WEBVTT - Talkin' Cowboys: Resetting Zeke Watch? 0:00:04.480 --> 0:00:07.000 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:17.560 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This this He's Talking 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:29.320 Cowboys training live from Dallas Cowboys training camp in Hawksnard, California. 0:00:30.640 --> 0:00:35.760 Here are Mickey Spagnola, Brian Brons, Rob Phillips, and Bill 0:00:35.920 --> 0:00:42.240 Jones and welcome into Talking Cowboys on a Tuesday from Oxnard, California. 0:00:42.320 --> 0:00:46.440 Rob Phillips joined as always by Mickey Spagnola. Brian brought 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:50.200 us a few yards down the way at our camp 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:56.880 out ten Caden Gates. William Boykin's producing well practice practice 0:00:57.040 --> 0:01:00.000 once again after an off day, we'll see the cowboy. 0:01:00.040 --> 0:01:01.720 He's back on the field right out here at five 0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:07.280 thirty Central ish and pushing towards that first Cowboys preseason 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:11.080 game at San Francisco on Saturday night. A lot to 0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:15.319 talk about as always, on the field, off the field, 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:23.160 um as it is August sixth, Malibu. Yeah, August six 0:01:23.280 --> 0:01:25.760 you cleared that up for us yesterday doesn't really mean 0:01:25.840 --> 0:01:32.200 much on the Zeke front, zek watch from Mickey did 0:01:32.200 --> 0:01:34.280 a great job of getting to and again he just 0:01:34.319 --> 0:01:36.920 mentioned he asked a question. The veteran newspaperman asked a 0:01:37.040 --> 0:01:39.840 question to get a good answer, and that's information. I 0:01:39.840 --> 0:01:43.560 mean that it's clearly that Zeke is uh. Zeke's dug 0:01:43.600 --> 0:01:46.080 in here. You know, that's the reports this morning, right 0:01:46.080 --> 0:01:49.320 if he's dug in And you know what if you know, 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:51.640 and it's not my job or mickey job or your 0:01:51.720 --> 0:01:54.040 job to negotiate or do anything, but you know what, 0:01:54.120 --> 0:01:56.880 he I could see his points. I could see that. 0:01:56.880 --> 0:01:59.720 I could also see, you know, and I hate riding 0:01:59.720 --> 0:02:01.400 the f I really really do, but I could I 0:02:01.400 --> 0:02:04.080 could see the front office's point about how they've got 0:02:04.120 --> 0:02:06.920 so many guys and contracts and what they have to do. 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:10.440 But I see his point too. He's very important to 0:02:10.480 --> 0:02:13.600 what they do offensively with this organization. And you know, 0:02:14.240 --> 0:02:17.359 you can't change my view on that. That's just that's 0:02:17.400 --> 0:02:20.560 just the former personnel guy and me job was always 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:23.400 to find players, find elite players, use these elite players, 0:02:23.440 --> 0:02:25.560 help the coaches the best you can. You know, wouldn't 0:02:25.600 --> 0:02:27.680 my job to sign him, It's my job to find him, 0:02:27.840 --> 0:02:29.880 And they found one of the best ones to ever 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:31.800 play this game, in my opinion. You know, if you 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:33.640 look at how he is and what he does and 0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:37.000 what he means. But you know, the front office has 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:39.200 to that's to total line as well, So you know, 0:02:39.280 --> 0:02:41.679 good for them on that. We might as well start there, Mack, Yeah, 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:44.280 because I've always it was gonna echo what he said. 0:02:44.720 --> 0:02:48.000 We're not sitting the on the fence. It's like I 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:52.720 learned long time ago. Don't get involved in other people's money. Absolutely, 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:55.160 and it's both sides, right, there's no question about that. 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:57.440 And you can't sit in there go okay, this side's right. 0:02:57.440 --> 0:03:01.399 Oh no, this side's right right, right, that's their money, right. Uh. 