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Cowboys, Let's go. 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. Were on with Ambar Garcia, Brian brought us, Nick Harris, and Derek Eagleton.
It is Tuesday, September third, twenty twenty four, Season twenty, episode number twenty one. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We are Alive from the s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star, represented by LG. LG is the world's number one O lead TV brand for eleven years in counting See why at LG dot com, Ford slash O Leedevo. Welcome to Week ones, Game week of the
NFL season. Man, I'm so excited because after and I know we all are college football fans too, so after a weekend of some really good college football, now we get to the big boys and it's time to get the NFL cranked up. This week, starting on Thursday night, Cowboys, I mean, I'm sorry, the NFL will kick off it's season games on Thursday and Friday this week, and then obviously full slate on Sunday games on Monday. It is
the greatest time of the year when football is back. Today, We're gonna play a very simple game, but I don't know, I don't know how easy it will be. We're gonna go through the entire roster. We're gonna go position by position, including the coach, and we're gonna talk. We're gonna answer a simple question, are they better, worse or same? So we're gonna go through each position group. We'll talk about each one and I'll let you guys give us your opinions.
I think this is the best way for us to be able to allow our fans to kind of get a full assessment. After all the free agency, the draft, training camp, preseason games. Now you enter the season, where are you? And this should set the table I think for our fans.
So let's start first, just to clarify, this is coming out of so walking off the field against Green Bay versus now or is it like going into last season.
Versus it is where we ended last year. Now, you got to put that in hole because I think that's a fair question. I think you got to look at the whole of last year. You don't just say what were they in that final game because we know if we're going to do that for sure, nobody played great in that last game. Well, most people didn't play great
in that last game. But I think we look at it from the standpoint of if you say the twenty twenty three version of the Dallas Cowboys and that started with Week one all the way through to the playoff loss to Green Bay twenty three version versus the twenty twenty four version at least where we are right now going into the season. Are they better, worse or the same?
Perfect?
All right, So let's start first. I want to start with the coaches, and obviously the big difference there is on the defensive side of the ball. You bring in Mike Zimmer, you lose dan Quinn to Washington. Is this defense, particularly with that change, better, worse or the same?
From a coaching staff perspective, Whenever you factor in losing dan Quinn and losing Aiden Dirty, I would say, can I say who the same is an option?
Right?
Yeah, it's the same, better or worse?
I would I would say better. I think I would. Whenever you look at Mike Zimmer and the experience that he brings and the different type of scheme differences that he will bring, the experience that he has not only as a head coach but also in Dallas as a coordinator. I think that's going to be a really big addition to this team at the end of the day, the defensive line coach, specifically, whenever we look at Aiden Dirty versus Jeff Escanina, I really loved what Aiden Dirty brought
to this team whenever he was around. And this is no discredit to Scanina. I just feel like Dirty was one of the best defensive line coaches in the NFL last year. So in that perspective, I would probably say worse. But overall, looking at the entire coaching staff, and you know, as from a holistic perspective, one versus the I think I like this one a little bit more.
You know, I'm going to say they're better, and you know, and and this is and this is not because Mike and I go way way back. I honestly feel like that there are things that Dan did that were very well. I think his kids, kids, his his guys played for they played hard for him. I think there were times where he uh I think where he failed you a little bit is like maybe putting guys in position to make plays. And I'm talking about Micah Parsons.
Uh.
I think that I think that Mike Zimmer has a better understanding of what he needs to do.
Uh.
You know, I I've you know, I sit there and you watch all these these quality edge rushers around the league, and then Micah was hand down, hand down, hand down, and it seemed like it was always from the same spot, you know, And I think that to to really get this done, you know, when you look at like we're into now watching Miles Garrett play, and the amazing thing that they do with Miles Garrett is his ability to move around, play right, play left, play in the middle
of do you know, do creative things. I think just I think overall, just to me Zimmer, the way his techniques and his scheme, I think it's more sound. I just you know, to me, it's we talked about turnovers yesday, created turnovers last year. The last few years, it's been really good where I think that we've seen though, we've seen some big plays you know, cappen because that I think with Mike Zimber, you don't You're not gonna see as many big plays against this defense for the way.
