33.080 --> 0:04:37.800 to everybody what went on. What's going on? Babe just 0:04:37.920 --> 0:04:42.320 tweeted it out at about ten twenty this morning. The 0:04:42.320 --> 0:04:44.880 press confidence was supposed to start at ten thirty five, 0:04:44.920 --> 0:04:48.400 and it probably didn't start till ten forty five or 0:04:48.440 --> 0:04:53.240 fifty for that matter, and for good reason, as Jason 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:58.120 tried his best to compose himself. But Brian's right, a 0:04:58.160 --> 0:05:01.560 lot of people don't see that side of Jason all 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:04.840 the time. We see it, yeah, but other folks don't. Right, 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.880 he's not as automated as everybody thinks he is. And again, 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:12.039 he's very close to Babe and Babe's family. This is 0:05:12.200 --> 0:05:14.920 a partial quote from what Jason said this morning. Again, 0:05:14.960 --> 0:05:17.839 the only question that he took in the press conference 0:05:17.839 --> 0:05:21.560 today said quote, Luke was an amazing young man. You 0:05:21.560 --> 0:05:23.800 guys have heard me talk about fight a lot. I 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:25.960 don't know that I've ever seen a better example of 0:05:26.000 --> 0:05:28.479 that in my life. What he's gone through in the 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:30.360 last couple of years, The spirit that he had every 0:05:30.440 --> 0:05:33.120 day to battle through it to always be thoughtful of 0:05:33.120 --> 0:05:37.839 the people in his life. So again, a tragic, you 0:05:37.880 --> 0:05:41.840 know situation, young man that really that really fought through 0:05:41.880 --> 0:05:45.760 something awful. Yeah, that has you know, affected so many people. 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:49.080 Cancer is difficult to deal with. Any illness is difficult 0:05:49.120 --> 0:05:54.120 to deal with, but especially with kids especially you know, 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:56.839 I'm talking about two dads right, yeah, and soon to 0:05:56.880 --> 0:06:00.120 be a dad down there at the end. And the 0:06:00.120 --> 0:06:02.479 the thing about it is, you know, you we go 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:04.600 through this life and we you know, we do the 0:06:04.600 --> 0:06:07.920 best we can, and it's just unfortunate that sometimes there's 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:10.880 there's illnesses and things that happen to us and you 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:14.080 wonder why they happen to us. But again, you you 0:06:14.279 --> 0:06:18.000 find ways to to be stronger forward and to live 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:23.320 on and Babe laughlinburg again former, you know, former professional player. Former. 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:26.279 You know, he understands, he's his life has been a 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:28.760 lot of ups and downs, and you know it's difficult. 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:31.520 Yes it's his son, but he will choose to find 0:06:31.560 --> 0:06:35.200 a way to live in a way to honor his 0:06:35.240 --> 0:06:37.320 son's life, you know, And that's what you got to do. 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:41.320 Keep going forward, honor the ones we lost, move on 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:43.880 and because that, you know, Luke would want him to 0:06:43.880 --> 0:06:45.880 do that. Luke would want Jason Garrett to go have 0:06:45.920 --> 0:06:48.840 a great practice today and have the Stallas Cowboys team 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:52.359 be a team that is the best that they can be. 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:57.599 Well said, Well said both guys. Um Okay, practice getting 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:01.120 set here to get going in a moment terrely the 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:03.960 team's out on the field, they're in they're in shells. 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:06.880 Today looks like not a padded practice. So trying to 0:07:06.960 --> 0:07:09.080 kind of ease back a little bit with the game 0:07:09.120 --> 0:07:11.960 here in a couple of days. Well, it's a typical 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:15.560 Friday practice is what's going on here for a Sunday game. 0:07:15.680 --> 0:07:18.880 So you just move up the schedule to Thursday. Uh, 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:21.400 And he's got to do his best to get him 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:23.240 off their feet a little bit. I'm sure it'll be 0:07:23.280 --> 0:07:26.480 a shorter practice, uh, and then just get ready to 0:07:26.520 --> 0:07:31.360 play a game on Saturday, six o'clock against the Houston Texans. 