Cowboys Break: Season Recap - podcast episode cover

Cowboys Break: Season Recap

Jan 11, 202257 min
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Episode description

Before we focus solely on the playoffs, let’s look back to the regular season with some pressing questions that might dictate the future of this team.

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Speaker 1

The following Here's a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football clubs. Let's go. Are you ready for a break? Yes? Are you ready for a break? Absolutely? Ready for a break? Yeah, and so much for that. It's time for the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com with Nick Eatman, David Hellman, and bar Garcia and Derek Eagleton. It is Tuesday, January eleventh, twenty twenty two, Season seventeen, episode number ninety five. Welcome to the latest edition of

The Break. We're life nest WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star, with Nick and Dave joining me. Um, Nick, let's get started with a ninety five. I'm gonna go with Chad Hennings. Yes, I'm sure there's a better one than that. I was about to say, you don't seem very convinced that that's the number of person you really want to talk about. Colston Weatherington maybe wow, Yeah, he was a Dallas Desperado guy. That man. That may not have been right first. Was

it the same number with the Desperadoes. I don't think so. He might have been ninety five for them. For those who don't know, the Dallas Desperadoes are that ages us. This was when Jerry actually owned an arena football team and Nick used to do the Playboy play No, you did the color color for the for the Dallas Dallas

desperto anybody do that. It's fun. It's fun, right, Yeah, kind of except for the fact that, like you know, in the season was over, this season, you're like, here, we're going into the Yeah, I'm gonna, I mean, not to first world problems, not to complain about this great job that we have, but I think I would cry, Like I probably have friends like is it New Orleans that does that or it's it's I mean that is

that's a thing. But like the New Orleans Saints dot com beat people like they do work for the Pels. But I don't think they just become Pelicans beat writers when the season's over. You know, I think that they have they might. I don't know. I know, you know, the Seahawks employees do a lot of stuff with the Sounders. There are a lot of situations like that around sports, where you just put another hat on when your season

ends and go back to work. I'm very grateful that I don't, because I mean, I feel like the stuff we do with the draft and all that feels like a full time job. Like the thought of everything we've been doing since mid July. Yeah, and it's mid January and you just go right back into doing another season. That the thought of that makes me want to cry. David Irving's a ninety five. That's who I was going to bring up. Okay, good, I'm gonna admit this to

you for the first time publicly. I built the site for the Desperadoes, and I would help with putting the content up. Never once attended a game ever for the Dallas Desperados, really, not even one. The games are fun, even one. Some teammate you are. I know, I would have been the same way. I just I had no desire to one. Though I had no desire. I mean, they can in the playoffs, and I know, but after we finished the Cowboys season, I was like, just like I'd be like, Okay, I'm good, I can rest for

a bit. Didn't know you felt that way. Didn't know you felt that that was the reason. So when we were like, you know, Rob and I were over there like, yeah, I got this. We got the any firebirds coming in to night for oh, I'd post the stories now. Back then I was posting stories, so Nick would send the story and I'd put it up. But we overcovered that I was. I never went to a game. I consider I consider myself a football junkie. Like, if it's on,

I'm gonna watch it. I'm gonna watch maction on Tuesday Night. I'm gonna watch Thursday night football, no matter how bad the matchup is. I could never get into arena. The New Orleans had Voodoo when I was growing up, Like they had a team. I had no desire to go. I had no desire to watch it. You know. It was one of those things where like I always thought it was kind of like six Flags, like taking the

family to six Flags. Okay, you're not gonna take the family like two weeks in a row, three weeks, you're gonna go and ride the rides and maybe you can go later on or whatever. It doesn't matter. Who they play, doesn't matter. Oh, Chicago Fires coming in, thank whatever, just the crush, Chicago Crush. Sorry, yeah, Bean was there too, Yeah, Bean was there. Yeah, as you can see, Bean was there. Yeah yeah, yeah, who's the fire that's Chicago's NMLS team. No, none,

the Firebirds were Indiandiana. Yeah. I just think the big team was the Philadelphia's Soul. That was the game, Dallas versus Philadelphia. Big games. They would put it on Monday Night Football. One time. We wasn't the owner of Philadelphia Soul. J Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just I think and I know, like doing what are we doing? Sorry? Right it is? Let's go okay, good Colston, we got it. Happens when you start the show with Colston Weatherman. All right, here

we goes. Here's what we didn't do today. We're gonna do a season wrap since it's the end of the regular season and we're heading into the playoffs. I got a lot of questions I got lined up for you guys and what not that you're rap? I thought we were rapping. Would you like to bet? I bet Dave can throw some I listened, can run of you guys? Give me like a freestyle? No? No, just no, I think I've said this before. I am painfully white, like I enjoy to enjoy listening. Yeah, you're not a No.

I would never look so white if I did that. I mean it would be terrible. I bet Dave could actually do a pretty good job. But we're not doing it. If he thought about it, he could. Probably. That's the thing. If you gave me the afternoon, maybe if you think about it, then it's worse, right, because then you're trying, and yeah, it wouldn't be good for you. All right. So back on the topic, here we're gonna go. Here's

what we're gonna do. I got questions lined up for you guys, and the important the intent of this is to give people kind of an insight as to what you guys think of this team finishing the regular season heading into the postseason. And where I want to start is this is an open ended question. Most of these are going to have answers that are you know, you

can choose an answer. This is an open end. And let's assume for a second you've got somebody that hasn't really watched much of the Cowboys this year and they're like, oh, Dave Nick, tell me a little bit about this Cowboys team going into the playoffs, Like what do they do well? What do they not do so well? How would you summarize this team? Let's start with you, Dave from I think I would summarize this Cowboys team as being a

fascinating like Boomer bust potential. Like if you've never watched a down of the Cowboys, I would be like, this is one of the most talented rosters in the entire playoffs. They got everything going, and if they hit their stride, they're one of two or three teams that you should legitimately consider a Super Bowl contender. They also have the potential to not rise to those expectations at all, Like

they could flame out in the first round. That wouldn't surprise me, and that's that's kind of the fun of it. I think both of those things are in play, which is terrifying as a fan, but for a neutral observer, you're like, you should watch this because it could be really really sing or really really not great, depending on what team shows up. I think I think you're right. I mean, I think this team is full of good players. They probably have the most good players in the league.

