Cowboys Break: What is the Future for the Offense?

We got some knees breaking down. I think although we have heard the talk about Amari Cooper, we neither none of us really thought that would actually happen, or did you. Hell no, no, I didn't think it would sure game as a surprise, especially how it went down yesterday. While the Cowboys were super surprised that happened. I'm very surprised of the first round pick, you know, but I'm not. I wasn't. I mean, I guess one of those things. You'll see it when you know. I believe it when

you see it. But I kind of thought, maybe, you know, because I'm still a believer. Where they're smoke, there's fire and there's a lot of smoke around Earl tom was that never happened, but I just kind of thought there was something, but not to this level, not to first round pick. I've just got automated responses plugged into my phone where I'm like, the Cowboys like their guys. No,

I don't think that's gonna happen. I mean, Cowboys are linked to like five different players every trade cycle, and this is I mean, you know, they did the Bryce Butler and Matt Castle trades when they absolutely had to to try to keep their season afloat. But this is the first time they've done something like this in my time covering the team, and they we like our guys, so we love to build through the draft. So I'm pretty shocked. I'm still shocked almost twenty four hours later.

And Jerry Jones had said a few weeks ago that he hasn't hit the panny button yet. And we know how much talk there was around Earl Thomas and the trade and how they battle there and towards the end, how they actually did want to get Earl Thomas and he didn't work out. Now, after this Washington loss, you think that now that's stuck another type of nerve where they are now kind of desperate and willing to actually

give up a first round pick. Yes and no, I mean yes for this season to try to let's do something, to try to you know, maybe pull off a couple more wins here that you can perhaps win this division. But I think the fact that he's twenty four years old and they feel like this is a guy that would probably be better than anybody that they could pick up next year and wherever they're going to draft, I feel like there's more to it than just these last

nine games. I think that there's there's like future implications as well. So I yes and no is my nswer to that, if that makes sense. Yeah, I feel a couple types of ways about that. I mean, yeah, I think you could classify this as a desperation move because they spent six months you know, you know, we don't need a number one wide receiver. There's only five or six of those guys in the whole league. We feel

good about what we did. You know, these guys are gonna step up, They're gonna take the pressure off Zeake. I mean, it was one of the biggest talking points of the entire offseason and seven games in it obviously hasn't happened. And they overpaid for Amara Cooper. They did, and I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing, but

it's just I think it's a statement of fact. On the flip side of that, you know, at some point the Cowboys can't win because if they weren't, if they weren't doing anything, and they're just like, we're gonna get this together. Alan Hearns is gonna, he's gonna he's coming into form, and Michael Gallops keeps getting better. We'd be killing them for being stubborn and not changing their line

of thinking. And you know, you're wasting a season where the SEC East is down because you're too stubborn to admit that you made a mistake. So they're admitting that they made a mistake there. You know, I appreciate that. I appreciate that they they see what they did wrong and they're trying to rectify it. I do think they overpaid for Amary Cooper, but he's twenty four, he had two really badass seasons. There's at least a reason to

hope that he can turn it around. So it's an overpay, But I don't think it's just this drastically terrible mistake that a lot of people want to paint it as. And I give him credit for recognizing the problem and trying to fix it. Yeah, I mean I what I can't forget is the fact that you know, this team has done this a couple of times since I've been here, to get a first round, to trade first round picks for a receiver, and it's like, there's just more to

it than that. I mean, they brought in Roy Williams and and he had Tony Romo and that didn't work out. And people can say all they want to like, well that was different because that was Roy Williams. But if things continue to go for Amary Cooper the way that they've been, then he will be Roy. He'll be the same type of thing. I mean, it's it's spiraling downward

until it can get back up. I just have a very hard time thinking we'll be sitting here in April and go, you know, I'd rather have my first round pick. I just feel like that's going to happen. I don't know what he can do to be like, I'm so good glad they didn't they did that. That's fine. They can have the pick we got Cooper. I have a hard time thinking that's going to happen, and so I also have a hard time thinking that you couldn't have

done something different with the second round. Oh the Eagles were asking for a second fine, I mean Cowboys second, it's probably gonna be about the same. You can throw in fourth, fifth, you can, you can sweeten the deal without going into the first round. I think. But and

that's I see where you're going. And that's why you know, in the weeks leading up to this, I said, give me DeVante Parker for a sixth or it's water way under the bridge, but give me Josh Gordon for a fifth, because you're giving yourself a chance to fix the problem without committing these crazy resources to it. I mean, you know, if if you trade DeVante Parker for a sixth, then he's terrible. Who cares? If Josh Gordon gets suspended for

smoking weed? Who cares? Is a fifth round pick their day three picks there, they're a diamond dozen't so committing the first round pick to it, especially with how good this team has been in the first round, it is a little disheartening. I take a little bit of comfort in the thought that you know, I'm already diving into this. This receiver crop for twenty nineteen does not look super promising.

So you know, at least you know Cooper's Cooper really probably is better than a receiver that you're gonna get in the first round. But that doesn't mean maybe there's an offensive tackle you really love in the first round, or a tight end or whatever that you know now you don't have a chance to get that guy. You know.

