Cowboys Break: Safety Measures

Nest WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. We got about forty five minutes here to talk some Cowboys football with you, guys. Um and we've got some news and notes. We got to hit a lot of things that are happening around the team. Great news right now is that we are officially two weeks out from the beginning of the NFL season, which the Cowboys will open on Thursday Night Football against

the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hopefully, hopefully we will all be there and we'll be able to watch this game in person. What do you look like that? As though it's not hopefully like last year, you were the only one me and Dave had to stay at home. So yeah, hopefully we all I don't like here, and hopefully I'm talking like that, we're going. I know we're going. We're gonna be there. But but a lot's happening this weekends. High

school football is getting going here in Texas. I don't know about the other states, but in Texas it's getting going this weekend. Got college next weekend, and then Thursday following that the NFL. We'll kick off. Let's start first with the biggest news at the Star. Yesterday, Dak Prescott returned to practice in a meaningful way. Tell me how much did he do and what do you think of what he did yesterday? Dak Prescott said, f you're seven

on seven. I want the whole thing. Let's go. I mean that was that caught me by surprise, obviously, Like Mike McCarthy was like, yeah, Dak's gonna do seven on seven, and then he did team He's like, nah, I'm just gonna jump right. If I got a pitch, put it into this, I guess. So yeah, he's like, come on, let me get some real work. Um, and he looked pretty good in my opinion. Yeah, that's the best part is that you know how he looked. And also, I guess we don't really know this today is the most

important part of that. How you feel. How you feeling today, you gotta go back and do it and do it again. Of course, you know, football is a seven week you know, I mean seven days you know between each games most of the time, so you do have a chance to most of the time you have a chance to you know, to to you know, get back. That's why pitchers only in throw on a you know, once every four days,

the starting pitcher. So um, you know, even if he's feeling a little bit sore, I mean, that's not too alarming. I just wonder how he does feel, if there was any setback. But he looked great yesterday. He looked really good. He was I mean, he was making he was making the throws you gotta make to play football, and I mean it looked like there was good velocity on him.

You know, he wasn't throwing hail Mary balls, but how often do you really do that anyway, So he had a couple of thirty yard throws and some nice completions. I think he went eleven of twelve on the day.

Pretty impressive. Yeah, I think that what I'm looking forward to and I know it's two weeks away, but when go to Tampa, I'm looking forward and it could be a first quarter, could be second quarter, but there's gonna be that moment, that third and six, third and seven where the best play is when it opens up and he's got to go, gotta go take off and you get fourteen yards, twelve yards, whatever you slide, you die, whatever you do that you get up and you like it.

That's because that is that Dac has to That's the Dack that's gonna help his team win. It's just the threat of being able to run, because then he can throw and do all those things. He's got to do it. He's gonna have to make that first second time get up. You know, I'm still a running quarterback. I can still do that. I think once that happens, I think that

I think they can take off. And that's what That's what we were talking about last week, and Blake Jarwin was asked about that as well, because you know, the Houston game was his first preseason game and they kind of you know, he caught his first pass over the middle of his first contact since he tore his ACL and he was like, yeah, it's just it's big to take that hit and you know, go down to the ground and flip around and all that stuff and get up and you're like, oh, I still I still feel fine,

Still feel one hundred percent. I'm ready to play football. And like, I don't think Dak's rusty, but I would have liked for him to get that out of the way in the preseason. But it's it's gonna be his Days of Thunder moment. If you've ever seen that movie where he gets in a big wreck and then he he doesn't know if he's got the confidence, he comes back and races again, he's got the smoke. He's got to drive one where he thought he was on fire.

That's ricky, Bobby. Yeah, okay, he's got to drive through it. And I know you can do it through it, and yeah, yeah, it's not it's not the same. I haven't seen Days of Thunder, but I get what you're since. The same thing is rickey, Bobby. You got to get back on the horse and you're choking. You know, you gotta go back and you gotta eat again. You know, you gotta know that you will tell that story a little bit later. Because the fans shit here. But we'll get to that.

Maybe another show, good, another show, you know. Knowing Dak Prescott, I actually think that that moment for him is gonna be way more. It's gonna be way scarier for everybody watching than it will be for him. Yeah. I think for him it's just gonna be I'm playing football. I think that's one of the things he's been talking about, like he is trying to divorce himself from the whole idea of talking about it, thinking about the leg injury, and for him, it's done, it's over, I'm moving forward.

So I don't think that will be a consideration for him. Wow, you just made me realize something. This maybe this was all a genius play to get people that will stop talking about his ankle thing too. I was like, that's how you do it. You get another in the first time that this is the first time we've talked about his ankle in a month, I know. So yeah, maybe I mean it's not because there's not Somebody asked us that in the mailbag this week, is like could this

be gamesmanship on the part of the Cowboys? And I was like, game like taking your quarter back out of practice for a month is not Gamesman show that like nobody would do that. I'll help us, doesn't help you, But we're not talking about his ankle anymore. So that's nice. All right, Let's move on. Let's talk a little bit about an ir move for the Cowboys and for a lot of people. For you know, when you see this on other teams, you'd think third string running back goes die?