They don't they don't have a ton of great players, and that was Evan. I don't think so. I mean, I think great players make the Pro Bowl. I think good players are Pro Bowl alternates, and I think that's kind of what what happened here. In a Pro Bowl is a little bit tricky because you got a lot of guys in the NFC. You might have made it if you were in another league, whatever. But I just think they have a lot of good players. When you have good players and they're playing well together, boy you

can beat anybody. But the reason the difference between good and great is that you're not always there. And I think that Look at the offense, I mean, look at I mean, Dak has had a good year. You know, he's had a good I don't think Dak has been great. There's been some games he's been great. There's been games he's not been. I think he's been He's had a good year. How many great players you say this team has, um um four. I think that's the four you'd think.

I think. I think Michael Parsons is great. Yeah, I really do think he's like he's phenomenal. And I think Zach Martin is as well. And if you have to now I don't want to get ahead. They gotta beat the forty nine ers. I would just if you do have to play Tampa Bay again, or get to play Tampa Bay again. Those two players didn't play in the game, and I know Michael put was there that this isn't the Mica that's going to be playing in that game. So I think those two guys are great. Who else?

I guess that depends on That's I hate saying that. It's probably depends on what's your definition of great, Like I think always playing at a high level every game, just just you can always count on. The way I look at is are they one of the best in the league. That's what I That's how I look at great. Are they considered one of the best in the league at their position? If that's so, those are two different

things for me. Like I think Dak fits that category. Okay, I don't think Dak fits what Nick said, at least not this season. Same thing goes for um Tie and Smith probably. Um maybe I'll throw digs in there. I'll throw digs in your category. Yeah, I think because we went over it like last week, Like the supposed like awful games, there haven't been that many of them. He's been reliable basically every year to either take a guy away or get you the ball back. I don't think

he's won the best in the league. No, No, that's what I'm saying. He fits Nicks and yours. OK. Yeah, so I would I would probably I would say four, Okay, I would say four. I think Diggs is at a minus three in touchdowns this year. I think I think if you want to give him five, that he's given up, that he's taken two away too. That's a minus three with the eleven picks. That's not bad. That's not bad

at all. That's really good. The reason why I asked that question was because you were kind of comparing that to other teams, and I look around the other teams that are in the playoffs. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a team that has more than four great players. Right. Kansas City City is up there, But Kansas City, I think it's very top heavy. And then they office they have to kind of you know, it's hard. It's hard to pay these guys that kind of money.

Can't pay my homes and Kelsey and all these guys, you know, so it's hard to The NFL is not designed for you to have a bunch of Honestly, I think Kansas City might be just like Dallas. I think they might have four great players. Like I don't think four is a lot of great players, Like that's that's a big number. Yeah, Yeah, they just have it. They

just have it a more high profile position. Yeah, and they may and they may not have the same number of good players as Dallas, like yeah, earlier Dallas probably has more good players. But I think I guess the point I'm making is when you look at their roster, I think they've got as many great players as any team in the playoffs. Maybe not the greatest because you don't say dek Is is Rogers, but they got some great players, and they got enough great players to be

able to be competitive. That's going back to my point. Like on paper, I think they're one of the three or four best teams in the entire tournament, maybe even one of the best two or three. Yeah, but paper it hasn't translated. It has not translated to the field just as often as it has over the second half

of the season. And I think again, like going, that's why it seems like there's a little bit of angst among fans right now and media just because, um, what they looked like in September and October was like a just a world eating juggernaut, and we know they can do that, they have not done it consistently since before Halloween. Yeah, all right, let's go into the next Jeff something. This game is gonna be so much fun. I can't wait.

I cannot wait. Yeah, I never wanted a game to hurry up and get here so fast for for multiple reasons. Just get us to the game. What are you implying? Yeah, um, just get to the game. I don't want to miss the game. I mean, our world changes every twenty four hours. Oh yeah, call you things chant right now. Everything's kind of good. So just again we're biased because we're so

close to it. But I really do think this is the sexiest game in the entire wild Card block, like apps yeah sink, yes, more than more than New England, Buffalo Nickelodeon if you're not, which is ironic because they put the worst game on Nickelodeon last year. It was Bears Saints. It was trash. Uh yeah, and even Rams Rams and Cardinals. I mean I think these division matchups those are Rams Cards is up there? Buffalo, New England

doesn't do a whole lot for me. For you, Yeah, I well, I just I And I'm sorry to them. I just if you got a rookie quarterback, I just don't take you seriously, not in the playoffs. I just don't and you can even you can say that about this team in twenty sixteen, like in retrospect, maybe their ceiling was limited by Dak being so young. Um so I think it is between star power you taught. I mean for nine ers, just because they're ten and seven, don't sleep on like arguably the best tight end in

the game. What Deebo Samuel has done this year is wild. Nick Bosa absolutely one of the best edge rushers in the game. UM, Fred Warner pretty good. He gets lost in the shuffle. I'm not saying he's like the best, but he's he's a very good player. They got they

got plenty of talent. Brandon iu K had a great season, Like, they got plenty of talent their own, and then you throw in the stuff for us, like amazing uniform combination, Like just two of the most iconic uniforms the history in the playoffs, iconic brands, everybody who's been like everybody grew up with Madden, and some are all doing Cowboys forty nine ers games. Like I honestly I said this on Sunday. I think maybe that was on purpose. They were like, let's put Cowboys forty nine ers in the

three thirty slot. That's just that's just supposed to be. I just I think this is this is a dream matchup in terms of just juice. Yeah, I can't wait to see it. Um, let's me want to the next question, this is the This team is the first team in the history of the NFL to do these things in combination. Four thousand plus passing yards with Dak, one thousand plus rushing yards with Zeke, one thousand plus receiving yards with CD, ten plus sacks with Parsons, and ten plus interceptions with Diggs.

