The following he is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
Cowboys.
This is Girls Talkboys Talk, presented by Jigsaw Dating, preferred dating partner of the Dallas Cowboys, and broadcasting live from Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters at the Star. Now your hosts, Christy Scales, Aisha Morrison, Nicole Hutchison, and jess Navarrees.
Cowboys Nation, Welcome to another episode of Girls Talk Boys Talk, presented by Jigsaw, the preferred dating partner of the Dallas Cowboys. We're coming to you live in Oxnard, California. Well, myself, Nicole Hegison, and Christy Scales are. Then we've got the lovely ladies in the studio, Aisha Warrison and Jazz Monet, one of our newest members to the team.
Jazz, how you doing?
I'm good. How are y'all hot?
Doing well?
Hot?
Is crazy?
Hot?
Sister? Isn't that hot out there?
First of all, it's disrespectful.
It's one hundred ten degrees?
So yeah, my grandma, Oh, I know, I was talking to somebody, tell about some we own the Devil's doorstep, were not friends.
I ain't trying to go see him I could definitely do it. I'm surviving though, I'm surviving the terrible.
We love it, We love it.
We'll just give us a little background. So Cowboys Nation, can you know, get a chance to know you real quick.
Give us a background of you, where you come from and things like that.
Sure.
I recently moved to the area from Austin, Texas. I've been hosting a sports theme podcast for a few years and started covering the Cowboys heavily a couple of years ago, around the same time I started writing for Inside the Star, which is a cowboy centric blog. And now I'm here anything else I should.
Have ready to go? Ready to go?
All right, Well, well we can just go ahead and hop into it, ladies.
Just a quick update, rule fast on the latest news as Cowboys backup tackle or Old Bostik has been moved to IR. We've got Carl Lawson that is officially signed as of today on Supposedly he is expected to participate in my game practice. We'll know more when we hear from head coach Mike McCarthy in about an hour and fifteen minutes. An update on Mazie I was told by Jonathan Jackson, one of our members for the works for the Cowboys team that he is doing a lot better.
So it's good news finally because he did not get a chance to play on Saturday against the Raiders. And speaking of the Raiders game, we finally get a win Cowboys twenty seven to twelve the final.
And Christy, I'll start with you.
We come away with no injuries and if you look back at last year, that was certainly not the case.
That's always the number one thing is the sideline reporter. And I hope you all got to see Nicole make her debut on the sideline this past Saturday night on the Cowboys TV bride cast. So it was fun the two of us down there together, me for radio and Nicole there for TV. But at halftime, it's like, okay, Nicole, we hadn't had any injuries in the first half, so didn't want to jinx anything. But that's the number one
thing coming out of any preseason game. But we had had enough injuries in practice, right with Earl Boston going down, but putting him on injured reserve opened the spot to go ahead and sign Carl Lawson, who's the veteran free agent defensive end. So they signed him or you agreed to terms with him last week and now it's official.
I think the important thing about signing Karl Lawson to get an eight year veteran with all that experience and all those skins on the wall, and basically against the cap, he's counting the same as a second year veteran. So his one year deal is for one point two five million dollars. So that is very low risk in terms of financially but a potential high reward. But here's the
thing with the veteran. Accept that one point two five million dollar base salary, it's only nine hundred and eighty five thousand against the cap, So you're getting that kind of guy in for less than a million bucks. He does have incentives in his contracts, So if he gets five sacks, that's going to be one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars in incentives. If he gets seven sacks, that's going to be another one hundred and twenty five
thousand dollars. If he plays in fifty five percent of defensive snaps, another one hundred and twenty five thousand dollars, plays in sixty five percent of the snaps, another one hundred and twenty five were ups at five hundred. Now, if he's playing all that and getting all these snaps, and if the team makes the playoffs, another five hundred thousand dollars, so up to a million dollars in bonus. So he can make up to two point two five million dollars, but only all of that incentive that would
be paid next year. This year, all he's counting is the nine hundred and eighty five, So Nicole's that's really a bargain basement price for an experienced veteran for sure.
And you mentioned the sacks, certainly something that this Cowboy's defensive line needs, just getting pressure to a quarterback, especially with the loss of Sam Williams.
Will talk more.
About that in the second segment, but talk about this running back room guys. We got a chance to see pretty much all the rest of the running back room, six guys who are fighting for a position in that room on the depth chart. When you talk about Royce Connor, Douce Fawn making an appearance for the first time in about a week, I believe they missed practice.
But I'll start with you II show what did you.
Like from that running back room?
And you know, do you feel like the Cowboys have found answers in the run game so far.
And I know it's too early. Let me just go ahead and still early.
I know it's still the preseason, but just you know, go ahead, it's you're fine.
