Cowboys Break: Expected More?

The Break. We are alive from the s WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, it is our final show of the week. There will not be a Break tomorrow or Friday or Monday. There will be a joint show though tomorrow, so you guys stay tuned for that. Actually, it's gonna be really excited. It's really exciting. I'm looking forward to hearing that Nick will be on with Brian and Jesse and Nate and Shannon's gonna host it. So there's gonna be a ton

of opinions. Sometimes they have enough powder keg. Yeah, I don't know if they have enough microphones to go around for those guys, but it will be interesting listening. So makes you check that out. Today, though, before we get out of here for the week, we're gonna talk a little bit about expectations. Yesterday we talked about the offense. We went down through the entire offensive roster of the guys at play and gave you our opinions as far as where we expected them to be and where they

are after seven weeks into the season. We'll do the exact same thing today on the defensive side of the ball, and uh and just kind of get this whole thing rolling. One thing I didn't get to yesterday, I want to ask real quick before we get into the defense, was just, overall for the offense, where do you guys think they are? Are they at expectations, above expectations or below expectations? Nice

little debt. I don't know everybody's thinking. I don't know how to I know how to answer that, because like this, this team should be better than four and three. Okay, take me, let's let's tip. Let's break you down a little bit. Take me back to m August August. What did you think this offense would be? Running, passing? What did you think this offense would be? That's I guess

that's that's why. I struggle to answer, because, like, just if you're looking at it statistically, I would say it's either at or above, Like Dak is playing great, that the passing is there, Gallup has taken a step, Witten has been what you thought he'd be, Cooper's on his grind. They're scoring a lot of points for the most part, with the one exception being New Orleans, and you're seeing the elements from Kellen Moore that we thought we would see at least to a degree, maybe not as much

as we'd prefer, but it is there. But they're four and three, So I would say I would probably say at I guess I would say that as well. They lost a couple of games already this year their offense and they haven't really won any like shootout game games where they had to have the offense like that, So I would say probably at the expectations, it's just been so inconsistent. You know, you've seen them having great games and then you've seen others that it's like, what the

heck are you doing now? I'll say this, I definitely was one that did not truly believe on Kellen Moore and what he could do. I think he somewhat exceeded my expectation in that aspect, because I expected to come in here and just see the same things over and over, at least during training camp. In those first games and even in the preseason, we saw new elements. We saw him trying new things and just being more fun in

a way, you know, less predictable. Although people can argue that in these past games, oh, they've gone back to being predictable and all that. But at the beginning of the season that's where I think he impressed me in that aspect. Now it just kind of disappear all of a sudden, but I still have hope that they can build on from this Eagles game and keep that moving forward. They've only stunk once in seven games, right, I mean, it hasn't always been perfect again, But again, like offensively,

that's no the offense, that's what we're talking. You know. The one thing I will point out is I think you can say in spurts and games, because there were certainly spurts are periods of the Jets and the Packers game with the offense was really not good. So they kind of got it together at some point, it wasn't enough and at a soon enough time where they still

could win the game. But I would say, if you look at it from that standpoint, I would probably say they've probably had eight quarters or probably even less than that more. Yeah, probably an eight quarters seven eight quarters of bad offense this season? Would you guys agree with that? And Dolphins was one of two of them? So we'll say, so if you want to say the Dolphins, I was actually thinking too, from from Packers and UH and Jets and then pretty much they the offense really didn't do

its job against New Orleans. So all right, we'll just say ten and ten quarters they've played to how many twenty eight? Yeah, so that's a third of the time. So maybe it's below expectations. Well, but here's a third of the time. But here's the deal. And this is where I maybe for me at least I look at it and say they're at expectations, is because I didn't think coming into the season they would be m you gave me the best offensively. I didn't think they would

be the Saints with Breeze. I didn't think they'd be one of those offenses. I thought they'd be good. I didn't think they'd be great. And maybe this is what good is and not great. Well, the ranked first in the league in offense, so no one expected that, so it's hard to kind of say that it's even at expectations. But it's a tricky question to answer it really is. I would I would say at good year four and three, yea, that number one offense hasn't really helped you as much

as you would think it would. And really they were so good offensively in the four wins that that's what jade's those numbers when you say they're number one in the leagu Well, in those four games that they won, the offense was perfect. I mean they were really really good. And in the other three games, and really just in one of them, like you said, they were really really good Packer game just took it out. They wouldn't be

