Cowboys Break: Jaylon Smith Continues To Shine

not feel like it. We have lost strike of one day of the week it is, but I'm here joined by nicki Man, David Hellman, Derek Eagleton is out for today. Who knows doing what? I don't know? Nobody fights? I think, how are you guys doing? I'm awesome? Thank you age than we are. We going to have an awesome show today. No fights don't fights make the show. Good fights are what you want. Yesterday was a little uh yeah, just got mad at fins were high from start to finish.

It's all good now. I think we're gonna have an amazing show. Let's okay, let's get let's get it started. We all get right into Randy Gregory, another guy that made headlines yesterday. He took part in Team What Go Ahead movement like Hall hell Fame, Hell yeah, Hall of Fame. Randy Gregory more like really good. So yeah, so I wanted I wanted to ask you guys. Uh. Jerry Jones came out saying basically saying that he expects Randy to be able to take some reps during the first game.

Is a previous season game? Season yeah? Week one? Uh, season opener. That's the way I was looking for season openers. So based on what we saw today, what you guys watched, are you what level would you rate him? Does he look like a guy that has being out for about over a year or a guy that is just fitting writing with everyone else? I would say somewhere in between. But he doesn't look like a guy that's been out for a year. He does not look like that guy.

He looks um physically, he looks bigger, stronger, He looks like he's been doing some things. But what happens is is like he hasn't really been hit yet. I mean, what you know, when Tyron Smith gets his hands on him and technique and all that stuff, because he's going to be a freak athlete that those that really doesn't go away. It's just what happens when he's charged to,

you know, get in the mix there. I think that's going to be an issue for him that you'll start to see the rust when he really goes in and the pads come on, you know, consistently, and he's trying to mix it up with the best lineman in the NFL. Yeah, I feel I feel two types of way about Randy Gregory at the same time. One beyond impressed at where he is. Honestly, I mean, what he did individuals on Saturday, Yeah,

I was. I thought he was going to do that for the next week before he ever mixed into practice. I didn't think we'd see him in a real practice until we got back to Texas one day later. He's mixing in there. Uh. He does not look like he's been away from football for a year and a half.

He looks great. Literally got a sack in his first practice back, beautiful twist on Tyron Crawford, looped outside and took two linemen with him and he just had a free run at the quarterback basically, And I mean he would have put Dak Prescott on the ground for sure, But at the same time, you know, tempering expectations. He also got a he got a face full of Cam Fleming too. I mean he got mashed a couple of times, which you're gonna do that in line play in the NFL.

And uh, you know, I'm not ready to give him ten sacks for the season just yet, but I'm beyond impressed at the progress that he's made, you know, for him. I think the way this is, this is set up right now with DeMarcus Lawrence, You've got Taco, You've got Dorence Armstrong is coming along to the point where you think he's going to play and contribute. Um, if Gregory is the guy that comes in on passing situations, I think that that would be perfect for him because then

he doesn't have to play a lot of snaps. He'll be fresh. Like we said, he's going to be this freak guy that comes in that's fresh, and then you know he has to go up against these these tackles all game. I think that would be a great situation for him if if he can do that. Yeah, they I think it was walked through a couple of days ago. They had a line up where DeMarcus was at left in, Randy was at right in Tyrone Crawford was at the three technique. I don't remember who was at the one.

I would guess Dayton and Jones, but either I saw it and I was like, oh, that's that would be exciting. Um And yet, so you know, Jerry Jones said he expects him to contribute week one. Jerry, I mean Jerry. But Jerry Jones gave Jalen Smith the green light the day they drafted him, you know, like, so he's expected Randy Gregory to play a lot more than he has

since when he drafted him. Yeah, he's sixtieth, which I love that about him, but he is he is the most optimistic person on planet Earth, other than maybe Jalen Smay. But but also if you say, do you do you expect Randy Gregory to contribute in Week one against Carolina? If you ask that question, and he was like, yeah, yeah, I think so he was yes, yes, yes, yes, yeah, no, yes I do. I still I think Jerry like that, Yes, I think you gotta take like the realistic truth is

usually a notch or two below what Jerry says. In my experience, Yeah, yeah, but I expect him to be And that was David Hellman that said that. David Hellman, He's an optimistic He's an optimistic guy. It's a I think it's great you want to believe in your players, but I gotta set it just a bar or two below. But yeah, I expect I expect Brandy Gregory to be in uniform exactly. It's fair to say that before we got here at training camp, we were all kind of like,

let's just wait and see what happens. And now it's getting to a point that we see him at practice, right, and it's impressive to see how he has come back in his level, checking every single box. Yeah, he does. I mean like he's not He doesn't look like a guy who hasn't been doing anything. He looks like he's really taken this seriously. Like I mean, he got in there and got a sack on like his third rep

since twenty sixteen. That's crazy. Ye. So um, it's it's early for me to you know, I wouldn't expect him to play one hundred percent of the snaps against the Panthers. I think that's a little ambitious, but he's gonna have a role to play. He's uh, he is definitely freakish. Someone would call him Freaco heard I've heard Freako Gathers being why are you looking at my notes? Oh I'm not okay. Yes, I was gonna say. Somebody else who

made a freakish play yesterday was mister Rico Gathers. Rico made a play one hand catch from a pass thrown by play the game. I can't do that, ucks, I can't play that game. Sorry, you're married to a Mexican. I can't do it. Okay, part of the deal that wasn't okay. So Cooper Rush threw a pass down, Rico just kind of caught it with one hand. I was watching it, and he almost seemed like as soon as I looked down, I'm like, oh, he didn't catch that.