So I'm going to say, from where the trends are in the league of giving up big plays, Dallas will be better defensively of not giving up the big plays. We did see the preseason, though it was preseason, we did see turnovers. We did see those, and Mike was even talking. I asked him about that. He says, Listen, I don't think I'm gonna be able to create as many turnovers as they've had here, But damn it, I ain't gonna bust coverages and stuff here either, you know.
And I think that's something that this this team and then how they use their personnel will be different from last year.
Yeah, that's an interesting thing. I always look at as risk reward, and I think dan Quinn's defense was predicated on a few more risks if they could get you
some big returns. I'm not going to be the person that's gonna kind of rewrite history and now make it seem like dan Quinn wasn't great for the team, did a great job with this and had this defense playing at a really high level, but there were moments when they would bust and so the question becomes, now, if the scheme is more one that doesn't take the risks, can you get maybe even a little less of the of the big turnovers, but at the same time, don't give up the big plays. And if you can do
that now you're better off as a team. I would think, amber we're talking about better or worse the same, that's what we're doing for every position on the team. We just talked about the coach, particularly the difference in defensive coordinator.
Where would you fall, Well, there's still a lot to see, Like we haven't actually seen him in a real game other than preseason, but I think for me, I would say it's that or in the sense that it brings a different kind of excitement.
You know, you talk about what than Quinn was. Everybody loved Dan Quinn. We were a huge fan of him, but like you just mentioned, you started seeing some of that declinent where okay, the defense wasn't where it needed to be despite those big plays, getting those interceptions, also stopping the run. That was a big question there too. You never knew depending on the players that you had
playing or healthy during given time. But with Zimmer right now, for me, it's just the excitement of the oh you gotta I was gonna say, like a new toy, but not quiet, but a guy would experience a guy that has earned in such a short time, he's earned or respect. I mean you you listen to the way that the players talk about him, and I love that. I absolutely loved that, because you know, the players are into his system.
I brought into what he's coaching them. Even the way Micah Parson talked about him during training camp and saying how he likes the way that he's utilizing him and and teaching him new things and how he can be more explosive this year. So to me, it's just the excitement around him.
I'll speak to that point. You're giving a reliable old dog a new toy because you're giving Mike Zimber.
There's a couple of things though that you can look back on this too, and maybe the decision of Dan Quinn to play as much dime package. And they did make a decision on going light at linebacker. They did. They made that decision. They said, hey, we're going to go with Clark vander ash They didn't have a really a great answer for linebacker, and they made the best of out of they could playing Bell down as much dime package stuff. The six defensive backs. They played that
entirely really the whole game. Because they didn't have they made a tactical error. I will say this, I love a d as a coach. I love him. I think if you want the counter to that is Al Harris. I think Al Harris is about to be a rising star in this league when it comes to defensive backs and getting them ready to play. Now, he's going to
have his challenges ahead until they get Bland back. But I have confidence with Carson and others that that Al Harris as a coach could do what we would think maybe that Ad was doing with your defensive line.
Yeah, that's an interesting point when you look at the particularly the cornerbacks on this team and how they've had this string of guys that they've brought along draft them, get him out there to play, and they play really well, I mean really well that you have to give some of that.
Joe Witt and Joe Witt and Al Harris I.
Just did phenomenal.
I believe this with all my heart. Dallas caught a break. And I don't know if it's professionally or decision or they already had a defensive back coach there at the Commanders that they were interested in. Dallas caught a huge break with Al Harris getting to stay in my opinion, you know, watching him every day with you guys, I'm like, this cat can coach, you know, and you see how he interacts with his guys. I'd love to sit in a meeting with him sometime and watch him technique this
thing up. But his guys play. They play hard for him as well. They play their sound group. I really like what they're doing.
If we flipped it to the other side of the ball. Mike McCarthy began calling plays for his team last year. My question for you is, based on what you saw last year, do you think the offense was better last year than it was previous before he was calling the plays? And then what do you expect going into this year and it being the second year that he would be doing that.