My question for you guys is which is the greatest of these accomplishments. The greatest is the eleven interceptions. I think it's just the thing that doesn't happen very often. Um, that's that'd be my answer to that. I haven't I have an answer of why I think that happened this year. But go ahead, Dave, what what is the greatest accomplishment out of that group? I don't disagree with you at all, but just in the interest of being different, I just can't.

You can't undersell what Micah did. Ten plus sacks is a rookie is amazing anyway, Like rookie edge rushers don't do that very often, and then you consider that he isn't an edge rusher, Like they threw him into that basically out of necessity, and he took it and ran with it. I mean, so that's and that's maybe they obviously thought that he could do that, but for him to translate so easily and so quickly, that's amazing. Yeah, the fact that that you know, that's that and that's

that's that came out. And I think Dave and I were in the pres box and we're kind of like it was a little i mean like it's it's it's a it's fine. It's just one of those things. I'm fine that they're all even numbers, you know, when you start getting into these wonky stats, just that you're trying the more, the more, the more things you list, and

it's incredible. And I think it speaks to the Cowboys having a very star studded, maybe even top heavy roster, Like they've got a lot of guys who are capable of doing stuff like that. But the longer the list goes, the more my eyes start to glaze over, where it's just like they're the first team to score fifty points on a Saturday night in Philly when it was below thirty degree. I'm just like, okay, like you're right, but

how much should I really care? And the most interesting thing about that is if you I wonder, I don't know this, but I wonder if you take out the ten plus interceptions, how many teams have done the other four? That's the unique right, Like you said, you just don't get ten plus interceptions in a season very often. That's what. Should you take that one out? How many other teams

have done those things? I bet the dig I bet the dig stat is doing a lot of lifting there because a lot of teams have done the other stuff. Like basically every team that makes a Super Bowl run is going to have a good quarterback, a good receiver, a guy who gets to the quarterback, like all of that a thousand yards, not a crazy number four running back. So that's like the rest of that stuff is very easy to do. That the rams right there, and then you know they probably have a guy with Sachs. They

just Todd Light didn't get ten picks. I was we've I mean, they're I don't know, off the top of my head. I know Xavi and Howard had ten last year, but like, there can't be more than twenty ten interception guys in recent history. I mean, there just haven't been that many. Um what I what I think that the stat also shows is just that, you know, we say, well, what is this team's identity? We've been asking that, we're

trying to figure it out. I don't know if they have one really something that they lean on all the time. Their offense has been good some games, some games it's not. Some games the defense gets turnovers and wins games, some games they don't. But they can they can do at all. They have won in a lot of different ways. So that kind of shows me that they can be versatile and maybe that is their identity, is that they're a

multiple team. Like they're a team that can do a lot of different things and do a lot of different things pretty well. Put it all together. Exactly can you do it? Now? Can you do it against superior competition? That becomes the real question. I bet I don't know. I would love to. I would love it to hear an honest answer from everybody from all the other thirteen teams about what their expectations truly are, Like Bengals and Raiders, you're probably just happy to be here, considering like who

you are and what you think. So yeah, I think for the Bengals to be I mean, and that they've been great, Joe Burrow has been so awesome, but like for them to be in the playoffs in year two of his career, they haven't fixed the offensive line and all that stuff. They're probably just pumped, like hell yeah, like we're ahead of schedule. The Raiders firing their coach, losing their first round pick in the middle of the seat, like they're probably just happy to be here. Patriots probably

just happy to be asking are you asking the players? No? No, no, I'm asking every player, especially when that's why a little bit like I don't think they all expect they're gonna win the Super talking about the fans and the media around each team. So I like Chiefs, Bills, Packers for sure, Buccaneers, it's like we're gonna get to the Super Bowl or else. This is a failed effort, you know what I mean. And so the reason I say all this is I

just think the Cowboys are interesting. I think that's the expectation, but I just at the same time, I'm like, they could lose this game to San Francisco. Or they could also get hot and play like what we've seen and just to kick everybody's ass on their way to the super Bowl. Like both of those things seem equally possible to me, which is also the very frustrating thing. Yeah, an observer or a fan is you want them to play up to their potential, and they don't always quite

get there. That's the part that's hard to swallow sometimes. Are we're gonna take our first break, we come back. We got lots more questions. We're gonna throw it. These guys will do that when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. At at and Team, everyone new and existing customers get our best deals on every smartphone. Why because you're just we're turning your living room into your office and your gym. We're teaching Grandma had a video call and teaching her again. It's the

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deserve is finally here. Back to the Break. Dak Prescott is the nominee for the Walter Payton in a Film Man of the Year Award, presented by Nationwide, recognizing NFL players for outstanding community service activities off the field and excellence on the field. Helped that earn a twenty five thousand dollar donation to his Faith Fight Finish Foundation. Go to that website to vote for him. Welcome back. It's the second segment of The Break. We're life in SWBC