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:05.160 You can just kind of report the news and um, 0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:08.800 you know at some point they'll reconcile it. Um. I 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:12.680 still think it'll get done. Uh, I don't know why. 0:03:13.240 --> 0:03:16.000 Uh the agent wants a draw line in the sand 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:18.600 like that. Well, and then you're speaking to a report 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:21.639 this morning from ESPN. I believe it's Josina Anderson. Eric 0:03:21.639 --> 0:03:24.840 Dickerson involved in the reporting too. His agent is Derek 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.919 Dickerson's former agent is Rocky Arseno, who is the same 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:32.520 agent as as Zeke, same agent that Uh, Zeke will 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:34.839 not play this season without a new contract. Right, So 0:03:34.920 --> 0:03:38.840 that's that's coming from source reports. Um, you know, I 0:03:38.840 --> 0:03:41.680 imagine coming from Zeke's camp. Yeah, that's absolutely that's coming. 0:03:42.200 --> 0:03:44.560 That's the word so. And that's funny they're saying they've 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:47.040 known this since January, because I don't think no, I 0:03:47.040 --> 0:03:50.400 don't think so. And Zeke didn't know its right because 0:03:50.440 --> 0:03:52.200 if he knew that, then he would have been holding 0:03:52.240 --> 0:03:54.800 out the OTA's the mid camp. He wouldn't have been 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:58.920 doing the offseason workouts. You know, I feel this whole thing. 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:01.400 I feel bad for. This is going to sound really 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:04.760 strange because I'm usually the guy that's get rid of everybody. Guy. 0:04:05.080 --> 0:04:07.480 I feel bad for Jason Garrett here, I feel bad 0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:10.200 for Kellen Moore. I feel bad for those guys. Now nicky, 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:13.120 like Mickey says, maybe something will come together. But I 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:17.520 feel bad right now of guys. You know, you know, hey, 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:20.440 I'm the guy that's always yelling about, oh do this, 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:23.280 change this, change this. But in this case, right now, 0:04:23.839 --> 0:04:27.200 I understand from a personnel's man standpoint about how to 0:04:27.279 --> 0:04:29.840 help the coach. And David Helmet gets on me all 0:04:29.880 --> 0:04:33.680 the time about apologizing to Dave Campo, you know, back 0:04:33.720 --> 0:04:36.359 when I was here working in Scotty, apologizing him for 0:04:36.440 --> 0:04:38.600 not doing a good enough job for him. Every time 0:04:38.640 --> 0:04:41.599 you see him not finding enough players for him you know, 0:04:41.920 --> 0:04:44.640 and and yeah, do I have my differences with Jason Garrett. 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:46.440 I think he's been more than fair with me, though, 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:49.360 I really do so I'll have some compassionate right now 0:04:49.520 --> 0:04:53.680 for these coaches because this is an elite football player, 0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:56.160 you know, and Mickey's he was there in the OTAs 0:04:56.240 --> 0:04:58.920 they were planning for him. Kellen Moore had some ideas. 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:01.599 There's still planning and on him playing. They're still running 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:03.840 their offense the best they can. But if this thing 0:05:03.920 --> 0:05:05.960 does turn into a holdout and all of a sudden, 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:09.160 though you don't have that elite weapon to use to 0:05:09.279 --> 0:05:11.919 your at your disposal to help you maybe move the 0:05:11.960 --> 0:05:14.960 ball to help you finish a game, then then you know, 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:18.159 I understand next man up. But it means I don't 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:20.880 have to light next man up. I mean, I just 0:05:21.120 --> 0:05:23.040 I want to make sure that I have the best 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:27.200 players on the field. You would, yeah, man, I would, Yeah, 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:28.800 I would. I would like to have planned for that. 