WEBVTT - Talkin' Cowboys: Youth Movement 0:00:03.360 --> 0:00:05.880 The following. He's a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:05.920 --> 0:00:17.280 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This he's Talking Cowboys, 0:00:17.720 --> 0:00:21.119 screening live from the Dallas Cowboys World headquarters at the 0:00:21.200 --> 0:00:33.720 Star in Frisco. Here are Mickey Spagnola, Brian Brons, Rob Phillips, 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:38.479 and Bill Jones. What's up, Good Wednesday to you. Welcome 0:00:38.479 --> 0:00:43.279 into Talking Cowboys inside the s WBC Mortgage Studio. I 0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:46.680 am Rob Phillips hosting for Bill Jones. Brian broad Us 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:49.560 as always across the table from me. Hello, Hello, Mickey 0:00:49.560 --> 0:00:54.360 Spagnola's my right, Good morning, Kit Garrison the Garrison next 0:00:54.400 --> 0:01:00.480 door producing as always. Hi Ken Audi, Yeah, all right, 0:01:00.600 --> 0:01:05.240 he's out there, Yes, gig him and welcome back to practice, 0:01:05.360 --> 0:01:08.240 Dallas Cowboys. It's a regular week for once, although that's 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:10.600 gonna change next to change, not for long. It's gonna 0:01:10.680 --> 0:01:13.880 change for a couple of weeks with Thanksgiving coming up 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:17.800 and then another Thursday game after that. But normal Wednesday 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:22.759 practice getting set for the Atlanta Falcons, a noon kickoff 0:01:23.040 --> 0:01:28.720 in Atlanta this Sunday outdoors and the Frozen Tundrum today. Yeah, yeah, 0:01:28.880 --> 0:01:32.800 looks like they're set up for that. Huh. Soun's out surprise, 0:01:32.880 --> 0:01:35.600 he's practicing outside today. I was they playing indoors. I 0:01:35.680 --> 0:01:38.720 was a little disappointed that he was sall water bottles 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:44.040 out there. Yeah, a little bit. Yeah, I mean, why 0:01:44.080 --> 0:01:47.120 do you think he's doing that. It's Wednesday. It's Wednesday, 0:01:47.160 --> 0:01:50.880 and but he's he's practiced indoors before, you know, this year. So, 0:01:51.200 --> 0:01:53.880 but I just with an with an indoor game this weekend. 0:01:53.960 --> 0:01:56.360 I was just kind of wondering why he would because 0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:58.600 what's gonna happen is this guys are gonna bundle up 0:01:58.680 --> 0:02:00.800 and they're probably not gonna bundle up during the game. 0:02:01.480 --> 0:02:04.320 So you kind of wonder, you know, if you were 0:02:04.400 --> 0:02:06.040 if you were to play indoors, maybe you could be 0:02:06.080 --> 0:02:08.320 a little bit more how you're gonna dress for a game. 0:02:09.240 --> 0:02:12.919 Just my thought there, they'll probably be inside Thursday and Friday. Yeah, 0:02:13.000 --> 0:02:15.320 as is their custom. He'll say it's a beautiful day, 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:17.600 and he's not wrong. It's a beautiful day. Hey, any 0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:19.840 you know, any day to you practice football outside and 0:02:19.919 --> 0:02:23.200 it's not one hundred and five degrees, you know, why not? 0:02:23.480 --> 0:02:25.440 But I know it just kind of it's a little 0:02:25.480 --> 0:02:29.240 it's something a little bit different to think about. It's football, right, 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:32.640 Rob gotta play in the elements. That's right, he's gonna 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:34.960 They're not gonna play in the elements, though, they're gonna 0:02:35.000 --> 0:02:37.480 practice in the elements. Is it? Is it a toughness thing? Hey, 0:02:37.560 --> 0:02:39.640 it's thirty degrees, but we're you know, we're not gonna 0:02:39.880 --> 0:02:42.320 go run inside. Well, I can understand it. You know, 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:45.079 if you're gonna play getting ready for the Giants, or 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.200 if that Eagles game was later in the year, you know, 0:02:48.400 --> 0:02:51.079 or having to go to Washington again, something like that, 0:02:51.200 --> 0:02:53.400 I can get it. I just kind of like to 0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:55.799 I would practice in the conditions that I think that 0:02:55.880 --> 0:02:58.880 my team's gonna play in. That's just me. But he's 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:03.000 a head coach. I'm not so that's fair. Uh. We'll 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:06.520 hear from Jason Garrett AT's ten thirty five Central Time 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:10.720 directly after this show. We don't know what the injury 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:13.000 situation will be, but do you have an idea Mick 0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:15.480 of guys that might be limited or sitting out or 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:18.840 coming back? Oh? I thought you had the release. I 0:03:18.919 --> 0:03:21.120 don't get the release. What happened? I was counting on 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:23.839 you for that. I was gonna go for that. Huh. 0:03:23.919 --> 0:03:27.239 I never came came in last night. Not to my 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:31.440 Oh the Atlanta released, I haven't seen it. Yeah, what's 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:34.560 the deal? Okay, we got ours they're being secretives, you 0:03:34.639 --> 0:03:38.200 think so Yeah, either that or our departments not doing 0:03:38.240 --> 0:03:40.200 a very good job, or I didn't take the time 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:45.200 to go like search for it. Uh injuries. Yeah, what 0:03:45.280 --> 0:03:48.840 do you expect from practice today? I don't think much 0:03:49.000 --> 0:03:52.800 changes from last week at all. I mean I haven't 0:03:52.960 --> 0:03:56.480 trying to think of who, Well, Taco is a guy? 0:03:56.520 --> 0:03:58.520 Who Taco would be a guy? We need to ask 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:02.520 about Taco. I think that's the key one, because everything 0:04:02.760 --> 0:04:05.600 had to it was like a chess match moving guys 0:04:05.640 --> 0:04:10.200 around with him missing, right, I bet Connor needs another week, 0:04:11.040 --> 0:04:14.080 I think so well. I mean Randy Gregory missed two 0:04:14.120 --> 0:04:16.400 weeks with the scope he was I don't know if 0:04:16.440 --> 0:04:19.960 he was as bad as this. He didn't practice, You're right, 0:04:20.000 --> 0:04:21.840 he didn't practice for two weeks. Now he was a 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:25.680 game time decision regardless, but right he did warm up. Yeah, 0:04:26.160 --> 0:04:29.719 but yeah, maybe so especially with another I mean same, 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:32.520 everybody's not the same. And you know Williams was walking 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:35.039 around I thought a lot better than Randy was after 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:39.840 the first week. I can't imagine David. I mean we 0:04:39.960 --> 0:04:43.200 haven't seen David Irving, have we No, So I can't 0:04:43.200 --> 0:04:46.560 imagine he's it's kind of his career, right, Yeah, Yeah, 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:50.320 And I did see him at lunch. I think you did. Yeah, boot, 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:52.680 he's still in a boot. I think that was him 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:56.280 off the scooter. Yeah, he was walking around, So that 0:04:56.440 --> 0:04:58.000 was him, which he's kind of hard to miss him. 0:04:58.040 --> 0:05:00.440 I'm pretty sure that was him. I was from distance, 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:02.719 and I don't I mean, Sean Lee. I can't imagine 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:06.320 he makes it till Thanksgiving, right, Yeah, you need to 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:09.039 worry about the calf injury too with Ross, right, because 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.880 that's a defensive tackle again, that causes you have to 0:05:11.920 --> 0:05:15.760 move guys around as well. Tyrone Crawford's just hey, play 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:17.520 where he has to play. Yeah, that's I mean, he 0:05:17.640 --> 0:05:20.800 started a defensive end, then he had to move inside 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:24.760 when Maliek Collins went down because Ross wasn't there either. 