He caught it. He caught it. He caught it, and it was I would say, one of the most impressive plays. Oh my god, this is just hype episode of camp. Yeah, so again it Archie really good. Rico Gathers really good. Both initials get that he went full extendo to quote future. He sure did. So how realistic? I mean, how do you really rate this guy when he comes out and

makes those plays. I mean, he has proven that he can catch the ball for sure, but at the same time, he's missing a lot of those elements, and we keep talking about him, but how do you really rate this guy that just makes flashy plays from time to time, but in reality for a tight end. I mean, I don't. And Rico said that yesterday. He was like, you know, I'm not about the flash play. It's all about consistency. Like coaches don't like a player who does that once

and then disappears for two weeks. It's about building consistency. Honestly, I don't say this to dog Rico. I don't feel any differently about him than I did before he did that, because we knew he could do that. Honestly, I thought he would do something like that in the San Frand game. I didn't know they were only gonna give him sixteen snaps. There's there are guys, and I'll use a basketball reference

because he was a basketball player. I mean, there are guys that can have the greatest dunks that will be in the dunk contest, but they don't play defense, they don't get rebounds, and so therefore they're kind of a liability out there. Yeah, they can be some great highlight plays, but they don't do all of the things enough to be on the field. Or on the court for that for that matter. I think that's the same with him. I mean, yeah, he's gonna he's gonna look do some

really good good things out here. But if he if he misses the wrong guy on a blitz and all of a sudden dacks in the ground looking at his earhole, that's that's kind of a problem, wish, And that's what we got. I don't know, twenty something days until they cut their roster down twenty I think nineteen. Actually, I think it's less than that. Rico is not going to become this all around tight end between now and then.

It's just not gonna happen. Are you reading into the fact that the Cowboys didn't really give him those ways during that game? It was curious, It was curious to me. But there's still plenty of game time left. Like that doesn't bother me, because you could you can uptick his reps as much as you want as we go. What the point I was gonna make is, basically, the Cowboys are going to have to decide if that playmaking ability

merits a roster spot over his liabilities elsewhere. Like he is what he is at this point, in my opinion, and you're gonna have to decide if that ability to make those type of plays justifies a roster spot. You know, when you think about what happened last year in the preseason games, Jason Witten was the starter. He wasn't going to play that. I don't think he played the Hall of Fame game, and he didn't play much of the second game, so you know he's not going to get

a lot of reps. James Hannah was on the roster. He was kind of banged up. He's not going to get a lot of reps, right, So Rico was gonna play more in that game than he would right here, because you're in a situation where they need to see Swim, they need to see jar when they need to see Dalton Schultz. So even though he's a year removed and he's a year more experienced, he's a little further on the depth chart for preseason games, right because of the guys ahead of him. I don't read in Yeah, I

don't read into that at all. Like I said, there's there's three more games. He could play the entire Houston game. I'm sure he'll get more snaps in these middle two games. But my just My point is that he's not He's not gonna become a better blocker than Jeff Swim in the next nineteen days. I don't think so. Um and no, but still it's it's it's a fascinating question because I think you could easily make an argument that his playmaking ability makes him worth keeping. I don't know if they

feel that way, but it's something to watch. I feel like you're an argument either way, you know, if you didn't want to keep him or if he did when I kid, can absolutely make an argument for keeping him on or off the roster, and it's not hard to make either one, and it's just going to come down to the opinions of the people that actually make those decisions. Yeah, well, we'll see what happens with him. In the meantime. Let's

jump into Jalen Smith. Yesterday I tweeted out something about him being on fire and that y'all better watch out for him, and people there were a few that came at me saying, it's just practice, man, Okay, get over that's what they sound like. Yeah, that's that's how I read it. It's okay, let's get over the fact that it's practiced. You just need to watch Jalen move around and how he's moving doesn't matter if he's making those tackles, because obviously they can really do that out here. But

the fact that just the spin move. You guys saw that movie yesterday, that was amazing the way he moved and was able to react that quick. I mean, how do you evaluate a guy like this and how do you shut those people up that in Okay, you're sure that it's not, like you know what, it is practice right now, Let's wait and see this is strictly a practice setting. We'll find out a little bit later on

if he can play with the lights. Yeah, Amber cares more about shutting up her mentions than she cares about getting getting to the bottom of no. Because again, and we've talked about how hard it is to evaluate linebackers in training camp, but at the same time, there are certain things that you can look at as far as those movements and those reflexes. You're absolutely and it is hard to evaluate linebackers, But just look at the stuff

he's doing out here. You're right, I'm I'm ticked because I got that spin move on on video, but I was so zoomed out that they look like little ants and get like he which I'm Dalton Schultz is a rookie, but man, he just he like he spun on him and like the move just made Dalton Schultz fall down, like he was so surprised to see a linebacker do that.

It was great. But just look at the stuff Jalen's doing out here, Like he's carrying receivers and tight ends down the field, he's shedding blocks, he's getting moving latterly to get to the ball. I'm with you, dude, and I Jerry Jones said this last night too. He said, uh, you know, based on what I've seen in practice and and that game, uh and and his off field demeanor and everything like that, I'm absolutely convinced right now that he was worth the second round pick we spent on him.

