Cowboys Break: Will Parsons Start?

The Break. We are live from the s WBC Mortgage studios at the Star. We are presented by Geico, and we appreciate you guys taking us some time with us today to talk a little Cowboys football. Here on the Break, got Nick, Dave and Amber with me. We're gonna catch you guys up on the rook minicamp which you guys attended last week. We'll get some perspective from you on some things you saw, some things that stood out to you. We'll also talk a little bit about schedule release. So

we haven't had a chance to talk about yet. Cowboys and the NFL released there's there are twenty twenty one schedule last week, and so we'll catch up on your thoughts on some of the best things and worst things about the schedule. And then we got a little game with c No, we haven't played that in a long time. Amber's got some questions for us, and maybe even we will get to some fan questions a day. Maybe maybe we'll get some phone calls from some fans and hear

what you guys have to say. Here's some questions from you, and see what these guys have to say. How's everybody doing today? Great? Good, awesome, good good good. Let's jump right in and let's start with the rookie minicamp. It was last week. Obviously it's not a full contact type thing.

Guys are in shorts and T shirts and helmets. But I'll start first by going around the table and just getting some perspective of what may have stood out, one thing that stood out to you as you watched those practices. Let's start first with you, Dave m Maybe to start with somebody else since they were actually here and they forgot Yes, you were not here. You you didn't get it,

but I'm sure you've you've seen and heard something. Anyway, let's start with yeah, I'll formulates I mean yeah, I can formulate something, but maybe start with somebody that Let's

start with you. Well, I feel like I'm kind of taking the obvious one here, but I mean it starts with this draft class, starts with Micah Parsons, and I think that, you know, it's it's one of those things where, um, you know when Zach Martin coming when when it's Tyrn Smith's coming back, because I mean, these guys can't block him. I understand that pads aren't on yet and all that, but he could do what he wanted to. Is he was moving really well and he could get by the

guys that they had blocking there. So the composition will be better. Um, you know, the pads come on, it's more physical. It's harder for offensive linemen to really, you know, get your hands on these guys and all that, because you know, especially a first round pick, you had to be careful with it. But I thought he look from his movement, he looked really good. He looked like you want him to look. In that first first day. What

stood out to me was Dan Quinn. He was the fact to see him in there, and again this is not a real practice or anything, but the fact that you see him so hands on and being involved. Just it reminded me of, um, oh my god, my brain the coach I really like Rod Marinelli. No no, no, no, no, why would you say him? I didn't like that one that's not employed. Sorry, I didn't mean like but christ

Ra Shard, Sure, yeah, Shards with the Saints. Now, okay, well one, I know he wasn't necessarily great here, but one thing that I loved about him was how involved he was within the players and the defense and just being in there in the game. Now, then Quinn, he's a defensive coordinator, that's not necessarily his role, you know.

He the fact that he went in there when quintin Bahanna, Sorry if I said his name wrong, but when now banged up his shoulder, I believe left for a little bit, and then dan Quinn goes in there at tackle and just it's hands on it that that is super cool for me. I love to see it. I love to see a leader that can be involved and just get in there with the players and just be a part

of it. And that's exciting to me. And I just absolutely love anytime I see a coach, especially a coordinator, just being that involved and making sure because that again, it's so important for the chemistry too, with bunding with the players and all that. I feel like players will look up to him even more when someone does that. So that stood out for me for sure. I just absolutely loved it. So I was. I was at a old and very dear friend's wedding. That's why I wasn't here.

And I really appreciate y'all giving me the work life balance to do that, because I was like, he get here, what is he? What are you talking about? No? I cannot believe you, Miss Ruthie. You know what that's that's it embarrassing. I always fast forward five years down the road with your friends in New Orleans and they're like, you didn't even come to the wedding. Why, Well, we were watching Dan Quinn in the middle of this rookie Mini Caamp and Michael Parton, which never holds up. I

actually I did. I did miss a dear friend's wedding for the Seahawks Cowboys playoff game, and that that holds water for me, makes a little bit. My friend Rob, he busts on me all the time. He's like, glad you loved me enough to come to my wedding. Over a football game, and I'm like, yeah, that's the playoffs, and like Dak had that run and like, I don't you know, I love you, but I don't feel that bad about that. But like to miss a wedding for a rookie Mini Caamp, yeah, I'm life moments. You gotta

do some life. But regardless, regardless, you know, I just had my eye on it from Afar and two things, um, two things that really jumped out to me, which you know, you definitely don't want to overreact, but the team sent out the clip of Jabril Cox getting a pick in some seven on seven, which it was a tipped ball, and the quarterback that threw it is not going to play on Sundays, so take all of that with a

grain of salt. But the guy, the guy is noted for his coverage ability, so for him to step out there and do it, it wasn't just a pick. It was thirty yards down the field, It was a covery. It was getting back there in coverage. I mean that that was the impressive part I thought, And then the other one I was I was embarrassed about how excited I got about this because I you know, we argued last week. I was like, don't put don't put these

expectations on these day three picks. That's dumb. But then we actually posted the clip of Barry Church from the player's lounge. Barry was like blown away by Israel Mukuamu. I mean, he was just gushing about his movement skills, his you know, how smooth he looks. He's got the hips. And you know, Barry's not the he's not he's not going to the Hall of Fame, but he played safety in the NFL for nine years. Like I trusted a bunch of money. Yeah, absolutely, Like I trust his opinion

a lot. So for him to like, if you haven't seen it, go look on our channels for it. He had so much good stuff to say about the kid, and I was like, all right, again, I know he's in shorts, but if Barry Church thinks he looks that great, then I'm going to take his word for it that I should be intrigued. Here's Bucky Brooks listed in mcquamu as his top one of his top five favorite picks. He really loved that that pick. I'll say this though, Um, it's intriguing that a guy that's played it like Barry