0:05:25.120 --> 0:05:27.039 By the fourth quarter, he was back at right end, 0:05:27.200 --> 0:05:28.760 and then he had to go back to right end 0:05:28.800 --> 0:05:33.400 because Collins came back right and DeMarcus Lawrence, who normally 0:05:33.480 --> 0:05:36.760 gets somewhat of a break, got no break. He played 0:05:36.839 --> 0:05:42.200 fifty six of fifty nine snaps and Armstrong had to 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:46.080 go to the right side. Then, um, so, yeah, that 0:05:46.880 --> 0:05:50.400 his injury affected and I bet Randy Gregory and I 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:53.640 know he played forty snaps. I bet that's a season high, 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:58.400 and so that everybody got a little bit extended in 0:05:58.560 --> 0:06:02.880 that fourth quarter. Best game he's played, you think, Randy Gregory, Yeah, 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:06.720 well he had a sack, but yeah, I know what else, 0:06:06.880 --> 0:06:09.760 just being active being around them. See, that's he's had 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:11.839 some games. I think he had a four tackle game 0:06:11.880 --> 0:06:13.520 earlier in the year, or he had three tackles for 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:15.520 loss or something like that. I'm trying to remember that 0:06:15.640 --> 0:06:18.040 game off the top of my head. In more limited 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:20.320 snap but he didn't have the sacks, but he had 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:22.880 he had a tackle for loss a few of them, 0:06:22.920 --> 0:06:26.760 and you know, so yeah, to me, I'm just I've 0:06:26.800 --> 0:06:29.479 always kind of been waiting for Randy Gregory. I've always 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:31.599 you know, that's another one of those that I'm glad 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:34.120 he's back. I'm glad he's got his life in order, 0:06:34.800 --> 0:06:36.719 you know, I'm I hope he continues on the path 0:06:36.839 --> 0:06:39.880 he does. But maybe maybe I thought too much of 0:06:40.000 --> 0:06:42.720 Randy Gregory, you know, maybe I thought too much of 0:06:43.160 --> 0:06:46.400 the ability and and uh, you know, and what he's 0:06:46.440 --> 0:06:49.360 done but again he's he's back. He you know, that's 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:52.800 something that I never thought it would happen to begin with. Well, 0:06:52.880 --> 0:06:55.520 maybe some of it's that that Outliers book. You know, 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:57.920 you got to have the time on task to be yeah, 0:06:58.080 --> 0:07:01.520 fulfilling your potential. I love the sack, you know, two years. Yeah, 0:07:01.560 --> 0:07:03.080 I love the sack, But I mean I'd like to 0:07:03.200 --> 0:07:05.400 just see more. I'd like to see, you know, and 0:07:05.880 --> 0:07:09.240 if he plays forty plays, made me remember five of 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:12.560 those plays, don't make me remember one, you know, so 0:07:12.920 --> 0:07:16.560 i'd have to say that, you know, to me, they 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:18.600 need him out there though, I mean they need him 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:20.480 as part of they need Taco out there too, as 0:07:20.520 --> 0:07:23.480 part of the rotation, because I don't to me, I 0:07:23.600 --> 0:07:27.600 think I think it affects I think it affects uh, 0:07:27.800 --> 0:07:32.400 Lawrence when Crawford's not inside, you know that they can 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:34.960 team up together and get sacks, you know, the way 0:07:35.200 --> 0:07:37.960 they had the push and the and the and the 0:07:38.440 --> 0:07:41.240 twist stunts and things like that. You know, I think 0:07:41.320 --> 0:07:45.120 that that hurts That hurts Uh, That hurts Lawrence a 0:07:45.160 --> 0:07:47.320 little bit. You know. I don't know if I don't 0:07:47.360 --> 0:07:49.480 know if if the shoulder thing is really hurting him 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:50.920 as he do you think, you guys, you think he's 0:07:50.960 --> 0:07:53.400 played as well. I mean, I'm not saying as well. 