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It's time for The Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com with Ambar Garcia, Brian brought us, Patrick Walker, and Derek Eagleton.
It is Wednesday, March sixth, twenty twenty four, Season nineteen, episode number one fifteen. Welcome to the latest edition of The Break. We are a lot from the s WBC Morgan Studios.
At the start.
We got our crew back together, Brian and Patrick and Amber. And today we're talking free agency. We are a week from the opening of free agency. Actually next Monday, is it? I think it is. The tamping tampering period begins and and by Thursday we will be full fledged into free agency and there will be players signing. We'll see what
this all means for the Dallas Cowboys. But like I said, I've said this since the beginning of the off season, I will believe that they're going to be aggressive there. When I see it, well, we'll see, we will see how it's going to play out and it will start up next week. Before we get to our talk on free agency, though, there were a couple of other housekeeping notes that I wanted to go over with you guys,
the first being Tyron Smith. There are reports out there that it doesn't look like he would come back to the Dallas Cowboys, And of course all of that's kind of conjecture, because you don't really know if you're not in there in the negotiations exactly what's going to happen. And certainly a lot of this has to do with is what are other teams thinking with regards to Tyron
Smith once he hits the free agent market. But I want to start the conversation by asking you guys, what factors do you think could make it less likely that he returns to Dallas.
Money. I think that's the prevailing issue right now.
I think Tyrron Smith wants to retire a cowboy, and obviously the Cowboys want to retain Tyron Smith for twenty twenty four. But it just goes to what the market might bear out for him when you talk about potential suitors like the Chiefs, and I've read reports that the Patriots are trying to reach out to them effective next week, when legal time perence starts versus what the Cowboys would
be willing to pay. Now, this isn't to say that the Cowboys are low balling him, but I don't know that they would you bid against what the Chiefs might offer. Just hypothetically speaking, this is Tyren's last chance to get what he might view as a big contract before he ultimately cause it quits in the NFL. But I think that that's really just the crux of where they're apart
right now. I think that as time goes on, and what you said earlier, as far as I'll believe it when I see it, this is a similar situation for me, because we've all been in this game long enough to know that when it comes to negotiations, they can get ugly before they get pretty right. So his agent and himself they feel a particular way, they have a particular onet. The Cowboys they feel a particular way, they have a particular want in The hope is that they can land
in the middle. So is it likely that he returns, Maybe not, Is it still possible. Absolutely, So He's going to see what you know, the market bears for him and go from there.
Picked a bad time to be a free agent. When you look at offensive tackles in the draft, there's nine of them in the first two rounds, in the first two rounds. And what's gonna happen is team's gonna look at this and they're gonna think, Okay, Yeah, Tyron Smith has played at a very very high level. Tyron Smith has also had seasons where he's played two games, four games, three games. You know, he has not played a complete season, I believe in since twenty fifteen. So you kind of
look at that as a possibility going forward. Yeah, are you willing to also have a player that now is figured out by not practicing he could play better. Are you going to be willing to do that? You know some coaches aren't. Guys I talked to, I ask him like, listen, you know you love Tyron Smith, right?
Yeah? Do you bother you? Does it bother you that he doesn't practice? Yeah?
It bothers me. He doesn't practice. That's coaching mentality right there. So he's going to have to go to a unique situation. If he's chasing money, Dallas can't help him, right, If he's chasing a ring, we'll see Dallas the last thirty years has not chased a ring, you know, or been able to get to a point where they can get in position to.
Grab a ring.
So those are the things that are probably working against you there. But if like I say, there's some teams that are looking at this, we just got done with a combine nine to ten college players tackles, quality, plug and play guys. Kind of a bad time to be a free agent in this market.
Yeah, I think it doesn't matter how great you are if you're not available, and that, like you mentioned Brian, that has been a problem most part of his career. And I think he's obviously when you talked about what he's chasing, I think he's definitely chasing money because he is nearing the end of his career. And we saw it even last year how important for him to was. I don't know how much of a public knowledge this is, but we know that he would get paid if he
was even dressed up and for the uniform. So there was a game where he didn't get to play and he was in uniform, and that was important to him because it means money. We all want money, we all need money, and that's just part of it. So I think for him, I do see it very very hard for him to go into this with the mentality of let let me be a team friendly, let me be you know, money friendly for the team, and do it for the team because I feel like we can get
to where the end goal is. I don't think that's and I'm not trying to speak for himself, but if I was him, that would not be my mentality. I would look in I would be looking at who can pay me most right now?
Yeah, Tarren Smith, he signed a long term contract. You know he was making. He was making well below the market value for a long time. He also missed forty five games for you exactly.
You know.