first in the league. So that's why numbers are jaded, because they have all these stats and yards and all that. But I guess to that point, and yeah, they've had their struggles. They started slow, but like against New York, I mean Green Bay speaks for itself. They had like five hundred yards of offense in that game, but they put up four hundred against the Jets in a game that we would all agree they weren't good in so even when they're struggling, it's light years better than it

was in the first half of last season. So and nobody gets I'm not going to praise anybody too much at four and three with the loss of the Jets, but I'll give them at expectation. All right, let's move on. Let's go on. Enough flip to the defense. Let's go through these names. We got to start with what I think is the leader of this defense? To Marcus Lawrence, has he been above at or below expectations? At expectations? Okay? For me, I was not what I thought you were

gonna say, But okay, he's been at expectations. He's been. Really he's been a really good player. He's been very active. And how many sacks does he have? Three and a half? Maybe four? He's been He's I mean, I expected him to go out and get a lot of attention and do well, and I expect the guys around him to benefit from it. For me, he's at expectations. Allow me to contradict myself because I and I'm gonna keep defending him.

I really do think he's played well below expectation. One hundred and eight million dollar contract that comes with pretty ridiculous expectations, and like maybe you could say you're never going to meet those, but that comes with the territory. Like when you get that kind of deal, that's what people expect. And I know he gets double teamed. I know he does a lot of stuff that fans don't

necessarily see. And the thing that upsets me is when people are like, well, he just took his money and disappeared, Like that's clearly not true. But you signed a one hundred and eight million dollar contract, You're expected multi sack games, You're expecting game changing plays every week. I mean, that's the type of stuff Khalil mac and Aaron Donald do, and that's the territory he's in with a deal like that.

So even though I think he's played well, I would say below Amber, I think this is a hard one because you do have to look at what he does aside from just getting sacked, how he helps the defensive line in those other players. But I would probably lean more towards Dave's opinion on this, just because you did expect the pass rush to be so good at the beginning of this year, and he just wasn't regardless of him coming off that injury, regardless of Robert Quinn being suspended.

He didn't have Robert Quinn last year and he was still performing at a high level, and this year it just it wasn't what you really expected it to be. Robert Quinn has helped the pass rush, sorry, he has helped the pass rush, but DeMarcus Lawrence, even though he's just now picking it up at this point in time, when you look at every single game, he hadn't necessarily met those expectations that you initially had with him coming

in with that kind of money and contract. I will say this is that was easily his best game of the season against the Eagles against a good right tackle and Lane Johnson. He was active, He flashed in the run and in pass rush, strip sack. That's the guy. I mean, that's what got him that contract in the first place. He's got a week to rest his shoulder and whatever else might be bothering him, so hopefully that's the start of a trend. All right, let's move on.

Let's talk about Robert Quinn at above or below expectations definite so far above which I mean you said yesterday you said at because you go back to I mean, you and I had a big argument, like you thought. I guess you thought he was this dude and I did not. I know he's been on bad Dolphins teams, but you hit thirty. Just in general, unless you play quarterback, you kind of expect some sort of drop off. Well, he's had a drop off, and everybody in the league

thought he was. He was at a drop off, you know, or you don't get a sixth round pick for him. So the Dolphins thought it, the Cowboys thought it. Still paid him eight million a year, but he's on pace to have about thirteen or fourteen sacks and at six week seven, So yeah, I mean, he's up there. So i'd be I mean, i'd argue with you that you thought that that well what I thought and if you remember what I said, what I said was he would be he had the ability to be the top pass

rusher on this team. That was what I said, because I said the argument we were having was about DeMarcus Larrence and if he continued to hold out, and what I said was the Cowboys actually put themselves in a great position because if they didn't have DeMarcus Larns to start the year. I think they have somebody who's capable to be able to come in and Robert Quinn and be their top pass rusher and give you what DeMarcus Larrens was given you last year. And that's what he's showing.

If the Cowboys to me, if the Cowboys really thought he was going to come in and be like this, then I think they overpaid for DeMarcus. But I know that's another top of DeMarcus is younger, right, Yeah, but I mean you pay for youth in this league. Yeah, yeah, that's a whole other argument. I mean, you know, if Marinell is going to rotate the guys the way he does, I don't know. If I don't know, I don't know if he's worth paying one of people really shouldn't be

paying a guy twenty one million a year. And it's great for DeMarcus he earns. I don't know if he earns that much money. But I'm just saying, like he is one of the best in the league. But in this defense, in this scheme, I don't know. I mean, if he's not going to play that much more than Kerry Hider, then I don't understand what are we doing here? They bumped his numbers last week too, so maybe that'll continue.