I think it got better. You know, in the beginning, it was a rough start. After those first six weeks, you're going into the bye week and you're looking at the offense holistically and you're like, man, there's some big concerns here. Red zone can't capitalize, didn't have a rushing
touchdown with a running back until week ten. There were some concerns there, but I think as the season went on and you powered into November, you went on that winning streak, You get into December and get a big win against Detroit, and you win the division on the
back of your offense. I think it got better, and I think going into year two now that they don't really have to tick off the rust of a new offense, I think there's I think there's going to be a little bit more cohesion going into these first few weeks with the second year under Mike McCarthy. For me, though, it's still the running game, Like where where does the
production come from? The running game? This is gonna have to be something that I just see see to belief, and right now I'm not seeing it.
There was I forgot This is bad reporting on my part, but maybe you remember Nick. I don't know, but I don't know when it was, but right after a game, I forgot what the media was asking him, and he's like, well, I was calling the plays like it was more of a head coach type of question that you ask your head coach, And he was just like he gave one of those attitudes. I don't know, it just rubbed me the wrong way, you know, those little things like that.
I'm like, well, should you be calling the plays then or focus on you know, your main job. But uh, I'm being too too, too hard because if I wasn't his play, yes, yes, hopefully no. But I'm with you exactly that. I mean, that's the main thing. The running game. I think we've seen such an improvement in Dak's passing game. And I know people this is a debate all the time. How good is he of a passer. I think he's He's improved so much, so so much so I'm not
worried or concerned about that. I'm more concerned the balance, finding the right balance and right now. I mean, we saw it. Last year. It hasn't it wasn't. It wasn't a thing. The running game was non existent, very very few. I think against Washington that's when you saw, uh, some
of the running game and Tony Poller. But other than that, this year, so far, what we've seen and we haven't seen the starters play in the pre in the preseason, but even that training camp is so inconsistent that I have to see it to believe it, and hopefully it is something that will pick up along the season.
Yeah, I hope this running back decision is not the linebacker decision of last year.
Or the receiver decision from Yeah well and.
All of a sudden it's like, no, we're fine, will be good, And I hope that's not the case. The thing that I always strive for and look at and when we watch other teams play when we have time is the creativity. You know, you watch teams that are really creative, even if they're not very good up front, their ability to run the football. I was watching watching the Browns just run the ball, because that's one of the better running teams. I'm thinking, how the hell they
do that? There is some real creativity with their blocking schemes and stuff like that, and it doesn't require somebody coming off the ball and just blowing somebody up. It is. It is two traps, a pole and a lead back, or two traps a poll a tie in in the hole. You know, there's a difference with lining up shoe to shoe and trying to get three. You know what I'm saying, Try to just run the ball and see if oh, look, you know, let's see if Pollard can get with some creativity.
And I and this is bothered me a little bit. I really respect Brian Schottenheimer. I really do. His dad was one of my dad was an outstanding coach, comes from a football family. I asked him when this question and we had him on the air on one O five three the fan. I asked him, who do you steal plays from? Nah, we really don't steal plays. We don't, you know. And I'm like, man, I was with Andy Reid and all he did was steel plays from other teams. You know, he was one of the best play callers
in the league. John Gruden, guys, they steal plays, the really good ones. The Sean mcvays, Hey, I saw that play in a Sunday night game and I thought, this Thursday, we just added it to the mix and scored a touchdown off it. The really good coordinators steal plays ideas college, pro, high school, wherever. If you told me that this team doesn't run the ball because they're not physical enough and all that, I would agree. Okay, Well, what's the answer to that. How about creativity?
It's it's funny. I spoke to that point a little bit in our show last week. The only creativity that we saw in the running game last year was personnel.
It wasn't it wasn't scheme. It was putting Turpin or CD Lamb in the backfield, which yes it worked at times, it works, but there was not a schematic creativity that really led towards Tony Poler having success or we goo doubtle having success because, like I said last week, Tony Poller was not an inside zone guy, and they just rammed him in between the tackles fifteen times a game and the eventually it just wore him down.
Can I throw this though to you, Brian, I hear what you're saying. I agree with that in a lot of ways. Is there at least thought that maybe the new people that they've added to this offensive line, when you go back to the start Tyler and Bibie, they're more power guys.