I think he said he used the word cornerstone. He said, I think he could be a cornerstone for our team, both as a player and as an off the field right kind of guy type of dude. Uh yeah, another. I mean, but you know what, the three people that you've mentioned so far, Randy Gregory, Rico Gathers, and Jalen Smith, they're all very similar in one one way. Yeah, highly talented but unproven. Yes, the cow ways to get chanced, but they've got freaky talent that that has to be

kind of tapped into. But in Farrico, it's it's a lot different than the others. Um you know, for Gregor, they all have their different issues, they have different obstacles that they have to overcome. But for for Jalen Smith, it looks like he's getting there. He's he is showing what they drafted out of him, and he's got freakish skills.

And as you saw with this spin movie, here's the thing with Jalen Smith, which and I said this last night on Twitter two is I'm I'm cynical to a fault, Like I'm always the like, I take every I don't take anything at face value. Everybody's got an ulterior motive. I just I Again, that's me as a person. I'm

just a skeptic and it's my flaw. But I have a hard time not buying into what I'm seeing from Jalen Smith because you see the athleticism, you see the talent, you see the instincts, and then on top of that, you see what the Cowboys did with their linebacker Corps. And that's why that was so important, because why was Jalen Smith bad last year or not bad? But when did he have his shortcomings? When he was thrown out

there for sixteen seventy eight plays. He doesn't have to do that this year because between Shawn Lee, Layton Vander and Joe Thomas, who is a surprised star of camp, there are there are bodies that keep him from having to do that. You can keep him fresh, you can keep him fluid. And I'm just I'm having a hard time not buying into him taking a step and being like a legitimate playmaker for this team. Like everything I've

seen out here. I'm not saying it's definitely gonna happen, but but I'm yeah, I'm having a hard time not buying into the hype. And one of the questions I have people tend to ask and base his level of, you know, playmaking, is comparing him to the guy that he was a Notre dame and you know, is he back to that level yet or not? And I'm just asking this because I get I see this on Twitter all the time. How would you rate this player that Jalen Smith is at right now versus the one that

he was in college. I think that's a good question. I think that you know, anybody that's entering their third pro season. Now, I understanding he didn't play his first year, he was still here, he still kind of got an understanding of NFL life. I think he's a he's got to be a smarter, more aware, alert player. M I bet you he is a better football player than he was at Notre Dame right now. Now. Now he's not

going up against Navy. I mean he's he's not going up against against those those teams, you know, Michigan, Michigan state that that's that he's going up against better players obviously here. But it seems like he is back to that physical level. He's bigger and stronger too. His upper body is a lot bigger, and he's got to be more aware. So I think he's a better football player. But I think the cornerback, I think Tarverius Ward is probably better than he was at his place. I mean,

the thing that's just normal, yeah, evolved. Okay, let's take our first break and when we come back, we'll get into We'll keep talking about the linebackers, which surprisingly are looking pretty amazing right now. It can be hard to find the right resource for learning about important financial matters. You search how to build savings, you end up reading about the one weird ingredient from supermarkets that can make

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If healthy, this group, I would say is one of the most talented groups that the Cowboys have on their whole team. This is trying to trade someone. No, no, no, I don't like that idea. I said, this is this is I've been doing an informal poll around camp because I this thought occurred to me after watching practice last night with you know, Jalen doing his spin move and

Layton vanders back. I pulled about five people around camp last and I was like, Okay, let's all just assume that we agree that the Cowboys offensive line is the best position group on this team. Think everybody would agree with that linebacker linebacker? Yeah. And I thought that, and I thought I was crazy, And four different people agreed with me. They're like, yeah, no, I mean, if they're all out there, if they're all practicing, it's a pretty

impressive group. I would I would not agree with that. I think it's close, it's up there. I would say the running back position, I think you you definitely have an elite player in the NFL. I think you've got a capable backup in Rod Smith who's versatile. I put Jama's all the Whalley in there as as a fullback that does some unique things. I think both Scarborough's gonna get into this mix. Um, I would just say running back because they're a little bit more proven and more elite.

But I can't disagree that linebacker is right there, especially from the defensive side of the ball. I don't have a I ranked them all like one to ten and I put running back third. So I don't disagree with you terribly. But hold on, hold on, you did this ranking wear just in my head I write stuff like this. Yeah, I could definitely write something about it. If that's ten top ten, it's a good point, Dave top ten position, so watch out for that. Yeah, that top ten list

that David is gonna be working on. You doesn't have to do anything, Just give me the list. Um yeah, no, I'm I mean, I cannot say enough about how impressive these linebackers are. And again, I mean it's completely fair. If you're at home to say, well, they're not all going to be healthy, like, I mean, it's fair, but that's why it's so cool what they did. I mean much like much like the secondary last like they turned this unit over in a year. I mean, Shaan Lee,

if he's healthy, is an all pro. I just got done gushing about Jalen Smith, Joe Thomas I've has looked very impressive. And then you've got Layton vander Esch, who you know, he doesn't look like a world beater yet, but he has flashed some very promising potential. And then even you know, Damian Wilson is a guy who was starting experience who has looked good out here. I don't think you want him starting regularly, but if he's your fifth linebacker off the you know, if he's your fifth linebacker,

that's pretty good. And the same thing goes for Justin march Lillard, who's another guy that I think has been impressive. Maybe throw in Chris Covington as a special teams player and you got a pretty nice little unit right there. Yeah. And I just think when if you look around the league, somebody loses some linebackers and then maybe they want to make a trade man. Maybe it gets to that point where they have a tied in or you need to you need to get depth as certain the spot. I'm

