Speaker 1: The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com
Speaker 1: and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Let's go. Are you
Speaker 1: ready for a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely?
Speaker 1: Ready for a break? Yeah? And so much for that.
Speaker 1: It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com.
Speaker 1: Wait with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and
Speaker 1: Derek Eagleton. It is Tuesday, May first, two, eighteen, Season fourteen,
Speaker 1: episode number seven. Welcome to another edition of The Break,
Speaker 1: live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star, and
Speaker 1: we appreciate you guys to take us some time to
Speaker 1: talk to some Cowboys football with us today. Post draft,
Speaker 1: Cowboys completed the NFL twenty eighteen NFL Draft picked up
Speaker 1: what's the total number, five, six, seven, eight, nine players? Um?
Speaker 1: Nine players they drafted. I should say, we're gonna talk
Speaker 1: about a few of those guys, talk about some of
Speaker 1: the moves they did and did not make, and give
Speaker 1: you guys our opinions on where this team goes from here.
Speaker 1: How's everybody doing today? Great? Wonderful? Good? All right, so
Speaker 1: let's jump right in. M As I said, the Cowboys
Speaker 1: got nine nine draft picks. There were two players that
Speaker 1: they traded for Um. Let's talk first about just overall.
Speaker 1: What were your thoughts coming out of the draft based
Speaker 1: upon I guess it's hard to do that without talking
Speaker 1: about whatever your expectations were for them and what they
Speaker 1: were going to do. Based upon each of your expectations,
Speaker 1: how did you feel about what they were able to
Speaker 1: accomplish in the draft. Let's start with you, Nick. I
Speaker 1: thought they drafted for need. Um. I think that they
Speaker 1: you know, they'll say all the time that they got
Speaker 1: best available player, and maybe maybe they did in certain cases.
Speaker 1: But I thought they had a need going in and
Speaker 1: they drafted for need, especially with the first pick. In
Speaker 1: the second pick, I still think that was a need
Speaker 1: pick because Connor Williams is going to play guard. So overall,
Speaker 1: I just thought that that they went in here with
Speaker 1: some glaring needs. They didn't address all of them. There's
Speaker 1: one still sitting out there, and I think it to
Speaker 1: that they'll get to it, and they will get to it.
Speaker 1: But I thought overall they had some needs that they
Speaker 1: didn't address a free agency and they drafted that way. Amber.
Speaker 1: What were your thoughts? I like it. I liked the
Speaker 1: overall everything that they did. I was surprised though, to
Speaker 1: see how many wide receivers they got. I really didn't
Speaker 1: believe wide receiver was that big of a need, you know, so,
Speaker 1: I mean it is, but as of right now, if
Speaker 1: you're wanting to get right wide receiver, I would have
Speaker 1: expected someone way higher than the guys that got. And
Speaker 1: I guess that falls down to what Nick was saying,
Speaker 1: kind of getting best player available, and that's kind of
Speaker 1: what they said to along the draft when it goes
Speaker 1: to those rounds, you just go for the best one available.
Speaker 1: I didn't say that, I said that they got. I
Speaker 1: think they got best available need, yeah, which is very well,
Speaker 1: very way to put yeah. Yeah, and then they have
Speaker 1: plenty of needs. I mean, I mean it's pretty broad.
Speaker 1: So I just it still surprised me, and it surprised
Speaker 1: me not to see the whole safety situation. I mean,
Speaker 1: you get, you got very close to Derwin James and
Speaker 1: nothing happened there. But it just shows that they really
Speaker 1: weren't interested in someone like him, and in fact, they
Speaker 1: just believe linebacker was a bigger need. That is. Yeah.
Speaker 1: I think that last thing you said is right. And
Speaker 1: I've said this a million times in the last couple
Speaker 1: of weeks. Like the biggest secret in the NFL is
Speaker 1: that they all draft for need. That's my opinion. I mean,
Speaker 1: you do the homework and you lay it all out
Speaker 1: the best that you can, but at the end of
Speaker 1: the day, you're going to opt for the guy that
Speaker 1: addresses the needs on your team. I think there's maybe
Speaker 1: five teams in the league that don't operate that way,
Speaker 1: and their teams like New England, who have had enough
Speaker 1: success that they're not worried about their jobs. So I
Speaker 1: don't think it's a coincidence. You go down the line
Speaker 1: of their picks, with the exception of ignoring safety, almost
Speaker 1: all their picks addressed a need. I mean, what are
Speaker 1: the odds that that would continually happen down the course
Speaker 1: of seven rounds in the draft? You know, But I
Speaker 1: think they got good value. I said this in our
Speaker 1: draft coverage over the weekend. I think even if you
Speaker 1: think that Layton Van was a bit of a reach,
Speaker 1: I think if you factor that in with I think
Speaker 1: they got amazing value in Connor Williams. I think, you know,
Speaker 1: they looked at Justin Reid in the second round. I
Speaker 1: think they decided Connor Williams was a better pick. I
Speaker 1: agree with that they got great value with Michael Gallup,
Speaker 1: a guy that they said they thought about drafting at fifty,
Speaker 1: and then all down the line. I thought they got
Speaker 1: really good value with their picks, and most of them
Speaker 1: addressed the need. It's interesting that they ignored safety, but
Speaker 1: I understand that that's the way the draft breaks. I
Speaker 1: think when you factor it all into one big picture,
Speaker 1: what they did makes a lot of sense. We'll see
Speaker 1: if the players are any good. We will talk about
Speaker 1: the safety position because I think there's a lot to
Speaker 1: dive into there Before we do that, though, I do
Speaker 1: want to talk about the first round pick Vander I'm sorry,
Speaker 1: um Um Layton Vanderesh at the time when he when
Speaker 1: the Cowboys were on the on the clock, you had
Speaker 1: Rashaun Evans, who was a linebacker who was still available.
Speaker 1: You had Dj Moore and Calvin Ridley, both of the
Speaker 1: two highest rated wide receivers that you guys on the
Speaker 1: draft show. It talked quite a bit about heading into
Speaker 1: to the draft, as Amber said, a couple picks before
Speaker 1: Derwin James was there, which nobody expected him to get
Speaker 1: to that range. And I think we talked about even
Speaker 1: last week that if he got to thirteen fourteen, we
Speaker 1: would you know, be okay with the idea if the
Speaker 1: Cowboys are willing to jump up to try to make
Speaker 1: a play for him. All that being said, do you
Speaker 1: think the Cowboys or would you have preferred the Cowboys
Speaker 1: go a different direction than vander Esh in the first
Speaker 1: round With all of those other options sitting there on
Speaker 1: the board, you got to go off of what they wanted,
Speaker 1: and they they evaluated vander Esh higher than all of
Speaker 1: those players. Every one of them was higher, So there's
Speaker 1: no reason to trade up in their mind and get
Speaker 1: a player that's rated lower than vander Esh. And I
Speaker 1: think Derwin James was right there. If someone takes Vanderesh,
Speaker 1: then you know they'll probably they'd probably take the safety.
Speaker 1: But you know, I still think it's not all complete
Speaker 1: because they haven't addressed safety, and they will. They have to.
Speaker 1: There's no way they're not going to get a safety.
Speaker 1: So let's see what happened here, and then I think
Speaker 1: when you you know, lay it all out there, you're
Speaker 1: gonna be like, well, probably worked out better to go
Speaker 1: this route than this route, because who's going to be
Speaker 1: the be the linebacker? If you would have taken trade
Speaker 1: it up and taken Derwin James. You probably don't have
Speaker 1: Gallop right right, do either? You guys wish that they
Speaker 1: would have done something different in the first round. I've
Speaker 1: I've said it from the very beginning, like I am
Speaker 1: not in love with Layton vander Esh as a player
Speaker 1: right now, but I have zero qualms with what they did.
Speaker 1: I you know, I loved Derwin James all through the
Speaker 1: draft process. I love DJ Moore too, But again, you
Speaker 1: look I look at it as a puzzle, like you
Speaker 1: have to look at it all within context. If you
Speaker 1: and if you don't take a linebacker there, I feel
Speaker 1: terrible about what you're gonna find later in the draft.
Speaker 1: I feel especially terrible about what's going to happen if
Speaker 1: you trade up for Derwin James. Now you're probably not
Speaker 1: picking Michael Gallup. Maybe you can't address tight end the
Speaker 1: way you want to. And I hear people at home
Speaker 1: you don't pick for need, don't pick for need, but
Speaker 1: you can well not only that, but like you can
Speaker 1: do both. I legitimate I agree if Derwin James had
Speaker 1: been there, I still think they would have picked Laton
Speaker 1: vander Esh. And you can draft a linebacker who is
Speaker 1: capable of starting at nineteen while still holding onto picks
Speaker 1: that help you address other things, and so um, you know,
Speaker 1: I I had other guys that I liked more than him,
Speaker 1: But I think that I think the pick makes perfect
Speaker 1: sense and I don't have a single problem with that.