Maybe they kind of realize, like, well, the guy that we pay the most is the best and should maybe be out there. Maybe he did it because if you remember, he had made it that before the game, like that he's gonna be a problem. Somebody who was asking him about him being off the field, and he's like, that ain't gonna be a problem. Good, And so I think I do wonder if if whether it was initiated by him or by the coaches. I think there was somebody who made a decision and we got to have him

on the field. But free. Let me reiterate, if you get the DeMarcus learns that played like the Eagle game, and that's most of the time. The No, you're not over paying for him, but if you if you're getting just as much help from the other guys, then it's probably not a good fit. Right, You still need him to be stud right. I would have said six to eight sacks is the realistic range for Robert Quinn, six eight,

six to eight for Quinn for the whole season. That I would have said that sounded realistic and he's I mean, he's there right now in October. So that's great, and d Law is a part of that. He is all And that was the beauty of all of this is that you now have, in my opinion, you got really two great pass rushers on both sides, and so if teams are going to decide, as you've noticed, I'm sure you guys have noticed over the last couple of games. Now DeMarcus is getting a little less double teams and

Quinn's getting a few more double teams. And that's the point, Like you want teams to have to balance it out, and sometimes they may go one side and one sometimes times they may go to the other, and you expect the guy that has one guy he has to beat to win his matchup, and that's really what you want. The last time the Cowboys had anything like that was probably Greg Ellis and de Marcus ware Right, well, you

had two legitimate pass rushers on the hither side. And the other thing, which we can get to this in a minute, but there's you know, the stats came out this week that they're both both of them are among the league leaders in terms of how often they're double teamed, which also says, you sure could use some help from your tackles to take the pressure off of those guys. You know, before he got here, I didn't know much about him. I ain't really watch him play or anything.

It was just based on everything that I was reading, things that I was hearing about him. So I expected him to be good and oh, he's gonna be great next to the Marcus blah blah blah. We got to training camp and what I saw prior to him getting injured was not impressive. You saw it was seventy seven. Okay, it doesn't matter. I mean it, yes, yes, it doesn't matter, but it was still not impressive. But it was. It

was nothing that was getting me excited about. But so that's why for me, at least, he definitely exceeded the expect patients, because after watching that little bit of training kim from him, I was just like, oh, this is not that great. So when he came in finally from the suspension and showed up what he can do and just elevated his game game, elevated his game game after game, yeah that was impressive to me. In all fairness, is tyrant.

I mean a lot of guys, he really does The great part about it is, and we were talking about this during training camp. Great part about it for Robert Quinn was he was having to go up against him in practice, but he's not gonna face very many weeks in the NFL anybody better than him. So if you can deal with that and start learning how to deal with that, you're going to be even better going up against the guys you have to go against every single weekend.

I just saw him underground more often than I would have wanted. But yeah, he's been to Tyrant. He definitely is just stood all right, let's take our first break when we come back. We're gonna jump into the defensive tackle position. Do that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Well, a player could look good on paper, it's when he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than just stats and scouting

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Back to the brink, Welcome back into the second segment of the Break Life mis WBC Mortgage Studios. At the start, we're talking about expectations. We're talking about the defense and what they've done this season. Let's jump to the defensive tackle positions. You got guys like Malie Collins and Antoine Woods, Christian Covington and of course the rookie Triston Hill. How these guys performed above at or below expectation? All below for me? Everyone, all four of them, all four of them.

I thought Christian Covington would do more. I thought Malie Collins would be like a stud like he was in training camp. He's been pretty good at times, but not like we thought. And I thought Triston Hill would play, and I thought that Antoine Woods would play more too, But he's been hurt. It's not necessarily his fault, but I thought we'd get more on all four of them. That's for them. I give Antoine an incomplete just because he's been hurt. You know, he was out for three

weeks with a spraying knee. Pretty much agree with Nick about everything else. Like MALIEK. Collins is, he's played well. If he was just a dude, we would be it would be gangbusters. But I mean we talked this guy up all through training camp as just an absolute man eating monster beast, and he's been good. He hasn't played like that right well, and when you're on your last year of your contract, you tend to do better, and that's not something that he has. He's but he's not

being impressive. I hate to be on pace guy, but he's on pace for like six or seven, you know, five six sacks, which is pretty good for a d tackle, but just all around his game. You know, he's had lapses against the run. Again. You know, they need a defensive tackle who can reliably push the pocket to help their ends out. I don't think they've had that. And yeah, I mean, you know, Tristan Hill's not a bust. That's

