WEBVTT - Cowboys Break: Make The Call 0:00:08.640 --> 0:00:11.160 The following Here's a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:22.920 and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. Let's go. Are you 0:00:22.960 --> 0:00:27.040 ready for a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? 0:00:27.200 --> 0:00:31.400 Ready for a break? Yeah? And so much for that. 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:36.760 It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com 0:00:37.560 --> 0:00:43.080 with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek Eagleton. 0:00:44.120 --> 0:00:47.200 It is Wednesday, March third, twenty twenty one, Season sixteen, 0:00:47.200 --> 0:00:50.160 episode number ninety nine. Welcome to the latest edition of 0:00:50.680 --> 0:00:53.400 The Break. We are live from the SWBC Morga Studios 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:57.200 at the Star. We are presented by Geico, and for 0:00:57.280 --> 0:00:59.240 second week in a row, we got our whole crew here, 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:02.960 so getting used to this. Hopefully this show this week 0:01:03.000 --> 0:01:05.320 it's as good as it was last week because it 0:01:05.400 --> 0:01:07.200 was a really, really good show. It's good to have 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.880 everybody in studio. Today. We're going to continue our defensive review. 0:01:11.640 --> 0:01:14.920 We talked about the defensive line last week, and this 0:01:14.920 --> 0:01:19.600 week we're going to dive into probably the most interesting 0:01:19.640 --> 0:01:23.520 position on the Cowboys right now with the linebackers. And 0:01:23.560 --> 0:01:25.160 we got a lot of questions. We got to talk 0:01:25.200 --> 0:01:26.880 about a lot of things we got to try to 0:01:26.920 --> 0:01:30.319 fix for this team. Hopefully this is a show where 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:33.959 Jerry and Steven and Will are listening in, because my 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:35.920 expectation is that you guys are going to give them 0:01:36.000 --> 0:01:38.040 lots of great advice on how they need to handle 0:01:38.080 --> 0:01:40.200 this position. And it was hopefully not because I don't 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:42.920 have much good to say about That's why they need 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:46.319 to be That's why we want them to hear what 0:01:46.480 --> 0:01:48.560 you guys have to say about this linebacker crew. Right, 0:01:48.600 --> 0:01:52.160 I'm just laughing thinking about my relationship with Will McClay 0:01:52.240 --> 0:01:55.480 and how heavily he probably weighs my opinion. I actually 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:58.120 love I actually love the relationship you will have. It's 0:01:58.200 --> 0:02:00.560 it's kind of a It's like, if you don't know 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:02.400 the two of you guys, you would think we'll hate you. 0:02:02.840 --> 0:02:05.520 But I know because of Will and how he is like, 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:08.040 I'm like, we'll like you, Like he wouldn't take time 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:09.760 to rib you the way he does if he didn't 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:12.520 like you. I tell myself that to make myself feel better, 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:16.200 But I'm not sure. I'm not sure that's true. All right, 0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:18.720 let's let's dive right in. We're gonna talk about the 0:02:18.760 --> 0:02:20.840 linebacker position later in the show. We are going to 0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:23.120 take some questions So if you have questions, you can 0:02:23.200 --> 0:02:26.960 hit us up. Just tag at Cowboys Break on Twitter. 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:28.679 Amber can get those. But I think Amber has some 0:02:28.760 --> 0:02:31.960 questions already. Starry getting calls now that we're back in studio. 