WEBVTT - Talkin' Cowboys: A Defensive Breakdown 0:00:04.080 --> 0:00:06.640 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:06.680 --> 0:00:17.600 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This he's Talking Cowboys, 0:00:18.040 --> 0:00:21.360 Screaming live from the Dallas Cowboys World head Hours at 0:00:21.360 --> 0:00:31.000 the Star in Frisco. Hello Scotch and now your hosts, 0:00:31.280 --> 0:00:36.559 Isaiah Stanback, heck My Harrison, Rob Phillips, and Kyle Yeoman's. 0:00:38.840 --> 0:00:42.839 It's a wonderful Tuesday edition of Talking Cowboys on Dallas 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:46.360 Cowboys dot Com and the various streaming platforms. Welcome into 0:00:46.400 --> 0:00:51.279 the sh WBC Mortgage studios from the Star in Frisco. 0:00:51.360 --> 0:00:54.880 It's the normal crew as always. You're on this Christmas week, 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:59.360 this Happy Holidays week. Kyle Yeoman's alongside residence Super Bowl 0:00:59.440 --> 0:01:04.160 Champion Isaiah stand Back, our professional football analyst, mister Heck Maharrison, 0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:07.800 and then the great Cowboys insider Fret fresh off of 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:10.199 his phone call with one oh five three the fan 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:14.040 and straight off the radio, straight into your headphones, your 0:01:14.040 --> 0:01:19.720 Bow's Quiet comfort earbud headphones. Today it's Cowboys Insider Rob Phillips, 0:01:19.720 --> 0:01:21.959 Thank you, thank you. I've tried, I've learned. I've been 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:24.000 here at this company for two years and I feel 0:01:24.000 --> 0:01:26.000 like that's one of the first lessons that you learn 0:01:26.400 --> 0:01:29.360 while in the inside these walls is to product place. 0:01:29.480 --> 0:01:31.959 But Boys, I mean, there's a lot of news for 0:01:31.959 --> 0:01:35.880 the Cowboys over the last about twenty four hours, I 0:01:35.880 --> 0:01:38.720 guess since we last recorded this, and some of it 0:01:38.760 --> 0:01:41.080 has to do with injuries, some of it has to 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:43.240 do with what the owner said on one oh five 0:01:43.319 --> 0:01:45.880 three before Rob Phillips was on there, and we'll talk 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:49.000 about what Jerry Jones said in his interview this morning. 0:01:49.040 --> 0:01:52.480 But we also saw that anything can happen in the 0:01:52.600 --> 0:01:56.440 NFL last night, as on Monday Night football. Did raise 0:01:56.520 --> 0:01:58.480 your hand if any of you guys thought that the 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:01.960 Bengals were going to take down this Steelers? Anybody anybody 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:08.680 and points yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I bench Roethlisberger yesterday. 0:02:08.840 --> 0:02:11.440 I bench Roethlisberger in my fantasy So that tells you 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:13.560 everything you need to know. We picked that game. We 0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:16.079 did not because I didn't think, no, no, none of 0:02:16.120 --> 0:02:18.200 us would have picked the Bengals in that game at all. 0:02:18.240 --> 0:02:20.560 There's no way any four of us would have picked him. 0:02:20.560 --> 0:02:23.600 I guess you could have. That was kind of suggesting 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:26.320 he did. Yeah, there's no way, I said, Ben Roethlisberger 0:02:26.360 --> 0:02:28.720 against Cincinnati. What does that tell you about my confidence 0:02:28.800 --> 0:02:31.239 level in that game. Your confidence level is very low 0:02:31.280 --> 0:02:33.840 already because you are in last place of our pickums. 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:39.440 So I'm with you, buddy, because we're brother, we're happy, 0:02:39.520 --> 0:02:47.040 and we're seeing the base base in the dweller. Whenever 0:02:47.080 --> 0:02:49.400 it comes to the to the pick ums, well, we'll 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:52.600 get to our pickums on Thursday. But uh yeah, anything 0:02:52.639 --> 0:02:55.640 can happen with the U with the NFL any given week, 0:02:55.720 --> 0:02:58.120 and we saw that yesterday with the Bengals taken down 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:01.000 the Pittsburgh Steelers. But I get into a couple of 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:05.680 cowboys notes here, guys. Is yesterday Mike McCarthy talked about 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:08.560 Layton vander Esh who suffered a bit of an ankle injury. 