Cowboys Break: Awards Show

twenty two, Season seventeen, episode number one or two. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break Life in the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star and we got another lovely show planned for you guys today, hopefully here in a moment. We'll be joined by Dave Helman. He's out the Senior Bowl. He'll give us some updates from out there and what's going on at the Senior Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Had an opportunity talk to Jerry and Will.

I'm sorry Jerry, Steven Jones and Will McClay, so well here what he had to say, what those guys had to say, and what Dave's takes on it are. How's everybody doing today? Good? We're good? Yeah, I mean here on a holiday you know, we're doing some work here. We don't take grounddogs day off. We do not. We do not, not all of us, anyway, some of us do. Don't get me started. I'm sorry. We're talking about some in house bs. Yeah, it's it's all good. It's all good.

We're gonna figure this thing out. Um, let's start with where last week I say we're gonna start each show, uh just kind of get loosening ourselves up. This is our warm up into the show. But we're gonna go around the table and get some thoughts from you guys on the most important or interesting uh sports nugget that you've heard in the last week, and then we'll talk

a little bit about it. Let's start with you. Himber me, Well, we all know about Tom Brady and his retirement and everything and all the years of success that he's had, and me looking at social media, you know, there's always that vast majority of people that also like to criticize and talk and just haters. And I saw a lot of comments and then just people criticizing Tom Brady. So then that led me to do some investigation a little bit because I didn't know about certain things people talking

about the whole. He's like, well, he's a cheater and this and that the whole. And then I learned about like spygate thing and play gate and all these things that happened that you know, by the time I started working here and in sports, I didn't know anything about that, and I wasn't aware of all that happening. So I'm like, okay, but I mean then it let me. It took me down this rabbit hole where you started, Okay, what about Bill Belichick and how real is see? And then what

is Bill Belichick without it? Tom Brady? Well, we saw that, and then I would just when that rabbit hole of just kind of learning the history a little bit of what happened between you know, Tom Brady, the Patriots, Bill Belichi's reputations. Phones tell phones, oh, you just centered out another rabbit hole. She's got to go figure all that out. There's something about the flate gate with Tom Brady and like, well he texted the ball boy before the game. It's like, Tom,

let me see your phone. He's like, it got smashed. Sorry, sorry, My job is to hang on to the football and don't fumble it. But my cell phone got smashed. Sorry. It happens. It happens, you know. Oh yeah, when you saw tellphone, the thing that popped into my head was the whole text us were recently. That's another that's gonna be I'm sure one of us probably to say about that. Nick, what's been the big story for you this week? I mean the big story obviously the NFL stuff like that.

I mean I don't shift though, really to NBA or anything to later. I mean, college basketball is always interesting to me. And you know, I'm sorry. I watched last night's game and I just it's funny to me. It's just funny because it's like if you have Texas tex Texas and Texas Tech and and and the head coach of Texas who's now who's at Texas, who was at Texas Tech built their program, built their program, and he left it better than what it was. Um obviously, but uh,

you know, it's like he went to Texas. If you went to school, they went to school there. If you're gonna go back to your place, you can go to and And I'm sorry, I've been to love It twice and I haven't spent the night either time. It's there and back. Nobody stays there long, So I don't understand what the big problem is. But whatever, you know, they they won, They won the game. That's fine. Yeah, that they won good. I mean it was the super Bowl in love Jesus. But um, you know, but that's kind

of their fan base. That's what it is. I mean, you got what else are you going to get excited about? But I just thought it was kind of petty. But at the love of folks, I've done it before. I've done it before, and they bring it back and whatever. But it's just that's that's if you would have one fan base to get pissed off like that and just great, Yeah, that's fine, and they won the game. But I mean,

I think he'll sleep fine. When I saw the coach walking out with a stream of police officers around him, I was like, Wow, isn't that serious, Like coaches have left places before. I didn't realize it was that serious. But hey, I knew going into that game it was an uphill battle. They're a good team on top of the fact that they just hate our coach. So it is what I wanted to talk about your college brestball

team because my college basketball team. You know, you don't want to you don't want to mess with a with a winning stream. You don't even tell you. I don't even talk about it. Don't even talk about it. We don't know what that's like. But yeah, seven in a row. Oh oh yeah, they're good at basketball. We're not true, not true and good football team. I swept the floor. I swept the floor this year. We're not gonna teams and a rob team and Dave's team. Yeah I beat them.

Yeah it was me, all me, Sarah for that. Hey, as soon as as soon as we make this transition to the SEC, there will be trust me, we'll do something. We'll have some fun. Yeah, yeah, we're gonna have some fun with that for sure. All right, what do you think, Derek, what's your sports story? It's the story everybody in the NFL is talking about. Is Brian Flores and what's happening with him in the NFL. And actually I wanted to read this quote from Brian Flores talking about the suit

against the NFL. He said, God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals. In making the decision file the class action complaint. Today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for

generations to come. The reason why I wanted to read that is because I just wanted to say. I really wanted to just lout Brian Flores, mainly because, and I'll tell you like this, this morning, I saw on television there were a number of television stations where they were talking about fair hiring practices. I was driving into work, I jumped around a couple different radio stations. Both were talking about hiring practices. And the interesting thing about this

topic is this is not just an NFL issue. This is an NFL. This is an issue that affects our entire workforce in America. This is not just about the NFL. And so what I the way I look at this is regardless of what happens in the court case, all the merits of that, they'll figure all that out in court.