It's the disclaim listen. Disclaimers are welcome with the people we be talking to so at this point. But no, I don't know if they've gotten all the answers, but they have gotten some. You know, we haven't gotten to see Royce Freeman for a couple of weeks now. He was dealing with it. Was it a hammy, y'all?
Was it a growin? Was a handy?
Maybe?
They just he is so many of them, So, yeah, he was dealing with the growing injuries kind of had him out.
But you could tell from some of the things.
They were doing with him on special teams and his involvement kind of early in camp that they had a plan for him and some of the things they wanted to do with him. This is a big body, you know, coming downhill running back. I think he can give you some things and short yardist situations, also goal line things, but he has a little bit of explosiveness to him as well. So kind of getting to look at him and some of the things he's able to do in
the open field. And then obviously Duce Vine. I think this running back, this running back room right now is lacking juice, and Duce Vaughn is such an interesting change of pace, and he's a guy that defenses would have to account for.
I mean, we saw it.
Even even going back and watching the tape, you can see some of these defenders just I think they were surprised by the speed and the ability to stop on a dime and cut and bounce to the outside. I mean, to go from the middle of the offensive line and bounce all the way outside. There's not a lot of people who can do that and not have to decelerate. So seeing him play freely and really let his vision take take over the game was impressive as well. So
I do think that they got some answers. They're probably gonna want more answers, especially you know, with the cut wire and stuff coming. But I will say, at least we know and have some tangible film on these two gentlemen to kind of go off of and evaluate this running back room.
Yes, my answer is going to be almost exactly the same that they do have some answers, but not all the answers. I liked Rayce Freeman for a lot of the same reasons, But I think for me, what I really liked about Duce Vaughan because you know me, I'm always like looking at on the field and off the field. I love an athlete that can admit and also pay attention to what they need to work on, even when
they're getting a lot of praise. You know, Deuce last preseason got a lot of praise and a lot of adoration for the way that he was able to move around and had a lot of agility on the field.
And so when I heard him acknowledge that he wanted to work more on his power and that he wanted to specifically work on his runs in between the tackles, because that's something that not only did he need to work on, but that's something that was a weakness of the Cowboys running game the entire last season, you know, So when I heard him say that, I was just like, Yes, he's at least going into this with the right mentality.
So I really appreciated him acknowledging that, and also what he said about wanting to show off his past protection of the ability like that to me makes me really excited about what we can expect from Dusbon in the future. So I was happy to see him, happy to hear from him.
Christy, Yeah, that the power is what surprised me because last year, in the very limited playing time that he got in the regular season, he averaged just barely over one and a half yards at carries, so it was pretty bleak and he was down at the point of contact. He wasn't getting like yards after contact or moving, you know, making that push and getting forward. But man, slashing and showing some power on Saturday night. So I was thrilled
to see that. And Jazz, I think you nailed it when you said, Deuce talking about the pass protection in the post game so important, and I think they're really going to give him a chance to show that off
on Saturday. We didn't really get to see him work too much that Saturday night, but you're right, he realizes exactly what he needed to do in the off season in terms of just a little more strength so he could have that power and get the yards after contact, and knows that he has to do the pass protection.
But the one thing that we were told in the off season, is the implementation of Deuce Vaughan in the passing game and maybe putting him out wide because we've talked about on the podcast where you want him in space right, Well, you're not going to see that in preseason because Mike McCarthy and Brian Schottenheimer don't want to give anything away to a post and defenses is once we get into the regular season. So I'm not looking
for that in this final regular season game. But yeah, I thought that of the top two or three people making great progress in Week two, Duce was one of those two or three for me.
Duce Vaughn five carries for thirty four yards average six point eight yards per carrie.
I don't know, maybe that's good.
I think that's awesome. That's awesome.
I don't know that's awesome. Are you getting that?
That's global material you do that elect But it's also the distribution of snaps. So Duce got sixteen snaps, Royce Freeman got fifteen snaps. Snoop Connor, we finally got to see him a little bit eleven snaps. Elie Davis started the game and hit. He only had fourteen yards on his five carries. But he was the starter. And then in the second half it was a Pete that the
rookie from Missouri that got the work. But it was great that as you're trying to answer these questions about the running back room, that each of them got that much work. And then again I think it's Nicole mentioned Rico Dawdle was sitting, so he and Zeke coach's decisions not to play. So a great work for those young guys.
Guys.
I got another question, which of those guys made a better case in solidifying their spot as we head closer to roster cut downs.
Jazz, I'll start with you.
Oh no, oh, no, it's crazy.
