Cowboys Break: Time For LB Change?

We are live from the s w DC Mortgage Studios at the Star and it is a Tuesday, so we're going big picture today. I've got a ton of questions for these guys. We're going to hit a lot of different topics and hopefully we'll get to some questions from you guys. You can call us the numbers eight eight eight eight five five to two nine seven. You can also hit us on Twitter at Derek Eagleton. I'll take

your questions that way. And again, we just want to give you guys a big picture look at this team coming off another loss now at three and three, facing a probably the biggest division threat that they have this week, and then heading into a buy so very very very very critical game. We'll get into a little bit more about that game tomorrow and Thursday, but sup, big picture today, how's everybody feeling good? Feel good? Thanks us. Let's jump

right in. I have probably about I don't know about seven or eight questions here, and they're gonna be on a range of different topics. Obviously a lot of them have to do with problems, because right now, when you go three and three and you've lost the last three in a row, there are lots of problems. So let's start first with this question. What has been the biggest or the bigger offensive problem wide receivers not getting open or dropping the ball, or offensive line not blocking well.

I mean, I would say offensive line not blocking well because you know, and there's reasons for that. We know that you don't have to sit there and you know, talk about that. But yeah, I would say the offensive line has been a struggle whether or not there were one hundred percent healthy or the guys that are healthy are not black and well, I would say that, and I think that stems too. If you can't create the gaps for Elliott or even Polar whoever is in, then

you start going to the receivers. I mean, that's obviously it's a problem in and of itself since they can't catch. But I'd agree, I think the offensive line has not been what it needs to be. And we've talked for how many weeks about the drop off between your starting tackles who are out Tyren Smith and Lyle Collins with Brandon Iden cam Fleming. However, that can't just be an

excuse every team. You have to have depth and you have to learn to adjust, and something's not working to Nick's point, and I think Derek brought it up yesterday. And obviously the problem with the tackles being healthy, but you know, the interior hasn't played well. Connor Williams has had his growing pains throughout the season. Travis, Frederick and Martin. I think the Jets game is a second game this season where they didn't seem like they played a very

good game, the Saints game being the other one. I mean, we all know Zach is dealing with with a back injury of his own, but yeah, to quote de Marcus Lawrence, nobody cares. But yeah, they haven't. They haven't played up to that standard they think they probably they did for those first three games, which you know, look at the competition and that might help explain it. At this point, based upon what you've seen, you've seen, would you move

forward with putting Xavier Suafilo in in place of Connor Williams. Well, I mean, I think that you were not on the show last week or two weeks ago when I said that, So I missed a show. Yeah, I think so I'm part of a show. Yeah, Nick did say that. I feel like I've said that a lot. So when you're all in on that, I'm all in. I'm all in because I just feel like he is a stronger player physically stronger to do that. And last time they put him in against the Eagles, I mean he kind of

handled Fletcher Cox as well as you can. So I think that, Uh, I think it would be good, especially with the situations that they have on the outside and all that. I think he's he's a he's a good veteran player, and I think this is it would be needed. Just trying to go off of previous years when things weren't going well, I think they would they were going to do that and do it during the bye week. If Connor Williams struggles again, in this game, and he

might with Fletcher Cox being on that defense. Would you do? That's what they did, right, That's what they did. So they did last year redskin game. He was not good Connor Williams and bye week, yeah, well they they they fired Paul Alexander and kind of switched things up. And I don't I don't know that Connor didn't get benched. He got hurt, right, but and they just didn't get his job back. They've made personnel moves during the bye

week like that before. What I mean, you can go all the way back to fifteen when they benched Brandon Whedon for Castle et C. What would I do? I don't know. I'm not an offensive line expert by any means. I that it feels convenient to be like, well that's that's the problem, and that'll that'll fix it, and don't give me probably just I'm not pouring everything to corner. There's a lot of problems on this team, in particularly

the offensive line. But my point though is, I guess what I'm asking you is is his play if you just take his play by itself, knowing that you have another guy like Xaviers to a fellow who you've seen play and you feel like he's a pretty good player. Do you think there's an upgrade in moving Xavier into the starting lineup over Connor? I know, we I mean, he did play well against the Eagles, but he played

several games last year and they weren't all beautiful. Like you know, if if he was like this pro bowler sitting back there, maybe I'd feel differently. But no, I think I'm I'll roll forward with it and hopefully you get tiring back for this game or you certainly expect you would get him back after the bye week. And yeah, I don't I don't feel super strongly about that. Ny. That was kind of my thought. I was when I if you get tiring back. Is this as much of

a discussion as people are thinking about, right? Are we just more focusing You're seeing Connor Williams and you're expecting him to step up more since Tyring is out? I don't know. I don't know. I guess maybe, I mean, he's obviously Suaphilo is practicing, and but maybe you do try more in the you know, those those first team reps. I just think that when what you saw from you know, the third and short fourth you know, fourth and short.