0:03:08.760 --> 0:03:11.519 Was not any kind of break. It was a sprain 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:14.360 is what they originally had marked it at rob But 0:03:14.440 --> 0:03:17.200 what are you hearing about Layton Vanderesh And what did 0:03:17.200 --> 0:03:20.680 Mike McCarthy have to say about that first round linebacker's 0:03:20.760 --> 0:03:27.440 injury again yesterday? Well he I think Layton said after 0:03:27.480 --> 0:03:30.000 the game he told Nickiedman he thought it was high ankle. 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:33.359 Mike McCarthy didn't termine it as such. But if it's 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:36.040 high ankle or not, if there's some ligament damage, there 0:03:36.000 --> 0:03:40.160 are some things that are really bothering him. Then it's 0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:42.480 gonna be tough to come back this week, and Mike 0:03:42.560 --> 0:03:44.200 McCarthy said it could be a couple of weeks. Well, 0:03:44.200 --> 0:03:47.600 there's two weeks left in the regular season, so we'll 0:03:47.640 --> 0:03:50.160 see what happens. They'll take a closer look at him 0:03:50.160 --> 0:03:53.040 throughout the week, and you know, maybe treatment can help it. 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:56.200 Maybe you know he's gonna try or want to try 0:03:56.240 --> 0:03:59.240 to give it a go. But Mike McCarthy didn't sound 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:01.440 too confident that that Layton would be ready to go 0:04:01.440 --> 0:04:03.640 in fact of all the injuries they had, and they 0:04:03.640 --> 0:04:05.480 had a few injuries in the game, Michael Gallup with 0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:09.040 a hips train, Antoine Woods with a sprain ankle um. 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:13.040 You know, Layton's got the longest shot probably to play 0:04:13.080 --> 0:04:16.040 in this game Sunday. How big of a loss would 0:04:16.040 --> 0:04:19.200 that be for this defense? Isaiah whenever it comes to 0:04:19.520 --> 0:04:22.600 Layton Vanderesh, because we've we've been critical of the linebackers, 0:04:22.600 --> 0:04:25.000 and that's no joke, I mean, or I guess that's 0:04:25.040 --> 0:04:27.800 no secret. Rather this season, I mean, we've been all 0:04:27.800 --> 0:04:30.159 over the linebackers whenever it comes to their play Jalen 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:33.160 Smith some weeks, other weeks it's Laton Vanderesh. But what 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:36.240 kind of impact does not having fifty five back out 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:38.120 there again, because we saw that earlier in the year 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:42.839 and it was kind of a mass. Be honest with you, 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:45.920 if there's ever a game where we didn't necessarily need 0:04:46.000 --> 0:04:48.240 him as much, I think it would be this game. 0:04:48.560 --> 0:04:50.480 I think he's I don't think he's as mobile as 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:52.719 like a Joe Thomas, so I think, you know, bringing 0:04:52.800 --> 0:04:54.400 him in and Jalen, I think we're gonna need some 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:56.000 guys to be able to run around at the second 0:04:56.080 --> 0:04:59.320 level to handle this onslaught. They were about to face 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:02.799 all this all this moving, all this motioning, all these 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:05.440 you know sprint outs and bootlegs. I think we're gonna 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:06.880 need some guys that can run around. And I think 0:05:07.000 --> 0:05:09.920 Lv's is a little a little stiff, so um, let them, 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:12.200 let them, let them get healthy, and you know, I 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:16.280 think we'll be all right. I couldn't. I'm on the 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:19.480 whole other side of that. I think this is a 0:05:19.920 --> 0:05:21.960 this would be a week that we would need him 0:05:22.080 --> 0:05:25.880 ums and I think it Obviously he hadn't had the 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:29.200 best year from a production standpoint, but He has been 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:32.160 a lot of the brains on the defense, and that's 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:33.680 not saying a lot, I guess when you're in the 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:36.200 last place as a defense. But at the same time, 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:39.760 we have to please take into account that this is 0:05:39.800 --> 0:05:42.920 going