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:32.240 And you know, and they drafted Ezekiel Elliott for a 0:05:32.279 --> 0:05:35.080 reason because of what he is. I applaud them at 0:05:35.080 --> 0:05:37.200 the time. I mean, I aplaud him for what he's 0:05:37.240 --> 0:05:40.120 the one consistent thing that I know about this team 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:43.160 when he gets between those lines, he is going to 0:05:43.200 --> 0:05:47.000 give me everything he's got, you know. And as a coach, 0:05:47.320 --> 0:05:50.080 as a front office guy, I want that. That's what 0:05:50.160 --> 0:05:53.280 I want. So unfortunately, though, they're having to live without that, 0:05:53.320 --> 0:05:56.479 and they're having to answer questions and Stephen Jones and 0:05:56.800 --> 0:05:59.279 the front office is having to say this, and people 0:05:59.279 --> 0:06:01.599 are having to come back with this, and Zeke's camps 0:06:01.640 --> 0:06:05.240 having to say that. You know, it's just it's it's 0:06:05.279 --> 0:06:08.080 it's numbing. It really really is numbing when you think 0:06:08.120 --> 0:06:11.760 about though, what they're trying to accomplish in this team. 0:06:11.760 --> 0:06:15.000 We've we've talked about how well this team has been built. 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.360 You know, this team has one of the best rosters 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:20.680 in the National Football League. And to take a huge 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:24.719 piece away from it right now I think is a 0:06:24.960 --> 0:06:28.800 is a terrible thing left today, Zick. August six, which 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:32.080 again we have a month is not an issue because 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:35.839 the fifth year option that the Cowboys picked up. No, 0:06:35.960 --> 0:06:38.080 but I'm just saying no, I'm just the first real 0:06:38.240 --> 0:06:41.159 game is not till a month away. I'm sure that's 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:45.400 why I asked. I'm just resetting for folks that circled 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:47.560 that date thinking, oh, well, maybe he's gonna show up 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:50.479 because he needs that. Accrude season, it's not it's not 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:53.279 a factor. He's not here. The holdout continues as far 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:54.880 as can I ask him, then Mickey can ask you 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:57.240 a question. And I mean this in all respect, Am 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:00.599 I wrong with my attitude about what I'm thinking about 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:03.320 Zeke and Garrett and those guys. No, no, no, you're 0:07:03.400 --> 0:07:05.960 you're You're absolutely right. I hope that he plays. I 0:07:05.960 --> 0:07:08.000 hope he plays. I mean I want to see Zeke play. 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:10.400 Just from this standpoint of I think it gives this 0:07:10.520 --> 0:07:14.080 team the best chance to have the utmost success, to 0:07:14.160 --> 0:07:17.480 not only help the coaching staff, but but to also 0:07:17.640 --> 0:07:19.720 get to this team and help Jerry Jones in the 0:07:19.760 --> 0:07:22.720 front office. And that it sounds like they're the other 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:27.240 side is Zeke side is reacting to them signing Alfred 0:07:27.280 --> 0:07:31.160 Morris as if okay, we'll show you yeah, and it's 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:33.520 it still sounded like this was something they were going 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:37.080 to do anyway, right, because they wanted him as the backup. Yeah, 0:07:37.080 --> 0:07:39.160 I didn't. And all the stuff they say about Tony 0:07:39.200 --> 0:07:42.160 Pollard is fine, but you're not gonna hand Tony Pollard 0:07:42.200 --> 0:07:45.960 the ball twenty five times, no question, right, But not 0:07:46.040 --> 0:07:48.720 twenty five. I don't think you viewed Alfred Morris signing. 