Church has played it. He knows what he's looking for. But I'll say this though, cornerbacks that convert to safety are going to look good at safety in rookie minicamp because they're not hitting anybody, and they're not you know, they're just can you keep up with a tight end cornerback? Right? But what's gonna make him make that transition is can he make the calls as he instinctive? And will he get in there and hit? And I think he will, but I just think it's early because any corner is

gonna look what are we looking at him? Like? Oh, well, they have video of him. That's what Chris does. Our producers all over it. Now keep talking. He definitely looks he looks the part for sure, and he talked about his length. I got a chance to talk to him the other day and he said, you know, you know, he said, hey, Jerry, you got the best cornerback in

the draft. And then about an hour later, Dan Quinn called from and said, yeah, about that, we're moving in to safety, and so I said, does your confidence like carry over? He's like, oh yeah, they're gonna get the best safety in the draft. So you know, he's he's a confident dude. And don't think teams didn't pick on him. He played corner opposite J. C. Hornet South Carolina. He they threw with him, and so he made some man enough plays to obviously get drafted. He wears thirty eight,

so he's probably gonna be a baller. If I had to guess, if there was one thing, if there was one player that you would say you have a different opinion of now than maybe you had before, good or bad or you know, just something about them stood out that you didn't really expect to notice during a minicamp, what would he be? Nick Um? I again, I'm probably stealing this one. Probably Nashan, right. I thought he did a pretty good job, especially that second day, and he

was he was making a lot of plays. He looked like a cornerback. It's supposed to me to look and even though he's tall. I thought he did a nice job, you know, break on the balls and stuff like that. But as Dave said, you know, it's hard to tell out there with the quarterbacks and the receivers and all that, you know, but but he did a nice job. And I thought, you know, not that I had mixed opinions about him, but I just you know, we'll see what he looked like. I thought I did a good job. Yeah.

Let me start off by saying that I came in here. You know, it's been a while since we've seen football and players being on the field, so you come in here excited. Okay, We're finally gonna get to see some action. And it's hard, at least for me, it was difficult because I'm judging with another like level where I have to okay, hold on a second, let me step back. This is first day, second day, a rookie Minican, Like, let me not be so judgmental, because there were a

lot of things that happened. I'm like, are you kidding me? This is this is what I'm seeing on the field right now, And you know, so it was really tough for me to even judge. And you know, back to what Nick was talking about Mika Parsons, Yes he looked good, but then you go back and look at the offense how awful they were. So it's just hard to get a grasp to the whole thing. So I'm gonna lean on one of their interviews with Kelvin Joseph I think that my opinion has started to change a little bit.

And I know even before then, I didn't want to be so judgy because I don't know him. There's a

lot of information that I don't know about. So listening to him speak and the way that he was talking, it just gave me ease and it made me feel a little bit better about his commitment with the team and what he's here to do aside from everything that media and even though so we talked about it on the show last week that we've been talking about you know, it's a really one percent committed to football based on his I gues hobby and all of that outside of

the field. So just the way that he spoke and just kind of saying, you know, like there's no and it's true. Everyone can have a hobby and you can be one hundred percent committed to your job and all that. But just hear hearing it out of his mouth and not just that another one of his teammates just kind of backing him up and all that. So it just made me feel someone better and say, Okay, this guy,

it's here for business. I mean, if it's fur the money and to get paid, we all here to get paid too, So it just my opinion on him started changing a little bit, which, by the way, is I thought an interesting I saw you tweeted about this Dave about him mentioning the fact that you know, yeah, the money, the money is important. It's a driver. And there were some fans that were kind of like, well, that makes me a little bit weirded out because he's doing it

for the money. And my thought was like, I think we all, to some respects do our jobs for the money. Now. Don't get me wrong. You can love what you do, but it still is a job. And part of why you still do it is because you're able to make money, you're able to take care of your family, and if you're able to get to that level playing the NFL, you're able to take care of maybe your grandkids and

great grandkids as a part of doing this job. So that's a great motivator and there should be no there should be nothing about that that should be considered bad. I don't think I will speak for Nick. I think I can worked with you for a while, like we are living out our childhood dreams dream job like and so many people would kill to do what we do. If you told me tomorrow that I wasn't getting paid for it, I would be pretty pissed off, Like, no, no, that's not that's not part of the deal, and I

won't be there the day. Yeah, like that. We got to come to some arrangement, like, no, I need money. Money is important to me. It ain't a dream job if you're not getting paid to do it. And these guys, I mean, not very many people can do what Kelvin Joseph does, so he's he's worth a lot of money because of that, and the fans that have a problem with it are the reason he's worth as much money as he is. So I hate that attitude, and I'm with you. Took the words right out of my mouth.

Ag I thought he was. He was really impressive the way he handled that. And he was like, I know the difference between my profession and my hobbies, And again that's something everybody should relate to. We all have things that we enjoy doing on our own time when it doesn't affect our work, and there's nothing wrong with that. But as long as you're committed to what you get paid to do, you know what your job is. I was going to say Monday to Friday. But I guess

it's really more sick whenever you're called upon. Yeah, that's kind of my thing too. I think a couple of people went after us on Twitter, at least me, you know, because it's all about your as long as your focus is here, and it really doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what it is, if it's bowling or you know, playing tennis or golf like Romo did, or rap. You know, I mean, as I as I told William who's upstairs. I told him, you know, I'm not against rap. I'm

not against rappers. You know which is I don't know if you know that reference, but no, you don't know that song. I know. Anyways, I love rap. By the way, if it's three, I would gonna say Nick's sweet spot is like ninety to ninety five. Yeah, problem, and then then it kind of then it switches more. It's more of an R and B thing. Yeah, I agree with you, guys. I talked to him and I liked what he said. Now he does have a focus though. One of his focus is um getting out of twenty four. He doesn't

really want that number. So he was like, he comes up to me and he was like who's in the number one, number two. I'm like, well, you know the Pro Bowl kickers and number two, so good luck with that one. But you know who knows. I mean, I don't want him in twenty four either, And which I'm I'm I'm the one that like, I don't I don't believe in superstition, but like they keep giving twenty four to these young cornerbacks and it hasn't really worked out

for Clayborn. Cheetoh, those are the two big ones. Yeah, the number did it, no problem? The number to do it, Like it won't be his number that determines his success. But I still just see it about any of them. But I'm just like, oh, we're not done. Put that on the right. I mean, that's the way I look at it, is it? Especially if he didn't want it? Like, is it true what I heard about number nine for the Air? I don't know what I'm talking. I don't know.