to be an NFC East rivalry game and it 0:05:42.920 --> 0:05:45.840 needs to be all hands on deck. But everybody's hurt 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:48.000 at this point. And I did not like to hear 0:05:48.279 --> 0:05:53.240 high ankle sprain. Man, they it sounds so, you know, yeah, 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:56.080 high ankle sprain. It's really nothing. No, high ankle sprain 0:05:56.240 --> 0:05:58.760 is a big deal and guys have had to be 0:05:58.800 --> 0:06:01.240 out for months because of it. So I really didn't 0:06:01.600 --> 0:06:04.640 enjoy that. But you know, Lvee and his time coming 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:08.000 back from just the clavical all of those things. Man 0:06:08.080 --> 0:06:11.159 he is. He's you know, had a lot of criticism 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:13.839 this year, but man he If we've had any success, 0:06:13.880 --> 0:06:16.400 fifty five has been a part of it well. And 0:06:16.560 --> 0:06:19.240 if you think back to the Philadelphia game back in 0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:25.120 Week eight, in terms of volume linebacking, Layton Vanderesh wasn't 0:06:25.160 --> 0:06:28.599 necessarily an effective player. He only had the two tackles. However, 0:06:29.240 --> 0:06:31.720 he did have that strip Zack fumble in that game, 0:06:31.720 --> 0:06:33.599 and he hit Carson Wentz and he knocked that ball 0:06:33.640 --> 0:06:35.320 free and that was one of the I think three 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:39.360 turnovers in that football game, Isaiah. So whatever you're talking 0:06:39.440 --> 0:06:42.520 about Layton Vanderesh versus this offense, I know it's not 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:44.719 Carson Wentz back there anymore, and it'll be Jalen Hurts 0:06:44.720 --> 0:06:47.800 as that was officially announced yesterday that Jalen Hurts will 0:06:47.839 --> 0:06:50.120 be the starter against the Cowboys in Week sixteen. But 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:54.440 do you think that not having that volume style linebacker 0:06:54.480 --> 0:06:58.640 in the middle of that defense could potentially make things 0:06:58.880 --> 0:07:03.640 a little bit tougher on guys like Jalen Smith. No, 0:07:04.400 --> 0:07:06.960 Like I said, I if there's anything any way in 0:07:06.960 --> 0:07:08.600 which we're gonna miss him is right be just front 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:11.480 of an intellectual side. But I don't think anybody sitting 0:07:11.480 --> 0:07:13.400 here with a microphone in front of her face really 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.400 understands who's really leading that. I think we can make 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:19.000 our assumptions, but we don't know how much how much 0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:21.240 responsibility he's really holding. We could we know what the 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:24.480 position typically holds in terms of responsibility, but I don't 0:07:24.520 --> 0:07:26.760 know how much you know Lbe actually has to has 0:07:26.760 --> 0:07:28.920 to do out there. Um. But um, like I said, 0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:30.640 I think we need to be more agile than anything 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:33.320 this game. And I just think that, you know, whether 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:35.680 he's injured or not, obviously we never want our players injured, 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:37.560 But whether he was on the field or not, I 0:07:37.560 --> 0:07:40.640 think we're I think we're more mobile and we're more athletic. 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:44.160 M with with with Thomas and Um and Jaalen out there, 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:48.920 Jaalen is agile. I just want to ask he's at 0:07:49.960 --> 0:07:51.960 Hey he could run in one direction. I'll put him 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:54.760 that way. I think he's fast, Yeah, he could, he 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:56.920 could running one direction. I don't want to say he's 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:59.440 fast anymore because we saw that he's fast without the 0:07:59.440 --> 0:08:03.200 ball in this sad how about that? That's fair, that's fairy. 0:08:04.000 --> 0:08:07.720 What were you gonna say, Rob? Oh No? I mean 0:08:07.960 --> 0:08:10.080 it'll be interesting to see how they how they divvy 0:08:10.200 --> 0:08:12.920 up the linebacker snaps if there's no Layton in this game, 0:08:12.960 --> 0:08:16.360 because I think Sean Shaun Lee had twenty seven snaps 0:08:16.560 --> 0:08:19.720 in the game. I spent most probably after Layton went out. 