Speaker 1: All right, let's talk about the free safety position. Obviously,
Speaker 1: the big name that everybody was talking about was the
Speaker 1: possibility that the Cowboys would trade for Earl Thomas. So
Speaker 1: I'm gonna ask you guys straight up, if there were
Speaker 1: a scenario in the draft where the Cowboys could have
Speaker 1: given up their second round pick for Earl Thomas, would
Speaker 1: you have been willing to do that or would it
Speaker 1: had to have been a third or lower pick for
Speaker 1: you to go for Earl Thomas? If you had if
Speaker 1: there was a scenario where where fifty would would be
Speaker 1: what had to be given up, would you have been
Speaker 1: willing to give that up? And again, you got to
Speaker 1: do it in the context of you're giving it up
Speaker 1: as opposed to taking Connor Williams. Can we just say
Speaker 1: that the right? Can we just say that because I
Speaker 1: know that I'm pretty sure that there was Okay, Seattle
Speaker 1: was ready to do it. I think the Cowboys looked
Speaker 1: at it and said, Connor Williams, is it fits our
Speaker 1: need right now? And if we don't take him, then
Speaker 1: we're not addressing this need. And yes, we could. We
Speaker 1: address the safety position for one year at least um
Speaker 1: and and then by not doing it, you draft the
Speaker 1: guard or you draft Connor Williams, and it's still open
Speaker 1: to maybe get a veteran safety. If it's Earl Thomas
Speaker 1: or somebody else, you can still do it. So you
Speaker 1: don't close the door there. So I understand what they
Speaker 1: what they did there. Yeah, I wanted to. I still
Speaker 1: want that thing to happen, and I think it can
Speaker 1: and I still think it will. But I understand what
Speaker 1: they did there. It Okay, tell me who the veteran is,
Speaker 1: because it's Exaca Woods is not that your safety started,
Speaker 1: So it's gonna be somebody. He's gonna be. Just you're
Speaker 1: closing the door on that, yep. Okay, because he's because
Speaker 1: he's short, and he's fifth round and he's he's sixth round.
Speaker 1: They had a third round grade on him though, sorry,
Speaker 1: sixth round, sixth round pick. And I just don't think
Speaker 1: he's I mean, you don't think that this front office
Speaker 1: has shown a willingness to bank on their hopes for
Speaker 1: a player rather than the reality of the situation. They
Speaker 1: do it all the time. They do it all the time.
Speaker 1: I'm just saying they will back it up with somebody else.
Speaker 1: It'll be one of those three veterans or Earl Thomas.
Speaker 1: They'll be one of the three free agents out there. Oh.
Speaker 1: I agree, they're going to add a safety this summer.
Speaker 1: I would bet money on that they will add a safety,
Speaker 1: like an accomplished safety. And they'll tell us they like
Speaker 1: Xavier and he can compete in Caven. Oh yeah, cave
Speaker 1: On too and all that. I really, I mean, I
Speaker 1: don't know that it'll be anything worth getting excited about it.
Speaker 1: I mean, and I don't know anything. I don't I
Speaker 1: don't know that I think this is likely. I don't
Speaker 1: think they'll do anything to this position until the summer.
Speaker 1: But I wouldn't be surprised if it's JJ Wilcox. Just
Speaker 1: he just got cut yesterday. I'm that serious. You can
Speaker 1: be as upset about it, but honestly, I'd already have
Speaker 1: that guy, right. They have like four of those guys.
Speaker 1: I don't think. I don't think he gives you anything
Speaker 1: and that's probably I don't think JJ really gives you
Speaker 1: anything based upon the other guys that are out there.
Speaker 1: At least maybe there's an upside within that you haven't seen.
Speaker 1: He gives you a veteran who knows how to run
Speaker 1: the scheme and has shown that he can do it
Speaker 1: all right, as long as you limit his snap count, right, which,
Speaker 1: but again, we've seen this team do stuff like that
Speaker 1: before where they're just like, well, Heath can do it, yeah,
Speaker 1: like they do. I mean, this team has a lot
Speaker 1: of faith in their coaching and their scheme. And I'm
Speaker 1: not saying I agree with it, but I mean, this
Speaker 1: isn't a team that has done a ton of like
Speaker 1: bold swing for the fences type stuff over the last
Speaker 1: four years. And that's not to say that that's always
Speaker 1: been wrong, but they just they have a lot of
Speaker 1: confidence that their way can work. So I don't feel
Speaker 1: super confident that they're going to do something drastic. I
Speaker 1: do think they'll add to the position, but I don't
Speaker 1: know to answer. If you'd told me Friday morning that
Speaker 1: pick fifty would get me Earl Thomas, I would have
Speaker 1: been so all in, But knowing now that it was
Speaker 1: that it got you, Connor Williams. I'm a little more
Speaker 1: reluctant because I mean that that was a guy. He
Speaker 1: probably would have been a top fifteen pick if he'd
Speaker 1: come out after his junior year. And even still, I
Speaker 1: mean Brian had him rated higher than Layton vander Esh.
Speaker 1: I mean, this was a guy we talked when we
Speaker 1: went down to Austin for that pro day tour. We
Speaker 1: talked about him maybe being the first or second tackle
Speaker 1: off the board and maybe you draft him at nineteen.
Speaker 1: So again, you got insane value on that. So I'm
Speaker 1: reluctant to give that up for a thirty year old safety. Yeah.
Speaker 1: You know, I don't know how real or true this is,
Speaker 1: but sometimes I get to thinking and feeling that they
Speaker 1: might be focusing too much on their strength. You know,
Speaker 1: let's reinforce the old line, let's take care of the offense.
Speaker 1: You know, wide receiver lists, build this great offense. And
Speaker 1: I get it, that is your strong point and you
Speaker 1: should do that. But at the end of the day,
Speaker 1: they I feel like they remember seeing what they can
Speaker 1: do with Zeek and a great old line right now
Speaker 1: they're wanting to get that back. And it's like, once
Speaker 1: you get to a point in the season playoffs, we've
Speaker 1: seen that if you don't have a good defense that
Speaker 1: can go out there and stop the offense, you don't
Speaker 1: necessarily win games, right, So I just get afraid of
Speaker 1: them focusing too much on that aspect and kind of
Speaker 1: forgetting those little areas. As far as safety, when you
Speaker 1: talk about safety, they they've shown that it's not I mean,
Speaker 1: according to them, they're like, Okay, well, we're fine with
Speaker 1: what we got right now, Savior Woods. If we need
Speaker 1: to move back some guys back from a corner that
Speaker 1: they can play safety, you can do that. That's not
Speaker 1: what I'm wanting to hear. You know, that's a big
Speaker 1: need and it's disappointing to see that it was an address.
Speaker 1: And as far as linebacker, that came down to an
Speaker 1: obvious thing that they all know, shan Lee and we
Speaker 1: saw what happened last year. You got Tyren Smith, al
Speaker 1: shan Leel. You know what that causes. But at the
Speaker 1: same time, you can't forget about those other areas. But
Speaker 1: I think I think that's the key if you look
Speaker 1: at last season, and you guys may disagree, but I
Speaker 1: feel like last season when things went wrong, it was
Speaker 1: when Sean Lee was out of the lineup. It was
Speaker 1: when Tyren Smith was out of the lineup. And I think,
Speaker 1: obviously you can talk about Zeke as well, but I
Speaker 1: think those two players. I think we figured out very
Speaker 1: quickly that without those two players, they had bigger ramifications
Speaker 1: on a lot of other positions. And that's why I
Speaker 1: look at this draft and say, when you talk about
Speaker 1: them drafting for Need, I think was absolutely about Need.
Speaker 1: I think they looked at that too and said, even
Speaker 1: when you go back to free agency, the fact that
Speaker 1: they went and picked up Fleming, I think what they
Speaker 1: said with Fleming and what they said with Connor Williams
Speaker 1: is we are not going to be in a situation
Speaker 1: this year where if our left tackle goes down, we're screwed.
Speaker 1: We're going to give ourselves a chance to still be
Speaker 1: able to play. Because what we saw in that Atlanta
Speaker 1: game specifically, was after that Atlanta game, I don't think
Speaker 1: Dak was the same beyond that. And I think what
Speaker 1: they don't want to see as a young quarterback that
Speaker 1: gets ruined because an offensive line camp protect him, and
Speaker 1: that's what happened in Atlanta. So I think when you
Speaker 1: look at vander Esh and you look at Connor Williams.
Speaker 1: Those two picks were all about the fact that last
Speaker 1: season those two positions held your hostage and they don't
Speaker 1: want that to happen again. Now you have to make
Speaker 1: sure that you're not holding Dak's hand this whole season,
Speaker 1: and by that, I mean overprotecting him and the whole
Speaker 1: saying of making this offense Dak friendly. You're at the
Speaker 1: point that you can't do that. We need to find
Speaker 1: out who Dak really is and what he can really do.