No, I say, I'll know because that's a really tough question to answer. I feel like they both brought different things to the table that would be considered useful for the Cowboys. I man, I'm gonna just say I'm glad that I don't have to make that decision in real life, because that's a tough one. In all honesty, I don't have an answer, like my heart wants to say, Duz, but I'm just like, but like, I don't know, ways has so many useful abilities.
Yes, I can't well real frash.
Well, then how about this one who's a guy who's you know, you maybe had high hopes of for coming into that Raiders game, but then you kind of saw their stock go down after their performance against the Raiders. Maybe that's a better one.
You want me to say, who stock went down?
Oh?
Man? And like for runners, running backs running yep, just running backs mm hmm. I mean, honestly, it's not fair, but it's like anybody who we're not talking about right now, I would say their stock kind of went down because it's I think it's one of those situations where you see a couple of guys getting over four yards per carry and so it's like the spotlight is on them.
So while you know three point however many yards per carry, it's also very good, it can kind of feel kind of average whenever you've got a couple of other guys who are bringing so much more to the table, and I know, it's just it's one game and that's it. That's the tough thing about it. It's like, Okay, can
we expect this to be consistent? Like is this something that we should expect to see game in and game out from these guys or is it possible that you end up making a decision based off a limited sample size. But I would say anybody who wasn't in a headline this morning, their stock kind of went out. Not saying that they don't deserve a spot. I'm just saying, like there are some guys who aren't being talked about as much today.
Asia, I ain't sorry to trust you around no.
I just if you're one of those running backs that was out there today, well on Saturday, does a lot of things like the one that you have on the roster right now that wasn't suiting up, So you know, if you.
Want to, you know, decide who you want to keep.
You know, that guy that was on the field, that was running with some power and some pop and stuff.
You know, some decisions to be.
Made in that way.
I'm not saying that, you know, someone stock went down.
I'm just saying that you see similarities and similarities in a player that wears number fifteen and then the player that rhymes with Freeman and that the you know, so decisions and as far as you's fine, there's not. There's not that many people. I don't think there's anybody in the running back room that does what Deuce can do, so I don't really find him comparable to anything else, and especially since he can, they've talked about doing some
things in the receiving games. So I don't know about nobody's stop going down, but I mean know we it's the Spider Man pointing meme at this point with some of these guys, So I'm just.
Pick a side.
Yeah, yeah, no, no, I agree, it's not necessarily that someone's stock went down yet, you know, but like if Malik Davis is still here and the other guys like Deuce and Royce, you know where they finally get a chance to get some carries and they come up. So, you know, I think the thing about it's good news it makes about the running back room, it's that it's making the decisions harder. And the other thing is, remember the second thing. We hadn't even mentioned Hunter Lipkey, right
because they know exactly what they have. They don't need to see him in preseason. But the thing that it's hard to know how they did in coverage and blocking on special teams. So we need to talk to bones Fossil about that, because if you're the second, third, and or fourth running back on the team, just like if you're the fourth, fifth, sixth wide receiver or the second, third, fourth tight end, you have to be a core contributor on special teams. So that's where one of the differences
is going to lie. So I think we'll have a better idea later this week after we get to talk to coach Fossil and see how people did on special teams. For example, the guy who's at the bottom of the depth chart at tight end, Alec Holler, two awesome, awesome plays in kickoff coverage down the field and just knock
the snot out of the returner. So Holler is a guy that nobody's heard of, but when it comes to special teams, it was so obvious that he really helped himself and maybe helps secure a spot on the practice squad after a really strong performance on a couple of opportunities in kickoff coverage.
Hey, Christy's talking about Alan Caller and knocking the snot out of people.
How about this Cowboys offensive.
Line knocking the snot off the defensive line for the Raiders commanding, come on, Jazzy, where is it?
Where is it?
That was pretty good?
Sang Yeah.
They call him slobber knockers. Slobber knockers and football Bill Bates. Longtime Cowboy fans will remember Bill Bates. He always loved the slobber knockers on special teams.
But no, I mean, let's talk about this o line.
Guys.
Cooper Beebe obviously starting at center, Tyler.
Giden just absolutely playing phenomenal on Saturday.
Uh. Do you guys feel.
That the Cowboys are in good hands with what this offensive line put on tape on Saturday? And again, let me put the disclaimer out there. I know it's the preseason, but with what you saw out of our twos, if we really or some of our ones, Tyler Giden, we're all pretty satisfied with what they put on tape. And I USh I'll start with you.
Remember ask the Raiders starters they cause, I mean, you d you disclaimed with always his preseason, but they decided to play their starters. They were trying to They're trying to make some really serious decisions on both sides of the by both sides of the ball. So nah, I mean,
it's went back. You know, I went back and watched the game twice and just the movement that some of these guys are getting using combo and duo blocks and working together and their communication and getting to the second level and really like walling off.
Like there was even one.
