WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Does Dak Need Preseason? 0:00:04.920 --> 0:00:07.480 The following Here's a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:07.520 --> 0:00:19.200 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Let's go. Are you 0:00:19.239 --> 0:00:23.239 ready for a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:27.680 Ready for a break? Yeah? And so much for that. 0:00:27.920 --> 0:00:32.040 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:33.840 --> 0:00:39.360 with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek Eagleton. 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:44.120 It is Wednesday, August eighteenth, twenty twenty one, Season seventeen, 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.600 episode number ten. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:50.279 We are alive from the s WBC Mortgage studios at 0:00:50.320 --> 0:00:53.800 the Star. Got Nate, got Dave Hellman and Nick Eatman 0:00:53.920 --> 0:00:55.320 with me. We got a lot of things we're gonna 0:00:55.360 --> 0:00:58.960 talk about today. We'll talk about the Cowboys night practice 0:00:59.000 --> 0:01:01.320 from Monday night and guess observations from these guys and 0:01:01.400 --> 0:01:04.759 some things that they may have seen and heard during 0:01:04.840 --> 0:01:07.839 that night. We'll also talk about the Cowboys first cut 0:01:07.880 --> 0:01:09.839 they get down to eighty five players. We'll talk about 0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:12.240 some of the players that are no longer on the team, 0:01:12.760 --> 0:01:14.920 and a couple of interesting cuts around the league that 0:01:14.959 --> 0:01:16.640 I want to get some opinions from these guys on 0:01:16.680 --> 0:01:18.920 whether they think the Cowboys should maybe take a look. 0:01:19.560 --> 0:01:22.120 We'll maybe get around of I get around. I've got 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:23.720 a couple of players. I want to throw up these 0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:26.720 guys to see what their thoughts are on them, and 0:01:26.760 --> 0:01:28.240 then we're gonna hear from you guys if you want 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:29.920 to call us. The numbers eight eight eight eight five 0:01:30.000 --> 0:01:32.640 five two two ninety seven again it is eight eight 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:37.280 eight eight five five two two nine seven, And we'll 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:39.600 take some calls in the latter half of the show. 0:01:39.600 --> 0:01:42.480 How's everybody doing it? Awesome, Derek, let's freaking go awesome, 0:01:42.560 --> 0:01:45.560 get it going, Dave, let's start with you. Actually, Mike 0:01:45.640 --> 0:01:48.280 McCarthy had his daily press conference. What do you have 0:01:48.320 --> 0:01:52.040 to say? I probably wouldn't look for Dak Prescott on 0:01:52.080 --> 0:01:54.560 Saturday night if I were you, And I mean, that's 0:01:54.560 --> 0:01:58.160 a pretty logical conclusion, but I appreciate Mike kind of 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:00.920 just saying it. I'm saying, you know, probably unlikely that 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:03.480 a guy who hasn't practiced fully since July twenty eight 0:02:03.800 --> 0:02:07.720 won't play the quarterback. You know, just now ramping up 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:11.520 is throwing so uh, you know, sorry, everybody, but I 0:02:11.560 --> 0:02:13.519 think that the next time we see Dak in a 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:16.360 game is going to be against Tampa in front of 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:18.280 the whole world. So okay, Dave, I know you're not 0:02:18.320 --> 0:02:20.640 worried about that, because we know your take on preseason. 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:23.800 I would I like my of course, I want everybody 0:02:23.800 --> 0:02:26.720 to stay healthy, But like I understand why that is 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:30.480 concerning for somebody that your first reps in almost a year, 0:02:30.720 --> 0:02:34.120 you know eleven months, are going to be a regular 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:36.079 season opener against the team that just won the Super 0:02:36.080 --> 0:02:38.200 Bowl and has everybody back. Yeah, that should be concerning. 