I don't know where that stands right now. Yeah, I don't know my source. It's kind of if I honestly don't know whether it's great stores. So I'm just, uh, I don't know making that we're not talking about numbers. Those guys are going to change numbers. I know, I know of two guys that are definitely gonna change their numbers. Um hasn't really been announced, and for some of them

it's important for them to announce it. So UM And I'm sure once once the roster gets pared down and all that, because you got like multiple quarterbacks, you got multiple punters, those numbers are going to start when opening up and the guys will switch around, like, yeah, Parsons is gonna wear eleven, but you know that, but yeah, we know that, but like, yeah, you see changes every year after training game. It's fine, this will probably be

another year we'll see that. Let's talk about Mike Michael Parsons. Nick you led with him. We found out last week in an interview that he did I think was it exclusive with us, but I know we had it. But he talked about the fact that that he is right now starting off working at middle linebacker, which I think for everybody was kind of like a home Okay, so talk to me about where what do you think that means as far as you know, how he fits into

what they're gonna do. Knowing they've got two linebackers who have at different times played middle linebacker. What does this mean for that position group? If he's your guy that starts the season at middle linebacker. Well, I thought it was interesting. When they asked McCarthy about it, naturally, he kind of shot it down like it wasn't that big

a deal. But one of the things that they wanted him to do was to get in there and listen and have the mic the headset in the in the for the calls to so be able to make the call. So that's one of the things. But he said, all the linebackers have to do two positions. They all have to learn two spots. So him starting out in the rookie miniicamp at middle linebacker is not that big a deal.

But Parson said when asked about it, he said, yeah, they want me to go sideline the sideline and the best way for me to do that is to be right in the middle of the action. So, um, yeah, you know, what does it mean for where Layton's going to play and all that? It's so hard to tell because we don't really know how dan Quinn's going to play this thing. He's he's got a lot of options. They're gonna they're gonna be on the field I think

if you can play, they'll be out there. They're gonna do the exact same thing they did last year, which is used the fact that nobody knows to try to get an advantage, which did not work at all last year. Hopefully it'll produce some better results this time around. But yeah, and rookie miniicamp doesn't really mean anything to me because, like, who else is out there with him? Jabril Cox, I

mean the Texas say, and m undrafted guy. I guess you know, like it's not this isn't the real linebacker corps, so but it is that. And that was the debate about Parsons is like, is a pure off ball linebacker who runs and hits worth a top ten pick or twelve. I know that's where he was eventually drafted. Is there going to be a pass rush element or um? You know, I thought something really interesting. It wasn't a coach, but you know, we all respect the hell out of Todd Archer.

He's been doing this for a long time. If he says something, he's probably got good information about it. Yeah, he said he said something along the lines of like Mica can play, Mike and I think Layton will be back at will when this thing all shakes out. He didn't say what didn't say? What he didn't say made my eyebrows perk way up, because if that's really what's happening, then you're saying, what is the what is Jalen Smith's role? Are You're going to have a thirteen million dollar role

playing linebacker and you talk about learning two positions? Is Jalen gonna do Mike and Sam and be like you you're Sam and bass and off the field and Nickel? I think a lot of people would probably prefer that, but is you know, there's politics that go into this, whether it's money, whether it's the fact that Jalen is one of the most visible players on the team, Like how does that actually take shape? And we don't know.

What I did say about Michael was if you're drafting him where you're drafting him, I think there needs to be a component of rushing the passer, whether that's doing

some edgework or just blitzing a lot. I wonder if maybe Jalen could do that as well, Like if you would rather just keep if you just want Michael to play Mike one hundred percent of the time, that's fine, But Jalen Smith maybe could be your LEO or something like they And that's what makes that so interesting is they got to find something to do with one of those guys aside from just play traditional off ball linebacker. Yeah,

and I've thought about that before too. The issue becomes, if you're going to do that, that means you're taking either to Marcus Lawrence or you're taking Randy Gregory off the field. In those situations, there going to be that outside linebacker, right, not necessarily, and that's you know, it's the most overhyped thing in the world. But people talk about the LEO, which is I mean it is it is like a defensive end type of role. But again, you know we saw last year they had five man fronts.

That's really what that was, you know. So I think it's possible to do a little bit of both maybe and it'll be interesting to see. I mean, but here's the deal. You're not losing, like it's not. The Cowboys can actually help themselves by getting rid of Jalen Smith. The money. The money is the money at this point, right. So it's one of situations where he's likely on the team just because it doesn't make sense financially to not have him on the team this year. So he's gonna

be here. You should and I wouldn't think you would let that affect your decisions on how you deploy him, because it's that becomes a non factor in my opinion. Yeah, it's already spent money at this point. Yeah, and it's it's basically they're turning it into it. Hopefully he's aware or his agent is aware enough to realize this is pretty much a contract year for him, even though it technically isn't. Your writings on the wall about what they can do. It's like you said, it's tough to move

him this year, it's not tough next year. It's saying with Layton, they've made that into a contract year for him. So I think we're gonna get the very best of what these guys can do um this year. And and then the factor you didn't really say, I don't think I heard it was Keyan O'Neill. He's gonna factor into all this, right, I mean factors into this. There's a lot of options here. I don't I don't know what