I just feel like first round picks are so valuable, and a lot of teams feel that way that if you would have called thirty one teams and then at last two days, maybe they did, but I doubt it. Call thirty one teams and ask for their number one receiver for a first round pick, and I have a feeling you could have gotten someone maybe maybe better than him, I mean first round pick. I mean, I just feel

like you think so, yeah, I do. I think Cooper's a little uniquely positioned just because he's I know, you know, the last year and a half have not been great, but he's got a resume. He's got a resume, he's a two time pro bowler, and his contract is in a certain spot. I mean, you know, you think about the truly elite receivers in this league, most of them are playing on huge money deals, most of them. I mean, you know, you're not getting Odell Beckham for just one

first round pick. I don't think you're not getting Antonio Brown or Julio Jones. Like I think Cooper's a little uniquely positioned to where the body of work and the pick kind of coinside, which is why you know, I thought you might be able to get him for a second. But yeah, well the deal is pretty much made. That is what happened. They did give up their first round pick. Now, with that being said, they're fixing to cut Bryce Boiler

and make it official pretty soon. So with the Mari coming in, how does he integrate with the group of wide receivers that the Cowboys are really have? Obviously Terrence Williams out the door. Basically he's on our heart and then you got tell you when Austin still hurt. But based on what we've seen so far, how they've managed the wide receivers and what they have done with them right now, how do you see a guy like Mari really working out and coming in and making a difference,

which and this this is the flips of Eric. Hey, Derek, what's that up? You have a good meeting? Yeah cool, cool to talk after? Oh boy? Oh as all in trouble. Oh good, let's finish the show. Hey yeah, great. I hope that's I hope that's a joke. Um, it's a joke. Okay, good, thank you. Um. I've been thinking about that because I just said it, and I still I believe it. The Cowboys overpaid for Amari Cooper, But that happens when you're trying to improve your team in the NFL from time

to time. You look at the flip side of that. He's immediately your best receiver, he's your ex he's going to be here for twenty five more games, and hopefully you would think the Cowboys are gonna have a good shot to extend him beyond that. Like I'm if he's supposed to replace your first round pick, I'm thinking of him as a building block player. Michael Gal is my why from here on out. Cole Beasley is my slot. No disrespect to Alan Huns or Deanta Thompson, But like,

why am I bothering with that? If I just gave up a first round pick for Amari Cooper. Am I crazy for thinking that? No? I mean, I think Alan Hearns they tried to, you know, see if he could be a guy that was you know what he was a couple of years ago, and and that's Alan Hearns is a reason why you could have you should have some caution here with with Cooper because they saw what he did a couple years ago and they said, you know,

maybe he could be that type of guy. They're hoping that Cooper's the type of guy was you know a couple of years ago as well. But they're different skills skill um, they had different skill sets, so you can't really compare these players. I just feel like that you're You're right about that at least from Gallup and Cooper. Beasley. You got to get a new contract for him, right, we'll see, but but you know Beasley will be better if if if this guy can stretch the field. And

I said this yesterday on the show. He's got nineteen touchdowns eleven him or thirty yards or more. And that's that's pretty good when you think of Daz had nineteen touchdowns of thirty or more in his eight year career. So you know he's a guy that has stretching the field, but I don't I think I agree with everything you said right there, except for I don't discard Herns so readily.

Well I'm not trying to cut him, no, I know, but I guess what I'm saying in a year I am I'm saying right now when you look at I mean, I think this last game was that not the best game he's had so far since he's been here. I mean as five catches seventy four yards, that's significant, I

think in this offense. And so I still believe that, I still believe there's still more to find out about about what Alan Herns can be here and maybe if given a particular role, which what we've seen I think i've seen already from him is what he does well is he can catch those slant routes. He can catch those Carl routes. Like He's not a deep threat, but he's a guy that you could put into a role of moving the chains. He could be a big body

that you can use to move the chains. I think what we're what we're at least when I'm starting to see is I think if if you can get from Cooper what you thought you were getting from Dez when he was here, which is a true number one type receiver that can make big plays. He is your explosive play guy. He can make explosive plays for you. Now, what that does is that allows a lot of these other guys to settle into roles. Cole becomes a guy that works to slot and works the middle of the field,

can move the chains. Hearns can be a big body that can can can move the chains as well. I think Gallup has shown he can get downfield and make some plays downfield for you. I think you can start

to kind of find roles for these guys. That makes a lot more sense than just kind of throwing him out there and seeing I don't know, really know what anybody does well and just kind doing whatever you know if you want to use, if you want to use Hearns the same way they used Bryce when he was actually part of the offense, that's fine with me, but

maybe a little bit more. But yeah, you give up to see I disagree, and Hearns did have his best game, and I like Alan Hearns as a person and I don't think he's been bad, but way more than I remember his five catches for seventy four yards. I remember he ran out of bounds on his big game and like seemed like he could have got more yards and Murray, he dropped. He dropped a super clutch contested ball. I mean, like, but let's remember background. Let's remember Amari Cooper also has

been having issue with catching the ball. I mean, that's that's that's beside the point you have made your bed with I get it. I'm just saying, though, before you start relying on him to be whatever and discarding the other guys, saying that he can't always catch the ball reliably, I'm just saying that's something you got to consider. You're

you're that's my nightmare. Like if I mean, if that's really how No, that's not that's not possible if you gave up a first round pick, like what you're saying, it's not possible that you've been having issues catching. No, I'm saying, he like, start catching it then, because the first round pick is gone now, ex receiver. I don't think it's that's simple. It better if I think what he's saying. I'm not trying to speak for you, but the fact is is that this whole debate about well,