Speaker 1: So there's some and it's great obviously we know we've
Speaker 1: seen the success they can have. But at the same time,
Speaker 1: it's you gotta be careful how much help you give
Speaker 1: that guy. I don't know. I mean, you can't over
Speaker 1: protect your quarterback on my opinion. That's I mean, I
Speaker 1: get it, but I guess where I'm trying to get at.
Speaker 1: It's like, I don't want them to just fully rely
Speaker 1: on the running game. I need to see Dak throwing
Speaker 1: those passes. I need to see him connecting with his receivers.
Speaker 1: You know, That's my point. It's like, Okay, let's not
Speaker 1: protecting that much, like and the fact like let's give
Speaker 1: him those easy throws again, or let's go back to
Speaker 1: what he did in twenty and sixteen. No, now we
Speaker 1: need to see some improvement there. Now we need to
Speaker 1: see that they can throw the ball down the field.
Speaker 1: Teams with NFL MVPs on their roster make picks to
Speaker 1: help and protect their quarterbacks. I mean, I yeah, I
Speaker 1: don't think you can do enough for that. And I
Speaker 1: get your point. You want to see some growth, You
Speaker 1: want to know that he can do stuff beyond just
Speaker 1: make the easy read. But I can't. I can't complain
Speaker 1: about making that running game as good as possible because
Speaker 1: I mean the running game fueled their run deep. You know,
Speaker 1: when they had a shot with Tony Romo, it was
Speaker 1: the run game. I mean, DeMarco ran for more yards
Speaker 1: than Zeke did, So that's I mean, that's something every
Speaker 1: quarterback should want. So I don't have a problem with that.
Speaker 1: And again, I see your point that you want to
Speaker 1: see Dak developed, But I think all of these picks
Speaker 1: will help in his development. So don't you just never
Speaker 1: know what can happen, And of course you want to
Speaker 1: be sure that your guy is able to do other things.
Speaker 1: Then hand off the ball and you have a great
Speaker 1: running game. You want to make sure you have other
Speaker 1: weapons and that you're able to succeed in that way
Speaker 1: because you never know what can happen. Well, that's a
Speaker 1: good point, and we're going to hold that right there.
Speaker 1: I do want to take a break. When we come back,
Speaker 1: we're going to talk about one of those other weapons
Speaker 1: that we'll see how he fits into this offense. But
Speaker 1: the Cowboys got and get speech to Tavon Austin. Let's
Speaker 1: talk about that when we come back. This is Dallas
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Speaker 1: So can you love for details? Family? Back to the Break,
Speaker 1: Welcome back. We're in the second segment of the Break
Speaker 1: live from the s WBC Mortgage studio that the Star
Speaker 1: were talking draft and we're talking a little bit of
Speaker 1: a little bit of trade action. Cowboys traded for a
Speaker 1: couple players this last week, busy weekend, and one of
Speaker 1: those players who I thought was a very interesting trade
Speaker 1: was Tavon Austin. This is a guy that when he
Speaker 1: was drafted, was drafted I think number eight overall, is
Speaker 1: that correct? It was first round, was high. It was
Speaker 1: definitely a top ten pick. It feels like he's been
Speaker 1: in the league a lot longer than I mean, he
Speaker 1: was in six years of twenty thirteen, so he was
Speaker 1: Travis's year. It seems like he's been in the league
Speaker 1: since like two thousand and seven. But it doesn't seem
Speaker 1: like and you guys can can have different opinion on this,
Speaker 1: but it doesn't seem like he's had the kind of
Speaker 1: impact that that you would probably expect from an eight
Speaker 1: overall pick. But that being said, um, I do think
Speaker 1: that players sometimes go to other places and they're used
Speaker 1: in different ways, and you can utilize them and realize
Speaker 1: benefits of them in different ways. So talk to me
Speaker 1: about what he does. What does he bring to the
Speaker 1: table that the Cowboys didn't currently have when they decided
Speaker 1: to trade for him. He's experienced, the dynamic type player
Speaker 1: that can probably use the sideline to sideline better than
Speaker 1: they've had in the past. I think he's he's like
Speaker 1: what they wanted to get out of Lucky Whitehead, but
Speaker 1: a little bit more vertical and down the field. UM.
Speaker 1: I see this very similar to NBA players that are
Speaker 1: drafted ninth tenth overall and they don't work out there
Speaker 1: because of the contract you're paying them in the expectations,
Speaker 1: but they go somewhere else and they're pretty good in
Speaker 1: that role, like a JJ Reddick type of player, where
Speaker 1: it's like, oh my god, what a bad pick. You know,
Speaker 1: he's not that good, but then he goes to another
Speaker 1: place and makes more sense. I think this will make
Speaker 1: more sense, not asking him to save the world, just
Speaker 1: just make some plays and helping them in the punt return.
Speaker 1: He mean, it's an upgrade from Ryan Switzer. So I
Speaker 1: think I think it's a great pick for the sixth
Speaker 1: round when you you're just throwing picks. He gave up
Speaker 1: a sixth round pick. Yeah, I mean two years ago
Speaker 1: they took a good rebounder. So in the sixth round. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I mean, you know, you're just you get you get
Speaker 1: a first round talent and Tavon Austin with a different
Speaker 1: with a fresh start. Yeah that's still young, by the way. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I uh oh no, I love this move. I hesitate
Speaker 1: to compare him to a Hall of Famer, but he
Speaker 1: reminds me of Devin hester By, like I mean, it's
Speaker 1: I mean, he's to be nice. Well, and I'm not
Speaker 1: saying he's gonna return twenty five kicks for touchdowns, but
Speaker 1: he's got or whatever that number was. But he's got
Speaker 1: dynamic ability in the return game. He's better than the
Speaker 1: guys they've had here in recent years. And he is
Speaker 1: not a He is not a dynamic receiver in the
Speaker 1: sense that like his route tree or his ability down
Speaker 1: the field is gonna wow you. I don't even you know,
Speaker 1: I don't even think of him as Nick's like speed guy.
Speaker 1: I don't think you're going to be throwing this guy
Speaker 1: a lot of nine routes, like let Deonte Thompson or
Speaker 1: somebody do that. But he can, you know, bubble screens,
Speaker 1: jet sweeps, anything near the line of scrimmage. I just
Speaker 1: looked it up. I mean, he's never had more than
Speaker 1: forty or fifty receptions in a season, never more than
Speaker 1: four or five hundred yards, but he did when he
Speaker 1: was healthy for the Rams, was getting you know, forty
Speaker 1: to fifty carries a year and averaging four or five
Speaker 1: six seven eight yards per carry. I mean, we talked
Speaker 1: about it on Twitter the other day, like it was
Speaker 1: so hilarious how the lucky jet sweep. Everybody knew it
Speaker 1: was coming and it still worked for ten to fifteen
Speaker 1: yards every time he did it. So I think you
Speaker 1: got a guy who can do all of that stuff,
Speaker 1: but hopefully better. Right, That's exactly right. And I think
Speaker 1: one thing I want to clear up, and I want
Speaker 1: your opinions on this. We heard a term web back
Speaker 1: being used quite a bit as kind of the role
Speaker 1: that they see him playing, and I think it seems
Speaker 1: to me, at least that a lot of fans on
Speaker 1: Twitter have taken that to mean that he is going
Speaker 1: to be their running back, their third running back, or
Speaker 1: third down running back. Although I think he's going to
Speaker 1: play some of those roles. I want to be clear,
Speaker 1: it sounds like he's actually coming in here to be
Speaker 1: a wide receiver. He'll be working out with the wide receivers,
Speaker 1: but he will be kind of that hybrid player that
Speaker 1: will sometimes line up in the backfield, sometimes line up wide.