0:02:38.360 --> 0:02:41.320 Is it concerning for Unick? Yeah? Yeah, but it would 0:02:41.360 --> 0:02:44.480 be concerning if he went out and played like that. 0:02:44.880 --> 0:02:46.799 You know, this is one of those things, and I've 0:02:46.800 --> 0:02:49.120 said this before, doesn't start with Dak. It starts with 0:02:49.160 --> 0:02:52.040 the offensive line. Are they all gonna play because it's 0:02:52.040 --> 0:02:54.160 tiring out there? I mean, I'm not putting I'm not 0:02:54.200 --> 0:02:56.280 putting Dak out there if the whole line isn't there. 0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:58.440 So I'm gonna start there and see and I'm not 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:02.080 sure if that you know who's all gonna be playing there? 0:03:02.160 --> 0:03:05.160 But you know, you can say this rest versus rust, 0:03:06.280 --> 0:03:09.480 is a handful of snaps going to really help him 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.480 that much? Was it worth the risk? Because then he's 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:14.440 gonna sit it out for two and a half more weeks. 0:03:14.639 --> 0:03:18.960 So if I'm just not playing him, I will say, 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:21.720 which they shouldn't play him if he's not ready, that's fine, 0:03:21.760 --> 0:03:24.360 I will say. It's not rust for me. That bothers me. 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:29.559 But I do I believe in the element of you know, 0:03:29.080 --> 0:03:31.920 you probably want to get hit and get up and 0:03:31.960 --> 0:03:34.040 be like, Okay, I'm all right. I got leveled by 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:36.520 an NFL defensive lineman and I'm still healthy and my 0:03:36.560 --> 0:03:39.839 ankle's not broken. I think there's a mental component to that. 0:03:40.200 --> 0:03:42.880 I would have preferred for him, And he's talked about it, Dak, 0:03:43.040 --> 0:03:44.920 like his first press conference of camp, he was like, 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:46.680 I want to get out there and take a hit 0:03:46.760 --> 0:03:49.320 and just be back in the groove of playing football, 0:03:49.520 --> 0:03:51.560 play to play, And he's not gonna get to do 0:03:51.600 --> 0:03:53.560 that now until the season opener. I wish he could 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:55.400 have gotten that out of the way. But as far 0:03:55.440 --> 0:03:57.520 as rust, I don't really worry about that. You know, 0:03:57.560 --> 0:03:59.360 this brings up a little bit of a bigger topic 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:01.720 and you some nickel what that is rust? I mean? 0:04:01.880 --> 0:04:04.720 But I mean, but everything you just said, I don't 0:04:04.720 --> 0:04:06.400 think of that as rust. I think it's just what 0:04:06.600 --> 0:04:08.040 is it that I mean, like it seems like it's 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:10.240 kind of the same thing everything you wanted him to 0:04:10.320 --> 0:04:13.160 kind of get it's to probably rust to me implies 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:15.760 that like his timing with his receivers is off, and 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:17.640 he just you know, they're not on the same page. 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:19.760 Like I don't don't worry about it, or like, you know, 0:04:19.800 --> 0:04:21.600 the way that he's reading what the defense is doing 0:04:21.640 --> 0:04:23.479 because he hasn't done it in so long. I don't 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:26.320 worry about that. I just think, you know, it's like, uh, 0:04:26.680 --> 0:04:29.159 it's like getting into a swimming pool, just acclimating to 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:31.360 the you know, the temperature of the water. I don't know, 0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:33.200 I don't think of that as rust. Maybe it is 0:04:34.120 --> 0:04:36.159 either way. I mean, I think we're kind of saying 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:37.800 the same thing. You just want him to kind of 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:40.039 you don't want the first time to get back in 0:04:40.120 --> 0:04:43.360 it going up against the buck, but that that is 0:04:43.400 --> 0:04:45.240 the way it's going to be, and it's everything's a 0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:47.480 risk reward, I mean, is it is it worth it? 