he's not thinking. Mark Cooper's here, we got jerseys, we're about to sell with him. Mark Cooper's the guy. First round pick is gone, so he's the guy. His his warts and whatever, deal with it. But they're the decisions to be made next. Dear for Alan Hearns, Kavon Austin, Deontay Thompson, uh and Cole Beasley and on how this thing kind of rounds out and all of those four guys, I would imagine one of them comes back, maybe two in which two are they right? And that's my thing

is I don't think that. I don't think you're going out to draft one. So you're looking at those you just did, so you're not about to do it again because you don't have But you don't have a first round pick, so you're not about to get another one. So at this point, I'm thinking, with what you have, Hearns might be the best of left of what you have to round out to receiver group. I'm not saying he'd be as good as Cole Beasley, but like you can find a Cole Beasley type player in the draft

way after the first round. I mean, if you decide if you decide you don't want to bring him back, and I don't know, but I just Cooper. Obviously, Gallop's arrow is up and you spent a pick on it, like get him on the field. And we talked about and maybe that Mickey and Brian were right Nick, maybe you know, we were kind of down on him. He showed what he can do. Get him on the field. I'm done with this rotation thing and I feel like they are too, which is and again Allup needs to

be playing more. No disrespect to Alan Hearns. If you can find some space for you know, if you can find some use for him, fine, But like I don't want a Cooper or Gallop coming off the field, and Beasley plays best in the slots. So those are the three guys I want to see primarily, and I think they've earned that right or the Cowboys have invested in them. This is not going to happen. But what I would like to do would be bring up Na Brown, let me see him. I feel that Deonta Thompson I've seen

enough and it's just really not working out. Although he has the speed and all that is just it's not working out right now as far as Alan hearns. He has his good moments. But from the beginning to up until this point, everything that I've seen, and I told you this Nick during the game. One of the things that I noticed he gets easily pushed around, like he catches a ball and then he's pushed back, like three more yards back. He's just like a little feather that

you can easily just pop push him back. And I don't I don't like it. For what you're getting out of it is just to me, not really working out. So give me Noah Brown, bring him up and let's see what they can do. Are you making the assertion that Cole is not similarly pushed around? No, No, I don't know. I honestly don't know that there is a receiver on this team that I consider to be or

not pushable around. Okay, yeah, obviously you're gonna get pushed Yeah, but you you put up a fight there, you just touch him. But I'm saying, I don't I don't know that I got I don't know that there are receivers on this team that you consider to be tough guys. And what I mean, I'm talking to the mold of Steve Smith type guys that they're gonna bow up when they get when somebody hits them, and they're probably gonna

break that tackle, just what Dez was. Dez made his career off the guy comes to hit him, he bounces off the guy and he's off running, right. I don't know they got those kind of guys on this team. I'm not sure Mark Cooper is that kind of guy. Um, So I don't I don't know that that you're gonna get that kind of toughness from any of the guys on this receiving corps. That's not what we've seen him. But at a different level though, I think all around.

They signed Alan Hearns to be you know, it's just kind of to be the number one on this this group. Um and now all of a sudden, you know he'll probably be number four, right, Well they signed three uh four four yeah, I mean yeah, when Cooper galloped Beasley and him, and then they signed Alan Hearns to be their bargain bin x. Like they said, this guy has shown potential, we can bring it out of them. There

will be plays for him. With the way that they're keying on the run didn't work out, that can be an indictment of Dak or your offensive line, or hearns himself, or the play calling, probably all of the above. But they watched it for seven weeks and they said, we need a better receiver. That's my question too, Like what happens if you give up this number one pick and you find out that really it wasn't hearns, it wasn't.

Maybe these other guys there, great teams. Let's take our first break, and when we come back, things are going to get it interesting. All right, let's go. If you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a heart thing, then cutting the court is scary. But then I found out I could switch to direct TV Now and still get the live sports I love. No set, I needed, no bulky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live sports you love. Tried direct tv now for

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out and put it to the test. The Cowboys did when they named John Dear their official tractor experience one for yourself. Visit my John Dear dealer dot com. Slash Football Back to the Break her back On the second segment of the show, before we went to break, Derek was going to post a very interesting question, so I'll let you finish well. It was I thought that this is a question that I had assumed everybody listening, I

assume even people in this panel. I thought about, um because I heard you guys talking a little bit about this last night when you did the emergency podcast. By the way, you guys did a phenomenal job coming off that flight and jumping on there. Thank you really really great job. But um so is anybody just exhausted like about this that I was last night? Like I almost I felt, really and you know what what I thought, I know where We're getting to a really big topic here.

But just like that whole trip and was almost like mentally exhausted. It was you know, it's just like it wasn't physically we didn't do a whole lot of thing. We didn't walk around a little bit, tackle anybody, No, but just mentally, I mean, just a lot going on, a lot of things, you know, in the game was was was crazy, And then that museum was kind of heavy too. That can sometimes zapp of your somber experience. It's a good experience, but it's is an experience that

can take a lot out of you. I think just you get used to you know, the Cowboys throw you high heat for seven weeks and I'm setting getting ready, and then they just slider just all the way across the plate like no, Like I'm like I was the guy yesterday just lunging for the ball and just like just the worst swing, no plate discipline. I've never been more thrown off by it. A story, a news cycle. Yeah, we get on the plane to leave and this is this is after the museum and all that, and I

mean I should have known. I turned to Rob and I said, isn't it nice to not have to pull out your computer and work and write anything, you know, like we always have to do. We always have to do it, you know, after a game and this is you know, and and Dave's in front of us out, I mean, like knocked out. Snap. Then all of a sudden, it's just started. You know, you just start seeing phone people showing their phone to other people, so you know it's Dave was out the whole time, and literally woke up,