I just feel like that that he gives you a little bit more, He gives you a lot more strength at there because I remember Connor was a tackle that's moved to guard. I don't think that Suphilo has ever been anything more than an interior player. So um. I know it wasn't perfect last year, but I mean, you know, he just happened to be in the starting lineup for that last you know run of seven out of eight games, and you know, Cooper was probably the bigger reason for

the offensive turnaround, but I think he helped. I do. I do think he helped in there. And I get it. It seems like it's you're you're just picking on one guy to be like, well, you're the problem, you know, But but when you look at across the board guys that aren't playing well, and then who's behind him, drop

off between Dak and Cooper. I'm not a rush I'm not saying that that's the problem, but I'm just saying drop offs between the backup and that I think that's the closest one on the entire team because Suaphilo, you know, basically didn't give him his job back last year. Son Connor Sufilo, I think is the closest backup to the

starter on any spot on the team. From that standpoint, is it fair to at least ask the question about the center and whether your backup can give you maybe more than what you're getting from Travis Rage I'm talking about Joli. Yeah, it's fair. That's that's that's fair. But um, I'm gonna say, like Dave said, I'm not an offensive line expert on that one. Well, that is I think that's in terms of in terms of like watching I mean,

we have access to NFL Game Pass. You can go watch the All twenty two and get an idea of what's going on. It's very hard to evaluate that if you haven't played it or coached it or you know, I mean, broad Us has a lot of leeway to speak on that with not just his scouting experience but his spirits playing offensive line, you can do your best like, oh, well, you know he got beat or but you don't know the protections, you don't know what each guy's a simon is And I just I mean Connor and I said

it at the top of the show. I don't think Zach and Travis played very well in that game, but I'm just I'm not ready to say like that, is this just like blinking red light about why they're losing these games and they've got to do something drastic. I'm just I'm just not all the way there. I think, honestly, I'd rather they just stop trying to run into unfavorable looks, like how about they do that instead. I don't think we realized to have the importance of the Amari Cooper

injury in that game. I mean, yeah, they lost the game. I don't think they lose the game if Cooper is not hurt, and I don't think it's really that close. Okay, well, then let's I just think Amari Cooper being out for that particular game I think was a fourteen to seventeen point difference, that they probably win the game by two touchdowns. I believe that. Okay, so let's take this. This is your next question. You set this up perfectly. Which player

is more critical to the Cowboys offensive success? Mary Cooper or Tyron Smith. Honestly, the answer has been Tyron for years, and I feel stupid saying it's probably a Mari Cooper, but I think it probably is because who backed him. Up eleven. I mean you wind up trying to make it work with Michael Gallup, Cedric Wilson and Tavon Austin. I mean Tavon Austin was playing outside for a pretty big chunk of that game, and we saw the difference there.

He can make some plays if he gets lined up right, and that's that's That's not really a knock on him. He's not really that type of guy. He's an inside guy that those guys make mistakes when they're out there that they're not lining up on the right spot cost them a big play in the game. I think when you're talking about drop offs between the starter and the backup, I think Amari Cooper to Cedric Wilson is a bigger

drop off than Tyron Smith to Cam Fleming. As weird as that sounds, I'll go to my grave and it's just like, the offensive tackle play is not why they lost the Packers or the Jets. I'm not saying those guys played great. I mean, you know that there was a big dispute on Talking Cowboys yesterday about Dak getting hit like Dak took a lot of those shots, extending plays outside of the pocket, like It's not like he just had two, in particular two of the biggest hit

tablet outside the pocket. Yeah, it's not like he had no time to throw and there were just got I mean, go watch at lant At twenty seventeen if you want to see what that looks like. I don't think this was that well. And again, sorry, but he saw the Jets do it all day, like, get the ball out of his hand faster, help your tackles. I don't like, you know, the old do what we do thing like. I think the Cowboys could be better at adjusting their play calls to suit who's on the field for them.