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:55.920 I think he's played well, but I'm not saying he 0:07:56.000 --> 0:08:00.840 hasn't had the pressure of the sack, you know, with 0:08:00.960 --> 0:08:03.720 since we've kind of found out about this shoulder injury. Yeah, 0:08:05.000 --> 0:08:07.320 I look at the Tennessee game where a lot of 0:08:07.360 --> 0:08:09.040 the pressure they got in the sacks they got were 0:08:09.080 --> 0:08:13.080 based off of his push, his push inside. I'm not 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:15.840 so sure about this game. I think he's been pretty Yeah, 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:18.000 the sacks aren't there as they were last year. I 0:08:18.080 --> 0:08:22.360 forget where he's at right now. Five and a half, Yeah, DeMarcus, 0:08:22.800 --> 0:08:24.640 he's six and a half, six and a half. Okay, 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:26.440 I still think he's been productive. And I think you 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.400 spoke this the other day. He's he's relentless against the 0:08:29.480 --> 0:08:32.520 run and that doesn't always show up. That's incredible how 0:08:32.600 --> 0:08:35.160 he plays against the run. Yeah, that is incredible hype. 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:36.960 You know, he's you know, when you start talking about 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:40.360 paying complete guys, you know, and he say, oh, what 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:43.199 does he do well? He plays to run and the pass. 0:08:43.640 --> 0:08:45.600 That's the reason why you would pay that guy. They 0:08:45.679 --> 0:08:47.839 love his motor and he never takes a playoff, and 0:08:48.080 --> 0:08:49.920 I think it's Mickey said he almost played the whole 0:08:49.960 --> 0:08:52.520 game the other night. Usually that you know, his snaps 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:55.560 are in the you know they worked fifty Yeah, they 0:08:55.679 --> 0:08:57.480 rest him during the week too to try and keep 0:08:57.559 --> 0:09:00.480 him fresh. He's got ten tackles for losses, leads to 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:05.360 team in that category. Yes, really, And here's the perspective 0:09:05.440 --> 0:09:08.040 on it. The next guy with the most tackles for 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:12.440 losses that Jalen Smith, was four. Yeah, so uh, he's 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:15.440 done a heck of a job with that. Twenty seven 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:18.040 total tackles, so that's the most by any of the 0:09:18.160 --> 0:09:22.600 defensive lineman. And six and a half sacks. Yeah, twenty 0:09:22.800 --> 0:09:25.960 quarterback pressures, by the way, which also leads the team. 0:09:26.120 --> 0:09:29.880 That's good. And Gregory second with thirteen. So he needs 0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:32.600 to just start cashing in. He needs to, yeah, finish 0:09:32.640 --> 0:09:35.480 a few of those. That's where I mean, Like I say, 0:09:35.600 --> 0:09:37.240 I thought it was a great rush the other day 0:09:37.280 --> 0:09:39.640 that he had. You know, Jason pier did exactly what 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:42.720 you have to do against Jason Peters. Take him out, 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:45.520 take him outside and then bring him back and then 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:47.199 you know you do that to him, you got a shot. 0:09:48.000 --> 0:09:50.720 But yeah, I would like to think that. Okay, you know, hey, 0:09:50.920 --> 0:09:53.920 you know, have some have some stats, have a couple 0:09:54.000 --> 0:09:56.400 more tackles for loss, have a have a sack or 0:09:56.440 --> 0:09:58.280 two more. You know, those kinds of thing I think 0:09:58.320 --> 0:10:01.080 would would would help, you know me look at him 0:10:01.080 --> 0:10:03.120 a little bit. And then in that light, speaking of 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:07.080 tackles for loss, did you see who won NFC Defensive 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:09.800 Player of the Week. That was my next question because 0:10:09.840 --> 0:10:11.920 I checked it last night and wasn't up yet. Well, 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:15.240 finally came out, tell us, no, I didn't see it. 0:10:15.320 --> 0:10:19.240 It wasn't upland I'm guessing it was Layton vander Esh. 0:10:19.360 --> 0:10:24.079 Layton Vanderesh is the first Cowboys rookie since twenty ten 0:10:24.800 --> 0:10:26.920 to win that award, and that's, you know, that's a 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:30.120 pretty distinctive honor. That's the best player