to do with it. Like I was floored when Dan Quinn because he didn't want to tell us anything specific when we talked to him, but he very specifically was like, Keano's he's a linebacker. He's gonna play linebacker. I was like, where, I just assumed he was going to move back to safety, which maybe he still could. I mean, coaches lie all the time, but like for him to say that so

bluntly was very surprising to me. Yeah, I think there's so many, so many options of how they could play this, uh, and and there's gonna It's interesting you say that this is effectively This effectively is a contract year for Jalen, because it's tough to put a guy in a situation where it's a contract year and you're going to limit his play playing time, right, you don't really give him a lot of opportunity to earn the opportunity to continue

with that deal, and that could be tough for him. Well, you know, I say, screw politics. I hate politics. You need to get whoever is doing the best out there. And you're I don't care how much money you're making, And I get it, because that's a very high expense and you're wasting that money on someone that that is not producing anything for you on the field. But I'm with the initial scenario that they've presented here where you get I mean, maybe I'm speaking too soon because I

have barely seen anything from Parsons yet. But if he really is looking good once we get everyone in there and he's doing better, and we'll see him the preseason games as well, But if he gets to that point where all of us are saying, you know what, this guy needs to be more on the field, I'm the first one to sit someone down. And again, you never know when someone might get injured. You never know when late in vendors is going to have to come off

the field. There's always this rotation scenario that you can also do. So I think that everyone's gonna get plenty of playing time, but at the end of the day, you need to keep the best player on the field, regardless of who's a veteran, regardless of how much money

you're making. I mean, you got to focus on winning and having the basic basics are what we know of Jalen is his best ability is his availability, and I think that that might factor in this year like it's factored in every other year of his career, Like he may be the guy that you know you start getting injuries.

He doesn't seem to get hurt, so he might still get his opportunities even if he starts the season not being the guy one of the two guys that are getting the most staffs of line always last on the play, So how is he going to get in the back? Wow? Sorry, I'm god, I hate, I hate to hate, but accurate when you're when you're leading the team and even the league and tackles and you're not always last. He leads the team in tackles, not always last. But I mean

he leaves a team in tackles. It wasn't you really want to have this debate? No, I'm just saying he but we got a call for what it is. I mean, is he worth the contract? He No, No, he's not. He hasn't been worth the contract. And I think what you guys said was was right. Like he he with the money, he's on the team. That doesn't mean you have to play it though, right, And so yeah, I agree,

best player plays at this point for this year. But see, I and I like a g I love her perspective because like you're like the you're the moral compass of the fan base, Like this is what should happen. We know that that's not always what happens. That's my point. And you don't see a lot of thirteen million dollar players who are subbed in as sub package and role

playing guys. It's just not how it works. Well. You also don't see a situation where a lot of times where teams will go out and invest so much in an offseason at a position where they got a thirteen I will it's and it's the epitome of a sunk cost. Like the money is spent, what's done is done. So maybe it's maybe that factors less than the decision making process and says they've thrown more resources at linebacker this

offseason than maybe any other position on the team. If that doesn't tell you a ton about what they think about the two linebackers they have. You know, you can say what you want to say about and they can say we love you, we love you, love you. But they do a ton of resources at the linebacker position this offseason. And it's funny to think the other spot, probably the other big trouble spot that gives you a

lot of pause about the future is offensive tackle. And they again they showed you what they thought about that too. They spent the bare minimum on a free agent swing tackle, and they waited until day three to draft an offensive when they had a really good when available to them in the first round, they opted for linebacker rather than tackle. Right, not saying they're right, but it speaks volumes about how they feel exactly. All right, We're gonna take our first

break when we come back. Let's talk a little bit about the schedule. It's interesting schedule. Cowboys will kick off the season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Will ask each to these guys what we think the best and the worst things, in their opinions are about this year's schedule for the Cowboys. Will be right back. This is Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. Honey, Big News, Gary, Are you okay? Oh?

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Spots are limited. Register today at Dallas Cowboys dot com Slash Academy. Welcome back to the second segment of the Break Life from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star. We're presented by Geico. Let's talk a little bit about the schedule. Cowboys released a schedule last week to a lot of fanfare, a lot of dancing and partying by one Jerry Jones and Post Malone. If you haven't seen the video, do yourself a favor and go check that out.

We've actually done really well. It's been very highly viewed and reviewed piece of content. But the Cowboys released a schedule lots of interesting little nuggets throughout. So I'll open it up to you guys, and let's go around the table. Tell me what you think first is the best thing for the Cowboys about this schedule. Let's start with you Amber. That look well. I keep looking at the schedule and

its start to judge, don't you know. I always want to say that the end looks the easiest, but then it never It never is like that for the Cowboys.

It never happens to be. Again, we don't know what this team is gonna turn out to be, but I'm hoping that this year they can start out better than before and actually have an advantage towards the end of the season with Washington the Giants, you know, the divisional rivals here with the NFC's but hopefully those games are not as crucial as they always are, which again, I'm just talking on both sides here because they always end

up being But I'm just I don't know. I don't know what any of these teams are gonna turn out to be. But I'm hoping that that is the case. And I'm hoping that we have the whole old line healthy and available by that end, that last month of the season, and that you're not having to really really put everything on the line towards the end so that you can have those guys back healthy by the playoffs if we get there. Um, the best thing about the best thing about this are we gonna we are gonna

talk about the worst. Yes, we are going to get to the worst thing. Yeah, right now, focus on the best of things. Start positive. And the best thing about the schedule is really not at the order. It's just the fact that you know, your strength of schedule from last year is not that strong. It's actually one of

the easiest. Which I saw that and that confused me because I looked at the schedule and said, how could if you're playing the Division I get that, but other teams are playing the Division two and I mean you're talking about you're talking about the You got both teams that were in the super Bowl last year, you got other really good things. Let's which the strength of schedule

thing in the NFL is the most overrated? Yes, statistic like the different between worst and best, Like the easiest strength of schedule is like forty eight percent win percentage and the hardest is like fifty three. Like we're bickering about five percentage. Like you know, it's it's just it doesn't matter as much as people want it to. I'm gonna say nothing. Really, I'm not trying to be really negative.