Are you thing? Yes, not really a big deal And I don't know that it's a big deal here, but it certainly is noteworthy because Rico Dowdo is a guy that I think has had a good camp and I think he's a pretty good player for a third running back and a special teams player. What do you guys think about him now? Going I are exactly what you just said. It sucks for him. He's he's got juice, like he just he looks good with the ball in his hands. He's got burst. Um had made the team

as an undrafted rookie, which is always impressive. Was there was no doubt he was gonna make it this year as well, and so it just sucks for him. Yeah, I doubt his role would have been huge, probably special teams and you know, maybe you don't have to, you don't have to see him play running back. Yeah, but he deserved to be on this team. He looked really good. It sucks for him, and now I just mainly wonder, like, do you even carry a third running back? Honestly, I

think that's a conversation worth having. Yeah, let's talk about that, like because you would think about it, Like, like you said, his role would not be playing running back very often unless there were an injury in game. Most times, he's just going to be a special teams guy. Do you think you could go into a season with only two running backs on the roster active roster. They've done it before.

They definitely have during the time that I've been here at least, and you can always sign and add guys as the season goes along. But like the initial fifty three, at least once has only had two running backs. I think it might have been Jason Garrett's last season. I mean the most, the two most impressive depth running backs on this team are now both on IR because Shiwo I thought had a great shot to make the team as well. You know, I think Sunday is a big

day for Jaquan Hardy and Brendan Knox. Maybe they can show you something. And I'll be honest, Nick, you if you saw something, correct me, but I was so can. I was just like, yeah, it's it's Zeke, Tony and Dabtle, like I don't really even care what else happens here or so I really I haven't been taking a close

look at these other running backs now. I mean, the third running back is like your fifth and sixth receiver, really your sixth receiver, Like, if you're going to keep him, it's because other things that you can do, so you don't just have to keep a third back. It was, but in this case, Daddle could show you know it could do some special teams plus you know, and I don't. I'm sure Tony Pollard would get the start if something would happen to Zeke for a game. But he's the

guy that most compliments what Zeke does. And so if Pollard is going to have this unique role that could still happen. It's we've seen it before where guys are the backup on the depth chart, but he might get leap frog and Dattle could be like the guy that does a lot of Zeke things and you keep Pollard in the same boat. That's why I was like, if Daddle has a place here, I don't think any other back can do that though. I don't think Knox. I don't think Jaquan Hardy. He can barely see, you know.

I mean, so we got to get him out there, and then you know, it'll be interesting. This game will be interesting too for a guy like Nick Rolston. I know, we'll talk about him later. You know, as a fullback guy, he's carried the ball, you know, he told me the other day. I've carried it in high school. I mean, I think a lot of guys carried it in high school. That doesn't necessarily mean they're ready for the NFL, but but I mean you can do a lot of different

things with it. So maybe he's got a shot to get on this fifty three as a special teams guy slash fullback slash emergency runner. Maybe I just I just think of it in terms of, like you know, people love to stress at this time of year about like, oh, we can't we can't release him, or he'll get claimed. All of those guys will, you know, Hardy knocks. I'll throw in Nick Ralston most of if not all those

guys will clear waivers. You put him on your practice squad, and if you add him as you see fit, if something happens to your other two, I wouldn't be rise it all. If they just go with two, or if they have a third, I could see it being a guy that they claim because I'm just I'm not convinced anybody left on this roster needs to be on it, at least at the start. All right, Uh, let's go on to a final topic of news and notes that we need to get toys. COVID list has grown a

bit more. Who's now on it and uh, and then we'll talk a little bit about how that might affect them. Connor Williams and um uh Demante Casey. Wow, I'm kind of blanked there for a second. Yeah, so it was up to six. But Israel Mquamu is back. He's he practiced yesterday. So that's and that's what happened to. Let me just say, let me just say we verified that this morning. It weren't wrong. You weren't wrong. No, I was wrong. I was pronouncing it incorrectly. Now, I was

pronouncing it incorrectly because that's what I was given. But I was still pronouncing incorrectly. You guys are right, it's the pronunciation. The pronunciation sheet actually had the wrong. Yeah, but it's it's it wasn't one. It was a little awkward in the middle of the show yesterday, y'all were talking about the same guy back and forth in two different names. Right, I just wish and I was I was dug in. I was not going to change the

behind the curtain job stuff here. Like, I mean, basically, four people just screaming at each other about what's written on a pronunciation guide yesterday in the office. Yeah, that's the fun of what we do. Sure, because nobody as an argument. But okay, But but if you're his family and they are right, they're probably well number one. They're probably like you guys are both pronouncing it wrong either way.

But true. But they but they're looking at like, Hey, if he wasn't a good player, they wouldn't be talking about it. You know. I think he didn't lua until he really started playing well and had a good chance to make the team. Oh kay, Daves, Like I knew how well I I it's a pet peeve of mine. I think like it learned the name. It's it's the guy's name, and you know, the least you can do is learn how to say it, so should at least try. At least was what was the kicker's name? Lirium Hira Lahu.