Mortgage Studios at the Star. We're doing a recap, a wrap up of the two thousand and twenty one season heading into the two thousand twenty two. I guess playoffs. Here we go with our next question, rookie with the great with the greater potential, based upon what you've seen so far this year, who do you think has the greatest potential. I'll throw a few options out. Kelvin, Joseph also, O diggi Zua, Chauncey Gholston. I mean, I've been I'm

I am. It's a small sample size, but I'm very impressed by what we've seen from Kelvin these last couple of weeks. Getting again, I mean it's well, actually no, because Philly played their receivers. I mean, he was going against their better receivers, and they were targeting. They're they're trying to get DeVante Smith the rookie receiving record, which he got, so they were targeting Kelvin a lot. I thought he held up well. I thought he played well when they threw him in there at the end of

the Arizona game. Um, And then you just think about his natural talent that he was. What was he pick pick forty four, He was a top fifty pick. He was picked higher than Trayvon was. And so if you're just talking about potential, I feel I'm very encouraged about where he is and where he could be. Yeah, I mean I agree. I think I think he's the one that that has a chance to really take it to another level. This is the time for him because when he was drafted, there was never ever any question about

his talent. It was is he going to be mature enough to do the things he's got to do to take that talent and make the most out of it? Um? Is he going to be committed all the way? And you know that's if you I'm not trying to bring it up now. I'm just saying that was the knock on him and this offseason. What is he doing? What is he doing this offseason? Is he taking it to the next levels? He's gonna be like Treyvon did last year and work with a hard enough Trayvon has an

older brother who's an all pro. You know they can work together. Does he'll share his big brother? Yeah? Huh. Maybe he'll share his big brother, maybe work with him. Yeah. But I'm just saying, if he can take that next level. I mean, I really loved what I saw from him. Other than that dropped the pick and he got to catch that ball. He was physical, He's a physical player, and I really liked it. I think he can be

a good, good player. He's just gotta get it, he's gotta want it to take it to the next level. I'll throw out Osa. I really what I saw from Osa this year, and really in the first half of the season, I think he was even more disruptive than maybe in the second half, which for me, a lot of times when you got a rookie, I kind of expect that that you're gonna be probably a little better in the first half maybe than the second half, just

because your body's adapting to the long NFL season. But I don't think he was a bad player in the second half. I think he has been a player that's opened my eyes to the possibilitys of what he can be. I think he might be a really really good player for them long term. And Golston, you gotta give him some lef too, but I think Osa would be Gholston to me, looks like he could be a guy like

Dorian's armstrong. Like in the third year, you're going to training camp and you're talking to the people and you're like, you know, just talking to some scout and he's like Golston's playing, you know what I mean, kind of like a Tyrone Crawford did. It was just like, Oh, you don't see it all the time unless you're watching that tape. That he's so versatile and he's gonna be doing different things. If he can stick to one position, which they may not want him to do, but if he can and

really craft that he could be really good too. I think something interesting to note about Osa too, And we don't get to see these guys as much as we would prefer. Like I think he's come out and talk to the media like three or four times since training camp, So I don't know him, but he's a very smart guy and like he's very I just think he's got

his eyes wide open about this whole thing. I think it's probably very beneficial for him that he's got an older brother who was in the league and probably didn't have the career he wanted compared to where he was drafted by the Giants, and so I just I really like his approach, Like going to what Nick was saying about Kelvin, Like he strikes me as a guy who is about his business and is going to be focused on like what he can do to get better so yeah,

he's had a fantastic rookie season. I think the arrow is pointing up on all those guys, which is I mean they it appears that they did a hell of a job with this class so far. Shout out to Will McClay. Let's talk a little bit about the next question. Who was the better free agent signing for Dallas between these two? I know they had a lot of free agent signes, but between these two Malle Cooker and Demonte Casey, I think Casey's just been the regular starter. Right. It

hasn't always been fantastic with him. I know people taught like he's He's been involved in a few busts over the course of the season, but I really like his demeanor. Like Jayron Curse gets a lot and rightfully so it gets a lot of credit for like that dog demeanor and competitive and FEISTI and of imbuing that confidence. But Casey's kind of like that too, Like he's a he's

a feisty dude. Um. Yeah, when they played the Bucks the first time for Game one, he was just like, I don't care, Tom Brady, I mean, he's just a guy. He was like, well, he's not really just a goat. It's kind of more than a guy. But but yeah, I play for our for our you know, we don't care, you know, we don't care who it is. We're gonna go out there end, you know, love it. That's that's the way he's got to play. And But to answer the question, the guy they're gonna probably, I don't know

who they try to resign. You know, you gotta remember, like Casey and Keane O'Neill, they came here, you know, with dan quinn, and it doesn't look like dan Quinn's gonna be here, you know. I mean that's that seems very obvious at this point. And there's a lot of talk. You know, he's just somebody who's gonna get an interview with him and not want him. I mean, he's gonna he's gonna get a job, so that that's a done deal.

And so you just wonder who they're gonna try to sign to me personally, I think I'm trying to resign Millie Cooker if possible, I do. I mean, I think Cooker is an easier guy to resign for sure. I'm looking up to see they're snap counts. Yeah, I mean, Casey's played eighty percent of the snaps this season. For Hooker, it's more like it's more like forty six fifty percent. So, I mean, Casey's just had a much bigger role and not.