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:51.719 You know? Romo wanted that in twenty sixteen. Romo remember 0:04:51.800 --> 0:04:53.919 remember how much he had missed in twenty fifteen. He 0:04:54.000 --> 0:04:57.280 needed those plays until his back got crunched over in Seattle, 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:01.279 and then that changed the franchise, maybe for the better. 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:03.919 And you know, because Dak came in and Zeke and 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:06.039 that whole year was was what it was. But I 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:08.760 mean it's the same concept it was. Romo needed a 0:05:08.800 --> 0:05:11.680 few snaps, but he doesn't know how. He didn't know 0:05:11.720 --> 0:05:14.000 how to just not play the game right, you know, 0:05:14.120 --> 0:05:16.360 not to play that preseason game and does Dak is 0:05:16.400 --> 0:05:21.120 dad gonna take off? I'll never forget fourth preseason game 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:24.120 against Houston one year it was like ninety three, ninety 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.080 four or playing I think in the in the Astrodome 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:29.360 or the Alamodome, and he flipped over I think it 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:33.000 was he flipped over the top for a touchdown. It 0:05:33.040 --> 0:05:35.280 had to be in ninety two or ninety three because 0:05:35.320 --> 0:05:37.680 Jimmy was the coaching He was touchdown and he flipped 0:05:37.720 --> 0:05:41.480 over the top. Troy Atman fourth preseason, fourth preseason game 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:44.680 and he and he comes over and everyone's congratulating him 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:49.360 except Jimmy. He was like, you're an idiot, you're stupid. 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:51.240 You might have thrown us some other words in there, 0:05:51.400 --> 0:05:53.719 like what are you doing? And he's like playing football, 0:05:53.720 --> 0:05:56.039 you know, but that's what it is. So if Dak's 0:05:56.080 --> 0:05:59.279 gonna be that way, other than now, let's go Sunflower Seeds. 0:05:59.440 --> 0:06:00.960 I do think this brings up a little bit of 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:04.240 a bigger topic though, when you Mike McCarthy talked about 0:06:04.240 --> 0:06:06.160 the fact the third preseason game, which will be the 0:06:06.200 --> 0:06:08.640 fourth preseason game for the Cowboys because they had a 0:06:08.640 --> 0:06:10.880 Hall of Fame game, he said that game is going 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:13.279 to be for the guys trying to make the team. 0:06:13.360 --> 0:06:15.400 I heard this morning when I was on my drive in. 0:06:15.560 --> 0:06:18.080 They were talking about the Giants, and it made me 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:20.919 think about the juxtaposition. They actually are looking at the 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:23.800 third preseason game as their address rehearsal. They're thinking of 0:06:23.800 --> 0:06:26.240 it as that's our ramp up to the season. So 0:06:26.279 --> 0:06:28.919 we'll probably start our starters and have them play a 0:06:29.000 --> 0:06:31.960 quarter or two so that they work into that following 0:06:32.000 --> 0:06:34.760 because you do have that weekend between the final preseason 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:37.120 game in the beginning of the season. They're thinking that's 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:38.640 more of a ramp up. Which do you think could 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:41.440 be a better strategy for a team, Well, for this 0:06:41.520 --> 0:06:45.080 team the way they're doing it. Because we've got to remember, 0:06:45.080 --> 0:06:47.400 the Giants don't play Thursday night like the Cowboys do. 0:06:47.640 --> 0:06:50.520 The Giants can do that and they still get fifteen 0:06:50.560 --> 0:06:53.440 to sixteen days before they play their next game, the 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:57.359 cow And I'm not saying it's it's just a short turnaround, 0:06:57.360 --> 0:06:59.880 but it's it's ten days, you know. I think the 0:07:00.000 --> 0:07:03.000 Cowboys are the only Sunday preseason game on August twenty 0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:05.720 ninth because of the NFL network, you know, that just 