WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Earl-y Assumptions 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:07.240 The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:19.400 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Are you ready for 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:23.120 a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:23.239 --> 0:00:27.440 Ready for a break? Yeah, and so much for that. 0:00:27.680 --> 0:00:32.840 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:39.159 with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek Eagleton. 0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:47.240 It is Wednesday, August twenty six, twenty twenty, Season sixteen, 0:00:47.320 --> 0:00:51.160 Episode number sixteen. Welcome to another edition of The Break. 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:54.120 I am live from the virtual s WBC Mortgage Studio. 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:57.960 I got Dave Hellman, Nick Eatman, Amber Garcia along with me, 0:00:58.000 --> 0:00:59.760 and we got an hour of Cowboys talk for you 0:00:59.760 --> 0:01:03.200 guys right here on the Break. We're going to get 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:05.160 into a lot of topics today. Actually, we're gonna do 0:01:05.240 --> 0:01:07.760 some camp battles. Cowboys about halfway through training camp at 0:01:07.800 --> 0:01:10.400 this point. It's hard to believe, but in proximbly two 0:01:10.440 --> 0:01:12.280 and a half weeks, Cowboys will be playing their first 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:15.559 game against the Rams in Los Angeles. But we're gonna 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:17.639 talk about some camp battles. We have about six different 0:01:17.640 --> 0:01:20.000 positions that we're going to talk about, some different players 0:01:20.040 --> 0:01:23.160 and how they're performing, how they're competing. But before we 0:01:23.200 --> 0:01:25.279 get to that, we have to start with a topic 0:01:25.760 --> 0:01:28.240 that we've talked about many times on this show before 0:01:28.480 --> 0:01:31.640 and thought we were done with the topic until late 0:01:31.720 --> 0:01:35.399 last week when Earl Thomas became available because the Baltimore 0:01:35.800 --> 0:01:38.240 Ravens cut him. So let's talk a little bit about 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:42.039 this guys. Jerry says yesterday in an interview that he 0:01:42.080 --> 0:01:44.920 did with our local radio partner, The Fan, we're just 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:47.880 weighing where we are on the roster right now. He 0:01:48.000 --> 0:01:51.040 was noncommittal that the Cowboys would actually have interest in 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:54.160 signing him, but he also made it clear that anybody 0:01:54.200 --> 0:01:56.600 reporting that they are not interested doesn't know what they're 0:01:56.600 --> 0:02:00.360 talking about. So I'll start first with just Earl Thomas 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:03.240 as a player based upon what the Cowboys have right 0:02:03.240 --> 0:02:05.320 now on their roster, and understand that Jerry says, they're 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:08.200 looking at the roster, looking at their own safeties. Where 0:02:08.200 --> 0:02:11.000 do you think Earl Thomas would rate relative to those guys? 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:13.480 Does he come in, Is he immediately much better, becomes 0:02:13.480 --> 0:02:15.640 a starter, so maybe it makes it worth it, or 0:02:15.639 --> 0:02:17.200 do you think at this point in his career maybe 0:02:17.240 --> 0:02:19.160 there's a bit of a decline and he just kind 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:21.680 of fits in, it's maybe not worth the hassle of 0:02:21.720 --> 0:02:25.120 bringing him in. I'll start first with you, Nick. His 0:02:25.200 --> 0:02:28.240 last game was the Pro Bowl. He's going to be 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:31.520 better than anybody on the team at safety. He's better 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:36.160 than those guys. They know that going in. They don't 0:02:36.240 --> 0:02:38.799 need to see more tape of Darien Thompson or Xavier 0:02:38.840 --> 0:02:42.920 Woods or Haha to realize where he's gonna fit. They're trying, 0:02:43.000 --> 0:02:46.880 I think they're trying to weigh the three pages of 0:02:46.919 --> 0:02:49.480 baggage that come with them and see if it fits in. 