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:35.079 Oh yeah, we absolutely can. You know what, Let's talk 0:02:35.080 --> 0:02:37.480 to the producer in the break, Chris Beam, and see 0:02:38.800 --> 0:02:42.320 what that's like next week or whatever. Like, no, in 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:44.400 the in the break, let's see if we can actually 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:46.840 get phone calls. And if we can, we will literally 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:49.240 take a phone call here in the final segment of 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:51.520 the show today. That's like saying, like at the pit stop, 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:54.000 let's see if we can fix this, this and this. Yeah, no, 0:02:54.440 --> 0:02:56.480 we got a break in our break. It's three minutes. 0:02:56.520 --> 0:02:58.720 We can figure it out, all right. Um, let's talk 0:02:58.720 --> 0:03:00.800 about the linebacker position. I want to start with a 0:03:00.800 --> 0:03:03.840 big question about this position, and I think, honestly it 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:06.560 is the big question of the Cowboys from a standpoint 0:03:06.560 --> 0:03:10.680 of the linebacker position. What is the bigger problem at 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:14.359 the linebacker position for the Cowboys? Is it Jalen's play 0:03:14.480 --> 0:03:17.760 or is it Layton's inability to play or be available 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:23.240 to play. Let's start with you, Nick, Well, they're both 0:03:23.400 --> 0:03:26.680 the same. They're both I mean they both have the 0:03:26.720 --> 0:03:29.639 same problem or they both have the same result. It's 0:03:29.639 --> 0:03:33.480 not the same problem, the same result, and that they're unreliable. 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:38.640 So I mean it's all the still sounds the same 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:42.280 to me, because I mean Layton, yeah, he's he's he's 0:03:42.480 --> 0:03:44.960 a good player when he's healthy, but he's not always healthy, 0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:47.960 the same as Sean Lee really and and you know, 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:49.800 you just don't know what you're gonna get with with 0:03:49.880 --> 0:03:52.080 Jalen Smith and he's not he's not playing at the 0:03:52.160 --> 0:03:55.440 level and that the price tag that they put on him. 0:03:55.480 --> 0:03:59.120 So um, I'll say it's the same because I think 0:03:59.120 --> 0:04:03.280 they're both kind of unreliable. But I have more confidence 0:04:03.320 --> 0:04:06.040 that Layton can stay healthy, which I think that's really 0:04:06.080 --> 0:04:08.120 what I'm trying to do. That it is like which 0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:11.000 one is a like? Which one is a bigger problem 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:13.800 because you can't fix it is essentially where I'm going 0:04:13.880 --> 0:04:17.120 with that. I don't I don't know. That's a tough one. 0:04:17.360 --> 0:04:23.160 I'll say Layton, all right, Amber, I get I get 0:04:23.279 --> 0:04:26.760 nick nixt logic there, But to me, I think it 0:04:26.800 --> 0:04:30.400 would be Jalen because I've been more excited of Layton 0:04:30.680 --> 0:04:33.680 at times. You know, he's shown especially in his rookie year, 0:04:34.080 --> 0:04:38.000 and it's unfortunate that he's been dealing with these injuries 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:40.680 and every year, well at least last year, he came 0:04:40.720 --> 0:04:43.440 back talking as if he that wasn't going to be 0:04:43.480 --> 0:04:46.240 a problem again, and it wasn't necessarily the neck itself, 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:50.600 but it's still an injury in itself. But at the 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:53.920 end of the day, how do you fix someone that 0:04:54.040 --> 0:04:57.360 isn't just performing well at all without an injury on 0:04:57.400 --> 0:05:00.200 the field. So that's my issue with Jalen And it 0:05:00.560 --> 0:05:02.840 wasn't something that it was just last year. To me. 0:05:03.000 --> 0:05:05.280 I wasn't a fan of what he was doing prior 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:08.159 to that year, and I was very surprised at the 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:13.160 contract that they gave him. So I just I feel 0:05:13.320 --> 0:05:18.440 that you're not really gonna get much more out of him, 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:21.839 you know. It's just hard to envision him becoming any better. 