0:07:31.400 --> 0:07:33.560 And I'm sure there'll be a few vets here. I 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:36.800 can see Whitton doesn't have a helmet on. UH, so 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:39.120 they'll get some of these guys to get a day 0:07:39.240 --> 0:07:44.560 or Tyrn Smith's you know, no helmet U. Zach Martin 0:07:44.600 --> 0:07:48.280 obviously hasn't been practicing and I don't expect to see 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:52.240 him until the first week of the regular seasons. UH. 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:55.360 There's a couple other guys without helmets on. I think 0:07:55.360 --> 0:08:01.080 it's UH to coup and Mike Jackson. I believe that 0:08:01.240 --> 0:08:04.320 Mike Jackson's been one. And that's unfortunate for Mike Jackson 0:08:04.360 --> 0:08:08.680 because we've talked about this before. These cornerbacks, even the 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:13.080 starting cornerbacks through with what we've seen with Donovan Olumba, 0:08:13.240 --> 0:08:16.000 have come out here and played. There's been there's gonna 0:08:16.040 --> 0:08:19.640 be some difficult decisions about what they're going to do 0:08:19.800 --> 0:08:22.960 at this cornerback spot. And Mike Jackson is in that 0:08:23.200 --> 0:08:27.120 mode right now where not practicing, probably not going to 0:08:27.200 --> 0:08:29.600 be able to play at least this week. UH. That 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:33.560 that sets him back because these coaches. Now it's you 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:36.120 know that we've had several weeks of practices, we've had 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:38.800 a couple of games. It's now about trying to find 0:08:38.840 --> 0:08:42.360 these fifty three players. And if you're we've said before, 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:45.640 if you're not practicing, you're not on the train, and 0:08:45.679 --> 0:08:47.760 if you're not on the train, you're not going to 0:08:47.800 --> 0:08:50.400 the next stop. You're stuck in where you're at. And 0:08:50.440 --> 0:08:53.280 so I feel bad for a guy like Mike Jackson, 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:56.080 who you know, had had moments in training camp where 0:08:56.120 --> 0:08:58.280 he actually looked pretty good and and now he's going 0:08:58.360 --> 0:08:59.920 to be behind the apall a little bit trying to 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:06.520 catch up. Yeah, I see, uh Dalton shows still no helmet. Um. 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:08.720 I was looking for Blake Jarwin. I can't tell if 0:09:08.760 --> 0:09:11.080 he's getting back into practice because they were getting really 0:09:11.160 --> 0:09:15.599 low on tight ends and Cody Mcroys, yeah wearing a 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:18.160 ball cap as well. He is too, And if Witton's 0:09:18.200 --> 0:09:21.040 not practicing, they might have to go, wow, you're tight 0:09:21.160 --> 0:09:24.480 end off Lucas though. Yeah, yeah, you know what they 0:09:24.559 --> 0:09:26.880 did yesterday did was kind of neat, was they They 0:09:27.040 --> 0:09:30.840 took uh Jay's Jama's old wally and put him as 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:33.400 a tight end guy. So you might see more fullback 0:09:33.480 --> 0:09:36.080 today in the practice, you might even see more wide receiver. 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:38.080 We need to figure out some of these wide receivers, 0:09:38.320 --> 0:09:40.520 you know, And that's good. And if if the game 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:43.719 planned today, that if the practice, if the attitude of 0:09:43.800 --> 0:09:47.720 the practices, Okay, we don't have this position group, well, 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:51.280 let's lean on this position group today, and so keep 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:53.920 an eye on fullbacks and keep an eye on wide 0:09:53.960 --> 0:09:56.320 receivers today having to make some play. That's a good 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:57.959 point because it gives you a little bit more of 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:01.319 a broader evaluation of these guys. Absolutely, wide receiver. We've 0:10:01.320 --> 0:10:04.000 talked about it quite a bit, but we still don't 0:10:04.000 --> 0:10:06.520 know exactly how the bottom end of that receiver depth 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:09.080 chart's gonna shake out here after a couple more preseason games. 