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:53.240 But in my mind, he's still head and shoulders above 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:56.240 every safety on this team and probably all but one 0:02:56.320 --> 0:03:01.320 or two in the NFL amber. I mean, there's not 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:04.000 much to add to that. That's a guy that has 0:03:04.040 --> 0:03:07.880 so much experience. The upside is that the coaches have 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:11.679 plenty of tape that they can look at to evaluate 0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:14.400 him compared to all these younger guys that it's just 0:03:14.680 --> 0:03:19.120 so much difficult to really know how these players are 0:03:19.160 --> 0:03:21.600 really going to turn out when the lights come on 0:03:21.720 --> 0:03:24.680 in a real game. So he has the whole advantage 0:03:24.680 --> 0:03:27.280 that he is a proven player, He has the experience, 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:31.000 and we've been talking about him for what three years now, 0:03:31.240 --> 0:03:33.640 so we know that he has the talent, and I 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:37.280 think he would be the best guy within the group 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:41.720 that the Cowboys currently have. Dave, I do want to 0:03:42.000 --> 0:03:44.160 I want to say, at least for the record, I mean, 0:03:44.480 --> 0:03:48.000 you would not be signing the earl from the twenty 0:03:48.040 --> 0:03:51.160 thirteen and twenty fourteen legion of Boom. I don't think 0:03:51.160 --> 0:03:54.760 he's that player anymore. But it's a testament to the 0:03:54.800 --> 0:03:57.040 work that the Cowboys have not done at the safety 0:03:57.120 --> 0:04:00.120 position that he would still easily be an upgrade over 0:04:00.240 --> 0:04:02.920 what they have. I don't think there's any question about it. 0:04:03.400 --> 0:04:06.680 I don't think you know you're getting in above average 0:04:06.680 --> 0:04:08.720 safety instead of an elite one at this point in 0:04:08.760 --> 0:04:12.400 his career. Probably, but there's no evidence that says they 0:04:12.440 --> 0:04:15.560 have another above average safety. So yeah, I mean's his 0:04:15.680 --> 0:04:18.360 game has probably dropped off a decent amount, but he 0:04:18.440 --> 0:04:21.040 would still be an upgrade. And that's, you know, to 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:25.760 nixt point, that ain't the question. So I guess let's 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:27.920 go and talk about that question. I think we all 0:04:27.920 --> 0:04:32.520 agree and Earl Thomas is from a play standpoint above 0:04:32.760 --> 0:04:36.080 what maybe you have already on the roster. How much 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:38.440 do the things that are off the field the things 0:04:38.480 --> 0:04:41.240 that happened in Baltimore. How much of those things concern you. 0:04:41.279 --> 0:04:44.120 He had to in a situation that came up with 0:04:44.279 --> 0:04:47.080 his wife during the offseason where she pulled a gun 0:04:47.120 --> 0:04:50.239 on him. We had a situation, obviously with the Baltimore 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:52.560 Ravens where there was a teammate who we got into 0:04:52.600 --> 0:04:56.040 a fight with, and supposedly reports are that their their 0:04:56.120 --> 0:05:01.039 team inner council made it clear to the head coach 0:05:01.160 --> 0:05:03.359 and others in the organization that they were okay with 0:05:03.400 --> 0:05:05.840 the idea of him no longer being with them. All 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:08.479 that being said, how can start do you with those 0:05:08.520 --> 0:05:11.279 other issues that come along with Earl Thomas. Let's start 0:05:11.320 --> 0:05:17.320 with you, Amber. I am done after hearing all of this. 0:05:17.880 --> 0:05:20.760 I am done with the whole Earl Thomas hype and 0:05:20.839 --> 0:05:24.120 wanting the Cowboys to sign him. Honestly, when it comes 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.960 to all those off field issues, to me, I look, 0:05:27.080 --> 0:05:29.920 those things are very very important, especially when you hear 0:05:30.000 --> 0:05:33.600 the severity of it. You should never, ever, no matter 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:36.240 what the situation was on the field, you should never 0:05:36.480 --> 0:05:39.600 get into a delayma or a fight with a teammate. 