What I love about this is Brian Flores has reignited the conversation around fair hiring practices and making sure that everybody gets fair opportunity, whether that be people of color, whether that be women, like everybody should have a fair shot in this job market, and not just in the ability to get jobs, but ability to get hire jobs, to get leadership type roles and leadership type position And so I just want I think there's no better way

we could have started Black History Month than him doing something like this, because this is what Black History Month is all about. It's all those pioneers that continue to relentlessly and even put themselves in their own careers in jeopardy. They continue to fight the fight to say this is not just we need better hiring practices and we're willing

to put their own careers on the line. And so I salute Brian Flores for doing that, and hopefully this conversation continues and hopefully we find some better solutions, because right now, I don't know what they have in place is necessarily working. Well said, I mean, you're right, and you know that situation. I talked to you about this yesterday. It kind of hits close to home and we don't have to go through the whole story. But if you know, just google a bar Rouse. A bar Rouse is somebody

that I knew when I was in college. He was a basketball coach at Young GA at my college at Midwestern State, and he ended up going to Baylor and he ended up being the whistleblower for what happened with Dave Bliss and that whole situation there, and he never got a job again, and the coaches said that that would never happen, and he did the right thing. Abar Rouse. If you don't know him, you should google him and

look him up in his story. He's probably I think he's like a pe teacher right now when he should have been coaching college basketball. But he did the right thing and hopefully it doesn't happen like that for you know, Brian Flores and other people that stand up and do what the right thing is. Well, we know of him, and what we know is Brian Flores is a good coach. What he did in Miami, I think that's a good coach being able to build that program to the point

where they were. They didn't make the playoffs, but they were a very competitive team, extremely competitive team. I don't know what your thoughts on this, but I've said this earlier. If Hardball leaves Michigan, if I'm Michigan, I'm signing right now because you think about how many parents would say, I want my son to play for him because he's going to do the right thing. He's gonna take care of him, he's gonna stand up for people and not

sound like Michigan's not a great job. Any job that's open like that, I think college is the way to go because people have the choice to go and play for you. Yep, I agree with that. All right. We are joined right now by mister Dave Hellman out there in Mobile, Alabama. Dave, what's up man? I'll tell you what's up man? This is he I mean, we love our jobs, right, I'm definitely not complaining, but yeah, side, this is the side of the gig that they don't glamorize.

I am standing in the rain at Hancock Whitney Stadium and I'm I'm bird bird dogging the Jones's, the Cowboys front office, the Jones family. Actually, I mean Steve Stephen Jones is here. Obviously we had a chance to speak with him yesterday, but just to take you behind the scenes of what this job is like, you know, you get here, coordinate with the people you need to coordinate with, Like, hey, we're gonna be able to talk to Steven today. We're

gonna get Will That would be great. We can, you know, set ourselves up for a nice week or two of content. We'll check in with them for the first time since the season ended. So you get all that done, go back and write your stories, and you're like, wow, that was a full and fulfilling and productive day. And now I'm kind of done and I can take a deep breath and like go to dinner. And then you get a text from a reporter friend that's like, Jerry Jones

is holding court in the bar downtown. I should probably be here, and I'm like, oh my god, I didn't know Jerry was here too. So j Jerry's here, and so I'm I'm bird dog in the front office. We also we call it playing defense. I'm basically I'm just trying to make sure Jerry Jones isn't giving an interview that I'm not part of. Yeah. Yeah, So you know, you get you get to cover a lot of cool events, you get to meet a lot of people, but every now and then you have to stand in the rain

and spy on people. Yeah. Great, Yeah, it's the hard part of the job. It's what you were meant for, Dave, You're good at it. Um, you know what I'm I'm I'm ready for it. I get some kind of sick thrill out of this. I have to be honest, all right. So so going back to your time with Stephen and will what will give me? Give me a couple of things that we're intriguing that you may have heard from them during the interview that you conducted earlier this week.

You know, it's fun, it's interesting. I was talking to a reporter friend of mine who's down here about this last night. Is like, this is this is a I feel like it's a unique year where like they're there's less going on with the Cowboys than in a typical year in my opinion, Like there's just no looming question like a you know, a DAK contract extension or like a franchise tech stair down, Like we don't have that domineering storyline yet. But I actually wrote a story about

this this morning. I don't know if it's on the site yet. Um yet. Okay, that's fine, I mean that's fine. But because it's going I think it's the gist I'm trying to get at is I think we're setting up for an interesting couple of months here because the Cowboys have some decisions to make that are that are gonna

shake things up. And that's one thing Stephen touched on yesterday when I talk to him, is they're twenty million over the cap right now, and they obviously have a bunch of like key free agents that they would probably like to try to resign. So how do they get under the cap? How do they find money for those guys?

Who do they try to find money for? Obviously you can restructure Dack's feel pretty easily, but other than that, you kind of got to make some interesting decisions when you look at like should we restructure a Zeke contract? Should we restructure an offensive Lineman's contract? A lot of talk about Amari Cooper. So I think my main takeaway right now is that it's like it's very quiet in Cowboy world right now. And I don't know, for some reason, I just feel like that feels ominous to me. Yeah,

it does. And I think Nick and I were ill mentioned. Nick and I were talking off the air about just looking at the salary cap and we're gonna get us that next week. Next week, a topic of our show is going to be around free agency and even talking a little bit about some of the guys that are

under contract. But there are some significant contracts savings the Cowboys could make if they made some decisions to part with some veterans, which is gonna make some for a really interesting conversation for the Cowboys to try to figure out what's worth it. Do you keep the guy and continue to pay him the money or do you let him go? And you might have some dead money, but the amount of money that you save could be significant