I don't want to throw anything at you that you're not prepared for, but it does seem like Cooker's had more. If you look at the second half of the season and really over the last month, it seems like Cooker's getting in more. Yeah, so I would, I would. I would wonder if you extrapolated dead till the full season. Obviously he was coming in coming off injury, he got

here late, all those things. If they are seeing as time goes on that they really have a role for him that may even surpass what they have for Casey at some point. If their plan is to sign Hooker with an eye on him being the starter at that position next year, and maybe you try to draft somebody like I'm fine with that, that would mean no problem here, all right, Next question, most and proved player. These two players are the nominees, Terrence Steele and Dalton Schultz. Who's

been most approved? Um, I would no, it's not even close. It's Terrence Steele because Dalton Schultz was pretty damn good last year. Like he's had a better season this year, but he had a nice year last year. Terrence Steele did not. Can I complicate that for you? I hate I don't like these types of things. If you were if you go back two years to where Dalton Schultz

was two years ago, who's at the biggest jump? We talk about this all the time, like everybody was trying to fire Dalton Schultz, like his glow up from Like basically everyone was like, what's he doing here? Too? This guy is gonna get paid in a couple of months, Like he's gonna be one of the best tight ends available on the market. He is a viable starting tight end. Who can do I mean he yeah, he ain't. He's

not a road grader, but he's a good player. You know, I've said this before, like I think I think a good comparison to him is Jay Novchek. And people can scoff if you want to, but look at what Novacheck did. And Novacheck was in the league for a few years in Arizona the Cardinals, and they weren't very good and they weren't using him right. He get in the North Turner situation where he's not the main guy. You've got Harper and Urvan on the outside, not in that order.

You've got you've got Immit. Of course, Darryl blocking and all that, and he benefited a lot. He was that security blanket for Troy, and so I mean, I just think he is very, very similar. He's not a big blocker, can kind of get in the way, kind of crafty over the middle. But Novacheck stayed and got paid and was part of this system. That's what you kind of

wonder what's going to happen with Schultz. Is he gonna go somewhere else or is he gonna be like, hey, I can go in a system that really really benefits me. He'll probably do both. But I think this is worth pointing out too. Not to get too much into draft speak, but I think about that a lot. People always say like, that's such a hard position to transition to, and so that's what this looks like. I mean, yeah, there's always gonna be outliers, but unless you're drafting, I mean, Kyle

Pitts had a great rookie year. Um the kid in Detroit, TJ. Hockinson hit the ground running because those are like top ten picks. Like when you're drafting a tight end in the fourth round, it's probably gonna take some time. Like I'm looking at it right now. Dalton Schultz, he caught twelve passes as a rookie for one hundred yards. In twenty nineteen. That dropped to one for six. It just took him some time. He caught one pass in twenty nineteen. He caught one? Wait was he was he hurt? No?

Jason Witten came out of retirement. Yeah, yeah, yeah, right, yeah, um, but just one one he was. It's it's like what Sean mccullan's got, like two sprinkles, got just a few those third tight ends in this office, they'll get a whole lot. But I mean unless unless you're the top of the top tight ends typically. I think even even Travis Kelsey, who was I believe a second round pick, wasn't like amazing as a rookie, I can pull that up to Yeah, as a rookie, Travis Kelsey caught no passes.

What was Kelsey drafted sixty third overall, third third round. Actually, I'm sorry, no passes his rookiee he didn't catch the ball. Now, as a quarterback. It was an X year was twenty thirteen. Oh oh geeze in the league for a minute. Yeah, it's been longer than I thought. I mean he immediately blew up for sixty seven and eight hundred the next year. But yeah, I mean it. And unless you're just like an elite prospect tight end usually takes some time. So yeah,

you know this is gonna sound good. Point. But every time I see Kelsey, I think of Jeff Swain. When I think of Swain in the face to me, they look alike Jeff Swain to Kelsey, Like I wish they were the same player. You know, when I'm still playing, I got another respect for But he's still in the league and he's still playing. I just I those are

my favorite types of players. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, he's gonna shoot, he's got thirty one catches and three touchdowns for the one seed in the AFC right now, he's not playing this weekend, right nope? Ye, all right, here's the next question. I'm gonna give you guys five choices for this answer. Free agent you'd most free agent you think is most important to resign. I'll give you the two wide receivers Michael Gallup and said, Wilson, I'll give you j Ron Curse, I'll give you Brian Anger,

and I'll give you Dalton Schultz. Most important player to resign to those five? I was just so you took Randy out of the equations. Stand out of the equation. There's a reason I took Randy out of the sad. Can you believe that we're sitting here and you picked five guys and Layton's not in your pig No, okay, it's not about that you were wrong. It's the fact that, like we're just not even putting him in. He doesn't even make it in the group. All right, Most important

to resign of those five? You want to give your names again again, I got them two receivers, Schultz, Curse and Anger. Yeah. I hate what I'm about to say because I'm the safety guy, and I think what Jron's done for them, I would love to have him back. What he's done for them has been very valuable. He's

been awesome. But defense is so hard to predict from year to year, like the variance, unless you've got legion of boom type talent, it's hard to just be at the top of the defensive rankings like year after years, it's just you can look at the trends. So with that in mind, having a consistent, good tight end who can help Dac out and again, the strength of this

team is still its offense. In my opinion, I would take Dalton out of all of the names you just listed off for me, I think I would take Dalton Schultz. I would go with Curse. I think Curse gives them more attitude of versatility, a wiry player that they haven't had. He can do a lot of things with him too. He could play linebacker, he can play some safety. I just like everything that he brings. Um, I would try to resign him. I don't want to disagree with the Schultz.

I don't. I mean, I would like to have anger, but you know, I mean, you're gonna have a punter and you hope he's gonna be good. I was wrong on that one, though, I gotta I mean, I was. I whiffed on that one. I was like, why would you bring this guy in? I think nice Wonder is better. Nope, not been great. He's been He's been really really good and he helped them when the Cowboys offense was struggling here.