0:05:39.839 --> 0:05:43.400 I don't think that's acceptable and that really hurts your 0:05:43.440 --> 0:05:46.000 locker room You don't want that from a veteran guy. 0:05:46.120 --> 0:05:49.320 You don't want that from someone that you would expect 0:05:49.400 --> 0:05:52.640 to be a leader in the group. So I just 0:05:52.760 --> 0:05:56.360 don't think it's healthy for the locker room and the 0:05:56.360 --> 0:06:00.440 relationship and the dynamic that this team has finally being 0:06:00.480 --> 0:06:04.200 able to build during the past couple of years. Dave, 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:11.800 you know, I have I have a few thoughts about this. Um. I. 0:06:12.760 --> 0:06:17.720 It's obviously bad. There's obviously a lot of baggage. Um. Clearly, 0:06:17.839 --> 0:06:20.000 it's not one thing that leads you to get kicked 0:06:20.000 --> 0:06:22.240 off of a team like that. Having said that, I 0:06:22.279 --> 0:06:26.920 will say this is there's this is a very popular 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:29.480 playbook with NFL teams. Is this? You know, this stuff 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:31.720 never leaks out until the guy is gone, and then 0:06:31.760 --> 0:06:34.159 when you want an argument for cutting him, there's this 0:06:34.240 --> 0:06:36.560 mountain of evidence that nobody ever talked about. You know, 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:40.080 we experienced it with Dez Bryant to a degree where 0:06:40.720 --> 0:06:42.640 he had all of these quirks that were funny and 0:06:42.720 --> 0:06:44.800 charming when he was very good, and then when they 0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:46.880 wanted to justify getting rid of him, he was the 0:06:46.920 --> 0:06:51.920 worst person in the world. Um. Having said that, every year, 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:56.120 if you follow the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens are so 0:06:56.320 --> 0:06:58.720 highly thought of for how smart they are. They kill 0:06:58.800 --> 0:07:02.359 the draft every year. They find guys like Lamar Jackson 0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:05.760 outside the first round. They trade a fifth round pick 0:07:05.839 --> 0:07:10.000 for Klais Campbell. You know, they are smart. They're one 0:07:10.040 --> 0:07:12.880 of the best run organizations in the NFL. And for 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:15.800 them to be willing to eat that contract to get 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:20.080 rid of him says a lot to me. Like they're 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:22.120 just like, we don't care if we have to pay 0:07:22.160 --> 0:07:25.559 you this. We want you gone. Our players want you gone. 0:07:26.080 --> 0:07:28.400 That's a fourteen and two team that was a game 0:07:28.440 --> 0:07:33.080 away from the NFC or the AFC championship game. That's 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.680 troubling to me. So it's, yeah, I don't know. It 0:07:35.720 --> 0:07:40.200 gives me a lot of pause, all right, you know, 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:45.200 Da Dave. Your point is it reminds me of when 0:07:45.480 --> 0:07:50.960 Seattle traded for Jamal Adams, and it's like, oh my god, 0:07:51.040 --> 0:07:53.640 the Cowboys they couldn't afford that if that's the price, 0:07:53.920 --> 0:07:56.760 But Seattle can afford it because Seattle has done better. 0:07:56.960 --> 0:07:59.760 They're in the playoffs every year, they've drafted better, they've 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:01.880 got better players around it, and they've got a quarterback 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:04.840 locked up, so they could do that where the Cowboys couldn't. 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:08.200 That brings me back to your point there. The Baltimore 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:11.160 Ravens are like, we can't. We're good, we don't need that. 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:14.560 While it's troubling, the Cowboys are not in that situation. 0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:18.040 The Cowboys need players like that, and so they're not 0:08:18.120 --> 0:08:20.160 in the same boat of saying we'll figure it out 0:08:20.200 --> 0:08:22.520 because we got these other guys. The Cowboys have been 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:25.240 trying to figure out safety since this guy, Darren Woodson, 0:08:25.480 --> 0:08:30.240 so they're in a different boat. And Jerry nineteen ninety two, 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:33.040 September of ninety two. I'm not sure everybody on this 0:08:33.080 --> 0:08:36.400 show was alive then, or at least out of diapers. 