in being able to give you more cap relief. Yeah, I mean to be and again, like I haven't heard anything. This is really just more connecting tea leaves. But again, a guy like Mri Cooper, a guy like de Marcus Lawrence, Like you sit there and you look at it, and you're like, I'm not saying this is a good idea, but I can see how that winds up being a

conversation that maybe you move on from those guys. So I just think, I don't know, I think we could be setting up for an eventful march one way or the other, whether the Cowboys restructure their current roster, or even if it's kind of boring, like you look at the guys on this team that don't have deals right now, like Randy Gregory, Dalton Schultz, Jeron Curse. I mean, there's gonna be some attrition there. So, um, yeah, I think it kind of dawned on me while I was talking

to Stephen yesterday. I was like, Okay, it feels kind of boring right now, but I have a feeling it's gonna be kind of dramatic by February or March. Yeah, Dave, you know, we talked about Kellen Moore and he's still in them in the process right now of of everything he's with, the interviewing with the Dolphins, which I don't know the Dolphins man, of other things that they're they're worried about right now too. But that's kind of busy.

But um, did you get the sense that Stephen was like, yeah, I mean Kellen, we we love him to come back, but if he doesn't, we'll be all right. I mean that's what That's what it kind of sounded like when

he was talking to Yeah. Absolutely, that's that's what it sounded like to me, And he actually there was like a Freudian moment where I asked him about I asked him about like the uncertainty with Kellen, and he basically was like, well, that's what's so big about Dan coming back, and then he kind of cut himself off and was like, yeah,

like we really love Kellen, and I'm like, okay. He found like you were a lot more worried about one of these guys, right and then the other like again going behind the scenes, Like I had a I kind of kicked myself last night because I asked him about, you know, do you work on a contingency plan if Kellen leaves? Like how much are you stressed about that?

And he basically, I mean he said, he was like, we're not worried about that because Mike McCarthy's background is all offense and he's got play calling history, And like in the moment, it didn't register that much with me. And then later I was like, I should have asked him if he was talking about Mike, and I mean, that's it seemed like that's what he was hinting at, but it didn't dawn on me to just ask the question directly, So you know, I apologize for that, but

it don't worry about it. Don't worry about it, Dave, because like usually that is like ten people there and everyone trying to fighting to get a question in when you're the one that's asking all of them, Like you, you're trying to be a one shot ahead of it, and you're like okay, okay, And sometimes that happens when you're you're thinking of your next question and then they're like yeah, and then I you know, and then they said and then I might retire, and you're like, yeah, exactly,

I mean, this is hey, Jerry Madelon, he was just joking. He doesn't really mean that, but I can remember. I mean, yeah, you're right, nick it. Jorry Epstein, our friend from USA Today, is the only other Cowboy reporter that's year. So her and I just went back and forth with Stephen for like twenty minutes, and I was like, I think I got everything, but I wouldn't mind it if there were like two or three other reporters here. He could maybe

fill in some gaps that I forgot about. Um. But yeah, I mean there was definitely an implication like that that's where his brain win when he was asked about Kellen Moore not being here's like, well, Mike's got a background was bad. So it does make me wonder if Kellen is to leave. And I mean, Jerry said last week he's optimistic Kelln's not going anywhere, um, but if he does, as I don't know, I just sort of get the sense that their contingency plan might just be to handle

it in the house. But you know, that's also the part that kind of worries me a little bit about that whole thing is, yeah, Mike has had experience, and so as the head coach, why didn't he have more of an imprint on or did he have an imprint and it just didn't work on helping this offense get out of the out of the trash can like they were. They were struggling in the second half of the year, and Kellen couldn't seem to figure it out. And I don't know if Mike was helping and they still couldn't

get out, or if Mike really wasn't helping enough. Either way, that seems problematic for a guy that has all that experience as a play caller. Right. I don't remember if I said it on this show, but I spent a lot of the second half of the season, expecting for a story to break about Mike injecting himself into the play calling situation or just outright taking over play calling duties. Like I just I just had this like lingering feeling.

I was like, I'm gonna wake up one of these Sunday and more and there's gonna be a schefter report about Mike McCarthy taking over play calling duties. But it never happened. So yeah, I kind of agree with you, I think. I mean, given the struggles that we saw consistently for nine weeks, it seemed like there's more that Mike could have done. And I, yeah, I wonder if that's just the balancing act of what Kellen's accomplished here

and how highly the front office thinks of him. I don't get the sense that there's any friction there, but I did think that was kind of curious. I agree with you. All right, Dave, We're gonna let you go. Man. You keep keep holding down the fourth there. I know it's raining. Hopefully you guys can get back before the snowmageddon here in Dallas, but if not, we will see you in a few days. When you get back and we'll be checking out all your work on Dallas Cowboys

dot com. I appreciate that. Keep your keep your fingers crossed that my seven thirty flight doesn't get camp. Please. All right, let's see what we can do and be careful when you get into night, and it might already be coming down a little bit, so I need you guys to be really really careful. All right, we'll do thanks man sell at them. We're gonna take our first

breaking we come back. We got the break Awards. This is gonna be our shot at giving accolades to players that should deserve it and some that maybe shouldn't have that don't want these awards, but we're gonna give them out anyway. So wondow when we come right back. This is Das Cowboys dot Com Radio. At ATNC, everyone new and existing customers get our best deals on every smartphone. Why because you deserve it for turning your living room into your office and your gym. We're teaching Grandma had

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Seymour do more Esseler. Welcome back, second segment of the Break off SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star, and welcome to the two thousand twenty one season Break Awards. We are now going to go through a list of players and moments that we want to highlight, And we're gonna start first with what do you guys think is the was the best win twenty twenty one season for the Cowboys. Well, for me, I will say Week two against the Charters,

I think that was the best win. I think that's where we saw a lot of things kind of happened. We saw them figure out that what Michael Parsons can really do, and I think that changed the whole defense. I think it was. It was a great win. It was the last second victory. It was a fun atmosphere with Cowboy fans there. Tony Pollard had a great day doing some things. We saw the aggressiveness of the punt.