So the thing that you think about it if you're the cowboys, like well, you know he's looking at, well, you need to pay me. Well, we paid you when you missed over forty games. You know we were paying you then too, And so it really was it was a two way street here. He played at a very high level, played thirteen games very high level last year.
So now see if he could take the opportunity. But you know what Dallas is, they're in a situation right now where they have to kind of give it some priority to direction they're going to go, and they do have options at twenty four, and I think that they're clearly looking at those.
One of the things that's interesting to me is, I think you look at last season you say, Okay, maybe the Cowboys figured out the magic way to keep him active, which keep him healthy, which is not practicing during the weeks. Here's my question, though, when you look at the at other teams, he would be going into a situation where it's a new scheme, he's got new offensive lineman, and we hear from coaches all the time offensive line continuity matters.
How much can you really expect that a new system, with new offensive lineman, he's going to be able to miss that much practice time and the offensive line still be able to be as effective and him still be able to be as effective.
Yeah, that's that's the question that I pose to a couple of the head coaches that I know around the league that I asked, I, go, does does that make it like, Yeah, we want all our guys to practice, you know, it's important, and especially with that position. Stephen Jones has come on one O five three the fan. I've asked him about continuity. They always want continuity. They always want the same guys.
We're living in an era now where we don't play with the same five guys every week.
It seems like on any team.
It's on any team.
So yeah, you know him going in and out of the lineup.
Uh, yeah, I don't think it's he He is a unique player. You're willing to bend over backwards to get him on the field. So some teams are going to have to pay him and then they're going to have to I'm gonna use the word baby him to get him to the games each week. Some teams could do that, others probably won't.
Amber you mentioned the fact that his contract was very incentive lateen last year based upon his playing time or games that he was active. If you were the one making the decision, would you guys be willing to say, Okay, I will give you a an exchange forre you giving me a short term deal. I will guarantee that one year deal, knowing that you know it doesn't matter how many games you play, I'm going to guarantee this amount.
Or do you would you stick with Hey, I gotta have some I gotta have some leverage in this, which means that when it comes down to how you get paid, it has to be based on the amount of games that you play.
When it comes to Tyron Smith, and I can't stress enough how much I love Tyron Smith for what he's done for this team and what he can still do for this team if he is actually going to resign eventually, but if you look at his lack of availability over the past several years, I'm not fully guaranteeing like you have to be able to do for one year, not
even for one year. I need, I need your money tied to the incentives, especially because it goes to what Ambro was saying, which is funny that you mentioned that, because yesterday Nicki, Mian and I we were having a conversation about this and this is something and I brought up, which was the Arizona game, as one example of the organization being able to look at Tyron and saying.
Hey, we gave you.
That was a million dollar check that we cut you, and you were on the sidelines with your pads on, so we got it. There's got to be some give and take here and that to that point, that would be a situation where it's like, listen, I understand the fully guarantee for the one year deal. It seems like splitting the difference. But I would be wildly uncomfortable fully guaranteed a full year knowing I'm not going to get a full year from you.
So I'm out on that one.
Why would Dallas do anything different? It worked fast? Actually well it worked.
The reason I bring it up is because if that is a sticking point, which I don't know, I mean, got the sticking port for Tyrant where he's like, I'll go out somewhere else and they're willing to give me more of a guarantee of my money. You're not willing to negotiate.
Out Hello, Hello, I mean I actually found a way for him to play thirteen games.
I figured it out. You throw the carrot out in front of him about the incentives and you.
Don't practice it. That's I figured it out. I unlocked Tyron Smith, is what I've done. Why would I want to change that?
Nah?
Good Luck's been a great player for us for a long.
Time, and you'll be in the Ring of Honor in the Hall of Fame. I think he's question that level of player.
No question.
You know, and you know you have the options. Do they want to move Tyler Smith, We'll see. Do they want to drive somebody. We'll see. Do they have somebody currently on the team, an awesome Richards or somebody like that that they really like. We'll see they have options.
This is not.
Something that's going to uh, I don't think it it. You know, they've got that didn't run the ball worth a damn last year with him in the lineup, you got to figure something out with that first.
By the way, Yeah, and also if you're because again, let me put it two ways.
One, I'm a player advocate.
I want players to get as much money as they can go get you back one hundred percent. But the question that you're posing is, let's put on the GM and the owner head. If I'm the GM and the owner. Number one, I'm out on fully guarantee and someone who can't who hasn't played a full season in over you know, half a decade. Number Two, I don't want to set the president. I don't want to set the president because
that's going to come back sooner or later. Guess what, It's almost time to talk to Zech again, right, and and it goes so forth and so on. So between those two things, No, sir, no way.
I agree. I'm I'm not guaranteeing it.
Actually already held out every one time.