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.000 And I know with dan Quinn there's a lot of 0:05:24.000 --> 0:05:27.359 hope and and talks about him having the ability to 0:05:27.760 --> 0:05:32.280 develop guys and all that, but I've just I don't, 0:05:32.320 --> 0:05:35.640 I don't I don't see it happening. I'm not a 0:05:35.720 --> 0:05:37.880 huge fan of what I've seen of Jalen Smith, and 0:05:37.920 --> 0:05:41.920 I'm trying to not be to not talk so bad 0:05:42.000 --> 0:05:45.280 or anything, to just be very political and all that. 0:05:45.480 --> 0:05:51.000 But Dave, take it over, Take it over. I mean, 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:53.280 it's it's Jalen Smith. I think we all know that. 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:57.200 Maybe it's an uncomfortable thing to admit because he's, you know, 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:00.640 the one of one of the few faces of his defense. 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:05.080 The team identified him as a cornerstone piece. They paid 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:06.600 him like it. I mean, you know, it's a it 0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:08.640 was a discount compared to the top of the market, 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:10.640 but he's still a seventy million dollar player and he 0:06:11.040 --> 0:06:15.360 did not play like it. And honestly, it's way more 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:17.680 concerning because I was trying to pull up the snap count. 0:06:17.680 --> 0:06:18.960 I don't have it in front of me, but I 0:06:19.000 --> 0:06:21.800 know Jalen Smith played a ton of snaps like. He 0:06:21.839 --> 0:06:24.520 wasn't hurt, he didn't miss any games, he wasn't limited. 0:06:24.560 --> 0:06:26.880 He was out there all the time, and we got 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:28.960 to see the good and mostly the bad of that. 0:06:29.120 --> 0:06:33.360 And yeah, you know, you can bring up dan Quinn. 0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:35.400 You know, they're going back to a scheme that they've 0:06:35.400 --> 0:06:37.720 played before, but Jalen played in that scheme in twenty 0:06:37.800 --> 0:06:40.520 nineteen and he didn't look awesome either. And that's you know, 0:06:40.920 --> 0:06:44.640 I have concerns that you know, I'm not a doctor, 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:47.240 but he doesn't. He doesn't look as explosive or as 0:06:47.240 --> 0:06:50.000 fast to me as he used to, Like he did 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:52.440 not make plays in twenty twenty that he could have 0:06:52.480 --> 0:06:54.719 made in twenty eighteen. Like we've brought up the Deshaun 0:06:54.760 --> 0:06:57.039 Watson play a million times. It's a it's just a 0:06:57.080 --> 0:06:59.320 it's a very perfect example of the type of play 0:06:59.400 --> 0:07:01.760 he was capable bull of making at one time that 0:07:01.839 --> 0:07:04.760 we didn't see him make last year at all, or 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:08.360 at least not often enough. It seems like he doesn't 0:07:08.400 --> 0:07:10.680 change direction very well. It seems like teams know that 0:07:10.720 --> 0:07:13.600 they can exploit that, and that's a problem if you're 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:17.800 the centerpiece of a linebacker corps and so and it's 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:20.400 you know, it's also alarming because what are you gonna do. 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:23.120 I mean, you probably can't trade him because you know 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:26.000 at you know, Jalen said turn on the tape and 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:28.560 other teams can do that too, and that's probably not 0:07:28.600 --> 0:07:31.040 gonna go great for you. And if you cut him, 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:35.040 you're gonna incur a cost, like it's gonna hurt your 0:07:35.080 --> 0:07:37.160 bottom line to get rid of him. And I mean 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:38.960 there's ways you can. You can always get rid of 0:07:39.040 --> 0:07:41.320 somebody if you absolutely want to do it. But it's 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:44.280 as we've seen in the league, this ship and always 0:07:44.280 --> 0:07:46.080 I think it's just getting started, to be honest with you, 0:07:46.120 --> 0:07:49.520 because the salary cap is a problem for people. So 0:07:49.560 --> 0:07:52.440 you can always do it, but you gotta pay your quarterback. 