It was funny about the punt block that they almost blocked it and they called a penalty and what's bones doing, He's draw it And then they ended up blocking four punts that year, you know, And so it was just kind of an interesting day. But when you look back and see how things especially with Michael Parsons, and I think it was that was their their best win because you can't go oh into to start the season, and they made sure that they didn't. That's the same one

I had. But then another one that I was thinking about was that at the time, And we know the Patriots didn't have good season, but at the time, we were here sitting here, Oh, what are they gonna do against Bill Belichick, this and that? How can they do that? And the fact that they win out there and won that game. I think it was a big win for the Cowboys at the time. And I know Dave we ranked all twelve of our wins and I know Dave's

answer to that as the Patriots as well. Yeah, and actually that's what I was going to say as well. Just I look at the quality of that team. I know they weren't as good as we expect the Patriots to be the years that they've been at the top of the league, but they were a good team this year and they were doing that with a quarterback that just you know, he wasn't the leader of what they did,

but he fit in the system. It reminded me so much of what Tom Brady was his first year as well, Like he'd make a throw it to a game, but really it was relying on the defense, was relying on the running game, and the Cowboys had to cut out that win. They had to figure it out there and to be honest with you, how was the last time we saw this Cowboys offense in that form? Like after that game? Yeah, they did it against some poor teams, but we didn't really see that Cowboys team after that game.

But that game I thought they played. They played a game where they didn't even play the best football, but they figured out a way to win against a really good team. And that was really the last time we saw them do that this season. So for me, that was the win that that was the best one for the season. Vikings would have been as close to the Vikings going up there and winning in that in that atmosphere without Dak coming back the way they did that

was another good one. All right, Let's move on MVP of the team. Who was the most valuable player for this team? Mica? I mean, is there another answer to that? I think not so, Michael Parsons. I don't think there's anything else needed to be said or explained for that guy. Well, um, let me tell you it's um Michael Parsons. Yeah, Yeah, he's he's He's changed the whole defense. And that's why I think that that Chargers game was the one, because

that's the one we found out. Oh he can rest the past or two, you know, and you know he's he's outstanding and just he just brings so much at too. And I said it to you one point, I thought they could win. I thought they could win it all. I really did. And I thought, if Michael Parsons is healthy, Um, this team has a chance. And they did have a chance. I mean they lost to a team that you know,

played better that day. I don't know if they are better, they played better, and um, but but I think Michael Parsons is the reason that the defense was able to play the way they did. When you look at Michael Parsons and um, I mean in his rookie year, he was being touted as a possible defensive player year. Maybe still gets it, I don't know, but possible defensive player of the year across the entire league. Veterans included, Um, when is the last time you remember Dallas having a

player that good? I mean when you when you stack him up against other guys around the league, he's right up there at the top and he's that caliber player. Like, when is the last time we had that kind of player on this team? You're like, you're looking at me, like not since I've been I mean you, I mean, you can make the argument for offensive line like Zach Martin. I guess I want to get difference. Yeah, I want to. I want to get to that guy that that changes games.

When was the last time I had that kind of guy? I think the last time they've had that kind of guy is DeMarcus Ware And you can make the case that that what Parsons did is I mean, Parsons had a better rookie year, you know that, and so um and and one of the things about DeMarcus that always kind of, you know, we always talked about was that some of his sacks weren't always at the time where you know that really changed the games to go win

the game and stuff like that. Um, but you know, he still had more than any bloody that's ever played for the Cowboys. So matters, it does, And he was great. He was that kind of player and lived lived at the Pro Bowl every year, and so I think he's the closest thing. And then that's before you know, anything

before that. I not since I was here, but you know, I could say even back in the nineties, I don't think there was a defensive player other than than Dion, Yeah, because Dion definitely changed it um, but you know, the team was kind of going downhill at that point. And

that's so special. I think the reason why I ask that questions because that's that is a special thing to have that caliber of player, because if you use them the right way, there's so many other things you can do based off that player and how much attention other teams will have to pay pay to that player, and it just requires someone who's creative enough to know how

to use them. Yeah. Yeah, for a player like that real quick, you know, and since I've been here, you start seeing every year how the team looks different and this and that, and then you talk about player what's the name for like whear and tear or how do

you say that? Foray and tear? So for a player like that, I know that was his first year and everything, but given as much as he's done and as aggressive on a player of a player that he is and all that for that position and what he's doing, what would be like the player life spam for someone like him where you want to be able to at least get further than the first playoff game within his time here that we basically that we don't go through another

team restructuring the team and then now you lost another amazing player. And I know he's super young, but I mean I don't know that there is a standard like you know, because that's the thing about the NFL. It takes one injury to change everything for any player. Right. I would guess right now, the Cowboys probably look at this guy and say, we could have him if he keeps playing like this, we could have him playing here ten twelve years, right, Yeah, maybe more, but ten twelve years.