But I'm not guaranteeing anything when it comes to contract them with him because he's not guaranteeing me his availability. He cannot do that. So if you can't meet that expectation for a fact, and again, nothing is you know, an anything can happen. But given his history with the Cowboys and his career and everything, and I I love that they were able to figure out the whole, Hey rest him. But what do we talk about so often when it comes to the old line consistency the reps,
the reps out there matters. Even if he is who he is and he does not need the reps, you still need it as a team altogether.
You need that.
I think that is very important. It did work last year towards the last month of the year, and we saw that how effective he was. But I just I'm tired of the and I've been saying this, I've I've been wanting to retire Tyring since I got.
Here, and not because and I love him.
I love what he brings to the table and everything, but one it sucks to see somebody not fully healthy, you know, him walking around with those braces, knee braces and all that. You want what's best for him, and I'm sure he knows what's best for himself too. But at the same time, I hate the unknown.
I hate not.
Being sure are you gonna be there for me? Are you gonna be there available, available for us? So that's the part that I That's why I've been in so many years, even though he's as great as he is, I just hate not knowing whether he's gonna be.
Wa you should really hate is the fact that somebody practiced for him all those weeks and didn't get better.
That's what you should hate. That somebody didn't step up, that they went out there with a doga and and all of a sudden we're watching games and go, okay, this looks a little.
Iffy, a little shaky out there. Nobody got better as this thing went on when he wasn't practicing. You know, that's that's the work you were getting development. Where are we on that? Where are we on the evaluation of our players? Maybe they they've got to figure that out.
Maybe what they realize is that they don't have anybody that's necessarily there. And as you talked about, that option will be on draft day kick it, kick it or drafted and guy that you can immediately throw in and and get going.
They can get draft plug and play guys their offensive line.
They figured out how to take offensive lineman and plug and play those.
Yes, And the thing was, and I know that this is the boat that I was on and I'm still on, is you re signed Tyrant, but you don't allow that to preclude you from taking potentially taking his replacement in the first round.
So that would you kill me? That would kill me.
And you sat there and didn't play Mozzie Smith the whole year to think about that, think about taking another guy, especially the first round.
This guy, this guy's going I think we talked about this. This guy's going to play because Tyron's isn't going to play the entirety of the year.
I get it. But if I got a guy in the first round, I want him out there.
Give me a damn center.
That's the other conversation.
But that's also why you want to try to get Tyrone back, because if you lose Tyron, and let's say you part ways with Baddish, now you have two yeah, you're you're in trouble. You're in trouble because you can you you kind of address them in the draft, but you can only dress one in the first round unless you, you know, trade back.
Don't tell you brock hawfla. Oh yeah, they will tell you brock Hoffman can play. They think brock Hopp, Now, well, we might.
Not know that.
I know what we saw a guard gives me hope. Like, I think what we saw he didn't make me think he can't play.
Yeah.
See, to me, the best I think the best thing for them to do, and I don't think they'll do it is kick Smith to tackle, put basket guard and draft. I think that would be the best way. But they'll tell you listen to hey, don't sleep on brock Hoffman here. And I'm like, okay, I trust you guys.
Yeah, you know you guys are in the chair. I'm just doing radio.
All right, let's take our first break. When we come back, we're gonna jump into free agency. We're gonna talk about some of the positions that are of most need for the Cowboys when they as a inner free agency, and then get into some names with some guys that may be available or that will be available that maybe the Cowboys should be looking at well when we come back Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio.
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We are in the second segment of the Break Life in SWBC Mortgage Studios at the start. The segment brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, here's what we're gonna do. U's talk about free agency. Well, what I want to start with is I'm gonna have a couple ofsition. A few positions here on the defensive side of the ball, and I want you guys to rank them for me. I want you to rank them. I want you to rank them in order. I want you to rank them in order areas where they need the
most upgrades slash reinforcements. Linebacker, defensive tackle, defensive end, and cornerback.
Linebacker first, linebacker first, and defensive tackle. Then I would look at the other positions that you talked to.
Defensive end, cornerback.
Yeah, n in cornerback yeah, yeah, that's what I would.
Go ranked them in so most needed at least linebacker DT. I'm torn between edge and corner. I'm gonna go corner and then edge because I think you got some depth in edge, but you don't know what's going on with Gilmore possibly returning or not returning just yet.
Yeah, that's exactly what I was kind of saying.
I'm like, no, it's exactly because it makes a huge difference whether or not you're telling me if we have Gilmore back or if we don't.
Well, here's the deal. The way you have to assume this is free agents are not on your roster because as of next week, they will not be on your means, so you're gonna have to make a move either to get them or to get someone else.
So no Durrance and no Duante.
Yeah, so all those guys are gone.
Yeah, it's it's in corner for me.