Speaker 1: We'll do a little bit of everything, although he'll probably
Speaker 1: be working with the wide receiver group. Is that how
Speaker 1: you guys? When they drafted Switzer, they said that Switzer
Speaker 1: is going to do some things that Lance Dunbar was
Speaker 1: doing for them, So they've always kind of had this
Speaker 1: role of a running back. I mean, remember Lance caught
Speaker 1: up more passes I think than he had carry So
Speaker 1: it'll be that type of role there. I think for him,
Speaker 1: you're not gonna see him run the ball in third
Speaker 1: and one or two, and like you know, unless it's
Speaker 1: maybe a jet SUITEP or something like that. I just
Speaker 1: think what it does is it just brings the game
Speaker 1: more you know, horizontal. I guess if you will just
Speaker 1: just kind of use all all fifty three yards of
Speaker 1: the field and just kind of spread things out more so,
Speaker 1: and that might be what you see if if you've
Speaker 1: got a different tight end here, which I'm sure is
Speaker 1: on your list, it is on my list. And actually
Speaker 1: before we get to that tight end position, I did
Speaker 1: want to talk about some of the other wide receivers
Speaker 1: at the Cowboys picked up. They made two draft picks
Speaker 1: of wide receivers, Michael Gallop and Cedric Cedric Wilson. I'm sorry,
Speaker 1: talk to me about what their skills are, like, what
Speaker 1: kind of receivers did the Cowboys pick up and what
Speaker 1: can they deliver to this wide receiver group that they
Speaker 1: maybe didn't have before or is it just more of
Speaker 1: the same I think, I mean, you heard us talk
Speaker 1: about in the draft coverage. I mean, Gallop is like
Speaker 1: a third round version of DJ Moore. I think you're
Speaker 1: getting the same type of player. This isn't your health,
Speaker 1: this isn't your big body Dez guy. He's a he's
Speaker 1: an accomplished route runner for what he is. Not to
Speaker 1: say he doesn't need to work on it, but he's
Speaker 1: got a good route tree, he's tough, he's physical, it's
Speaker 1: hard to bring down. And then Wilson. Wilson was at
Speaker 1: the Senior Bowl. I know, like he can move inside
Speaker 1: and outside again like these you know, it's not that
Speaker 1: classic receiver type or it's either like a big bodied
Speaker 1: guy or a burner. They're just well rounded, you know,
Speaker 1: average looking wide receivers, which I think that's you know,
Speaker 1: Stephen Jones keeps talking about it. They're not They're at
Speaker 1: peace with the fact that they don't have a number one.
Speaker 1: They're just trying to throw as many solid, well rounded
Speaker 1: receivers at it as possible. And I think it's gonna
Speaker 1: be really fun because I think there's probably only two
Speaker 1: on this receiver corps that have guaranteed jobs by the
Speaker 1: end of training camp. So have fun figuring out who's
Speaker 1: gonna make the team, even with Switzer being gone. Now
Speaker 1: you think going two of them are guaranteed a spot
Speaker 1: at this point and go down the line. I mean,
Speaker 1: Alan Hearns is here. They gave him too much money
Speaker 1: for him not to be and he has a skill
Speaker 1: set that not a lot of these other guys have.
Speaker 1: And then Gallup is here because they just spent a
Speaker 1: top one hundred pick on him, But who else, I mean, Terrence,
Speaker 1: you might feel pretty confident Terrence is gonna be I mean,
Speaker 1: it would surprise me, but that's not I mean, a
Speaker 1: four million dollar cap hit is not so crazy that
Speaker 1: if he just gets badly outperformed in training AMP that
Speaker 1: they wouldn't do it. But you'd have to be something drastic,
Speaker 1: to be honest with you, probably for him and Cole
Speaker 1: would probably have to be something pretty drastic for them
Speaker 1: not to be honest, I would expect them to make
Speaker 1: the team. But I mean, I can't sit here and
Speaker 1: say that they have like this crazy job security, not
Speaker 1: with all these other guys that are going to be
Speaker 1: fighting for roster spots. So with I think that they're
Speaker 1: not going to get cut, but I could see a
Speaker 1: trade scenario, especially with maybe not with Terrence as much,
Speaker 1: but with definitely with Cole. I mean, if you wanted
Speaker 1: to go that route. But I still think they're going
Speaker 1: to try to make that work with Beasley, and you know,
Speaker 1: that's a guy that works well with Dak, and you
Speaker 1: know Dak is that's that's a throw that he can
Speaker 1: make I mean, I'm not trying to be funny here,
Speaker 1: but that is that is one that he's good. But
Speaker 1: I agree with you when you go back to what
Speaker 1: she said earlier, and I've said this as well, I
Speaker 1: think on the last show is that you know the
Speaker 1: time is now for him. I mean he Dak needs
Speaker 1: to really take his game to another level. Um, this
Speaker 1: whole Dak friendly stuff. I mean, these are guys that
Speaker 1: can get open, catch the ball and make place for
Speaker 1: him and he needs that, but he needs to to
Speaker 1: kind of elevate their game as well. So I think
Speaker 1: this is a big time for him, especially if you
Speaker 1: don't have the tight end that you're that you've had
Speaker 1: the first two years. So let's talk about that. Jason Witten.
Speaker 1: Last what was that Thursday, Friday, Friday, we hear word
Speaker 1: that there is at least some contemplation, some serious contemplation
Speaker 1: on Jason's part that he will hang them up and
Speaker 1: instead opt for a position in the Monday night football
Speaker 1: booth calling those games. There was also a report that
Speaker 1: came out I think Saturday, that another network may have
Speaker 1: stepped in and created an offer for him as well.
Speaker 1: So now he's at a point where he's trying to
Speaker 1: make a decision on whether he continues to play or
Speaker 1: whether he opts to step away from football and h
Speaker 1: and just focus on broadcasting. That being said, Um, do
Speaker 1: you think that? Um? What do you think of what
Speaker 1: the Cowboys have left at tight end? Let's assume now
Speaker 1: that what they have you remove Jason Witten from it.
Speaker 1: Do the Cowboys have enough of the position to be
Speaker 1: able to enter the season and feel good about what
Speaker 1: they want to do with the tight ends they have?
Speaker 1: You want to take that or Man, Yeah, that that's
Speaker 1: the biggest curveball you've ever thrown. Um, how's that? That
Speaker 1: was a good curve And it was like I started
Speaker 1: hearing down because that's Jason Witten, and you're just like, Okay,
Speaker 1: we don't know what But the point is we don't
Speaker 1: and I'm I don't feel like we're putting words in
Speaker 1: his mouth on what he's gonna do. I don't. I
Speaker 1: don't know that he knows right now what he's gonna do.
Speaker 1: So now you, unless you have some insight, feel free
Speaker 1: to jump on in and get it. Did I did
Speaker 1: minutes ago, and then eight minutes ago it changed, and
Speaker 1: then four minutes ago it changed, and now it's back
Speaker 1: to what it was. It's up in the air, right,
Speaker 1: this is a This guy is a damn football player.
Speaker 1: That's what he is and that's what he's always will be.
Speaker 1: And I Garret, hey, hey, hey, I don't have any information.
Speaker 1: You don't have anything answer that part about them. I don't.
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm not sitting here trying to tell you that, like, oh,
Speaker 1: they're fine, Everything's gonna be okay. Like this, the tight
Speaker 1: end position certainly looks like a trouble spot if Jason
Speaker 1: Witten's not on the team. But I'm just I don't.
Speaker 1: I'm not losing a ton of sleepover It's fine. I mean,
Speaker 1: it's it's funny one of those things where like all
Speaker 1: through the spring it was like Witten's holding this team hostage.
Speaker 1: He's not what he used to be. He's terrible, Like
Speaker 1: he's holding this offense back. And then he's like I
Speaker 1: might retire, and everyone's like worse good. I think you
Speaker 1: know there will be a drop off from a locker
Speaker 1: room standpoint as well as an on field standpoint, obviously,
Speaker 1: I mean obviously, but just you look at the talent.
Speaker 1: I think Jeff Swain and Blake jar how many times
Speaker 1: over the weekend, did Stephen and Jerry Jones say Blake
Speaker 1: Jarwin by name, like this dude must be freaking Travis Kelsey,
Speaker 1: like they look Going back to my point, this team
Speaker 1: is not afraid to have faith in guys that they developed.
Speaker 1: I mean, you talk about the safety spot, how but
Speaker 1: they're just like, now, this guy we signed undrafted last
Speaker 1: year is pretty great. We're good. And then they get
Speaker 1: Dalton Schultz in the fourth round. The other thing that
Speaker 1: I'm interested in is if Jason Witten's not here to
Speaker 1: play ninety seven percent of the snaps, maybe that frees
Speaker 1: you up to play different looking football. Maybe you see
Speaker 1: more ten personnel no you know, four receivers, no tight ends,
Speaker 1: or maybe you see more you know, even more eleven
Speaker 1: than you're used to with one tight end. I don't know.
Speaker 1: I'll be interested to see because I would imagine if
Speaker 1: the drop office as severe as people want to make
Speaker 1: it out to be, then I would adapt my personnel
Speaker 1: to make up for the fact that I don't have
Speaker 1: a great tight end. Yeah. Last year, I think eleven
Speaker 1: personnel was probably the most was the predominant yeah thing
Speaker 1: that they did, and particularly when they were in two
Speaker 1: minute they would typically have Witten on the field with
Speaker 1: three wide receivers, and I always thought when they drafted
Speaker 1: Ryan Switzer, my thought was, if you could have that
Speaker 1: ten personnel, where's Switzer and it's easily in the two slots,
Speaker 1: it gives you some really great opportunities to do some
Speaker 1: cool stuff. I'm I'm fascinated by the thought of this
Speaker 1: team playing ten personnel. I think that is suited to Dak.