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:40.199 But Jerry still remembers that Charles Haley came in and 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:43.320 lifted this team to another level. He still knows that 0:08:43.320 --> 0:08:45.560 that might be twenty eight years ago or twenty seventy 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:49.240 or whatever, but he knows that, and he still relies 0:08:49.240 --> 0:08:52.000 on maybe Earl Thomas or maybe these guys, is that 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:54.520 one thing we need to go over the top. So, 0:08:55.120 --> 0:08:57.439 you know, a lot of people in this organization I 0:08:57.480 --> 0:09:02.520 think are agreeing with you guys, but Jerry is it 0:09:02.520 --> 0:09:05.079 holds the cards, and I think Jerry still thinks this 0:09:05.120 --> 0:09:08.400 guy might be the one if he remember to be 0:09:08.480 --> 0:09:13.439 clear about this, Okay, but if if he remembers Charles Hayley, 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:15.559 I hope he remembers Greg Hardy too, because it can 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:21.160 go the other way. I'm just saying, yeah, I mean, 0:09:21.240 --> 0:09:24.080 without it, without a doubt, it can. But I mean 0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:28.920 that and I think that this is this football team 0:09:29.040 --> 0:09:31.000 is probably not gonna go four and twelve. I mean 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:34.280 Greg Hardy, Greg Hardy wasn't going to help that that team, 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:36.960 and yet Greg Hardy destroyed the locker room. I mean 0:09:37.000 --> 0:09:38.959 that there's no doubt about it. But I think the 0:09:39.000 --> 0:09:42.880 difference is between those teams is Charles Hayley didn't come 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:46.160 in and and he wasn't necessarily the leader that that 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:49.400 that team was already kind of getting established. Greg Hardy 0:09:49.440 --> 0:09:51.839 played games when Kellen Moore was the quarterback and Brandon 0:09:51.840 --> 0:09:54.600 Wheaton and Castle and all that where that that whole 0:09:54.640 --> 0:09:57.720 year was kind of dysfunctional. But um, you're right, I 0:09:57.760 --> 0:10:00.840 mean you can you can always say that there's the reasons. 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:03.280 I mean, and there's a lot more than Gregg Hardy's 0:10:03.040 --> 0:10:06.600 He's lost more than he has won. When you're taking 0:10:06.679 --> 0:10:08.520 chances on these guys of a couple in the two 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:10.800 thousand and eight season come to mind. But you know, 0:10:11.200 --> 0:10:14.200 this year seems kind of different, so I could see where, 0:10:14.480 --> 0:10:18.920 you know, maybe this will work. Maybe yeah, I'll throw 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:20.960 this out too, Dave. I know you mentioned, you know, 0:10:21.080 --> 0:10:24.760 sometimes it becomes just kind of something that people say 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:27.440 once a guy's gone. It's a convenient thing. But you know, 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:29.600 I'll you use the example of Dez Bryan. I'll say, 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:32.760 even when Dez was here, we heard about things internally 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:36.360 that weren't necessarily publicly known, but things that were happening 0:10:36.440 --> 0:10:39.240 during the time when Dez was here, where there were 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:42.079 some eyebrows being raised within the building about certain things 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.079 he was doing and sometimes getting away with. So I 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:47.600 don't know that I necessarily dismiss a lot of those 0:10:47.640 --> 0:10:49.400 things that come out once a player's gone. I actually 0:10:49.440 --> 0:10:51.400 take the other approach. I actually look at it and 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:53.720 say a lot of times the truth actually comes out 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:55.920 when a player has gone because there are no consequences 0:10:55.920 --> 0:10:57.959 to the truth coming out. So I tend to believe 0:10:58.040 --> 0:10:59.719 some of the stuff we're hearing about what's coming out 0:10:59.720 --> 0:11:02.120 of ball to more. I just personally believe the guy 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:05.720 maybe a little bit better than the problems that maybe 0:11:05.760 --> 0:11:08.040 he was having there go ahead day. Well, I will 0:11:08.080 --> 0:11:10.960 also say the other and that's a good point. You know, 0:11:11.480 --> 0:11:14.160 when there's no consequences, you can speak more freely. The 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:16.600 other thing is you're willing to put up with that 0:11:16.679 --> 0:11:20.440 stuff if a guy's amazing, and you know, Dez wasn't 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:22.800 amazing anymore when they decided to move on from him. 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:26.240 And I still maintain my point that Earl is probably no, 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:29.120 he's definitely better than what the Cowboys have, but is 0:11:29.200 --> 0:11:31.760 he on that level where he is worth that headache? 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:34.480 I mean, if he is Barnum the best safety in 0:11:34.480 --> 0:11:38.880 the NFL, sure, if he's the twelfth best safety in 0:11:38.920 --> 0:11:41.440 the NFL, is it's still worth it? And I think 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:45.120 that's probably what they're weighing, or have been weighing, you know, 0:11:45.160 --> 0:11:51.640 this week. You know, but Camper, I was gonna say 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:54.040 real quick, it makes me wonder. We know how much 0:11:54.480 --> 0:11:56.800 Earl has been wanting to be a part of the 0:11:56.960 --> 0:11:59.880 Dallas Cowboys, so it makes me wonder if he was 0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:03.200 to get here and be signed by the Cowboys, does 0:12:03.240 --> 0:12:05.880 he change his behavior? Does he go from doing all 0:12:05.880 --> 0:12:08.360 these things to now, let me put it all my 0:12:09.080 --> 0:12:12.439 good boy, hat and do good here and just act 0:12:12.480 --> 0:12:14.560 better and try to be that kind of leader because 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:18.360 he wants to be with the Cowboys. So this is 0:12:18.400 --> 0:12:23.040 a tough one, honestly. But you know, everything that is 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:28.080 that you can read about him stems from he seems unhappy. 0:12:28.280 --> 0:12:31.600 He means he was unhappy in Seattle to the point 0:12:31.640 --> 0:12:34.000 to run all the way to the other locker room. 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:37.080 And if you're not a Cowboy fan, you hate that. 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:39.319 Cowboy fans didn't bother because they're like, wow, maybe he 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:42.600 wants to come here, but that's terrible for a player 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:46.360 to really do that. Now. I think she makes a 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:48.880 good point though. If this is where he ultimately wants 0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.640 to be, then and he also has to figure out 0:12:51.679 --> 0:12:53.199 do you want to play football or not? I mean, 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:55.719 do you want to be remembered as this guy and 0:12:56.120 --> 0:12:58.640 kind of tarnish your career or do you want to say, hey, 0:12:58.760 --> 0:13:01.400 let's get it together, let's play. You're you're with the 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:03.920 team you want to be, your back closer to home 0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:07.800 at act right, put on your good boy hat if 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:11.800 there is one, and and you know what else do 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:13.719 you need? I mean, we've got it. You know, an 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:16.240 offense here for you that that should score some points. 