There you go. Yeah, and he was here for I mean, it was a quick I was. That was one where I was like, if he's gonna be here all year, man, I gotta get some work. I haven't really got to work. You didn't even try. I tried, but I was like, I'm gonna have to keep saying it over and over and over again. You know, I don't know what does that on the rundown about Zeroline? Um no, but but I mean, just real quick about that Zeroline. You know, he's just by cutting him the other kickers. Zerline will

be here. He's gonna kick in this game. And he kind of said yesterday that you know, if he can get a few reps, whether it be field goals or extra points, he certainly will take him because he just wants to get kind of ramped up everything Right now when you look at this team is kind of working

out the way they told us. Because I was really leary about all this, all the guys that were not playing at the beginning of training camp, and I just was looking at last year like I bought it last year when y'all told me that that that you know that Lyle was gonna be okay and a time was fine, Like I bought all that last year and it didn't pan out like that. So I was very leary this year.

But it seems like it's all working the way they mildly shocking how much that they have hit the benchmarks with all of these guys, like everyone that was an injury concern at the start of camp. It's gone exactly according to the plans that they said, which yeah, I mean, it feels like that never really had. Well that also tells you how much of a concern it really was. It probably wasn't much of a concern. And let's be honest, there's probably something going on right now to a player

that we don't really know much about. Good point, and it always is, by the way, at two there's always always the case there's there's something that somebody's worried about and that's probably not COVID related, just some some elbow back something here that you're like, man, we'll see that. Yeah, that works out, you know, just kind of keep patching it together and working on it. Hopefully it gets better, but it's not going to probably get better throughout the size.

I didn't like Donovan Wilson leaving with a growing injury. I mean, that's not that's not typically. Oh he's back today. I mean, but he kind of chogged off the field, didn't he. Yeah, I mean yeah, he jogged off to the field. To the point, because of all the other safeties that are in the COVID protocol, there was some thought that is that what happened here because he did kind of get off the field sort of quickly. So if it is a growing injury and he jogged off

the field, it may not be that bad. Maybe. Yeah. I look at this safety position and I'm like, that's that's a position where I think they got a little depth right now. I don't know if I can even say that a little bit right in past years, right, I mean, oh, first in general to the seasons, yeah, not at this current I'm saying, like going into the season, Yeah, I actually look at that position, I'm like, surprisingly, I

feel okay about safety. Not great because I don't think they have a great player on safety, but I think they got a lot of players at are solid, right, Yeah, and that's better than they've had in quite a while, I think. Yeah, And because of what's happening now, they should be fine for you know, for the season. What you don't want to happen is and it's going to happen. Maybe the Cowboys. Other teams happened to Denver and their quarterbacks.

I mean, well, you don't when the season starts and you're in the middle of the week and then that happens to this one position where you get wiped out. I could he could really affect everything. That's it's it's unsettling. I mean the nice thing. I mean, the team's ninety three percent vaccinated. Israel was able to come back Wednesday after being put on the list on Monday, So you know,

that's what you hope for in these situations. But like, we don't know, you know, you don't fully know the vaccination status of everybody other than the guys who have offered it up, and we don't know the results of these tests. So if you went on the list on Saturday and you're not here by Thursday, my assumption is that you've got symptoms, which is going to put you out for more than a week. Um, it's about it matter your body, right, Yeah, yeah, And I mean it's

not a big deal right now. The season is still two weeks away, but it's it's unsettling to think about it happening during the season. Do you think do you think, Okay, it's ninety three percent based off of an eighty man roster right now. I believe so. I mean, I think they're technically number is like five or six. When they cut to fifty three, do you think the number will

be higher or lower? I bet it's lower. If I had to guess, I would guess it's it's gonna be wait, the percentage, will think the percentage will go lower when they come. I think if you at this point, if you don't, if you're not vaccinated, I'm guessing you're a person that probably feels very secure in your spot on the roster. Yeah, I'm gonna say it's the way I would think about it, because if I were a bubble guy, I'd be like, tell me what you want me to do.

Anything you tell me to do, I'm gonna do it because I just want to be on a team, right Like, So, I would guess and then these are all assumptions. I would guess that it's probably guys that feel more comfortable being able to stand up and say, like you know, Saw called Beasley. He's been very outspoken. He knows that that team is not just gonna cut him, and if they do, some other team's gonna pick him up because

he's that good of a player. Right, So, I think that's what ends up happening in some of these situations. You think it's it's just kind of weird. What do you think about that he made that NFL's Top one hundred list and like no other Cowboy offensive player other than Zach Martin made it. You know what it is? I mean that that list is about first of all,

it's about last season. Yeah, so a lot of guys that may not have had great seasons here they may be better players, but you can't point to anybody on the Cowboys last year. I hope really that had a great year, like yeah, to be able to put them into a category like that, they're better players, I think, But I just think it's all based upon last year, and the Bills had a phenomenal year, especially offensively, and he was a part of that Cooper's probably got something

