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Cowboys, Are you ready for a Break?
Yes?
Are you ready for a break?
Absolutely?
Ready for a break? Yeah, and so much for that.
It's time for the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com with Ambar Garcia, Brian brought us, Nick Harris and Derek Eagleton.
Season twenty, episode twelve of The Break.
We are live from Oxnard, California, were presented by LGLG is the world's number one O lead TV brand for eleven years in counting CEYLG dot Com forward slash O lead EVO.
Welcome to the show. We got a lot of.
Their badass company.
Wow, Yeah, with a badass name. I love the energy this morning. Let's keep it going, Jo.
We got a lot we're gonna talk about this morning. We've got cowboys are looking for a little defensive end help. Yeah, we'll talk about that here in a second. We'll get some practice notes and some observations from you guys from what you've seen over the last couple of days of practice.
The pads have come on, so it's a good time to.
Observe what players have been showing up when now there's a little bit more contact and then we got a
few storylines we're gonna hit. I want to talk a little bit about some of the guys that are returning from injury and what we've seen from them so far, maybe even see if we have some time to get into what has been a big achilles heel for this defense at times over the last few years, stopping the run, and the players that are going to be most important to fixing that going into the twenty twenty four season.
So let's start first with defensive end.
Help Nick, tell me a little bit about what the guys that are bringing in this morning and bringing in some guys for workouts.
Yeah, bringing in four guys for workouts in the wake of the Sam Williams injury, and honestly, according to kind of the rumblings, this was even a position group if they maybe are looking to address even before that injury, So now becomes even more important looking at these guys. But the name up top is Carl Lawson. You're probably familiar with his productivity twenty seven career sacks and seventy four games.
A little bit more of a power guy, but he does.
Have tools in his toolbag that kind of shows some speed stuff and shows his athleticism around the edge too.
I think he marries those two things really well. He might cost you a.
Little bit more than these other guys, but I think if he comes out here and has a really good workout, I think they could probably make something work. Shaka Tony, a round seven pick for Washington back in twenty twenty one, was college teammates with Micah Parsons one and a half career sacks in twenty six games. Only lasted two seasons with the Commanders, and has kind of just found his spot on some practice squad since then.
Justin Hollins.
He's a grat of Arlington Martin High School down in Arlington. Fifth round pick for Denver back in twenty nineteen, ten and a half career sacks in sixty seven games.
It's a little bit more experienced.
Than Tony, but productivity is still kind of rolling around that same stratosphere. And then Quadeen Mohammad, a sixth round pick out of New Orleans in twenty seventeen. He's been out of the league since last year. He was out of the league last year, but twelve career sacks in
eighty four games. What he brings you was he's his productivity and stopping the run though, So I think if they want a guy who can be that run stopper around the edge, if they want another one that they can pair with DeMarcus Lawrence and now Marshawn Neil and the young guy than al Quade Mohammad, would be an interesting addition for me.
I'm interested to see if they add one or two.
I think potentially adding to could be an option for them, just kind of depending on how the numbers worked out, and obviously the workouts themselves, but this is an interesting crop of crop of guys. I think they'll be able to kind of see who's who's the better one, and we'll see who they sign at the end of the day.
Well, you get your fastball working today.
Yeah, appreciate it the sack appreciate it, right, No, no, man, absolutely, I'll tell you this though. You know you mentioned about Muhammad as a run defender and all that. The guy's got some explosive quickness with the Indianapolis colch. You can watch him the way that he gets up the field and then is able to redirect to see him like.
Squeeze the whole a little bit better in the run game stuff.
But when you start to talk about the pass russ skill, the moves, the hand stuff and all that kind of a guy that's got a little bit of both when it comes to the run defending stuff and then also the pass rush.
Also took a peek at you mentioned Hollins.
I watched him he was Green Bay and then Chargers late in the year, and this guy is like a long range gem when we talked about long those tall, linear, long armed guys, he played his a little bit of a stand up beds. So what happens was he was on two teams where he played on odd man fronts where it was three four front where it wasn't hand down, it was stand up and rush. But I'll tell you what thing this guy he plays off the blocks. He's really good with an extension. He could dip the corner
pretty well. I think he needs a little bit more power kind of when handling those rushes. But the chase, all those things about that, They've got some guys here that they brought in that kind of we were talking about, how does it fill in for Sam Williams. Potentially you're probably not going to replace Sam Williams, But can you get some of the traits that he had, the length, the ability to get around the corner, the quickness, the ability to maybe make a tackle or too in the
run game, and stuff like that. So they've got some guys that they're bringing in at least they're going to take a look at. I feel like kind of fit the bill of what they're trying to do in their scheme.