Speaker 1: I think it's suited to Zeke. Give Dak more options
Speaker 1: to throw, put smaller defensive personnel on the field, so
Speaker 1: Zeke has a matchup advantage you've got. I mean, if
Speaker 1: Connor Williams is joining this line, then your line should
Speaker 1: be even more capable of handling it without a tight end.
Speaker 1: And then again smaller personnel, so you clear Dack up
Speaker 1: to maybe run if he wants to. I just I
Speaker 1: love the thought of them doing more of that. I
Speaker 1: think the most important part thing you said right there
Speaker 1: was that it forces that linebacker off the field. With
Speaker 1: Witton on the field, you could put a linebacker round.
Speaker 1: You cannot do that and run a two hundred and
Speaker 1: thirty pound running back right at your face. Right, let's go,
Speaker 1: and if you want to spread them out. That's a
Speaker 1: great way to spread them out and force them to
Speaker 1: still be able to respect and make a decision between
Speaker 1: whether they're going to respect all those wide receivers or
Speaker 1: respect the fact you still got a beast in the backfield.
Speaker 1: I think that's your best way to do it, as
Speaker 1: opposed to eleven personnel with Enfield. I would be a
Speaker 1: big fan of that, but they don't ask for my opinions,
Speaker 1: not yet. Amber, did you have an opinion on that?
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm just shocked. I think it took everyone
Speaker 1: by surprise, the whole Witten retirement thing, very much so.
Speaker 1: So I don't know. I'm gonna be happy with whatever
Speaker 1: decision he makes. Honestly, I thought his time was coming up.
Speaker 1: I am expected to be this year, but we all
Speaker 1: knew that his time was coming up. He's starting to
Speaker 1: slow down. He's still an amazing player, better than most
Speaker 1: out there, even with him slowing down. So it's gonna
Speaker 1: be a big drop off. And I'm curious to see
Speaker 1: what's up with Rico Gathers. I don't I still don't
Speaker 1: know the story behind him. Yeah, get in line, Nick.
Speaker 1: During the draft, there were some I guess the better
Speaker 1: tight ends in the draft, which I don't know how
Speaker 1: great you put him on the scale, but there were
Speaker 1: some better tight end options in the first and second round.
Speaker 1: Do you think the Cowboys missed an opportunity to not
Speaker 1: either draft one of those guys or even in the
Speaker 1: second round trade up if they needed to in order
Speaker 1: to secure the services of one of those top two
Speaker 1: tight ends. I think that, you know, I don't think
Speaker 1: they were interested in taking Goddard at fifth. I mean,
Speaker 1: so that was another and if Philadelphia really needed the
Speaker 1: guy that, you know, that's good for them. Um, you know,
Speaker 1: they didn't have the Eagles as an organization, did not
Speaker 1: have a great Friday Night and trying to trump the Cowboys,
Speaker 1: and so if that was their attempt, and I don't
Speaker 1: think it really mattered. Now if they thought it matched up,
Speaker 1: I thought they needed it, they lost it to backup
Speaker 1: tight end. So but based off of what we saw there,
Speaker 1: I mean, I don't think that. I mean, they obviously
Speaker 1: were making an attempt, and they they tried to jump
Speaker 1: Dallas because they thought Dallas needed a tight end. I
Speaker 1: think it was both. I think they needed a tight
Speaker 1: end and they knew Dallas has ever traded up for
Speaker 1: a player that it needs, right, I'm just I just saying,
Speaker 1: but they obviously thought that Dallas needed them, and if
Speaker 1: that would have been to be honest with you, if
Speaker 1: that would have been Oakland sitting in that spot and
Speaker 1: they knew Oakland needed a tight end, they would have
Speaker 1: jumped Oakland to get that tight end. I don't think
Speaker 1: teams are trying to make any statements as much as
Speaker 1: they are trying to get the players that are best
Speaker 1: for their teams. Only got a few picks, not trying
Speaker 1: to make a statement, but the narrative was pretty evident.
Speaker 1: Bratt and and and I mean the Cowboys did homework
Speaker 1: on tight ends on Friday, they called around, they talked.
Speaker 1: But I don't think the Cowboys would have drafted Dallas
Speaker 1: s Gooddard had he been there. And that's the important point.
Speaker 1: I think a lot of people missed that that it
Speaker 1: was pretty clear and some of the things that we've heard,
Speaker 1: I know we've heard it that that that wasn't even
Speaker 1: a part of the conversation. There were other players that
Speaker 1: were being considered, and really Connor Williams was their target.
Speaker 1: Phillies move makes like I don't think they did it
Speaker 1: to rub Buddy's face in it, right, But they were like,
Speaker 1: well this is a team that of course, yeah, of
Speaker 1: course that was I'm talking about the moves. The biggest
Speaker 1: fail of all time. I mean, seriously, you bring you
Speaker 1: bring a puberty kicker to the stage who didn't win
Speaker 1: a ring. That was Did you see Tyrone Crawford's tweet
Speaker 1: where he just kind of ended it with some basing
Speaker 1: your voice and he was like a kicker said that. No.
Speaker 1: I mean I've watched enough wrestling in my day that
Speaker 1: the guy walks out there with the belt like that's it.
Speaker 1: So walk out with the trophy and then just make
Speaker 1: the pick. That's all you have to do. In the
Speaker 1: last three hundred and sixty five days, what has happened.
Speaker 1: You won a championship, which is great, good job for them,
Speaker 1: but that's all you have to say. You come up
Speaker 1: with something better than that, and let's bring David Akers.
Speaker 1: They should have been sent Dawkins would have been from
Speaker 1: that would have been a better guy and as many
Speaker 1: rings as you. Yeah, but still I still probably a
Speaker 1: better guy. I get it. But in my I think
Speaker 1: Dawkins is technically part of their organization right now, Like
Speaker 1: I think he I think so, yeah, but don't. Well,
Speaker 1: so we sent I would have sen up there. He
Speaker 1: works for What's what I'm saying, But I'm no. My
Speaker 1: point I think he does, does he not? Haven't seen
Speaker 1: him in a while. My point is that I think
Speaker 1: I haven't seen him either. Andre's still here. I don't
Speaker 1: know about Miles. Uh. I think Dawkins technically got a ring,
Speaker 1: is what I'm trying to say. With Philly. He works
Speaker 1: because he works for them. Last year, Yes, I got you.
Speaker 1: I think a while to get It's fine, It's fine.
Speaker 1: I would Yeah, they could have done a way better job.
Speaker 1: We could have too. All right, let's take our final break.
Speaker 1: We're gonna come back. I do want to talk a
Speaker 1: little bit about jah Jihad Ward, another player the Cowboys
Speaker 1: picked up on Saturday. We'll talk about that when we
Speaker 1: come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Speaker 1: The crease in his hat, the bend of his brim,
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Speaker 1: is a proud member of Cowboys Nation. Back to the Break,
Speaker 1: Welcome Back. It's the final segment of The Break, live
Speaker 1: from the s WBC Mortgage Studios. At the staff, we're
Speaker 1: talking draft Cowboys, make nine picks, trade for two guys,
Speaker 1: come away with a lot of players, and we're actually
Speaker 1: going to see some of those players here coming up.
Speaker 1: The rookies will be here next weekend for the Rookie
Speaker 1: Mini Camp and then I think it's the week after
Speaker 1: that or maybe two weeks after that, the Cowboys Cowboys
Speaker 1: will start their official on the field activities and we'll
Speaker 1: be bringing you all the coverage from those then heading
Speaker 1: up to training camp in July. All right, So let's
Speaker 1: let's talk about one of those other players that the
Speaker 1: Cowboys traded for this last weekend to hod Ward, who
Speaker 1: was a defensive tackle they traded with Oakland. That was
Speaker 1: the trade where they sent off Ryan Switzer and picked
Speaker 1: up jehad Ward. Talk to me about jehad Ward and
Speaker 1: what kind of player he is he where he possibly fits, Well,
Speaker 1: he's um probably a three technique that can play him
Speaker 1: one and get up the field. Then they started liking
Speaker 1: him at the Senior Bowl when they covered when they
Speaker 1: coached there a couple of years ago, and he just
Speaker 1: I don't think he was a good scheme fit for
Speaker 1: what Oakland was trying to do, especially now with with
Speaker 1: with the new staff that they have in there. So
Speaker 1: it's just just an opportunity the Pits, I mean, Oakland
Speaker 1: needed a guy, you know, and obviously Bess Switzer and
Speaker 1: wanted to get him, and you know, they're just kind
Speaker 1: of looking at the roster, like, well, who would you
Speaker 1: part ways with? Yeah, well, you know, we could use this,
Speaker 1: so I think it just kind of works and let's see. Yeah,
Speaker 1: it's disappointing that we never really got to look at
Speaker 1: what Switzer could bring to the offense. But it's the
Speaker 1: it's a perfect trade, like both teams got something they needed.