I would think they probably feel pretty good about something like that. If he continues to produce and doesn't have any major injuries. Ten twelve years years seems about what I would think. At least that's the way I look at it. He's a ten to twelve year kind of guy that'll be here and be really effective during that time. Yeah, that's that's about right. I Mean, it's hard, it's hard to sit predicting it other than that, and you don't even like to do that to go that far. But yeah,

I mean, he's he's him. Get him better than what has shown you because I feel like he's I mean, he's shown you so much, so you know, or whatever, but you feel like there's a big chunk of how much more he can do? I do. I believe go ahead, yeah, I believe it too. And the weird thing about Micah is is that the reason why the Cowboys were able to get him at twelve and that nobody really knew he was a pass rusher is because he didn't play

football the year before at Penn State. The weird thing to me is that, knowing a little bit that that we know of Micah, I am shocked to hell that he that he didn't play that season because he loves football, yeah so much that it's just surprising that he opted

out of that season. Now, part of that, at least what I've understood about that situation was he opted out at the time when or he decided he wasn't going to play, at a time when they were thinking the big twelve, big ten was not going to play, and and at that point I think there may have been some kind of some gray area there of you know, I'm not playing, and then the big TUN's gonna play, and so he decided not to come back. That's what I've heard. I don't know that as a fact, but

I've heard some some of that. It wasn't just a simple I'm not gonna play football. My team's playing, but I'm not gonna play. I think there was some of that involved there. Yeah, But to answer your question, yeah, I think he I think he can get better because I think he's going to keep studying, you know. Yeah,

I mean I just got it with Sean Lee. I wish they could have played like one year together, you know, just one year, just because I think Sean you know, if if a guy that with an athletic ability that like that can get the work ethic and leadership and and hunger for the game like Sean Lee had. But but what I've heard of him is that he's he's doing that. So I wouldn't be surprised if he hasn't or will plan to sit down with Sean Lee at

some point talk to him. He did it with DeMarcus Ware, he did it with Tank Like he's he's seeking out people he comes here. Yeah, yeah, he's seeking out people. Yeah, he's seeking out people to get advice from and to learn more about what he's doing. That was that that report that we before he was playing the San Diego game where he went and sat with DeMarcus Square and just started trying to pick his brain playing defensive man, what do I need to know? I mean, what are

things you would tell me? Right? So I think he's that kind of player, Like you said, he loves football, and so for me, I look at it and say, yeah, he was great this year. But he certainly can grow because anybody you take your first time you do it, I don't care how good you are at it. There's so much you learn and if you apply all the things you learn, that just tells you that's his floor

right now. His ceiling can be wherever. Like, we don't know how much better this guy can be, but I suspect it's going to be better because you can really even begin to process what that can look like. After seeing what we saw from him this year, I'm just like, oh my god, what else one more can he do? He's just amazing. All Right, We're gonna move on. Let's

get something. I would say, but my next guy on most valuable Player, And I don't want to go down a rabbit hole here, but I would throw Zeke into the conversation a little bit really because of the term most valuable player when he is playing at his high level. This team was way better when he suffered the injury and couldn't do the same things that the offense didn't

do as well. And I think the value of a running back, a healthy, top tier running back, is valuable for this team, and I don't think they had it on the second part of the season. Here's the question I think a lot of people out there listening right now would probably have which is well, is that also a reflection of the fact in the second half they didn't use Tony Pollard more and if they would have,

they would have still seen similar type of production. Maybe and and so then it becomes a situation of it may have not been necessarily Zeke as much as they needed to put the best running back in the moment in at the beginning season, maybe that was Zeke. Towards the second of the half of the year, when Zeke was injured, maybe that was Pollard and they should have done more with Remember, probably got hurt for a few games. True,

he did a pretty tough injury. So but for those last two games to get six carries in else to get like that's that's not I think I think a running back that that can play at the top level. And I'm not sure that that's Zeke anymore. I don't know, but that they missed that and they need that and Dak needs it. Yeah. Absolutely, all right, let's let's jump into the offensive player of the year? Whose offensive player of Year for this team? I guess, are you saying Zeke? No?

I mean, like no, because that's he didn't he didn't do it the second half of the year. But MVP and player of the Year are different, you know, um, Player of the year, best player, Offensive player of the year. I'm just gonna go with the cop out. I'm just gonna go with the cop out. Well, it's the right answer, then, Zach No, that wasn't gonna be Zach Martin the answer. I went with the first team All Pro. I don't know what you've got, but I went with the first

team All Pro. What's your answer? You're probably right if he just you know, I was gonna say Dak just because again, here's the thing about Dak undefeated when he didn't play, And here's the thing about Dak. Dak, he had his moments when things weren't going well. And by the way, that was this whole offense that just they fell off, but even with all of that, they still were right up there at the top of the league

when it came to most of the offensive statistics. And I know statistics are still statistic statistics, but they do matter. Like they are, they have their place in this whole conversation. And so if you're looking at this offense and you're trying to identify one player that you think had an outstanding you, you're right, it's always probably Zack Martin because Zach Martin is just so great at what he does.