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:20.040 We got seventeen pass rushers in front. I mean, what 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:22.559 else is there? So I think I think he might 0:13:22.640 --> 0:13:25.280 look at this and go, this would be you know, 0:13:25.320 --> 0:13:27.560 I've got to act right and I've got to you know, 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:30.560 clean this thing up. Yeah. I think the other point 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:32.760 you remember there is that you also have to remember 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:35.520 that when it comes to these guys, really not just 0:13:35.559 --> 0:13:37.840 these guys, I'm talking about people in general. When you 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:40.680 insert a person into a group dynamic, they may not 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:42.640 fit in one group, and then they moved to another 0:13:42.679 --> 0:13:45.480 group and may fit very perfectly. Right. We don't know 0:13:45.520 --> 0:13:47.640 the dynamics of that group. We don't know what players 0:13:47.679 --> 0:13:49.520 he got along with didn't get along with. We don't 0:13:49.559 --> 0:13:51.520 know who was the leader and who wasn't like, who 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:54.079 was saying things that maybe he took offense to, or 0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:56.520 what was he saying that maybe someone else took offense to. 0:13:56.800 --> 0:13:59.200 Are those same dynamics here in Dallas? We don't know. 0:13:59.520 --> 0:14:01.800 I do want no one thing that I personally believe. 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:04.160 I'll ask this question to you, guys. I think that 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:06.520 the veterans, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, 0:14:06.559 --> 0:14:10.160 and this team particular, particularly people like like like take 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:13.520 Um I think there are strong personalities. I think they 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:17.040 have skins on the wall, Um, and I think they 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:19.200 they would challenge him in a way that I think 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:21.840 he would respect and maybe vice versa. And I think, 0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:24.000 you know, again, I don't know what the dynamic was 0:14:24.040 --> 0:14:26.480 in Baltimore, but my question for you guys is do 0:14:26.520 --> 0:14:28.840 you think that the leadership here on this team, and 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:31.800 you could specify on the defense, is strong enough that 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:33.760 even if he were to come here and something were 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:36.400 to go wrong, that there would that that it wouldn't 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:39.680 destroy the locker room because they have good leadership. Let's 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:43.600 start with with you, Dave. I think, I mean, you 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:46.560 laid it out really nicely, and I absolutely think that 0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:49.040 they do have the you know, they have the character 0:14:49.080 --> 0:14:54.760 to whether that between Tank Tyrone Crawford, UM, Jalen Smiths, 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:56.560 Layton Vanner Esh. I mean, the list goes on, but 0:14:56.720 --> 0:15:00.440 I'll bring it up again, Um, that twenty fifth team 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:02.520 was not devoid of guys with skins on the wall. 0:15:02.560 --> 0:15:04.200 I mean, I know he got hurt, but Tony Romo 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:06.800 was here. Dez Bryant was coming off the best season 0:15:06.880 --> 0:15:10.120 of his career. Say what you will about his production, 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:13.040 but Jeremy Mincy was a respected and well liked leader 0:15:13.040 --> 0:15:15.240 of that team. You know, he won the Good Guy 0:15:15.280 --> 0:15:18.720 Award two years in a row. Brandon Carr was here, 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:20.880 a high character guy with a lot of skins on 0:15:20.880 --> 0:15:24.720 the wall, and it didn't stop Greg Hardy from just 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:27.760 messing everything up. And you don't want to put all 0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:29.840 the blame on him, but I think that was instrumental 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:34.480 in getting Randy Gregory off the right track. So to 0:15:34.640 --> 0:15:37.280 some