Speaker 1: Both teams had to part ways with something to do it.
Speaker 1: I just found out with in the last two weeks.
Speaker 1: It's famously you know, the Cowboys wanted Donelle Pumphrey and
Speaker 1: the Eagles took him one or two picks before Besacci
Speaker 1: is the reason Switzer was here. Bosacci was like, all right,
Speaker 1: Pumphrey's gone, this is the guy we need to get,
Speaker 1: and so they did it. And so it makes perfect
Speaker 1: sense that as soon as as soon as they added
Speaker 1: Tavon Austin, well, Psacci probably told Grudener Reggie mackenzie like,
Speaker 1: get on the phone, let's get this guy. And Keith
Speaker 1: O'Quinn is one of the reasons that Tavon Austin is here.
Speaker 1: You know, he sat down right next to Jerry when
Speaker 1: they were thinking about it and said, you know, does
Speaker 1: this guy make us better? And he was just like,
Speaker 1: are you gidding me, like one hundred percent better tomorrow
Speaker 1: he makes us better. And literally he you know when
Speaker 1: he said tomorrow he was. I mean, we saw the
Speaker 1: video we put out there. I mean, he shows up
Speaker 1: yesterday already here, you're ready to go. And I think
Speaker 1: it's just one of those cases where a fresh start's
Speaker 1: really gonna help him. But that's where it starts with
Speaker 1: punt return a little bit of the offense. I think
Speaker 1: if Switzer really would have been a able to contribute,
Speaker 1: I think we would have seen maybe more than than
Speaker 1: than four catches. I mean, I know he didn't get
Speaker 1: a great opportunity, but I think he you know, if
Speaker 1: he had a whole lot there to give, I think
Speaker 1: we would have seen a little bit more there. Maybe,
Speaker 1: And I'm easily he's right in his way. Maybe there's
Speaker 1: just no I'm not when you got Witten on the team,
Speaker 1: I think I'm not trying to say the dude. Maybe
Speaker 1: I'm not trying to say he's welker, but I think
Speaker 1: Beasley and Witten both being there probably hindered his opportunities.
Speaker 1: But again, I mean, if he goes on to have
Speaker 1: a Hall of Fame career, no offense to Ryan I
Speaker 1: you know, I wouldn't bank on that, So I think
Speaker 1: you guys, but I think you could go on to
Speaker 1: be a productive receiver. Absolutely. I think I think it
Speaker 1: was about opportunities for him lat year. He didn't get
Speaker 1: a lot of them. Yeah, he really didn't. But again
Speaker 1: then especially post if you had Tavon Austin, you didn't.
Speaker 1: Again we talk about safety. They didn't draft a d
Speaker 1: tackle either, so they got one that they had a
Speaker 1: good grade on two years ago. He's still early on
Speaker 1: in his career. It addresses a need. It's basically like
Speaker 1: drafting a guy. I think you guys need to be
Speaker 1: cautious about saying that the offense can look so much
Speaker 1: better and different with out Witton because you kind of
Speaker 1: know what he is there linebacker on the field, because
Speaker 1: Witten does give you versatility to run the football and
Speaker 1: catch the ball. Now, he doesn't spread you out as much,
Speaker 1: but I mean, you don't know exactly what they're doing
Speaker 1: when he's out there. And I think that's what's made
Speaker 1: him so great is that they can play big boy
Speaker 1: football with him out there. They can also spread it
Speaker 1: out a little bit too, so the next tight end
Speaker 1: that they get, I mean it's true he did have
Speaker 1: some complete package to him. Yeah, I think I think,
Speaker 1: and I think that's great. I think that's a great
Speaker 1: way to look at it. But I do the one
Speaker 1: thing I will say is I think there are ways
Speaker 1: to be able to do that. I think we've seen
Speaker 1: them at times take an additional offensive lineman and put
Speaker 1: them on the field. I think there's ways that you
Speaker 1: can do that. But I also think that on the
Speaker 1: flip side of that, what he what you forced them
Speaker 1: to do, As I was saying earlier, you forced them
Speaker 1: to change their personnel. If you've got ten personnel on
Speaker 1: the field verses eleven personnel, you forced them to add
Speaker 1: an additional secondary guy. And now they're too If you
Speaker 1: let's assume for a second you've got you could put
Speaker 1: Herns in the slot. Hearns plays a slot. Let's assume
Speaker 1: that you got Herns in the slot, and let's assume
Speaker 1: you've got on the other side, you got Cold in
Speaker 1: the slot. Now you're forcing that other team to have
Speaker 1: two good enough slot corners. Now you're four deep on
Speaker 1: their corners. You're forcing both of those to be good
Speaker 1: enough to be able to cover in man. And I
Speaker 1: think that's where you can create some real mismatches for
Speaker 1: yourself that maybe you can't create, because a linebacker can
Speaker 1: cover Jason Witten and man coverage at this point in
Speaker 1: a lot of instances, I don't agree with that. You
Speaker 1: don't know, I do not think a linebacker can just
Speaker 1: shut him down. And that's not what I said, That's
Speaker 1: not what I said. What I said I said, in
Speaker 1: a lot of instances, a linebacker can. There are a
Speaker 1: lot of very, very athletic linebackers in today's NFL. I
Speaker 1: think that there are a lot of those linebackers that
Speaker 1: can cover Jason Witten man to man. Well, I mean
Speaker 1: my point is is stop making the Pro Bowl and
Speaker 1: then we'll see if he's really wind it down. He's
Speaker 1: not the same as he was, but he's still making
Speaker 1: the Pro Bowl. He's still doing his thing. Get all that.
Speaker 1: I'm not saying he's not. I'm not saying he's not.
Speaker 1: I'm not saying but they'll just look at the production too.
Speaker 1: I mean, it wasn't like it wasn't like there were
Speaker 1: a whole bunch of opportunities last year that that they
Speaker 1: had to get the ball to Jason. And you know
Speaker 1: what I'm saying, It just it's not showing up in
Speaker 1: the in the game. So so something he's changed something.
Speaker 1: Example year, something happen. Maybe it's that guy or that's
Speaker 1: throwing it. Okay, and that's fine. But I'm just saying,
Speaker 1: whatever's happening, it's not working. So you have to start
Speaker 1: throwing different things at it if you're going to get
Speaker 1: it to work. Right, I'm sorry that they dedicated a
Speaker 1: whole wall to people that make the Pro Bowl. I
Speaker 1: just don't know if it's not working if you're still
Speaker 1: making the public alternate, yes, but how many six tight
Speaker 1: ends better than him last year. I'm just saying he's
Speaker 1: still he's still producing. He's still producing. It's hard to
Speaker 1: say that it's not working when he's still producing it.
Speaker 1: I don't think that's his decision. I think he's pondering
Speaker 1: what he wants to do because I don't think he
Speaker 1: wants to get in a situation where he is a liability.
Speaker 1: And I don't think he was last year. I don't
Speaker 1: know if he was. I know, I'm not saying liability.
Speaker 1: I'm just saying I still think he can play at
Speaker 1: a pretty high level. My thing is I think that
Speaker 1: there is some diversity that they can get in this
Speaker 1: offense that right now, Let's be honest, the problem is
Speaker 1: right now when Jason's on the team, Jason ain't coming
Speaker 1: on to understand that. But I think there's some diversity
Speaker 1: that can happen if you could have both Jason and
Speaker 1: be able to go to ten personnel. I think you're
Speaker 1: probably that doesn't happen right now. Jason's not coming off
Speaker 1: the field. You know, I agree with what you just said,
Speaker 1: but also I want to see that to believe it
Speaker 1: before I get all excited about it. This coaching staff
Speaker 1: is stubborn. I don't I gotta see it. I mean,
Speaker 1: maybe they just do the same stuff with different players.