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:07.560 it just doesn't seem right. And there's no reason to 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:10.280 complain about it and all that, but it's just they 0:07:10.320 --> 0:07:13.120 are the last preseason game, and they are the first 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:15.400 season game too, and they were the first one, right 0:07:15.560 --> 0:07:18.680 you know. And it's and that's what this this star 0:07:18.840 --> 0:07:20.800 right here that I'm pointing to, that's what this star 0:07:20.960 --> 0:07:23.120 is all about. That's that's what Jason Garrett says. It 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:25.880 comes with a dinner. But it's it's it's it's different. 0:07:25.920 --> 0:07:29.040 It's got to be different for other teams because McCarthy's 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:31.280 trying to get them ready for the September ninth game. 0:07:31.480 --> 0:07:33.560 So that's why probably why he's doing it this way 0:07:33.600 --> 0:07:36.960 this year. Yeah, that's a that's a good question, and 0:07:37.000 --> 0:07:39.520 I don't have a great answer to it. I'll just say, 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:42.040 if you're going to do that, I hope you make 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.120 sure the other team is planning on doing that. The 0:07:44.160 --> 0:07:46.480 same way, because if the Giants are sending their starters 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:49.440 out against somebody who's treating it like you know, friends, 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:53.560 roster guys, that's stupid. I would never do that. Like 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:57.679 what last night's Hard Knocks episode was a great example. 0:07:57.680 --> 0:08:01.680 Why if you watched it, a phenomenal story about Azour Kamara, 0:08:02.120 --> 0:08:04.040 but you know he's back in the depth chart. He's 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:07.640 trying to make things happen. And he clipped Garrett Gilbert 0:08:07.680 --> 0:08:09.600 like twice try you know, trying to make a play, 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:11.880 not trying to make the team, not knowing the ins 0:08:11.880 --> 0:08:15.560 and outs of practice, not necessarily worried about the long term. 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:17.960 You know, he's worried about making the team and yell 0:08:18.000 --> 0:08:20.120 out and they're like, don't touch the quarterback, my guy. 0:08:20.520 --> 0:08:22.680 And you got a team full of guys like that 0:08:22.760 --> 0:08:25.440 playing a lot of times. In the finale game, it's 0:08:25.520 --> 0:08:28.760 it's a messy game. You've watched them, You've watched plenty 0:08:28.800 --> 0:08:31.840 of them. It's awful, it's terrible. So I just I 0:08:31.880 --> 0:08:33.800 wouldn't want to send the guys I'm counting on to 0:08:33.840 --> 0:08:36.240 win me games out against guys like that. Yeah, And 0:08:36.760 --> 0:08:40.080 also to clarify that, like obviously it's a game so 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:42.680 those guys, you know, you're going to go full tilt. 0:08:43.000 --> 0:08:46.080 But just like in practice where Kamar Win a little 0:08:46.120 --> 0:08:49.679 too much and hit, you know, hit Gilbert on the arm, 0:08:49.720 --> 0:08:52.800 in a game, he might go too far and just 0:08:52.960 --> 0:08:56.400 and have a penalty like roughing the passer penalty or 0:08:56.400 --> 0:08:58.840 something like that. Even though you're allowed to hit and 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:01.120 tackle and do everything, but you don't want that. You 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:03.200 don't want a guy's agenda to try to make the 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:05.520 team going up, you know, because he's gonna been the 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:07.880 rules and he's gonna do whatever he you know, it 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:11.040 takes for him to be noticed. So yeah, and I 0:09:11.080 --> 0:09:13.360 do think the coaches do talk about it. I do 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:16.400 think Cowboys and Jaguars have talked about it because I 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:18.959 believe at one point Jacksonville was supposed to be the 0:09:19.040 --> 0:09:21.080 dress rehearsal and it may it just have been like 0:09:21.440 --> 0:09:24.400 what is Jacksonville trying to do? What Cowboys want to do? 