That being said, I'd love you guys to give me a name of one of these guys. You would say, if you had to choose, which one, based on what you've seen, best fits that role of giving you something, maybe a little, not everything, but some of what you miss now without Sam Sam Williams.
I would go with Hollins myself.
I just think that he's more like how he's built, that he fits the eye of what I've seen now.
I will say this.
Tony is an interesting cat because you could watch him play a ton of Special Team Eames, so he kind of fits that role. He was stand up guy with the commanders, but he was hand down with the commanders. He's another guy that's got that little bit of that explosiveness off the edge. It could close down pretty well, he chases the ball.
Well I was.
I just you know, if you're saying, okay, you want what type of guy do you want? You want a guy that can come in and potentially rush and give you something like what Sam Williams was doing. How did Sam Williams get injured? They were doing special team drills and things like that. So I think Tony might be that guy. But if the guy that fits my eye, I would go. I would go with Hollins. I know everybody wants Carl Lawson. I think I would go a
little bit different route there. For me personally, I like Carl Lawson. But man, these other guys that they were looking at, or that I was looking at today, I thought, maybe a little bit more explosive with their rush, a little bit more explosive getting around the corner, and maybe a little bit of younger players involved as well.
You factor money into that as well as it from a pure scouting.
And I never worry about them. Okay, you know that somebody else's problem.
You know, I'm just the man asked me. My man asked me who I would bring in here? You know what I told you, who I would bring in here?
Scout you die.
Yeah, you do.
Last time they asked me that in two thousand and five, they said, we don't want to ask you that anymore. They sent me on my way, you know. So yeah, no, I think you're right about with Loss. But maybe Loss is in a situation where he wants to get into a camp. I know these others are guys that, uh, you know, Hollins has played played last year.
Tony was a guy that sat out all last year.
So I think there's some guys that are anxious to get and maybe it fits into the the budget to what.
They're they're doing with me.
And this is a boring answer, but with Loss.
And I look more at you want the veteran cat.
Does the experience, who has some more the most sacked.
Don't make so much sense. Don't do that.
The thing is, Brian, you know with these younger guys, you're wanting them to step up with know that the linebacker position, uh, that's you're dealing with that on its own. Then you talk about defensive end, you don't want an extra problem happening there. So you really have different areas that you're having to work with youth and younger players.
So if I can have a veteran guy that can come in here and just kind of do his thing, adjust how he can just follow my zimmer and his scheme and all of that, then that's what I'm taking at this point. Beggars can be choosers, so I'm going with the guy with the most.
Well, here's the other question, though, A guy like he'll throw out a guy like Tyros s Wheet, who I think flashed out here last year. He's at some moments where you're like, God, it's got a little something. Are any of these guys necessarily better than what you project?
Tyris Wheet can be if given the opportunity.
What did you see you, Tyros Sweet coming out of college?
I didn't do a whole lot of studying on coming out of college, I'll say that. But as far as his rookie season, very interesting to see how they continue to use him in the micro Simmer system because dan Quinn had him working with a linebacker.
Right, he's more of an edge.
Yeah, but he's more of an edge Okay.
But but to be fair, Sam Williams to me seemed like more of that kind of guy too, where he's just like a he just go get the quarterback.
I don't know he was great in run defense. He wasn't that guy, right, I.
Think I think that it's gonna sound strange.
I think that Carl Lawson is probably a better run defender.
Sam Williams better.
Pass rush, right, Yeah, Carl Lawson better run defender. So yeah, if you're if you're thinking about, okay, well man, we've got to stop the run, we've got it.
You know.
Everybody's so conscious of that now, you know, don't forget they throw the ball in this league, you know, and you got you gotta be able to get some pass rush. So, like I say, I was trying to find some guys, and I think they are too of guys that had those trades. Can they play the run? Can they can they? Can we get a guy that's got a little bit of a combination both. Ambar's right about Carl Lawson, veteran guy, pass rusher, play the run. Well, that's a good fit.
But but the thing with Weed, I just remember having him in college was rush, the passer rush, the passer rush, the passer guy, you know, And I think there's some times out here when you see that, you know, but you would like to see it to where it's not won every four snaps or five snaps. Yes, you know, it's more of a consistent thing.