not talking about a safety. I'm just talking about you know this, that's the time you where you make some trades. I could see where the Cowboys would say we could part with a linebacker, which maybe I get your logic. The reason the reason I said I don't like that idea is because this linebacker group has not earned our trust. Like if if Sean Lee was Zach Martin and he'd never missed a snap in his career and be like, yeah, well, what can we get for these guys? But it's not

the case. How can it earn? Not earn your trust, but it earns the number two spot on your list is your list talent list. We're talking about right now. What I've seen from twenty days of training camp, all right, but given the history of things, I know. But and another part of that is, you know, last year, on paper, the linebacking corps didn't look terrible either, but it fell apart,

and so it's highly talented. But I really think they're better equipped to weather that if it happens again this year yeah, and then we kind of hit on the running back position. I wanted to talk about a Sekiel Elliott And now we're starting to see a different role that he's playing in the offense, you know, getting more of those acting more as a receiver, receiver that accent just can't get away from. Sorry, never apologize for being you Amber acting. Thank you, Dave acting more as a receiver.

So I wanted to see with you guys, are you guys liking that role? I mean, is he playing well at that position of yeah, do you know, acting more as a receiver and catching the ball more. I think that it's going to be interesting to see is he a receiver when things break down? Are they going to actually get him the ball? Like guy like Levon Bell and Pittsburgh, he catches the ball because that's the play. The play is to throw him the ball and get

him get him out there. And I don't really know if it's other than a few screens here and there that just go eighty three and seventy yards for touchdowns. So maybe they should do it more. But oh those design screens. A lot of times it's more of kind of a dump you know, dump pass Flair's screen and all that kind of stuff, So I think that they should try to get the ball to him a little bit more out in space. But usually the way this offense goes, it's kind of a check down to him.

You're right, and that's you know again, I guess what the question. I didn't answer the question at all, the question should you should they throw the ball to him? Are? It's really what it comes down to. Should they make him more of the offense for the passing game? I mean, do you do okay, Dave, do you like him better as a receiver type, you know, playing those screen passes or just have him just run the ball? Bat want

him to do it all. He should do all of that stuff, and he has out here, That's the important thing, which I gotta see it translate by He's been split out wide, he's run some routes down the seam, he's run some Texas routes. He's He's done more of that receiver type stuff out here than I can remember at any point in camp. And I actually asked him that yesterday and he was like, yeah, it's been a heavier workload in that regard, but I like it. I'm up

for it, which I love to hear. I you know, well, we argued about this with Nate the other day, Like he needs to have north of him, he needs to have north of three hundred carries and when that's why he suspended Yeah, yeah, Nate suspended me. He think Nate he needs now he needs to be running the hell out of the rock and he needs to have more than fifty targets. And he's I think he's got like what he's got somewhere in the neighborhood of forty receptions

for his career. Like that's not just that's not good enough for a guy that's talented, Like he needs to be doing everything in the mold of a Levion Bell or a David Johnson. My my take on him, and it might be one that you've heard before, but my take on as he kill it Elliott is he's just him good football player and he has been for a long time. And you know, yeah, you want to give him the ball, uh in the passing game, the running game and do it all, you know, you know, and

he loves football. He's passionate about football. He comes to world Line one in the NFL running back is being

able to do it all. I'm just I'm super encouraged about what they've done with him out here and what he looks like like he just he looks like a different player and absolutely that the I hate, I hate giving fantasy football advice, but like the easiest way I could say it is draft him, Draft him high, draft him first, honestly, like I think so, I'm I think he's gonna he's primed for who do you think here?

And the fact that he came back from the whole mess that happened last year and this year he's been he has not caused any problems. Not him on his plate other than being running back. I don't know if this is on it like a list of what we were talking about, but you don't have to give me a top ten. But who would be like the best player? Jalen Smith has been like outstanding and so as Ezekiel Elliott.

Who would be the number one player right now? We're gonna do this at the end of camp, But who would be like a vote for you of this guy's been the best player at training camp? Camp MVP is one of our twenty questions that we talked about. Zeke is in the Zeke is on the short list. Jalen Smith is shirt certainly on the short list. Um about you, Tavon Austin, Tavon got a lot of uh, got a lot of love. We're going to roll out of a top ten of the newcomers, new faces, and it's got

away for everyone to turn their stuff. But when they do, can get that up. You know, We've talked Jerry talked to the media last night. We've mentioned him a few times. He kind of held court with the reporters last night after practice, and he praised Tavon, not just for what he's done on the field, but he mean, I hate he compared him to Michael Irvin just in terms of the intensity and the let's you know, the competitive attitude that he would bring. Yeah, and you see it. He's

I mean, he's a fiery guy. Like in terms of who's going to replace Dez Scream. He'll dance around, He'll act like he's on a horse jumping around. He does he does. He does it a little bit differently than does but he definitely brings that competitive spirit to every practice. So he's he's been a great addition in a lot of them. Yeah, and this and This is a good set up for him and guy like him and Hearns

because this this wide receiver corps needed a leader like that. Um. Yes, they had some holdovers in Terrence Williams and Cole Beasley, but I think we're seeing that those guys aren't really vocal leaders. They haven't really been that type of player, and I think, I don't know, I could be wrong, but they seem like they're kind of content in that in that role of just going in here and working hard and not really speaking up a whole lot. Um. So I think the door was open for Tavon Austin

to come in and kind of play that role. And he's not that much older than I don't know, was the same draft class as Terrence thirteen ye yeah, and Beasley was what twelve? I can't remember when Cole came in twelve or eleven. He's been here a little bit longer than that. So it's just a good It was a good situation for Tavan to come in and kind of established that leadership even though he hasn't been here

because this this wide receiver room needed that. He got new codes, he got new players again to go back, I mean go back to skeptic and senate and all that. Like his career suggests that this isn't gonna work out. But everything I've seen on these fields is that he looks pretty damn good and I think he's going to

be an important part of this offense too. Yeah, I agree. Now, now that we're talking about the receivers, just to mention that real quick, Cole Beasley was not in practice yesterday either. He did some stuff off to the side, but to those of you who wanted to know, he wasn't there. Another guy that was not there, Mark Queston Huff, a guy that has been suffering. He got injured in this past game against the forty nine ers. He has a growing injury. The timetable is kind of questionable. Right now,