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:27.439 Injury wise? So I think I think somebody asked me 0:09:27.480 --> 0:09:29.040 this question, is it what their plan is? And I 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:30.640 think it's got to be a year to year thing. 0:09:30.960 --> 0:09:33.560 I would imagine next year could be totally different. On 0:09:33.679 --> 0:09:37.439 three preseason games. You know, we're also an uncharted territory, right, 0:09:37.559 --> 0:09:39.880 this first time that you're gonna have that, teams are 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:42.160 going to have other than Cowboys and Steelers are gonna 0:09:42.200 --> 0:09:44.920 have three preseason games, and this first time everybody's gonna 0:09:44.920 --> 0:09:48.120 have seventeen regular season games. So I also wonder the 0:09:48.160 --> 0:09:51.080 more regular season games they add to this, how much 0:09:51.520 --> 0:09:54.960 does Week one really And I know every game matters, 0:09:55.280 --> 0:09:57.120 but I wonder how much, you know, getting off to 0:09:57.200 --> 0:10:00.800 that hot start really matters if you know it can 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:03.800 the month of September, those first two to three games, 0:10:04.080 --> 0:10:06.000 can those big games where you do kind of work 0:10:06.040 --> 0:10:08.319 your starters into a little bit more of a ladder 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:10.439 rather than having to figure that out in the preseason 0:10:10.960 --> 0:10:13.040 because you've got seventeen games or if it goes at 0:10:13.080 --> 0:10:15.720 eighteen or whatever the case might be. Right, I think 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:17.880 that's yeah. I think that's a byproduct of the way 0:10:17.880 --> 0:10:19.640 the league is right now, which I mean I'm in 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:23.120 favor of it's a more health conscious, player friendly league, 0:10:23.120 --> 0:10:26.360 but just in general, I think for a few years now, 0:10:26.440 --> 0:10:29.280 like september's kind of ugly. While these teams get there, 0:10:29.280 --> 0:10:31.679 I mean, you're not you used to practice twice a 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:34.120 day and like leave your starters in for a lot 0:10:34.200 --> 0:10:36.840 of your preseason games. Now you don't. I mean, you know, 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:40.160 so if this is the dress rehearsal on Saturday, like 0:10:40.400 --> 0:10:42.600 Amari Cooper is going to go into the season probably 0:10:42.640 --> 0:10:45.200 with ten reps under his belt, Dac will have none, 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:48.640 like Tank will have none. Yeah, and so yeah, I 0:10:48.640 --> 0:10:50.960 think that's the new norm, is playing your way into 0:10:51.000 --> 0:10:53.040 game shape over the course of the first five or 0:10:53.080 --> 0:10:54.640 six weeks. Yeah. I think the best way to say it, 0:10:54.720 --> 0:10:58.240 That's what Dave said is it's a byproduct. Is it ideal? 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:01.679 And you're never gonna get a scout player to say, well, 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:03.320 we got a lot of these games. You know. This 0:11:03.400 --> 0:11:06.600 isn't like load management type stuff like the NBA, but 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:10.120 it is what it is. I mean, you're gonna you're 0:11:10.120 --> 0:11:12.160 gonna just say, well, you know, we don't have the 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:14.520 other options. So we're not one hundred percent ready than 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:16.360 it is what it is. We hope to win these games, 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:19.480 but we we all think that we're gonna be in better, 0:11:19.800 --> 0:11:22.040 you know, in tune with the team in October than 0:11:22.040 --> 0:11:23.880 we will be in September, just because of the way 0:11:24.080 --> 0:11:27.079 the NFLPA and the NFL structured it. All. Right, let's 0:11:27.160 --> 0:11:31.600 jump into Cowboys Night. Cowboys have their annual event last 0:11:31.720 --> 0:11:36.360 Monday Night, too real quickly that when that spiraled. But 0:11:36.679 --> 0:11:40.240 so Amari Cooper is expected to play Saturday. Just anybody 0:11:40.240 --> 0:11:42.439 that was curious. And it sounds like there's going to 0:11:42.520 --> 0:11:45.000 be a new kicker punter in camp as well. I 0:11:45.080 --> 0:11:48.720 think Hunter Nice Wanders kicker or punter or boat kicker punter. 