I would I'd love to know what the philosophy conversation was whenever Sam Williams went down. Was it, hey, we need to get a guy who can come in and still help in the run defense. We still need help in that department. Or was it a conversation where I was like, hey, we've lost two pass rushers and Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler. Now Sam, we need to add a guy who has a pass rush specialty. So I would have loved to understand the philosophy conversation, the want into bringing these four guys.
He told me this, Marshawn Kneeling can played run defense.
Oh one thousand percent.
I trusted you, and I think they're doing the same thing. I think that they're saying, you know what, we lost Sam will We lost Sam here, but this gives us an opportunity to play Neelan a little bit more here, give him a little bit more. Monoppert.
He can't play the run.
You see him out there playing the run, So to me, it softens the blow.
I hate losing Sam.
I'm gonna say this though, and anybody on this panel that didn't have questions about Sam Williams going into this sale, you know, we were all kind of like, man, if Sam could do it, Sam can step up. Boy, they're gonna be a lot.
Better at end.
They're going to be, you know, and there are a lot of questions, and you still have questions now, but he's no longer here. But Neil and I think softens the blow a little bit for me because you are seeing some traits of his ability. I'm seeing a little pass rush out of him, which I didn't think he had. And when we interviewed Will McClay one oh five three, the fan, Will was like, man, he's showing some things that we didn't think. I'm like, yeah, he could get
off the ball like a pass rusher. He's got a little bit of a burst to him, you know, And so he's worked with somebody to get him a little bit quicker.
Off the ball.
You know.
One thing I say about Sam Williams, I actually had no doubt that Sam Williams could fill the deficit of the number of sacks, and once Armstrong had I really didn't What I didn't know was how many pilmalies that are costly are gonna come with those eight sacks Like that's what you And honestly, that's what we all have seen from Sam. Like Sam, Sam was a player. Sam can play football, He can go get the quarterback. The
question is he always going to make the smart play? Yeah, And I think that's what this year was going to be about for me with Sam is has he learned how to be able to play a little bit more controlled so he doesn't end up with the bad play that goes with the good player and negates the good play.
But I think that's the part where now Marshawn Neeland as a as a rookie, can he replace that that production, Like somebody's got to replace that production because you want them going to get the quarterback.
That's where I'm a little bit more concerned.
You guys all remember David Irving, right, Yes, we did, of course we do.
Those are good days, That's what I'm saying.
That's what I'm saying.
Remember, Yeah, that was that was strange, David said planning We're still in the law commercial, but it's kind of fitting for both. But the thing with David Irving, though, remember how it was it was some of the like.
Oh my gosh, yeah.
NFC Player of the Week. He was played twelve plays. He had like four sacks to cause fumbles. Sam Williams is capable of doing the same things. But Sam Williams was also capable of the David Irving like jumping off sides, hands in the face, you know, hitting the quarterback late. You know that's what you were gonna get with Sam and David Irving as well.
Yeah, we're gonna take our first break. We will come back.
We'll get some practice observations here with these guys. Think of the first two days in Pats. We'll do that when we come right back. Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Back to the Break.
Lg O led Evil is the best TV in the game, but don't take her word for it. Digital Trends said the lg O led G four has the best picture quality they've ever ever seen. See for yourself. Brian at LG dot com slash o led Evil, she ramped.
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Welcome back.
It is the second segment of the break where you knox Nod California.
The machines are out there working.
On the field, so you know you got to yeah, you know we are in oxnar because you hear that constant hum in the background.
We'll be out here for another what three weeks?
We're two and a half what week and a half in and so we got another two and a half weeks out here, and now Amber's gonna cut it a little short. She's like, I'm going home at some point, but the rest of us will be here till the end and then we'll get back to our normal confines. At the start in Frisco. All right, let's get some practice observations. What did you guys see over the first two days of padded practices. Let's go down the line.
Tell me what you saw. Give me one observation, and let's start with you.
Okay, I have a lot of people who have been asking me, and I've seen people asking questions about Dak Prescott, and I know that's a simple, you know, simple observation here. But so far, he's looked really good everything that he's made. I mean, there have been a couple of mistake mistakes here and there, but I remember the time where he would practice horribly and we would talk about it and criticize him, and then oh, well, when the lights come on,
he shows up. So I started thinking, I'm like, man, Okay, every year he has improved something in his game in his career, He's improved every single year. Last year, it was the whole conversation with was he going to be able to improve the interceptions or not he did. Then before that it was like, okay, he throw down the field he did, can he run with them? He has? So he led me to thinking what is it this season that we are exactly looking for for him to
like improve this year? And I can't really think of anything specifically other than finishing games the way that it needs to be finished. So question for you guys, if you had to pinpoint something that he needs to improve at this camp the season, what would that be?