turned around. It was like, what's up. Like, we just traded for Mark Hubert. Rob's got the story. It's done. We're waiting for the confirmation. We're gonna send it out. And he was just like what, like, really, are you messing with me? You didn't say that, but like, are you messing with me? We were on the buck waiting

to go through security. I saw I was just watching and I saw Garrett get off the plane to the escalator thing and just talking on the phone, and I was wondering, I'm like, humm, what could he be talking? Everybody's here, yeah, yeah, And and the way his facial expressions and stuff, I'm like, this things serious. It was a very animated because I passed by him going on to the plane. He was pretty animated, so there was something going on. Yeah, but this this move is you know, well,

should help him. I mean it should. This is a now move, which but they said, coach, he needs next year, year after that year. It's not just a now move, but it is a now move. That's what we said before. Is this for an is it panic button or is it down the road? And it's a little bit of both. I will I will allow that with that caveat yeah,

because I think it's a big picture move too. Because absolutely, to get into the topic that we were getting into, Amari Cooper is the name, and the nineteen jerseys are the ones that are for sale. But this is he just got faster too. By nineteen o nine is a gross number, like darceiver, Yeah, nineteen. But now you're you know right, you can run everything everything about this move. It's it's all about Dak Prescott to me, like the whole thing, it's he needs you know, this is the

Cowboys line of logic. Is he needs help? You know, it's it's not working with you know, Dak Prescott at this point in his career, he is not going to elevate receivers, you know, I mean Aaron Rodgers take seven undrafted free agents, and he's gonna make him look like Pro bowlers. Dak is not there, and that the Cowboys have clearly come to that conclusion. They're bringing him some help. He's got nine games. We've seen it work with a top not receiver. You know, sixteen Dez was good, and

I think that's something to remember. Amari Cooper doesn't need to be a one hundred and twenty yards per game type of guy. Dez finished with eight something in twenty sixteen, but he was just enough enough of a threat that had opened up the field for Cole, Beasley and Zeke and that's that's all Cooper needs to be. But Dak has to perform with that, and that's you got nine games this year and now certainly sixteen games next year. Like, let there be no doubt that Dak Prescott's going to

be the starting quarterback in twenty nineteen. If that upsets you, I'm sorry, but what else are you going to do? I mean, you could conceivably throw a ton of money at Teddy Bridgewater, who does not have a better resume than Dak Prescott. Other than that, what are you gonna do? Draft another fourth round quarterback and hope for the best. No, Dak Prescott's your guy in nineteen. I would bet right now they'll probably franchise him after that, assuming he's even

remotely good next year. I think this trade to me means Dak is the starting quarterback for at least like two more seasons. And that's why I think this is so important. And he's going to have to prove to them that he's worth further investment. But what happens if you get through this season and you realize you couldn't evaluate Cooper or Dak because, in my opinion, the problems that you're having on offense them mostly from the offensive line. And no, seriously, look at this last game. He got

sacked four times. There were a number of times where he was trying to make a throw and could not make a throw because somebody was in his face, particularly the play where they end up giving up the touchdown on the fumble. I think that I think that this is a case where you may have great people at wide receiver. You might have a great wide receiver group.

Let's assume it was a great wide receiver group. If the offensive line isn't doing its job, if they're not consistently being able to run specifically on the road, which is that's the narrative right now? Then does any of that really matter? And can you really truly evaluate Cooper and or Hearns and or Dak if the offensive line isn't playing up to the level that you expect them to play, well, yeah, it is gonna be hard. It's

hard to evaluate your offensive line. It's hard to evaluate your team if your offensive line is struggling like that and you know that they are no longer this elite offensive line anymore. I mean, there used to be three Pro bowlers that are playing great, and you know, Tyrn Smith is just not playing like an elite left tackle. Now I don't, I don't. He's he's not. He's good. Actually, he's good. He's one of the best in the league. He's still you know, he's still at that level. But

you know, Zack Martin is really good. Connor Williams had the worst game I think of his career right there. He was really bad. And Lyle's not not making that that that jump either. I think Looney is probably your third best lineman right now. Um, if you saw the fumble that for the touchdown. Did anyone see Connor Williams on that play? Connor was blocking the guy that ended up scoring. He got called for holding the play before, which really, I mean that changed the whole game. That

holding pilling was huge. But the next play he was holding worse than that, and they didn't call it. He was holding onto the guy's jersey and from the ground he's on the ground and holding his jersey and he didn't hold it well enough because Preston Smith's got the fumble. I mean, he was really really bad and Zack Martin tackling college move him to guard. It's an all pro. He's great. It hasn't worked like that yet for Connor Williams.

I'm not saying he's not going to be, but but they you know, Looney's just holding his own and then he's right there. Lyle's not doing his thing and Tyrant gets beat more than he thought. And I actually think that a part. I've been thinking a lot about Tyrant. I actually think it's more plausible in my mind that the things we've seen that are not great plays from Tyran this year have a lot to do with him

worrying about what's happening at guard. I really do believe that, because I cannot understand how a guy that was so just money you put him out there and he was shutting down. Whoever was coming around his corner now is giving up. I think just guys are just getting around him. That you would be like, there's no way that guy gets around him last year, and the only thing I can think of that's what's different is that he does have to rely on him a little, especially this last game.