Let's just get down to brass tax Amber. What are we gonna what are we gonna do about these safeties? Oh, cave On Well was back at practice. He has h Soreny, we're getting there just hitting those Those are two safeties that are dealing with injuries. Yes, so again a position that to begin with doesn't really have any depth to it. Now we got two guys that are Yeah, never too

early to start talking about the safety. I'm not even talking about that right now, Like, can we just that's what That's what fans mar Quest and Huff like the fifth safety. He's banged up straight for Earl? Right, where's cave is n for Earl? Like they need it, that's the answer to everything. They just need a guy trade

for Earl. They need a guy in here, which well at this point, yes so at this point, but whether it's Earl or not, Earl whoever, Danny mccraiey like works in the league office now, I think he's's beyond retired. He'll be able to get a credential pretty fast. Good point, get over here. Okay, at this point, are the guy? Are the Cowboys now really really really really in need to bring in an extra body. I'm not speaking of

Earl Thomas whoever. Just a safety guy I don't know, Jason Garrett said, yet so Mark queston Huff it looks like he's gonna miss a little bit of time. And Marcus Martin is another guy. Ye surgery, Jason Garrett said, yesterday or maybe it was Saturday, He's like, we're gonna need to bring a guy in. He did not specify if he meant guard or safety or maybe he meant receiver because Marchie Murdoch is hurt. I expect them to add a guy sometime soon, but I, for the life

of me, don't know who it is. But I just look at that safety depth chart. Okay, you got your starters, Cavan, you probably want to be careful with He's, you know, make sure his knee feels good. And then Huff is in practicing, so you've you've got right now, you have Heath Woods and Jamille Showers and then I okay, you got Cam Kelly and Tyree Robins, Himson Robins and the

depth the depth situation just does not look good. And I just wonder when it's all said and done, and I'm not talking about Earl Thomas, I just won't be surprised if they're LA the force safety on the depth chart isn't here, right. Yeah, I think if I were the Cowboys, I would try to get a safety like another Marquest and Huff another veteran who's been around, bounced around a little bit, been on some practice squads, got some games. It's still like the veteran minimum somebody like that.

That That's who I would Again, I don't really know who's out there. There are guys out there, the guys we've talked about all offseason, they're all gone now. So um the guys that were available, yeah, Boston and Vicaro. So I mean, hey, just go for it. Be a fun day. It'll happen on the off day. Don't worry. It's gonna happen. I really do think it's going to happen. I know you do still feel that way. But just

but we let's just move on. But are you no, hold on just a second before we move on, because because if we talk about in every show, because more things happen, you have more conversations with people, You get more information. I kind of have an idea exactly where the Cowboys are on this thing and where Seattle is. I I feel like it's right there. If there was such a thing as a two and a half draft pick,

this would be perfect. I think people, I think I don't want to know where We all say, okay, that's I mean, not a half. What has really changed aside from a body I don't know how then cave on suffering with another eight eight grand that Earl Thomas is paying every day, doesn't show up. That's what's changed he doesn't or whatever it is, I don't know. I let's let's hit on Jamil Showers real quick. He is a guy that fans like. Sorry why because do they like him?

Jamil Nick is just burning it down right now and like a guy that the Cowboys have a struggle to find a spot for him, but clearly they lie him enough to do that trouble go through the trouble of putting him different spots as far as safety goes. I mean, here, here, here's he'd been looking. I'm gonna I'm gonna use this as another opportunity to talk about the right kind of guy. We do that a lot. It's a pet peeve of mine that fans throw that back at the team every

time something happens. Jamille Showers is the right kind of guy in every single aspect of what you could be for a team like I mean, he's moved positions, he's he's given safety a shot. He's great on practice squad. He can be quarterback and play safety. He can do all these different things. He's one of the nicest guys on this whole team. Uh. He's just a high character dude. He's exactly what Jason Garrett's looking for accept Line one

is that he's not He's not. He's not he's he's not there and and unfortunately it really sucks because he's out of practice squad eligibility. I can't I can't imagine a world where he makes the fifty three. I wish he could, because you know, good things should happen to good people, but I don't see it happening. Let me ask you this two three years ago. Was he better at quarterback than like White? What we've seen out of Mike White. He was better than Mike White. He was

better than Dak. Prescott in Oxnard in training camp was better than he was. I will go to my grave insisting that that's true. I will say it every time it comes up. He was better than Dak Dak. For all the people that are wringing their hands about what Dak looks like right now, he looked lost in that twenty sixteen training camp, at least for the two weeks before they played a game. I always thought Jamil was a better quarterback than moving him to safety whatever I mean.