Play where it was Brevin Spamford and it was Brevin span Ford, Tyler Geydon and Cooper Bebe and.
You literally see the it l They look like a unit.
Just one like a wall together moving uh guys out the way.
And you know, we talked about We've talked about it on this show number a.
Number of times, is the fact that the run game for this team is intricate to their success and not only stopping the run, but being able to run the ball, being able to control the clock when you get into the playoffs, when it's when it's cold, being able to do those things, it's gonna open up your offense. So seeing these two gentlemen, these two young rookies come in and them starting to really shape into form, and you can see we got a very we we lucked up a little bit.
We got a really real look at.
Them against starters on another NFL team, and they succeeded. They had success eorally in that game running the ball, and that's why we were able to see a deuce do some things that's why we were able to see a Royce Freeman do some things and Milik Davis, so a lot of credit to them. And I guess we're gonna run the ball down people throw this year, y'all.
I'm for it.
I would love that. And everything that you just said is even more exciting when you think about the fact that not all the ones were even out there, Like we like what we saw from Cooper BB and what we saw from those guys working as a unit as you described, but imagine what it's gonna look like when Tyler Smith is out there and when Zach Martin is out there. Like I don't know how anybody could see what we saw on Saturday and not be excited about
the line. And Cooper BB, I mean, he is just making a statement for a short arm o lineman everywhere It's like, how dare you trying to drop my jab? Stop? Found about I got short arms? Like what is that supposed to mean? Like the way that he's getting to a second level And did you see the play where he like knocks down one guy and then like the other guy tries to jump over and he just like pushes him down. He's like, yeah, this is what short arms will do to you, So I mean, I love it.
And then Tyler Geydon, I really like what I'm seeing from him. Once again, I got to talk about on and off the field because I love the mentality that he seems to bring. Obviously I haven't spoken to him directly, but one of the things that I noticed about him was that like he does like this kind of pushing thing whenever he redirects guys, which is effective because of his size and his force, right, but obviously it's not
exactly what you want to see all the time. And I noticed, like in the fourth quarter, like late in the game, he started like changing up how his hands were moving and latching on a little bit more. And so to me, that says coachability and the willingness to change, like even mid game. So I'm excited not only by what we saw, but what's to come from these guys because of how culchable they are and how much improvement that we've seen just from game one of the preseason to this weekend.
Yeah, Aisha, what did you see from awesome Richards playing inside at guard?
Christy? You know me els sits there.
No, I want to know, just because you know he had been working at tackle and gardens, so you know, if you think he had a strong game, we need to mention him to speaking key role player.
Yes, yeah, thank you for bringing up Awesome.
I wrote my notes.
He's stressing me out because he looks so strong at guard, and we talked about it the other day. Tackle is what you really need right now when you talk about depth, but the comfort. He's so much more comfortable inside right now because one thing about Awesome coming out is that he has the ability to mirror and stay in front of edge rusher's. He has defeat, but he wasn't redirecting guys well enough. That initial punch wasn't strong enough from him,
and a lot of people were worried about his power. Now, what he's done, as Jazz was just talking about what he's done is gone to the well. He's putting on some extra muscle shirt, up his technique and they've put him inside. And I think that him being able to play inside allows him to not have to think so much because when you're out there on that edge, you're on an island. It's a lot more that you have to do, and it's a lot more ground that you have to cover right.
So for him, I saw clean feet.
I saw a mean streak Christy that I'm not sure I saw temperament wise from him, you know, in coming out of college, Like you see all of these guys, these young guys in this offensive line, they're finishing blocks, Christy like they are literally like yep, making sure dudes are in the dirt. And that is a mentality. And if your offensive line, your young guys are displaying that, that's gonna put fire into your veterans as well. So for him, I just see a more comfortable player with
more power and you know, less thinking for him. So it makes me sick because I was really banking on him being the swing tackle for you and especially with Idoga out now, but what he's showing at guard is undeniable and it makes me sick.
But I'm happy, but it makes me sick.
Awesome, Richard's looking to continue to make a case for him to make the.
Roster as roster cut downs come an.
Approach, But we've also got to talk about that safety room.
Who is standing out and who made the best impression after Saturday?
Is it Janya Thomas? I don't know.
We're gonna find out in our next break.
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Kiddy, get it. I ain't got a transition now, I'm just gonna go straight into it.
Yeah, cut straight to it, no chaser, See what I did there?
All right?
Ladies?
The safety position?
Okay, now you want to give me a ding' that straight earlier?
Real bad?
That's crazy Jazzy doing me so dirty.
But no, ladies, the safety position.