I just know when you go into a schedule, there's things that you you look for, and there's things that you try to avoid. There's about three things you try to avoid if possible, and they've got them all. And that that's so I don't I can't look at anything and say this is a really good thing. And I'm not really trying to be negative here, I just what what what? What's an answer here? Which I will say, I again, I hate people that are like the league hates us because they did Like I hate that, Like

you gotta play seventeen games. Everybody does. We've known the opponents forever, and if you're in the NFC, you're going to have more road than home. It is what it is. Just play like. I hate that. I hate when people get all bent out of shape about that. Having said that, the schedule doesn't do them a ton of favors, but one favor that they do have is it's a damned division party all the way through the last like six

weeks of the season. You play four of your six starting December twelfth, going through the end of the year, and you don't play anybody twice before then. So nobody's got a tiebreaker over you. So even if they for whatever reason, somebody gets hurt or they just don't have it, they maybe they suck all the way through Thanksgiving, but you got a real chance to make up for that by playing everybody in the division down the home stretch

of the season. I mean, you play Washington twice, you get, and then you play New York and Philly once each. We all think that Philly and New York are the lesser two teams, like Washington and Dallas are above, and we agree with that, right, So you get the two easier teams, and so you know, if you're if you're just tread and water, when you get through Thanksgiving, you got to I mean, if you just kick everybody in

the division's ass, it doesn't matter. And Dat's great against the division, So as long as he's there, I feel good about that. Now I'm starting to wonder if I'm misreading this, but the one that I would point out to me, just like immediately when I saw the schedule, I was like, I love this for the Cowboys is even if you say, okay, first game of season, they're gonna lose going to Tampa to play the defending championship,

just give them that as a loss. Those next four games, Cowboys got a chance to get off to a really fast start. You're talking about going to the Chargers again. That wasn't a good team last year. Philadelphia you just mentioned, wasn't a good team last year. Carolina wasn't a good team last year. New York Giants wasn't a good team last year. So you got four teams lined up there in weeks two. Throw New England in there too. They're not They weren't bad, but they weren't good either. I'm

saying no, yes, they weren't good last year. The only reason I didn't put them in that same category is because we all I think we all say the likelihood that Belichick does that two years in a row probably ain't great. He's probably going to be better this year than he was last year, but maybe not. If you want to go off just last year, you're absolutely right New throw New England there with. So my point is you start off the season in an opportunity to really

get off to a fast start. I know the first game is going to be extremely challenging, but those next several weeks you could run off some wins and stacks some wins day if you're a good team. They play the World Champs on September the ninth on the road. They don't face another playoff team until November twenty first, exactly, another Super Bowl team. Yeah, but it gets rough from that point, Like that's when you start getting to the

treacherous party schedule. But you can make some you can really make some headway against in the early part of the schedule. There is not a lot of Now, get we don't know what these teams are going to be this year. We're basing all this on last year, and that's the thing that they're looking at. Dallas, Samuel Dallas wasn't good last year and these teams are probably going to be better than what they were, some of them. I mean, I think Barkley is gonna make the Giants

a better team. I mean, I think McCaffrey will probably make Carolina a better team. Absolutely. I think Herbert will be just better along. Well, they'll get there. One of their best defensive players, like they lost, actually two or three of their best defensive players. That's dangerous, I don't I would you be judging the Cowboys same thing. Looking from the outside, I would be I'd be like, hey, I wouldn't call him a six and ten team. No

one there. Oh yeah, I think that. I think the consensus on the Cowboys is that they're a very flawed team with an offense that gives them a chance to beat anybody. Yeah, if I mean, if it's if it's healthy the way it's supposed to and if they got they got a respected, well respected coordinator. Now, uh, they got a plug and play defensive player in there too.

So you know, if you stop the bleeding on defense and in the offense gets back, you know, I'm sure that that's scary, you know, But I will say, and but it's I think it's just PTSD from last year, but this like this will this will go up and smoke by before training camps over like somebody's gonna lose a player that changes. I mean, McCaffrey went out like

week one of their season. Who knows how much better Carolina is if he's there, and on and on and on and on, and I'm just so yeah, like Philly, Carolina, New York, New England, honestly all the way through Atlanta, like all of those games look winnable. They beat Minnesota without Dak last year. Denver doesn't have a quarterback right now. God,

I'd made this joke on our schedule release show. Can you imagine if thin for trades for Rogers, I know, before the season changes that game, that game may not. I don't know if they can flex at that point that they're going to be really kicking themselves. But again, that goes back to my point. It's like on paper, you're like, oh, hell yeah, beat Minnesota without without Dak

last year, Denver doesn't have a quarterback. And when they beat Atlanta last year too, and then you know, Rogers gets traded to Denver on June fifteenth, and we're like, well that's a loss. We know this, like you just never know, right, And I guess you can only count on you really you your factoring based upon what you saw from them last year. And I do think although there are a lot of teams that lost a lot of players, when you lose your quarterback, to me, that's

a little bit different. Like losing your quarterback makes a ton of difference in the NFL, and so I think the Cowboys, I give them a little bit more difference than maybe some of these teams that may have lost a safety or defensive end or whatever the case might have been. I will say this that remember twenty first at Kansas City Chiefs four days before Thanksgiving is all Philadelphia's fault. It is the Philadelphia Eagles fault that the Cowboys have to do that, because if you remember a

few years ago, they made that rule change proposal. The Eagles hate that the Cowboys Thursday game is basically built in at home because like it's an unfair advantage, and so they're saying, well, you get to always play a Thursday game at home, you don't have to deal with short week travel, and the league's not going to take that away from the Cowboys, but it's unfair advantage if you get to play at home on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and you don't even have to deal with any