0:07:52.480 --> 0:07:54.360 You gotta make all this stuff work. You got to 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:56.560 come in under the cap, and you need to add 0:07:56.560 --> 0:07:58.600 players to a bad team, not get rid of them. 0:07:59.240 --> 0:08:02.640 And so that's a that's a puzzle that they've got 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:04.400 to figure out. And I don't think there's a great 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:07.360 answer to it because I don't have a lot of 0:08:07.400 --> 0:08:10.760 confidence that Jalen's gonna get better. And of course we 0:08:10.760 --> 0:08:12.880 can always be wrong, but that's just my opinion I have. 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:14.240 I don't have a lot of confidence that he's going 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:16.480 to get better, and I don't know how they get 0:08:16.480 --> 0:08:18.600 out from under his contract. I think they can do it. 0:08:18.640 --> 0:08:21.400 They can do it pretty easily next year, but you 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:23.160 got to carry him for another year before you can 0:08:23.160 --> 0:08:26.240 do that. Yeah, I think that. You know, there's talk 0:08:26.280 --> 0:08:28.200 of this new I mean, it's not a new defense, 0:08:28.200 --> 0:08:30.600 it's the same scheme, but he might have a new position. 0:08:30.920 --> 0:08:32.959 But what that's gonna do is that that that will 0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:36.480 just devalue um what he is. I mean, if they 0:08:36.480 --> 0:08:38.679 move him to the strong side, and that's been talked about, 0:08:39.400 --> 0:08:42.560 he'll play thirty percent of the snaps, maybe some one nickel. 0:08:42.960 --> 0:08:45.600 That's not going to justify as contract. You know, that's 0:08:45.600 --> 0:08:47.320 only gonna make it worse when you're looking at how 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:51.079 much you're paying a guy, and you know, and so there's, 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:54.160 like Dave said, there's just not a great answer. You 0:08:54.160 --> 0:08:56.720 can try to protect him and try to protect yourself, 0:08:56.720 --> 0:08:58.400 but that doesn't help you unless he's willing to take 0:08:58.400 --> 0:09:00.600 a pay cut, and I have this feeling he's not. Well. 0:09:00.640 --> 0:09:03.400 You know. The one thing that does interest me a 0:09:03.400 --> 0:09:05.559 little bit here is in twenty and eighteen, which I 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:07.800 think we all agree was the best that of what 0:09:07.840 --> 0:09:10.800 we've seen from Jalen, he still had those same issues 0:09:10.840 --> 0:09:13.439 of change of direction, like the things that you talk 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:16.079 about about him. Now, those things were present in twenty 0:09:16.240 --> 0:09:19.679 and eighteen. The difference was, for whatever reason, they didn't 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:22.199 show up as much because there were plays he made. 0:09:22.600 --> 0:09:24.560 Maybe it was because of the role that they asked 0:09:24.640 --> 0:09:26.920 him to play, he was able to maybe hide some 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:29.520 of those deficiencies and do things he was better at doing, 0:09:29.559 --> 0:09:31.800 which is straight line running, get him to the ball 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:34.760 and make a play. So it makes me wonder if 0:09:35.040 --> 0:09:37.160 you take it from that standpoint, and Nick, you'll remember this. 0:09:37.200 --> 0:09:42.360 Back when Parcels came in at the time, everybody, everybody 0:09:42.760 --> 0:09:45.600 was saying Flozo Adam needs to go, like he needs 0:09:45.600 --> 0:09:47.800 to go. Parcels. First thing he said when he got 0:09:47.800 --> 0:09:51.360 here is he gotta resign. You gotta sign Flozo Adams, 0:09:51.880 --> 0:09:54.920 and and to and right. And what we found out 0:09:55.120 --> 0:09:59.000 was after they signed him, he became a really, really 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:01.080 and by the way, he was probably a good tackle 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:03.960 before that. But I do believe that some coaches just 0:10:04.040 --> 0:10:06.400 have a way with certain players of being able to 0:10:06.400 --> 0:10:09.360 bring the best out of them. And so the one 0:10:09.400 --> 0:10:10.880 thing that I'll go back to is, again, if we 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:12.680 talk about twenty and