But I think drop off in the passing game is pretty severe without Amari Cooper and especially I mean Michael Gallop. And you know, I gotta give Amber credit. She called out the receivers last week. I didn't think it was justified based on what we had seen to that point, but it was an ironic twist of faith that the first time Gallup was called upon to be more without Cooper in there, he wasn't up to it, and that

only kind of highlighted the problem. So if you told me I could have one of the two for this game. I think I'd rather have Cooper than tying me too, Yeah, adn't. Yeah, I agree, And I think we've seen that, I mean, last year without Cooper and you get so excited and we see such great things from Gallop and he even said he's like, it's on me. He's in locker room yesterday he goes, I had three passes I should have

had and I don't know what you do differently. He didn't really have an answer in terms of how you execute better. But there is a big drop off and he's the guy and he did not perform, and Cedric Wilson did not set up the way he need to. We saw some good plays from Tavon, but there just

wasn't enough. And if you know, if we're going to talk about the injuries, I think that if if you had to tell me, you know, make a bet on which player is going to be able to play in the game, I would say Tyrant Smith over Amari Cooper. Doesn't look like Amara he's gonna play. And I'm basing that off of the fact that he had no shot of coming back in that game, Like he wasn't trying, he wasn't he was just sitting there. I know he was in a lot of pain, but he was just

sitting there. It wasn't close to coming back. I just have a hard time thinking then he's going to be able to be back for this game. Yeah with the bye week sitting there and doesn't. Yeah, it doesn't. I don't feel good about it on Tuesday. But real quick about that, we've seen this free years one of the bye weeks there. It's so much easier to just rest the guy one more game and knowing that that's there and they cannot do that. They if these guys are

healthy to play, they got to play. It's the biggest game of the year. I will say this, I think a lot of their problems offensively originate on the offensive line. I think a lot of the things we've seen, particularly in the last three games, have been issues at start at the offensive line. Other guys have their hand in, and but I think it starts with the offensive on The problem is and goes to what you guys are saying here. Last year, the Cowboys were not doing very

well until they got Amari Cooper and then everything changed. Essentially, if you don't have Amari Cooper in this offense, you're going back to that this wide receiver by committee that's proven not to work with the current set of players. I just don't think it's there yet. They looked a lot better in this game against the Jets than they did during those lean games before a Cooper got there.

I differ. I disagree with that. I think I think offensively, particularly in the first set, like they were they were having a hard time getting any kind of rhythm going. It was because they didn't have reliable catches like there were there were opportunities there, but they didn't have anybody stepping up to make the player. Don't get me wrong, they obviously didn't play well, but like it's a testament to how atrocious they were against Carolina in Seattle early

last season. Like that looked better than what we saw in twenty eight. And I think both those teams probably I would guess, are a little bit better or a little bit better last year than what the Jets are this year. Why would deposit And I mean, based on what we've seen, I don't expect the Cowboys to take advantage of it, based on what we've seen in the last three weeks, But the Eagles might have the worst secondary in the league, and we can get into that.

I'll see if they can. If the Cowboys can't take advantage of that, let's take our first break. We come back. I have some more questions. We'll talk a big picture Cowboys when we come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Well, a player can look good on paper, it's when he's out on the field that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than just stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you

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com to get your tickets today. Back to the break Back second segment of the show, live from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the start, Dick, what you got for us? Well, I do have a watch party that the Cowboys have already scheduled here for November the twenty Fourth's on the Sunday. It's an a festive game day atmosphere at the Testido's Championship pose at the Star in Frisco. So the Cowboys will take on the New England Patriots. Danny, I know you will be. You were out there before. I was

for the Washington game. It's a ton of fun and there were a lot of people there and it was hot, so I think this one will be a nice turnout as well. The cooler weather, cooler weather, November twenty fourth, Cowboys Patriots mission and parking free at visit the Star and Frisco dot Com. Should be a lot of fun to watch the Cowboys take on the Patriots. All right, let's get back in. We got some questions. We got some other teams to get to before we get to

the Patriots. Yeah, well that's I know. I'm just saying like, as you said that, I was like, Oh, that's just one more problem. That's just lingering out there. That'll be a problem we deal with later. Um. All right, so let's go back. Another question for you guys. This next question is what is the what has been the bigger defensive problem for this team? Pass rush coverage or run defense, Collie.