Obviously with Marquis Spell, you got Yanye Thomas who uh stepping in that conversation, not that he wasn't before, but just certainly making plays on Saturday against the Raiders with the past breakup and the on the opening drive for the Raiders and also just getting to the quarterback as well, showing his ability. When you talk about a guy like Kanye, how difficult will it be.
For I don't won't say how difficult?
Uh? What has impressed Schael the most? Now that is year three for him? And do y'all feel like he could be take a step in the right direction? When you know, when you talk about the roster cuts, I'll talk about you Asha, start with you, Ayisha?
Oh yeah yeah, yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
One thing about Wanya and Christy, you can correct me if I'm wrong.
I feel like you've been around Wyya a little bit more, and obviously he's been a big special teams guy. Bones thinks very highly of him from what you've told us. But with Wanye, it's playing under control. He has so much fire, and he is so fast, and the way he drives on balls and the way he's active in the run game. The only critique that I've ever really had of him, because he has the ability, has the range,
he can cover a lot of ground very quickly. He's not afraid to put his nose in there and tackle. It's just, you know, all those are all the traits that you want from a safety. But for him, I thought last year it was playing under control.
He wasn't.
He was getting limited snaps, so you could feel his urgency sometimes on the field to make place to get in position. Now, with Zimmer system and the way this defense is run, I think a lot of these safeties are going to have the opportunity to be on the field together.
We might see different rotations.
And because to your point in the call, he has made those improvements. He is playing under control, he's reading and he's diagnosing Now like that play when he came from depth Christy and came all the way down and made a play on the ball. That's you know, seeing it and like reacting and going that's decisiveness and that
lets me know that he's comfortable in this system. And then even so making a play at the line of scrimmage, coming up, realizing he's coming from depth again, covering a lot of ground, realizing like, hey man, he's scrambling, he's rolling to his left.
It doesn't seem like he has anybody to go to.
Listen, let me just put my hands up, let me just get my hands in the air. Like that's awareness and that's maturity from him. And so with this defense, I think Zimmer is gonna have to make some business decisions.
And when I say that, I mean.
Play the matchup game like who Even though Malik Hooker and Donovan Wilson are the starters, I think we can see some different rotations of guys because it's gonna be difficult to keep someone like Wanya and also someone like Marquise Bell, who had a hell of a game last week off of the field when they have this talent. So I hope I answered your question the long way. But I'm very impressed with what we've been seeing from these young safeties out there.
Girl, same same, guess. One thing I'll say about Marquis Bell, because you covered almost everything I want to say about Oh no, it is totally It is totally fine. You did a great breakdown of everything, and I'm gonna get back to him. But Marquis Bell, he looks like he's benefiting a lot from a lot of the different positions
that he had to play last season. Like it just seems like mentally things are clicking in a way where he can not only play his position very well, but he's also just supporting other guys and what's the word I'm looking for, a synergy, Like it seems like some very synergistic gameplay where it's almost like he just kind of knows what to do based on what's going around him.
Going on around him. Now, Janie, as you were talking about his need to play with more control, I like part of me wanted to ask you, like, don't you think he did that this game?
Yeah?
Because like that was one thing I actually wrote it down. I was like, Yanye looked like he had an extra shot of espresso before the game like you you could see that, like you could feel the energy coming off the screen almost. But it wasn't crazy. It didn't feel dangerous. It didn't feel like there was a big risk for penalties or anything. It just felt like, Okay, he's here, he's excited to be here, and I don't know, I really like both those guys once again for different reasons.
Once again, I'm very excited that I'm not the person having to make these decisions because it's kind of.
Yeah, I think Wanye when you say awareness and instincts, you know, instincts can't be coached, yes, and you know it's one thing to know where you need to be, but then to kind of already be headed that direction and just keying on it and knowing that it's coming. But he is always around the ball, whether it's special teams or particularly at safety, So I hey, I don't never even thought there was really a risk to his roster position should coming into camp if he just built
on what he did last year. But this is a this is these are one of the guys that you root for once you get to know him, and overcame so much with his childhood a stutterer, right had worked with a speech therapist, so imagine how he might have gotten picked on as a kid. But at four years old, one of four children, this in Cresview, Florida, and he
and his mom and siblings. They're living in a car after their place is burned down and they're relying on Red Cross for vouchers and then living on people's couches later and things like that. So he knows what adversity is from a very young age. And so coming in from you know, Georgia Tech as an undrafted free agent, people think that's adversity. No, this kid has seen it way early in life. So he is one of the
people that you really root for. And the one thing that who's fallen behind is Sheldrick RedWine, who was on the team last year and acted for a few games, key special teams guys. He's the one that needs to look out for his spot because with his injury and not being able to play on Saturday night, you know, Marquis Spell and Wan Ye keep shooting up the way.