eighteen, and we all agree that 0:10:12.760 --> 0:10:15.040 was his best year, and we all agree that some 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:17.640 of the deficiencies we've seen over the last two years 0:10:17.760 --> 0:10:20.120 were still there back in twenty and eighteen, but he 0:10:20.160 --> 0:10:22.880 was playing at a different level. It does make me wonder, 0:10:23.200 --> 0:10:25.280 can a guy like Dan Queen come in here and say, 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:27.920 you know, I have a vision for this player that 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:30.880 will take into account all the things he doesn't do well, 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:33.280 take into account of things he does do well, and 0:10:33.320 --> 0:10:35.800 put him in those positions more frequently. And if they 0:10:35.800 --> 0:10:38.880 can get that kind of value out of Jalen Smith, 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:41.440 that's his way to be valuable to this team. And 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:44.040 that's I think the hope. Obviously we don't know if 0:10:44.080 --> 0:10:45.679 that's what's gonna happen, but to me, that is the 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:48.439 hope of what you expect from Jalen Smith. Translation from 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:51.480 the people on Twitter, Derek Comparis dan Quinn to Partment 0:10:53.000 --> 0:10:58.160 no Sting. I hear it just stop hopefully hopefully that's 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:02.400 it's not just the coach, it's the team. It's that fits. 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:06.559 I mean, I agree with what you're saying, and that 0:11:06.679 --> 0:11:08.160 is I mean that that has to be the hope. 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:10.920 Jalen salary becomes guaranteed on the fifth day of the 0:11:11.000 --> 0:11:13.959 league year, so I mean, if they're gonna do something 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:15.560 with him, it would have to be really soon. And 0:11:15.640 --> 0:11:17.920 I don't I don't really expect that to happen. And 0:11:17.960 --> 0:11:20.199 I think, you know, I don't. I think the Cowboys, 0:11:20.320 --> 0:11:22.880 you know, Jerry and Stephen Jones love Jalen Smith. I don't. 0:11:22.920 --> 0:11:24.640 I don't think they want him to go anywhere, and 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:27.000 I think they'd rather try to fix him, and that's 0:11:27.000 --> 0:11:31.000 what we'll see. I would guess um. You know, I 0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:33.640 am curious. You know, people talk a lot. I brought 0:11:33.679 --> 0:11:35.560 this up when dan Quinn got hired. You know, he's 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:38.839 famous for this Leo Leo thing, which is just a 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:42.559 weak side pass rusher. It's like it's the most overblown 0:11:43.520 --> 0:11:46.760 it's a it's not special. It's you're just a designated 0:11:46.760 --> 0:11:50.040 pass rushing linebacker on the weak side. Basically, Bruce Irvan 0:11:50.080 --> 0:11:53.360 did it for him in Seattle. Vic Beasley has done 0:11:53.360 --> 0:11:56.320 it before, so and I'm here. You know, Jalen's got 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:58.400 straight line speed. He can do stuff like that. Maybe 0:11:58.400 --> 0:12:00.679 you use him more in that role, try to add him, 0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:02.920 you know, get some pass rush out of him, don't 0:12:02.920 --> 0:12:05.720 ask too much of him in coverage. I don't know, though, 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:09.959 And I hope dan Quinn can help reclaim him a 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:13.199 little bit. I just if he's gonna play off ball linebacker. 