I would say pushing the ball down field on a consistent basis. I really loved what they did with the offense last year as far as getting a lot lot of guys open in space in the five, ten, fifteen yard radiuses. I want to see him push the ball downfield a CD even more. And not to say that they didn't do it last year. They had the longest play in the NFL last season, but I would like
to see that more on a consistent basis. And I think Janallen Tolbert kind of coming into his own as a possession guy even I think there's going to be more opportunities to be able to do that.
You saw him also improve that footwork.
Last year, I think that still needs to take another step as far as him in the pocket being able to work some things, see athleticism, getting out of the pocket. There's always things to improve in those little nuances. So those are the two things I'm really looking for when it.
Comes to dec Breas.
One thing I'll kind of question you on a little bit is when you talk about throwing the ball downfield.
I think they threw the ball.
Downfield pretty decent amount of times. I don't think it was a problem for me. Where I would see that is I want to see them, and this is more a coaching thing than a DAK thing, create some opportunities to go downfield, to turpen and to cooks. There were number of times last time last year when I did see both those guys open downfield and it wasn't like there was some time I think they thought they should have attacked more downfield with those guys and they didn't.
There were other times I saw when they would and the ball didn't necessarily go to them. So maybe it's a concerted effort between the offensive coaches and DAK, but I think really getting some opportunities with those two guys is even more important because that's the speed of your of your offense. That's where you got those game breakers that can quickly get you a score and get or get you downfield really quickly.
I think that's where I'd like to see a little bit.
You saw it in the San Francisco game whenever they really needed that score in the first half they go to Turpen. It was about a thirty thirty five yard touchdown. So yeah, I'm with you one hundred percent. There you have those speed weapons, get them the ball out in space, whether that be in the short gardage. You're also downfield you can push the push the push, the top open on them. But it was specifically in the first ten games of the season last year, you saw so much
action right between the hashes. I want to see a little bit more on the outside down. So you're saying downfield perimeter, Yeah, okay, downfield perimeter more so.
Yeah, they kind of goes to your point what you're talking about. It's like they're playing under center more, you know. And Dak is a we've seen Dak play shotguns. So mucher meets heavy play action game and all of a sudden, heavy play action game means turn your back to the defense and make a throw. You saw Trey Lance throw an interception off heavy play action and then spin to try and find the receiver and it end up being an interception.
Down the red zone.
So with Dak and all that though, getting more comfortable with that being under center and then making it if it's the heavy fakes, and then coming back and being accurate with your throws, because that's something that looks like to me they're going to try and incorporate more in their running game. Is or they're try to get the running game going maybe that way, but if they can't. If they can get the running game going, now, now
you see the heavy play action stuff. So Dak fake, turn your back, come back, be accurate with the throw wherever it is in the secondary.
So let me ask you this question, Brian, have you seen a situation in your experience in the NFL where you could get a good heavy play action game working when you don't have a game breaking run.
Sometimes, Yeah, sometimes you can fool these these linebackers.
You could get him a step up.
Yeah, just because just because it might come just.
Because you're taught the reeds. Just because you're taught like, okay, they're going to run the way.
Even teams that don't.
Run the ball particularly well but still use play action somehow get defenders to step up, and then all of a sudden you get linebackers to step up, and that creates those seams between the safeties and then with the linebackers and where they are, and that's where the quick throws. But yesterday, like I said, we saw with Trey Lance, heavy play action, you know, and then they got the receiver, got the receiver coming off the backside there it was who was it that came from the backside there? Oh,
where'd my guy go? Crooms and Creams was coming and Croams was kind of you could see the Creams was like, damn, you gotta get me the ball man, you know. But so if you're gonna do that, it's gonna be the fake and you gotta take advantage. But Bell was sitting right there. So anything like that, where do we get disappointed with Dak at times? The interceptions where he doesn't
see the drop defense. So if you go heavy under center and then you go play action, make sure that those throws you see everybody that's in the drop areas and make sure that doesn't turn into a turnover.