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.560 Um Joe Thomas had seventeen. And look, they're they're only 0:08:23.600 --> 0:08:26.000 playing two linebackers basically the entire game at a time, 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:30.120 it's mostly nickel sub package work. So Sean Lee, you know, 0:08:30.880 --> 0:08:32.880 I know it's down the road here in his career. 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:35.080 There are actually more questions to the coaching staff about 0:08:35.080 --> 0:08:37.319 would Shawn Lee make a good coach after his playing 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:40.480 career yesterday than you know, what's he what's he looking 0:08:40.520 --> 0:08:43.560 like on the field this year as a linebacker? But wow, 0:08:43.960 --> 0:08:47.040 but I hit hit hit, Yeah, I don't, I I don't, 0:08:47.120 --> 0:08:50.160 I don't know. I mean I think he's I wouldn't 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:52.600 be shocked if that's in his future after he's playing, 0:08:52.640 --> 0:08:54.760 for sure. But I mean it's funny when you think 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:57.000 about Shawn Lee's career. Some of his best games have 0:08:57.120 --> 0:08:59.240 been against the Eagles. I'm thinking about that play a 0:08:59.280 --> 0:09:02.640 few years ago he stopped Darren Sproles in the backfield. 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:05.320 The Cowboys come back and get a big win. They're 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:08.520 gonna need him, you know. And and Joe Thomas I 0:09:08.559 --> 0:09:11.440 think was underrated and what even though the defense struggled 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:14.199 early in the season, obviously, I thought he played pretty 0:09:14.200 --> 0:09:17.040 well with more snaps too, So so I think, um, yeah, 0:09:17.080 --> 0:09:20.079 I mean, they've they've got some options, but I mean 0:09:20.120 --> 0:09:22.840 i'd rather I'd like to have Layton in this game. Uh, 0:09:23.160 --> 0:09:26.720 just you know, somebody else to potentially cover back there, 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:30.240 because Jalen Hurts presents a totally different dynamic this week 0:09:30.440 --> 0:09:34.640 than Carson wentz Will. Speaking of option, I mean there's 0:09:34.679 --> 0:09:37.200 a decision to be made around Layton vander Esh coming 0:09:37.240 --> 0:09:38.839 up this offseason. I mean, this is the end of 0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.560 year three for him, and he was a first round 0:09:41.600 --> 0:09:43.800 draft pick and you have that fifth year player option 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:46.720 or team option rather that you could pick up on 0:09:46.840 --> 0:09:52.240 Layton vander Esh. But heck, what has been your your 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:55.360 idea of Layton this year? Your evaluation of Layton vander 0:09:55.480 --> 0:09:58.360 Esh this year? Because I think overall there's been some 0:09:58.480 --> 0:10:01.960 good from Layton as we've seen. He wasn't necessarily twenty 0:10:02.000 --> 0:10:04.959 eighteen Layton Vanderesh, but this is still one of those 0:10:05.000 --> 0:10:07.160 years where it's been injury ridden and he's missed a 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:12.760 ton of time. Yes, beginning to be cliche when you 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:15.280 say I can't you know, it's hard to judge a 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:19.000 guy in a season like this. The same would be 0:10:19.040 --> 0:10:21.400 for Lady. But if the question is will you pick 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:25.360 up his option? Heck, yeah, you know two times because 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:27.720 you know how tough he is and he's everything that 0:10:27.800 --> 0:10:32.240 we need in a linebacker. I mean, coming off of injuries, 0:10:32.240 --> 0:10:34.840 he's fault to get back on the field, and I 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:38.320 think with Layton Vanderesh on our defense, it just makes 0:10:38.320 --> 0:10:40.040 it that much better. We're trying to look back at 0:10:40.040 --> 0:10:42.760 a time of twenty eighteen, his rookie season, to see 0:10:42.800 --> 0:10:44.520 if he could conjure up some of that. I think 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:48.640 he's grown as a linebacker. But with our defensive front, 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:51.960 it really hasn't. These guys hadn't had those lanes to 0:10:52.120 --> 0:10:54.800 run in. They've changed the defense and there's been so 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:58.360 many different things that has impacted both of these guys. 