I think he could have developed into one I liked. I'd like the moxie that he had in that Rams game that we talked about. He was having to play behind Chaz Green for a quarter and a half, running for his life. He made a great play. I remember a great throw in the twenty sixteen preseason. I remember being kind of miffed that Dak and I'm not trying to talk trash on Dak, but Dak got the good players. Dak got to work with the good players, and Jamille

never did. I wanted to see Jamil get a half with the ones, just to see if he could do it. But you know, the dirty little seek at the end. Fellas. Yes, it's you know, you gotta earn it every day and all that good crap. But politics come into like you're gonna you want to put your draft pick in position to succeed the undrafted guy. It's not as much of a priority. That's just a fact. And it goes for

all positions, especially quarterback. Jamiel Showers is one of the great dudes on this team, but I don't think he will be a fifty three man roster guy. All right, well, fair enough, that's fair. Let's go ahead and take our final break. Make sure to hit us on Twitter at Cowboys Break Send us your question or give us a call. Their numbers should be on the screen, so we'll be right back. Cowboys fans know that the second best of anything simply won't cut it, and your skincare should be

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you'll travel like a pro. Visit Cowboys Travel dot com to book your travel package today before there was a draft. You get sized up at Cowboy by three simple factors. Decrease at his hat, the bend of his brim, and his unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't just protect him from what life through at him. It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. Stetson hats are still American made with pride.

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send me your questions. Like I said, now we're gonna I'm gonna steal what you did the other show and we're gonna get into the Top Newcomers. Ah. Yeah, No, you did it with the other show that we had not published it yet, and you decided to talk about it because you were not prepared for the show. Who all right, we gotta stop taking shots at each other on the air. Guys, save it for save it for the ten. What are you talking about? I was prepared. I was prepared to talk about that Top ten. We

had full people on the show. So have you done your list yet for new Top ten new Comers? No, because it's not out yet. Dave, give me your number one guy. I gotta pull up my email. But it was I remember it was Tavon Austin. Yeah, I mean, and this was rookies. It was uh, it was it wasn't just rookies. It was just guys that weren't on the team last year. So Lance Lenore's not in the in the group because he did play last year, so he's not on the list. Um, And it was a

good mix of of of rookies and veterans. I think, honestly, a lot of the draft picks made it, except for Mike White. I think everybody but Mike, Well, he's on the list. He's just far down. He's on the list, but yeah, it's not gonna be in the top ten. I had Tavon Austin. We already talked about how awesome he is. Yeah, Dorance Armstrong, I had it too, because in my experience, fourth round picks look like fourth round picks. Charles Tapper didn't light anybody's world on fire as a rookie.

Dalton Schultz is going through some rookie growing pains that didn't look good that good before the first game. Durrance Armstrong looks really good, looks awesome. Like they got him. He gets reps with the first team. He plays left and right end. He was bad ass in the San Francisco game. He's strong, He's got a strong like yeah,

I mean like he knocked those guys down. To the ground with one hand, you know, like he's got some some which, again for a rookie out of Kansas, Yeah, I think let's let's give and And I've heard I don't know if this is true, but I've heard people suggest that he would have been a much higher pick if he wasn't coming from the worst program in major college football. Do with that what you will, um, the I mean Carson Wins, I mean, yeah, I mean was a one, But I don't when you watch a team

go one in eleven for four years. I don't know. But the thing for me is I want to reset what that means the expectations. Like he looks like a badass. That doesn't mean I think he's gonna have ten sacks as a rookie. I mean, DeMarcus Ware didn't even do that.

I don't think no. Um, But when I when I thought of him, that's usually a position that I mean, you see some guys come in and he takes them insanely hard position to transition to, which when Dorin's Armstrong got drafted, I was like, Okay, they're obviously going to carry him on the team. He's a draft pick, but he's not gonna be able to do that much. He might not be active for every game. That's out the

window for me. If he's healthy, he looks like a guy who can play twenty thirty percent of the snaps and have a role play on both sides, and he's got super high upside. Like again, not talking Pro Bowl, but he can be a meaningful contributor to this pass rush right away as sure as heck looks like that? Or is your Hall of Fame move? No ring of um. Yeah,

you're gonna keep going bow where those bow ranks? I had Bow at nine just and that's it's not anything that he's done wrong, but he's the third running back. Like he in practice, he doesn't get to show that much like he might. He might get three or four reps per day. He's had a couple of nice runs. Obviously he played well in the game. I had Cam

Fleming at four. I think it's very smart what they're doing with him, letting him mix in with the first team and get reps at left tackle next to those guys. Connor Williams at five super impressive so far through camp, had some hiccups. Who doesn't Joe Thomas, Alan Hearns Antoine Woods at eight coming at a note, coming off the bench the second. Yeah, just it's because it's hard to notice defensive tackles, to be honest, like, let's be very should tell you a lot more. Let's be very honest

for a second. How much would we be talking about Antoine Woods if not for the Travis Frederick for the incident. And I'm not saying he hasn't done anything else, but that is, if it's a flash point of camp, it makes him much more visible. He's had some good reps, he's working with the first team. Not trying to take anything away from him. It's a good point about the fight, but also it was all what led to the fight was the fact that he kind of drove him back,

and you know, he was beating these guys. It's the same thing with Dorn's Armstrong. You know, he's beaten some some um, he's beaten Lyelle out here. He's done a good job. That's why I would rate him a little higher, just because that is a position that you tend not to look at that much. And the fact that he has um emerged and his name has been put out there and people are starting to get to know him. As you send that, I'm sure it'll you'll have Antine Woods higher on your I think, wow, I think I

haven't done mine either. But I will say this, Joe Thomas is going to be number one for me. That's totally fair because because of what's happened out here of you know, he's starting, he's playing all you know, Sean Lee really hasn't played, and he's stepped in, and I think the defense has looked really good weaving without Sean Lee, which is a big thing that did not happen last year. It was, oh my god, the weak side linebackers out and the whole thing goes to crape. And I think

I don't think that'll happen this year. And I think that's a big you know, a lot of that is on his shoulders. I'm gonna put him number one on the list. I don't have a problem with that at all. I skipped Michael Gallup. I had him at three for whatever was with But to you to your point, and maybe this isn't fair, but I've just been burned. I've been burned by the camp d tackle Darling before and where I mean Davon Coleman, Janelle Jenkins Lewis Neil Montavius Stanley.