All right, Nick, give me an observation.
Yeah, first two days and Pads, I had my eyes on the trenches, I know, me and Brian spent a little bit of time watching individual drills down there too. But Tyler Guiden looks really strong in these first two days as well as brock Hoffman. So if you're looking at these two battles on the offensive line at left tackle and center, those are the obviously the two leaders in the clubhouse for me right now, I'll start with Guiden.
I think tempered expectations are probably realistic and healthy going into this camp when it comes to Tyler Guiden and.
I've come on Mandy no, no, I know.
And I kind of teetered with this on Twitter a little bit too, and fans were like, hey, we have nothing to be excited about. Let us be excited about this, and I was like, yeah, you can be excited about it. I want you to be, but also don't be down in the dumps when he has a bad day, because that will come. It's fourteen of experience that he has that he's bringing into the NFL. Those lulls will come again. That's not a knock on Tyler Guydon. Personally, I think
he's gonna be a great pro. But I think if we look up a year or two years from now, we'll look at the first round picks, he's probably somewhere in the middle. But I think when we look four or five years down the line, when we'll start talking about those fifth year options, he's gonna be one of the better picks in the first round. In my opinion, I think it's just gonna take reps, it's gonna take development. I mean, there are some some fans that are saying, hey,
we don't even want to see him week one. I was like, yeah, you want to see him week one. You want to see him go against Miles Garrett. If he gets his butt whooped, he gets his butt whooped him, that's a really good that's a really good learning lesson for him. But these first two days in pads have been great for Tyler Guiden. It reminded me very similar to what he did the first day at the Senior
Bowl up in Mobile just six months ago. It was actually six months to the day from the first padded practice to that first day in Mobile, and then that second day in Mobile would have you would have been surprised to see him go in the first round. So he's gonna have the ups, he's gonna have the downs. He's new to the left tackle position. Yes, he's used to protecting the blindside of the quarterback. He understands the depth of pocket that he needs to create. He understands
the athleticism factor of that. But also there's still gonna be some things that he has to work on as far as mirroring his technique to the left side and accounting for guys like Michael Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Marshawn Neeland.
Those lulls will come, and.
Then brock Hoffman, I think he is leaps and bounds above where the rest of the center competition is.
Right, he's been expect him to be as good as he has been.
Yeah, I'm starting to get to the point to where I'd be surprised if he's not the Week one starter. I'm not gonna put a claim on anything yet because we haven't seen anything in preseason games yet. Those games obviously weigh so much more than what's going on out here. But yeah, Hoffman is clearly taking a step forward.
BB. You could tell that he's starting to pick up.
On what's going on at the center position, but those snaps are arrant right now, and he's gonna have to He's gonna have to get those shotgun snaps in check.
Let me ask you a question on Hoffman and you all can chime in on this.
I was.
I was particularly the video that I saw a couple of people putting out there on Hoffman. It was a play with or Mazzi, and I think you mentioned something about it, and you and I kind of talked a little bit about it on Twitter. But Hoffman basically got pushed right back. Mazi just kind of bull rushed him right back toward the quarterback Hoffman did.
Then Anchor settled in and he didn't like.
He didn't end up in the quarterback slap. That being said, are there any concerns from the standpoint of the strength of someone like Hoffman when it comes to playing the center position, Because one thing we know when we saw this, you know in the past with centers that were you know at that position that there are times when you will have to face in this league some defensive tackles who are just big and yeah, just powerful men who will push you back are there any concerns with his strength?
From that standpoint, I.
Think he's gonna have his learning moments this year for sure when it comes to that. Like you said, this division, it's not forgiving that it comes to that defensive tackle position. He is still a third year undrafted free agent who got cut in his very first spot, but he has taken those steps forward to being a projected starter at least at this point. When it comes from a strength perspective, that is something he has been focusing a ton on this offseason.
He's been one of the few.
Guys that has been in the weight room every single day as far as trying to get stronger, trying to perfect his technique. When it comes to guys that are he knows are stronger than him, He's going to have a guy across the line at some point that's going to be twenty thirty pounds maybe heavier than him. How is he going to account for that and this that
anchor and that's really important for him to show. And I think maybe that's what you didn't see at times from Tyler Biattish, and that's probably why the question is present, is sometimes he got overwhelmed when it came from a strength perspective. Yes he has the technique and yes there's that, but when a guy is just simply stronger than him, how can he account for that. I've seen it with brock Kaffman a couple of times, because you saw it
and practice a couple of times. This time last year was Jonathan Hankins, and that's what made me stand out. That's what made brock Kaffman stand out initially to me this time last year was he was able to keep Hankins in check knowing that that guy had the thirty pounds on him at that time. So I trust brock Kaffman in a strength perspective, but I think it's gonna come with its losses as well.