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:10.680 You know. I think it was good listening to san 0:10:10.760 --> 0:10:13.480 Jay Lyle talk about it the other day, and he 0:10:13.640 --> 0:10:17.599 didn't he made no bones about it. He was, you know, 0:10:17.840 --> 0:10:21.960 disappointed in his young receivers that he was very high on, right, 0:10:22.080 --> 0:10:24.760 But as you can see, coaches, you know, they can't 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:27.760 be biased. Now. He before, you know, we were in 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:31.120 OTAs in mini camps. He was singing the praises of 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:36.440 the speed of these young receivers, Reggie Davis, Johnson, Jalen 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:39.679 gud and all of us were, and then their play 0:10:39.880 --> 0:10:43.120 kind of fell off once they got into the preseason games, 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:46.160 once they got to the Blue white scrimmage, and he said, yeah, 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:48.120 he goes if you know they're gonna need to pick 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:51.520 it up. You know that's not acceptable, dropping passes and 0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:56.679 missed assignments and bad alignments. And then suddenly, with all 0:10:56.800 --> 0:11:00.319 that happening, the guy that really nobody was talking about, 0:11:00.440 --> 0:11:04.120 Devin Smith, all of a sudden he arose. And now 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:07.120 if you're looking listen to and Cedric Wilson, if you're 0:11:07.160 --> 0:11:10.000 looking at the two guys, if we're gonna count Tavon 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:13.240 Austin in the top four, uh, those are the two guys. 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:16.360 If they go six to me right now, that's who 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:19.599 would make this team. Yeah, Mickey, and so, uh, it 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:21.520 just goes to show you this whole thing is a 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:25.400 long process. But you have to be very objective when 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:28.480 you cut down your roster. You can't have pet cats 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:31.520 and say, well he did well before, he's just having 0:11:31.520 --> 0:11:34.080 a little dry spell. No, you can't have dry spells 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:37.679 when you're an undrafted free agent. Yeah, no, bad days, right, 0:11:37.800 --> 0:11:40.240 no bad days here. I think Mickey made a great 0:11:40.280 --> 0:11:42.800 point yesterday and I was listening to our show. I 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:44.679 always go back and list our shows out walking the 0:11:44.720 --> 0:11:46.480 store because I don't remember what I said, but she 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:48.520 made it. Made a really good point about the pup 0:11:48.720 --> 0:11:52.520 situation with Noah Brown and if and I don't think 0:11:52.559 --> 0:11:55.280 if there was a push that there would we would 0:11:55.360 --> 0:11:57.280 see we would If there wasn't a push from these 0:11:57.320 --> 0:11:59.720 young kids, I don't think we would. I think we'd 0:11:59.760 --> 0:12:01.880 have to see Noah Brown start to practice. They have 0:12:01.920 --> 0:12:03.920 to get him ready. But the fact that you know 0:12:04.000 --> 0:12:06.880 they have some options there, absolutely they could kind of 0:12:06.920 --> 0:12:08.599 take their time with Noah Brown and they don't have 0:12:08.679 --> 0:12:11.480 to push him. I think that where what I really 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:14.680 appreciated about what Sanjay Lyles said yesterday. And this goes 0:12:14.720 --> 0:12:17.040 back to the old personnel man guy and me. When 0:12:17.080 --> 0:12:19.400 I used to sit in those meetings with coaches, I 0:12:19.440 --> 0:12:22.560 always felt like the coaches, you know, they would they 0:12:22.600 --> 0:12:25.240 would like they would cheerlead for guys and then and 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:27.679 I was like, but this guy's not playing well. Why 0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:30.800 are we keeping this guy in their officer? But to me, Rob, 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:35.040 excuse me, the evaluation The biggest issue with teams in 0:12:35.080 --> 0:12:39.320 the National Football League is misevaluating their own team. Yeah, 0:12:39.400 --> 0:12:42.960 it sounds like to me these coaches aren't misevaluating their 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:45.839 