I think the reason you might have success running the football this year is because your center is more physical, yeah, and stronger, and you combine that with the right guard who's probably in his last campaign, but he still has the ability to power and stand his feet and push and get to that second level when this team ran the ball. When it was really running the ball. It was like with Ron Leary, big powerful guard. They had Frederick that was like able to like, you know, get
his guy and then get to the second level. Martin was young, he was pushing his guy. They were physical inside, they were really filing. That's my hope with this team. I just like to see if it's I don't want to see like football in a phone booth, you know, where everybody's shoot to shoe and we're just pushing the front and hoping. If you're gonna do that, then you better have you better have Rico daddle in. They're running the ball to get to and through because you don't
need just to plot along. You know, teams can say I was watching Cleveland and I'm like going, damn, that's that's how you That's how you kind of figure out and it's just not the back their scheme. And I think that had something to do with running game Moses over there. Bill Callahan. You know Bill Callahan is down in Tennessee and so running gay Moses. He when he when he's coaching these dudes up man there, and he was one of the guys coaching when they were really
running the ball well here. So that just gives me a little like if if they can kind of find that some way, then I'm not gonna worry.
So your point on creativity something that.
They're gonna yell at me for saying that word creativity, but it's.
No, but it's I think it's a fair word because and I would say, what's I was gonna switch it for another word, and I forgot the word that I was gonna say. But in that topic, something that bugged me from last season is how underutilized were certain players.
Brandon Cooks, Volunteer Turping Hunter lip Key. Those are three main guys that, Yeah, those are three guys right there that are very skilled and talented, and I highly believe that they were extremely, extremely underutilized last year in what Mike McCarthy was doing. But hopefully this year it changes after you review everything and they start being more I mean just the word creativity, yes, I think created.
One of the interesting things too, is that the fact that Cede Lamb wasn't at camp I think bodes well for Cooks being more involved in the passing game, for yeah, for Tobert, for all the receivers. Because Dak had to use those other guys. He had to develop that with him because he didn't have CD there. So I expect that this is going to be a much better year for some of those supporting wide receivers.
Uh.
And we'll see what happens with Lipke and what his role is on the scene real quick.
I know we got to get to break. But the thing when you watch like the that's part for the course here, But the thing about it when you watch teams like the San Francisco's run and I know their personnel, I get it used to check and you got one of the best bocks in the league, you know, with the way, but you see guys moving to get in position to block. You see they're committee like four guys blocking on three and now it's up to McCaffrey to make a move. And then they're you know, that's the
kind of thing. Give me the opportunity to I'm going to outnumber you here. Yeah, I'm going to find a way to get my one extra guy in position to block for these running plays and stuff. And I that's what I'm talking about with creativity. There's ways to do this without you know, you know, three yards and a cloud of dust, offense. Yeah, there's ways to to run the football, but to use your athletes in your offense line. You got two athletic tackles and three guys inside that really got a lot of.
Strength, especially with four Titans. Yeah, exactly, especially with four Titans.
We're gonna take our first break. We'll come back. We're gonna get into better, worse, same at the different positions on the team. We've talked about running back an offensive line a little bit. I want to get a little deeper into those positions when we come back this Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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Welcome back to second segment of the break Life from that s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Start, presented by LG, and this segment is brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, so let's let's get into our game. Better, worse, same quarterback position. There really wasn't wasn't any change in personnel.
The only question would be do you think anyone's gotten necessarily better, particularly Dak Prescott, who we suspect will play most of, if not all, of the season, hopefully for the Cowboys, barring any injuries.
Better worse, saying I think they got better in one way, and you could talk about we now understand what Trey Lance is, but as the third quarterback, I think Cooper Rush got better because his willingness to throw the ball down the field. I don't see a nickel and diamond guy anymore, see a guy. It was kind of like, either I'm going to be the two or the three.
You know here I am, so he just start horsing the ball down the field, you know, and I'm like going all right, throwing the deep out, throwing the end cut, Oh look a comeback. It wasn't like check down, check down, check down, you know, run the ball, check down. I mean, it's like he opened up his mind if, like you know, he had really nothing.
To lose, he was.