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:51.000 I didn't as some kind of message to Zeke. I 0:07:51.000 --> 0:07:54.720 think it's a situation where, okay, for the foreseeable future, 0:07:54.760 --> 0:07:57.480 he's not here. The Saints had some interest in him, 0:07:57.480 --> 0:07:59.920 we might as well go ahead and sign a guy 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:02.040 that we have some familiarity with who we think can 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:04.840 still play. They protected themselves, sure, and you know this 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:09.360 part is why why don't they just be transparent? It's like, okay, 0:08:09.400 --> 0:08:12.840 a source told me that you know it's the agent, right, yeah, 0:08:12.840 --> 0:08:16.000 it's the absolutely That's why I said, most likely, yeah, yeah, 0:08:16.160 --> 0:08:18.679 you're at you're absolute, right, yeah, And it's Steven's really 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:20.920 the only one that has been on the record talking 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:24.000 Jerry talking about this. I hasn't heard from Zeke, right, no, 0:08:24.240 --> 0:08:27.960 asolutely You've never said you never saw a quote unquote 0:08:28.120 --> 0:08:32.160 Rocky Arseno, right, yeah, never. And so you know, if 0:08:32.160 --> 0:08:34.480 you want to play this game, okay, fine, but it's 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:38.040 a month away. And I hope Zeke understands that what 0:08:38.280 --> 0:08:42.360 two hundred and twenty four thousand dollars a week means, 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:46.240 because that's what he would forfeit if he did not play. 0:08:46.480 --> 0:08:48.680 And you never make that up. They don't sign a 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.840 contract and say, oh wait a minute, miss five games, 0:08:51.880 --> 0:08:54.280 here's another million dollars for you that and I don't 0:08:54.320 --> 0:08:56.880 work that way, right, It never works that way. You 0:08:57.000 --> 0:09:00.480 never make up money you lost. And then they can 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:02.719 sit there and go, okay, well you want to play 0:09:02.800 --> 0:09:06.079 that game, then we're gonna enforce the fine forty thousand 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:08.400 dollars a day. How many days has it been ten? Well, 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:12.800 he's willing to lose the battle, you know, because he's 0:09:12.840 --> 0:09:16.120 looking at it and saying, I'm twenty four years old. 0:09:16.200 --> 0:09:18.480 If I play this thing out, then I'm twenty six, 0:09:18.600 --> 0:09:21.520 twenty seven, and then what's my market? What's my market? 0:09:21.520 --> 0:09:23.440 All of a sudden. That's that's where it's coming from. 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:25.640 It's pure it's purely business, not if you sign a 0:09:25.679 --> 0:09:30.319 five year deal. Well yeah, but he's trying to accelerate 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:33.160 the talks. He's trying to, like Brian's been saying it, 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:34.920 he wants a seat at the table. He wants to 0:09:34.960 --> 0:09:37.719 seat with Dak and Amari Cooper to try to get 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:41.280 something done. And they don't sign. Don't sign a four 0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:46.520 year deal when you're a rookie. You signed a contract. 0:09:46.920 --> 0:09:48.600 He did sign a contract, and that's and that's the 0:09:48.600 --> 0:09:50.560 point Jerry has made the first day of training camp 0:09:50.600 --> 0:09:53.280 that we're here, is that you know, we have ninety 0:09:53.360 --> 0:09:57.280 guys under contract, and if you're you're under contract, you're 0:09:57.280 --> 0:10:00.160 expected to be here. And he's late and he's you know, 0:10:00.160 --> 0:10:02.280 he's twelve days later at that point, twelve okay, but 0:10:02.400 --> 0:10:06.000 he has he has, he has an understanding. He knows 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:09.000 how important he is this. Yeah, I know that. No, No, 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:12.040 that's the leverage, right if if this was just if 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:14.760 this was something that you could get by without. Again, 0:10:14.840 --> 0:10:18.480 I'm I'm a guy that likes Dak Prescott, but I 0:10:18.880 --> 0:10:22.440 have my I have my concerns about Dak Prescott carrying 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:24.760 this team by himself. And he's not totally carrying a 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:27.240 team because he's got the offensive line and he's got 0:10:27.240 --> 0:10:30.600 Amory Cooper and you know Randall Cop. But I worry 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:33.920 about taking a big piece out of that. As much 0:10:33.920 --> 0:10:37.920 as I respect Dak the leadership, all the things I'm from, 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.480 like Mickey, I'm from you know, I'm from that Missouri. 