Cowboys Break: Who's Coming Back?

of The Break for the two thousand nineteenth season. After today, we will start our offseason schedule next week. We'll be going once a week. We're still putting that schedule together. We'll let you guys know as soon as we get that figured out. I got only got to one hundred and nine episode. Yeah, but we still got more shows that will be a part of this season. Yeah, Derek doesn't turn it over till we'll turn over to the NFL season changes. But this football scout a whole system. Yeah,

I do. I've been doing this fifteen years. Don't worry about it. I got it. That's sad. Wow, is kind of sad, kind of confetit all right, I got Nick Woodman, Dave Amber, We got Danny joining us as well. All five of the crew here today that have been a part of the break for this season, and today we're gonna recap. Actually what we're gonna talk about is is expiring contracts. We're gonna talk about coaches that are up. We're gonna talk about players that are up. There are

a ton of them on both sides of those. And I'll want to know from you guys what you think will and should happen with all those guys. But before we do that, as a way to start off the show, I'd like to go around the table and I want each of you just give me a quick little minute on just your thoughts on where this team is based on what you saw this season, based upon what is

expected to have to happen this offseason. Just where you think if you had to give a state of the Union right now, Uh, well, where would you be right now with this team. I'll start with the older statesman, Nick, start us off. Um, what I like a little heads up on that one? Well, I want it really there is why I didn't tell you before is because I really wanted you're off Just what was on top of your mind about this team right now. They need I think they need better play on defense. I think that.

I mean you can say, I mean coaching, Yeah, you can, you can say that. I mean, they're gonna need to figure this out with the staff, But um, I think, you know, more than anything, I think that they need better play. The offense was good enough at times, but the defense I think is going to be where the focus needs to be. They need to figure out question marks on defense persual with the defensive line and the secondary.

A lot of a lot of moving parts there as part of sels we used to say, and I think that that defense is need needs to be addressed more than anything, all right, Amber, Hmm, Well, you know what, I'm feeling a little emotional today, and I just every year, you know, I just hate the fact that our youth

is going away. You know. Every year that pass every year that passes by is another last year, you know, And I feel that in my short time that I've been here, I genuinely really felt very, very excited about this specific season. We went into training camp and I

was like, Okay, wow, Chris Rushar. I was so excited about Chris Rashard and everything that he was doing in the defense and everything that was going on as far as the offense and what Amari Cooper was bringing into the team, seeing Dak developed into a better passer, you know,

throwing those long passes down the field. I was just very excited about the future of this team and right now, I mean, obviously the season came to an end, but as of right now, I have absolutely no idea what this team is going to look like next year, not just within the players but also the coaching staff. I have no clue or anything, any sense of like what

to expect moving forward. So I think it's just getting over that disappointment of just another year kind of wasted and the talent that we thought we had and then the unknown, just not knowing what's going to happen next Danny.

I feel like they were almost kind of like knocking on the door, like we saw so many good sparks of what this team is capable of, especially on offense, and so I still have faith in that sense of like when you look at this roster, you still know what these players are capable of, but for whatever reason,

they were never able to play complimentary football. And I agree with Nick, I think The biggest issue from this team has been defense on the line and the secondary of special I mean and even really all over, I mean every position was struggling with tackling for most of the season, and so I think that's where most of it needs to be the focus, whether that's acquisitions or the draft. Whenever we get to that point, I think defense is going to have to be a really heavy

area they focus on. And I think it'll be just interesting to see what happens because there are so many coaches and I think if we do get a new head coach that overhauls I mean everything, and so we'll have to see what happens there. But I think just disappointment from this year of knowing what this team was capable of and they all said that to themselves, and just not being able to get the job done. Dave round the Cell, I'm not an overly like sentimental person.

I don't buy into the whole kind of I don't buy into the whole like concept that like New Year's really means anything, you know, like it's it's a fresh slate, blah blah blah. I don't really buy it in general, but it's really crazy and fitting Jason Garrett oversaw literally this whole decade that's about to end, like almost the whole thing, with the exception of like six months in twenty ten, and it seems like it's over now, which lining up very well for the start of a new decade.

And so this whole franchise feels like it's at a crossroads. You can take it as a positive because I do think there's a lot of talent on this roster. They could make a fantastic higher You've got a quarterback that wins games, You've won a playoff game with him. I think there's all the reason in the world to think that this could trend upward. We've also just gotten done with a season where a team with talent just couldn't

get it together and couldn't make the playoffs. So success is never guaranteed in this league, and if you want to look at it as a negative, that's kind of scary.