Gonna be the second quarterback or he was gonna be the third quarterback. That's what they got better in my opinion.
Yeah, I think also this is going to be an interesting decision that they could make. I don't think they will make this decision, but they could activate all three quarterbacks and integrate Trey Lance and some wildcat stuff that could open up the running game a little bit more worked with.
If you had fossil about, somebody is gonna have to popping around the corner like what.
They would have to take away from somewhere. Like I said, this is probably a situation where it doesn't happen, But if they want to get creative in the run game, activate Trey Lance and put.
On a game that's nothing wrong with that.
I can't even imagine the scenario where that actually.
Happensativity right there.
Now we're talking creativity.
Especially if you guys, as we talked about this, we're going to talk about next that running game. It does give you a little something different in that run game.
Now, once he starts to I'm like, okay, too much.
Too much, we're just running.
They should put like a suggestion box right over there my football side and then people, you know.
When you let's have the snack this week, almost a.
Snack better, you know you're just sending something in.
Food.
Walk over and just put some in the box.
Activate tree lance.
I think that would be fun. I think I think they're fine. I would yeah, I would say the same.
Uh.
I mean, if anything, Dak, I think he picked right off where he left off last year. I don't think it took him like right off the bat. You can tell he had been doing those practices in his backyard and training and all of that, because right off the start of training camp, I mean he didn't miss a beat. Not everything was perfect, absolutely not, that's for sure. There were several days that even against the Rams, you were like, WHOA, what is happening here? But I think he's he's still
a very solid guy. And Cooper Rush. To me, he still looks like Cooper Rush that I trust him if anything was to happen, obviously not in the long term form, but for him to step up as a backup, I fully trust.
Mike Zimmer challenged all these quarterbacks. Yeah, they challenged him to read, they challenged them to react, and you know, and they and to a man, it was like you could tell there were times they were going through it and it was pretty difficult. So overall, yeah, the group got better. But I like I said that whole thing with Cooper Rush more willingness to throw the ball down the field, I hope that's the guy would get if if and I don't want it to be an if that Dak can't play.
Let's move on to the running back position. The big loss there being Tony Pollard. But I think, if my memory serves me correct, everybody on this show, and Nick, you were on another show at the time, so I don't know how you fell on this, but I think everybody on this show was okay with the idea as we finished that season that the Cowboys shouldn't move on and not pay Tony Pollard big money to be running
back here with the Dallas Cowboys. But that being said, they lost Tony Pollard, they did pick up Zeke, and they did pick up here in the last week Dalvin Cook. That being said, do you think they're better, worse or the same worse.
I gotta see it. I gotta see it at all. I feel like this is the biggest certain on the on the roster right now. After they addressed the defensive tackle hole in my eyes, and going and trading for Jordan Phillips and adding Linval Joseph, I'm now looking at the running back position as the biggest red flag. It's just I don't see where they build playmaking ability between
the twenties and getting downfield, red zone, different scenario. I think they do get a rushing touchdown before Week ten, I will say that, but I think whenever it's talking about this offense needs a running game to open it up, Dak Prescott needs to be able to utilize the play action for him to be at one hundred percent efficiency. I don't see that happening with the current run game situation as it is right now.
Yeah, Derek, that show, we did you know we were working on the draft show. We were thinking that we were going to draft again, right, you were like, ah, yeah, get rid of the guy, get rid of. If we'd have known that, we'd said, no, Paypollar, keep him. I mean I was I was thinking, Man, they got to do something with this running back room. I didn't think it was going to be bringing Ezekiel Elliott back, but they did. Uh yeah, I'm on board with Nick here.
I do feel like I just don't want the offensive line to have good reps, good snaps, play blocked. Maybe to run eight ten yards and it only goes three or four, you know, just because you're not getting to and through the hole. I say that a lot, but that's really what running game is. You get the back in the second level. You get a chance to be a really good running team. And I worry about this
team having the ability to do that consistently. The longer you have to hold the blocks, the longer these officials love to call holding. You know, you get a quick back, somebody can hit it, get through there, you brush, you go,
and the you know, officials let it go. But if you're sitting there, you know, if if tren Steele is on the back side, he's holding, holding, holding and kind of gets a hand to pull a guy to keep him from getting in on the tackle because Zeke's not to the hole, or or you know, any one of these backs aren't to the hole and you get call for holding, You're gonna remember what I said because the longer you have to hold blocks, the more likely you're going to get call for holding.