to say about that. Maybe that's fair, that's fair, but that's I mean, I'm not gonna stand on the table for anybody on this team after last year. But just in general, that list sucks. We don't have to get into agree. I agree. But to go back to what you said about guys that feel good about themselves, you know, probably making it. Of the two players that I've heard of that are not vaccinated, yeah they are starting and there they got a role on this team. I can

only think of two. I think there's I'm sure there's more, but I just you know, well, if you do the map, ninety three percent of eighty is like five guys or

maybe six, depending on how you rounded the decimals. So yeah, it can't be too much more than right, I would think, And you're right, it's got to be guys that I mean, I I can't imagine a guy that's just that's a bubble player like that that you know, if they are like that's just asking to get I mean, that's giving one more reason why it makes sense to just like let them go, right, you know, all right, we're gonna take our first break when we come back Finally, after

about two weeks, we're going to get around to a game of I get around, I'm going to throw out some names to these guys of players on this team that we don't talk about very much and get their opinions on where they are, how they're performing, and maybe even their likelihood of making this team. We'll talk about that when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. Before there was a draft. You get

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Welcome back to the second segment of the Break Life s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star and Uh, we're gonna talk a little bit were for those who have been listening throughout training camp. We began training camp with this segment that I called I Get Around, And the point of it is, we're going to talk about some players that we don't normally talk about on this show and just allow our two analysts here to give you

their thoughts on the player. It could be anything. It could be a great story you have about the player. It could be something you've seen as far as them playing on the field. It could be I don't know what you saw in hard knocks, who knows, but whatever it is, you guys are going to give people a little bit of insight on that player and where you think they stand currently on this team. We are going to start with the rookie guard out of Nebraska, Matt

Farniac Dave Goum. With all due respect to him, it's it's hard to imagine him making the roster just he's a rookie, he's a seventh round pick. He was the last guy they took. He's been doing a lot of back, doing a lot of work with the reserves, a little bit of center, mostly guard. That just to me again, and you know, the team's always going to try to protect its draft class, and that just seems that just screams a guy who is cut on Tuesday and put

on the practice squad on Wednesday. To me, that's he's got that written all over him. And you know he I think he's been good enough that that's fair and I hope it win or if that happens, you know, work on some center, because clearly that's a you know that's been something we've talked about throughout camp is guys that have that versatility that could be important, So keep working on that. Yeah, I mean I remember a couple

of weeks ago we were at training camp. Somebody it said to me, it's either it's going to come down to him Brandon Knight on the roster, and you know they're both versatile backups, but I could just see Night helping you more, being ready to play at guard. Also

the guy that started games at tackle. So yeah, I think he's a he's a really good practice squad scout team Farnioc is a really good scout team guy because he can't play different positions and he'll learn different positions even better when he's there, which the fun thing I love. I hope we've talked about it before. I hope all these changes they've made for COVID or permanent, like the bigger practice squad, kind of more relaxed rules about how

you can move guys around. When you think there's they have sixteen practice squad spots if you include the exemption for Isaac, and I would imagine they'll use it because it doesn't cost him anything. So when you think about it, if there's eighty guys here. You can put sixty eight or sixty nine guys on there, like they only really have to cut like ten people really after it's all that Yeah, yeah, I mean once you include practice squad,

like only ten people have to just leave goaling. Yeah, and that's good because it gives you a lot of guys you can keep around and developed. Yeah, assuming you're not going out on other people's cuts, but even even if they that'll be two or three guys. Yeah. Yeah, all right, let's move on. We'll stay the offensive line. Let's move to the tackle position. You just mentioned him. He is a guard tackle coming out of Indiana third

year player Brandon Knight. Nick Tella, which didn't know about him, Well, I think that you know, he's played tackle obviously, he started games last two years. Um, I I think he's you know, he's the bouncer of the team. I just think I just think that's his role. He's he kind of I think he's better at guard just because you know, he's not his agile, but he's but he's just a fighter.

He's a scrappy guy that can kind of you know when it's when it's in there and it's muddy and he can, he can kind of do his thing, but it's great to have a versatile backup like that. So, um, if it's me, he's on the team. I mean I I keep him before I keep both of those tackles in Sky and Steal. I make a decision there and I go with Night. Night'll help me at guard. And if it gets really bad, if it gets bad enough that both those guys have to play, it's already we've

seen it. It's it's a problem. So might as well go with Night at tackle if you have to. I really haven't been. I haven't been thinking a lot about Night. I don't. I don't think he's been fantastic, definitely not terrible. Yeah he's Indiana, but he wasn't fantastical. I think it was all big ten fantastic different or I think it was honorable mention, all big ten, but still still close. He's fan. It's the jump. It's a jump. But when you I mean, he could potentially play four positions, and

that is there's value that's helpful. There's definitely value in that. All right, let's let's actually move on to a guy that I think has been handcuffed to him because they both were thrown into duty last year at tackle. You got second year tackle out of Texas Tech Terrence Steele Dave. I was super encouraged when they started playing him on the left side about halfway through camp, like he's done

a little bit of both. He's split in time at those two positions, which to me says they're evaluating how well he could be the swing tackle. And what I just want to know, do you do you keep both of those guys or is there a chance you only keep one? When I say those guys, I mean him and Tie and Secky, and I think Steven Jones he kind of hinted at it on the radio the other day.