The fact that that there's been a seven second pause tells you that everyone love thinking, Yeah, it's all of them, and then they all kind of got to pick one. I'm gonna I'm gonna say tackling, because if you have to fix one, if you have to fix, pick fix one. Which one do you think gives you the better chance to fix the others? Pass rush? Pass rush to me gives you you can I mean, if you get after his ass back there, then you can do a lot

of things. Your coverage looks a lot even more than run defense has their coverage with the exception of this past game, like in the other five, was their coverage awful? I would say the last two. I would say in the last two they've probably had some issues in coverage. I mean green Bay they scored a lot of points in and some of that. I mean, they You're right, they didn't get just destroyed. I've just seen some and Rogers finished with two thirty eight and needed three or

four really Rogers esque throws to make it happen. You know, I said it. I said it after that game. I was like, that's gonna happen when you play him asked the fricking pack the Lions about that. I mean, did you see him last night? Yeah. One of the reasons why I probably have a weird opinion about the secondary with regards to the Packards game is because they're pack They're tackling. Was also a part of the problem, yes, and so I think I'm kind of equating that just

to the secondary in general. But you're right, from a PAS defense standpoint, that wasn't the issue of that game the first part. Cheeto Cheeto had a rough first half against DeVante Parker against the Dolphin, But in general, it has not been a week to week thing where I'm like, man, this this still hasn't played up. I don't think Kedo has played up to expectations as far as I'm concerned. Nobody Robert Quinn is the only guy who's maybe Malik Collins who's fitting that bill. I don't think the run

defense has been to the point where it's the biggest problem. Yeah, the page of the Packers, they got after him, Aaron Aaron Jones, you know, But I still think a lot of that had to do with with how they were trying to to, you know, try to get Aaron Rodgers and the and the Packers have a great offensive line, and they caught him and they gassed him, and you know, and with with a big lead like that, they were

able to keep running the ball. But I think for the most part, going up against Kamara, going up against Levon Bell, I think the run defense has been okay, not I think the biggest problem is the past rush. They're just not getting there the past rush. I don't think the run defense has been that good. All things across that are all all that good. Say Quan did his thing, They were really good against Kamara. Say Quan

did his thing. The jet well what no, they I don't know what they haven't been that the pass rush. I'm the guy that sits here every week and defends to Marcus Lawrence, and I don't think he deserves as

much criticism as he's gotten. But man, all through training camp, you're talking about Lawrence, you're talking about Quinn, you're talking about Malik, and you know, we went on and on about how, you know, the guys that they cut off of this defensive line, we're going to be better than the guys playing on a lot of other teams, and it hasn't looked that way. I was singing that same thought. I was like, I've been sitting here saying Quinn, he

doesn't need all this criticism. He's being double teamed. But at some point, I mean Lawrence, Lawrence, yeah, sorry, yeah, and so but at this point, we're six games in. You have to find a way to start adjusting to that and finding a way to get things done. They've missed a healthy Tyrone Crawford. I mean he isn't he's not healthy, but they they've missed that, you know, And I think that him out there, he's one of those players. And I know the fans don't really you know, think

he's all that good. But but the fact he is, I mean, he's maybe his contracts really you know, it used to be a really big contract. Now it's probably yeah, it's not even that crazy anymore. But but the fact that that he provides past rush and run stopping ability from the defensive end position is is I think in an underrated part of his game. It really is. And him not being healthy for these last you know, you just missed some games and then he's been back for

two and hasn't really been very impactful. Um. I'm telling you, though. I mean, I think you talked about calls that were missed. I mean that I talked to him yesterday. One of the biggest calls that that that ref's missed in that game was the fact that he got punched in the back of the head on a third down um or from the goal line. That would have been that would have really been a big play in the game. Um. And you know, it's funny that guy must have not

seen that video. And that's been because I mean, punching Tyron Crawford in the head like that, it's not really the smart move, but whatever worked out worked out for him for that time. He I mean right in the middle of everybody. I mean, I saw it. I said it to you and and I saw it on the replay. I was like, oh my god, yeah, I will say which I guess the way you worded the question doesn't

afford me to give this answer. But even having just said what I said about the pass rush, like, if you could pick anything to be disappointed about in terms of preseason expectations, and right now, it's probably the play of Layton vander esh and Jaalin Smith. Well, we're gonna get to that. I got a question for on that. I'm kind a question for you on that. All right,

let's go to this next question. Though this may take the rest of the show, so feel free to go as long as you want on this so far, How does Kellen Moore's offense compare to Scott len hands better, worse? The same which game we're talking about, we're talking about the season as all of all of them pull it all together, It's still better. It's still better at number one in the league going into this game. I mean it still probably is because again, like they had, they