In these last five games, he has been even better, and Anger has kind of he's helped flip field position. I mean he's not he's not crafty to the point where I'm not crafty, but you know he doesn't always just painted at the one and it bounces back and or angle it out of bounds. He's gonna put the ball in the on the nine yard line for you,

and you know he's been a weapon. I think the thing my thoughts with special teamers is just I mean, Anger said when he got named to the Pro Bowl, he came here for Bones, like he knew what Bones does for punters. He wanted to be part of that. So that I mean you, Bones is gonna be here next year. I haven't heard anything about him getting job interviews, so so that hasn't changed. And then the bidding war

for specialists just typically isn't the same. So I just kind of think, I'm like, you can probably keep Anger if you want him, whereas the other guys, you're gonna have to be worrying about other people's offers. Fossil could be a good head coach. I'm not saying that he couldn't be, just I'm just kind of thinking, if you're a beat writer, you're saying you think he is, or

you're asking the question I'm asking. I mean, he'd be a little he'd be different, he'd be you know, because you need somebody kind of to kind of rain him in, and if you're the head coach, you're not going to do that. Yeah, I could see Bones just being involved in a media fiasco like once a month, you know, like the thing earlier this season and everybody, I think it was the LA game he was. They're like, why are you calling block in that situation. He's like, I'm

just trying to give cowboy fans what they want. That's what y'all wanted or what I forgot about that stuff like that. When you're the head coach, it's very different than we special teams coach. I don't know or even I mean, he kind of he pissed people off. Yesterday. He was comparing zirline to Tiger Woods. NUIs Scruggs was even like Tiger's different though, like Tiger's the best person to ever play golf. Greg's airline is not even close to that. So yeah, I don't know, I don't know

that that was pretty funny. You know one thing I will point out, I agree with you, Nicko on jay Ron Curse because I look at it. I say, you know, what would you do if you didn't have that player? I think at tight end, as much as I like Dalton Schultz and what he brings, you do have Blake Jarwin. And I think Blake Jarwin can be a comparable type tight end to Dalton Schultz. You look at a lot

of these others like Brian Anger. That's great, he's had a great season, don't get me wrong, But I think you could probably if you had to, you could probably find a comparable punter. I just think what Jayron Curse has brought has been unique and different and the most important part. And I probably ought to wait and say this until after this weekend. He's done pretty good against tight ends this year when they've kind of matched him up in that way. He's got another tough matchup on Sunday.

But but I think that's a part of his game that that's even just as valuable as the others. And you have a guy like him that you can match up against tight ends against against some of the better tight ends in the league, and those tight ends not

really kill you. I think that's really really valuable. I just think I just I trust if they were to resign Dalton Schultz, I trust very I'm very very confident as long as he's with Dak in this offense, he's gonna catch like fifty to eighty balls six hundred, two thousand yards and half a dozen touchdowns. Like, I feel like I can just count on that to keep happening. Jayron Curse, the scheme could change, dan Quinn might not be here. Maybe the new guy asks me to do

something different. There's just a lot more variance there. There's a lot more potential for that not to be the same. And we have to be realistic. Jayron Curse was not this player before this year, and so you gotta give dan Quinn some of that. And if he's not here, how much has that changed. But I will say to consider, I mean, when you start talking about price, I think it's much more likely that jay Ron's here than Schultz. I just think again, other teams with more cap space

making competitive offers. All right, let's take our final break. We'll come back. We got a few more questions before we end the show. Will do that. We can come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio. I want to use what the pros use. How about the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black. Right now you can get the Jack Black Starter, a curated collection of Cowboys locker room favorites, for just ten bucks with

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your budget. Visit Unitedaginturf dot com. Before there was a draft. You get sized up a cowboy by three simple factors, the creasitis at the bend of his brim and his unbending attitude a man. Stetson didn't just protect him from what life throw at him. It projected a rugged, unstoppable spirit. Stetson hats are still American, made with pride. Right here in Texas. There's still the unofficial crowd of all self respecting cowboys, and Stetson is proud to be on the

field with America's team. Find a retailer nearest you at Stetson dot com. Slash Cowboys Back to the break. This Sunday, January sixteenth, at three thirty, you'll see Derek Eagleton wearing a white tuxedo. He's gonna bust it out for this week's game because it's the white out at Okay, Boss Hog wearing the white. We encourage everyone to wear your white for the white out this weekend. See visit Dallas Cowboys dot com Slash twenty twenty one Playoffs for more updates.

Let's go, Let's go, Dave. You weren't all white, No, no, no, no, I in the press box. That would look ridiculous. No, I know that's the point. I mean, I always say, like want you to look ridiculous. I do a good enough job of like kind of being the butt of jokes and having a good sense of humor about myself without like going out of my way, you know what I mean. Yeah, you make it seem natural. I did wear I wore a tuxedo to the last playoff game,

but that's because I was missing my friend's wedding. Oh I was. I was like, I was like, I can't make the wedding, but I already bought the tuxedo, so I'll wear it. For you kind of was like a symbolic thing. Did they win? Yeah, they beat the Seahawks. Seahawks game, Okay, all right, good good, so maybe you should do it again. It's getting but still it was just they are they are expecting. So yeah, the winning

shout out. Rob and Meredith still give you every every day of my life, like they mentioned it, I mean Rob, he's one of my drst friends for since forever, Like anytime anything remotely comes up, I'll be like, I'll send a text and be like, oh I can't make it, I got work or whatever, and he's like hardly surprising or just you know, stuff like that. So he's got your personality. Oh is that kind of My love language is treating the people I care about like crap. And

all my friends are the same way. So we're just ruthless to you would have missed the flip's flip? Absolutely yeah, I mean hey, part of working in the industry. Absolutely. All right, we got a few more questions we want to get before we in the show. Let's next question. If you could replace only one of these two players, which would you replace it. I'm talking about once the season is done, getting ready for next season, Connor Williams