It's what it is, because again you got to remember, you still have Trevon coming back from that injury. You expect him to be fully recovered, but it's an unknown. We don't know how he's actually and we've seen it with other guys and I'm sure we'll talk about Michael Gallup at some point, but players like that that come back from an injury, we don't know how long it actually takes them to go back to their norm right.
And also if free agents aren't on, then that means Jordan Lewis is not on right. Yeah, so no Gilmore, no Lewis Diggs coming back off of an injury. The only definitive from day one, from September ninth, eleven, whatever the weekend is, is Deron Bland. And then now you're looking at is real, looking at Na Sean, You're looking at Eric Scott in the second year.
Who couldn't you know?
See, that's exactly why I'm kind of shocked that so many of y'all had cornerback last Now it's because you basically got one thing you can rely.
On, corner above d for me, like, that's what I'm saying, edge, they have some depth even if you lose Durrance, which is a bit you would even.
Put corner under defensive tackle.
I think we're having the conversation because Jonathan Jonathan Hankins is a free agent, right, so that means he wouldn't be on the roster. So Nevill Gallimore, Michael Gallamore is not on the roster So that means what you have is definitively you have osa Okay, massive question marks around Mazi, so you can't even depend on that right now. Is trending upward, but that's not a that's not an impact guy.
There.
Yeah, no matter how you say, it's DT above corner because and that's also when you talk about the value of the position as far as impacting games trenches, you.
Say defensive tackle is is more important than corner.
If you get the pressure up the middle from your defensive tackles and you can stop the run up the middle, then it makes it easier on your cornerbacks. But if you can't, then it makes it harder on your cornerbacks. A great defensive front, especially defensive interior, can make average cornerbacks better and good cornerbacks great, but it doesn't always work in the opposite direction.
Yeah, but if you don't have good cornerbacks every play, you're susceptible to a fifty yards.
That's fair. But this is the NFL. You're supposed to have any cornerbacks, period.
But right now, but right now, we know we got one good cornerback. We know the Cowboys have one cornerback that's a good cornerback. But coming back from injury and everything else is unknown.
Yeah, I agree with you're saying.
Okay, if the question is would I rather be weaker at corner or defensive tackle? And of course you never want to be weak anywhere, but if I had to be weaker at one point than the other, I'd rather be a little softer on corner. If I can be hell raiser on at that defensive tackle position, If I can raise hell on that defensive front, my corners are gonna be all right because the windows and make you know, good passes from the pocket, they're going to be dwindling if they existing, and.
That's the idea that they try to sell you in this I remember I can't remember.
What drafted was but who they drafted, but I remember Steven and Jerry kind of talking about it in the draft conference and just saying, well, you know, when you stack up the front, which makes sense because that's where the play starts. You stack up the front. You got talent there that by essence should help everybody else behind them, which is a great idea, but I've seen but I've seen talent up front and then the secondary struggle in
the back. So I think right now the only reason I put cornerback third in the list would be because part of me I feel like, oh, Travlon's gonna be fine. We got their own plan, and I feel like even they could get Jordan or even gel More back.
Do you know how the Chiefs defense helped them?
When Super Bowl Chris Jones in that interior that their cornerbacks are doing Yes.
No, no, I was gonna say the corner franchise the cornerbacks.
Are doing some workout also argue that Steed, as great as he is, he is a penalty guy, hands the all of that. So they say he was handing his business on some of the islands that he was put on. So not to take away from the cornerbacks, but what I'm saying is more often than not they were wreaking the game up front, and that's what made it easier on the back end. So even and I get what you're saying, the front office will sell what they sell, but at the same time, they haven't always committed to
what they've been selling. So that's why that's when you saw things like don Terry Poe and that didn't work out. You're getting these value guy, you know, the bargain bind
guys who really don't fit the bill. But in my mind, essentially speaking, I am always going to build my defense from the front to the back, not from the back to the front, because I feel like if I can impact your quarterback, if I can make them panic, get in their personal space, getting their comfort zone, I can make them make mistakes, and when they start making mistakes and start hurrying, then I'm going to task my cornerbacks
with making those plays, getting those takeaways, getting those pass breakups. But it gets much harder if you say, well, I'm just gonna throw some average defensive tackles in there, some average edge rushers in there, and I'm going to get
this all pro lineup of cornerbacks. That's great, you're gonna get plays being made on the back end, But more often than not, how much time is this quarterback having to throw Those guys are going to You can't cover NFL receivers for but X amount of time after that they're open. Right, So that's that's my thought process. I always build front to back, never back to front.
They gave a premium draft pick to get Eric Scott, they did last year of this draft.
They did.
Need to figure that out, need to figure out what's Shaun Wright still.
Contract here as well? Contract year.
It's good year for corners in the straft.
By the way, too, I think you could find you another Deron Bland that's right late that well.