And also a guy like Amani Johnson, you talk about a bigger guy, and then Julius would just bigger physical safeties, which I mean, just bring it I mean, they are thumpers out there. So I am very impressed with how deep the talent is at the safety position.
How difficult, Well, where does this room rank amongst difficulties in.
I guess making those cuts at that position.
Christy, y'all start with you.
I don't think it's difficult at all in the top four. It's just how long you go at cornerback, and you know those corners that when you have a guy like Keemon Hall. He's had the big interception return. I know it was his splash play, but his ability to play inside. He's been the backup to Jordan Lewis. So I think, you know, you might have to go a little when
you talk about the defensive back room. If you're going to keep ten of them or eleven of them, at least four are gonna be safety, maybe five, but you might have to go a little bit longer at cornerback depending on experience. You know who's going to back up Jordan Lewis. So, I think that's where the questions come in. And obviously any of the backup DB's are going to have to be real key players on special teams.
He sure, what about you?
I had a question for you ladies, since you're out there.
You guys saw the game. We're talking about this safety room. But there's a safety Israel mccamill, who actually did some corner things. Yeah in this game? What is that about? And you know what is he is a corner. But I was just wondering, are they trying to to your point Christy talking about the depth at the safety position and the cornerback position, are they trying to get a look at him at corner?
Maybe?
No.
So he's been mainly kind of playing think of when they would the way that Dan Quinn would match up the bigger guy, Yeah, I get him in a lost against him tight end or that ture. So so he has been playing more almost like a slot and coming down in the box and not deep safety. So Mukuamu, it kind of goes to my point of if you keep ten or eleven defensive backs, would he count as
a safety? Would he count as a corner? But he has been playing a lot up at the line, kind of in the slought or matching up when they're in a dime and you have Jordan Lewis taking one slot and then Mukuamu the other or Mukuamu. You know, just coming out, he's gotten work inside in the nickel and then when they have two Nichols doing the dime, so he's gotten a lot of work that way.
Thank you, no problem.
Uh, ladies didn't get a chance to talk defensive tackle talk real fast before we take our next break.
Justin Rogers we got a good better look at.
Him now that uh you know, with the loss of or with the absence of Mazi Smith and Jordan Phillis.
We'll start with Justin Rodgers.
I show would you from him?
Yeah, I wrote down he's steadily getting a strong well, he has a steadily strong anchor at the point of attack. So I mean he's just able to sit down on guys and deal with, you know, not being moved, not being driven back.
I did feel like, yeah, he can get.
Turned at times when his feet aren't set, but I think he has good play temperament and he has a natural feel for the position overall. Like I mean, some guys you just see play DT and it's just like, oh, yeah, that's the DD you know what I'm saying, Like that's knows and I will say differently than what we saw from him in college sounds. It looks like he is
like displaying a little twitch, am I tripping? Christy, just a little bit of like being able to get up field, and he's just a little lighter on his feet than I expected. Have you seen that as well, Christy?
Really more when they have the one on ones, when they have the pass rush drills. Yes, all the but with a caveat that he's going mostly against the second and third teamers. That's fa when he's doing that. But yes, but I do agree with your point.
Yes, yeah, I.
Mean, but I walked away to answer your question, Cale, I walked away looking at this DT room and what it is right now.
Obviously Mazzi didn't play.
Saw some better things from Huggins. We know he had a pretty tough week with everything going on from the practice and then also two, I didn't think he performed well last game. So this past game I felt like he showed kind of why they brought.
Him here and what he could do.
And then Jordan Phillips, he got off a plane, rolled off the plane and decided he's gonna play football.
Christy, that's how we're doing things.
And well, yeah, well the thing about Phillips is he had been in camp with the Giants, so it's not like there's a ramp up thing like when you sign a guy off the street where you need to give him a few days to get acclimated. So he was already in football shape and when you're playing the three technique, not that it's not difficult, but you know, it's not like quarterback, Hey learn a new offense. They could get him out there. The goal was to give him about
fifteen plays coming in and helped me to clo. I think he ended up with about eleven plays and that's correct, so just under that target. But yeah, but that's why they were able to put him out there immediately is because he was already in football shape since he had been in camp for three weeks, albeit with another team.
Christy real Quick, Actually a question for you. You saw him play at the one technique and three technique.
Do you see him.
Playing a little bit more of the one technique or do you see him being that backup behind osa Adzoo.
I think initially and probably on the depth chart, he'll be listed behind Osaka, but it depends how well Mazi and Justin.
Play at the one.
Let's be let's be real honest and then and so many times when you especially get in the regular season, when you know you're in the nickel, and you know, think about last year when they would move like Chauncey Golston inside, you know, and kind of go with more of the pass rushers, and you take out the Massie Smiths of the world and the bigger or the Justin Rogers of the world and go with guys to get
more of a pass rush up the middle. So I think Jordan Phillips is actually going to get a lot of work, mainly at the three, but some at the one.