Speaker 1: I don't know which. Another thing I was gonna say
Speaker 1: now that I'm trying to sunshine pump, I mean, well,
Speaker 1: what can a fourth round pick possibly be expected to
Speaker 1: contribute to a team in his rookie year. I'm being
Speaker 1: sarcastic because Dak was a fourth round pick, but uh,
Speaker 1: you know, this time of year, I love to do
Speaker 1: like informal poll anytime might see somebody from football ops,
Speaker 1: I'm just like, who's your favorite pick? And I just,
Speaker 1: you know, just out of curiosity. A lot of people
Speaker 1: people talking about Dalton Schultz as that guy, I mean,
Speaker 1: coming from Stanford, he knows how to do exactly the
Speaker 1: type of stuff they want to tight end when it
Speaker 1: was a third round pick, like, it's not unheard of
Speaker 1: to get a good tight end. And if you listen
Speaker 1: to some of the things that people that were around
Speaker 1: when Jason got here say, like Jason didn't come in
Speaker 1: the door being as well rounded as he became. It
Speaker 1: was a lot of hard work and really Parcels, like
Speaker 1: I remember Parcels talking about how important it was to
Speaker 1: beat a well rounded tight end, not just to be
Speaker 1: a pass catcher or not just the blocking guy, but
Speaker 1: if you're gonna be great, if you're gonna be among
Speaker 1: the great tight ends, to be well rounded. And so
Speaker 1: if they can do the same thing with Schultz, maybe
Speaker 1: he has enough of that to to kind of develop
Speaker 1: him into Witten light right, the secrets in the dirt,
Speaker 1: that's what Whitten says. Let's get some questions. We've kind
Speaker 1: of we hit on the same they're drawing plays. Yeah, okay,
Speaker 1: we talked about safety, and there seems to be a
Speaker 1: lot of confusion or questions in regards to why do
Speaker 1: the Cowboys knee a safety. So I would like to
Speaker 1: for you guys to please expand on this or explain
Speaker 1: why are the Cowboys not okay with just Jeff Heath
Speaker 1: Caven Frasier. The Cowboys are okay with that. We don't
Speaker 1: think they should be okay with okay. Yeah, technically they
Speaker 1: are okay. Yeah, you've got bodies there, they can do
Speaker 1: the job. Why do we see that as a need
Speaker 1: because they're moving Byron Jones, which a lot of you know,
Speaker 1: if we're talking about fan questions, fans hate that guy
Speaker 1: more than he deserves. They're moving him to corner. They
Speaker 1: literally don't have I mean, Xavier Woods has four starts
Speaker 1: to his name, none of which came at free safety.
Speaker 1: Cavan Frasier has never started a game, and you have
Speaker 1: Jeff Heath, who I think is a solid player and
Speaker 1: I don't mind him starting, but you need somebody to
Speaker 1: partner him with. I mean, so it's basically a projection
Speaker 1: that Xavier Woods, who they felt great about. I'm not
Speaker 1: trying to say he can't handle it, but they're bail
Speaker 1: like right now, they're saying, we hope he's up to it.
Speaker 1: I mean, that's what their super positions can wreck your game,
Speaker 1: like wreck a game if they if they are playing poorly.
Speaker 1: I mean, to me, it's left tackle and safety because
Speaker 1: if you're safety is not where he needs to be.
Speaker 1: I mean, it's all I mean, you're you're the last
Speaker 1: guy out through a cornerback in their two corner. You
Speaker 1: can but if I mean, if you have a great
Speaker 1: free safety, you can also kind of clean cornerbacks have
Speaker 1: some bad games that ended up wrecking a game, I
Speaker 1: get it, but I guarantee you that that a lot
Speaker 1: of it was probably bad scheme too, like give him
Speaker 1: some help if he's that bad, or get him off
Speaker 1: the field. But safety, he needs to kind of be
Speaker 1: the quarterback of you know, of the defense. And I
Speaker 1: think that they just need to get better there. I
Speaker 1: mean they Byron Jones was getting benched last year halfway
Speaker 1: through the year for for Cavan Frasier in a game
Speaker 1: that they don't really love. For Cavan either and Xavier Woods.
Speaker 1: We'll see he makes plays, but I mean, I think
Speaker 1: they want to see more of it. But you have
Speaker 1: a chance to get a guy that you know, a
Speaker 1: veteran out there that they can play, I think you
Speaker 1: gotta go for it. And I think they will. I
Speaker 1: want to take exception to something he said earlier about
Speaker 1: I don't I don't know that I agree that the
Speaker 1: Cowboys are okay with their safety position, all right, let
Speaker 1: me let me alter it. Then, based on everything they've
Speaker 1: done so far, I have no choice but to conclude that, well,
Speaker 1: I have not done anything. But I think that part
Speaker 1: of that is you can't address I don't think you
Speaker 1: can address everything in one draft, not as many holes
Speaker 1: and needs as they had. I don't think you can.
Speaker 1: And so no safeties on the free agent market right right,
Speaker 1: But but I think there are well, but I think
Speaker 1: that maybe those guys don't fit in their opinion. But however,
Speaker 1: all I'm saying, all I'm saying is that I don't
Speaker 1: know that it's necessarily that they don't see. I think
Speaker 1: they see that that's something they got to address. And
Speaker 1: you guys already said it. You think that by by
Speaker 1: this summer they're gonna put something, bring somebody else in.
Speaker 1: So if that's the case, you know that they feel
Speaker 1: like they need to address it. I just don't think
Speaker 1: it fell to them in the way that these other
Speaker 1: positions did well. And I'm not killing them for not
Speaker 1: drafting and safety alreadies. I mean, you know, I think
Speaker 1: Connor Williams is a better pick than Justin Reid. I
Speaker 1: think Layton vander esh is a better pick for what
Speaker 1: they need than Derwin James. I don't know if he's
Speaker 1: as good as a player, but it so it's not
Speaker 1: that I get that. And then once you get past
Speaker 1: the third or fourth round, you're not talking about safeties
Speaker 1: who fit what they want anyway, You're just I mean,
Speaker 1: you're talking about what you already have, you know what
Speaker 1: I mean. And so that doesn't bother me. What will
Speaker 1: bother me? Now that they drafted Connor Williams. I feel
Speaker 1: confident that Lyle Collins isn't going to move now. I'm
Speaker 1: bothered by the thought of moving Cheeto Woodsier to safety
Speaker 1: or making Byron Jones flop back again after he already
Speaker 1: flopped once, which I think they will have to. They
Speaker 1: are that little faith in Xavier Woods. They said that.
Speaker 1: I first of all, Xavier Woods isn't going to get
Speaker 1: a chance to showcase anything in the next month or
Speaker 1: two anyway at OTA's I mean, that's not football, So
Speaker 1: I don't know. So, I mean, I hate that thought.
Speaker 1: I And that's they said on Saturday. They can address
Speaker 1: it from within the team because they've got some guys
Speaker 1: with flex. I hate that I thought Cheeto looked great
Speaker 1: in the month that he was playing corner last year.
Speaker 1: Don't mess with a good thing at an important position.
Speaker 1: You might have some really good corners here for the future.
Speaker 1: That's Jordan, Like, I really like what I'm seeing so far,
Speaker 1: and and it frustrates me because I mean, for the
Speaker 1: millionth time I've heard that Kenny, Vacaro and Trade they're
Speaker 1: not scheme fits whatever. They're experienced pro safeties who have
Speaker 1: started games, and they probably wouldn't be expensive to bring in,
Speaker 1: So what's the harm. But let me ask you this,
Speaker 1: if you're gonna if you're gonna go there like we
Speaker 1: do know, I mean last year with specifically with Vaccaro,
Speaker 1: he wasn't playing very much in in New Orleans like
Speaker 1: they had basically, Yeah, but I'm saying though they were
Speaker 1: already not very happy with his play. So my point is,
Speaker 1: for whatever it was, they didn't feel like he was
Speaker 1: living up to They also talking about the fact he said,
Speaker 1: is that why you laughing? No, I'm just talking about
Speaker 1: the fact that I guarantee they would have liked him
Speaker 1: to be the guy at safety and when Stefan Diggs
Speaker 1: was making a play, well, I mean maybe it's hard.
Speaker 1: Not it's harsh because Martin, they drafted Marcus Williams in
Speaker 1: the top fifty. He had a damn good year. I
Speaker 1: mean they did, they had options if we had it
Speaker 1: so good, that's the point they feel like they needed
Speaker 1: to upgrade the position. So that's my question is what
Speaker 1: can they really expect from from the car if they
Speaker 1: were to bring him in Nothing right now? They better
Speaker 1: do it like now, Like, don't wait a while. I mean,
Speaker 1: what you need is a veteran guy that can come
Speaker 1: in here and help these younger players. Don't do it
Speaker 1: in June. The guy's already there. He doesn't know where
Speaker 1: where the bathroom is. I mean, let him come in
Speaker 1: here and be a part of this program. I thought
Speaker 1: what Tavon Austin did was was really important from the
Speaker 1: timing standpoint. I mean, yeah, he can go work out anywhere,
Speaker 1: but be here and be a part of the team.