Through this draft.
Yeah, I think there's there's some quality, quality guys here. But yeah, they they've they've they've thrown some they've thrown some picks out there to try and handle this. You know, we boss man fat second round pick right didn't work out. You know, they've tried, so maybe that's something we need to look at. Are they misevaluating some of these corners. Obviously, they hit on Bland, they got the draft guts smiled on him. On Diggs, you know, Jordan lewis a fine player.
So yeah, they I think that they've got to kind of figure these things out. But Eric Scott, you know who was in active every single game last year, didn't we get on to play special teams or anything. You know, need to figure that one out. If not, you're gonna have to. You're gonna have to draft some of these guys. You're gonna have to. You're gonna probably have to use another premium pick to to shore up this thing, especially if you move on from Gilmore real quick.
You mentioned the Chiefs, I knew that it wasn't just need. On the opposite side, they got McDuffie McDuffie, they got two of the best quarterbacks.
In the league.
They got an but.
I'm not saying the corner's average.
But you got but but you can understand what I'm saying is one hand washes the other. One thing that helps those two corners be great is the fact that is the fact that they can from and.
Those cornerbacks I think were in my opinion that was a lot of what their defense was able to do. And I know your linebacker that you love over there, Bolton, Yeah, they got some players can play, but but the cornerbacks. The whole point I'm making is I think it's yeah, I think you can. You can make that argument that upfront that's where it all starts, and I.
Can get that.
That was because I was like, I know there's another quarterback, there's another corner but defensive tackle. But defensive tackle, when you can get pressure up the middle, that certainly can affect the other team. But but my I am still a big believer in the fact that because last year, I think Jonathan Hankins is a good tackle. I don't think this defense can can do what they did last year, which they weren't great, but they were good. They're pretty good.
They don't do that without the corners at the head specific So I just look at it and I'm like, I hear what you're saying, But you got to have an exceptional Chris Jones, an exceptional defensive tackle. I don't think there are a lot of those that are going to be coming in here. And then you say, okay, we got we got a cornerback and we're fine.
Well, you're kind of and granted, the Chris Joneses of the world, those talents aren't growing on.
Trees, see special.
So let me qualify my statement with you know, with that that being said, as a scouting department, it is your job to find the next Chris Jones, right, it is your job. So then it's just going to the archetype of how you want to build your defense. Either you want to build it back to front or you
want to build it front to back. I just prefer to build it front to back because I feel like, let's say you have you know McDuffie and you have Sneed and you have those guys on that end, or you have Digs and you have Bland and you have these all pro guys.
That is magnificent. That means you're doing your job scouting wise.
But that doesn't mean because you have those guys that are dominant in the backfield, that you can look at the front field and say, and we'll tone it down a little bit because those guys they got.
It by the way they got it. That's true, but that's also the reverse is also true. You can't say just because I got this guy up front. Just because I got Chris Jones, I could just throw whoever out there.
Yeah, you're not wrong.
That's why I keep saying for me, like my way of building the defense will be front to back.
But there are others that Bill.
Becks Blimmer one.
Zimmer wants front to back.
He's a defensive front seven guy, like I mean, he's a former defensive backs coach, so he'll help coach those guys up in the secondary. But he he features linebackers, and he features a lot of a lot of big boys on that defensive tackle position. So yeah, he wants the defensive front seven to be pretty nasty.
I think the linebackers area where you see a lot of what he does on defense, it is really predicated on those those linebackers being extremely athletic and being able to go forward and back. I got to be able to do both. And that's where I'm wondering, Like what the cow was all of us had linebackers number one. That's a big area of concern for them this offseason.
Of how watching safeties play lineback exactly, that's what that's what made you think.
By the way he played. Okay, yeah, it was just something.
It's it's tough. It's tough for those kids to have to play like that. Yeah, really is all right.
We're going to take our final break. We'll come back, We'll flip to the offensive side of the ball. We're going to see how these guys ranked that, and then we'll throw a few names, see if these guys have some interest in a couple of free agents that will be out there come next week. We'll be back Dallascowboys dot com Radio.
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Welcome back.
We are in the final segment of the break Lafe in the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. We'll talk a free agency and it's gonna be a uh, it's gonna be an interesting thing. There are a lot of good players out there. There are a lot of good players that are gonna be available every year there are and uh, and the funny thing is that, I don't know how funny it is for for the Cowboys. There are a lot of teams out there that are gonna have a lot of money to spend because the salary
cap went up a significant amount. I think it was like thirty million more per team. So so teams that have already had money now have even more money. So you say, yeah, the Cowboys got that thirty million million, but there's other teams that have even more than that.