of that. And so I think I just feel like the league is like, all right, let's throw these people that are upset about this a bone and give Dallas a really tough thing to deal with on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. I think I think what they do with

these back to back Thursdays is also unsafe. I don't think it's that's fair for the Cowboys because because it's still seven days, right, yeah, but but it's seven days after four like you have to face a team on the road in Kansas City and that is going to be a gut wrenching type of game, and they all are. And then four days later you gotta go play the Raiders at home. You're at home for thanksgaming like they always do, but your body hasn't even recovered from the

game before. You need a ten days at that point. They don't give them that. They give them seven. That I think that that is touff. I don't know what their record is and that Thursday game, but I'm just saying that's a that is a tough turnaround because you're you know, just like with anything, if you do it in four days, you need a break. Nobody else in the league, I think has is doing that, except for those teams that play on things. Those two teams that

have to play, you know, that Thursday. They I think the first year I was here was the first year they ever did this, and it was such a boon for NFL Network that I just it's gonna be on the schedule for it is, and I hate it. The only way to get it, and that's the only reason it exists is like, well, every every team play has to play a Thursday night on NFL Network. So that's

the only way I get them to do it. But because otherwise you got two weeks when you'd have to have a four day week, right, so you kind of have to do it right then. It's really this is pure selfishness. I hate, like, we will never have Thanksgiving weekend off again for the rest of our lives as long as this is built into the schedule, because instead of like you play on Thanksgiving, you're like, all right, well I missed Thanksgiving, but I've got this long weekend

and well you get it next right back. But it's not Thanksgiving, right, And I mean that's you know, obviously nobody cares about my first world problems, but it pisses me off. Yeah, all right, give me your your best, Well we already the best. Give me your worst thing about the schedule. Yeah, As I said before, I think there's things you go into the schedule and you're you're like looking to avoid, and I think that they hit

a lot of them on here. If you're gonna have to start the season on the road, you wouldn't think your Week two is going to have to be also on the road and on the opposite coad. And if you are going to start the season on the road for two games, surely you get to end the season it at home. No you don't. So I think how they started and how they ended, and you know, you don't like seeing a three three straight road games either.

So I'm probably taking everybody's answers, but I just think, yeah, ending starting the season with two road games like that and then ending the season with road that's probably not any favors there, Not just being on the road, but who is the opponent on the road, like That's That's the one thing I look at is a lot of these teams are on the road for the Cowboys are tough? Are you gonna be tough? So that that and you know, we know that sometimes a lot of people believing home

field advantage. I'm kind of effy on that, but um, the Cowboys, We've seen it happen many times where they go to somebody else's stadium and they just don't perform well, whether it's due to weather or whatever the reason. Maybe, Um it's tough. It is tough. So that is what I'm looking at the opponents on the road. It's concerning it's gonna be hard, which I don't want to contradict myself because yeah, I mean, you know, Patrick Mahomes might not play in that game, you know, like you can't,

you can't. I mean, you just you never know, you never ever know. But that stretch starting with the Chiefs game just looks, really it just looks so brutal, and it really doesn't even have anything to do with the

quality of the opponents. But to go at Kansas City short week Thanksgiving turnaround, and also even if Mahomes isn't playing one of the three toughest road venues in the NFL Arrowhead Stadium, then you turn around again, Drew Brees is gone, maybe the Saints aren't any good, but a night game in the Superdome again one of the like, that's a huge environment. Then you turn around another road game, division game. Then you turn around and another road game,

a division game. So like two highly important division games. You play four road games in five weeks, so basically half of your road schedule in a twenty one day stretch. And by the way, you know the Chief and at the Saints are thrown in there as well. I just think again, like, you know, maybe the Giants in Washington

won't even be that good. But to do all of that, and so much of it on the road and a short span of time, I mean, that's gonna be tough on And Division is still division, whether they're good or bad. Vision is still a division game. You think the Cowboys, You think AT and T Stadium is maybe at fault for this. I say that, I hate to say it like that, but I don't know. There's a big probably

a big twelve championship game play. There's probably high school football, I mean, but not that they haven't switched that before. I don't think, yeah, I don't think Honestly, I don't think so, because I don't know that those things necessarily preclude you from being able to have an NFL game on a Sunday. When I say high school, they don't even change the field for the high school games, so I don't I don't know that that would be a part of one day. I mean, that just seems that

just seems like we're really attacking them right there. I mean, like, oh, I don't yeah, yeah, at home. When you're making the Cowboys schedule, there are a lot of other things that you're factoring think about the schedule makers, like what they're more importantly thinking about is the television network, because everybody's trying to figure out how they're going to get the Cowboys on. So that's a way bigger consideration. Nan. Do they have three road games in a row in a row?

Here's here's where I think there's a disadvantage. And I don't think the Cowboys are wanting to switch divisions and nobody really wants that. But it's a I saw somewhere where I think it's Philly or Washington that doesn't have to get on a plane at they don't have to get on a plane from for like the last six weeks because they're playing in Washington and they play the Giants and that all that stuff. But the Cowboys, I mean,

those are some really long trips to do that. So that's not an advantage obviously for the Cowboys, you know, to have their road trips in the division are a lot different. I mean we see every every road trip for the Cowboys pretty much about in the same range. Like you're going somewhere like there's not a lot of teams that are that are local to the Cowboys, and once you get outside of the Texans, and if you want to include the Saints, like there's no teams that

are close to the Cowboys. So you gotta get on a plane and travel at least an hour and a half for every game. There's only five or six teams that can pull that off, or you're like bussing to a game bust the East Coast. Basically, it is interesting, and I don't want this, like the rivalries are important, but like you know, a division of Dallas, Houston, New Orleans, Tennessee, like you're logging way a fewer miles to travel those games. But I wouldn't want it as much fun no, of

course it's not there. And that goes back to my point, which is like, shut up and deal with it. Like it's proflay football, play football, like we're just yeah, I can sit here and say like, oh man, that looks really tough. At the end of the day, I'm like, no one cares go play the games, right, all right, We're gonna take our final bike. We'll come back, We'll get a game of see a no going. Amber's got some questions for us, will be that when we come