degree, I agree with you, but I also just 0:15:37.360 --> 0:15:40.000 I don't think you can predict it that cleanly. Uh yeah, 0:15:40.040 --> 0:15:42.400 I mean, all all those guys were here last year, 0:15:42.440 --> 0:15:45.240 and we all agree the chemistry wasn't there for the 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:48.640 defense last year. There were some big time problems, especially 0:15:48.680 --> 0:15:50.880 toward the end of the season when things were frustrating, 0:15:51.600 --> 0:15:54.440 and that was with Tank here and Jalen here, and 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:56.720 again I know it was hurt, but Tyrone Crawford was 0:15:56.760 --> 0:16:00.960 still hanging around. I mean, to some degree, I'm not 0:16:01.120 --> 0:16:04.040 sure that even the best locker room can combat that 0:16:04.120 --> 0:16:08.720 stuff perfectly. And that's why this gives me so much pause. Honestly, Well, 0:16:08.800 --> 0:16:10.240 let me ask you this, though, Dave. I want to 0:16:10.280 --> 0:16:14.400 make sure I'm clear you believe that that Greg Hardy 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:18.080 basically was the reason for poor play or do you 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:20.080 think it just affected that room or do you think 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:22.920 it affected the entire defense? What are you saying about 0:16:22.960 --> 0:16:26.680 what Greg Hardy brought brought Greg Hardy brought to the team. 0:16:26.800 --> 0:16:28.840 I think he had a really negative impact on the 0:16:28.880 --> 0:16:30.960 locker room in a lot of ways. I mean, I 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:36.880 thought that was pretty well documented. Okay, well what happens, Well, 0:16:36.920 --> 0:16:41.160 what happens there is you're also you also got to 0:16:41.200 --> 0:16:45.200 remember who was the best player on that defense, Greg Hardy. 0:16:45.720 --> 0:16:48.560 He was the best player. Now he was a problem 0:16:49.040 --> 0:16:52.040 off the field. He was problem on the field. That's 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:55.120 there's really no difference between that and tarall Owens. When 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:57.680 you get a guy in here whose talent is better 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:00.840 than the others. David Irving's another example too, David Irving 0:17:00.840 --> 0:17:03.880 a guy. These guys play well on the field, it's 0:17:03.880 --> 0:17:07.280 hard to justify what they're doing. Then off the field 0:17:07.400 --> 0:17:09.639 they don't do everything they need to. So why if 0:17:09.680 --> 0:17:13.040 you're a young guy in Hardy's case, Greg Randy, Gregory, 0:17:13.080 --> 0:17:16.280 DeMarcus Lawrence, why should they be showing up early to meetings? 0:17:16.280 --> 0:17:18.960 Why should they not fall asleep in meetings? This guy's 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:22.760 doing it and he's fine. It's like we say all 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:26.080 the time, Derek, they these guys halt leadership. It's hard 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:29.040 to be a leader because you can't tell let's say 0:17:29.040 --> 0:17:31.960 Earl Thomas comes here and he does it a certain 0:17:32.000 --> 0:17:33.880 way and Don Wilson's like, well that's the way I'm 0:17:33.880 --> 0:17:35.760 gonna do it, or that you know, Xavier Woods like 0:17:35.800 --> 0:17:38.240 I'm gonna do it that way too. That hurts leadership 0:17:38.400 --> 0:17:40.920 because you can't tell this guy one way he's better 0:17:40.920 --> 0:17:43.200 than you, he can do it this way. That That's 0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:46.040 why it's it's kind of tricky though, So you can 0:17:46.080 --> 0:17:48.760 say that about Greg Hardy. Greg Hardy was the best 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:50.920 player on the team. He showed up after four games, 0:17:51.040 --> 0:17:54.919 sack Brady twice before halftime. I mean, but was it 0:17:55.000 --> 0:18:00.400 worth it? No, it wasn't. So it's a leadership strong Enamber. 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:06.560 I just go back to what Dave said. There are 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:08.679 some things that you might not be able to change 0:18:08.680 --> 0:18:11.639 with strong leadership. I think that it does help that 0:18:11.720 --> 0:18:13.800 you have some guys like Tank in the locker room. 0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:16.480 It does help that this is the place where a 0:18:16.520 --> 0:18:19.199 guy like Errol Thomas wants to be or says he 0:18:19.240 --> 0:18:21.200 wants to be. But at the end of the day, 0:18:21.280 --> 0:18:25.880 those and even the examples that Dave and Nick just said, 0:18:26.920 --> 0:18:29.880 You see what happened there. These guys didn't hold up. 