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:43.440 You gotta show me, show me that you can you 0:10:43.480 --> 0:10:45.480 can if he goes out there and Dak Prescott and 0:10:45.480 --> 0:10:47.080 they play without him, say for a couple of games 0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:48.400 or three games, and they find a way to be 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:51.240 two and oh three and O four no whatever. Then 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:55.400 then then Ezekiel Elliott was not as big as need 0:10:55.440 --> 0:10:58.440 as I thought he would be. And Dak Prescott deserves 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:01.440 everything that he gets. But I think there's a side 0:11:01.480 --> 0:11:03.400 of them too that would be okay with letting Dak 0:11:03.480 --> 0:11:06.719 Prescott play for the franchise tag, you know, I really do. 0:11:07.200 --> 0:11:09.160 I mean, there's there's so much up in the air 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.520 about this team. When you look at the coaching staff, 0:11:11.800 --> 0:11:14.720 when you look at the contracts, this this thing could 0:11:14.760 --> 0:11:18.160 go violently in another direction. It's an all in season. 0:11:18.240 --> 0:11:20.880 It is an all in season. And I think Ezekie 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:22.760 Elliott knows that, and I think that's why he's holding 0:11:22.800 --> 0:11:26.559 out on you right now. Well, we'll see what happens. 0:11:26.720 --> 0:11:30.880 Obviously he's not here. Yeah, they're going to continue to practice. 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:33.200 And what's funny is like when we're on the set 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:35.200 of The Blue White Scrimmage a couple days ago and 0:11:35.240 --> 0:11:38.320 we're talking about how the offense is struggled here and there, 0:11:38.520 --> 0:11:40.360 you know, they'll win us. They'll win a drill. The 0:11:40.400 --> 0:11:43.360 defense will win a drill. Right and Bill pointed out, well, 0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:45.440 you know, Amari Cooper's missing from this offense, and I 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:47.319 think one of us was like, by the way, number 0:11:47.360 --> 0:11:49.320 twenty one hasn't been out here for twelve days. I 0:11:49.320 --> 0:11:51.720 mean it's to your point. Yeah, he's such a huge 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:55.480 part of this thing, and even even in these practice situations, 0:11:55.480 --> 0:11:58.120 just the threat of him on the field is a 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:01.440 game changer for this offense. Knows that. The Cowboys know that. 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:04.600 I mean Steven Jones has come out and said, look, 0:12:04.600 --> 0:12:07.080 he is the straw that stirs the drink. I mean, 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:09.680 they're not afraid to say that. Um, it's just a 0:12:09.679 --> 0:12:11.400 matter of figuring out a way to get this deal 0:12:11.480 --> 0:12:15.480 done and fitting everything under one roof. As Jerry said, 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:19.080 we got to be able to compete with all the 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.120 contracts we need to get done. We need to feel 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:23.560 a full roster that can go win a championship, not 0:12:24.000 --> 0:12:28.040 a top heavy roster with three big contracts. And then what, 0:12:28.320 --> 0:12:30.360 you know, can we keep all these guys around? These 0:12:30.400 --> 0:12:32.880 guys that's the question, and that's what they've got to 0:12:32.880 --> 0:12:35.920 figure out. And it's I still think it's a it's 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:38.080 a business, it's not a personal thing. At this point. 0:12:38.200 --> 0:12:40.079 I think it's just about business and trying to figure 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:42.720 it out. The Cowboys have their their line of thinking. 