in the entire 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:33.679 conference on the defensive side of the ball. According to 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:37.880 Coach's film, nineteen tackles he was credited with. That's the 0:10:38.080 --> 0:10:42.040 most ever given to a Cowboys rookie defender. So the 0:10:42.520 --> 0:10:46.240 NFL Jesus site had him for thirteen for the game, right, 0:10:46.800 --> 0:10:50.640 so somewhere they found six more. They found assists. He 0:10:50.720 --> 0:10:55.079 had thirteen solo credited by thirteen solo and then that 0:10:55.240 --> 0:10:58.199 went to fifteen and then he had four assists. Okay, 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:00.200 did you get to the bottom of how he got 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:03.559 more tackles? Did they cheated him the week before? Okay, 0:11:03.760 --> 0:11:06.719 that's why the member I told you the table wasn't right. Yeah, 0:11:06.760 --> 0:11:08.959 you thought maybe he got he really got twenty two, right, 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:12.080 it was nineteen and there was three tackles the week 0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:16.080 before that. He didn't get credit for that. When they 0:11:16.120 --> 0:11:19.160 went over the coaches film, they filled in those. So 0:11:20.679 --> 0:11:25.720 so that's why the total didn't add up. Huh, he's 0:11:26.520 --> 0:11:30.400 it's amazing how he's played ninety six tackles already. Yeah, 0:11:30.760 --> 0:11:33.360 it's amazing how he's played and that, you know, that 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:37.120 is a it's a credit to him, it's a credit 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:40.720 to the scouting staff. They you know, we talked about 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:42.839 guys like Jason Witton and back in the day that 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:44.680 you had a vision for what the player is. They 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:47.520 obviously had a vision for what this guy. Was the 0:11:47.679 --> 0:11:51.600 rookie record for tackles in a single season Dexter Cokeley 0:11:51.800 --> 0:11:54.400 in ninety seven. He had one hundred and thirty six. Yeah, 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:56.880 so if he keeps playing the snaps, he's playing with 0:11:57.080 --> 0:12:00.480 seven more games to go. Yeah, he may get there. 0:12:00.600 --> 0:12:02.880 They're gonna need him to have every one of them too, Yeah, 0:12:03.000 --> 0:12:07.800 the third most, which he'll probably get soon. Michael Downs 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:10.400 and eighty one had one hundred and ten as a safety. 0:12:12.720 --> 0:12:15.839 Do you think was he their guy kind of all 0:12:15.840 --> 0:12:18.320 along in the pre draft process? I thought so. They 0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:20.679 identified him pretty early. It was I think we were 0:12:20.679 --> 0:12:23.440 having draft shows in March and I and I got 0:12:23.520 --> 0:12:25.840 to the point where I just said, they're taking vander Esh. 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:28.040 It's just too much. I mean I remember you saying no, 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:29.760 and I did it kind of in a in a 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:32.439 flippant way, you know, just saying they're gonna take Vanderesh. 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:36.559 And then the more you dug in, you know, it 0:12:36.720 --> 0:12:40.160 started adding up. You know, the visits and the pre 0:12:40.320 --> 0:12:43.600 draft visits and the workouts and you know, and him 0:12:43.720 --> 0:12:45.839 visiting at the Combine and all that, and you're just 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:48.800 sitting there thinking, Okay, where does Vanderesh fall on the 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.520 board if you rank the guys of where they fell. 0:12:52.440 --> 0:12:54.120 Where they took him is right where a lot of 0:12:54.200 --> 0:12:57.920 people had him. And so to me it was, you know, 0:12:58.000 --> 0:13:00.679 it was pretty evident. I just think there were too 0:13:00.679 --> 0:13:03.280 many things pointing to him being the pick. Yeah, and 0:13:03.360 --> 0:13:08.079 then but then the the over line thing was the 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:11.400 thing with Sean Lee. You know that that that they 0:13:11.520 --> 0:13:15.599 just couldn't they couldn't be held hostage anymore with that. 0:13:15.800 --> 0:13:18.000 And you know, I love Sean Lee, but you know, 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:22.800 playing playing ten games, playing eleven games every you know, 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:26.079 you can't those six games. I mean there's a difference there. 