way too early to call him that. But pick fifty eight should not be a healthy scratch ever, you know, I'm kind of I would be interested to know, And if I catch one of these guys, I might actually ask them what the defensive coaches, particularly defensive front coaches, think of Malie collins play, because sometimes with a defensive tackle, what we see and what we evaluate is very different than maybe how they see it, because they know what

he's being asked to do on every single play. I would be interested to know if they think he's actually playing better than we do, because maybe there are plays where are like, his responsibility here is just to occupy a guy. Really, that's his only responsibility, or to turn a guy because somebody else should be shooting a guy. I don't I don't know that, but I would be interested to see what they would honestly say about his play, because I do think at moments he's been pretty good.

I just don't know about those other moments that I think are kind of gray area If that is the case, and they and they told you this answer about he's actually played great, we haven't asked them to do all that stuff, then that's definitely on them. Then they get they get a bad grade because what we saw a training camp going up against the Zach well, really Zach Martin wasn't there at camp, but still going up against

the offensive line at training camp, he was dominant. He was what he was doing wasn't just taking up space. He was making plays. So if he's been asked to do anything other than that, then that's that would be a failure on their part in my opinion. Also, there were coaches at training camp who said, I mean and there were you know, Byron and Tank didn't practice and all that stuff, But coaches were saying, you know, he's the best defender at camp. He had the best camp.

He consistently was dominant and just showed up every night when they turned on the tape. He's been good. He hasn't played on the level befitting of that type of preseason hype. And yeah, maybe he's a victim of his own success, but here we are expectations. Yeah, I don't know if Tyron Crawford's on your list or whatever. But

I mean, you know you expected more from him. He was hurt, but we expected that he would come back and he would play, and he would be a guy that could play at end and tackle, and they've needed him and he obviously hasn't been I mean, did you really expect that though? Yeah, I'm epect him to play. He was out for so long with that injury, and just everything you heard and how you saw him. I mean, in hindsight, maybe we should have seen that coming. But

I was more worried about Tank than Tyrone. Yeah, and respect the play. I expected him to play, and I mean I didn't. And then obviously when a guy comes back from injury, you don't expect him to go back, so especially with this you know medical staff, that typically doesn't happen. So when he was they were very cautious with him. He came back, he did well in the first two games, and then all of a sudden, he just couldn't play anymore. I think I think he played.

I think he played three. To answer your great game, Yeah, they've missed him big time because you're saying all these double teams on the outside, who's given the push on the inside. When you consider that that he's missed those to all those games, Antoine Woods missed a lot of games. Do you give any any deference to that when it comes to the defensive tackle position, and make you think that maybe you'll see if they can get some consistency with these four guys staying in the lineup, that they

can be better here in the second half of the season. Sure, yeah, I don't think they have a healthy eight man rotation. I don't. I mean, yeah, you could rotate at times, but I don't think that it's a it's a all just put another guy in there. I think there's a huge drop off, especially there at the tackle position from starters to backups, particularly Covington or or Tristan Hill, well both really all of them, I mean, because they don't

give pass rush like Crawford could give you. I mean, Antoine Woods is gonna eat up blocks, but he's not really getting a lot of rush. Do you expect if that's the case, that you could see a guy like Hider and maybe they even decide at some point on certain downs to push Tank down and have him playing at tackle just to get a little more push up the middle. He's done that at times. I mean I don't like it. I actually I love it when colleges do that, Like they'll move guys to you know, basically

play with four ends. I mean, I wouldn't want to see it all the time, but like, if you could find a way to get Hyder and Tank on the field at the same time together instead of rotating them, that'd be fine with me. Maybe like a Nickel situation. I mean, if you think that a Dorance Armstrong lests say, is giving you a little something, and you want to put him at defensive end in passing in rush downs and him slide Tank down and and maybe have Hyder

at the other tackle. Now you got four guys that can get after the passer on a rushing down, on a passing down. Weel like you might be able to really get some push at all four of those positions. Right. I don't like that because I don't like, you don't have an elite player anywhere, because you're you're calling an elite pass rusher now just a tackle and I don't like. I don't think that's I think you're paying him to