All right, well, we're gonna go ahead and take our second break, and up next we're giving our gold stars from week two. Make sure to stick with us right here on Girls Talk, Boys Talk, presented by Jigsaw, the prefer dating partner of the Dallas Cowboys.
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Download the app to join on got another one either, So we're just gonna straight cut straight to it. These a lot of goals stars thinking about from Saturday. I'll start with you, Aisha, who would you give your goal start too? From Saturday's performance against the Raiders.
Let Jazz go. I'm still thinking.
Yes, I'm sorry, Jazz, can I can I do two or one and a half?
Yes?
One kind of connects to the DT conversation that we were having because I think Gardner Minshew was still having nightmares about Huggins. Like that was just hilarious to watch, especially considering like how i'll say disappointing he wasn't in the first preseason game and then watching him just like get to the QB that was I was like, Okay,
way to redeem yourself, Like good job. But honestly, we haven't talked about Trey Lance today, and while he does still have a lot to work on, the uh, the improvement that we did see, I mean, increasing his confidence, I feel like deserves a little bit of recognition just because I expected to see those improvements, right, But I don't think I expected to see so much improvement from one week to another, mainly in terms of his confidence
and how comfortable he looked. You know, he's still he got a little bit more touch on the ball, right, but he's still there's some areas that he needs to work on the placement, especially whenever it comes to anything that's longer than like what like five to ten yards, And I almost feel like I see what it is.
Right.
It feels like whenever he sees open space, but there's like a defender between him and that open space, he gets kind of nervous, a little bit hesitant, and so he's like, no, I'm not gonna do it, and you know, just ends up going to like either that first read or just whoever's closest or whatever it is that he's thinking. But he did look more comfortable, more confident, and I feel like, I just I want to acknowledge those improvements in his game. So shout out to Trey because we do that here.
You love it.
I'm ready now, Aisha, all right, go ahead your girl. Yes, it has to be the DN rookie Marshawn Kneeland giving that star lip the Raiders some.
Hell, y'all.
I mean, just he's just and Christy knows like you don't always see Edge's young Edge is specifically come in and have that power, that grown man football power immediately and he just plays with so much leverage, so much fire hit the motor is insane because even on the play that Wanye got the pick, well the well Wanye had the deflection.
Yo.
Marshaw Kneelan literally gets pinned inside. He gets pinned inside. He took the wrong read to start, so he gets pinned inside. He thinks they're running the ball. He spins out, goes all the way behind the freaking formation and is right next to Wanye when Wanye is, you know, deflecting the ball down.
Like it's you can't teach some of the effort that he shows on the field.
And I'm so excited to have someone opposite of Tank Lawrence that you know is gonna have the same tenacity in the run game, and that's gonna show that same fire. And he's also starting to give you a little shimi and a shake when you talk about a rushing the passer. So yeah, Marshaan Kneelan is my goal star. I mean he was everywhere to start that game, all.
Right, Christy, Well, since y'all stole mine, I'm a steely I'll go dB with Keemon Hall. I mean, you know, the sixty nine yard interception returned for a touchdown. He's been playing so much again, he's been the backup to Jordan Lewis in the slot corner, playing the nickel corner. That is such a hard position to play, so crucial and he may have played his way into a spot
on Saturday night but got catalytic play. But the reason why he gets my gold star is if y'all some of you may have heard this, but if you've not, this is so delicious. After the game, he was asked, you know, when's the last time he had had a pick six? You didn't scoring a touchdown on an interception return in he Mischien College. Who was the last time he had done it? So later in the same postgame interview, it's so, do you remember who the pick was? And
he says, well, it is Jerry Jones's grandson. So University of North Texas is playing University of Art, Kansas, and he said it was John Steven Jones. That's Jerry's grandson. That's Stephen Jones's son. It was only like his second pass attempt in college, and Hall picks him off and
takes it in for the score. So we said, well, does Jerry have you talked to Jerry about He says, first week of camp, I started to walk up and mention something about it, but I decided not to so anyway, but I'm going to go with Hall because of so many people that you've mentioned all already had great games, but he may have done the most for actually securing a roster spot thanks to a catalytic play.
A guy I wanted to talk about was Marshawn Niland. Thanks Aiesha. No, but I think you talk about his run stopping ability.
That was something that you know obviously stood out on table when the Cowboy drafted at him, so we knew that he was bringing that to the table.
But I think for me, it was his thirst to show and.
Determination to show that he can also be a pass rusher, and I think that he can be so disruptive off the edge.
So I think that he's a guy that I'm going to give my goals start to.