0:13:26.280 --> 0:13:28.439 There's five or six, there's a difference there. You need 0:13:28.559 --> 0:13:30.920 him and you need somebody and I'll tell you what 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:34.520 the fact, it's been a perfect combination for him because 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:37.559 look what they've really done back to back with these linebackers. 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:40.120 If you look at the last couple they've drafted with 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:42.959 Jalen Smith and Jaylen Smith has played. You know, he 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:44.760 didn't get enough credit for how well he played in 0:13:44.800 --> 0:13:47.160 that game. I know, Layton Vanderish made a rookie or 0:13:47.240 --> 0:13:49.960 the defensive player of the week, but oh my gosh, 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:53.120 j Alen Smith was just as good. You know, coverage, 0:13:53.320 --> 0:13:56.599 coverage task well, I mean he was just you know, 0:13:56.720 --> 0:13:59.000 there there are things that the fourth down, the fourth 0:13:59.080 --> 0:14:02.000 and one play, who may that stop right there? I 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:05.120 mean he's he's a pretty pretty special player as is. 0:14:06.480 --> 0:14:11.120 So if you were to and by the way, we 0:14:11.240 --> 0:14:14.880 got calls in camp wondering already is he was he 0:14:15.000 --> 0:14:19.360 a good pick? Is he a bust Vanderesh? Because of well, 0:14:20.120 --> 0:14:22.000 Brian makes a great point about Sean. They had to 0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:25.760 project the fact that injuries are a part of his history. Yeah, 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:27.960 but I think a lot of fans thought, well, maybe 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:30.360 Vanderesh isn't gonna play a lot as a rookie. Yeah, 0:14:30.400 --> 0:14:31.920 and you need to, you know, you're trying to win. Now, 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:33.800 can you find a guy that can help you? Well, 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:36.480 especially when this team didn't have anybody at receiver, Yeah, 0:14:36.800 --> 0:14:38.680 you know, and then all of a sudden and again 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:41.240 you're gonna play against the guy last this next week 0:14:41.400 --> 0:14:44.480 or this week that you had a chance to to draft. 0:14:45.200 --> 0:14:48.320 So that's where the questions, and especially how fast Calvin 0:14:48.400 --> 0:14:51.720 Rudley started this year, you know. Yeah, and the fact 0:14:51.760 --> 0:14:53.880 that they didn't have a receiver. I think that's where 0:14:53.920 --> 0:14:56.480 the questions were coming from. Well, they told you what 0:14:56.600 --> 0:14:59.520 the plan was, no one wanted to believe it. Well, 0:14:59.520 --> 0:15:01.320 I think a play that we're going to have three 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:05.560 linebackers to play two spots and not over extend anybody. 0:15:05.720 --> 0:15:09.560 And at that time, you still hadn't seen Jalen Smith, 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:12.680 and there was no assurance he was going to play 0:15:12.760 --> 0:15:14.680 the way he's playing right now. That's a good point. 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:17.960 In April, yep, you still had to see it. Yeah. Uh. 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:21.840 And then all of a sudden he blossomed by May 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:25.720 and June and then worry about you know, and they 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:28.040 started the scene. And remember he missed quite a bit 0:15:28.080 --> 0:15:31.120 of time in training camp, right, and the preseason games. 