be an elite rusher. I would rather just give me the best tackle I can have as opposed to Armstrong at the edge. But don't the best pass rushers in this league do that? Like you look at the way that they use a you know, um, Aaron Donald, the way they use Khalil mac Like, Oh, they'll move those guys around and put them in different spots in order to take advantage of particular matchups. Right, And you don't think he's that ye be paid like that? Oh, but

you've just been saying. If you're gonna pay him like that, you gotta go at least but make him an elite rusher though I don't think he's capable. I think I think you put him over a garden center where they can get double teams. I don't think DeMarcus is that type of player. I think he needs to be on the edge. That's where he he's good at. I don't think he is the dynamic. I don't think he's on

the cover of Madden type of player. I don't that's I think he's a great pass rusher, but I don't I wouldn't just put him on the inside to go. He's that much better than a center in a guard I think they can they can neutralize him in them in the center. They well, they're neutralizing him on the outside, So move them around. Make it at least make it to where something they have to adjust to, right, and the something they gotta think about. Maybe they miss something

in doing so. Maybe I'll take the cop out answer and just say it doesn't sound like something coaching stamon mean, is it fun? Yes, then they probably won't do it. Yeah,

all right, I was gonna say. I was just gonna say that it's crazy when you remember how much we talked about in praise about this team having so much depth everywhere on the team basically except for like maybe one position, but other than that, they had all these great death and all these young guys are looking so great, so much potential, and then all of a sudden it doesn't reflect on what they really have on to feel, aside from those veteran guys when they are producing, the

backup guys are not mirror their level at all. Yeah, and I do wonder if this defense, as time goes on, as guys are more healthy, as they've played a little bit more together, if this defense will get better, because I just don't have a hard time believing what they put up last year was just a farce. I think that I think they can get back to that. I just don't know what they got to do to get back to that. And we'll see over the second half of the year if they really can't find what they

were last year. Let's move on to the linebacker position. You got Jalen Smith, Layton vander esh Shaan Lee, Joe Thomas. Where have those guys performed according to expectations below all across the board? No, well, Sean Lee and Joe Thomas have been great. I mean, Joe Thomas started rotating in you know and getting starter type snaps as quickly as like week two, and Sean Lee played great the other nights.

He's made good use of his snaps. But what are we really saying, like the first round pick and the facto first round pick just got an extension, the wolf hunter, the predator whatever, all that good stuff, like not enough howling and not enough swiping. They were supposed to be and they still could be. They still could be. But like the narrative is that they are the two young studs that are going to shape this defense for the

foreseeable future, and it hasn't been that. It just hasn't again, you know, just like I said with Tank just now, though like they played their best, their most recent game was their best game. Layton was playing great before he got hurt. Doesn't sound like his injuries going to sideline for too long. I thought Jalen was outstanding against the Eagles. I tweeted it out before the show. You know, he had to play in pass coverage early on in that game.

You know what, I'm the one I'm talking about. If you watch it on ALL twenty two, it's even more impressive because he carries the running back to the opposite side of the field, diagnoses what's going on, races back to the middle, and just drapes himself. I think it's arts and he just breaks and I mean cleanly, no penalty breaks it up. Fantastic stuff. That's what got them the reputations that they have. They're athletic enough to do that type of stuff. They just haven't been doing it

consistently the first seven weeks. Yeah. I thought one thing that was interesting to me in the Eagles game, and I think it was probably a function of Anthony Brown being out, but they stayed in their base defense a lot, even when early in the game when the Eagles were going three wide, they still stay in their base defense and had all three of those linebackers on the field, which forced the linebackers into coverage probably a lot more than they would normally be and I thought they handled

extremely well. But again that may have just been a function of Anthony Brown being out and they felt like with Anthony out they needed to not go to Nickel as often as they may normally do that. But I thought it was they worked for them in this game. I just think that overall though, yeah, it worked, but I think that we expected more plays from that position, and you know, those catalytic type of plays and new contract or not. It doesn't really matter about about the

new contract. I mean, I don't know fans are expecting that. But still even before that, I think we would have thought that they would have taken that next step as those linebacking doo and it really hasn't happened. They haven't been terrible, but they haven't been as they haven't taken

the step that we thought they would. But I will say this, it doesn't concern me in the long run, and I don't say this to too my own horn, but like you can go back and find podcasts and stories where like this is at least something that we speculated about, Like sophomore slums happened everybody. It's not just a quarterback thing. You give offensive coordinators a year of film to figure out what you don't do well, like whatever.