put up four hundred yards of offense in this game. Yeah, I think it's And that's kind that goes back to my point is like throw on the tape of the first Seattle game last year or the season opener against Carolina if you need a refresher of just how bad it was, Because I promise now. But MARII Cooper. I mean, like the thing about it is is we talked about Amari Cooper being so much, you know, helping this offense

so much. I mean, I think you have to look at the last eight games for Scott Lanahan in the first you know, let's say eight games, when when he gets eight games and then and then kind of look at it, I think it's closer to the same. I like, I like this offense better though, I think just because I think he's got a better quarterback than he had last year. I mean just I think Dak is just

improving to the point I think he's better. I think this he's getting a little bit more production out of the tight end spot this year because Witten, you know, Witten's not what he was, but he's still you know, he's still out there, he's still making some plays. And I just think they're they're a little bit better. But the red zone numbers what what? What is the red zone they it's been cut in half since the losing streaks started, Like they were insane in the red zone

and it's honestly, which good question. I'm still I'm still annoyed by the whole well, Garrett's telling Kellen Moore what to do thing, and we kind of talked about that yesterday. There's there's no way to know that, but and it cropped up after the Saints game. It sort of it wasn't really talked about last week or the Packers week

because the game got out of hand. But like, I don't know, how different has it looked to you in these let's just say Jets and Saints, Like, how different has it looked to you from what they were trying to do, Because like all the fun stuff we saw in the first three weeks has felt lacking. And I wonder if I wonder if some of that is because

the games got away from them. I wonder if some of that is against lesser opponents, maybe they feel freer to try different things than against really good teams that they feel like, hey, every possession matters, so we gotta be more conservative. I don't know what it is, but you're right, it feels to me, at least, it feels like the way that they call the first three games it's different than the way they call it the last three.

I want I want to point this out too. I hear this a lot about well you know, the score, you know, was kind of they were behind the eight ball there, the game got away from them. Whatever, you know, they're getting down seventeen. He had to change. Just remember that one of the reasons why the game got away from him any team is because of the offense. You know, like I think we forget that a lot. It's like, well,

they got down by seventeen. They got down to seventeen because he didn't do anything in the first quarter or for you know, so the Packer game got away from them because they couldn't do anything. They were you know, I mean, I understand why things changed, but the first part of the game and some of the Jets Cowboys, they're the reason why the game is getting away from them.

I agree with you in general principle. I think in this game it was a bit different because the decisions they made before the game, particularly with the wide receiver position and who was active and inactive. That became apparent

very quickly because Amari goes out quick. And now, as they talked about after the game, now they're running twelve personnel a lot more than they probably would have gone into that game expecting they would, and that does change things when you now have two tight ends on the field as opposed to three wide receivers. That drastically changes what you're gonna do with your offense. So I agree with you generally, Yes, that's the case. But I think it changed so much with Mari going out this game.

I think it really left him in a really bad situation. For the record, Jason Garrett said yesterday that they really they weren't anticipating that that was something that they were going to have to deal with, Like they you know, they didn't put him somebody's injury. Yeah, Mars. They didn't put Devin Smith down thinking that a Mark Cooper might only get a handful of plays. And if they, I would have suspect they would have known that it would

have because completely different. But they didn't, Right, Yeah, No, that that's sorry, That's that's a good point. I mean, they ran a crazy amount of twelve personnel, but I mean Marie Cooper, no, Marie Cooper seventeen runs on first down out of twenty four opportunities. Yeah, bothers me. That's yeah, all right, we're gonna take our final break, We're gonna come back, and I'm gonna ask this question to our panel. Should Sean Lee or Joe Thomas be starting over Jalen

Smith and or Layton vander Esch. We'll talk about that when we come back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Your new apartment's big. Such a great deal that's okay? Just okay? What's not right above the subway? Well, I bet you don't even notice it after that's my neighbor hangs. A deal that's just okay is not okay. Get a great deal with America's best network. Come into an AT and T store and learn how to buy one smartphone and get second one on us based on GWS one score.