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family to enjoy. You can support local Frisco businesses by visiting us to dine, shop, and explore the Dallas Cowboys themed campus. For information on all the Star has to offer, visit the Star District dot com. Welcome back to the final segment of the Break. We are alive from the SWBC Mortgage Studios at the Star presented by Geico. Amber got a game for us, Let's go. Okay, A lot of the questions are questions I received. Are us getting way ahead of ourselves? But it's a game, so just

for fun. So we just got done talking about the schedule. The final game between Cowboys versus Eagles will decide if the Cowboys or another team wins the NFC East. Yes, that Cowboys Eagles game will have something to do with the Vision Change title championship. Yeah, I believe that. I say no. I'm gonna say no. I actually think that game on December twenty sixth will ultimately decide the division

against Washington Football Team. That's I wrote that. Like my snap judgment was both of those games happening in December will be what swings the division, and like maybe something will still be up for grabs, like seating in that WE eighteen game. But it really like when was the last time that it was like a pure winners and losers out? I know they did it a lot like a decade ago, but it hasn't really been that way in a while, right am. I I'm not making that

up right. I just think these are your two best teams in the division. I think they will be the two button in Dallas. Dallas and Philly. Interesting, do you think they're better? You think Philly is better than Washington? It's Washington. I think, well, we all know their defense was really good last year. They've added some pieces to that offense that I think it can fit nicely with

that defense. You know, I don't trust Ryan Fitzpatrick to play seventeen good games, and they're screwed if he doesn't. But he's better than what they had and and and he's better than Maybe it's because we watched Dallas just pick on Jalen Hurts, but like, I don't. I do not think highly of Jalen Hurts, not right now at least, So I don't know. I just said I do think that game's gonna mean something for for for somebody, you know.

I mean, it's only fifty percent of the division, So I mean, I think it's fair to say that that that will happen. I think it didn't. Washington signed Curtis Samuel. Yes, Like you start thinking about the offensive pieces that they put in place. Again, they don't need their offense to be like great. They need an offense that doesn't lose the game for them because their defense is so good. And in a second year, I think they're gonna be even better. So I don't know, I just subscribe the

Cowboys gonna be a tough, tough hunt. You just suscribe the Cowboys in the opposite way. Yeah, they're the opposite of the Cowboys, exactly opposite of the Cowboys. Yeah, Washington is a good quarterback away from being pretty scary, really really good. Yeah, I agree, which is the hardest thing to find in football, Like I know it will. The interesting thing is is a lot of those contracts are going to come up pretty soon, you know, for them,

so they're gonna have Washington. Yeah, I'm not saying their window is closing at all because they sign them, But I'm just saying they drafted a lot of those guys. It's kind of like Carolina a few years ago. You get all these good defensive guys and then next thing, you know, they become free agency. Can you sustain it?

And the tough part for Washington now is they have a really good defense that's going to keep them in a lot of games, which means that the likelihood that they would get high enough in a draft to be able to draft a quarterback is relatively low. So trying to get a quarterback at this point, when you already built a defense that's this good, becomes very difficult. Now, you got to you gotta bet on the fact that

you can get a quarterback later in a draft. Um, yeah, they can get a quarterback later in the draft that will allow them to be that that can really raise their level play. That's a harder thing to do, no, thank you, yes, all right. Next Washing Michael Parsons starts Week one against Tampa Bay. I'm gonna say no, but I'm gonna say no. But again we we we opine

so much. Tell me why, Well, because you're only gonna have two on the field and you want like starting just means you have to be out there for the first snap. So why because he's a first round pick?

First round picks, we know, first round. I don't care what you wanna say about whoever was here, but he's a first round pick, right like Layton vander esh didn't come on right away like he wasn't just like the guy from the gets a say about Layton, I mean like that, it's you expect I know, but you expect a linebacker, or you expect any player that you take in the top I don't know, fifteen picks in the first round, say you expect them to be immediate starters?

Do you not? He strained, he did. I remember Layton did something at training camp where he meant, what about play right? I'm I'm telling you right now, I don't even feel bad about saying this. Like Michael Parsons will play forty snaps against the Bucks, he won't be out there for the first snap of the game. That's that's just it's just politics. Yes, politics usually happened when you have an existing coaching staff that these are their guys.

They got no vested interest in those other two linebackers. They really don't. This is their guy the question, but it really does matter. And this isn't like this, you know what I mean. They're gonna play, They're gonna play it all right, then I'm sorry and then we can move on. But like, it's not that common unless you're Chase Young. It's not that common to just snap one of day one. You're just like, I'm the guy, this is me, Like lunch of tender. Absolutely, I will make

a lunch bet on this, not a bit. We're just gonna take one of us, will take the other one to lunch. Think that's that's your second linebacker lunch. Uh, yeah that is. Yeah, We'll see how that one turns out. I'm feeling pretty good about my prospects of having barbecue for free. I don't wanna, I don't wanna like I'm I don't smit to the Pro Bowls what I said, Yeah, yeah, that is what you say. I don't hate Micah and I think he's gonna play a lot of snaps this year.

But I just I bet he won't be the starter. Yeah. To clarify, I don't hate Mica. No, well we'll talk about that last week. The minute you doubt something, it's like, oh, he hates I just feel I just feel like that's how this goes most of the time, all right. See, I know the Cowboys will have four or four starters on the oh line for fourteen plus games, fourteen of the seventeen. If they do, they're in the playoffs. Preseason No, um uh no, No, that's a tough one. No, they won't.