Oh what's it for me? I mean same or words is about the same? Like last year wasn't good to me. So I think with these guys again, you talk about the inconsistency. I've been saying it, and I said it during training camp. I can't really put it, like I can't really figure out if it's the line or the running backs or it's a combination of both. That it's just not they're not quite there happening. But right now, no one on the team really has shown me that
kind of spark and speed. And they all have their own thing that they do well, and they all have shown that they do have that speed, but it's just it's not translating onto what we've seen so far. So right now, I'm excited that Seek is back.
For sure.
I think he looks in very good shape. He looks light in his feet and his footwork. I'm excited to see how he comes in and helps, but is it very promising? I I don't know.
Me Let me ask you if you say it's the same. Tony Pollard was a thousand yard rushers a year ago. And I know how these two feel about Rico Dowdell. Does that mean that you feel like there there is a running back on the roster right now that could rush for one thousand yards this season if given the opportunity.
Why can he be a team effort?
You think so?
So?
You think I've been on recognizing it, and I think it's more than I think it's more than a thousand. I think he's a twelve hundred yard back and you can play if.
He can't ext for him to stay.
That's the key. It's all for me for Rico Dinersto being healthy. And you said you hadn't really seen that spark from any of these backs. I think I have from Rico Dowdle. I've seen him like that. But the point is he hasn't had the opportunity yet to be the full give me the load running back. And if you can do that, if they give him the load, what does he do with it. Number one, can he consistently be what we've seen him be in spurts and
can he stay healthy. There's a lot of ifs involved in his calculators.
Okay, so we're going let's just based off of his yards per carry last season at four point one yards per carry. If he stays on that same line this year, I think from from y'all's perspective, twelve hundred. Yeah, y'all think you could take the next step. This is just for a thousand yards. He would need fourteen carries a game, more than four.
See, that's good. That's that. This art, my conversation that we're having here is predicated on them giving him the ball, like him becoming the primary back. If he's not the primary back, then then and a decision like that could be made. We've seen that before, Like, well, can't you tell this one guy's averaging four point eight yards of carry and the other one's averaging three point eight yards to carry, and they keep giving the ball to the
guy keeps carrying the ball three point eight. We're at the mercy of we're at the mercy of carries. An injury for that guy, you know it. But if he has both I'll bet on it.
And I think he can do it.
I'm still in the big in my mind, like is the story going to repeat itself of the last two years, where like it was Paular be hind Zeke and then people asking for Pollard. Then it was Rico behind Poler, and then people were asking for Rico and then now we really got him. So I just I don't know. It's just an interesting concept there and the.
History of the Cowboys saw it happened with Troy hambric Everybody wanted Troy Hambrick in there, and as soon as he was in there was like.
This, this is There's a lot of bad things you can call football players, and I've heard all of them in meetings, But the worst thing you can call player,
I think is a progress stopper. And I hope, I hope that gentleman that they brought back is not a progress stopper for potentially for Rico Dawdle maybe getting a getting that opportunity, you know, because but then also they could look at this though and also say, hey, none of these guys are gonna work and we're gonna have a wide receiver situation like in Week four and we got to make a trade. Yeah, we get a trade.
My thing is, I think Dalvin Cook is a is a really good insurance policy. I think if I with the Cowboys, and if I were making decisions, I would go into the season and say, I'm going to give Rico Dowdell the full load. I'm gonna use Zeke in short yardist type situations, and I'm gonna sprinkle in a little Deuce, little Lipkey do some different things with them. But I'm gonna beat Donald's gonna be my primary guy.
And in the event that he gets injured, now we're gonna have to piece sing together and Dalvin Cook just give me one more guy with some experience. I could sprinkle in there as I need to do it. But I would go into the season saying, Dallas my guy.