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At the start, we're doing a big picture Tuesday. We got lots of questions flowing at These guys are giving me some good answers. Here, I got one that's gonna really start the pot a little bit. Let's talk about the linebacker position. Should Sean Lee or Joe thom Must be starting over Jalen Smith and or Layton Vandersche. Let's start with you, Danny. What do your opinions are? I think at this point I would start Lee. I would I think we haven't seen any one. That is the

key part. Yeah, that sounds good. Now now one let's go well he was starting over Laton at the beginning of last year. Anyway, Yeah, I just okay, you haven't You haven't seen enough of them and your best linebacker when they're on the field, shn Lee? Okay, whose second i'd want? Fifty five? I think it's Layton. Okay, Yeah, I think Layton's at some moments when it wasn't isn't great, But I think he's had more good moments than Jaylen

Ass personally. See this is where the whole You know, they love to tell you the NFL's like a meritocracy, but it's not always true true, and you know that's not true. Is Jason Garrett really gonna risk whatever comes with benching a defensive captain who's, you know, one of the de facto leaders of the Hot Boys and is kind of one of the public faces of this defense. I don't really buy it. I will say this though, the way that they play those guys, they don't necessarily

have to bench him. They can just start and they can keep the starters the way they are and they just start playing and they can do They've well, they've already done it like we I mean, you know, Jalen has gotten taken out for series throughout play accounts like how many plays they're each getting. I can pull up the packet. I haven't looked at it. If Smith Smith got benched, it would set the NFL record for fewest days between press conference and demoded. That's another thing too,

the league. Yeah, don't you think, no doubt it would definitely be It would be headline news. But I'm right now, when you're on a three game skid. I think you're way more concerned about getting wins than all the extra stuff around it, in my opinion. Yeah, and if you feel like there's a player that's not getting that is playing well, okay, and a player that's not playing as well, I think that all things are fair game. Okay. Here's another thing. Ezekiel Elliott great running back, right, What if

you put him at wide receiver? Would he be great? No, he's not. He's a running back, So quit trying to make Jalen Smith a defensive tackle and rush him against the guard. That's not what he does. He's a linebacker that needs to he's he needs those big boys up front so he can run around. He's not one of them. So I don't think he needs to be playing on the defensive line and trying to rush and all that stuff. I mean, put him in position where he can do he can sort of rush off the edge a little bit.

But it's got two saxes, you're right, I mean one of them. Um. I'm not saying he wasn't a big play, but I mean Carrie Hyder had Bridgewater out and he kind of cleaned it up. But but him against the defensive tackles. I don't like that play at all. I don't like I don't like those little guys up there because because that's not where mismatches are. You know, I

mean you don't. You don't. You can run a forty yard dash and you can beat a guard all day, but when you're right there in space, they get their hands on him, they can't do anything. But I'm in a place to be successful. I'd be more in favor. I guess of more rotation and put Shawn Lee in there, and it's yeah, Jalen is playing eighty six percent of the snaps right now. Layton's at ninety, Shawn Lee's at thirty five, Joe Thomas is at twenty one. Yeah, I'm

up in that on Sean quite a bit. Yeah, yeah, Sean played even a little but well, so they played sixty two defensive snaps against the Jets. Sean played thirty seven, so he's up closer to fifty fifty percent. Jalen played forty nine, which I can't do that math in my head because I'm dumb, But forty nine out of sixty two here I have a cvity that's boom. Look at seventy nine that's gonna say it close to eighty. But anyway,

we go, oh, oh are you? I mean, first, I kind of I kind of feel the same way, honestly, and maybe maybe I'm just I don't know, maybe I'm being an apologist, like i'd honestly, I'd rather just let him play through it, like you know baseball. You think they're going to play through it? Yes, I do. There, I mean what you're saying. Jerry Jones's thing is always it's like if you've seen a guy do it once, you know he can do it. But I mean, okay, get how to play football. You guys have watched him play.

You can say that about showing no and that's true. I don't have a problem with giving him more snaps. I'm just I wouldn't quote. They used to say this all the time about linebackers. You have three to play two spots. Maybe it's you know, four to have two spots now, But but maybe that's what they need to do. They don't just need to like call press conference and just bench the guys, but just rotating defensively do it.

I paid twenty one million a year for DeMarcus you know, Lawrence, and he rotates with Kerry Hyders no matter the down like down distanced. That's what they need to do. That's that is like you're not gonna bench anybody because of all the ramifications and and you know, keeping team morale, but you rotate them more if you want to. And yeah, Shaun Lee is a great player. He's played like he's deserving. I don't have a problem with that, but like I'm not benching people. And on top of that, like I

don't know, they're they're good players. And when a you know, Mike Trout doesn't have slumps because he's incredible, but like if he did baseball, you just keep You're just like just keep getting up there and you'll work through it. Like that's that's what's important mentally. Yeah, yeah, And I agree with you generally, and I actually think that applies