Based on history, they won't. Between See, if you'd have gone three, I would have been like, okay, you can kind of convince me that maybe they'll have three on the field for fourteen games. Four fours a lot. Four means that they'll be in the playoffs if if all, if four of the five are there all season long, basically they might they might have already wrapped up the division. If they have all those offensive linemen on the field for fourteen get the first four, well, I mean, that's

just gonna make it competitive against Washington. And when you remember Washington dominated them like that. If the if the guys were out there, Lyell and all them, you know, because I think you can go back to that Thanksgiving game, Martin was there, Flint Cam flaming, No Cam, Irving, irving, Sorry some cam, it's not here anymore. Cam. They did a nice job. They moved the ball, you know, and now you thought they were going to be competitive. Then they both go out in that series and it went

down from there. But yeah, yeah, I just think I think it's going to be way more competitive just to have them, you know, the strength versus strength there with that offensive line defensive line. I just think that's asking for a lot. With what we've seen from this group over the last night. I can't beat on four okay so much. That's a lot, all right? Another one that stuff. The Cowboys will be a top ten defense with the roster and the changes that they've made this offseason. No

big old old booe thinking about it. You're thinking about it. Okay, you're going out there, Okay, Okay. Someone else said fifteen. Okay, take that, you all take fifteen, because once again, where were they the year before the year before last, they were I want to say eleven were nine. Well you know what they were last year they were thirty one. Now they were like twenty twenty four, twenty four yards, twenty seven or twenty eight and scores twenty four yards.

I didn't realize that. Now, That's what I was asking, Like, what is then? So I mean defense, they use it by the yards, us by yards, and you know, as bad as they were giving up points last year, and they gave up more than any in the Cowboys history. But yeah, they were like twenty fourth or something like that. So they get to fifteen possible, I think it's very possible. Again,

I look at where they were two years ago. I'm a big believer now, I'm a big believer in the fact that the problems they saw last year on defense had a ton to do with the coordinator um and I just look at what they were to because I don't think the personnel changed drastically. I think there were one or two guys that you could say, well, yeah, they make a big difference, but I don't think it changed that drastically to have the drop that they did.

I think the coordinator was the big issue. And so I expect them to get back up at least to the top half of the league in yards that they allow. I'll settle for seventeenth with a positive turnover different If you get a positive turnover that manly, Yeah, that's huge.

I have another one that is specifically asking about the rushing different defense, and I mean they're like you guys said, there are different metrics in different ways you can analyze this all, But do you guys expect the rushing defense to improve significantly this year? Can it get worse? It actually cannot because they were thirty two. They can't get worse. It can't, so I actually they will be better. I went back and listened to the show last week while

I was in the gym this morning. I just got mad all over again about y'all fighting about which the combination just the resources that they put into defensive tackle. Bohanna's part of it. Brent Urban, in my opinion, is also part of it. Two other draft picks, Colston and no DIGGI zooo, who can help? And then the guys that were here. Maybe I'm just this, I don't know, Maybe this is just favoritism. I feel like I felt really good about what Tristan Hill was doing, and he

was only there for he got hurt. He didn't even get he didn't even get the flowers of people being sad that he got hurt because he got hurt the same day as Dak. So if he's back and can continue the trajectory that it looked like he was on, I think that's exciting. And then you add Mica to go along with what's already there at linebacker, Yes, they will, they will absolutely improve. Think about the improvement between Tristan Hill year one and year two. Okay, it was a

pretty significant. He looked like a viable football player last year after not being able to get on the field. So whatever he improved, whatever the percentage of improvement, whatever that is. What if Neville Gallimore improves that much from year one to year time, if you're actually I was talking about this yesterday, like if you're just like sneaky, sneaky storylines that make you feel excited, like everybody's excited

about Dak. We get that, But like Neville and Tristan together, if like that's exciting and intriguing to me, that, like, the defensive tackle position could be surprisingly good if those guys grow into who the front office thinks they can be. Well, that's how I feel about No DIGGI Zoo. I think is a guy they're really excited about too, you know. And and here's another thing about Bohannah. Uh, the guy I've always been trying to get, you know, a big, fat,

sloppy guy that's not Bohanna. Now, Bohanna is three hundred and thirty pounds. He doesn't look like it though. I mean he looks he's in good shape for his size and all that. He's got a lot of strength to him. And the joke was, well, um Quinn said he's going to be right here on the ball, you know. Well, a couple of times at practice he actually wasn't. He was in the three technique, so they kind of moved, which he kind of take that a little because you

just don't know. They don't have a lot of people, don't have a lot of guys. I just think he's a big, strong guy, but I think he's gonna have a little bit more movement than you think. When I was watching him and going back to you talking about the conversation from last week and the argument between you two, yeah, I could not remember what the argument was, but all I can see is while I was watching, I'm like, I'm on Derek side on this. As what I was

looking at you know you all. You know the classic meme of like you think about the perfect rebuttal two hours later you know you never have it. Like good one techniques get drafted high all the time. Vita Vea it happened. Danny Shelton was another one. Not all the time. I mean it happened something. If a one technique is a stud, he's worth drafted round. That's what I was saying.

But I will say there are certain positions, and you know you cover the draft way more than I do, there are certain positions where you have to be exceptionally great to get into that conversation. Do you get the tackle is one of those positions. You don't just especially one technique, You don't get into that conversation unless you're exceptional.

I'm not saying he's exceptional. What I'm saying is he fits a terrible need for the Cowboys, and he's the only guy, by the way, that could fill that need. And that's why I think he's gonna get opportunities. I'm gonna ride. I'm riding with Brent Urban on this one. That's okay, we'll see see, we will see, all right. One last one real quick, uh, no, no, that's it good. Let's go. That's it's all right. I appreciate you guys, Jannus. We'll be back on next Wednesday. We'll have more talk

for you guys. Told them for Nick Eatman, Dave Helmet, Amber Garcia. I am Derek Eakleton. 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.