If they bungle this, it could be the start of a downward trend and all of a sudden, you're good young players are good old players or not good old players, and you're sitting there thinking about the glory days where they were a Dez catch away from the NFC title game or etc. I choose to be optimistic because I believe in the talent on this team, and I trust the jones is to make the right higher when that

finally happens. But it's just, you know, we're here on New Year's even I just feel like we're at a big crossroads where it could go in a really really good direction or a not so good direction. All right, So here's what we're gonna do. We're gonna dive into this. You got anything else. I mean, honestly, if I had to, if I had to say what my thoughts are right now on this team, it would be I'm a little

confused and uncertain. That's the best way to put it, because I look at this team and I really do believe they got a lot of talent. But there's nothing that will corroborate that for me right now, because what I've seen from this team this season suggests that maybe some of the people I thought were really talented aren't as talented or they weren't being put in the right position. And that's what I don't know. That's the part that makes me really just I really don't know what to

think of this team right now. I'm interested to see if and when they make this move and they get a whole new let's let's say it's one new head coach or a whole new coaching staff, or whatever they do. I'm interested to see how the team performs next year because that'll tell me a lot about this year. So I'm deferring my opinion on this team until I see next year's team and how they perform, and that will tell me what I need to know about this final

season of this decade. All right, so let's jump in. Here's I want to do. I want to go through the roster of all the guys that are going to be unrestricted free agents. I have three categories. I want you to put them in for me. There is the priority that means that Cowboys should do whatever they need to do to get this guy resigned. There are the guys that if it works, if you can get a deal that works for both sides, make the right amount of money, that's where I want this guy to be.

And then they're the guys just let them walk. It's all good. We don't. We don't. We can move on. We can find barel talent. We should find better talent than what this guy presents. What was the mental category? I'm sorry. If it works so I get money, right, yeah, and we stick, then we do make the deal. So let's start with the one. We didn't do really good last year at this I can't remember how to within a free agency. Oh, I can't remember how the show went.

I know we did this last year. Remember this year? All right, let's start with the big one. Obviously, Dak Prescott, tell me whether you think he's a priority, if it's if the money works, or if you should let him walk. I think he's a priority. I agree, I mean, obviously it's if it works. I mean, but yeah, I guess

he's the priority, but it better work finance. Its kind of both, right, yeah, I mean I don't know if the Cowboys are gonna I mean, if they play hardball here, if they're gonna just let him walk, but I probably, I mean, they can always franchise him if they have to, so that that's that's what they have in their back pocket. And you can throw I mean, if it works, as always part of it, because I mean I don't want to give up the farm. I don't want to give

Dak Prescott whatever he wants. If his people want forty million dollars a year, I don't like that, Yeah, and that's why I won't be surprised if this draws out. But I think he's a good quarterback. I do think he took a step forward this year. Not as far forward as you would prefer, but I mean, I think you can accomplish your goals with him as the quarterback, and and once you sign him, it'll all fall into place.

He won't be the highest paid, YadA YadA, all that stuff we've talked about, and it's too hard to start over really with another quarterback. I think I think he's good enough. With some guys around him, then he can take this team where they want to go. So all right, let's go to Tavon Austin wide receiver already, lad block, Bye bye bye everybody. Yes, you should have been gone earlier in the season. I think they didn't even use

him till the end of the games anyway. I just I don't think he brought anything that you didn't have in your other receivers you can't get from other guys coming in this year. Does that does that turn into a position now that you have to fill because he had a role on this team. Is that now turn into a guy? You got it? Because you got a lot of and a growing list of people that you're a roles you're gonna have to replace. You have to

fill it. But I just assume you can find a fifth receiver and punt returner without I mean, you don't have to spend this crazy capital to accomplish that fifth receiver or whatever he is fourth for where you want. It's like, what, what nothings like that? I don't I didn't see that first, but go ahead, Oh it looked like wow, Like no, I was just gonna say what. I don't know. Whatever coaching staff that comes in here,

what's gonna be their opinion? Because with Tavon Austin, I feel like with different coaches, every coach thinks that they can make and take Tavon Austin's talent and make it work on the field, and it just has not worked anywhere where he's been. But every coach thinks he can they can turn him into something better. And by the way, he has some skills that makes a coach think I can get get out of him right because he can run.