But the problem is, when Dak Martin has a great game, it really doesn't matter through all the other four guys on the offensive line don't so his impact on the game is kind of minimized a bit just because of the nature of the position he plays. Dak, on the other hand, every ward, every problem is going to be magnified because he touches the ball almost every single play. I have a small sample size on that, but Dack

miss the game against Minnesota. They figured it out late and they were able to beat an average team, you know, on an average team average, which, by the way, this year they were beating average teams, and they were being average teams is pretty good most of um. Zach missed the game against Tampa Bay, and whether it's just that or other reasons, they chose not to even run the ball at the middle of the field, and I think it hurt him when they got down in the red

zone too. But they played a better game right overall? Would you say they played a better game against Tampa or a a better game against Minnesota? Minnesota? Because they won, they won, you know where I'm going. Come on, let's be honest. But they won. And the thing is that they were handicapped in the middle of the field and because and I think that was also because of the matchup though, right well, like you're playing with Connor Williams and Connor McGovern, I mean with Zach Martin, I'm not

afraid of anybody. Yeah, no, that's my point. I guess we're making the same point. Vita Va was not playing for the Minnesota Vikings, right the TI I'm going with Zach. He went with Dak. I knew you're not gonna pick no. No, I mean the initial when when you mentioned this, yeah, you know, the initial was Sach Martin. And I kept going back, I'm like, okay, who else? Who else? But there's really like nobody else that I would feel like picking because he's he and you can say, okay, the

position minimist or whatever. But at the same time, out of the whole offense, he's the only player that was the most consistent throughout the whole year without I mean, he had his moments, he had his moments, but overall his mistakes were very, very minimal. And you cannot say that about any other player on the roster. Yeah, that's true, that's true. Tell you Zach Martin. Sorry, all right, let's

fly through this next one here. All right, Well, defensive player to you, and I'm gonna change it, defensive player. You cannot be the same as your MVP. But it was Mike, you said, Micah, that was a VP. No, what was the Micah? You said MVP? You said Michael, You said who else? Could it be? An offensive Player of the Year? Yeah, so you said Micah too? Yeah? Yeah, both, y'all say Mica for defensive Player of the Year. I mean for MVP. I'm sorry, and an offensive I think

we all agree with that. Now, defensive player of the year. If if you can't be, if you can't be your MVP, So who is your defensive player of the year. Digs. He broke records, he was, he was outstanding. I don't care what those other websites say. He took the ball away, he was, He was a weapon because he neutralized or took away the other team's Well, do you think that was also part of the problem for this team in the second half of the year, where those started to

slow a bit. They weren't getting the same number of turnovers they got earlier. Yeah, as much as we give the offense a lot of you know, the offense obviously wasn't playing at its best, but the defense also wasn't turning it over as much in the second half as they were in the first half. Right, Yeah, they got one in the playoffs. I mean Anthony Brown got a pick. I mean they got one, and if they would have had two, which they almost did with that weird play

with Kittle, it might have won the game. So, I mean, I mean, they one turnovers is not enough, you know, especially the offensive struggling. But I think Diggs was the was the best player of the micah. Yeah, but other than Diggs, another guy would be Randy Gregory. And I think that, I mean, I absolutely don't believe that the defense would have been as successful and not even Diggs or Micah with now Randy Gregory in the mix, and especially during the time that the Marcus Lawrence was out,

I mean it was all Randy. I feel like, so, yes, Micah Parsons can pressure and all that, but at the same time, he needs other players around him that can help him. And I think that Randy Gregory also had his fair share of mistakes and little anger rageous here and there, but overall, I think he was a great player and he contributed a lot more than what you think he did. All Right, we're gonna go and take our first break. When we come in our final break,

I'm sorry. When we come back, we're gonna talk about the newcomer of the year that it is not a rookie and also our unsung hero. We'll deitly come right back. This Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Hi, I'm Clint Tillison with and I'm Jay Novachek, and we're both with N and Turf, the official tractor provider of the Dallas Cowboys. So if you need a tractor to bail some hay, I'm more to cut some grass or a gator to get some chores done, Get a John Deer at unantag

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you deserve it. I do deserve that. You deserve decadent flavor without sugar, and a day at the beach without sand getting everywhere, and a relaxing bath that your children don't interrupt. I deserve all that. It's really just a visual metaphor for doctor Pepper zero sugar. Everything you want, nothing you don't, a visual metaphor on the radio. I do deserve that, Doctor Pepper zero sugar, the zero you

deserve is finally here. Back to the break. April second, April third or two day event is WrestleMania, the superstars of Wrestle of w w E come to at and T Stadium. So in twenty twenty two, coming up here April second, April third, two days, you going, I might? I might. I'm trying to see if I can work out a deal to get Roman Reins to come by and hang out. And if I can do that, then I'll try to get a suite and we will invite

everybody from our group except for Amber. All right, well, if you can't do that, if you're not boozing, if you're not boost, you have to get a suite, go to seat geek, get your ticket that you got. What uh, Bad Bunny, Oh you already switched by. It's okay. I can meet both of them and interview them whatever. We're trying to work that out. I want to get you connected with Bad Bunny so you can get that interview, like that's that's your interview, like you know, all media

people got that interview they really want. I think, yes, I don't know how it would react. It wasn't Bad Bunny in a royal Road. He was. Yeah, he's wrestling. He's been very involved in WrestleMania. So he yeah, so maybe we'll get that interview, so you'll talk to him and the rest of everybody else to talk to Roman Reigns. Yeah, and Bad Bunny's doing a concert, right and remember all right,

so yeah, what's gonna happen. He's gonna like run out and he's gonna have a match or something's gonna happen at WrestleMania, and it's gonna be real exciting and all that, and then in between the matches, it just gonna say up at the big board, bad Bunny comes to town September nine, Get your jackets out. Yeah, we'll come out bad Bunny babe. That's his thing. I don't know what I didn't hit. Huh, that's what he does. Okay, Okay, I feel old, But okay, I got to I need

to update you. You do you need to get me? Get me right? All right, let's jump back into this. We're doing the break Awards. We've already talked about the best Win, the MVP, the Offensive Player of the Year, the defensive player. Your next question or the next category is Newcomer of the Year. That is a non rookie Newcomer of the Year. That'd be a free agent. Uh, can't be a draft pick. M m n. Okay, Daryn cursores safe. I mean yeah, and he's a lot bigger