He brought up Tie and Secky, and just the way he was talking about it made it sound like, Yeah, he's going to be on the team, which shouldn't surprise anybody. But you know, I think people are nervous about that, and rightfully, so I just wonder is it an either or thing or do you try to keep both? Yeah? See, I do believe and based off you know what I just said is I would probably make that decision. But I feel like if it's Insecki, then Brandon Knight's probably

out because they're gonna keep Terrence Steele. They they've developed them, they've worked on him. Somebody even told me a couple of weeks ago. They said, there are people in the room that believe he'll be this. He'll be a starting tackle in two or three years for this team. He's going to be that good. And I don't know just yet, but they're good on them for They're not going to let let him go. Yeah, they're not letting Steel go. They'll let Night go and keep in Seki for right now.

But that's the thing I don't think personally. You said I wouldn't be surprised. I am kind of surprised by that, because I think tian Secki has not been good. Like you watch him during the preseason games, every preseason game that they've played so far, there have been moments where I've been like, Oh, there we go. That that was

tian Seki, that was his work. And it's just I don't I think if you're gonna have that, you might as well go with a young guy who you're still developing, who you think maybe in two or three years is going to be a starter in this league. More so than I would look at an older guy like Tian Secki, who I don't. I don't think he's better than Steel right now. No, look for a veteran and I don't know this, I don't have a name, but look for another Tie and Secki type player to be on the

waiver wire. And that's one that you could get me in. And that to me makes a lot more sense. Yeah, that makes a lot more sense to me. I don't. I just don't see why Tie and Seki would be on this team. I just I don't. I'm not. I'm not arguing for him, but I doubt I think thirty of the thirty two teams in the league hate their swing tackle situation right now. It's just that's probably true. A lot of like that that was because but I hate starting to talk as Steele say about Fleming. Didn't

we say that about cam Irving? Didn't we? Yeah? But I hate it more with I hate it less with Steel than I do with in second. That's my point is it's not so much that that I think that I think if you got to put in a third tackle, you're you're okay. I don't think that with any of them. I do think Terren Steele is a bit better, and I think he's younger, which a lot younger, which means he has more development. Let's why why can't we just have both? Poor kan Nola dos because I got other

positions where I want to go along. I don't know if I want to keep two tackles, because it all works itself out with the line, you have to kind of figure out. Well. Let's also remember this if if your tackle, if one of your tackles goes down, I'm not talking about end game. I'm talking about for an extended period of time. I still I am a believer that my guard, my right guard's about to come become my tackle. Um so for me, he's really my swing tackles.

I didn't need that one guy important, right, I can play a guy that can jump in in games if I if I lose a tackle, not necessarily if I lose a tackle for a long period. Let's do some quick maths. So I mean you have five starters, Tie Insecky, Terrence Steele, Brandon Knight, and Connor McGovern. Okay, and I'm forgetting somebody that I shouldn't. That's so that's only nine. That's not heavy that's not heavy. Let's go to the Tampa.

Let's go to the game. Then to the question that you just said, when if something goes down to one of the tackles, what happens. You have three options. You can play. You can play Zach Martin over there. You can also throw in Steel or um Inseci. If if the answer is Insecki, then I mean Steel is inactive. Yeah, I think in that situation, you make whichever tackles you feel Steele, then Inseki doesn't need to be on the team.

That's my point. I know, yeah, that's the point, and I'm answer and last you just want the insurance policy that badly, just and just let him be in Just let him be inactive Monterrey Holland guy, because Montre Holland was that way better to be keep inactive on game day. But if you need him for the long pole, than

he's there. My point is to get if you get to the point where both your tackles are out again, where you would need both Inseci and Steel, you're just as good saying we'll just give me We did that last year. But do you're just as good saying give me still a night like Inseci's not better than those guys, is my point. I get like, I don't disagree with you, but I don't know. I feel like we're splitting hairs here. I don't and just I don't. It's not a big

enough deal that I feel passionately about it. Like right, we probably have spent way more time than we needed to spend on it. Nine is a point. Nine offensive lineman is a very normal number of offensive lineman, and it shouldn't keep you from keeping whoever you need to keep somewhere else. That's where I would say, if if I'm going to have that ninth instead of having in Secki, go find me somebody that's a care asked off that I can play center and guard with, because I'm way

more concerned about backup center than I am. If you can at fourth tack, if you can find an improvement on the waiver wire, I'm all about it. It's just I think it's easier said than done. Maybe, So all right, let's move on. Actually we're gonna take our final break. We're gonna come back. We got more players we got to go through, so we can get around to them. We'll do that when we come right back. This is

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or online at shop dot Dallas Cowboys dot com. Hey Nick, real quick. Give everybody what we got coming up here as far as their ability is to watch the team. And got two different opportunities here between tomorrow and Friday. You know those times. I do that time, and I did coming out of the last break, but I didn't I guess I didn't get through the times of there at the practice. I think on Sad, I think it's fifteen, you've got it, Saturday ten fifteen, that is that is correct.