I would I said this on the radio one day and people actually liked it, and I can't believe that was the case. I said, I would use Zeke up for three games. I'd throw Cook out there for three games. I would keep Rico Daddle as healthy as possible in the playoffs, and I would just run these guys into the ground and then when they're done, and then it's like, okay for four and three right now, Week eight, let's go.
I mean, you got some tough games coming up. Actually, let those old dudes take all those hits.
That's not a bad thuugh, all right, we're gonna take our final break. We'll come back and we might even get to one other position that we'll come back. Kalas Cowboys Chat.
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Welcome back be read. It is the final segment of The Break Live from the SWBC Mortgange Studios at the Star, presented by LG. LG is the world's number one O led TV brand for eleven. Isn't counting Cey at LG dot com Forward slash, O lead TV. I'm sorry, O lead EVO. Yeah, welcome back, final segment.
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Here's what we're gonna do. We've got this game going better, worse, same. I don't know.
I guess.
Yeah, we went around for running back. Now we're at wide receiver.
Now you can't.
We've only done we've only done three, only in two. All right, so wide receiver really lost Michael Gallop. That was the only real loss.
I guess.
On the plus side, Jalen Tolbert Jalen Brooks likely will have increased roles this year. Are they better saying or worse?
I think better. I think when you factor in Jalen Tolbert taking this extra level of approach going into year three, the connection that he's been able to have with Dak Prescott over the course of the offseason. You factor that in Jalen Brooks looking really strong and shorthanded at camp, and Cavante Turpin very sneakily had one of the best
training camps of any player on the team. So I think if they can find ways to get him more involved, I think it's going to be a much improved unit, and we'll see what kind of opportunities Ryan Flinoy gets the rookie I think he's gonna be one of the inactives at least early in the season. But if he does get his opportunities, I'd love to see what that looks like too. But you look at what you lost in Michael Gallup and loved what he put forth in
that final game against Cream Bay. You know, he definitely had a going out party. But I think when you factor that in with what is coming up as far as what is improving with Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, come Turpin, I like this unit a lot better.
Flinoyd take Brooks's spot.
As in he's wide receiver five and Brooks is six. I don't believe so, I Flinoy, there's still been too much inconsistency.
Big body blocking that big body playing.
I think Brooks could do that too, though.
Big body playing on special teams, I think Brooks could do that too.
Body with toughness, I think Brooks could do that one too. Yeah.
No, I'm not you're paying attention to screw by the way.
I'm just.
I've senior level of commitment to the bit.
Rico Dowdell think is gonna be all year there we go, oh yeah, no doubt every we're gonna have the Rico Dowdell train, Like what's happening with.
Yeah, every week adding all the jar the yards and calculating everything.
Maybe Monday morning it'll be like so seventeen yards, two carries.
They got better with Tolburt. And this is no disrespect to Gallup, but they Tolbert the work that they got, and you mentioned all those young receivers and stuff to work. I think Tolbert, I think, says me on Twitter the other day, Breakout Player. I said, Tolbert, I think Tolbert's
going to show people a lot of things. I think he's I think this These last couple of years have been tough on him, but I feel like they watching him practice every single day, it didn't look too big for him and he and it could have been one of him when Brooks battling every day, I just thought Tolbert was a better player. When you watch practice every
single day. It started off very equal, and then by the end I was clearly in the camp of Tolbert being better than Brooks, but Brooks got better as well, just not to the point where he could beat out Tolbert.
Right now, yeah, I think they're way better. And Michael Gollip, I don't think you ever recovered from the injury. Is just it just never really.
Happened until it got hurt too.
Yeah, which is tough to do. It's tough. I mean I've never been through that, but I can only imagine. But I think that all these receivers right now, they have such a good chemistry with Dak. I think everyone just looks very confident and and very explosive fast, and just like they just they know what they're doing and the placement. They just seem like they have the experience. And again it's now what year three for Tobert, right, so.
It's still busy, right, this is the time.
Yeah, this is like this. It's like you still in your mind, you're like, oh, well he's still young, but no, like this is already you need to do it now.
But he looks Yeah.
And Brooks he's one of those guys. I mean you see him walking around, you don't think much of it, and then you see him on the veil and he's just like he has such a a vibe, like such a good positive charist. So I just I just love when things do translate on the field and you just root for them even more. He's just he's a great guy, and I love the way he plays and runs.