0:12:13.320 --> 0:12:15.800 Some of the things you see on tape just make 0:12:15.880 --> 0:12:19.240 you dubious that it's ever gonna be amazing. But the 0:12:19.280 --> 0:12:23.400 other thing, too, is dan Quinn's been here since January 0:12:24.320 --> 0:12:28.400 tenth or twelfth, and I haven't talked to him, have y'all. 0:12:28.800 --> 0:12:30.400 I don't know anything about what he wants to do 0:12:30.440 --> 0:12:33.199 with this defense. So that's a little bit annoying, but 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:35.520 not much we can do about it. Right, Hopefully that 0:12:35.600 --> 0:12:37.599 changes here in the next couple of months. No, it 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:39.320 would be cool, and it would be cool to know, 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:42.040 like what the defensive coordinator wants from his defense and 0:12:42.080 --> 0:12:43.720 like who he might want to try to draft, all 0:12:43.760 --> 0:12:46.800 that type of stuff. He also works for McCarthy, so 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:48.920 even if he was talking to us, well, of course 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:51.880 he's not gonna doesn't mean he's gonna say anything, but 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.559 or what he says actually is true, Like, hey, but 0:12:55.679 --> 0:12:57.200 I mean you can read between the lines. Yeah, I'm 0:12:57.240 --> 0:12:59.520 gonna say, even if even if they try to coach speaker, 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:01.880 you can all always parted something out of it. Yeah, 0:13:01.880 --> 0:13:05.800 it's better than nothing at all. Going back to Jayleen Smith, 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:07.679 here's how I see it as you were guys who 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:10.560 were talking about it and me remembering what it was 0:13:10.600 --> 0:13:12.439 like a couple of years ago, and how I saw 0:13:12.520 --> 0:13:15.760 him as a player, which was he had the talent, 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:20.079 he had the explosiveness in him. But my problem with 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:23.880 him back then was that his moves were always too jerky, 0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:27.280 like he was indecisive, and that led me to think, well, 0:13:27.280 --> 0:13:29.440 he just needs to work on his instinct and that's 0:13:29.480 --> 0:13:31.920 only going to come with time and experience on the field. 0:13:32.320 --> 0:13:34.720 So there was still hope there and you saw the speed, 0:13:35.080 --> 0:13:37.959 but now it's to the point where your couple of 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:42.439 years in and you don't see the speed anymore. He 0:13:42.600 --> 0:13:46.000 slowed down. Like his movements and the way he reacts 0:13:46.040 --> 0:13:49.199 sometimes there's confusion. He's like where should I go? It's 0:13:49.240 --> 0:13:52.000 like he to me, And I don't want to criticize 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:53.920 him too much because I'm not in his brain or 0:13:53.960 --> 0:13:57.960 his head to really know, but but the way I 0:13:58.040 --> 0:14:02.560 see it is like he lacks focus, you know, Like 0:14:02.720 --> 0:14:04.959 and I'm not trying to compare him to Sean Lee, 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:07.000 but you look at Sean Lee, a player like him, 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:09.640 He's a freaking focused guy. He's in the game, he's 0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:12.400 gonna know. He knows as soon as the play starts. 0:14:12.440 --> 0:14:16.120 He basically knows where the play is gonna go. Jalen 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:18.760 not so much. He's always if you look at all 0:14:18.800 --> 0:14:21.600 his play, especially from last year, there's always a lack 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:26.680 of hesitation and confusion that slows him down a few seconds, 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:29.640 so that makes him behind on the play, and it 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:32.840 just like those few seconds are super important in a 0:14:32.920 --> 0:14:35.760 game where the speed is so necessary and it just 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:39.480 goes to buy itself fast. So to me, I don't 0:14:39.480 --> 0:14:42.120 know how as a coach you you really teach that 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:47.920 the speed and the and the concentration and knowing, okay, 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:51.280 where is this play gonna go and learning that you know, 0:14:51.480 --> 0:14:54.520 I don't know how coachable that really is. Honestly, I 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:57.400 don't know that I would call it focus and concentration 0:14:57.640 --> 0:15:00.960 as much as I would call it preparedness because I 0:15:01.040 --> 0:15:03.640 look at a guy like Sean Lee, and the reason 0:15:03.720 --> 0:15:06.080 why I think Sean Lee is Shan Lee. The Sean 0:15:06.160 --> 0:15:09.040 leely we know is because the amount of time, or 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:11.520 at least what we're always told about Sean Lee is 0:15:11.800 --> 0:15:15.520 the amount of time he spends really preparing for a game. 