own team, like Mickey said, Sanjay Lyles said, Hey, I 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.280 was very high on two young kids. Want to see 0:12:48.360 --> 0:12:51.000 him go up, but they really haven't shown me that. 0:12:51.120 --> 0:12:53.640 So I've got to get these other guys ready. That's 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:57.000 the sign of a staff that's not gonna misevaluate their team. 0:12:57.080 --> 0:12:58.760 And I think you guys did a better shot than 0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:03.640 I did in Oxen are evaluating or at least talking 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:07.400 to you mentioned pet cats like john By Johnson's talent level. 0:13:07.480 --> 0:13:09.840 To me, I think he's got a lot of potential. 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:12.360 And I kept saying that in Oxnard, and you guys 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:15.480 kept pointing out to me, well, number sixteen is playing better, 0:13:16.360 --> 0:13:19.040 Cedric Wilson has been more consistent. We've seen Devin Smithy 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:23.320 more consistent. And that's Brian. That's kind of the challenge 0:13:23.440 --> 0:13:25.959 for the staff, for the scouts when you're cutting down 0:13:26.040 --> 0:13:29.160 this fifty three man roster, how much do you look 0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:32.400 at potential like this guy's not playing well right now, yeah, 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:34.960 versus maybe a guy And I'm not saying those guys 0:13:35.040 --> 0:13:38.040 have less potential, right, but they're playing better. So how 0:13:38.160 --> 0:13:40.720 much I mean, do you have to head your bets 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:42.800 at some point and say, well, we're boping this guy 0:13:42.840 --> 0:13:46.839 eventually corrects things. Yeah, well, or is it too late 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:49.440 because we just haven't seen it. Devin Smith will remind 0:13:49.480 --> 0:13:51.800 everybody that one time he was a second round pick. 0:13:52.360 --> 0:13:57.120 You know, john By, Johnson and Guidon weren't drafted this 0:13:57.360 --> 0:13:59.160 in this draft. Good point. So all of a sudden, 0:13:59.200 --> 0:14:01.880 now you're you start to say, oh, I see what 0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:07.719 the Jets saw in Devin Smith. The knee injuries was 0:14:08.520 --> 0:14:12.640 robbed him of any chance early in his career sacl twice. Yeah, 0:14:12.800 --> 0:14:15.040 So all of a sudden, now you're saying, ah, I 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:18.360 get it. It's like he caught a break, Like the Jets. 0:14:18.840 --> 0:14:21.760 I go back and Mickey covered this guy a long time. 0:14:22.000 --> 0:14:27.000 Jimmy Smith, Jimmy Smith had so much talent here and 0:14:27.080 --> 0:14:30.360 then Jimmy Smith got injured, got caught up in some things. 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:32.760 Front office is saying no, and end up Jimmy Smith 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:35.640 went up being a wide receiver with the Jacksonville Jaguars 0:14:36.000 --> 0:14:38.520 and had a hell of a career with the Jaguars. 0:14:38.760 --> 0:14:40.920 But all of a sudden, it's like you had to 0:14:41.080 --> 0:14:44.800 you had to deliver the baby, but you didn't get 0:14:44.880 --> 0:14:47.400 to see the baby grow up. You know that That's 0:14:47.440 --> 0:14:49.280 the thing about it there, And you know, if that's 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:51.600 I'm sorry if it's a bad analogy, but that's really 0:14:51.640 --> 0:14:53.720 what it is. The Cowboys did the leg work on 0:14:53.840 --> 0:14:56.920 Jimmy said, The Jets did the leg work on Devin Smith. 0:14:57.680 --> 0:15:01.120 He he just now healthy, no where the Cowboys maybe 0:15:01.160 --> 0:15:02.960 could benefit. It was a it was a hell of 0:15:03.000 --> 0:15:06.400 a second round picked by the Cowboys out of Jackson State, 0:15:06.600 --> 0:15:09.000 by the way, right, And he got here and and 0:15:09.080 --> 0:15:13.080 he broke his leg, missed his rookie year appendicite. Then 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:16.680 the next year, near the end of training camp, he 0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:19.880 ended up with appendicitis. They thought he had something else, 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:22.720 and all of a sudden it wasn't just a pendicitis, 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:25.720 but as appendix ruptured UH and he was in the 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:30.760 hospital for seven weeks trying to drain UH. The basically 0:15:30.920 --> 0:15:36.720 the the