You know, people have talked about Jalen's movement and I think he's fine, but like you can pinpoint things that he doesn't do well, like handling receivers in space. It's been a problem for him this year, and you know, you design concepts like that to take advantage of what he doesn't do well. Couple with you know, maybe I don't know. I don't want to call it false confidence, but you know, howling and swiping, that's a big part

of their persona. Maybe maybe got a little ahead of themselves in terms of where they actually are as players because they're still both so young. But I don't like, I don't worry about them in the long run because they have the athleticism and the mental makeup to be great. So I view it more as a stumbling block than like, oh my god, or the linebackers actually bad. No, it's just growing pains that go along with this and the

coaching aspect of it. It's a good point because you look at what the Cowboys were able to do offensively in twenty sixteen and how successful they were, and then the next year you saw a drop off and notice how other teams were able to attack them and adjust to that. So maybe same thing applies here when it comes to the defense. Very rarely does anybody's development just go in a straight line ever, Like it just doesn't happen. So there's gonna be ups and downs along the way.

I think I think they're fine. They've shown they've had moments. They both played great against the Eagles. Hopefully again that's a trend moving up. All right, we're gonna take our final break, come back, we'll hit the secondary, and then Amber has a game for us. We'll do a little and see. Oh no, we'll do that when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Your new apartment's big, such a great deal. Yeah, it's okay,

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should be an interesting show. Makes you check that out. I think it'll start up tomorrow eleven thirty from eleven thirty twelve thirty, So check that out. All right, let's jump right back in. Let's get to the secondary. Got cornerback position Byron Jones Cheetobeyo Woozier and then you got Anthony Brown Jordan Lewis. What do you think of the cornerback position? I think, um, Byron Jones as pretty match met expectations. Um, maybe even exceeded him winning because he

was banged up. But he's played like I thought he would, not getting interceptions, but not giving up a lot of big plays. That's kind of wey did last year. And he's been pretty good. Um, I'll say met expectations for him. Let you guys handle the rest. I agree, you take the easy one. I agree met for buying. I mean

it's honestly, it's kind of impressive. He has been as good as he has without a training camp basically, and I mean he doesn't get he doesn't get picks, but he never has so cheeto below what we saw at training camp. But maybe that's our fault for buying buying the hype to my I mean, well, but even at that, I still think that I don't think he's just training camp.

I think even if you compare his play this year to last year, I think he's probably below the expectations you would have had coming off of last year, right you think. I think so. I think he's right there and honestly think he's about the same as he was, Like it looks very similar. Like defenses pick on him

because they don't want to mess with Byron. He gives, he gets, he gets more than he gives, Like he gives up plays more than he makes him But his coverage, I'd say it all the time, like people get mad at mean, like his coverage is always good. It always seems like the throw is right where it needs to be, Like it's not like he's the most unlucky corner. I

will show you. I will show you a guy that's a step and a half off coverage, you know, like I'll show you a guy that's beat, Like he's never beat, he just doesn't make the play. I wish you know. I've never coached or played dB in my life, but like look back for the ball man, I just that inn't that that's pretty normal dB one oh one it's not because he runs twenty five miles an hour. Yeah, No, I mean his athleticism bails him out in a lot of those situations. He's a hard a guy to get

away from, but his coverage is usually good. He doesn't play the ball very well, he just doesn't. But he's he's made He's made some plays. I mean he had to pick in New Orleans. Nobody in the world wants to give him credit for that play against DeVante Parker. I think it was Parker. I mean like he raked that ball out of his hand, he was beaten, came back, broke up the touchdown, but it seemed like people like, oh my god, the guy dropped it and he was

beating I don't think so. Um still probably like just again, he's a victim of his own success at training camp, like he I think he looks exactly the same as he did last year, but he looked so much better at camp and it hasn't translated. So I would probably say below Anthony Brown kind of is what he always has been because I think him and Jordan would be at expectations for me. Yeah, and I you know, and

I can hear people saying it. I hope. You know, I hope we see some more playing time for Jordan as we go amber If you agree, I'm asking, if you agree that Byron Jones is at expectations, do you think it's enough for you to be willing to give him a big contract this offseason? Well, with everyone that all these names, I would say they're right where I thought there would be, with the exception of Byron, just because of the kind of he was coming from and the fact that he was able to be ready for