We know that he can run, and so there might be a coach that's out there and says, hey, give me a year with that guy. I think I can do something. But there was a coach that said no, thank you, and that was Sean mcvagh. I mean once he get jumped in and saw him for a little bit and I said, oh, we don't need that guy. I feel dumb for not even saying this at the start.

Tony Pollard can do everything. Tavon Austin can. Good point I and it's not up to me, but I would have Tony spend the whole offseason working on fielding punts. Why can't he do that? Yeah, So, actually, like the way runs in that kind of stary, I think he'd be really absolutely all right, let's jump act. Let's take our first break. When we come back, we'll talk a little bit more about another wide receiver, Randall cop that won't come right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.

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are we gonnay? Just? Okaying? Is not okay, whether it's cheerleaders or your wireless network. At and T is America's best wireless network. Best network based on GWS one score, September twenty nineteen. Back to the break. It is the second segment of the Break Life in the s WBC mortgage studios at the Star, we're talking about unrestricted free agents.

We've gone for a few We're going to get back into a conversation on the wide receivers Randall cop So your priority is a guy they'd bring back the works or you just let him walk if it makes sense. I would bring him back, preferably on a similar deal to the one he signed this year. One preferably no more than one, maybe two years, not a lot of money. UM, I thought he worked in this offense. I thought he left a lot of players on the field. Him and Dad couldn't ever seem to get on the same page.

You know, it seemed like he had a drop, a key drop in every second or third game. But I do think he was a good player, and I think he's a good locker room dude. So if it with all that, I mean, I would also I'd be open to drafting a slot receiver too, that's fine, but if it could be done for a good price, I'd before it. Now the big one Marii Cooper. I we feel about a Marik Cooper. He's a priority. He got because I think that I'll just say this real quick before you

get to that. I think before the last few games of the season, I think this would have been a no brainer. He's a priority. Of course, he's a priority, and it seemed like it seemed like as those last few games played out, I think that seemed to change for some people. So where do you fall at this point after what you saw towards the end of the season.

I still think he's a priority. I know that he had some whether that's drops or they didn't have him to feel for whatever reason, he wasn't performing near as well as he normally does the end of the season. I also don't think he's fully healthy. Clearly, he was healthy enough to be out there the trainers would have put him ou there. He would have put himself out there.

He's had so many lower body injuries that I don't think he's fully healthy, and I'm not sure how much of that pays into it, But I still think he's a priority. We know what he's capable of. When he's on the feel he's even a decoy. I like him opposite of Gallup. He needs to be eating some meat and this he he I did not notice. Let me explain. He became a vegetarian and a while back before this season, talked to him about it. In the off season, Yeah,

I get it. In the off season, I was talking to one of my friends I used to be one of the nutritionists here, and she was kind of explaining. I'm like, what are your thoughts on this, And she's like, well, there are very biased opinions and this and that, but some studies have shown that that kind of can affect as far as injury. It can make your body be prone to more injuries when you're not in taking protein

the way that it should be taken. So if he's not replacing it with the right kinds of proteins or the right amount of proteins, I am not an nutritionist. I don't know. I'm not a trainer, so I don't know about any of that. But you know, when you're trying to make sense as to why all these different injuries that he's gone through this season, I'm like, Okay, well, maybe switch up the diet and try some meat and

see how that works. But again, I'm not a professional on that, but I just my thoughts have kind of changed as far as him bringing him back. For me, it would be if it works with the money and all that, because I don't feel comfortable with the injuries. I don't feel comfortable having getting a great player for half of the games and then not so much for the other half of the game when we play away from home. I don't know why that was. How was he playing last year when we had the like it

games away? It goes back to last year. It wasn't home splits or it's still it's weird how I don't get it. But if the money is good, then why not the other wife is something crazy? Then I'm like, Okay, maybe not okay. I think he's a better candidate for the franchise tag or transition just because there's so many question marks still and even if you can't do that, then I would. I would sign him to maybe three year deal and and hopefully that you know, just because

you're you're still trying to evaluate him. But he is a guy you invested your first round draft pick in, and you know it's hard to let him go. But you know Danny's point about him being hurt, he actually said yesterday he felt better the last day games in the first eight games and he played, you know, he didn't play as well down the stretch as he did early, so it's hard to tell. He has said some things about he knows the left plays on the table and he wants to you know, get better next year and