0:15:31.160 --> 0:15:34.480 I think he only played in one May. Yeah, the hamstringing, 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:38.640 right growing yeah yeah, San Francisco. Yeh, tackle on the 0:15:38.720 --> 0:15:40.920 sideline because when we came back here for practice, when 0:15:40.960 --> 0:15:42.720 they carried camp over here, I don't think he took 0:15:42.760 --> 0:15:45.360 part in no thing here. And so you didn't see him. 0:15:45.440 --> 0:15:47.800 But did you notice in the first game he was 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:50.560 out there and they started that little bit of rotation, 0:15:51.160 --> 0:15:53.240 not as much as they did the second, third, and 0:15:53.360 --> 0:15:57.480 fourth game, and they started doing it. Uh, and you know, 0:15:57.680 --> 0:16:02.600 unfortunately there's only I mean, you got to play Sean Lee, yeah, 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:06.600 you know, and it gets hurt, but now it's paying off. 0:16:07.000 --> 0:16:09.400 You know, Sometimes you just gotta wait and not jump 0:16:09.480 --> 0:16:13.960 to instant conclusions like you got a microwave in your head. Answer. 0:16:14.240 --> 0:16:16.400 See if Mickey'll answer the question about our meant what 0:16:16.480 --> 0:16:20.280 our mailbag was about Jalen Smith. We had a question 0:16:20.360 --> 0:16:22.760 this morning. Go to Dallas Cowboys dot com to read 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:27.520 me and Brian's answers. But Jalen Smith's progress. Do you 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:29.520 get the feeling or have you been told that he 0:16:29.760 --> 0:16:32.840 is one hundred percent now coming off that knee injury 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:35.920 from college? You know, I haven't asked since because it 0:16:36.280 --> 0:16:38.880 hasn't been an issue, right, right, That's kind of what 0:16:38.960 --> 0:16:42.280 we said. I mean, it would almost be scary if 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:44.960 he's playing at ninety or ninety five. Mean, he's got 0:16:45.080 --> 0:16:47.840 five percent more of physical ability in him. I wrote 0:16:47.880 --> 0:16:50.960 it that way. I mean I still think there's things. Yeah, 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:53.320 but go ahead, I bet it's not one hundred percent. No, 0:16:53.600 --> 0:16:55.280 I don't think it is either. I think there's I 0:16:55.360 --> 0:16:57.840 think there's room for him to even be better. I 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:01.200 really do. It's good enough that he has told us 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:03.360 in the past. You know, he'll tell you he's one 0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:05.879 hundred percent. Well, he said that he's not. Watch him 0:17:05.920 --> 0:17:08.560 play it. I mean he was, he isn't. He was 0:17:08.560 --> 0:17:11.800 an unbelievable player at Notre and he's developing in you 0:17:11.920 --> 0:17:14.000 start to see those traits you saw it Notre Dame, 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:18.959 the Combination Nation of the recognition with just that elite 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:21.720 athleticism that he has for his size, you know, and 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:24.040 we're seeing it, like some of the coverage that he's 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:27.640 he's doing. His movements are better. I know, it's good 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:29.639 enough that he's told us in the past. I'm not 0:17:29.720 --> 0:17:33.080 getting checked for the regeneration of the nerve anymore, right, 0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:35.560 which I wonder if they do, though, Well that's what 0:17:35.720 --> 0:17:38.200 he says. I bet you he has follow ups and 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:41.120 every once in a while, yeah, maybe see where it's at. Yeah, 0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:43.240 not how it used to be though, And he's not 0:17:43.320 --> 0:17:45.800 wearing the brace anymore, which clearly I think that probably 0:17:45.840 --> 0:17:47.920 restricted him a little bit and turned to this movement. 