or Tyler Beyottish. We're laughing because we're saying the same thing. We're thinking the same thing, right, I'm guessing yeah, and just I think so if you could do both? I think so, yeah you could. And Okay, it's a funny joke, and I don't I'm not completely kidding, But like Tyler beyondest, neither one of them has been awful. But like it's easy to dog Tyler. He's definitely, you know, some of

the better dtackles have gotten the best of him. There's been some issues with the snap placement and stuff like that. All things considered, I think he's been solid. Um, But that's guard center. If I've got a red sharpie and I'm circling things that I want to address in the offseason, that's that's getting a big red circle on the thing. He has played better, I think lately. But I've never

seen a center get more false starts. I don't understand how you're getting a false start, Like, is it because of the way he raises, But I think every center does it. And I can't quite figure it out either, because I think most centers, if you watched him, they kind of do that little head of jerk. I don't know why he's getting the penalty, but none of them

rocking game. The last game, it was definitely because I was sitting down there and I was shooting him at the same time, and he rocked back and he almost picked the ball up. He's falling backwards, That's exactly what he did. I just feel like maybe it's it might be in my head because remember, like we talked in the offseason, like we found out later Andy Dalton preferred Joe Looney because he trusted that the snaps were gonna

be in the same place. I think there have only been like one or two botched snaps, like they fumbled against the Giants the first time they played in the red zone. There have been a couple of those, so it hasn't been a disaster. But I swear I'm just always looking at the snap and I like the numbers of number of times Dax had to kind of like high high point the ball coming out or it's over here. It just it seems like it's been a lot. And whereas like when Travis was in there, I don't think

I've thought about that once in my entire life. I mean, you know, let me throw a different curveball at you. Let's say that Connor Williams agent in the talks with Steven says, listen, the season's over from now till the end of till the start of training camp. My guy is gonna be snapping the ball more than any any person in the world. He's gonna snap at five hundred times a day. He's gonna work on the shotgun snaps, all that stuff. He is gonna dedicate himself to being

a sinner. Would you would you consider to that Connor Williams at center as long as he's ok. I would say that sounds great. How much do you want? Yeah, and don't this doesn't guarantee anything. If like, if if the right guy falls in my lap in the draft, I'm gonna draft well, and that's and that could happen, and then he could just beat out the the guy left guards, you know, and you can still do that. It does I'm not playing a lot of paying a lot of money for it. Yeah, I would give it

a shot. It's always if he can, if he can make that switch to center, I mean, that would be really good because he's he's big enough, quick enough, nasty, enough to kind of fight there in the middle. I don't know. I mean, all those didn't do it early enough last year, all those conversations, which sometimes like we're wrong a lot, we look stupid a lot, but like sometimes you just nail something Like all spring, we're just like,

it's weird that they don't have a center. It's weird that Connor Williams isn't really doing this, And then they get the training camp and they're like, oh, we don't have a center, Like let's try it. Yea in the game. Everything with everything about this is about price with me, Like, if I can get Connor Williams back at a very very friendly price, I'm all for it. It's at the very worst, it's depth. At the very best. Maybe he starts at center or could be your starting guard as well.

I rather try to upgrade that. But if you could get him back on a good deal, you know, I kind of wonder if they don't go the opposite way with him and his agent and his team says, I'm a tackle, I'm I'm agile, I'm athletic. You know I can play. I can play. He could play right tackle. Free agency might not be the right time, Yeah, how do you how can you sell yourself as being worth

a good contract without a single snap on tackle tape. Yeah, you have to get somebody to kind of bring you in and give you an opportunity to play it and then make that argument and another deal, like you want a one or two year deal with a team that's going to use you at tackle, or maybe maybe you kind of sell the team that signs you is like I'm going to work on this and I can offer you that flex like you're not going to start me at tackle, but just no, that type of thing. Yeah, yeah,

I mean that was when he was at his best. Now, of course it was in college, but when he was playing tackle, that's when he was at his best. So all right, one more question before we end today's show. And actually this is a two part question. What was the best victory the Cowboys add this year? And what was the worst loss? Oh? Good, okay, loss is easy, Denver, I mean because the other game, I mean other games

they lost, losing the Tampa on opening night. Come on, we're gonna kill him for that even even like, yeah, it was a bad loss, I guess, but like the Raiders are a playoff team. Derek Carrs had a phenomenal season. They scored thirty three pot. I mean that was just that was an entertaining Now it wasn't that entertaining. The refs ruined it, but like they played adequately. You know, Denver, they just did not Denver, they just sucked. So that's easily the worst loss for me. Best win, Nick, what

you got? I said it yesterday. I mean to me, I think the best win was the Charters game. I mean just because I think there were so many things that came out from that. You found out what Mica could do, and you find out how they could go and win, and you know, I just I just thought it was so important and then that kind of was a springboard for sixth straight. There's that one up in Foxborole that it's New England for me. Yeah, it's New England for me because they were rolling like they'd been

rolling over everybody. They sucked to start that too, and honestly it might have led to some of their issues. Like Dak talked about that, He's like, when you can climb out of this hole against New England and overcome all these penalties that set you back and still win, then you go to Minnesota and win without the quarterback, maybe you kind of start to think you're invincible. But

that was coming out of that New England game. I just had a That's when I was like, oh, this team might be special, Like to again, what they so they I mean, they're down fourteen seven in the first quarter.