It's gonna come with its learning moments.
First, if want to apologize for my wet blanket colleague here that I'm working.
With today, my bad.
He didn't take me down.
I was actually want to people. I was like, man, I love and then I read his sweet and I was like, I felt.
Like he was talking about the Texas Rangers on our broadcast. Everybody.
But I'll say this though, and you know he's You're absolutely right. I'm just having fun with you there. The thing, I'll tell you this where I was I was wrong about going into this.
The learning curve for Cooper.
Bebe is deeper than I thought it was going to be. And the reason and you're thinking plug and play. He's always played tackle, he's played guard, he can play center. He hasn't played center in a while, and now it's having to relearn how.
To snap, how to make the shotgun snap.
You don't realize how hard it is. And I played the position though a long long time ago. To snap, to step, to hand placement, to make calls, all those things. Cooper Beb is clearly able to do that. Brock Kaufman has played at times very very well out here. You know, there's no question. You know, Mike Salari, the line coach, is like, oh, let's not forget. And we were even on the draft coverage, Well, let's not forget brock Kaufman here.
You know, we're all like a Cooper baby, Cooper B. You know, we're jumping up and down talking about that, and all of a sudden it's like, you know, Mike Solry is like, now.
We got this brock kauffmin you know, so I.
Think they kind of understood that maybe there was going to be a little bit of a learning curve here. It is pretty deep right now, and you know, and that's and that's the thing he's dealing with. Could in the next three weeks and two three preseason games, could that be different. I think we are looking at brock hoff And starting at center against the against the Cleveland Browns. If I had to right now say what they were going to do, yeah, it's going to be brock Hoffin starting at center.
And I think an interesting conversation that might be more appropriate down the line whenever these things get finalized, is if Cooper BB does not win that center.
Position, we's got to go win it now. I mean it's not it's not plug and play. Hey, we've drafted you, let's go. Yeah, It's it's like, no, we've got a guy that's he you know, brock Hoffins not falling down out here.
I mean, he's he's doing his job.
Yeah, if BB doesn't win that center spot, where does he kind of go as far as what his role will be moving forward? And he could be a legitimate guy that you rotate in in the interior offensive line.
Injury that happens, But you also have TJ. Bass there.
See, we've talked about Zach Martin potentially he's he's teered with the with the idea of retirement.
He's talked about it a couple of times this offseason.
If he were to sign a one year deal to come back for another season, or a two year deal to come back for a couple of more seasons. Again, where are you going to start factoring in Cooper BB And then you look up again, this is probably way more appropriate down the line. I'm just kind of thinking on it is do you maybe wish he took that running back in the third round looking back on it?
But yeah, where were you and I needed you on that night? Yeah, I.
Hey, hey Cooper bb ye, And I'm like, man, there's this running back at USC.
We need to talk.
Yeah, but no, you're you know, you're absolutely right because I think if they had to play right now, if something and if something would happen to the interior, I think TJ. Bass is our guy. I don't think it's I don't think it's Cooper b B. I think you know what they need to do is they need to
keep Cooper BB playing playing center. Just keep keeping keep playing center, Bass, even though Bass there was a couple of times yesterday guy, uh, you know, our our defensive tackle Rogers got him a little bit yesterday and so on a on, a couple of moves and stuff.
So I was kind of like, Okay, this is.
All right, but I just keep Cooper bb at center and then, you know, Bass, let him be that veteran guy. A veteran, he's a second year guy, basically the to be that guy that if they had something to go on at either guard spot, he'd be the fill in guy.
Tell you what you mentioned, Justin Rodgers, keep an eye out there.
I tell you what Justin ron I this is. And I'm not.
And again I go down there at the defensive tackle spot every single day. I spend the first hour practice going down there and watching Chef Sigin and those guys work down there, and I'm trying to kind of figure out what are they teaching, Mozzie, What are they teaching the defensive tackles, what do they There are things that that that Rogers is doing. There are things that Rogers is doing. Do you get a little rain on you there or something?
Well?
I keep seeing random rain drops fall, but I guess it's the tree coming from.