I think that was before my time. I just like seeing that name. I think he's a sixth round pick, maybe out of Louisville way back in the day. Montavius Stanley. I had Layton Vanderash bringing it up at number ten, which you know he's he's had some moments. He looks yeah he didn't make that. No, he looks ready to contribute. But um, you know again growing pains. He hasn't Allen and I was I think we had Alan wait, no, no, no, no, I'm sorry, I had him. Um, I had him at seven.

I had Alan Herns at seven. Um. As far as vander Esh goes, I was talking to Brian this and just evaluating him where he's at right now. And one of the things, I mean, Brian brought us the football analyst, Brian brought us. What did I say? You said, Brian, Let's make sure that we let's make sure that we you know, with everybody watching, we make sure that we talk about you know, in case you don't know, as

Brian b ran, Thank you so right, vander Esh. The problem with him is it just comes down to experience, and he's a very athletic guy, and he has all those things that you need for a linebacker. What he's missing is that experience and maybe those instincts as far as you know he it took a while for Jalen to gain that and now we're starting to see it. Shaun Lee, he's amazing. He can even close his eyes

and know where the player is going. I mean, eventually Vendor will hopefully get there playing next to these guys right here to that point, you know, I this is an argument that goes all the way back to the draft, and I know some people are still talking about it. Is that, well, if Jalen's taking this step, for like Layton Vanderesh was a redundant pick, that was a bad move. I don't buy that at all because he hasn't lit

the world on fire out here. But he absolutely doesn't look lost or like he doesn't belong, you know what I mean. Like he has looked solid. He looks like he's picking it up. He's a smart guy. He's been attached to Sean at the hip number one. I like with the way this team fell apart without Shawn Lee last year, I don't think there's too much you can do to ensure that position. And on top of that, Shaun Lee's thirty two years old, and I don't know if it's next year or two years however many years

from now. But like Jalen Smith and Layton vander Esh look like the future of this linebacker car And you don't draft first round picks or really first or second round picks just for what they're going to be able to do this year. Yeah, I mean, yeah, you expect them to contribute, but you know they've done it before. They're drafting guys knowing what's probably not going to be on the team next year or the year after. So would I be geeked beyond belief if Derwin James is

on this team. Yeah? But I don't think Laden Vanderman bad parents. They wouldn't have even done it. That's the thing. They loved Layden vander ash that much. So let's take a call from Anthony in Miami. Hey, how y'all doing great? How are you good? I'm pretty good. I'm pretty good. Um. I know I called him hanging with the boys more often sending them making them But and of course you on that before, Nick, Um, I love your show A listening all the time. Just don't get a chance to

call because of the hours. Doc God hard, I will. I will stand up with this guy regardless and maybe to a fault. What I see when I see that I seem a leader to be that young. I see a guy, especially with example things, that took that on his shoulders and said that I'm gonna have my voice

and be a leader. He may have accuracy problems at times, but you can't win twenty two out of third three games, one being the playoff game and not be what people are considering or trying to say that maybe this is a make or break year this and that I don't believe it at all. I believe we lose that Prescott. It's gonna be hard to find a quarterback, and I believe he's the right quarterback for this team. He's got some outstanding stats. At the same time, he's got two

NFL records already. I know he has Zeke in the backfield. But if we put a good defense with this guy, just me saying that we put a good defense with this guy. This guy's a natural warn leader. He's gonna take us to a chap ship in about three years.

I guarantee it that's all safe, all right. I think Dad has a great advantage plane behind that offensive line that he allows him even in the future, let's say the line you start getting some trouble there on the old line, it allows him to gain old those games, you know, an experience. I would say you have more

experience playing it more safely in a way. Although he struggled last year because of what happened with Tyrant's injury, but the fact that he's playing behind that old line really really helps him in his growth as a quarterback. I agree with you, and I think I mean I if I think you're what you're saying is is right now he can lean on them as he's still maturing as a quarterback, and when the time comes where they're gonna have to lean on him, he was able to

do that in his early years. And that's been my biggest beef. I don't disagree with that call. Really, that's my biggest beef with this whole thing. Has always been like he's nothing without his line and his running back. No, duh, who cares he's twenty four years old. If if he still needs that strong of a supporting cast when he's thirty one and making one hundred and twenty million dollars, then you have a problem. I expect a third year quarterback drafted in the fourth round to need some help.