Week one that was impressive. But as far as contract goes, I mean, yeah, I would want him to stay here. But you know, don't ask me about money and contracts because that's just a whole mess. How they figure out where to divide their money and all that. Dave would probably have a better answer for when it comes to the cap money and blah blah blahy If for me, if it was my choice, I would keep him keeping whatever it takes keep him. I don't know about whatever

it takes. Let me know how much? Yeah, yeah, yeah, for a fair price. Yes, I need the front office to get these deals done with Dak and Amari because I want a franchise. Byron Jones. That's what I would do. That's what I would do. How much My question would be how much is how much is it going to cost you? And I usually like to reserve the franchise tech for guys that I'm not quite certain who they are. I think they might be good, but I'm not quite sure. I'm willing to rent them for a year out of

the question. No, that's like Dak would be. Dak would be an example of that kind of guy. If you're just if you get through this year, you're still like, I'm not quite sure if he's that guy yet, So I want one more year to rent him, even if I'm renting him at a premium, I'd rather rent one more year just to see before I have to commit. I don't know if I think that a Byron. I think Byron is Byron, like either either he's enough for you there or he's not exactly he is what he is.

That's why I'm franchising him, which I just looked it up. It would cost you thirteen million to do that. I think I have to hold my franchise for a Cooper. No and that Well, so you say Cooper is the one, you'd use him if you don't have it, what's your first round pick? Lets you invest it all this in him. Let's be clear, I'm absolutely losing using the tag on Cooper or Dak if they are unsigned. That's why they need to get these deals done before it happens, so

you have it to use on Byron. My thing, I think the world of Byron. He's a good dude. He's great in coverage, He's an awesome player. He deserves to get paid. I don't want to get of that kind of money to a cornerback that doesn't get takeaways. Like that's why that's valuable, you know what I mean? Why not just go back to the because I need a badass corner to be on the field for me while I'm drafting more. Because Cheeto and Jordan are in a

contract year. Next year, Anthony Brown is likely gone, we'll see, we don't know, but he's a free agent as well. So if you just let nobody else, if you basically he's your bridge, he's your bridge plays that you get to that guy. I franchise tag him with the intention of drafting more cornerbacks, and so you got Cheeto and Byron for another season. Next year, you can let Byron go when his tag expires, and by then you'll have more young corners against help you. And that sounds bad.

I mean it sounds mean because I'm basically like, I'm using Byron for one more year. But if I'm going to pay that much money, it's you know, it's kind of like the d law thing, like if you're gonna pay that much to a pass rusher, he better be doing stuff like Khalil Mack and giving you short fields and stripping quarterbacks. And if I'm paying that much to a cornerback, good coverage isn't good enough for me. Gilmore and those guys they're making picks need I need picks.

I need picks six. But I keep wanting to hold on to him just because, like, the Cowboys haven't really had good corners and they've struggled at that position. And it's until now that they finally have started to have somewhat of success at the position. So when you talk about Byron and letting him go in that aspect, I don't know. And then you see all these other guys that we didn't expect the Cowboys to sign and they did. You got Lyle Collins Jalen. They both signed. I'm sure

they've called and said you want again. We learned that less in the hard way. Like I mean, maybe Byron would agree to a deal that would work for everybody. I don't ye he is. He is. He's not forgotten by us because we talk about everything, but like just in terms of like I don't remember the last time

Byron was asked about it, Like he's not. You know, Cooper and Dak get asked about this stuff every day, even Jalen did to a degree, you know, he was like whenever Jerry's ready to write the check, like he would be asked about it if he stood in front of his locker and every week, like he doesn't do that, Byron has. He seems to be making an effort to not be in the limelight. Absolutely, um, But so he's just sort of he's interesting. Yeah, does that shock you

at all? Not really, because he's never been that guy like he's he's an understated quiet and then on top of that, like you know, he probably he knows that there's some uncertainty with his but I would say he is a leader type guy. And that's where it does shock me a little bit. I think he's a type of guy that understands the importance of of leadership, and I don't I would think that you don't see that all. I don't see it. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it.

There's some people that are leaders, there's some that aren't. I just don't see that necessarily out of him. Maybe a guy that goes and works out all the time and athletically and all that, but not his job. And I'm not saying a raw rock guy. I'm saying a leader. Somebody understands the importance of the other guys in the room looking to you to at the example. And that's not necessarily Rara. That's saying, here's what we need to

do as professionals. I think he's a very professional guy. Sure, so if he's a very professional guy and he understands the importance of leadership, then to me, he would be that guy that's setting the example for those other young cornerbacks. I mean, not to get in the weeds with like how the media is, but like if people were clamoring to talk to him, like where's Byron he's not talking, he would do it. Yeah, he just there's not a lot of demand for it, which is kind of interesting