So free agency is gonna be wild. You're gonna be You're gonna I think you're gonna be seeing some guys out there that are really mid level, solid type guys are going to be getting big contracts because teams have money to spend, and so it's gonna drive the number up.
And by the way, that's the whole point of revenue sharings, that's the whole point of how they have the economic model set up, is that the players get paid based upon how much the league makes and if the league's making more money, players should make more money, and so good for the players.
And end or free agency.
Who you talking about WII we we.
When you talk about WI.
Contracts, show up, some most forty nine ers need to show up.
You can say.
Of the building, I've learned one thing you could get You get ownerships. You can get ownership's attention if somebody else really really wants you.
No doubt I've learned that. And by the way, moving around from team to team, ownership has approved that. So yeah, if they'll know if somebody wants you. Yeah, all right, let's let's talk about the offensive side of the ball. We're gonna do the same thing we just did on defensive side of the ball. Wants you to rank these three positions as far as most needed from a standpoint of upgrades and reinforcements. Start offensive tackle, center, and running back.
Town's not here, not here, Center, tackle, running back.
Yeah, Center, tackle, running back.
Yeah, yeah, I agree with that. Well, what's interesting?
These are all connected like this, they all affect each other.
Yeah, but I'm interested to know why running back is last for everyone whing right now? Literally the top two running backs you had on your roster last year are not here.
Yeah, but you agree most of the I feel like.
Reasons yeah, okay, go one.
My understanding and my learning from all these years of experience. No, Typically running back it's an easier quote unquote easier position to replace when you bring someone younger. It is key, however, to have a good online those guys that can open up those holes for you. Last year, in my opinion, running back, the running back position, the running backs themselves,
I don't think we're fully the issue. Yeah, we saw Tony Polers struggle, but at the same time, if we go down the list of those guys that were our running back we could all agree. I think that they were talented players that we've seen them shine at moments and sparks. So my belief right now is that if you solidified the O line, the offensive line, and get a good, solid group there, that will affect one hundred
percent what your running backs are doing. And to me right now, how I see it, you can still bring in whatever other running back that it's valuable and still be effective on the field, but.
You still need to get one because the question is, yeah, but what's in most need of reinforcements and upgrades.
Free agency, you can go get your running back.
This one of the best free agent classes, but you got to go do it though, right I gotta go do it. And you could also draft too. That's another thing. It's not the draft class that was last year at running back Brooks from Texas, Benson from Florida State, Brohal They've got guys Ray Davis from UH from Kentucky, that Blake Corp. They've got guys that you can go get, tough, physical downhill runners, Guys that got elusiveness, guys that can catch,
Guys that could pass block. This running back class, though, in free agency, is super super deep, and the one thing about people not caring about running backs is they've allowed running backs to get to the market. And I feel like though that you know, there's going to be the game of musical chairs and somebody's not going to have a chair, and that's where you have to be ready. You have to be ready, and people are going to take deals because they don't want to be left without
a chair. You've got to be willing, though, to jump in there and play in the game. That's the problem. If you've got a budget, you say I need a three, what they'll probably do, my guess, familiarity, coaches, all those things.
They're going to get.
Pollered back and they're going to draft a running back. That's what I think they're gonna do. I think that's how they're going to go back. Sufficient for you, it's sufficient for me. That's fine because I do like these college running backs. You give me a shot at I know Brooks from Tech is coming off.
A knee injury. He should be okay, catches the.
Ball well, runs well again coming off an injury. Let's carry Yeah, Benson from Florida State, powerful guy, you know downhill runners, I talk tough, so yeah, pair him with Now. I don't know what you're gonna do with douce Fan. I'm sorry, I don't know. He's a shorter guy.
I don't know.
I don't know how I'm gonna play that one with him. I think there's a limited amount of things that you can do with him. But I think I'm gonna have to look at my first two backs. I've learned that I need to have a complimentary back with Pollard correct, so I'm gonna try and do that. I'm gonna fix this offensive line. If I have to fix the offensive line with a tackle and a center or a center and a tackle in rounds one and three, I'm gonna
do that. You know, I'm gonna I'm gonna try my best to fix this offensive line and if I could, if I could put that second round back in there somewhere, I'm sure looking at that possibility as well.
I don't know who's snapping the football to my quarterback, and that's terrifying. That is absolutely terrify. I also don't know who's Rock Coffin.
They'll tell you many Rock Coffin.
I don't know who's snapping the ball to my quarterback. That's terrifying. I don't know who's who's protecting the blind side of my quarterback as we have this coming.
But guess what you got, in my opinion, a top ten at least top ten sitting on your roster. But until that's why I understand that. But I'm saying, that's why I look at this, and I'm like.
You would, you would. They might, they may not.