all that. But you know, I would probably sign him, but I think getting Dack done as a as a long term deal is important to lower that value so you can maybe do a franchise tag with him. It's a good I'm glad you brought that up, because it's a good guess that whoever the Jones is hired to be the next coach is they're not going to do it without that person signing off on Dak like that. I would guess the next coaches and be like yeah, I'm happy to work with Dak. Well, let's go forward

with Dak. Will that be the case for Mari Cooper? And I only wonder that because it was just a year ago that a new coach in Oakland came in and was like, I don't need this guy, I don't want him. Let's send him somewhere for a first round pick. So what will the new regime think of Amri? Me personally, I think he's worth resigning, and I know he was if he on the road and he left plays on the field. I get it had some bad games. I like what he's about. I like his approach, I like

his presence in the locker room. He's made a ton of big plays over a year and a half. So I don't feel one hundred percent great about it. I understand the concerns. I think I'd still do it, but I am cure is what a new coaching staff will see in him, because it was just a year ago that a new coaching staff didn't see it see here

he would be. My challenge with those who wouldn't think of a Mari as a as a priority is when you look around the NFL, there may be there maybe three guys around the NFL, two or three guys that are wide receivers at every single game are gonna be killers like they're every single game. Michael Thomas is the one that pops to mind. There are on a lot of others Hopkins. Hopkins is like that, but there aren't

many there. And so when you start, when we start, kind of, I think, I think a Mari to some degree can become a victim of us only watching him, like we we focus every game, we watch him, and so we know he's good in this game and in this game that doesn't quite show up, and then this game is really good and in this game not so much.

But I think that happens around the NFL, and and I you know, I don't want to like it too much to fantasy football, But if you play fantasy football, you'll know whids there's a hard position to every week be able to rely on because around the league there are very few of those guys that are every single week putting up really great numbers. And I think that's

the part you have to put into context. If you're gonna let him walk, can you replace what he's doing on those great days with somebody that's going to be consistent like that all year. That is, well, his contract needs to reflect that then, you know, And does his agent feel the same way do the Cowboys? But if he is one of those guys like and it's those top two guys that are every week and he's just below those guys, then that's probably where he should be slotted, right,

Julio too, Sorry, but that's the Julio Julio. Honestly, Julio is not a guy's every week either. Like Julio asked some weeks, where he's got that three catch for thirty yards date to the semantics of it, it's not a long it's not it's nice. Um, I'm I'm with you, and that's And the other thing is he is the rare receiver who is not going to be an issue if the team is winning games. Now we've seen that, like he'll he can go one for nine team or even do an offer and if they win, I really

don't think it's going to bother him. That is an unusual and I think a valuable attitude and I know where you're going because that kind of with you on that everything that goes up, it also comes down the problem too, is that when things are going the other way, does he have a problem with that as well? Sure? And and all you're going off is a perception of what you think when they win and he doesn't play well, so you're kind of like, I think he's okay with that.

And then all I'm going is is a perception of when they lose and he doesn't play well. I think he might be okay with that too. The second half of the Eagles game weighs almost as heavily as all of the good stuff. Like, that's how troubling it was. Where are you? Yeah? Yeah, which I don't have a good answer for it, but there's enough good stuff, and it's it's the same thing as Dak where I'm like, do I want to give this guy twenty one million

a year? Not really, Like if that's what he's asking for, then it could be a bit of a fight, But yeah, yeah, I'd like to think you could slot him in somewhere less expensive and everybody can be happy. Right, we'll see in his words said it yesterday, I mean he said it. He said he didn't have he didn't didn't play as well, and he left a lot of things, you know, out there on the field, so you know when when you're going into the negotiating table there, I mean I think

that you say you can say that. I mean I think he went down last year as far as where he was when the season started in training camp. I think his numbers now, I think guys have elevated over him. I don't know if he's a top five receiver. I think he's maybe in that next class from six to ten. That's probably where Dak is as well. But what you're paying for isn't where they rank, it's where they rank relative to their their age and what they're going to do. Yep.