It's early before the Jerry Jones Classics. Two high school teams in the area that will be going out at the Star. Uh. You can come out to that as well, absolutely, um, But the practice on Friday got me on that one. On what time? Fifteen fifteen Saturday ten fifteen PA Friday Friday's eleven fifteen eleven fifteen on Friday ten fifteen on Saturday. So if you have not had a chance to come

and check out your Dallas Cowboys. Great opportunity to be able to check them out, and a practice practice setting here at Ford Center, um at the start to be able to see them before the season gets here if you haven't had chance to that so far. All right, I get around, let's get back to it. I'm gonna throw these two guys out together because their fortunes may be linked in some ways. Jaron Curse and Darien Thompson two safeties for the Cowboys. Nick go well, I mean

darry and Thompson. He's just the guy that we just keep you know, writing off for what for some reason, and he's right here in the mix, and you know this last three or four days. Both those two guys, what they have in common is that they've been on the field and that it might be the only safeties that I think have been on the field other than the rookie that we never mentioned, Tyler Coyle, which yeah, exactly.

So those two guys have helped themselves. They've probably been starters while some of the other guys have been out whither injuries or COVID protocols. So to answer the question, I mean, I think I think one of them is definitely gonna make it. They both might make it because of just where they are right now, and they've got to maybe go along at that position. I think the back end of the safety depth chart is one of the biggest flides in the ointment. If you're trying to

put a fifty three together, it's just tricky. Darian Thompson, we know that you probably don't want him playing defensive snaps, but he is one of John Fossil's core guys loves him. He plays in him served high percentage of the snaps, so it's hard to bet against him making the team. At the same time, Jaron Curse is really interesting because he has a highly specialized role he and he talked about this in the spring, like maybe this is probably dramatic. I mean, he's not an all pro, but he is

a tight end eraser. He's a tight end guy. He's huge. He can come down into the slot and handle these all I mean, that's what people call those types of guys, right, I mean I'm not saying he's not quite there, yeah, saying he's just gonna take take a Travis Kelsey. Yeah, we don't worry about those teams, Like, but that is what he excels at he can go with role to sure, um, he could probably erase a Nevinigram, who you face twice

a year your dime packages. You know, I think you could see a lot of situations where they use a third safety for that very reason. Dak's only incompletion yesterday was because he got into the throwing lane with his I heard, I don't remember who said that. Somebody at practice yesterday said he looks like a pterodactyl, and I was like, yeah, he does right, right, sift and long, and I mean he jumped into the throwing lane and

batted the ball down. And he's made plays like that throughout training camp, like he you know, he's not a he's not like a ball hawk, like he's gonna make a lot of picks, but he's got the reach to get to get to the football. I'm laughing because he's he wears thirty two right, yes, and so a lot of times when I see, you know, I see these guys, I just my mind just drifts back to another player that wore it, like, oh, is that so and so. I never do that with Scandrick because they don't even

look anywhere close to the same right. But the one thing that's interesting about jay Ron Curse is that he was coming in to do that slot guy, like another backup, but different than Jordan Lewis. But Maurice Kennedy's play at training camp has also kind of affected that. I'm not saying he's he's certainly not as big, but he's a physical slot corner more than than Lewis. So there's another option in there that I wonder might alter some things. Because Kennedy, I think is going to make the team.

It's the DBS give me more anxiety than anyone because, like, I can't figure out how to have less than seven quarterbacks from me? But oh why what's weird? I mean, just your starter hasn't played into Otilber of last year, neither one of your backups. I've really ever played a significant game and definitely haven't won a game. Dak will be fine, and the third baseman, fourth quarterback and all that we don't practice ft you know that whole story,

that's my favorite one. So um no, I just I don't know how you keep it less than what was that? Maybe maybe everybody knows that story. Um, I don't know how you keep less than seven corners and I don't know how you keep less than five safeties. That's my whole which I don't know. And even at five, like I'm I'm like, there's still probably somebody out there you kind of have a role for you kind of want to keep around five safeties because well that so we

haven't even talked about Israel Mukuamu. But he factures into all that as well. That's what makes it interest. He's looked promising, he has similar length. I think he can do a lot of the special teams stuff, and that's what I wonder, Like God, I just want to be allowed in the room for these meetings one day. I don't even want to report on. I just want to see how it goes because I can just imagine them talking to Fossil and being like, how many of these

guys do you need? Man? We gave you CJ. You've got Gifford, you have Dorrance Kennedy. You can't like, you can't have you can't have darry In two. And he's like, well screw you, I want dark like and they're just fighting and I don't know how at all. I don't know how you balance at all. There's my prediction for