We saw one one play where they did a twist and Tyrn was late getting off his guy. You do wonder if he's having to ride that guy a little bit longer, that's that's going down because I don't trust that my guard can just step right in and stop him in stone wall him. So I got to hold a little longer, and now all of a sudden, that guy gets around me. You, I mean, you might be right, and I mean, there's no way to know without talking

to Tyron and the coaches. I would guess, but you don't think it's just possible that Tyron Smith is already approaching a decade in the league and has had chronic issues with his back, which is a big problem for anybody. I mean, I have back problems in it. I suck at just sitting in a desk all day. You're not a world class athlete though, No, absolutely not, And there might not be a better there might. But he's been playing. He's been playing with those same injuries. Yeah, and and

umulate over time. I mean, you get older, you have more injuries, you put more wear and tear on it, get it. None of that has shown up on the injury report, first of all, and second of all, on the injury report all the time. Is he on the injury report? Was he's been on the injury report? Was he in on the injury report last week? I'm pretty sure he was with a back injury or neck injury.

Who knows. All I'm saying is all I'm saying. Is the point I'm making is just that I think that it's probably pretty plausible that what you're seeing from Tymas Smith, at least those players that are that are negative plays for him, have something to do with the fact that he's having to give more thought and more effort to making sure he doesn't hang out his rookie to drop aft ankle all last week ankle back, okay, And that's and that's affecting him as much as anything else in

my opinion. Now, remember now that the right guard next to him has never been a guy that's a pro bowler anyways. But the type of player they have right now is probably not helping him because Ron Leary was a big dude. Yeah, I mean, and and even Jonathan Cooper. I mean, these guys are are big type players. And and that's Connor Williams is a little bit more of a finesse guard um and he hasn't got the technique.

He's not built like a guard right now. And Zack Martin is kind of a finesse cao if Zack Martin doesn't really just pancake people, but his technique is amazing and that's what makes him the best in the game. But I think that that play you just said, if you had a little bit more girth there, if you had a bigger body, that you feel like, all right, this guy's gonna hold his own more. And I think that's kind of an issue and that's something that you

got to learn. I mean, Connor Williams is gonna to get Here's the question is that I'm seeing a lot of people asking this how much is due to the coaching part of it on the all line because or is it more just the execution of it that's it. I think it's nine that I really believe that. I heard it yesterday in the museum, which is bad. I shouldn't really be talking about that. I mean, you know, but but that came up. I heard people talking about

it then. I've heard people talk about it back in February. I've heard a player on one of the starters say, we're gonna do what we do. I don't know how much this guy is going to help us, talking about Paul Alexander. So it didn't even start off well. And and I don't think that thing has worked out. I'll be shocked if he's the offensive line coach next year. I really will. Yeah. I think there's so many problems that are happening you have to address. You have to

say what's different. It's different obviously there were different players, but you would expect that the coach is going to be able to coach up the rookie. He's gonna be able to get him ready to go. And it just hasn't worked out. And I want, sorry, Dave, I want Frederick Martin and Tyrn Smith. I want them that they've been around long enough. Pick the guy, Pick the guy that's gonna work. Who do you know who? Who who

will push you to pick their coach? Well, I mean, I mean, let's at least have some input in a little bit. You know, maybe you're about that quarterbacks. I've never heard about it with a no line. Yeah. Well, I'm just saying this supposedly this good. Maybe that is the right way to go. And it's it's tough for coaches, it really is. Now he's been coaching twenty seven years, so he's like, this is the way I do things.

It's always these old tight end coaches would come in and try to coach Witten like, Okay, it's a little bit different. And yeah, and I think that's a that's a big part of this thing as well. I don't think that has meshed well with old school theories and stuff with and I thought it would. I would. I would really thought that that would be. Wow, you got this guy and he's got great tools to work with. That has not worked. He's done an awesome job of

deflecting because we were supposed to be talking about the quarterback. Well, but I think you already addressed that, and that's why I kind of took in a little different direction because I think the offensive line is just as much a part of this as the quarterback. But I guess I was just going to ask the question going further. Do you think that Amari Cooper makes Dak and or the

offensive line better? Is he that kind of player? Well, and that's the big thing for me is to answer your question more directly, number one, And I hear you. The offensive line has certainly been a problem, especially on the road, and it bums me out to watch Tyrn and Lyle Colins struggle because I'm big fans of both of them as people, and they've obviously played well, Tyring more so than Lyall, but they've both played here in

their cowboy criers. Anyway, to answer the question more directly, you Dak Prescott is a quarterback or base I mean, everything has to be perfect for him to play up to the potential you need him to, which is it's a problem in the modern NFL. Like that's really not something that I'm trying to hear, but that's what we've seen so far, is like when his offensive line is kicking everybody's ass and his running back has got room to run, and his receivers are getting open and he's

got time to find them. They can be pretty good. When any part of that equation falls apart, it doesn't work. And that's not a description of a quarterback that I want to give a ton of money to. But this trade again, to me, indicates that there they at least want to explore this and see where it goes for at least another season. If not to they're giving him another player to work with. I think what they need to do is give him a different offense to work with.