I just wanted to add something else real quick. And it might not matter matter depending on what happens within the staff, But I have heard within the last few months of the season people questioning his toughness on the field off the field, and not to say that he's not a talented player, but being tough as far as like maybe if it's hurting here, okay, can that injury? Can you still play with that injury? Or just being like, no, man,

this really hurts now, I'm good. Things like that that I've kind of heard from people that work closely with him and it. I don't know, those things do affect what happens over on that side when you're having meetings and having game days. I mean, I use and the whole question, what was it that one game where we were talking about whether they should have been on the field.

Was that in Philadelphia? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, where it's like, okay, should he be talking to Kellen Moore and being like, no, man, like put me out there. I need to be out there or just going out there exactly literally I'm going in. But more on the injuries, not the philip game, because I think that was a whole list of whatever reasons

why they I'm out there, but for injuries. I wonder not this could it could not be true, But I wonder if how much it's like it's painful I'm going to contract year, Do I really want to push the pain that I'm feeling if I may or may not be here? But and that, but and it might not be fair because players got to look out for themselves, but that stuff weighs heavily in front of I mean,

maybe that was something that we saw this year with that. Yeah, coaches give that feedback though, and I mean, it is what it is like it's it's a tough balance between looking out for yourself and looking out for the team, and it's never gonna weigh evenly depending on who you're talking to. You know, I know that you're going through players and then we're going to go to coaches. But the thing about it is is that this goes hand

in hand. And I think when you're looking at coaches with expiring contracts, um, Sanjay Law is not on that list. But I don't think Sanjay Law will be back next year as the wide receivers coach. And so that being said, I think, you know, you do look at the receivers Cooper, maybe cob and and wonder maybe you know, with with a change there, that that might you know, maybe we'll bring Cooper back and it's got a different guy, maybe

somebody that works better with them. I don't know, but from everything we're hearing, don't think Sanjay Law will we'll be back. Is for maybe that helps what you're saying. Yeah, you're you're trying different things. It's still relatively new players, a year and a half that you've had Cooper here, and I believe this Sanjay's second year. Yeah, Okay, So that's the only coaches he knows here. Maybe you know, just trying different things with him. Which I'm not trying

to torpedo your game because I think it's fun. But like a whole new coaching staff, which it'll be mostly new, if not completely new, Like they'll have different opinions on all of these guys. You mean they're not going to listen and hear what we have to say. They're always they're gonna color, They're gonna use theening. Oh they're listening. All right, let's take our final bike, will come back. We may not be able to get to all these guys, we're gonna see how many more we can get to

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may vary. Limited time offer back to the break final segment of the Breaklock f s WBC Mortgage Studios at the Star War talking understricted free agents, dext on our list. I don't even know that he wants to be back, but we need to, I guess, to talk about it. Jason Witten is an understricted free agent. What happens with him? Is he walking away? At this point? I think he walks away. I think he's made that quite clear to hang up the cleat for good. It really round around

the stadium. Did laugh clear he had Our photographer Jeremiah takes some photos of him and Sean Leech. I mean, maybe you do that just in case, but I don't know. Super emotional. Seems like the writings on the wall. You think he's having some interviews. I think he wants to be back, but I don't think he wants to play anymore. I think he wants to be the head coach of the Cowboys. I don't head coach, isn't I always thinking? I mean, isn't nuss Meyer's contract up? Isn't he one

of the coaches? One of the coaches us on the list? The tight ends coach? So you know you want to make a four A into coaching. Maybe I don't know, you look like that. I think that's more likely, think that's what he wants, more likely, more likely for people to accept. Not for him. He's a pole vaulter. Say, I'm he's just gonna go right over the crowd. What Romo did. That's what he did in Monday Night Football. We're not looking to work, not Dan Campbell and this

thing up the ranks like that. I mean, look, I mean that would be wild. It would be wild, That's what. And I don't even think that's the smart play for him, I really don't. I think it's smarter to get in there, you know, learning and start figuring it out. Like if you get yourself with a really good head coaches, you're handing the dirt, you know, Like if if Jason Garrett would have never been the offensive coordinator here ever, just never coached here or whatever. And then you ask Cowboy

fans what do you think of Garrett? And like, oh man, one of the best games ever won, the Thanksgiving Day Game. I'll never forget that. It was good, backup solid. That's it. Like that's there now, it's like, what's Garrett? Just like yeah, you know, that's all it is. And I'd hate for that to happen to Witton, where like in five or six years, like what do people think of Witten? Like, who's a good player but couldn't coach? You couldn't you know what I mean? Yeah, but you gotta give yourself