And they may not. But all I'm saying is if I'm looking at this, and I'm saying, if push came to Sholf and I had to do something the center, I gotta do because I don't feel like I got enough protection there tackle. I feel like I could say I shouldn't.
Make this work.
I like what I saw from Bass last year.
Sure, I like what I saw.
From from from from Tyler when he played tackle. So I don't think those I understand that. What I'm saying is all I'm saying is when you start thinking about what is needed, I think tackle of these three is needed the least because if if it was absolutely necessary they out of tackle, that will be a top ten at least a top ten tack. I think they one disagree with you that that he would be a top ten tackle.
No, that they need a tackle. I mean no, no, no, I mean I mean they're they're there.
I mean you're thinking that you just slide the guy, which makes perfect sense, perfect sense. I feel like though, when you watch him play inside, you know he holding penalties are there and stuff. He's better in that little short area though. You put him on the edge, maybe you get a little bit more penalties. Maybe he's a hell of a player. He's a he's a Pro Bowl player out. Potentially he's a Pro Bowl guard too. You know you're being logical, you are. They don't see it
that way. No, I get that, and I'm sorry for saying it that way, but it seems logical to me kick the guy, put bass in there, and draft a damn.
Sinner and go to battle.
And then, by the way, you can also go out there and if you want to draft a tackle in the second, third, fourth round, whatever. If you're saying it's a deep drafting for tackles, don't get me another tackle, and then we'll see how it goes. If the guy can come in here and play immediately, great, I will kick him right back down there. To God, I'll kick Tyler right back down in the guard. But I got
an option for tackle right now. The blind side of my quarterback can be protective if I choose to do so.
You've You've chosen, I've chosen chose.
The question is we're talking about an organization that we work for that sometimes they have not.
They have told me they could choose to do it. They they could, they have not.
Several times they could have broken that glass in case of emergency last season and they and they chose not to.
So goes back to my heel.
You don't know who's who's protecting the blind side, So that's terrifying as well as far as the running back is concerned. I do believe there's a good chance Pollard remains in the building. I'm completely found that I'm on the record of saying such, but I'm not fine with him returning with the plan of him potentially being RB one. That does not work for me. I'm right there with
Brian and several others who have this take. Pollard needs the bully guy to complement what he does, so I would say, relegate back to what he was and explosive RB two. Now keep in mind snap countcler you know they vary, So this RB one versus RB two, it's not really as hard of a line drawn as it used to be. Okay, because even when it was Zeke and Tony, actually Tony started some games, so he outrapped Zeke in certain games. You played to whatever you need
to play for on a weekly week basis. But I think you go out and you get a bully guy to compliment Pollard if you're going to keep Pollard. Now, could that be in free agency? Could that be in the draft? You know, do either or for me? I want to see that attacked up front. Understand completely what
Brian is saying. There are some really, really good running backs that you will be able to get that you won't necessarily have to spend a one, you know, a first or second round pick on in this particular draft. That being said, I don't want to go into the draft worrying about that when I know I have bigger issues to you know, bigger fish to fry on the offensive line, tackle center. I want to go ahead and
get my definitive compliment for Pollard and free agency. Could that be a Derek Henry, Could that be a Sakuon Barkley. I mean, the free agency pool is just so flushed with Pro Bowl talent, all pro talent that to blow right past that because you're saying, well, I can just draft a guy, I'm not I'm not.
I'm not good on that.
Let me ask you this question, and I don't. I don't think we're gonna be able to get into all these names. I'll say that for you amb next week. You went through some of these names with them. But I will ask you this question about the running back position, because there are so many big names that are going to be free agents. Got Sakwon Barkley, you got Josh Jacobs,
got Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, Austin Eckler, DeAndre Swift. He's a really good running back, very well known and very accomplished running backs that will be a part of this free agent market. And just again for the record, we are over here pontificating. They're currently on their rosters, but they will be free agents next week. So I just want to make sure everybody's clear on that. Are there any names that, yeah, come after me? Are there any names so they're going to be free Yeah, they are
definitely going to be free agents. Are there are there any Well? I guess their teams could sign them between now and then, but anyway of any of those names, are any of those names more attractive to you than Tony Pollard? If you're going to get one in free agency, and let's say you're gonna take one in the draft, is there a name that you like better than Tony Pollard as the guy you take in free agency?
I just I cannot shake this Derrick Henry.
Nos, that's in my head just because one thing about Derrick Henry, and I will give him absolute roses for this one. He came out of Alabama, and at the time that he came out of Alabama, no Georgia bias here, but Alabama running backs to that point. For the most part hadn't done well over the course of NFL history. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule, but for the most part. So I looked at Derrick Henry and I was like, yeah, I did great at Bama, and you know,
but it's another Bama running back. Thought he was a big talking yeah, no.
Big deal, My bad, my bad he is. It is something else.