0:11:49.240 --> 0:11:52.160 He's gonna yeah, one guy, Hunter Nice Wander, same thing. Uh, 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:55.800 he's apparently banged up, So look for them to sign 0:11:55.840 --> 0:12:02.280 a guy by the name of Lirium Hodja who he's Canadian. 0:12:02.360 --> 0:12:05.040 He's been in the CFL for a long time. Are 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:06.959 you guys worried about the kicking position? I mean, the 0:12:07.280 --> 0:12:11.360 kicker punter like both. I'm and maybe it's just me, 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:14.240 but the fact that the kicker has been hurt throughout 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:16.880 all this time, it does worry me a little bit, 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:20.640 just because of his age and because you know, a 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:22.880 couple of years ago he was injured and he didn't 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:25.400 have a great season, And I'm just a little bit worried, 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:27.120 are you guys at all? I don't think those are 0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:29.240 the same thing. He had a groin that year that 0:12:29.600 --> 0:12:32.520 lingered with him all year, and this year. He had 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:35.800 back surgery months ago, and he was he was kicking 0:12:35.960 --> 0:12:37.920 in Arizona. He kicked for like a half hour and 0:12:37.920 --> 0:12:39.559 he made him all. I was like, okay, you look 0:12:39.600 --> 0:12:41.760 fine at me. If I was the fifty third guy 0:12:41.800 --> 0:12:44.200 on the roster, I'd be worried about it, you know. 0:12:44.280 --> 0:12:47.000 I mean, no one knows who that is, but it 0:12:47.120 --> 0:12:49.400 might have to always just yeah, because the thing about 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:52.959 it is is that you get to Tuesday of the game. 0:12:53.000 --> 0:12:55.560 When I'll say Tuesday, it's a Thursday game. But I 0:12:55.559 --> 0:12:57.440 mean if you get to the to the week of 0:12:57.480 --> 0:12:59.680 the game, you know, four or five, six days before 0:12:59.720 --> 0:13:02.640 the Tampa Bay game and zero lions, not one hundred percent, 0:13:03.080 --> 0:13:06.160 then you're gonna you're gonna end up getting You're gonna 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:08.360 get somebody else, and you're gonna go to the waiver 0:13:08.440 --> 0:13:10.560 wire and you're gonna get a who do we have? 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:15.120 Two years ago, it made every kick I forgot his name, no, no, 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:19.079 after that, everybody in the league, yeah, yeah, yeah. You've 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:23.800 been in every every place in the league and you 0:13:23.840 --> 0:13:26.559 get still out there somebody, well you're probably I think 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:29.480 he's he's somewhere. Well, mean, you get a guy like that, 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:31.880 and and you know, they don't have to learn offense 0:13:31.960 --> 0:13:33.440 or anything. They come in and they kick. But the 0:13:33.480 --> 0:13:36.440 problem is you're gonna you're gonna have to cut a player, 0:13:36.600 --> 0:13:38.720 you know, on your team just to get him in 0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:40.839 the roster on the roster. So I'm not one hundred 0:13:40.840 --> 0:13:43.800 percent worried about it. He's not on a team. I 0:13:43.800 --> 0:13:45.480 thought he was. I thought somebody had mentioned he was 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:47.400 a free agent somebody like that. They'll do a tryout, 0:13:47.400 --> 0:13:50.440 bring him back, kai come back. All right, let's jump in. 0:13:50.520 --> 0:13:52.640 I do want to talk about the Cowboys night. I 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:54.840 want to get some observations from you guys. Let's start 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:56.640 with a Mark Cooper Dave. You just mentioned he's going 0:13:56.679 --> 0:13:58.880 to be expect it to play this week. Uh, he 0:13:58.920 --> 0:14:01.640 did return to practice on Monday. What did you guys 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:04.400 see from him? How much was he used? I saw 0:14:04.440 --> 0:14:06.600 a lot more than I expected to from a guy 0:14:06.600 --> 0:14:08.920 who hadn't done anything like you know typically that's a 0:14:09.000 --> 0:14:12.200 very slow process. That Marcus Lawrence did individuals for fifteen 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:14.960 minutes and then ran back to get treatment a mari state. 