the best chance to be success one. To me, the best chance to be successful is not jumping into something that you don't really know well enough to be able to be your most give yourself the best chance. I think Witten. Witten's also on a level where like let's say he became the head coach and sucked. People wouldn't be happy about it, but like they're gonna prop up the stuff that they loved and not the stuff they like. Nobody they'll forget about that. Nobody talks about Wizards, Jordan

or Birmingham Barons Jordan. Nobody talks about I'm sure there was, Like, what's Gretzky a coach? He probably sucked at coaching. I don't know, Like nobody talks about that stuff. It's like time. Yeah, I was gonna say Larry Bird's car. She was a top one hundred player on that list and he was a coach twice for the Raiders. Witten has reached a level where like if he was a disastrous coach, like people would remember it, but they'll just choose to hold

on to what they like. Yeah, which, but I agree. I mean, there's no precedent for that in football. I know, Steve Kerr cool, I get it. In basketball, it happens all the time. The this thing I can think of as like Mike Vrabel and even he had to start, he was like the linebackers coach at Ohio State. It would just be crazy for me to think that he would go from playing to head coaching. That's nuts, big jump. It's a huge jump. All right, Let's jump to Joe Looney.

You guys think about Joe Looney, got a little chance to play there towards the end of the year. Can bring him back. I have my opinion. I don't think it matches what will happen. I would say, if it works, keep him because I think he's proven that he is valuable on that offensive line and he can play consistently in multiple positions. He filled in for Frederick last year, he filled in when Sue Philo was filling in for Williams.

He has a great personality. I don't know that they will he will be one of the guys they pay just because they've been drafting offensive lineman. I think kind of have something else in mind. I would pay him if it works. I don't think that all. I don't wonder like I could see Joe Looney is almost an LP lattice or just like keep re upping it because I don't think there's going to be a super crazy

market for him. He feels a very valuable role. Obviously, the chemistry and locker room aspect of it speaks for himself.

And I don't mean to throw shade at Joe, like I'm sure he's a competitor and he takes pride in his work, but like I think he's happy with his role on this team, Like he's kind of like a you think I think so or he's already re upped once, like he had, his contract ran out and he came back to this great line, knowing that he probably didn't have a sure fire starting role, but he came back anyway, and I mean it worked out. He got to start

for a season. I just I think he likes this community of this offensive line, which if one thing is not going to change, it's the offensive line. Those guys are locked in. And so I could just see him signing for I don't know, a handful of million dollars and being the swing interior alignment. And I think he'd be fine with that. But is he a priority? No pity. I am making him, absolutely make him a little higher priority, because think about like this, did Travis Frederick have a

great year, I mean much better? Next year? You pack him? I do better? Well, what if he isn't? This coaching staff right but you're stuck with him for a while. Hold on, now, this coaching staff right now drafted him.

They love him, Okay, they've been through all this. They saw the way he was two years ago or last year and all that, and and it was hard for him even if he wasn't as better, if it wasn't better than than Looney're gonna you're gonna ride with him, a new coaching staff, a new line, you know what. They might have to play the better guy. And I give myself more of an option to have a backup center that I know in Joe Looney in case it

doesn't work out. But Frederick, he's got four more years on his deal, Okay they are he will be your starter next year. No matter how he plays, He's going to be your starter next year. I would suspect that's probably true for the next couple of years, at least. I don't know that about I don't know. I don't know if if, but I will say this. Listen to Frederick yesterday, did you look like a guy that was gonna be playing for four more years? I didn't talk to him, so I don't know, but I'll take your

word for it. All I'm saying is is that you've got a relatively cheap backup there. I would make him a priority, bring him back, because you just never know about any of those situations. And if he is better than Frederick, well then I would I would at least have him here they have. He has the flexibility, he is a good player, He's a solid backup, and the Cowboys have struggle in finding solid backups in the offensive line.

Not only that he is healthy, freaking all these all line have struggles with back issues or whatever kind of health issues. Surprisingly Joe Looney and knock On Wood. As of right now, he has not been dealing with any kind of injury. So he's like the full package of what you want in a backup. My issue would still be, though, My issue would still be I look at this offensive line, and I think, right now, if the Cowboys are smart, they start infusing some youth into it, and what I'm right,

and those guys are hurt. But but my point, I get it. But I'm saying, I look at this, This offensive line is an aging offensive line, and we saw a clear step back this year in the play of the guys that were the studs on this offensive line. The way I look at that with Frederick, I think it's a little different because I was always under the belief because of the syndrome that he had and everybody that had had that, that had played, Mark Schlereth being

the one I was mentioning. He said that first year it was bad for him. He said the second year was the year when he got his shrink back and he really was able to play at the level he'd played before. So my expectation always was Frederick will be better the second year than he was the first year. I don't think he was great this year. He was Okay.