infection caused by the pendix rupturing. And so 0:15:36.960 --> 0:15:41.480 he missed that season, as I remember, And then they 0:15:41.640 --> 0:15:44.880 tried to reduce his base salary. And this was at 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:49.440 a point where Jerry wasn't making five billion dollars franchise 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.400 and so from from they were getting close to the 0:15:52.480 --> 0:15:54.600 start of the salary cap and it was like, okay, 0:15:54.720 --> 0:15:57.040 we got to cut somewhere, and it's like we want, 0:15:57.080 --> 0:15:59.760 we're gonna release you, but we're gonna resign you. Well, 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:02.800 old John Wooton, who was working for the Cowboys when 0:16:02.840 --> 0:16:06.800 they drafted Jimmy Smith, was in Philadelphia and he ended 0:16:06.880 --> 0:16:09.240 up in their pro personnel department and he was like, 0:16:09.800 --> 0:16:12.600 you know, if nothing else, this guy can return kickoffs 0:16:12.680 --> 0:16:15.680 for us. And so Philadelphia signed him and then they'd 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:17.760 let him become a free agent and that's when Jackson 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:20.440 got grabbed him. And after that, you know, here it goes. 0:16:20.520 --> 0:16:23.800 So with Devin Smith. You know, it was funny when 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:27.000 I talked to him yesterday. I said, you sort of 0:16:27.160 --> 0:16:30.960 reminded everybody who you are and kind of got your 0:16:31.000 --> 0:16:32.560 hand up in the air. He goes, well, you know 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:34.960 what I had to do that because I haven't played 0:16:35.080 --> 0:16:37.680 in a while, and I you know, my job here 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:40.560 was not only to play well, but to remind him 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:43.320 of what the player I once was. And he said, 0:16:43.360 --> 0:16:46.840 I'm finally feeling I've got confidence in my body and 0:16:47.040 --> 0:16:49.800 in my legs to be able to go and go 0:16:49.920 --> 0:16:51.960 back out and play at that level. And I think 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:54.200 one thing we've seen will McClay do so well with 0:16:54.320 --> 0:16:58.240 this front office pro personnel is fine guys that have 0:16:58.360 --> 0:17:01.560 had been high draft somewhere else and for whatever reason 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:03.080 didn't work out, and then you bring them in and 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:06.040 you see and it's and it's worked out in Camphor 0:17:06.080 --> 0:17:08.000 Devin Smith. We'll see if it continues. Let's take our 0:17:08.040 --> 0:17:11.320 first break and we come back. We'll talk about today's practice. 0:17:11.320 --> 0:17:14.760 We'll recap some things we saw from yesterday's practice. And 0:17:15.200 --> 0:17:19.320 you know, once again our deepest consult condolences to Babeloffenberg 0:17:19.400 --> 0:17:22.920 and his family. Your new apartment's big, such a great deal, 0:17:23.920 --> 0:17:32.120 that's okay, just okay. What's right above the subway, Well, 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:35.399 I bet you don't even notice it after that's my 0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:39.840 neighbor hangs. A deal that's just okay is not okay. 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:43.280 Get a great deal with America's best network. Come into 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:44.800 an AT and T store and learn how to buy 0:17:44.880 --> 0:17:47.720 one smartphone and get second one on us based on 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:51.240 GWS one score September twenty eighteen. 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At Formation, This dynamic workspace provides an 0:18:28.960 --> 0:18:33.280 elevated work experience on the Stars Aspirational campus with exclusive 0:18:33.320 --> 0:18:37.640 membership options available to meet varying needs. Choose from open workspaces, 0:18:37.800 --> 0:18:41.320 dedicated desks, and private offices to leverage our home field 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:45.639 advantage for your individual business success. Limited memberships are available now, 0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:48.840 so apply today at Formation at the Star dot Com. 0:18:49.200 --> 0:18:52.720 A man's steps and doesn't just protect him from life's elements. 