a little more for Layton in my opinion. But I'll ask you, guys, what have you seen from Jalen Because I know Nick, you and I have talked about in the press box. Sarah plays he just doesn't look right, and he looks like he's lumbering out there. That way, he agree with you, he is lumbering out there, and so my question becomes, is that just my mind planing tricks on me, or is this a situation where they're legitimately like, that's who he is and that's who he's

gonna be. And because of that, it's not it's not that he's getting worse or getting better. It's just that that's who he is. There's certain things he is limited in what he can do, and he wasn't that guy last year unless in which you know, and Nick has made this point before, like he looks rough in the open field trying to tackle like wide receivers, but again,

he's a linebacker most linebackers. It's even it's even moving in space, Like you get him down field where he's having to chase a running back and he's having to do it laterally. He doesn't look right. He doesn't look fluid. And that's the part I'm more concerned about. He's made some freaky plays moving laterally in the past, like again the Deshaun Watson one and the album Kmara one from last year come to mind. Have you have you seen

those this year? Um? I would bet I know. Layton made one on Kimara this year that was really impressive. Nothing springs to my mind. But I would bet there's more there if I went back and looked at it, not not that it's can you give me a study place? Yeah, Look, eleven tackles in a row three straight games. I mean that's a that's a good number right there, you know eleven. Uh, he had three last week though, and and that that's concerning, and he knows he had a bad game, that that

was a bad game for him. Yeah, yeah, I absolutely, I'm fine putting Sean on the field more. But like, yeah, it's it doesn't need to be this big ceremonial process of like benching somebody. Yeah, we don't. We don't sit there and call out you know. Well sort of, I guess the Marcus Lawrence, you know, I mean for how they rotate those guys. But um, you know, it's just it's just interesting because you don't want to put money involved,

but but it is sort of you know. And and they they made the decision to make this guy way more paid than any of these other defensive ends. But yet Rod Marinelli still plays them the same way, you know, And you would like to think that the guy making twenty one million the year over the guy making six hundred thousand shouldn't be rotating, you know, snaps like that. All right, real quick, we're gonna get a phone call. We got a call from Rob Out in Las Vegas.

Rob what up? Hey, guys, just looking at the offense real quick. I think a couple of things. One. I think Zeek now has turned into a grinder and not a home run hitter, and I think that affects this team. I think they're missing Beasley. I think Colb is not as good as Beasley for what they want to move to change. Beasley's got better hands, and I just think he's better at that. I think I think whiteness. I think they would have been better which are and he

could stretch the field, especially the middle. I like Witt and the old Man, but he's just too slow and defensively. Nick's been talking about this for years. The reason why I felt you need some big sack lineman is to protect your sports car linebackers. Jaylen Smith and Van the rest are not trucks. They have sports cars. They run sideline. The sideline teams now realize we'll just run out of them, and I don't think they've ever recovered from getting run

over against the rams and the playoffs. They look like boxers who took up beatings and they don't want the contact. The one thing about Sean Lee, I know he gets hurt, but he will attack the whole and he will come up and hit him. So will Joe Thomas. Uh, they're not going to bench these guys. You know that you're not gonna bench a guy just hate Jaalen Smith and Van der esh is their their future? They just won't.

But I agree, I would like to see Sean Lee on the field more, but this team doesn't really do that. And let's and for one more thing, Xavier Woods and Malie Collins. We fall into the trap every preseason. We fall in love with training camp guys we hit, they look so good, and we just have to realize that that's stake football. You know, that's that's not real football. We've seen it for years. And these guys get on the field and they're just guys that they're nothing special,

and that's that's just hurt this team. All right, Thanks for the call, O. The scary part about that call is that I'm I'm not sure he's wrong about anything. That's what's scary. I'm not sure I'm not. I don't know about that. I don't like calling MALIEK. Collins just a guy, I think, but MALIEK. Collins, which we I talked about this a week or two ago, is like at training camp, what do you see, Like you see the ability to rush the passer, and he is good

at that. He's been good at it this year in my opinion, fake football, though, Well it is, and you don't see the run defense aspect of it. You don't see that, and they haven't been good at that. And you know, Rod Marinelli values these undersized defensive tackles who can get up field. It hasn't looked great against the run. And I think that's a very good point when it comes to why Layton and Jalen might not be playing better. It would be great if the defensive tackle they drafted