the game. My prediction is something, Well, it may not be in the game, but it'll be something in the next I would say four or five days will work itself out at the safety position, because there's six guys right now that you think have a good chance Darren Thompson, Curse Mkuamu, Hooker, Kauzie, and Donaldan Wilson. The six right there and five is heavy, especially with seven corners. When the seven corners is not changing, that's happened. I can't

imagine it. Yeah, I can't imagine anything else unless again, like you said, something shaking change is there. But but there's not that many guys that kind of do both roles, So it's not like you can kind of steal position. There isn't a single there's not a single hybrid guy on the entire thing. I mean, who's done it in college, but it's not done it here. Yeah, he hasn't done it in the NFL. You ever seen him out there

with any of those? You really are going like, what would you say is a what would you say is a normal number for second? Really? And we've seen the Cowboys go with nine before. Yeah, ten is That's where I was Also, when I was talking about that offensive line, when we're talking about that, I know you got to said overall, the number is an extreme, but if you want to go that deep on second here, you got to take it from somewhere, right, Yeah, two quarterbacks, two

running backs. Honestly, he needs further We get into camp. I really, I and Malie Turner was having a great camp. It's not his fault that he got hurt. But I'm just like, you can make this. You realize that happened. That was a nice to have a training camp, but you got you got depth at wide receiver without him.

Just just remember this about Darien Thompson um and if he makes he may not make the fifty three man roster initially because he is a guy that is not He's a vested veteran, so he doesn't necessarily have to clear waivers. They're gonna try. They need a couple of roster spots on guys that they need to put on I R to return. He is a he's a guy for that A candidate to say you're gonna get cut, stay right here and maybe a little something. Yeah, and then Bill, Yeah, all right, let's let's move on. I

do want to talk about the fullback. The fullback, Uh, Nick Ralston, tell what you know? Well, I'm actually doing a story on him right now that that's gonna air for the pregame show on the onun kick Off. I do. I mean they they they put me on TV say you got a great face radio, but I didn't know you did tell it. That's good. Thank you. Appreciate that. You're gonna be on NFL network though actually this weekend. Okay,

think about that. Wow, this this same was like like a Hard Knocks type thing, like they're so like scripted and like, oh, you're gonna be HI now. Anyways, it's good, okay. Um, Nick Crosston, he's I mean, he calls himself he's a football player, right, calls himself a beast actually, but um right, but um, you know, if you go to that run. They gave him the run in the second quarter of the game, first second quarter and it was third and one of the game. Him the ball. He didn't get

it initially, I mean he was stopped. He got there, he got to the first down. That's what you need out of your fullback and they're gonna give him the ball like that. But he really he's gonna make the team because of if he makes the team. To stop the way I was saying that if he makes the team, it'll be because of his plays that he made a nice tackle and gets Arizona went down there, and it's

it's all the special teams guys. So it comes down to like he's the liveless players, like all those players, and how are they have special teams? All those extra guys you will, Yeah, when when he's when fossils looking at his list are and he's got L two, L four, L five, which I really don't know what all of that means, so let me just knows that's their position. He's thinking the types. Okay, this is my speed guys as a safety. Typically this is a running back receiver.

This is a linebacker, and he's a linebacker in body type. So you know Gifford will be probably there. You don't have a lot of other linebackers that are doing Jibril Cox, so it might be a situation of can I keep this many linebackers active. I can't keep Gifford and Cox active. So maybe Ralston's a guys on my third back a full back, but also my L four or whatever. So it's just it's he may be the kind of guy

that you start like that. Again, you're going to have all those guys you're listed at the back of these depth charts, and then you're going to figure out, like which of the best of those that I need to keep, like which can I use the most in specific situation. So he's probably going to be a practice squad guy though that they you know, and I think all practice squad guys will travel to the games like they have in the past. It might be a situation where if

they need him, he comes up. But practice squad doesn't mean what it used to mean, right, McCarthy's said it more times than I can count. You know, we needed seventy seven guys to win the Super Bowl in twenty ten, and like, you know, things are going to come up, and the fact that you can move guys as easily as you can now, you know, even on Sunday morning, right Like yeah, so, um, yeah, I'd be pretty surprised if he made the roster. But he does seem like

he's doing the most with his opportunities. He's had a few really nice blocks in both of these last two games. Three Three things that have helped his cause other than the stuff he's done. Say, well, Alana lou as a fullback that I got banged up. Now Rico Daddle is injured. So I'm not saying he's a tailback, but he could maybe do emergency carries if you needed it. And also Sean McEwan as a as a tight end that's banged up.

He's he's played that h back role tied in as well in college too, So it's a lot to throw on his plate. But I'm just saying you need those glue guys like that, But he's got a shot. Ralston could be that guy until McEwan it's ready to come back for sure, exactly. Yeah. And that's the thing, like you started looking at this team, I don't know that they're going to be lined up a lot in twenty one personnel unless you got Pollard and Zeke on the field.