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:01.360 Is played. But if it if you're talking about bringing 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:04.080 Layton Vanders back and picking the fourth year option up, 0:11:04.280 --> 0:11:11.199 I'm I'm all on board for that. Rob Yeah, I mean, 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:14.520 I'd be surprised if they didn't. Um. I think that 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:16.800 you know, it's been a it's been a tough year 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:18.880 for him. You guys reference the injuries. I think at times, 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:21.839 you know, we've we've gotten after Jalen Smith. Everybody has 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:25.760 in terms of recognizing things and you know, being tested 0:11:25.800 --> 0:11:28.560 with your eyes and diagnosing plays. I think you've seen 0:11:28.559 --> 0:11:31.640 plays where Layton has has had problems there too. I 0:11:31.679 --> 0:11:33.800 think you know, you could put the whole all that 0:11:33.880 --> 0:11:37.240 on the entire front seven lineback and corps with some 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:39.319 things that the teams have done against them, especially in 0:11:39.320 --> 0:11:42.040 the running game. Um, but I still think they view 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:48.640 him as a as a centerpiece for their defense going forward. Zah. Yeah, 0:11:48.679 --> 0:11:50.640 if I'm gonna swipe it, I'm gonna swipe it up, 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:52.679 just like Jayalen. I'm gonna swipe it. I'm gonna pick 0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:56.000 it up. And Uh, the reason being, he's just I 0:11:56.000 --> 0:11:58.640 think I get a vibe about l V that he's 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:01.400 that he's really coachable. You know, he's really coachable, that 0:12:01.440 --> 0:12:04.160 he's really dedicated as a hard worker. He's not going 0:12:04.200 --> 0:12:07.280 to complain if he's if he's healthy enough, he's gonna play. 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:10.599 So I think all the all the check mark all 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:12.200 the boxes that you want to check off, you pretty 0:12:12.280 --> 0:12:14.200 much get with him. Now, There's obviously areas that he 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:16.839 has to improve, but I think he's he's determined enough 0:12:16.880 --> 0:12:19.200 to want to improve in those areas, and anytime you 0:12:19.240 --> 0:12:21.320 have a guy like that, you want to retain them. 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:25.760 And also not to mention the defensive tackles and the heck. 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:27.880 I think he did a nice job of talking about 0:12:27.920 --> 0:12:29.480 this a moment ago, but I want to go deeper 0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:32.160 into it because at the start of the season, we 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:35.000 looked at these at these linebackers and said, if they 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:37.440 can have a little bit of help from the defensive 0:12:37.480 --> 0:12:40.640 tackle spot, then we're gonna feel better about how they are. 0:12:40.760 --> 0:12:43.720 And they didn't get that early on from don tarre Poe. 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:46.480 We didn't get that early on from I mean, we 0:12:46.559 --> 0:12:48.440 did maybe a little bit from Tristan Hill, but it 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:51.719 was inconsistent from a second year defensive tackle. That's expected, 0:12:52.040 --> 0:12:55.880 but they haven't necessarily had that help at the linebacking spot. 0:12:56.080 --> 0:12:59.040 And maybe that's something that will grow into next year. 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:01.760 But can you blame the defensive tackle and the push 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:05.000 up front just as much as the linebackers and some 0:13:05.040 --> 0:13:10.079 of their inability to make plays this year. They work together, 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:13.040 and they work together, especially when you're you have a 0:13:13.080 --> 0:13:16.360 defense like a three four two gap responsibility. That's why 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:20.280 they have the two gap responsibility to allow the linebackers 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:23.240 to run freely. You saw at the beginning of the 0:13:23.280 --> 0:13:27.560 season when Isaiah was talking about Terry Poe just you know, 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:30.520 getting pushed to the ice cream truck, and you know, 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:35.520 it's hard for any any linebacker to try and through that. 