Speaker 1: Be a part of the group. That's what they need
Speaker 1: to get this better. If they're gonna do it, do
Speaker 1: it now, because because you're right, Zavier Woods came on
Speaker 1: Razor not gonna make any plays on the ball. They're
Speaker 1: not gonna separate anybody from you know, a pass and
Speaker 1: knock at anyone on their ass. I mean, they need
Speaker 1: to get a guy that can do it right now,
Speaker 1: come in here and play. He's not more of what
Speaker 1: they are well, and they're gonna tell you, and they
Speaker 1: might be right, but they're he's well, he's another like
Speaker 1: box guy. We already have that, but he's different from
Speaker 1: what they already have in the sense that he has
Speaker 1: started and played well and had an NFL career. I
Speaker 1: mean he I know, Okay, last year he got hurt,
Speaker 1: he wasn't a big part of it, but he has
Speaker 1: started for them and played well. I don't know if
Speaker 1: he's ever been to a Pro Bowl, but he has
Speaker 1: been in Pro Bowl consideration. He's been part of a
Speaker 1: Saints team that made a playoff push like or even
Speaker 1: I mean Trey Boston too. It doesn't have to be
Speaker 1: Kenny of a Car. I just they don't have a
Speaker 1: guy who has started what you want to experience, Yes,
Speaker 1: I want. I mean, and again for the million time,
Speaker 1: I feel like I'm worried people think that I hate
Speaker 1: Xavier Woods and don't think he can play. That's not
Speaker 1: the case. I just hope is not a strategy. It's
Speaker 1: not it's a I just think that's a bad idea
Speaker 1: going into it. Jerry was asked if Eric Reid was
Speaker 1: an option, and he did not answer it either way.
Speaker 1: He didn't say that he's not or he just said,
Speaker 1: I'd just rather not talk about any veterans that are
Speaker 1: out there free agents or whatever. And Eric Reid, obviously
Speaker 1: he's you know, he's really good player and a former
Speaker 1: first round pick and a player that was that kneeled
Speaker 1: every game right for the anthem. Yeah, I was a
Speaker 1: big part of it. So yeah, that's those are the facts.
Speaker 1: I don't know. I don't mean, Jerry's not gonna say
Speaker 1: one way or another, but just those are the facts.
Speaker 1: Whether I mean, I don't know. I mean, and again,
Speaker 1: I hope Xavier Woods does. I hope he is the
Speaker 1: safety of the future because they got a great deal
Speaker 1: on him, and again they thought very highly of him,
Speaker 1: and he fell all the way to the sixth rounds.
Speaker 1: I need to be the safety of the future. He
Speaker 1: has a has a unique skill set of being a
Speaker 1: slot corner type safety. I mean, there's a spot for him.
Speaker 1: That doesn't necessarily mean that he has to be back
Speaker 1: there starting. I think, well, I think Jordan Lewis could
Speaker 1: be a hell of a slot cornerback, and so if
Speaker 1: Xavier Woods can play safety, that's where I would prefer
Speaker 1: for him to be. But I mean, you talk about
Speaker 1: look at all the things they've done to foster competition
Speaker 1: at receiver and all these other spots, like nobody like
Speaker 1: the Xavier Woods has gotten the greatest vote of confidence ever.
Speaker 1: They're literally just like the job's yours to lose like
Speaker 1: you can. But I guess that's my point is I
Speaker 1: don't think they're doing I think what they're doing right
Speaker 1: now is he just haven't found the right opportunity yet.
Speaker 1: And we all agree by summer they're gonna find somebody
Speaker 1: to put in that spot. I don't think they're going
Speaker 1: to camp with just those guys. I would be shocked
Speaker 1: if they haven't added somebody July. I still think it's
Speaker 1: going to be Earl And maybe it is. All I'm
Speaker 1: saying is I don't think. I don't think they go
Speaker 1: to camp with that with just what they got. How
Speaker 1: you just trade you go into next year unless and
Speaker 1: don't trade next year's one, but you can trade unless
Speaker 1: he stages a holdout? What is Seattle's motive for? Kind
Speaker 1: agree with you on that? Why do you want to you?
Speaker 1: Why would you give up one of your best players
Speaker 1: for a pick that you can't use for eight months
Speaker 1: and if you let him leave in free agency next year,
Speaker 1: then you get a comp pick for him. Anyway, that's
Speaker 1: probably gonna be a three out of guess as good
Speaker 1: a player as he is depends on the size of
Speaker 1: the deal. Kids, it's gonna be significant, right, I just
Speaker 1: I mean, when do you want to make this pick
Speaker 1: to yours or or next year? I'd rather have a no,
Speaker 1: That's what I'm saying. I mean, your scenario is you
Speaker 1: you keep him for a year and then you get
Speaker 1: a pick a year later. What would you change? What
Speaker 1: would you rather have for the twenty eighteen season as
Speaker 1: the Seahawks who have already dumped a bunch of players
Speaker 1: when they got a secondary Now you Pro Bowl caliber
Speaker 1: player or a pick that you can't use until the
Speaker 1: season's over. I just maybe I'm wrong. I don't know.
Speaker 1: I just I don't think it's as easy to get
Speaker 1: this done now that the draft, So I don't know.
Speaker 1: All I know is that the reason why the Cowboys
Speaker 1: and other teams wait until the last second to turn
Speaker 1: into the card is to see if someone's going to
Speaker 1: offer you next year's one. Well, yeah, that's that's what
Speaker 1: they always say. Next year's one changes everything. Well, I
Speaker 1: mean next year's two is still probably valuable. Sure it is. No,
Speaker 1: it is. And I think I agree with both of
Speaker 1: you guys, and I think both can kind of exist.
Speaker 1: I think they're kind of the dual things that are
Speaker 1: probably why Gil hasn't been done is because you're kind
Speaker 1: of going back and forth between the two. Yeah, they
Speaker 1: would probably love to get a two from the Cowboys.
Speaker 1: But on the flip side, as Dave said, they got
Speaker 1: a young secondary and they're probably looking at like, well,
Speaker 1: if we're gonna get him for one more year and
Speaker 1: let him kind of be the veteran in this secondary
Speaker 1: with these young guys, and then even if he walks away,
Speaker 1: we thought we'll be compensated with a pick. So either
Speaker 1: way it would probably pretty good. So it has to
Speaker 1: be a pick that we're getting from a team that
Speaker 1: just knocks our socks off for us to actually move us,
Speaker 1: to actually make us say, yeah, we gotta do it.
Speaker 1: Now and struggle with next year having an extremely young
Speaker 1: so and that's why, I mean, that's why stuff like
Speaker 1: that happens on draft weekend, because it's like you pick
Speaker 1: up the phone and you're like, you can have pick
Speaker 1: eighty one in fifteen minutes, So just add that to
Speaker 1: whatever you're already about to do, like you have that
Speaker 1: instant chance to upgrade your team, Whereas now it's like, well,
Speaker 1: we're gonna lose one of our best players for these
Speaker 1: sixteen games that matter so much, and we don't get
Speaker 1: to do anything about it until next April. And I'm
Speaker 1: not saying it's impossible. I just think it's way it's
Speaker 1: even more unlikely than it already. Lets them go get
Speaker 1: the car, oh hey, and that probably that would be
Speaker 1: that would be happy, right, That would be upsetting for me.
Speaker 1: Is like the Cowboys are like, he's not a scheme fit,
Speaker 1: he's not as scheme fit, we don't want him. And
Speaker 1: then somehow the Cowboys get Earl Thomas and the Seahawks
Speaker 1: go sign him to do what the Cowboys said he
Speaker 1: could do, which that's probably well. The other thing about
Speaker 1: the Seahawks to remember is their strong safety. They don't
Speaker 1: know what's gonna happen with him? He still has not
Speaker 1: come back from that injury. Yeah, so if they're gonna
Speaker 1: lose him too, now you have a completely different secondary
Speaker 1: from what you had the beginning of last season, and
Speaker 1: are you willing to let the guy who is the
Speaker 1: kind of the centerpiece of that in Earl Thomas call.
Speaker 1: The reason why I still think this is happening or
Speaker 1: there's gonna be some veteran is that they had ten
Speaker 1: picks to start the draft and they had to sign
Speaker 1: eighteen more free agents, so they had to bring in
Speaker 1: twenty eight players. I think it's ended up being twenty
Speaker 1: seven because of the trade. But I mean they brought
Speaker 1: in twenty eight players and there's one safety who's an
Speaker 1: undrafted player from Oregon. That just tells me that there's
Speaker 1: still nobody's come in here and change their mind about anything.
Speaker 1: In fact, it's even worse because you got twenty seven
Speaker 1: players that have come through and you haven't added anyone,
Speaker 1: so it's even more of a need. Yeah. I mean
Speaker 1: Rolando McClain, the year he was good. He joined this
Speaker 1: team on like July tenth, you know, so I don't
Speaker 1: think this is done. I just would be surprised. If
Speaker 1: it's et all right, guys, appreciate you joining us. We
Speaker 1: are back next Wednesday. We'll give you, guys a little
Speaker 1: bit more. We'll talk a little bit more about this
Speaker 1: team and where they stand right now at each position,
Speaker 1: after the draft and after free agency until then, for
Speaker 1: Nick Even, Dave Hellman, Amber Garcia, I'm Derek Eagleson. This
Speaker 1: has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
Speaker 1: This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com
Speaker 1: and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.