was good enough to get a game. Jersey. I don't think that makes Tristan Hill a bust, but it's certainly disappointing that a guy you drafted in the top sixty isn't good enough to be playing like it. Is absolutely disappointed. And then you take that part and then you go with the party. He said about Xavier Woods kind of being a guy, and then you realize that they took Tristan Hill over a guy Juan Thornhill, who's playing really well for the Chiefs right now, getting interceptions and making

some plays. And then you couple that with the fact that Xavier Woods is just kind of just playing okay, and you have to go no farther than this last week to see what a great safety can do to change games. And the Cowboys don't have a plus safety right now that I at any level even close to that. That guy reminded me of I hate saying this because this guy's Hall of Famer, but he reminded me of Troy Polam because every time I watched the Steelers play, if it was a blitz, he was there right there

or right on the last scrimage. But then when it was a deep ball, he was back there like everywhere. He just guessed right, and an instincts allow you to do that. And I thought Jamal Adams was everywhere in that game. I told you trade for him. The other part I don't necessarily agree with from now, we would before the game, so you don't take the light. The other part of the uncle I don't necessarily agree with was the Beasley and Cobb. Yeah, by having Cobb, I

think Cobb is much better for yards after catch. I think still stronger would disagree. Really, Beasley is a better player, I honestly don't be a better player for what you're trying to do with with Cooper and Gallop now able to kind of stretch a little bit more than than you ever had, and they're versatile. I think the move the chains guy is better. Yeah, Cobb can stretch it, okay, but when when? But there were a lot of games.

There were a lot of games over his career I'm talking about Cole, a lot of games where he didn't show up, couldn't get open. So you tell me, yeah, he's a move the chains guy, but he's not always getting open. He's not and making play. So I still don't. I still believe that they are about the same player from the standpoint of them being able to get open

catch the ball. I do think the Cobb adds an additional dimension that Beasley doesn't necessarily add from the standpoint of being able to get down field and if he needs to playing outside a little bit by being at route runner inside, and I think that then playing with Amari Cooper and Gallup and the fact that they are better route runners than anyone the Cowboys have ever had. We know, Terrence Williams and Dez We're not the best at route running. So I think you've got two legitimate

outside threats at receiver that can do everything. I think Beasley I mean, but that again, the money wasn't just about to say change it up. Now, Let's ask that question for one year five million and then he I mean, Beasley was making seven in or eight and it's on a malt I mean, yea, yeah, I wasn't the same from their standpoint. It's on which cop. First of all, Cop wasn't healthy, Cob has had drops and him and Dak haven't been able to get on the same page.

But like more than anything, like just Callen Moore Scotland, and like why why can't the Cowboys get more than like two wide receivers in Jason Witten involved in their offense? Like why does that seem like such a cool Tavon Austin and Cedric Wilson did it out of necessity, but Tony Pollard is just collecting dust somewhere on the sideline.

Tavon's an afterthought until somebody gets hurt. Jarwin. Haven't really seen him utilized much outside of going down the seam where it works, by the way, and it's like it's like they don't know how to manufacture touches for anybody other than the obvious three. So Cobb's role has been disappointing to that point. I don't know how much I put on put that on Cobb schemes some stuff up

for him. Yeah, let me say this too, about Whitten and Jarwin, I don't know if I mean, yes, one's way more athletic than the other, I get that, but I don't know right now about the blocking, you know, as far as being on the field as much. I'm not saying Witten has been the best at blocking, and he you know, he's had some penalties and things like that too, But I don't think Jarwin's, you know, this

great blocker either. So I don't know. If you just said Jarwin needs to play over Witten, I don't know, And I don't know what happens there. I mean, maybe we need to ask that question. It's no, you're right, but Jimmy m has been a terrible blocker his entire career, and and he's he's way on. He's not what he used to be. I get that. But you can figure out ways to use guy's skill sets to their advantages.

And don't ask a bad blocker to block. Send him down the seam where he'll catch it twenty five yards downfield and set you up on the goal line linebacker or safety with him. So he still has some value, right, he still helps. It's it's like it's very paint by numbers to me where there It's like, we have this situation where we will use this guy and it's just very by numbers. I like how you put it feels very black and white and and and boring and and I don't know what else to say. Average three and

three three three and three. All right, guys, appreciate you join us. We're back tomorrow. We're gonna get heavy into the Philadelphia Eagles. We'll talk about the Philly offense tomorrow, then the defense on Thursday. Hopefully get you guys ready for this game. Lets you know what's going to happen till then. For Nick Eatman, Dave Hellman, Danny Serek, I'm Derek Eagleston. This has been the Break Live on Dallas

Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been at trip of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club