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:39.520 And so for if my in the brinks truck and 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:42.160 in my eyes, I just feel like when you look 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:44.520 at the draft, it's gonna be so easy to go 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:48.960 for all these you know, sexy center pieces uh in names. 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:52.720 But the Dallas Cowboys need a big boy upfront, a 0:13:52.840 --> 0:13:55.560 guy that can actually a couple of guys that can 0:13:55.679 --> 0:13:58.920 hold those offensive linemen up and keep them off of 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:02.880 our linebackers sold they can shit and just run downhill 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:05.560 in the running game. What we've seen every time you 0:14:05.600 --> 0:14:08.920 turn on the tape, you see offensive lineman getting to 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:12.640 the second even third level and before any I mean 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:15.439 all the way to the safeties before anyone puts a 0:14:15.520 --> 0:14:18.000 hand on them. And it's because of our lack of 0:14:18.120 --> 0:14:21.040 a push up front. So you know, look, our linebackers 0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:23.160 have taken the brunt of the not the brunt of 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:25.800 they taking a lot of criticism Jaylen Smith has. But 0:14:26.040 --> 0:14:28.680 there's a cause and effect to all of this. I mean, obviously, 0:14:28.720 --> 0:14:31.040 making a bad play is making a bad play, But 0:14:31.160 --> 0:14:34.040 you have to be honest with yourself as an organization 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:38.240 and say, look, scheme, personnel, all of those things may 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:41.440 not have matched up very well. And the by product 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:45.080 of that is the ranking thirty second on defense. I 0:14:45.080 --> 0:14:47.160 feel like one of the biggest things we talked about 0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:51.960 the entire offseason together was more size upfront. Was going 0:14:52.040 --> 0:14:53.880 to free up the linebackers to go make a bunch 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:57.000 of players that just that did not happen. I think 0:14:57.000 --> 0:14:59.720 it's gotten better at times and the season's gone on. 0:14:59.760 --> 0:15:02.600 With Devil Gallimore, Uh, that might have been his best 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:07.360 game the other day. Tristan hill Is is his return 0:15:07.440 --> 0:15:10.560 and his development is one of the most critical things 0:15:10.600 --> 0:15:14.280 to this entire defense next year coming back healthy. Uh, 0:15:14.320 --> 0:15:16.920 it's gonna They've got a way that in terms of 0:15:17.040 --> 0:15:19.320 how they addressed that position, because I know they like him, 0:15:19.720 --> 0:15:21.960 but I agree with Hecma that they've got to find 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:25.680 some some studs inside to to help because that that 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:32.680 might be the top priority honestly for me. Ziah. Yeah, 0:15:32.680 --> 0:15:34.320 there's no doubt about it. L v I and Jane 0:15:34.400 --> 0:15:39.080 Smith were bamboozle. They were led astray. Uh, they were 0:15:39.160 --> 0:15:40.960 running them up. They were they were a hood wheat 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:46.320 uh uh. When you when you allow these guys just 0:15:46.360 --> 0:15:48.360 to come down hill, I mean they're too They're totally 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:51.200 different linebackers. The things that the things that are being 0:15:51.200 --> 0:15:53.760 asked to them right now are outside of them. Um, 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:55.600 this outside of them and it's outside of them, it's 0:15:55.600 --> 0:15:59.160 outside of this scheme, and um, it's it's unfair in 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:02.360 a sense. So in some regard you obviously you don't 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:05.239 want to you don't want to judge them too harsh. 