0:18:52.840 --> 0:18:56.600 It projects an unstoppable and legendary spirit, just like the 0:18:56.680 --> 0:18:59.359 men wearing silver and navy on the field every Sunday 0:18:59.640 --> 0:19:03.000 since eighteen sixty five. Steps and hats are American made 0:19:03.040 --> 0:19:05.760 with pride right here in Texas. They are still the 0:19:05.840 --> 0:19:09.760 official crown of all self prospecting Cowboys, and Stetson is 0:19:09.840 --> 0:19:12.800 proud to be on the field with America's team. Find 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.920 steps and hats in the pro shop or at Stetson 0:19:16.040 --> 0:19:23.040 dot Com. Today, back to talk in Cowboys. Welcome back 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:26.120 to the Ford Center Ford Center at the Star in Frisco. 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:30.560 Cowboys with another open training camp practice here at the Star. 0:19:31.520 --> 0:19:34.440 Things just getting going down here on the practice field, 0:19:34.560 --> 0:19:38.000 and I've got my buddy's Mickey Spagnola. Brian brought us here. 0:19:39.119 --> 0:19:41.280 Bill Jones might be joining us here a little bit. 0:19:42.720 --> 0:19:45.840 He's gotten some TV stuff to take care of there 0:19:45.920 --> 0:19:50.320 he is at a boy Bill. Okay, Brian, you've got 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:52.439 a scout's eye coming up here shortly, might be up 0:19:52.440 --> 0:19:55.600 already on I haven't checked yesterday. What stood out to 0:19:55.600 --> 0:19:58.000 you from yesterday's practice? A lot of two minute work? 0:19:58.800 --> 0:20:01.000 What do you like about that? What I didn't like about? 0:20:01.080 --> 0:20:03.000 What a nice drive to get the ball down there 0:20:03.040 --> 0:20:05.200 to the six yard line, and all of a sudden 0:20:05.200 --> 0:20:07.359 they're gonna try and fit it into Jason Witnight. It 0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:09.560 gives a good plack. Yeah, dak Is gonna try and 0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:12.360 fit it in there Joe Thomas. Yeah, we've seen Joe 0:20:12.440 --> 0:20:15.480 Thomas make plays. How about these linebackers, Mickey, these guys 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:18.360 it's interceptions that get their hands on the ball. That's 0:20:18.359 --> 0:20:21.000 a that's a good sign for this linebacker group. But 0:20:21.440 --> 0:20:24.000 Dak Prescott once again kind of smartly moving the team 0:20:24.040 --> 0:20:26.080 down the field all of a sudden, he's gonna try 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:28.280 and fit into Witting on that end cut there and 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:30.680 witness having to fight Joe Thomas, and I thought that 0:20:30.800 --> 0:20:32.640 was really cool in itself. Joe did a nice shot, 0:20:32.960 --> 0:20:36.800 but man, he had he had Randalled Cobb running underneath, 0:20:36.880 --> 0:20:38.879 and he just he let it fly. He made the 0:20:38.960 --> 0:20:40.880 decision to go to Witton before he saw a Cobb 0:20:40.960 --> 0:20:43.160 on the break. You know, somebody gooks back on the film, 0:20:43.200 --> 0:20:45.600 he's gonna go. Ah, Man, I had a sure six 0:20:45.760 --> 0:20:47.560 right there. But I like what I'd like what I've 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:50.399 seen with Dak Prescott moving this team, whether it's been 0:20:50.520 --> 0:20:53.000 drives to start these preseason games or what we saw 0:20:53.040 --> 0:20:55.520 on that too many and Mick it was the situation 0:20:55.720 --> 0:20:59.240 was a minute two left offense down by three at 0:20:59.240 --> 0:21:03.120 a Fario golden pocket. Yeah maybe so my question maybe, Yeah, 0:21:04.119 --> 0:21:06.200 does Dak make that throw at the game in a 0:21:06.280 --> 0:21:10.560 game situation, you would hope not. Uh, because it's second 0:21:10.600 --> 0:21:12.920 in five. What'd you tell him after practice? It was 0:21:13.000 --> 0:21:15.440 second and five at the seven yea and he had 0:21:15.520 --> 0:21:18.159 ten seconds, so one more play and then you can 0:21:18.240 --> 0:21:20.320 kicked the field goal. Bye it because it should be 0:21:20.400 --> 0:21:23.040 in your back pocket. So we were chatting with him. 0:21:23.119 --> 0:21:25.440 He didn't do his interview, but he was chatting about 0:21:25.440 --> 0:21:27.520 a whole bunch of stuff at his locker with all 0:21:27.600 --> 0:21:30.959 of us, and Uh, I don't know how it came up, 0:21:31.000 --> 0:21:32.920 but he said, yeah, I probably should have thrown that 0:21:33.040 --> 0:21:35.639 and hit the crossbar, and I looked at him. I said, no, 0:21:35.760 --> 0:21:38.440 you should have thrown it into the second row seats. Yeah, 0:21:38.520 --> 0:21:41.040 And then I said, oh, I hope I know him 0:21:41.080 --> 0:21:43.879 well enough to joke. Yeah, if you earned the right, 0:21:44.000 --> 0:21:46.320 then I earned the right to joke with that Prescott. 0:21:46.359 --> 0:21:47.840 You've been on you've you've been around him enough to 0:21:48.080 --> 0:21:49.600 And I think I got away with it because he 0:21:49.680 --> 0:21:52.440