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:18.240 I'm talking sitting and watching and watching and watching and 0:15:18.280 --> 0:15:21.880 watching film of his opponent to be able to diagnose 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:24.160 things that he sees on film once he's in the 0:15:24.240 --> 0:15:27.240 game and quickly be able to react to them. If 0:15:27.280 --> 0:15:30.320 you're not seeing that from Jalen, my question would be, 0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:32.240 and I don't know this because I'm not with Jalen, 0:15:32.560 --> 0:15:35.240 but is he preparing in the same way that as 0:15:35.280 --> 0:15:38.520 Sean Lee prepares? Is that the issue more than focus 0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:41.200 and concentration. Is it an issue of him just not 0:15:41.320 --> 0:15:43.320 maybe preparing as much? And I don't know the answer 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:47.320 that question hard to Yeah, the other thing too, and 0:15:47.680 --> 0:15:51.040 I agree with you, and it just seems like he 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:53.960 guesses a lot and like that could be preparedness. I 0:15:54.000 --> 0:15:59.120 also wonder if it's compensation for like, Okay, if I 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:01.320 wait to react act, I'm gonna be late. So I 0:16:01.400 --> 0:16:03.600 just gotta go and hopefully I'm right. And you're not 0:16:03.720 --> 0:16:05.280 going to be right all the time. Because he's a 0:16:05.280 --> 0:16:08.480 smart guy. We know this. The guy went to Notre Dame. 0:16:08.600 --> 0:16:10.400 Like you don't get into Notre Dame even if you're 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:12.560 playing football. You don't get into Notre Dame if you're dumb. 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:15.920 The guy's smart. So it's not a comprehension issue in 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:19.720 my opinion, which again leads me back to at least 0:16:19.760 --> 0:16:23.800 questioning if it's a preparedness problem. You know, all right, 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:26.040 So here's the next question I have for you, guys. 0:16:26.640 --> 0:16:30.280 Do you think the Cowboys should be looking at Layton 0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:33.360 vander ash as a situation where they think they can 0:16:33.560 --> 0:16:37.120 expect different, better results than what they've gotten so far 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:39.560 from the standpoint of his health, or do they need 0:16:39.600 --> 0:16:42.760 to and maybe not, maybe abandon is a strong word, 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:45.440 but do they need to start looking in another direction 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:49.000 for a more reliable linebacker? Let's start first few Dave, 0:16:49.480 --> 0:16:52.440 This is I've written about this, and it's really tough. 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:57.000 I think I have I done the Schrodinger's Cat analogy 0:16:57.240 --> 0:16:58.920 on here before. I love that you bring that up, 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:00.640 because that's one of my favorite books in the world. 0:17:00.680 --> 0:17:03.560 But god, I mean, I'm not smart enough to get 0:17:03.560 --> 0:17:07.520 into that. But Schrodinger's Cat's basically an experiment where you know, 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:10.399 you release a vial of poison into a box with 0:17:10.440 --> 0:17:13.240 a cat, and you don't know whether or not it 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:15.800 happened until you open it. So the cat is simultaneously 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:19.280 alive and dead. Right I know, It's like different planes. 