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.560 Zeke has his. I would, I would, I would hesitate 0:12:45.679 --> 0:12:50.400 to keep poking the tiger because Steven Jones can get 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:53.600 very stubborn. There's no question about that that. This is why, 0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:57.160 this is why I would Mickey's words should not ring hollow, 0:12:57.520 --> 0:13:00.760 because Steven Jones will dig in just as hard as 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:04.000 Ezeko Elliott will. And you know, maybe we've talked about 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:06.640 this with Jerry. Maybe Jerry would be a little bit 0:13:06.679 --> 0:13:09.840 more Okay, let's do this, Let's do this. And but Stephen, 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:12.920 he clearly has his hand on the wheel. You know, 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:14.960 he has the you know, if you look at the way, 0:13:15.160 --> 0:13:17.720 I think a lot of stuff that him and Jerry 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:20.440 and Steven I mean and Will have all did a 0:13:20.480 --> 0:13:23.280 great job of building a really a quality football team. 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:26.679 You know. But Stephen Jones is you know, like I 0:13:26.720 --> 0:13:28.920 said yesterday, Stephen Jones will look at these agents in 0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:30.520 the eye and say, you're gonna have to deal with me. 0:13:31.000 --> 0:13:32.840 You know you're gonna deal with me, So just get 0:13:32.880 --> 0:13:34.240 ready for that. You're gonna do with me for a 0:13:34.280 --> 0:13:37.360 long time. So those are all things that those words 0:13:37.400 --> 0:13:41.640 need to be addressed as well. Sitting for two years 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:44.720 could be costly, It could be. Are you concerned that 0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:47.360 it could turn into a type situation just saying that 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:51.280 it's costly. It's leaven elm Bell only had to sit 0:13:51.360 --> 0:13:54.199 one year. Yeah, he could sit two years. Yeah, because 0:13:54.400 --> 0:13:58.480 they picked up a guaranteed contract. And if he doesn't 0:13:58.480 --> 0:14:01.079 show up, there's no guarantee. We'll see if somebody trades 0:14:01.120 --> 0:14:02.880 for that contract in that might But you're you're to 0:14:02.960 --> 0:14:05.440 your point, You're right, it's it's it's money you don't 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:08.560 get back. But I think that to me with it's 0:14:08.640 --> 0:14:11.160 it's worth it to him and talking to some folks 0:14:11.200 --> 0:14:13.720 around the league and talking to people that know the situation. 0:14:14.640 --> 0:14:17.920 You know, I was under the assumption that Zeke could 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.240 not match the pot, you know, like I was using 0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.600 the poker analogy and I was told, no, that's not true. 0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:25.760 Zeke could match the pot. Now, is it going to 0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:27.840 be a costly pot? Yeah, it will be because what's 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:29.720 he do this year? About three and a half million 0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:32.880 dollar absolutely? Three point eight three point eight yeah, yeah, 0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:35.880 so that's a lot of money. Yeah, and nine for anybody, 0:14:35.880 --> 0:14:37.880 and nine he's a he's a little bit different when 0:14:37.920 --> 0:14:40.080 it comes to the financial aspect, because I again I 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:41.920 asked people about that. I said, do you feel like 0:14:41.960 --> 0:14:44.520 that Zeke Elliott could is he is? He broke that 0:14:44.640 --> 0:14:48.880 he has to end this. Two three different guys go, no, 0:14:49.360 --> 0:14:51.680 he could withstand it's not going to be easy, but 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:55.840 he can. He can hang in there. He could. I 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:59.840 just I don't three point eight millions, three point eight million, 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:02.160 don't care how much money you have. Sure it is 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:05.000 three point eight million. It's no one ever wins the 0:15:05.080 --> 0:15:07.720 ladder in says, you know what, I got a million. 