I really believe that revamp the whole thing. Listen, Lenahan came in here to work with Tony Romo, and they did some really good things together. But but I don't think, and they've tried, and I get twenty sixteen that that was magical what happened there, But but I don't think that this offensive. I don't think Lenahan works well with dak as far as every single week consistently, the guy had eighty two yards rushing. He had Jacksonville on his

toes the whole game. You know, they were throwing deep, they were going into around, they were doing things, and then they come to Washington and it's completely different. It's just been back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, you know. I mean, and I talked to my eleven year old daughter last night and she goes, I got it figured out. This team wins, one loses, one win, one's losing one. I was like, well, you got it figured out right there. That's it. That's the story of

this team and franchise for the last few years. And but but why is that? Can I can I play Devil's advocate on that? Because I was watching the just the kinds of play calls that they were they were running, and it seemed like there were opportunities where Dak could have run the ball. There were run pass options where you know, basically he's back, he looks at the defense, he makes the determination Zeke should get the ball. Could

it be? Could it be that maybe what we're seeing is just that some teams that say we're going to take away Dak versus taken away Zeke when it comes to run pass option those games, it actually works because if Zeke's getting the ball, they know how to stop Zeke when he gets the ball because they got enough guys in the box to do it. They can't account for Dak when they leave him as the guy that

can keep the pull it back and run. Could that be a part of the issue here as to why we're seeing wins when it's one way and loss of versus the other. Is it more defense driven offense driven? Well, I don't know exactly that part of it exactly, you know, to answer that, But I'll say this, the final two drives of the game, the receivers didn't get any better. But and obviously they're playing in a little bit more of a prevent thing to make sure you don't get

beat deep. But Dak to me looked like he was a run more, you know, run first type guy. Like when it was there in any of the yards the any yards they run, run, run, and they spread things out. You didn't see a lot of tight ends out there. You saw a spread out team. And I think the receiver's now are gotten better with Cooper, but I think they need to think like that more. He in his mind, he was like, I'm running, I'm running, I'm doing this. He needs to do that more so Is that on

him more than it is the offensive coordining? Well, both, I mean they need to say, hey, you're a runner. You're a runner. I don't. I don't. I mean if he's if he's trying to make these passing yards to make his money or whatever, I mean, that's not gonna work. He needs to be a running quarterback. And I think that showed him those final two drives, and his toughness is off the chart. To me, he's the type of

guy you want as your quarterback. You wish he was a little bit better to hang onto the ball, but that's not really been his m o um. He's fighting for He's dive in face first. You know, he did all game long to questions to take that shot, and you said it he was gonna take his licks. He did. He took that hit. I know what. He comes back, but he's already taken a hit like that. Okay, can action protocol and all games on the line. There's the goal line he's flying for. I mean, there is no

seventeen in Dak Prescott. You know he's running. No. Yeah, I admire the crap out of that guy, which you know, same thing with Tyrn and Lyle Like I hate having to dog him with the way this offense has been playing because I root, like hell for that guy. But it is what it is through seven weeks of the season. Again, to answer your question more directly, because I have so many thoughts in my head. This has been a good

conversation one way. You know, if we're thinking of Amari Cooper as a first round pick, if if you're offensive, you know, if you can't evaluate it because you're offensive line, I think that's BS. But well, you know what your problem spot is. I mean, look at the offense heading into the draft. You don't have a first round pick. You need a tight end. And then what I mean, no, I'm thinking, I'm purely thinking about and then what I mean, identify your need signing him? Who when he is a

free agent? We're signing him, right, I would think so, but our own shot back whatever, I don't want to do that, to have done this in a month. Yeah, seriously, Okay, fine, all right, fine, we can talk about that. There's so many things that this trade changes. You think about sixty seven million dollars in cap room and what all of that means. Maybe you're active in free agent more than you would be normally because you don't have a first

round pick. You can find Hey, you found Connor Williams in the second round, and for all the criticism, I think he's been much more good than bad and he will be better next year. I guarantee. Yeah, you can find yourself a center if you think you need one. You can find yourself a guard. You don't want to protect yourself, you don't need for or tackle. I don't think that would be crazy, um so or or again.

Free agency, you're gonna have money to spend, So it's almost kind of you know, it sucks to get rid of that first round pick, but I'm kind of relieved to have receiver sort of settled. Like I mean, you know, Gallup is a yeah. Is it settled? Yes? Why it freaking itself? First round pick? It's settled from the standpoint that you've given away the first round and pick. You've now lasted yourself to this guy. He's going to be your guy. What I'm saying is, is it settled from

the standpoint of production? Well, are you going or are you going to be looking back a year from now saying oh, I don't know about bending a first round pick because I don't know if we got the production, what do you want to spend nine million dollars? Now on your third on your third receiver, because Cole has made it pretty clear where he thinks his value is and he's about to be a free agent, and you've got Cooper, You've got Gallop, and yeah, it would be

nice to have him in the mix. But at that price, I don't know what would it costs a franchise Cole. That would is that up there with the do they have like a slot receiver? No? No, No, that would be one of the That would be one of the worst moves you could make, because because think about it's it's Odell, It's yeah, who are they? That's why I was asking the question, because I was like, is it going to be with the other receivers or is it

gonna be with slot receivers? If I could figure out to do a slot receiver franchise and I'm all in, way right, but I'm not. I'm not not. Only this team only ever uses three at a time, and you've got two of them locked in for the foreseeable future. If Cole Beasley doesn't have a future here, you can draft. You can find a guy with that skill set without spinning a ton of ta. Tavon could be that guy.