But the the thing with Rogers, as you mentioned, there's some things he's doing with his.
Hands and control and movement, and.
You're like going, man, if we were if Mozzie was doing this right now, we'd be we'd be throwing a parade, as I like to say, you know, And and they're trying.
I mean, they are coaching him as hard.
I mean, with Mazie it's going to be about it's either it's either going to succeed or it's gonna break him. That's that's how hard they're coaching him right now. And so but Rogers and those guys are picking things up down there, they really are.
Scanina's been tearing into Mazzi a few times.
Yeah, and you know what, like I said, he you know there he's asking him to do it his way.
He's you know, it's it's step hands up up, not out. And then there's a f bomb in there.
Doing it very nicely.
But that's how that's how.
You know.
And it's and it's not like it's like again Mazzy again again. I mean, it's like five reps in a row, and they're trying. I mean, and Mazzi is try, I mean, but the others seem to be picking it up a little bit better and executing it a little better at this point than what you're getting with Mazzie right now. Strong guy, but man, they're they're trying so hard to work on his technique.
Feet, hands are We're gonna take our final break. We'll come back.
We've got into this offensive line conversation, so I'll continue with that. I have a couple of more questions for you guys on the offensive line walls to try to sneak in. An observation from Brian from Actice Will Dell whe come Backdallas Cowboys dot com radio.
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Welcome back. Final segment of The Break. We are alive from Oxnard, California. This segment brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, let's continue this conversation on the offensive lineman. A name that hasn't come up yet for us on our show this year, but I think is very important to Cowboys fans or should be, is Terrence Steele. He's a guy that has shown, you know, really good
things throughout his career here with the Cowboys. One of those guys that came from being an underdog to being a starter and performing well and then had the injury and last year kind of inconsistent results. What have you guys seen from him so far this year at camp?
I'll tell you.
Two days ago, I got stuck on the VIP side of the field, so it was all about watching left tackle play, which was okay because Geiton was over here being left tackle guy. So yesterday I made it a point to work my way around and watch a little bit more. And then when they were doing the Mojo moment, you know, the two point plays, we got to see the tackle, you know. On our site going the other way, so got to see him a little bit. I think he's moving around a little bit better than last year.
I think he looks a little bit more confident in what's going now. You watch him and having to deal with parsons, and parsons is a pain in the ass to deal with, especially when it's like it's the you know, it's the big mojo moment. We got to get a stop kind of thing, because he is going to he's going to go flying down inside and you're gonna have to try and cut him off, and he's just gonna
be powerful and he's gonna overpower you. But I think the movement, the pass sets the things that have been watching, like in the one on one stuff, he looks comfortably.
He looks like he's back to a little bit of his old self with the.
Way that his hands and his feet kind of work together. Though I don't think he's ever gonna be a really really strong guy, but I think the athletic ability is always going to be his calling card, and that looks like it's coming back to him.
You are starting to see what a full offseason can do for him now. I mean, there was enough trust in him last year coming off that ACL injury to give him that five year, eighty two and a half million dollar contract, and.
In the back half of the season.
I'd put those last six games of the season that Terrence Steel puts together, I'd put that up with any six games he's had in his career. Like, I feel really strongly about how he finished the season, even though he started it really rough. He really had to find his footing whenever he was making his way back from that ACL injury. But I think coming in this year, you see that full off season, you see that comp
and that he was able to build again. It's gonna be seeing it in pads and seeing it a little bit more as time goes on.
But so far, so good.
As far as what I like from Terrence Steele, you have three trusted guys on that offensive line in my eyes, and Terrence Steel's one of them.
Yeah, I think not everyone is gonna be great, not everyone's gonna be bad. You're gonna have those guys that are gonna be your solid guys that they're just gonna be there. They're gonna do their job, and they're gonna have moments where they do get dominated and they lose the battle. But I think he's a solid guy. He's the least of my worries right now when you look at the rest of the team, even in the rest
of the line. We've talked about the other guys, but I think he he looks like he's been I haven't noticed anything that gives me a whole lot to worry about and be like, man, we gotta find somebody else. And no, we got enough problems and he's not one of them.
Problems all right, So lit'sten, Brian.
We did need to still get to your observation, give us a camp observation that you've seen over the last days and Pats.