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:07.760 But at the same time, there's still professionals. Bro, You're 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:10.240 still professionals. You have to adjust, you have to even 0:16:10.240 --> 0:16:12.320 though it's not what you do, right, you still try 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:14.440 to figure out a way. Right, It's just it's just 0:16:14.480 --> 0:16:16.680 what it is. It is what you do in the league. Right, Yeah, 0:16:16.760 --> 0:16:18.240 guess what. You might have been a quarterback, but now 0:16:18.280 --> 0:16:20.240 you're receiver and you play everything on special team. You 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:23.160 just figure it out, right, you figure it out. And um, 0:16:23.200 --> 0:16:25.160 you know, I don't think that these guys have figured 0:16:25.200 --> 0:16:27.240 it out to the level and the quality in which 0:16:27.280 --> 0:16:30.080 I think that that they're capable of. But um, Lvee 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:32.960 and we're talking about him, Yeah you bring him back. Yeah, 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:35.120 I think so too. I'm right there with you guys, 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:38.560 and I we're not necessarily talking about the linebackers in space. 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:41.000 That's a different issue that I think the linebackers that's 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:43.360 that's their problem. And we saw that with Jalen Smith 0:16:43.720 --> 0:16:46.800 and that that the crossing route from Jordan Reid inside 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:49.280 the ten yard line and then Jalen Smith was just 0:16:49.440 --> 0:16:52.080 kind of off kilter for a good amount of time 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:54.400 on that play. Uh, and it did not look good. 0:16:54.440 --> 0:16:57.600 There's there's problems with the linebackers, and there's definitely some 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:00.640 improvement that needs to be had at the position. But 0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:03.200 they can definitely use some help, especially in the run 0:17:03.240 --> 0:17:06.360 game from that defensive tackle spot. Maybe Neville Gallimore will 0:17:06.359 --> 0:17:09.040 give that to you along the way, Maybe Tristan Hill 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:11.639 coming back, We'll find a way. Maybe you resigned Gerald McCoy. 0:17:11.680 --> 0:17:13.800 But I'm gonna make a prediction, and this might actually 0:17:14.200 --> 0:17:16.720 be better suited for the Draft show which is coming 0:17:16.800 --> 0:17:22.000 up at ten thirty, rather than maybe the Fucking Cowboys podcast. However, 0:17:22.720 --> 0:17:25.959 I'm prediction. I'm gonna make a prediction here, and my 0:17:26.000 --> 0:17:29.000 prediction is that the Cowboys are gonna take a defensive 0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:31.159 tackle in the second round. I think they take a 0:17:31.200 --> 0:17:33.919 defensive tackle in that second round pick, and I think 0:17:33.920 --> 0:17:37.040 it's I think they should them to do it. Now, 0:17:37.480 --> 0:17:39.520 what are you up with you, Kyle? I think that's 0:17:39.720 --> 0:17:45.200 that's no. You just plugged the draft show on our show, 0:17:45.240 --> 0:17:48.560 on our show, but I also plugged in in Cowboys 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.440 on the Draft Show too, so we didn't we didn't 0:17:51.480 --> 0:17:55.240 get it. Okay, Hey, we didn't get a Transformers highlight 0:17:55.320 --> 0:17:58.320 video though you got Draft Show got that. We didn't 0:17:58.359 --> 0:18:03.800 get that. Are you upset Transformer hype video? Yes, I'm 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:07.440 still waiting for my Transformer video. It's okay, guys, I'm 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:10.560 still waiting on my bows quiet comfort airbus. Okay, I'll 0:18:10.600 --> 0:18:17.159 just speak to everybody's upset about. Everybody's got something to 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:19.960 complain about. When we come back, you're all talking Cowboys. 0:18:20.200 --> 0:18:24.080 We're gonna answer your fan questions. It's fans on the fifties, 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:26.520 so send them in to the periscope stream. I've got 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:28.600 a couple of them already lined up off of Twitter. 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:31.720 But send in your questions about the Cowboys these final 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:34.840 two weeks and maybe even some offseason questions. We'll answer 0:18:34.880 --> 0:18:36.440 them when we come back on the other side of 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:41.040 the rake. This is Talking Cowboys, presented by Geico. 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