Who is a surprise guy a surprise standout from the Raiders game for you guys, And I'll start with Christy.
Huh Okay, surprise stand out. Well, I was just glad to see actually, I would say awesome at guard just because not so much a surprise, but he had been moved around and having to play tackle, but to go in and play guard against that first team. And I know we've already talked about him in the earlier segment, but that's what made my heart happy out of all
these guys to see what they did. I was really impressed since he had been moving around for him to finally kind of play mostly at one spot, I thought. I was pleasantly surprised at how dominating he was at time on some of those plays.
Jazz, I'm looking through my notes to see if I have somebody that we haven't talked about already. Yeah, I guess as far as surprises go, like Huggin's performance was a little bit of a surprise for me as well. Maybe I'll go with with Phillips just because I did not know a lot about him before the Cowboys got him. So seeing him go out there and playing as many snaps as he played and then seeing him do like so much three tech stuff, that kind of stuff was
a surprise to me. So I was like, Okay, what it made me think of was I don't remember what coach said it, but it was. It was sometime last season a coach was asked about bringing new people onto the team, and the response was something and I'm paraphrasing, but it was something along the lines of, we're not always looking for a guy to replace a guy, but we're just looking for someone who has skills and abilities that we can use. And so when I saw the way that Phillips was used in the way that he
was playing, that's what I thought of. I was like, Okay, so he's not like a Mazi substitute, but clearly he has a lot of skills that are gonna be like really beneficial to the defense. So that was a pleasant surprise for someone like me who wasn't as familiar with his game. I like what I saw.
I like that Aisha, I'm gonna go with. I would be being disingenuous if I didn't say Keimon.
Hall because I thought about saying it.
I felt lost, Like it was like he was like surprise, surprise, I'm here.
So I would say him.
But really Inentrew Booths Christy, I felt like, I mean, when I watched film from him.
Last week, I didn't see no tackling like that. I didn't see that fire.
And you know, this is a guy that you know, people have said maybe had lost his confidence a little bit. But seeing him in that game even so just kind of you know, getting in a rhythm. I actually went to look because it kind of did seem like he
needed a little time to acclimate. Obviously he doesn't know the defense like that, but I went to go look and yeah, he hasn't participate, participated in preseason, so this was like his first game technically, like of the season, kind of getting his legs under him, but seeing him come up and tackle and with force and intention despite the fact that you know he had a couple of receptions on him earlier in the game.
I thought was encouraging.
And he and Kemon Hall are making this cornerback conversation.
They're making it interesting. They got one more game.
I think both those guys are guys. Is it okay if I talk sorry, I think both those guys are guys, Like if you look at their resume, it's That's what kind of makes people not expect a lot, because when Booth was brought over, there was a lot of talk of like, okay, I remember because I talked about it on my show and somebody was like, okay, so we're trading one guy who's about to get cut for another guy who's about to get cut. That was the impression, and so I saying when I saw his tackling, I
was like, Okay, he's really solid. And then Keim On Hall. He's been on six different teams. He was apparently on the Cowboys practice squad in twenty twenty. So I think whenever we see something like that, we're like, Okay, no team seems to keep him around or you know, put him on a fifty three man roster, So what exactly are we gonna do with him? And so then we
see like, Okay, there's potential here. It definitely get paints a different picture than I think what a lot of us have seen just by looking at his resume and things that have been written about these guys.
Yeah, well with a keem On Hall. What was interesting. He's from this small town in Mississippi, Califoun City, Mississippi, And so when he was on the practice squad for the forty nine ers last year when they went to the Super Bowl. So that was cool that he was part of that forty nine ers team. But back home, they're so excited that in the offseason they gave him the keys to the city since he was on the practice squad of a team that went to the Super Bowl.
So I thought, as soon as that happened on Saturday night, I'm like, dang, are they going to deed him? Like half the property the Cowboys. Anyway, Hey, they're proud of him and they have a right to be.
He's a mayor.
So you guys talked about a Jazz and Aisha talked about, you know, Kemon Hall and Andrew Booth's willingness to tackle.
That's honestly credit to Al Harris, right, because not only are you a ballhawk for this team as a cornerback, but you've got to have that willingness to tackle. So that's that's something that in just the short amount of time that he's been here, that both of those guys have been here, you can tell the difference from those guys as well.
But ladies, this has been fun. Yes, this has been fun. This is actually our final show from training camp.
We will resume back on schedule on Monday in studio I believe on Monday the schedule will be going.
Out I believe by Derek Eagleton, our boss.
But this has been fun, So I'm gonna go ahead and wrap up for Aisha Morrison, Jazz Monet, Christy Scales, and Nicole Hutchson myself.
We'll see you all next week.
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