Maybe well, he's coming up. He's not under contract. I know what I'm saying, but maybe they resign him if they think it's worth The is no no, no disrespect at all intended to Cole Beasley. He is a matchup nightmare. He's been the best at receiver this year's season for the Cowboys. You can find that skill set much easier,

I think than the X the bona fide outside. Uh Trey Quinn comes to mind, and he's on I R for the Redskins right now anyway, but he was mister irrelevant and had he not gotten hurt, he was gonna be a starter for that offense. I mean it's you can find that guy without spending a lot of resources to do it. And you got Zeke too. So I mean your skill players for the most part look fairly settled. You need a tight end and you need help on

the line, depth, starter, whatever. Travis Frederick's health is going to play a role in that. We'll see. But so but you But your argument earlier was you're tied to the quarterback. At this point, you think this move says you're tied to the quarterback, So you're not worried about the fact that you'd have to get a quarterback this year with at least you are he's going to be

your starter next year. I bet my life, and then I would guess probably in twenty twenty two if I had to bet, so you got Oh yeah, let me just give my mouth shut. Why why radio shows the objective? Right? Right? No? I just you know, you guys keep going back and forth on different I know, I know, so I have so many different thoughts in my head, and one of them being like, I hate and I understand. Yes, the old line is not playing well or at least to

the level that we all expect. But I hate using that as an excuse because how many an excuse it is. It is. It is the whole point of again, the whole point of what we did on the show is we're we're supposed to analyze, and analyze means you look at the things that you think are problems, you look at the things that you think are good, and you make an analysis. The point is the offensive line has not been what they expected it to be. And by the way this whole thing is built around, they were

going to have a dominant offensive line. Their whole offensive philosophy is built around the concept of having a starting with a dominant offensive line. So if the offensive line is not dominant, how is the whole thing going to work? Like that's the most important key to what they want to do offensively? How many offensive lines in the whole NFL there are great? How many are there? They are great? How many? How many teams have built their offensive around

having a great offensive line? Look, I don't care, But what I'm saying is I don't have an answer for that. No, that's good. You've gone great moments out of your offensive line. And there comes times and past years, right, there comes times where yes, you're not gonna be able to rely on one specific aspect of your offense and you need other people to work. Like I can't be fitting you food in your mouth all the time, Like at one point you need to learn to grab your own spoon

and fit it on your own. You know, I get all the amber. I'm not saying. I'm not saying that these other guys don't have responsibilities. I'm not saying the receiver shouldn't bear some responsibility, quarterback shouldn't be responsibility, Zike shouldn't be responsibility. My point is that if you want to look at why things aren't working the way they're supposed to work on this offense as we expected it too.

I think it starts with the offensive line, because they're not playing and they were the part that you thought going into the year that was the part of this offense that you felt none of us have question marks about this offensive line until Frederick went down and then it was like, well maybe, but we're like, Noah, they're still good enough. They're good and what we're seeing right now is they're not playing to the level of what

you expected. This offense. This philosophy and the way they want to play offense is all predicated on the offensive line playing really really exceptionally well. True, But in my personal opinion and from what I've seen so far, although they have struggle, I don't think that it's been horrific enough and super super bad to where you're able to move the ball at all. I'm not I'm not what

I'm saying. I'm not saying it's been horrific. Did you ever hear me say that's not what i'd say done, but what I said it was good enough to help you to let you or allow you to move the ball in score like that has. Yes, I get it, it it has been an issue. I absolutely agree, but not to the point where that absolutely ruins your game. What what did Dave say earlier? He said, in order for this quarterback to be successful, lots of things have to

go right. That starts with the offensive line. He's gonna need time, the running GA game's gonna have to be on. Guess what, That's what you hits to for right now until he grows as a quarterback, that's what your hits to. That's why when you're dealing with a young quarterback, you

better have those other pieces in place. You better be playing good defense, you better be able to run the ball, because if you hang a rookie quarterback or a young quarterback in this league out without those other things, this is what you're going to get inconsistent play. Okay, let's take our final break and when we come back, I'll have a different question for you, and I hope you

can answer it. I'm sure I can't. While the player can look good on paper, it's one 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 should rely on more than just specs and features. You've got to take it out and put it to the test. The Cowboys did when they named John Deer their official tractor experience one for yourself. I

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been traded? Yes? Eli Apple was awaint. I didn't see what it was for now, fourth and seventh, Oh, fourth in nineteen seventh, in twenty it's fun to dog pile on the Cowboys. No, I wasn't dog I'm just saying for a point of reference. Ye, that's what's happened. But Eli Apple hasn't happened tenth of a career that Amari Cooper on and off, like they've had problems with him

in the locker. I said this that yesterday and I'll say it again because it only it's only happened nine times in the history of the NFL where a receiver comes into the league has a thousand yards in the first two years that he did that. His third year wasn't as good, and this is his fourth year right now, and it's kind of been off and on a little bit. But Eli Apple did not come into the league and doing anything like that. Um. So that's it's hard to dupin.

Even in that third year he had seven touchdowns, Yeah, the most most of his career. Yeah, he's had three straight years of five touchdowns. And the Cowboys a wide receiver has only done that here one time in the last eighteen years. No, I mean no, in the last thirteen years. Um, and that was dos Bryant's Brent. What about the guy that ended up coming here for a year he had ten touchdowns? Yeah, year was that eleven? Lauren Robinson? You know what I mean? He had for

his whole career with the Cowboys eleven. So I mean he had Yeah, I mean that happens. Beasley has gone gone under a little bit, but I mean to did it, and then before that and then after that it was just death. So this just shows you a level of consistency of scoring touchdowns and that's what happens when, if anything else, you can just run by people. He's a big play guy. I mean he's got some long touchdowns too.