0:15:07.760 --> 0:15:09.360 I don't need that. But if you look at what 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:12.160 he's made in signing, bonus and salaries since he's been 0:15:12.200 --> 0:15:14.360 in the league, I believe it's over thirty million dollars 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:17.760 If I'm right about that, well, so sixteen million. I 0:15:17.760 --> 0:15:20.600 think it was a sixteen million dollars signing. Ye. So 0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:22.920 if that's you know that, that gives us whatever right 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:25.160 you're But I don't disagree with you mickey about this. 0:15:25.440 --> 0:15:27.520 It's it's money. It's three You don't want to you 0:15:27.560 --> 0:15:30.440 don't want to lose that. But to me, to him, 0:15:30.520 --> 0:15:32.240 it's he's better to lose three and a half million 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:35.280 than fourteen million. That Levan Bell lost. You know that's 0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:37.920 that's got to be his rationale that I you know, yeah, 0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:39.520 I can. I could withstand a three and a half 0:15:39.560 --> 0:15:42.040 million dollars hit, which Mickey, none of us really want 0:15:42.040 --> 0:15:44.000 to do. That. I'm with you on that, but to 0:15:44.120 --> 0:15:47.440 him on principle, might be very well worth that that 0:15:47.600 --> 0:15:49.560 that you know what I'm gonna I'm gonna make you 0:15:49.560 --> 0:15:52.520 play games without me. Potentially, I'm gonna make you play 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:55.360 games without me. And if you and if you have success, 0:15:55.680 --> 0:15:58.800 I lost the bet. If you don't have success and 0:15:58.960 --> 0:16:02.200 everything goes south because I'm not part of the equation, 0:16:02.880 --> 0:16:05.880 then you will realize the mistake that you made. It's 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:08.000 a gamble on both sides. A gamble on his side, 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:09.960 a gamble on the front office, yes, and it's a 0:16:10.000 --> 0:16:12.280 gamble within the locker room too. Right in terms of 0:16:12.360 --> 0:16:14.920 he's got he has close friends on this team. He's 0:16:14.920 --> 0:16:17.080 got a team that, like I've said earlier, is all 0:16:17.120 --> 0:16:18.720 in to try to win a Super Bowl this year. 0:16:18.840 --> 0:16:21.480 This this roster, I know it's young. I know it's young, 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:24.560 but it could look a lot different top to bottom 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:26.480 next year with the number of free agents they have 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:28.480 coming up next When you when you you get in 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:32.680 a situation where when you get a situation where now 0:16:32.720 --> 0:16:35.240 everybody's cool with what's going on with Zeke because Mick, 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:37.480 like Mickey said to open the show, you don't want 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:40.360 to get in another man's money. It's cool now, and 0:16:40.400 --> 0:16:42.160 that's fair. But they get in to start and they 0:16:42.160 --> 0:16:44.160 start playing the season without him, and they lose games. 0:16:44.320 --> 0:16:46.840 Then it becomes a little personal. Then it becomes it. 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:51.000 Then it becomes like, Okay, you turned your back on us, 0:16:51.320 --> 0:16:54.360 you know, whereas those those people could, you know you 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:56.880 could another player could turn the back on Zeke if 0:16:56.920 --> 0:16:59.320 he was here in camp. It's that's the way it works. 0:16:59.400 --> 0:17:02.200 I think everything is fine until Mickey gave you a deadline. 0:17:02.360 --> 0:17:04.800 Four weeks. He gave you a four week deadline. If 0:17:04.800 --> 0:17:06.720 it gets into those pass those four weeks and we're 0:17:06.760 --> 0:17:09.159 not seeing him play, then you're gonna see guys, not 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:11.680 I don't know publicly, but you will see body language 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:15.000 that's not good. You'll see body language and you'll start 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:17.320 to hear some whispers that's not good. Well, you saw 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:20.920 that twenty five years ago when you covered the Dynasty. Yeah, 0:17:20.960 --> 0:17:23.360 and and Charles Haley was throwing a trash can through 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:26.400 the wall, right, but but get him and signed all things. 