I think it predominantly like they were last year, predominantly eleven personnel. You've got three wide receivers and one running back. Maybe go to twelve if you want to put your

two tight ends on the field. But I don't know how much of a role there's going to be for somebody to like a Nick Ralston just because I don't I don't know that they're gonna want to do that very often every year I hide myself up like there's always a fullback that I love, Like, you know, my LSU guy j C. Copeland was here years ago, it was Jamais Ola Walley for a couple of years. I was super excited about what Shawoe brought to the table. Oh how can I leave out Beef Keith Smith? I

love it. But again, like we're talking about like eleven plays on the year, you know, like it just it hasn't been something that they've really put an emphasis on in a long time. Yeah, unless they change what they do offensively, their offensive scheme strategy, Like it just doesn't seem like that's a part of what they what they like. But but he's guy that will play Sunday, did this Sun preseason against Jacksonville. He'll play a lot in this game.

And I mean there's not many guys that are that are you would say, really playing for a chance to make the team. Um, there's probably I would say ten or so I will say this. The running back position now looks a little interesting for this Sunday because those guys probably rob meet at this point. It's opportunity, did you see? It was a really funny exchange in McCarthy's press conference, Babelffenberg asked him about he was asking about

his career. He was like, are there any players that you can remember like legitimately playing their way onto the roster in the fourth preseason game? And Mike thought he was talking about right now. He was like, why would I Why would I tell you that? Why would I give you the names of the guys that I think could do that? And Babe was like, no, I'm you know, you've commen in a head coach for fifteen years. And he was like, oh, oh my god. I and he

realized it. But and then he started listing off names like Sam Shields had a couple quarterbacks in Green Bay. He was like, yeah, like this, this is a legitimate opportunity, Like guys can change your opinion in this game. I remember one and Parcels a year two thousand and three. I mean, he did not care for this receiver, Reggie Swinton, who had been here for a couple of years. Reggie and it was a good return guy. Yeah, it was a fourth game. It was like an right return or

middle return. He took the ball supposed to go to the middle, he just said screw that, and he just totally went to the left side, went around the corner, went ninety yards for a touchdown. Made the team. There we go, I mean, well, how about another guy? Actually, that's right about another guy that I'm actually working on a documentary. I thought that's where you were going. Yeah,

I thought that's where you Yeah, it was. I was starting to question myself, like, was that the fourth preseason game? I was like, I'm pretty sure, but definitely was. And the ball actually he was not the return man. The ball just bounced into his lap and he turned and ran ran for a touchdown. Yeah. And um, and we got a good documentary coming out next week about his

life story. That that story on a of all the stories we've done this preseason, it's the most intriguing story because once again, and you guys may know this, some of you may not, he is the only player, still the only player in the history of the NFL that ever got a shot in the NFL because of a reality show. That's what sets it apart from every other story that we tell. And then you go back and talk about his life and some of the challenges you've

had getting to where he was. It's just the riveting story. But real quick, before we do the end the show, though, I need to let you guys know this. Actually this evening, we've got our next Deep Blue dropping at six pm Central Time. It's called War Stories. Nick, you're involved in that project, So why don't you tell everybody what War

Stories is and why they need to tune into this one. Well, it's a collection of stories from the War Room, just like it says, it's about fourteen of them that span all the way from the seventies, but mainly here in the last I would say fifteen to twenty years. When we are cameras have really been inside the war room. You can see these debates that are happening while the cowboys are on the clock. You've seen, I mean, I'll

just tell you this. There's Jimmy Johnson calling Emmett Smith um to tell them that they're going to draft them. And there's there's um the Roy Williams Exchange where the story was Christ brought us tells that story amazingly where they almost lost their pick and they're trying to you know, the clocks running down on them. Um, you know there's there's the Johnny Menzel and and and Zach Martin. It's funny because we've been internally, we've heard that story a

lot of times from people around the building. But it was cool to see it on cameramon. It'll be cool for friends to be able to see that story. And also in twenty sixteen. I think I might have said this when we were at camp one time at twenty sixteen. The fact that you know there's a trade offer on the table that if the cowboys would have taken it, uh, they wouldn't have. They would have had dak or Zeke yep.

And it was very close to doing that. So just a lot of things like that, and it's it was really fun to go down that rabbit hole and actually, um, you know see some of these stories. Yeah, it was very well done. And so you guys will have an opportunity check that out tonight at six pm Central Time, will run it live across so the channel and you can go back later. Is in there, Can I make

the final I thought you said you were cutting him. No, I didn't think you're wearing that actual Yeah, I think I was wearing a different pullover, but like, yeah, you put him on camera for a TV appearance and did put him in a sport coat. No, Jerry Madeline is gonna have some I asked, had the cusses too? Cusses? But it's awesome. It's gonna just have a fielding. Jerry is our our guy that checks all of their work and make sure they're doing what they're suppose. I am

who I am, Jerry. That's what it is. All right, guys, we appreciate you joining us. We will be back, Actually, we'll be back on Monday. We'll tell you what what happened, what went right and wrong for the Cowboys, and we'll actually, I think Monday, we're gonna take some time to start cutting this roster, uh and then so that we can give our recommendations to the coaching staff before they make their official cuts on Tuesday. Till different, Nick even Dave Hellman.

I'm Derek Eaelton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.