I think it'll be better than that next year. But what we've seen from Tyring and what we've seen from Zach makes me start to get a little bit like, Okay, you've built this thing around those guys. If they continue, but they're going to continue to age, if the injuries continue to be a problem, you better have some options behind them. And it's not gonna be good enough to just say, well, we got this other guy, that's kind of this guy that's a veteran guy. We can just

kind of throw. That's good, but it ain't a long term fix. I think they need to be thinking, how are we developing young talent on the offensive line so that if we get into a pitch where it literally is now these guys are just so old and so banged up, we got actually replaced there. You better not.

You better have some replacement options. You're lumping your problems in together when they're separate things though, like you have a long term you've got long term things at guard and you've got Connor McGovern and Connor Williams, and ye, yes you do. You've got connormc governed for three more. Here you're questioning that like that with them. But the higher that that your voice goes, the more that you're like, you know what, bring Joe Looney back, because that they

did try that. If both McGovern and and uh Connor Williams were like battling to get on the field and he had all these guys, then you wouldn't even think about Joe Looney. But let's not forget that, and I think it can you know, it's been out there that Looney's name was mentioned in some trade talks. The Cowboys had no interest in letting him go. I think Lone is a better center than he is a guard, So yes, you're bringing him back as your backup center. I'm all

in on that. I think point Bill got to deal with your guard position. I really do. I agree. I would deal with my guard position by bringing Looney back to be my third, second or third guy. Point being, if you want to move Connor Williams to tackle or draft to tackle. I'm all for it. I think that's a great idea. That's a separate problem that that's got nothing to do with Joe. I would bring him back if the price be a speed round. Guy, I say, we're not You're We're bad at this. We're really bad

at this. All right, So give me, give me answer. On Xavier stuel Philo, also an unrestricted free agent, probably probably gonna have to let him go. Yeah, I hate saying that because he's a great dude and he played well when he got his opportunities. But for all the reasons, I mean, there's a crunch at some point. Yeah, And I mean, you got these other guys, you gotta think that McGovern's going to be able to come back and give you something there from a backup guard standpoint. So

all right, so here's the deal. There's no way we're gonna get through all these defensive players. So here's I'm gonna do. We're gonna talk about the specialists for the Restless show, and then we'll move to defense next show. As I said, all right, so let's talk about Kai for Bath, I bring him back. If you know who else is out there, I think i'd sign him yeah, yeah, but I think they're also probably gonna do their due diligence and see who else is available. I mean during

the season, I think they were kind of limited. He's obviously kicked will while he's been here, but I don't I wouldn't necessarily say my mind is locked in on Kai format. They know who's out there right now. They've looked at everybody who's ever kicked. They know who's out there. So I would sign him, but I would bring in another guy next year, like when you know, maybe a rookie, a younger guy, and let him kicking out the off

season not really knowing who all's out there in the draft. Dave, I'm sure will know this within the next month or so. But would you ever go the route of drafting using high draft no lateral I'm talking first three rounds. No no, no, no no no no no no. I mean in Spanish, no, it is. It is like the most. It's the second most mental position behind quarterback. And I mean, I think it's just screws with the guy's head when you say

that first. I think it's more than even quarterback. Whatever. Either, Like I Roberroguyo was a kicker. You can't tell him he just forgot how to kick, and it's because they invested that in him. They're like, you better be awesome, because we just will look like idiots. It's a terrible idea. Even drafting even fifth or sixth round is kind of like, oh, it's drafted a kicker drafted, Yeah, nothing more than a seventh round ever, yeah, like fantasy. Yeah, but I would

resign four Bath. My new thing is I'm just not giving multi year deals to specialists anymore, because you don't know when they're gonna lose it until you find a good one. And then you're like, well, they want to keep them. A couple of good ones, and neither one of them looks great at I mean, Dan Bailey didn't make it through his deal, and nobody's happy with the job that Chris Jones is doing right now after several years of him being awesome. I mean, and just you