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:51.520 It's like wearing a ski boot, you know. It wasn't 0:17:51.600 --> 0:17:54.040 that big though, Yeah, no, but it was just kind 0:17:54.080 --> 0:17:56.920 of but you tape, you tape that thing up, and 0:17:57.000 --> 0:17:59.200 it looks like they use seven rolls at tape to 0:17:59.280 --> 0:18:01.880 get his shoe on, you know, And that no telling 0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:04.960 what else they have to do inside the sock, you know, 0:18:05.240 --> 0:18:07.879 or outside the sock whatever they're doing there. So I 0:18:07.920 --> 0:18:11.280 can't feel great. Yeah, yeah, clearly there were times he 0:18:11.400 --> 0:18:13.240 had problem. I mean, the burst wasn't there, and I 0:18:13.400 --> 0:18:16.000 don't know, he said all those baby steps to take 0:18:16.040 --> 0:18:19.159 a big step. Now he doesn't do that. Anything goes 0:18:19.280 --> 0:18:21.720 to the credit of doctor Cooper and Britt Brown and 0:18:21.760 --> 0:18:25.359 those guys, and to credit to him the player. You know, 0:18:25.560 --> 0:18:27.520 they they had a plan for what they were going 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:29.040 to do and they and they said it. They had 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:31.399 twenty eighteen was going to be the start of what 0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:33.800 you were going to see with Jalen Smith. And they're right. 0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:37.320 John Smith clearly is a better football player than he 0:18:37.520 --> 0:18:40.040 was last year. And last year I thought he made 0:18:40.080 --> 0:18:43.520 incredible strides. This year, he you know, you talk about 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:47.400 the things he could do, the coverage, the blitzing, the tackling, 0:18:47.640 --> 0:18:51.479 the physical point of attack play. You know, that's why 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:53.080 you draft a guy like that. Man, they took a 0:18:53.280 --> 0:18:56.159 huge risk, huge risk, and you had to you had 0:18:56.200 --> 0:18:59.560 to also factor in last year, he hadn't played football 0:18:59.640 --> 0:19:03.159 for a year and three quarters. Yeah, basically, if that 0:19:03.280 --> 0:19:07.320 injury was in the first of January and a start 0:19:07.400 --> 0:19:11.000 playing in September, that's a long time. The next year, 0:19:11.200 --> 0:19:12.879 not that year. The next year. Yeah, I mean what 0:19:13.000 --> 0:19:15.879 we were told was anything he gives you in twenty 0:19:15.960 --> 0:19:18.760 seventeen is kind of gravy. Yeah, because this is the 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:20.439 year and this has been a year. Yeah, I mean 0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:22.920 I think he can even get better. Yeah, I really do. 0:19:23.280 --> 0:19:25.840 And you watch him play and there's some incredible things 0:19:25.920 --> 0:19:28.680 he does right now. But you're thinking, oh man, he's 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.159 he's gonna he's gonna get that feeling back again? Did he? 0:19:32.240 --> 0:19:34.840 And he's starting to? He really is. And I could 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:37.199 say Vandersch gets a lot of credit and we'll deserved. 0:19:37.240 --> 0:19:39.800 For last week. I think Jalen Smith was just as 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:42.639 good as he was playing a linebacker last week for 0:19:42.680 --> 0:19:46.040 the college. Didn't win Offensive Player of the Week. I 0:19:46.119 --> 0:19:48.480 guess not. I didn't see who won it. Oh okay, 0:19:48.680 --> 0:19:52.360 yeah he's up for the FedEx Ground Award. Chubb when 0:19:52.400 --> 0:19:55.200 that maybe the guy from Cleveland. I watched him. Yeah, 0:19:55.240 --> 0:19:59.120 he had one run of ninety five yards. I saw that. Yeah, 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:02.600 get you in ninety nine though, no, it's not quite 0:20:02.680 --> 0:20:05.800 Tony d But that was against Atlanta, by the way, Yeah, 0:20:05.880 --> 0:20:08.879 Sunday's opponent. Let's let's take our first break. Talk a 0:20:08.960 --> 0:20:12.480 little Falcons. Maybe that's why they're thirtieth against the run. 0:20:13.040 --> 0:20:15.800 Maybe so? Or was it against the past? I can't 0:20:15.840 --> 0:20:20.160 remember what they were really bad in one cat that too? 0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:22.040 Why don't you only take our break and you tell 0:20:22.119 --> 0:20:26.040 us why next? On Talking Cowboys, Mickey has been helping 0:20:26.080 --> 0:20:28.840 Cowboys fans see better since nineteen seventy two, said they 0:20:28.880 --> 0:20:31.200 don't miss a moment on the field. 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