0:17:21.880 --> 0:17:27.399 The Cowboys simultaneously have two good starting linebackers and nothing 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:31.240 at all like right now they do they have? They're like, 0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:33.879 well we got Laton Vanderesh and Jalen Smith, or like, 0:17:33.960 --> 0:17:38.639 holy crap, we need we need uh. And you know 0:17:38.880 --> 0:17:41.640 there's a subplot here. There's a subplot here too. I'm 0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:46.080 just gonna keep going it's oh Sean Well, I mean 0:17:46.240 --> 0:17:49.360 the same thing. It's true, but just and I love 0:17:49.440 --> 0:17:53.200 Sean Lee, great guy, but I just I don't view 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:55.040 him on the same level, just because at this point 0:17:55.040 --> 0:17:57.439 in his career, you know, you're probably you're not asking 0:17:57.480 --> 0:18:00.880 for a thousand snaps from you. Um, but you're right, 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:02.600 I mean you're right, Like, as of right now, Sean, 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:04.920 you're like, oh, we got Sean leeback for one more year, 0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:06.960 or oh, Sean Lee is going to retire and probably 0:18:07.000 --> 0:18:10.360 be our linebackers coach in two years. Cool either way. Um. 0:18:11.320 --> 0:18:14.159 And and there's a subplot here where you know, you 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:16.600 got to decide on Layton's fifth year option in May. 0:18:17.119 --> 0:18:20.680 That's probably something like ten million dollars to a guy 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:24.040 that's missed almost a full season over the last two years. 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:26.880 I mean, that's that's a dicey proposition. So and if 0:18:26.920 --> 0:18:29.320 you don't do that, he's a free agent this time 0:18:29.359 --> 0:18:32.800 next year. And we just outlined everything that's wrong with Jalen, 0:18:32.920 --> 0:18:37.840 So what do you do? And I don't necessarily know 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:41.480 that there's a great answer. I think I would probably 0:18:41.480 --> 0:18:45.040 pick up Layton's contract and hope that going back to 0:18:45.080 --> 0:18:47.760 a scheme that he is excelled in having a you know, 0:18:47.800 --> 0:18:51.320 an experienced defensive coordinator, and the injuries last year, they 0:18:51.359 --> 0:18:53.400 don't they don't freak me out too much. I mean, 0:18:53.720 --> 0:18:56.480 broken collar bone, that's not a you know, that's a 0:18:56.480 --> 0:18:59.200 freak injury. Everybody rolls their ankle from time to time, 0:18:59.200 --> 0:19:01.040 like Layton would have play in the playoffs had they 0:19:01.040 --> 0:19:04.479 made it, So it's not like this debilitating thing. Um, 0:19:05.240 --> 0:19:07.240 So that's not the same to me as the neck injury. 0:19:07.320 --> 0:19:10.000 So I'd probably pick up his option and not feel 0:19:10.000 --> 0:19:12.600 great about it, but I feel a lot better than 0:19:12.680 --> 0:19:15.920 being like, well, I'm a year away from having no linebackers. Yeah, 0:19:16.080 --> 0:19:19.440 and um, and i'd probably I would try to draft 0:19:19.480 --> 0:19:22.560 one somewhat highly doesn't have to be picked ten, but 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:25.600 one of the first of those four picks, you know, 0:19:25.840 --> 0:19:28.639 two third rounders, first and second, I would try to 0:19:28.680 --> 0:19:30.560 spend one of them on a linebacker for sure. Is 0:19:30.600 --> 0:19:36.240 there's only one option to pick at ten, right, Um, 0:19:36.280 --> 0:19:39.280 maybe two? But really I mean Michael Parsons, And it 0:19:39.320 --> 0:19:41.439 sounds like from what I've heard, like none of you 0:19:41.480 --> 0:19:44.760 guys love the idea Parsons at ten. Well, oh, hold on, 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:48.360 this is somebody that doesn't study it like them. Yeah, 0:19:48.480 --> 0:19:51.280 I'm just studying it off YouTube like everyone else. It 0:19:51.280 --> 0:19:55.399 doesn't show us bad plays, right, you're in, Yeah, like 0:19:55.440 --> 0:19:58.359 I'm in. But that's all I see. Yeah, and I don't. 0:19:58.480 --> 0:20:00.719 I haven't read all the stories. I know there's been 0:20:00.760 --> 0:20:02.600 a lot of talk. He's off the field. He's been 0:20:02.640 --> 0:20:05.720 he's been in lawsuits, and he's got some maturity issues. 0:20:06.400 --> 0:20:08.679 He can get after. He's an athletic as hell, and 0:20:08.680 --> 0:20:10.919 he can get after the quarterback for sure. But if 0:20:10.920 --> 0:20:13.560 he's got maturity issues, do you think bringing him into 0:20:13.640 --> 0:20:16.840 that room is a good idea? Great question, Sean Lee 0:20:16.920 --> 0:20:20.960