should be churning that stuff all the time. And I would if I can get four Bath on a one year deal, that's great. I would still try to find a rookie. They haven't looked at every kicker ever, because nobody wants my guy. Cole Tracy from L a shoe. I don't understand it, but maybe they did look at him, maybe and they just they never brought it good. They never brought him in. I'm saying at maybe they've seen tape and they're like, we're good. Find a rookie, like

bring three kickers to camp. I don't care. But even if they get four bath back, I just churned that position. I definitely would have an open competition this year. There's no way I'm going in with just one guy. I want everybody battling for it, and I I want to put him as many stress tests as I possibly can to see how they respond on What about punter, Yeah, definitely, he's not an unrestricted free agent, but I will say that, Yeah, yeah, he comes up in twenty twenty two, so he's got

two more years. But I do think that's a position to cowboys need to think. I mean, he had an eighteen yard punt the other day, Like, come on, you know there's their high school kids doing better than and that's my Like, that's a problem. We can argue our opinions about all this, but like we all assume there will be a new coaching staff in place sooner rather than later, and they're gonna have all like they're gonna go through and look at some guys that we might

see as that and be like, oh we're good. I have fun on the the market, buddy, We're fine, right, And they also know a lot about the other stuff that we may not. That's what makes it interesting. Like their priorities are could be vastly different than what we've been used to for a decade. Yeah, talk about speed round will In with the most probably the easiest one, LP Latisore. Yeah, we're all good. If he wants to come back. I mean, I feel like he's got to be.

He's ready to retire. He's got to be reaching a point. I mean, if they if they're going to hand him two million dollars to long snap, I assume that's pretty tough. It is like until you forced me out of the door. Its hellist right, he's doing his cookies from here. He loves walking around with his cookies. He's good. He's gonna come back. But like he's been doing it for fifteen years, and I've got to assume he's made enough money that he doesn't need it anymore. No, but it mean, just

keep stacking chips. I mean because it sounds more fun to sit around at your ranch. I don't know, you get to go to a game every week. You're playing on an NFL feel, So if you like football, at this point, you got to remember too, he's not just snapping the ball. It's not just field goals because on punts he has to run down fifty yards but they can't hit him like I mean, no, I know, but

I'm just saying, he's gotta even that. When he's getting up there in age, he's still got to be able to run down there, not be a liability, run down there and make a play and not mean he's still done that, not make a play. He's got to run down Yeah, don't run down there. Well, you don't have to run you don't have to run very far if you're going eighteen yard punts, you know, like right there, if he's if he's for it, I'm for it. I'm just saying at some point he's gonna be like I'm okay,

I'm good, I'm riding off into the sunset. I just know this. When you talk about long snappers, they're not important until you don't have one, like I've seen when this team didn't have one, and they were like, oh my god, where every other snap is all over the place, you know, so what's wrong? I'm seriously moving and move the camera over. I'm not talking. I'm not trying it all on, you know, seriously, I'm not trying to force the guy out the door. I'm just saying this is this.

I mean, he's right up there with Witten in terms of like years of crude for the franchise. Like if Witten retires, he could set the record. Right, this is like you're he beat surpassed Witten for most games, right, but seasons Like Witten just set the record at sixteen, did he not? Yeah? And and LP's not that far behind. I don't think he'll say fifteen you say fifteen years, just say who said that? So thought somebody city was fifteen. I mean he came here, no. Five, So he's two

years behind Winton. No, no, No, I don't think he cares about it either. I'm just saying at some point he's gonna be like enough is enough. Yeah, even if he's only playing ten snaps a game, I agree with that. I just don't know if it's now maybe, I don't know. It seems like he's still relatively young guys. Money, it really is. I appreciate you guys joining his schom which you guys a happy new Year. You guys have a safe and prosperous new year. Have fun night. We'll see

you guys on Monday. I'm sorry next week and I don't know what day we're gonna be on yet, likely gonna be Wednesdays, but we'll see about that. About that emergence schedule, there will be not us, but there will be a podcast that will be a grouping of different people from different podcasts, so some of us may be on it, not our targe group though. We're not gonna do like you know, Friday when the news comes down.

I'm not gonna you never know. You never know, all right, Price said you guys joining us for Nick even Dave Helm and Abergarcia, Danny Serek. I am Derek Eagleton. This has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.