You know what, when you watch Trey Lance thro the football, there's problems with him throwing the ball outside the numbers. At least then until yesterday's practice, I thought he threw the ball down the field better, but to the outside. So but the thing that I worry about Trey Lance, and we've seen three opportunities. Now, there was a time when they were running a team period. They were it's
a two minute period. They were driving the field. This was with no pads, this was shells and they're coming down and it came down to the final play, and it's a quick it's quick scramble. Get everybody to the line, try and get everybody go in defense. Plasters there, guys, and now there's no time and he takes off running and he gets stopped. Lost opportunity, goal line situation. Here, what happens is heavy play action like I was talking about.
They got, they got, they got. The creams coming across. He doesn't see creams, or he thinks he sees creams, but Bell standing right there makes the throw. Another red zone mistake. Then what happens yesterday? Two minute drill. They're driving down there, driving the ball, driving well, he gets them down, has an incompletion to the sidelines. Now they're down to their last play and here we are six seconds.
What's the one thing you can't do?
Can't hold the ball? Can't you got to get rid of the ball? Takes a snap, drops back, plays plays, developing clock runs out, no points. It's three times that we've seen Trey Lance in those red zone, tight red zone situations come up empty. You know, I think there's some things about him. I think it's all about the learning, the learning curve, the experience that he's getting out here. But if you said something it was like, Trey Lance is not accurate. Yeah, there's there's some truth to that,
especially outside the numbers. But I thought he was better yesterday. But the thing that concerns me is three red zone trips, oh for three. Two of them were situations where he's got to be quicker with his decision making and make the throws. And then, like I say, the interception he just didn't see or Keith Bell, then they're going to have to look at him, maybe analyze a little bit more for him.
Yeah, as far as just being quicker that I think that could be probably an indictment on all of Trey Lance's game so far out here at camp. He's got to be quicker, he's got to be more decisive. You haven't quite seen that. And it was it was funny
because you finally saw him build some confidence there. Yeah, on that two minute drive, had those three straight completions and it was three different receivers time Billie Johnson, Tlburt and Brooks and he gets down the field in a hurry and it's like, okay, okay, we're starting to see this confidence built, right, and then again that indecisive that shows up in the right zone. So preseason is obviously
going to be the biggest opportunity for him. You know, he he could go out and have a huge preseason game and we forget all about this.
But it's not trending that way. I'll say that.
Yeah.
The interesting thing, we've seen that before with quarterbacks that out here they aren't as great.
And then you get him over on the lights.
I think that's a great example, like the lights and then all of a sudden.
In preseason sixteen was one of I mean, he's stilling the ball, like you know, he's looks like Steve Young out there.
I mean, yeah, so, and by the way, part of part of practice is kind of working through things that you kind of you're finding out can I make this throw?
You're finding out did I make that reathrow?
You're learning out here, so you don't want to put too much into it, but yeah you have to.
Just like you say, I think everybody is making a big deal about his accuracy. I think that could get better. It's like you get down, like like Nick was talking about, you drive the ball, you're making positive plays, and all of a sudden, you have got to get rid of the ball here. If you don't see it, get rid of it. Let us fight for another play. You can't
use up all six seconds down here, you know. And like you say, hey, they you know, after the interception, they you know, Brian Schottenheimer put Cooper Russian there, go yeah, go in there.
It's because I was I was super excited when we got here. It's like, he has this. The way he carries himself would make you think that his plate is way.
Better than He doesn't have a lot of experience.
He really, he didn't have a lot coming into him.
He really doesn't.
And the more you dig into his background, the more you're like, going, he's only played that much, you know, So you're right, the everything every rep he gets out here is great, Every preseason snap he.
Gets is great, you know.
And you know, but that was the one thing when you're asking an observation, it's like, Okay, don't worry about the accuracy pert, because that can come what's going on down in the red zone. You have three trips down there, and you're expecting three three scores, and you have an interception and two plays where you run out of time.
You know, it got to be a little bit more on there.
All right, I appreciate you guys, Jonas.
We'll be back on next Monday and we'll dive into all things happened this weekend. We got an interesting practice. We'll actually be streaming the practice live and so you have an opportunity to be able to check out some of practice, listen to some of them. Is that Sundays, Saturdaday. Saturday, Yeah, Saturday, our producer got me all switched around here.
Saturday is Satday.
Okay, good, So Saturday, and we'll have some of our analysts on. They'll be walking you through practice and what you're seeing out there.
Till then. I Brian brought us Ambergarcia and Nick Harris. I am Derek Eagleton.
This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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