0:17:26.680 --> 0:17:31.159 Zeke didn't have a contract. Yeah, so Emma didn't have 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:34.280 a contract. It was a different situation, was different, and 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:36.920 and and then they had to find an excuse for 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:40.240 for getting off to a slow start, right, uh. And 0:17:40.320 --> 0:17:43.600 the excuse was Emmett wasn't there, you know, gonna blame 0:17:43.640 --> 0:17:47.560 poor Derek Lassik, you know, yeah, please, yeah, you know 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:50.680 what was the one game they lost that It was 0:17:50.720 --> 0:17:53.600 at the Buffalo game. It was thirteen to ten or something. 0:17:53.920 --> 0:17:55.920 It was a strange game. It was a very weird 0:17:55.960 --> 0:18:00.760 score score like that, you know, losing to Washington. Was 0:18:00.880 --> 0:18:04.399 it was Washington the opener. I think, okay, fine, you 0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:09.000 know that crazy series that things have always happened. But yeah, 0:18:09.119 --> 0:18:11.679 and Charles, you know, with the helmet and all that stuff, 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:16.320 and you know, okay, fine, but uh yeah, and here's 0:18:16.359 --> 0:18:19.080 the other thing that I think they have to think about. 0:18:19.160 --> 0:18:23.520 And we'll get the results this year. Levion Bell sat 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:26.760 out right, right? So is he still Levon Bell this 0:18:26.840 --> 0:18:29.080 year after missing an entire seat. We don't know the 0:18:29.119 --> 0:18:30.960 answer to that. Playing with a team that might not 0:18:31.160 --> 0:18:36.480 lead to him to be Yeah, good taking your quarterback. Yeah, 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:38.600 we'll see because what happens. They come to doubt what 0:18:38.600 --> 0:18:42.080 happens when you know, I understand guys missing a year 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:44.640 and coming back from injury, that's different, right, But when 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:47.240 you miss a year playing, you never get that year 0:18:47.280 --> 0:18:52.600 back and do you change? Do you forget how much 0:18:52.800 --> 0:18:56.560 punishment you have to take? Always always worried about that 0:18:56.600 --> 0:18:59.280 with coaches when they've set out like four years and 0:18:59.320 --> 0:19:01.240 they say, oh, I want to coach again. You're gonna 0:19:01.240 --> 0:19:04.240 come back and work as hard right, well, and we'll 0:19:04.240 --> 0:19:07.160 see you know, will you do all the grinding you 0:19:07.200 --> 0:19:09.880 did to be successful to get to that point where 0:19:09.880 --> 0:19:12.400 you can walk away and then you say, oh, no, 0:19:12.480 --> 0:19:14.879 I miss it. I worry about those guys. Can they 0:19:14.880 --> 0:19:17.720 come ask you a questioning on a fallow up on that? Yeah? 0:19:17.720 --> 0:19:20.720 With it's a different line of thought. Do you worry 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:24.160 about Travis Frederick that way missing the game for a year. 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:26.840 I think a little bit. I think it's gonna take 0:19:26.960 --> 0:19:29.040 him a while to get back in the saddle. But 0:19:29.040 --> 0:19:31.480 but at least it was an injury, yeah, right, or 0:19:31.960 --> 0:19:34.720 you know whatever you want to call it illness and 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:37.680 it took him a while. I don't worry about that. 0:19:38.080 --> 0:19:42.080 I think offensive linemen have different mentalities than the rest 0:19:42.119 --> 0:19:44.800 of us, right because they're used to they know every 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:48.119 play they're gonna get hit, there's no way around it. 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:51.960 But I think, yeah, I think you know and you 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:54.840 you stay away? Now, are you the same person when 0:19:54.880 --> 0:19:58.000 you come back? And we'll find out what with Javian. 0:19:59.040 --> 0:20:01.440 Let's take our first break when we come back behind. 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:03.080 I said, yeah, you know you're good. We'll take some 0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:06.280 questions off a periscope. We're streaming live right now talking 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:09.560 Cowboys there and a couple roster moves made yesterday and 0:20:09.640 --> 0:20:15.200 O Tarrico oh Noor has been helping Cowboys fans seed 0:20:15.200 --> 0:20:17.560 better since nineteen seventy two, said they don't miss a 0:20:17.640 --> 0:20:20.560