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:18.480 He went through individuals. I actually asked him this. I 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:19.880 was like, you know, what was their plan for you? 0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:22.760 Because I wasn't expecting you to see team, and he 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:26.080 was like, oh, it was up to me, which I didn't. 0:14:26.120 --> 0:14:28.520 I feel like it's not usually that, Like Dak Prescott's 0:14:28.520 --> 0:14:30.680 a perfect example, Like they tell you what they want 0:14:30.680 --> 0:14:33.000 you to do. But a Mari said he went through 0:14:33.040 --> 0:14:34.760 individuals and was like, I feel good. I want to 0:14:34.800 --> 0:14:36.720 do some team. So he did, and he looked like 0:14:36.760 --> 0:14:40.280 a Mari like, I don't know, there's nothing, there's nothing 0:14:40.280 --> 0:14:42.200 super flashy about his game, but like he caught a 0:14:42.200 --> 0:14:44.320 slant over the middle and you know you can kind 0:14:44.320 --> 0:14:46.960 of tell even though they're not tackling that. I was like, oh, 0:14:47.000 --> 0:14:48.880 that would have gone for sixty yards, like you can 0:14:48.920 --> 0:14:52.200 just tell. And yeah, so you know he had one, 0:14:52.640 --> 0:14:54.800 you know, nice catch and run and I think he 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:56.880 got five reps and then he was like, Okay, now 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:58.560 I'm done. So he's going to do a little bit 0:14:58.560 --> 0:15:01.840 more today with an on playing you know, ten or 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:06.240 so snaps against Houston, so all systems go cook. I 0:15:06.240 --> 0:15:12.080 mean he Johnny on the spot for an interception there perfectly. Yeah. Now, 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:14.200 now the best part about it was, I mean the 0:15:14.200 --> 0:15:16.240 ball didn't just float up for no reason. I mean 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:18.760 Nashan Wright did a nice job there and at the 0:15:18.760 --> 0:15:21.040 goal line and tip it up. But that's the kind 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:23.520 of you want your safety to be in position to 0:15:23.600 --> 0:15:27.880 make plays. And I thought he did a nice job there. Um, 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:31.560 he's you know, he said something interesting in his press 0:15:31.560 --> 0:15:34.040 conference though, yesterday, and he said that, you know, he 0:15:34.160 --> 0:15:36.120 talked about him and because he they both you know, 0:15:36.160 --> 0:15:38.800 they're what are they the Achilles Boys or whatever? You know, 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:41.400 they're going through the same injury. He said, we're pretty 0:15:41.480 --> 0:15:45.840 much the same player, which sounds good until then you're like, okay, 0:15:46.080 --> 0:15:49.920 can the same player with the same injury and the 0:15:50.040 --> 0:15:55.320 same body type sort of be you know, both have roles, 0:15:56.280 --> 0:15:59.160 both veterans, they're both veterans now the young guy you're developing. 0:15:59.200 --> 0:16:01.440 You know, they're both guys that probably aren't going to 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:04.400 have a huge special teams workload. Yeah, Malik Hooker made 0:16:04.400 --> 0:16:07.200 it clear he hasn't done anything on special teams ever. 0:16:07.560 --> 0:16:11.040 You know, So I just wonder if both those I mean, 0:16:11.440 --> 0:16:13.400 I think you keep them both. I'm not saying you don't. 0:16:13.400 --> 0:16:16.080 I just wonder can they be I've been I've been 0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:19.040 wondering that since the day Hooker got here. I'm just like, 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:23.000 this feels redundant and Yeah, Like, I'm not trying to 0:16:23.000 --> 0:16:25.400 cut either one of them either, But when you talk 0:16:25.440 --> 0:16:28.040 about roster building, like they do the same job, they 0:16:28.040 --> 0:16:29.800 are this you know they're the same type of player 0:16:29.840 --> 0:16:31.680 they're not. You probably don't want them playing a ton 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:33.960 of strong They're not gonna play a ton of special teams. 