My memory is hazy, but the Saints definitely don't have a first in nineteen and now they don't have a fourth or a seventh, and oh all right, they don't have a first or a fourth and they I don't think they have a third either because of another deal that they did. So hey, they're going all in. Many should I mean you look at their team, Yeah, they should go out. They don't not alone much as longer they're gonna have Breefe, so they should be going all in.

There's really only one team in the NFC that looks like it can touch them, so and they look like they can definitely touch them. Oh yeah, I mean the Rams look great, but the good team, it's a really good team. That is a good team. All right, Well, trying to better with me here? Okay, all right, let's go let's take out let's try to take out the play calling, which is kind of hard to do because it kind of goes hand in hand with, you know, the performances happening on the field. But let's take it

out for a second. Now. Once you start evaluating your players, and now that you have a Marii Cooper in the mix, let's say things just kind of keep going how they've been so far. What is the problem? Who is the problem? What do you do to change it? The question? Why don't you ask what you're really trying to ask? Honestly, I mean, if it's if it goes the way that it's continue you to go, I think I still go

back to what I've been saying. I think your quarterback in your offensive line of where that's the genesis, because I don't, honestly, okay, what's happened to the first is going to answer the question? Okay, you're asking if they need to make a coaching change? Really is what you're as is that where you're going with this? No, Okay, I don't think that's what That's a different conversation, and I think we all kind of agree on that. What

is the conversation? Okay, Okay, okay, listen, you got the team. Let's say the season ended and it ended with it being kind of how it is. Okay, even with a Maori Cooper in the mix, what are you freaking doing? Although they went down through different changes you can make in the draft. I mean, think about all the aspects of this. How many different elements can you actually improve

just one person only thing? The only thing you can hope is, I think for the offensive line, when you're gonna hope is that Connor Williams is better in year two. You're giving me an offseason to get stronger, to get bigger, and you hope that he gets better and as a part of getting better, that helps Tying get better. You hope that Frederick is back and healthy and ready to play.

Although I don't think Joe Looney has been a big problem for this same I think he's done well and he's under contract yes nineteen, And then I think you have to hope that Lyle plays better. I think a lot of I think that's where it starts. Now, you're not changing. We just finished saying you're not about to change the quarterback. Quarterback is going to be here. Well, you can change the calls that he makes. You can change the guy in the room. No offense to telling more.

But I would rather do the Paul Alexander approach at quarterback. I would rather a quarterback coach that's been around, you know, for the fifteen twenty years, that's developed, other than a guy that has never won a game and he's not played in nearly as many games as the guy he's coaching. So I mean, like that's just young, young and young, and everyone blind leading the blind, and we just all I've said that from day one. There's nobody in that

room that's got any experience. Dak is the most experienced guy playing football than that whole room, and he's still young. Were coaching football Because to be honest with I don't think you have to play the position for a long time in order to be great at being able to coach it, right, But I think you have to coach it for a while. I would think, I mean it, especially if you have a young quarterback. Wade Wilson, he had a lot experience to answer. If it finishes like this,

only halfway through the season. But if it finishes like this, either below or at five hundred, with the offense ranked in the last eight of the league, there's gonna be changed, like there's no way around it. And only Jerry Jones knows if that means, like right at the top, Jason Garrett, I don't know. And then there's no point in trying to speculate on that not going to be a lot of player change. You wouldn't, No, No, I'm I mean

specifically with the coaching already. You know you're talking about the offensive line coach, the offensive coordinator Scott Lanahan is arguably more criticized than Jason Garrett is. To be honest with you, if this offense finishes the season as bad as it has been through the first seven games, there has to be changed. And that's and they know that, Like I'm not saying anything controversial, they know that they're seeing enough changes in the players as far as player goes,

and it's still the same thing is still happening. So that actually leads you to thinking, Okay, it's not about the player or the talent on the field is more And I don't think I don't think it's a coincidence that this trade happened right now. You know, you think back to the bye week. The last time this team really struggled in the first half of the season was fifteen. They went on the bye week, they benched Joseph Randall,

they promoted Matt Castle. I think they did something else too, But you've got a week to acclimate things in practice. You've still got half the season to play. They don't want to give up on the season, but they're making moves that are saying, we're going to try to improve this because we are not okay with what it is right now, and if it doesn't get better, then the

changes will only get bigger when the season's over. And I love that you just did that, because later this week, one of our days on this show, we're going to talk about what could be some potential changes, because you're right, during the bye week is where they tend to try to start making changes. One of them we've already seen. Obviously, they went out and got what they consider to be a number one callible wide receiver. Are there other changes that maybe they look at. Do they look at maybe

shuffling this offensive line. I know we all kind of throw that one off in stiff arm it. But is that something worth considering that maybe you should put Lyo back down at guard because he was pretty good when he was playing at guard and it does give a little more experience there. It's a tyrant, so maybe that helps your left side a little bit more than you would hurt your right side. There's arguments to be made for changes at different places, and I think that's something

we should talk about. When is our argument gonna happen? Why don't we try that for like, I don't know, Thursday or Friday. I mean, if you're gonna Friday, maybe Thursday, maybe okay, or maybe next Monday, who knows. All right, well are you having guys? That is all the time we have for today. Thank you for all the energy y'all brought here on the show, all this fun talk. Hopefully it works out for the Cowboys. We'll see. We don't know, but whatever, we'll figure it out eventually. Thanks

for your energy, whatever. For Derek Eagleton, Nikki Men, David Hellman. I am Ambergarcia and this has been the break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys football club,