Yeah, me too.
All right, let's real quick before we in the show. We'll get one more. Let's talk about the tight end position. They lost Peyton Hindershot. They get Stevens back from injury, which I think most of us going into last year before he got hurt, thought he might be a new asset for this team. And then obviously the development of of Luke's schooon makable factor into this. Are they better, worse or the same?
I asked Jake Ferguson a question in the locker room yesterday. I asked him if they're better or worse? I asked, the confidence that you're able to bring from the year that you had last year, does that make you a more confident player going into this season than you were going into last season? Knowing already that he is a confident player, and he said, without a doubt. And I think looking at that, looking at the connection answer, well, I mean you could say, like, no, my confidence has
always been the same. It's always been, you know, you know, along the same line. And honestly, I kind of expected that kind of answer, like I approach the same every day, the same, I'm gonna be confident regardless. But he was like, no, without a doubt, I am more confident going into this year. So I think I think with that, I think understanding his connection with with Dak and understanding as well, getting John Stevens back from injury, getting Luke scoon Maker back
from a couple of injuries. I think this unit is going to be better. But I believe in that because of the guy up top, Jake Ferguson. I think he's gonna have, without a doubt, Pro Bowl season. I think he's gonna knock it on the door for all Pro I think he's gonna have one of those years.
I'm gonna look right at that camera right there, that camera right there, span Ford, eyes are on you man. That was a surprise. That was a surprise edition right there on that roster.
Yeah.
And I actually he played better the last couple of weeks of training camp. Some things kind of improved for him. Again because of how big he is. I I'm just kind of thinking that this is one of those times where this cowboy tied end. Every year it seems like I get mad at one of them and then they block me on Twitter, and then they turn in two years later being like a really good player. They span
Ford's bonus and all that stuff. It's nice and all it's but there was you know, there was some protecting going on right there with that guy, because I think there was. If you sat down and we all watched tape together, we would go, oh, that wasn't very good, and you know, maybe the first couple of games, but then there was some things that kind of improved at him. But you know what for him to hold a roster spot on you bro.
Better, we're saying, not facy.
It was hilarious. I mean to me, it's about the same. I mean, everything's about the same. But no, and I think it is a solid maker.
I gotta give up on some I gotta I gotta go somewhere in the big ten to yell at somebody here. I can't yell at Scoon Maker anymore.
I think it is a solid group. And we know that that's one position that Dak tends to rely a lot on and it's like his comfort spot, comfort zone right there. But look scoon Maker. He's a guy that I got to give him credit and shout outs to him because he has been put it in the work. Sometimes he has something new pop up as an injury,
and then he's dealing with that. That's a problem. But to me it is impressive because sometimes I see him how he walks and all that, and he looks so stiff, and in my mind, I'm like, but then he plays and he will make those athletic plays. And I think he has a very good size. His height I think does help him in some scenarios and situations. But I do see him improving. I think he's going better, and
that's because he's been working. But again, the injuries have kind of stopped him from certain things.
Real quick question the room, real quick power. Rank your tight ends in.
Order, Ferguson, Stevens, Schoonmaker, span Ford exactly same.
Steven Stevens clearly my number two, Steven number two, That's what I'm saying.
And the big thing about it was I was and maybe that's.
Why they might be better because Steven's improving over what you've seen from the last year.
And I think the big thing was him improving as a as a blocker, Like that's because you thought we knew he could catch the ball, we could get out and get opens. Yeah, he's gotten better as a blocker, and I think that's what made him for me make that jump into that number two.
Such an upgrade over hender shot. It's such an upgrade. Yeah, such an upgrade.
All right, that's a wrap for us. We were back to daily shows, so we'll be back tomorrow eleven o'clock. We're gonna start getting into the matchup Cowboys versus Browns. O'Brian will have the Browns offense versus Cowboys defense tomorrow. We'll do the flip on Thursday, and then on Friday we'll get you ready with our picks for the game. Till then for Nick Harris, Brian brought us Amber Garcia.
I'm Derek.
This has been the Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Comrey you.
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