because and Dave's not here too jump on this. But you know, we've been complaining about safety forever and you know, Dave and I have been very upset about it for years, and they didn't draft the safe. Wait, trying to think who were the draft class? Yeah, nobody. Yeah, So the fact that they were able to do it with a free agent guy that wasn't anyone with a big name that they had. They didn't have to break the bank or anything. It was one of the guys that initially

is like, here we go again. Okay, let's hope he can hold up or whatever, do enough. And he came in here and maybe it was because of dan Quinn and his magic to develop players and all that, but the fact that he was as effective as he was. And the thing is he was one of those quiet guys. You know that he watched the game and he's not really someone that stands out and you're putting out a graphic like Jaron Carr as well. No, he's like silently done his job and really really well. So he definitely

impressed me. Yeah, led the team in tackles. I mean, I'd like to say somebody else, you know, like maybe the punter. I thought Brian Anger was outstanding. But to come in like like you know, in a position of need and then to do it in a way of

this was kind of unique. They put him in different spots and he learned it, and you know, he came in here with trusting dan Quinn, Dan Quinn trusted him, and whether or not Curses here next year, I think that that that type of player is going to maybe help a little bit in free agency when when they signed some guys that you haven't heard of and you're like, wow, I don't know who much about them, But I didn't know much about Curse either, and you know, so I

think jay Ron's the answer. Let me ask you this. I know there was a lot made about the other safeties as well. You had Hooker and you had um jay Ron. Kay. I mean, I'm sorry, Casey, looking at those two guys, what were your thoughts on how they played? Obviously, jay Ron Curse is the one I think that really really popped, But the other two I thought contributed different good things at moments throughout the season. What are your

thoughts with those two safeties? Both pretty good? I think I think that when you come back from an achilles injury, and Barry Church will be the you know, a guy that can tell tell you that too, is that you're coming back and you're you're getting yourself back going again, and you're doing most of the things you can do. But I think the second year they'll be even better. And I think the ceiling is higher for Mali Cooker

than Casey. But you know, I don't know if you signed both of them, but I think either one that you signed would probably be pretty good. I'd like to

keep Curse. I just don't see it though. Yeah, for the two other guys, and I might be completely wrong about this, but I just have a feeling that had the defense everybody else on defense not being as good, those two players would have struggled a lot more and it would have shown to the point where we would be criticizing them a lot more and talking about the safety position as opposed to Curse. That to me, he's a player that what I saw from him, he can stand on his own and he can kind of do

his thing. He's not gonna be going to the Pro Bowl type of player, but he's gonna do enough for you that I would feel like, oh yeah, I definitely want him back because you need those players. That is not a superstar. But for those two other guys, they did good. They did a good enough job, but had the defense not been as good, I just don't don't

know if they would have been okay. For the cos you mentioned Barry Church, I think he is a good comparable player when you talk about what Jay Run curses like, Like you said, he's not a guy that necessarily going to be at the top of the league. Everybody's gonna be talking about him. He's going to Pro Bowls every year. But he certainly gather you ask the people in the building, They're like, that's a guy we really want and really neat like he adds something to this defense. He has

a good role for this defense. And I'm hopeful Nick that they will figure out a way to be able to keep him. I don't know what that looks like. I hope Dan Quinn can help help in that because he's had a career before this name wasn't nearly as good as what it was with Quinn, And so I think sometimes players are willing to say, hey, I think I can do more with this guy if you can

get him a fair offer. It might not be the best offer, but if it's a fair offer, I think sometimes guys are willing to do that, and we'll see where it all pans out. All right, let's go on toys like signing their own people. So yeah, they do, Yeah, they do at least, And I actually like that, you know, what you got. I'd rather take a guy, especially a guy that I think is pretty good. I'd rather keep

him than go back to the well. And you don't really know how a guy's gonna fit, You don't really know what his personalities like, all those other things that you know about the guy that's already and you're building. All right, let's let's go to unsung hero. Who would be the unsung hero for this team. I struggle with that. Yeah, yeah, you want to give you mine? Yeah yeah, tarn still was mine. I think he's a guy that that came in and going into the season. I'll speak for myself.

I didn't think he was a very good player and was forced back into action after having to play so much last year and played I thought much better than he played last year. It doesn't mean he was perfect. That means he played much better. And he was the most interesting part. When Lyole Collins came back and became the right tackle again. I didn't really see a difference. Like for me, Terrence Steele, for the amount of money he's making, was every bit as good as Lyle Collins.

And maybe there were things that coaches saw that that would dispute that, but from what I saw, they looked like comparable players. To me, that means Terrence Steele in his second year, he's getting better and and so that's a guy for me, that's an unsung hero that everybody doesn't give as much credit as I think they should. I had him as my biggest surprise because he definitely surprised me. Yeah, yeah, that's we might not get to it,

but yeah, that's on there. Yeah, But to me, he was the biggest surprise just because we critics signed him so much last and rightfully, so, yeah, he didn't play well last year, yes, and I was one of the words. I was like, oh, who is this guy? And they need to get him out of there or whatever, And yeah, this year he came in and the fact that they did not struggle on that side or it was to

the point where we weren't commenting on it. And as soon as they made the change and moved Lyle Collins back into the mix and all that you saw that was kind of the downfall for the whole offensive line and when things kind of started changing a whole lot. For for the struggles that they have had last year, but for onsong re hero, I keep going. I can't think of a guy that was like all throughout the year,

like fully done something like. There are guys here and there like I want to think of, okay, a player like Dalton Scholtz. But then at the same time, there are areas that he very much lacked in and he wasn't always great. So I do you have your on some here probably you know, I was thinking Chults. I was thinking Anger. That's where Anger would probably would go

in there for me. Um Dooran's Armstrong is another one too. Yeah, but you know I wanted Anger as the as the best free agent, but I thought it was a curse. I'll give you guys. Another one I think is Cedric Wilson. Because Cedric Wilson showed up and had some games for you that you really needed him to have. That doesn't

mean he's perfect. Like again, he is not a number one receiver, maybe not even a number two receiver, but there were moments when he had to step in and play the number three receiver role and he did a pretty good job with it and sometimes ended up being the receiver that made most of the players in the game that you needed. And so again I just think based upon what he was and the role they were asking him to play. I thought he was. He was here roic for this team at times of season, so