because he's an all pro cornerback. But you just they're just aren't a ton of people clamoring to talk to Byron Show. I noticed you guys. I'm sure you guys have noticed how much how much easier that is with Zeke this year, win or lose, he's the first person in the locker room that steps up to say I'm ready to talk. I think Nick would tell you that's

been a thing for years. I was shocked when he when the whole thing was happening in seventeen with the you're suspended but now you're not and all this stuff Kansas City game comes to mind, stands right up there and talks through all of it. He's been that's amazing part. I just I think this would see it. To me, it seems like to me like he is, like we

walk in the locker room. Zeke is daring, ready, like same he like he deservedly people knock his maturity for the off field problems he's had, but like in terms of professionalism, he's right up there with the best of them. I mean, they lost to the New York Jets, and you know, Taylor and Brad Sham do the Cowboys Hour on Monday night, like and he showed up, showed up and he you know, he did the interview. He was nice and gracious, like he's professional. He doesn't he doesn't

get credit for it all the time. Sometimes going to those professionals colleges that that these guys go to helps. I mean, I really spend a little time making those guys are all that kind of stuff. I'm not saying that it doesn't, but I mean these sec guys in Ohio State that they're just living in front of the cameras all the time, and you kind of get it.

You're the star and that's pro. I mean, it really is pro football, just at a college level, right, I mean yeah, real quick, Xavier Woods and Jeff Blood the safety have been below I would say I would Jeff Heith, I would say, like, you know what he is and he's he's been at yeah, but well at but like that the play against the Jets just sticks in my cross, like who he like, it's that's Jeffith. Though it hasn't two yard to give up to That's the thing. It's

it's so out of character for their whole buddy. But he has had moments when he has big plays were given up because he didn't have the right angle, because he didn't get to the right happen against the Lions last year. And so that's my point is, like Jeff will make plays for you, because we've seen the obvious career. He's probably one of them guys on this defensive actually will make a play. But he also will give up a play. Well, he's actually given up plays to too.

I mean, I'm not trying to defend him, but used to the place people think about it of the Hall of famers like Adrian Peterson into the end zone and Calvin Johnson over him, and maybe Jimmy Graham if he's a Hall of Famer off, yeah, golf on the outside man, Yeah, okay, But Robbie Anderson. It's not even going to the Jets Hall of Fame. And they put everybody I don't know about that Jets. They have their bars a little lower at these. I'll contradict myself again because everybody know, like

I year lead for Jeff Heath all the time. I think he gets hated on more than he deserves. Great story, Saginaw State, all that good stuff. Um do you see his goat play though? Against Derek Carr. He did it again. I know, yeah, yeah, Derek did the same, same exact play. I was like, learn, but I you know, and all that stuff is true for me. And like Jeff Heath is what he is. He's better than he than a

lot of people want to give him credit for. But the Cowboys have deferred from upgrading that position for several years, which means that he should play at a level where that's justified. And when you're giving up ninety two yard touchdowns to Robbie Anderson, it's just not a good look. I get it. I just again, this all bad expectations. My expectations for him this year were what he's been,

and that to me fits with what he's. He's he's the you know, he'll pop the receiver and set up Cheetoh for an interception, and he'll also give up a long game because he because the angle wasn't great, Like it kind of is who it is, you know, Chris ra shar he has taught about the safety position kind of made it seem like, oh, he can do without having another player, you know, he can work with these

guys and take it to another level. And it hasn't happened, and I was a believer going into this year's draft. I was like, Okay, well maybe, I mean it's Chris Roushard. We've seen him what he can do. Maybe he can take this safety position to another level. And it hasn't happened. And that's disappointed, honestly, And it's gonna be a lot of questions as this goes on when you look at

Triston Hill and how he develops. So I could have gone to safety, and what we heard was there's a very impassionate plea from Chris Rashard that hey, I got what I needed safety. We're good, right, Triston Hill is not a bust. But Juan Thornhill would not be inactive for this team. He just wouldn't be. And that's where this is going to get interesting over the next few years to see how those two guys careers develop, because I'll tell you a lot about whether that's the right

decision or not. All Right, we appreciate you guys join us. We are back next week. Amber's gonna save her game until next two Tuesday. We'll get to that on Tuesday. We're off Monday, too, aren't we. We're not doing shows on Monday, so I love doing the show. Next week maybe I'll be okay, all right, So then we appreciate you guys joining us for Nick, even Dave helm and Amercarcia. I'm Derek Eaglan. 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.