I don't want to hear anybody talking about, you know, how many reps are on his body? Or this dude is Adrian Peterson different that type of different where you can't quantify the number of reps that is on his body versus if you put those same number of reps on the Tony Pollard or someone like that. Derrick Henry, what he would instantly do to this running game we talk about the running game is twofold. Offensive line protection
and the ability of the running back. Well, hopefully you address your offensive line situation, but in the times where you have injuries on the offensive line, you have flux, you have a merry go round like you had in twenty twenty three. Derrick Henry has the talent to make it, not make it seem like it's not an issue whatsoever.
That is why for me he's the premo back. Now.
Of course Sayquanti do the same, but you availability right? Can he remain durable? Has some durability issues? Has Derek? No, He just keeps chugging along and putting guys through the planet, you know, with his bare hand. So for me, I love Tony and I would love to have Tony Beck as RB two. But it's not a conversation for me, it's it's Derrick Henry.
Give me Josh Jacobs four years younger. Yep, led the league in Russian two years ago at sixteen hundred yards. He's tough, he's physical, he's available, more expensive. I'm just telling you. You ask me what's running back? You got your two in itself taking my two minutes right here. Josh Jacobs the hell of a player. He catches the ball, he blocks, he's tough, he finishes. Last year he had to deal a little bit with a quad injury that he was His yards per carry weren't as good as
we've seen in the past. But this guy is you hand him the ball, things happen, and I do I respect Derek Henry. I just give you a little bit of a younger guy. But give me a guy that to me, that's got that ability.
To do everything. I'm not gonna take this guy off the field.
I'm gonna swing it to him. I'm gonna screen it to him. I'm gonna hand it to him. I'm gonna hand it to him on the goal line. He's gonna score. He's a physical player. Josh Shacobs is that.
Guy for me.
Uh well, with several of those names right now at the running back position in my mind to grasp does little Greener on the other side and is one of those like give him what happened last year and she was just like, all right, let's just change things up. And what I'm having a hard time imagining right now as we talk about free agency is what position are you really willing to make that big splash? What does the money When you talk about the money, what does
that look like for a running back? Like like, does you know those guys it's gonna be expensive, it's not gonna be too I honestly.
Don't know what the running markt is gonna look like from a money stand.
I don't.
I think the music I talk about the I talk about the you know, with the chairs, I don't think they're gonna be enough chairs.
I really don't.
And the running back draft the way it is, people are probably gonna look at that and go I could get cheaper help that way too.
I think I think these guys, I think these running backs, when free agency opens, they're going to jump on some quick deals because the money could dry up for them real fast.
And it might not be big deals. It might just be deals in I think maybe.
Some one year deals.
Maybe you'll see some one year deals here that the running I just think they're they're the quality of the position of now when free agent, it's the best I've ever seen it. And I feel like that these guys are like, listen, we can't wait for money. We can't. We got to take it. We've got to get out of teams because it's a it's a dying position to a lot of teams.
Just a dying They don't want to pay the guy.
And the fact of the matter is, when you think about the money, the reason why all these guys are available is because their teams didn't want to sign them to the money that they thought they were due. Right, And so I think there's at least a sizeable number of teams that are like, yeah, we're not going to necessarily pay you that amount of money, and so I
just I don't think that. I think you could probably get one of these names for a decent amount of money, certainly not the kind of money running backs used to make back in the back in the day when running backs were still considered like a premium position.
I think there's.
Always like that, There's always a team that will be willing to pay, you know, whatever it is. I'm just thinking what the Cowboys situation is heading into this free agency. They talk about being all in, but is the running back position the position where they're willing to be all in right off the back? Like you said, you have
to make those deals right away. Are the Cowboys willing to be that they haven't been, that they haven't done or acted like they're Usually they take their time, they analyze what the market is, the situational and then they start making moves. And right now, I don't know if running back sits at the top of the priority for free agency for that first couple of days.
I actually agree with you, and I actually don't expect the Cowboys to be quick players in free agency this year. I think everybody's kind of looking at that and expect you I don't expect it. I expect this year they're gonna they're gonna kind of do it like they normally.
Do it now.
And but that's also the thing. I do think some of these running backs will also be in that boat because there won't be teams just jumping out to make the big splash. Yeah, signing with the big money for running backs early on. The way you get little salary out on players is when you wait a little bit. Those ones that are gonna go immediately, those are gonna be for big money deals. I don't think running backs are necessarily gonna get those.
Big money deals.
That's my opinion.
All Right, appreciate you guys. Jones. We're back out soon. We will find out next week. By this time next week we will be in the middle of talk exactly what's happening for that. Until then for pout Walker, Brian brought at the Ambergarci. I'm Derek Eagleson. This has been the Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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