0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:37.640 So are these two guys you think we may get 0:16:37.680 --> 0:16:41.280 into the season and the Cowboys could maybe use them interchangeably, 0:16:41.400 --> 0:16:44.880 rotate them. I mean, like you don't typically see safety's 0:16:44.960 --> 0:16:47.640 rotating in and out of the lineup, but do you 0:16:47.680 --> 0:16:49.960 think that might be the case. Well, I mean, like 0:16:50.000 --> 0:16:52.160 what he's saying, though, what we're both saying is that 0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:56.520 it's gonna hurt the roster somehow, because is yes, do 0:16:56.560 --> 0:17:00.160 you want those two guys over Darren Thompson, Sure, but 0:17:00.240 --> 0:17:02.720 Darian Thompson's going to help you on special teams. Your 0:17:02.720 --> 0:17:05.040 backup safety there is going to have to do something, 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:06.760 and neither one of those two guys can do it, 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:09.320 which I think what will end up happening is is 0:17:09.359 --> 0:17:12.760 you're starting strong safety is going to do it. Donovan 0:17:12.800 --> 0:17:16.400 Wilson will be a starting safety that will also play 0:17:16.440 --> 0:17:18.879 special teams. Yeah that sounds bad, right, I think you 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:21.800 could do that. They will never say this yet, but 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:24.840 mcquamo is not getting cut right. If that's how we 0:17:24.880 --> 0:17:27.880 say his name, don't you just you think that's just 0:17:28.040 --> 0:17:31.760 fore gone. He's on. I do I think they. I 0:17:31.800 --> 0:17:35.200 think they have something here with him. A cornerback who 0:17:35.240 --> 0:17:39.760 plays safety. He's a coverage He's a coverage coverage safety. 0:17:39.960 --> 0:17:43.080 I'm all in favor of that. But I mean, now 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:46.760 we're now we got problems in terms of math because 0:17:46.800 --> 0:17:49.640 you got Hooker, you got again these two free safeties 0:17:49.640 --> 0:17:53.480 that don't do much of else. Donovan three Darian Thompson 0:17:53.560 --> 0:17:56.919 is one of John Fossil's guys, not saying that definitely 0:17:56.960 --> 0:18:00.520 guarantees him a job, but something to consider. And now 0:18:00.640 --> 0:18:03.840 Mukuamu gives you five. And that's on top of a 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:07.480 cornerback situation where I guess Reggie Robinson going to i 0:18:07.640 --> 0:18:09.800 R yesterday helps with that. But you still probably want 0:18:09.800 --> 0:18:11.960 to keep six corners. Well, don't you think part of 0:18:11.960 --> 0:18:13.879 the issue here is that, I mean, you guys just 0:18:13.920 --> 0:18:20.359 talked about Casey and and Hooker being a same player. 0:18:20.640 --> 0:18:23.639 They're also both older. Are you gonna let a younger 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:27.439 guy who you think could develop in mukuamu go for 0:18:27.520 --> 0:18:30.080 the purposes of having these older guys that may only 0:18:30.080 --> 0:18:32.360 be here a year or two. There you go, yeah, 0:18:32.640 --> 0:18:34.680 I mean yeah. Part of the appeal of a rookie 0:18:34.760 --> 0:18:36.320 is that they're on a four year deal. I get that. 0:18:37.040 --> 0:18:39.000 A cheap four year deal. I don't know. I don't 0:18:39.000 --> 0:18:43.080 have an answer although which the money that the money 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.679 that Kazy and Hooker have been given as negligible. But 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:47.520 but they're short term guys. I would think, like, I 0:18:47.520 --> 0:18:50.720 don't think of them as futures for I think I'm 0:18:50.720 --> 0:18:52.680 a short term guys. Fossil is going to get two 0:18:52.680 --> 0:18:55.240 of the three when it comes to defensive backs that 0:18:55.320 --> 0:18:58.160 are special teams guys. I don't think he's gonna get 0:18:58.200 --> 0:19:02.240 all of them, you know. I think he'll get Thompson 0:19:02.920 --> 0:19:07.159