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:32.960 And maybe all you need is one season from this guy, 0:18:33.240 --> 0:18:36.120 and maybe you're content with that and it works out. 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:38.919 But at the end of the day, me personally, I 0:18:38.960 --> 0:18:42.120 don't think it's worth the headache. All Right, I want 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:44.040 to flip this conversation a little bit and take you 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:46.240 back when we first started talking about all the safeties 0:18:46.240 --> 0:18:49.560 at the position. Earlier this week we heard Mike McCarthy 0:18:49.600 --> 0:18:51.800 talking about Darien Thompson and having a lot of praise 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:54.800 for him, and you look at just what they have 0:18:55.080 --> 0:18:57.920 at safety, I think you'd probably characterize, or at least 0:18:57.920 --> 0:19:01.960 I'll characterize it as a lot of relatively young guys 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:06.000 that are that are obviously not where Earl Thomas ever 0:19:06.119 --> 0:19:08.960 was in his career, but maybe and even at this point, 0:19:09.000 --> 0:19:11.600 probably aren't as good as Earl Thomas, but maybe they 0:19:11.640 --> 0:19:15.399 are as sending players and maybe can reach a level 0:19:15.400 --> 0:19:17.719 of where Earl is right now, not necessarily where he 0:19:17.800 --> 0:19:20.159 was when he was the best safety or among the 0:19:20.400 --> 0:19:23.000 two or three best safeties in the league, but at 0:19:23.080 --> 0:19:25.480 least get to the point where they are above average safeties. 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:28.560 Do you think that the Cowboys should consider that If 0:19:28.600 --> 0:19:31.879 you agree with that premise and consider the fact that 0:19:31.920 --> 0:19:34.080 maybe you just stick with your young guys and let 0:19:34.119 --> 0:19:36.840 them continue to develop by getting more snaps rather than 0:19:36.880 --> 0:19:39.360 bringing in a guy like Earl Thomas. Let's start with you, Dave. 0:19:40.560 --> 0:19:43.800 That's and you know, I hate to sound like I'm 0:19:43.880 --> 0:19:45.800 riding the fence. Like at the end of the day, 0:19:46.400 --> 0:19:48.800 if the deal was right, if the money was right, 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:53.000 and Earl said the right stuff, I would probably be 0:19:53.080 --> 0:19:56.679 fine with them signing him. Because that's I don't feel 0:19:56.720 --> 0:20:01.439 great about this situation. You know, it's hard to judge 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:04.280 who's starting and who's gonna start, and they don't even 0:20:04.320 --> 0:20:07.200 want us to talk about it anyway. But the early 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:11.000 returns on haha, Clinton Dix don't look amazing. You know, 0:20:11.080 --> 0:20:15.199 he's not lighting camp on fire. And Darian Thompson, I 0:20:15.240 --> 0:20:18.480 think at this point, you know, they love him going 0:20:18.520 --> 0:20:21.600 back to the last coaching staff, but we haven't seen 0:20:21.680 --> 0:20:23.960 that play out on the field. Same thing with with 0:20:24.040 --> 0:20:26.119 Donovan Wilson. He's the fan favorite. We haven't seen a 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:28.640 play out on the field. So I don't feel great 0:20:28.680 --> 0:20:31.159 about what they have and that's what convinced. That's what 0:20:31.280 --> 0:20:36.000 keeps me from just saying absolutely not to Earl. So 0:20:36.320 --> 0:20:39.320 I don't have a great answer, But if they go 0:20:39.359 --> 0:20:41.640 into the season with this group, I think it's fair 0:20:41.680 --> 0:20:44.359 to call it the weakest position group on the roster, 0:20:46.400 --> 0:20:50.560 all right, Nick, I think tight end could challenge that. 0:20:50.640 --> 0:20:55.680 But but I think that the problem though on safety 0:20:56.160 --> 0:21:00.840 is if it's not safety or tight end, maybe it's cornerback. 0:21:01.240 --> 0:21:04.639 So you got your whole secondary back there that you 0:21:04.680 --> 0:21:06.440 know who's going to be leaning on who I mean, 0:21:06.480 --> 0:21:10.400