They might go down even further than that if they don't have that touchdown called back for a hold on Randy Gregory and then they just battled back because theirline misses the kick, but then he come back makes it CDs waving bye bye, and to win it in overtime and set a record for yardage put up against the Bill Belichick team. Yeah, I mean that was that was a ton of fun. You know What's What's one that we don't always mentioned, but it should be thrown into

the category Minnesota. I mean without I was gonna be mine. Okay, no, I'm just gonna say it was gonna be mine just because like anytime you got to play a backup quarterback, and especially on this team, usually when the quarter when starting quarterback is out during my time here with the Cowboys, dad usually ain't a good thing. And it wasn't with first half no, but but they went that game and they found a way to win. He made a couple throw that touchdown pass too said, I mean that was

a great throw. I mean, so that game to me, Yeah, that game to me, that was in my opinion, the greatest win, just because I had no faith they were going to win that game whatsoever. The New England game, in my opinion, was the most entertaining game they've had. This win, the most entertaining win they've had this year. I was not at that game because out of death in my family, but literally I was watching on TV and I was like losing my mind because there was

so many ups and downs in that game. It was just a fun, entertaining game to watch. Yeah, I still say New England, but I I'll that memory will stick with me. Going in the post game of the Vikings game with Cooper Rush and like, who knows where his career goes from here, maybe that'll be like the only moment he has really but like you could just and he's not a super emotional guy. He's very low key, but like you could tell how much that meant to him. And I'm like, of course, like how cool is that?

And like his family came over from his dad in the stands. Was that was gold right, Well, like he'll be an old man and now like maybe that's the last time he ever starts an NFL game, but like you can never take that away from him. You know. My favorite play of that game though, was I mean it just it won the game for them, was when Zeke just said, nah, I'm not gonna get tackled here. I know I'm supposed to. We threw it underneath to

get a field goal. Oh, I forgot about I'm busting through these two guys getting the first down and winning the game. That was a really good We're not gonna go tying it over time, We're gonna go win it. I mean, that was the Zeke and he hasn't done it all a lot this year. We get it, but there's there are some moments when he you know, he does a little go o mb and he just says, well or a snoop said the other day, sit down clown. He said that it's it's it's easier to do that

than get off me. Yeah, because you can't say it, yeah on the air, you can not on We're not FCC regulated, but we are. Derek regular there we go. Okay, I like that word not on the air. It's just not on the air. It's wild when you're calling it to an NFL player, right, Yeah, exactly, it's just wild. Like when you start breaking down all of the ebbs and flows of a season, you're just like, oh, yeah, that happened, and it feels like which going back to

the top of this. That's why I can't even imagine all of the work and emotion and labor and man hours that goes into this season and then you turn around and have to do it again like three weeks from now. No, yeah, what what would be the twelfth win? Like the twelfth best win? Oh, like the win where you're just like, whatever, get me out of here. I mean because because even these games where you're like, like this last win, it scored fifty in Philly. Yeah, like

they I get it. They didn't play a lot, But I mean you can't say it was like a terrible win because they went out there and dominated the team. No, it would be at Washington just because I mean that was they They tried their best to gag it away. It was the worst DAK played all year. They completely went to sleep after halftime, like it was twenty four to three and halftime, I think, and they've won twenty

seven twenty can't go with you on that. When their head coach came out and said we're gonna win the game, and they went out and they just put them right, just busted them right in the mouth. And then yeah, they led him up a little bit, but they weren't never gonna lose that game. Yeah. By the by the time that game was over, every I felt this way. I was just like, oh my god, I just get out of here. I hate everything that's happened. I hate the place, not well just not even the just I

hated everything that happened after halftime just sucked. I mean, I mean, yeah, McCarthy delivered on his promise and all that, but New Orleans at home, Yeah that was but I mean that was you lost two in a row. About the Giants game there, Yes, actually that might be the better answer. Giants therein, Yeah, that's it, that might be the better that's your worst win. Yeah, it's your twelfth win. Don't need to go home. I don't care if Nates here now. I don't take the best loss. Tampa Tampa.

Oh yeah, and that's the thing. Like, I know we argued about it, then we'll argue all the time. He throws those jokes in there. He's he's wrong, and I don't. I'll tell him he's wrong. Because the morale after that game was better than the morale going into the game. You're like, we didn't win. We lost to Tom Brady. We could have won, we didn't. We play like that, We're gonna win a lot of games this year, and they did. I won six in a row. I know

the moral victory. There's always gonna be people that just don't care unless you win, Like that's just the bottom line that they'll never get over. But like I look back at that game right now, I look at that as a source of confidence. I'm like, you are capable of taking that team to the brink in their building on Banner Night. That means that you can be in it right up to the wire with pretty much anybody

in the league. And by the way, if you look at personnel, you have I think a better team right now because some of your players that played in that game or not that they got a hell of a healthy They've taken some hits. You got a hell of a healthier team than Tampa does right now. So there's some things about that. If you can get past San Francisco and you got to go to Tampa, I don't think they have any reason to be afraid of that team. That all, they shouldn't be afraid of anybody in this

tournament in my opinion. No, but they better be on their p's and ques because because they could get beat any week two. Yeah, that's and I've heard a lot of people say, you know, look at the team. San Francisco is lost too. They've lost to some good teams this year, which is true. They have um and so you know, I look at that and say, well, whose point are we making here, because they're ten and seven and they're they're they're gonna face a good football team.

I mean, this is a good team. The Cowboys are playing that. They are a good team. They've got some issues and you could you know, as Dave said yesterday, I think off air we said styles make fights, you know, a boxing reference, and so this is this is going to be a different kind of fight than they were thinking. The Rams and Cardinals might give them. Ye, all right, appreciate you guys, joann Us. We'll be back tomorrow. We're gonna start breaking down this matchup Cowboys versus forty nine Ers.

We'll have Bucky Brooks join us. Talk about that forty nine or offense, that run game. That's gonna be something to think about and watch on Sunday till then. For Nick Eatman, Dave helm and I'm Derek Hilton. 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.

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