There's nothing wrong with that. The only issue I have with that call is, if we're speaking strictly by definition, I think it is a make or break year for Dak because if he is bad, if he is just bad, then that you're putting yourself. You got to have a conversation about what the future is going forward, and maybe you draft a quarterback, maybe you decide Dak as the guy anyway, but those questions will be asked and they will be fair. If he's not good this year, that

that's just true. Having said that, I'm not worried about him at all. I think he's gonna be great. I really, I don't think that's going to be an issue. Yeah, And it'll be a tough evaluation if they do bad. I mean, because now you're talking about coaching and you know the player and what's the percentage there. That is what we will talk about from January until May or April. If this team falls short, specifically Dak, like, the debate will be, you know, are you going forward with Dak,

is he the right guy? Or are you looking at quarterback in the early going to this draft. And that's what we'll ask Jerry about at the combine. That's what you know when we go to the owners meetings, when we're having private conversations with people behind closed doors, that's what people will be trying to figure out that it's unavoidable. But I don't think it's gonna happen because I think Dak's gonna play well. You know, to talk about him being a natural born leader, and you know, this is

definitely his team, his offense. And we've said so many times about now that Dez isn't here, it will allow him to be more of a leader. Let's not forget that with Jason Witten not here, it'll allow him to be more of a leader too. You can't tell me that Dak Prescott and Jason Witten are you know, saw eye to eye every single time. They probably didn't. The way Witten leads is not the way Dak leads. And it is tough for Dak to try to do things. I mean, Jason Witten has penalties all the time. It's

hard to jump on him as well. Now he does things the right way, but still not having Jason Witten here will open the door even more for Dak. I'm not saying it's a good thing. I'm just saying that players like that still affect the quarterback from the leader. Now there's no guarantee who the guy is. It's it's Dak. The lineman aren't going to be the leaders. It's Dak Prescott one thousand percent. And this will really get a

chance to see this natural board leader. We'll get to see it, you know, to a t this year because he'll have the voice of everybody. Yep, yeah, okay here, he'll have the ears of everyone, might have the voice. He might have the voice too. I don't know everything he does. Some wicked impressions from what I hear. We have a question from Alex Macho through Twitter, and we talked about Jalen and Rico Gathers. So here's this question. Why would benefit the Cowboys the most for Week one?

Jalen Smith slashed Joe Thomas playing at a high level, or Rico Gathers putting it all together and being the team's go to tight end. I go to tight end. I'm not trying to crap on Rico But like I said earlier in the show, I just I can't see that happening. I can see Joe Thomas and Jalen Smith playing at a high, high level that we saw it the other night. I can't that's a reality. But in a fantasy, in a fantasy world where Rico Gathers plays

like Gronk, Hell yeah give me that. Yeah, give me that ten times out of ten, I just don't see it happening. You know, we never say this the other way because it's kind of insulting, but it's never stopped us before. What did I say about Ezekiel Elliott? What was my Jason Garrett line for him? He's just a really damn good football player. The thing about Rico Gathers is he's just not He's just not a football player right now. He's just a raw talent that's working into

being a football player. So we say it about he's just this guy's just a good football player. He just knows how to play the game. Well, Rico right now doesn't. He's just a really great athlete that's trying to learn how to play football. It's really hard to think by Week one in Carolina that all of a sudden, he's just put it all in together and now he's Antonio Gates. I mean, who, by the way, I did I don't know why I even said that. Who, by the way

was that basketball player? And oh well, and he seriously, but he played football in high school. He played football, I think in college. I don't know, I played basketball college. But still, it's just hard to think it's all gonna happen like that. And the Cowboys they're not going to allow him to be that guy. I don't know what the role is going to be, but he's not gonna

be the starting tight end of this football team. If you're a Rico fan, and I know there's a lot of you, yeah, I'm not trying to suggest that I'm not. But if you're a Rico fan and you won him on the team, the best bet is again for the coaching staff in the front office to decide that what he can do is valuable enough to keep him on the roster, find him a special team's role that justifies him getting a jersey, and then he's like a red

zone goal line guy who can come in. He's like, for lack of a better comparison, he could be like you're Mike Vrabel, like when you're down, you're like, hey, we need we need a touchdown. Put this big six seven monster on the field, which I think that would be smart to three tight ends down there comes completely okay with him having a niche role on this team that involves catching balls in the red zone. You just gotta let me figure out the rest of it to

make it make sense. Numbers one, let me ask both of all this question. Will Rico Gathers be on a fifty three man roster this year? Yes, he will. Yeah, he will be on a fifty three. So if he's not on this team, somebody, Yeah, the team was gonna come in, Oh, I can make this guy turn into this amazing tight end, and they're gonna take him and they probably won't use the voice. They'll probably be like,

they'll probably you know, just do their own. Yeah. We have confidence in our staff and our coaching staff that we'll be able to develop him. And the Cowboys have done a pretty good job, but we think we can enhance that and he's gonna fit in right well, you know, well on our football team. Got it. As we play the Cowboys this week, I'm I'm so torn on that because there's a lot of sence that suggests that he's not going to be on this roster. But there's just

enough potential there and what you're talking about. Don't for a second think that they don't think about that when they want to. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what to expect. I could see it going either way.

That's the biggest fear that a lot of teams have, you know, when they've developed these guys and and all of a sudden that they're gonna have to let him go and spending three years teaching him how to play the position, and then he catches six touchdowns for the Jets or whoever, I'm teaching him how to beat you. Because then when you yeah, thank you your faith. Do I hear the music? It's time to go. We are

done for today. Music plays for two Tomorrow Tomorrow the Cowboys will have a day off, but we'll be back on the show. So for David Hallman making in tomorrow, we're not We're not have a show tomorrow. Off tomorrow. It's a miracle. You're going to the beach. It's a miracle early Christmas present. We will be back tomorrow, but we'll be back Wednesday. So for Nikkim and David Hellman, I remember your c I see you guys Wednesday on

the break. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.