I would put him in that category as well. Yes, all right, um biggest disappointment. What was the biggest disappointment of this season outside of the fact that they got to the playoffs and lost in the first round. My answer this yesterday on a story we put on there. And you know, I get it that he's in the Pro Bowl, but um, I was disappointed in the way that CD. I thought CD was going to take even

a bigger jump um than he did. His numbers were pretty good, but after training camp, I thought, man, he was about to just take off. I mean, he was making a highlight catch every single day and I don't think he made hardly anything like that in during the season. And it wasn't like he was going to against someone bad. He's going up against Trayvon Diggs, you know. But um, I just thought he was going to take off to a level that that it was about ready to take

over the league. Um. He had a good year and good enough to make it as a Pro Bowl alternate, but I was disappointed, especially at the end of the year. One catch and all that, I think and maybe disappointed not just with him but how they used him. Yep, I would say the Running Game. I would say Ezekiel Elliott in the combination with Tony Pollard, because you know what you got with Dak you know what or you think you know what kind of player he is at

this point of his career. And then the old line, you know what you got there too, when the struggles at you know, oh here Tyrn Smith out again, and now you gotta plug in another guy, so you kind of know the deal with that area. But then the Running Game, and I know they struggle even in past years and all that, but I expected a lot more.

And I know Zeke was dealing with an injury injury, and I mean, I salute him for always being there and going at it, but at the same time, I just I really expected a lot more from the Running Game and the Cowboys trying to utilize even Tony Pollard throwing him into the mix at times that maybe Zeke needed a little bit more rest, even if you had him playing a whole game. All that, But anyways, Running Game that was the biggest mine actually goes along with

your Zamber. But I'm going to say the offensive line. I think the biggest problem with the running game was the offensive line. I think those running backs were capable enough. I think that what we saw a lot this year is before as soon as they were getting the ball, before they could even get to the line of screamers,

they were getting hit. There weren't holes being made. Dak was running for his life quite a bit this year, especially in the second half of the season, and it's really disappointing because for a long time here in Dallas we have had the luxury of not really worrying about this offensive line other than injuries. When you're healthy, you're like, oh, everything's gonna be fine once they're healthy. This year, by the time you got to the point where you had

Zach Batt, I'm sorry you had a tiring back. Lyell was in there, you had Zack Martin in there, I don't care what else you had at Garden Center. Typically, when you got your line up in there, when you got your starters. In Dallas, we've been used to for the last I don't know how many years we've been used to, once you get your guys, you should be okay. And that was not the case in that playoff game, they got beat up on the offensive line got beat

up in that game. And that's when I was kind of I came to the realization that I really think, for me, the biggest challenge they have this offseason and figuring out how they can remake this offensive line, because without the offensive line playing got a good clip, like playing really well, everything else will fall apart. And and so I think that's their biggest problem. So for me, that was the biggest disappointment for this year. All right, before we end the show, let's quickly get to the

last question. What was the biggest surprise of the season for me? Diggs? I mean, I thought he was going to be a good player. I didn't think he was gonna be like that anythink I was. I was surprised about the way he was able to play just at at an elite level like that, and to be to be a ball hawk and take the ball away at that clip, and it was amazing to me. It was dan Quinn. And I'm not trying to be a pessimist

or anything. I remember our conversation about this. I mean, after my years of working here, I'm more I've gotten to become more of like, I'll believe it when I see a type of person, and when he comes to yeah, the Cowboys. But the fact that dan Quinn came in here and I had read about his resume and I heard everybody talking about him and how great he is with players and everything. So to me, that was the biggest surprise in the fact that he made he did he did what it was said he could do, and

he did it well. Yeah, for me, it was jay Ron Curse. We talked about him earlier, but I think last year. I remember at OTA's they were talking about he was getting a lot of looks and I was like, why is it just everybody's hurt? Like what, why is he out there? And because I was like I never really heard of this guy. And then we went to training camp and he was still getting a lot of opportunities, I'm like, wow, Okay, they must think a lot of

this guy. And it wasn't until we got to the regular season and started singing play that you started seeing the vision of what dan Quinn had for him and how well he fit that role. And I think that to me was a huge surprise. I just that came out of nowhere from me. I had no idea at the beginning of the year that he would be, in my opinion, one of the top three four defensive players on this team for the season, and that's what he was, I think, so I think that was the biggest surprise

for me. All Right, appreciate you guys join us. We're gonna be back next Wednesday. We'll talk a little about a free agency. Were gonna talk about free agency some of the guys that were up. We're gonna talk about some contracts out there at the Cowboys probably we'll be looking at decide whether they want to change those contracts or whether they want to maybe get rid of those players. To talk about that stuff next week. Till then for Nick even Amber Garcia. I'm Derek Hilton. This has been

The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.