Mick Shots: Football Potpourri

been burning rubber or something. He said he had a tire problem, and you guys thought it would be me, didn't you, right if anybody was gonna be oh yeah, it's gonna be ever since. And you know he had to go to the tire place to get it fixed or get more tires, I'm not sure, and you know how long that takes. So Bill should join us shortly, hopefully, and in the meantime, Everson and myself will try to hold down the fort here. As the Cowboys are into

the off season with strength and conditioning going on. This weekend Friday and Saturday, the Rookie Mini camp will take place. Be interesting to see just how much they're allowed to do out on the field. I know, ever, since it's basically gonna be individual drills, the position guys, you can't go up against each other during this mini camp, but it is a mandatory mini camp, so they should have around let's see thirteen undrafted free agents, eleven draft choices,

and a couple veterans. So somewhere or guys, let's put it this way, they were on the team, uh last year. I think Ben d Nucci qualifies. They need a quarterback to be able to, you know, throw passes to wide receivers. So probably twenty five twenty six guys will be out there uh this weekend, so uh, that certainly is going on. I think since last we uh spoke on Mick shots,

the Cowboys had a visit from quarterback Jeff driscoll. And while everybody was all excited that he was going to sign immediately, I think after he got here, the Cowboys found are they probably already knew the rest of us found out that he had more visits to take. Now he's yeah, he's a pretty Cinderella. They wants to take a guy that's uh, he's searching for his fifteen fifth team since being drafted in the sixth round of twenty sixteen. Wow. So, uh,

we'll see where that one goes. That was always going to be I think a financial thing. How much can the Cowboys offer him? Um? I mean he's only started nine games, so I don't know that that, uh is the prerequisite to be a veteran backup quarterback. But at least he's been in the league. Tell me something about him. What's up with Jeff driscoll? I must admit I am in the dock here. Yeah, he's he just never I don't know if it was recognition because you know when

he when he transferred from Florida the Louisiana Tech. Yes, he had a right down the street Louisiana. Yeah, he had. He had a nice season there. Uh, you know through the ball well. Um, but from my understanding, arm strength wasn't a problem. It was just more of recognition and seeing things and um. So we'll see where that one goes. That's one of the things that Cowboys still need to take care of, uh, is figure out who that backup

quarterback is going to be. They have their own three candidates still with Ben Denucci, Cooper Rush, and Garrett Gilbert and another veteran potential backup got resigned. Blaine Gabbert resigned with the Bucks, so oh not coming here. So he's They actually gave him a two and a half million

dollars base salary for one year. And it is so nice to be a quarterback, right, and the best thing to be accomplished don't have to play, yes, just you know, get used to the clipboard, and when it's time to play, you go out there and you just kind of stink up the joint and they're like, no, no, your best place is over here with the clipboard, right, instead of all the team. No, you're gonna stick around with the clipboard as a quarterback. How many defensive backs do you

see sticking around after they've gotten toasted two or three? Right, Hey, hey, let's go there and then just hold the clipboard for the defensive coordinator. I just don't see that happening. But what I do see is a little bit of tear coming up into my eye. I see the thirteen undrafted free agents, right, if we're talking about nineteen eighty one, that would be myself, Michael Downs would be in that category. Guy.

Just a whole bunch of guys, A couple of guys from Ohio State back in nineteen eighty one, and a couple more kind of on their way in eighty three, right with Bill Bates. And yeah, just think about that, man, I mean, right now, we're just looking at them as just you know, insignificant individuals. You know, next thing, you know, you might see it. Like you said, Bill Bates in there, Everson Walls, Michael Downs marked two and that you, I mean,

do you think we have one? Well, it's to be difficult because when you had eleven draft choices, you're gonna have to really miss for one of those guys or two of them to be able to make the team. And not knowing what the OTAs are going to look like, like, how much of an opportunity are you really going to have to go out there and show what you can do? Right?

And at this point, you know, and what if they say, oh, we're doing OTAs virtually, Yeah, then you really don't have much of a chance to be able to make the team. And you know, who knows where the preseason's gonna go, so that stuff is still up in the air. I have to say, if I would to come in as a free agent under these circumstances, and it was still the Tom Landry Dallas Cowboys with the same flex defense.

I still think I would have gotten it. Yeah, but I don't know if I've made the team right, But I still think I would have gotten here in regards to what to do, regardless of how few practices we've had, you know, what kind of reps would I would get. I still think I could. I could get it because those couple of times Gene starters threw us in the fire.

I mean like during preseason in a ball game. I remember when Randy Hughes went down and I had to come in in the red zone and we're talking about playing thirty three X in the red zone, and I just had to go for it. You know what I mean. You couldn't. You couldn't think at the time. You had to know. And you know, the other safety wasn't looking at me. He's a veteran. I'm a rookie. You know, they don't hear rookies back there. I'm like, hey, well they don't want to hear it. I'm here. You should

have studied, and just so happened. I gathered right, So when you got here as an undrafted free agent. Did you start counting the numbers of the veterans and going, Okay, I'm gonna have to beat somebody out to be able to start doing that until we got to camp, all right, And then that's when the veterans got there, So our two weeks were up. Nobody's counting anything right now. It was twenty five rookies. Okay, it was twenty five rookies,

so nobody's counting anything but twenty five right now. You got you have to find your place in line just to go through the drill. There was some guys didn't even make it through drills almost all day because there was so many of us stacked up. So you didn't count veterans at that time. But when they came there two weeks later, which is the way we used to do it. Veterans came in two weeks after the rookies were all worn out, nappy headed tans, i mean, breath stinking,

when we were just horrible. By the time the veterans got there. They come in looking all pretty, and then that's when we started to count. We saw Aaron Mitchell, we saw Steve Wilson, you know, we saw Wade Manning. You know, these are guys that, for some reason, I guess you look at the Cowboys then as now, wasn't much put into the secondary. There just wasn't much put into it. As much as it was an extremely complicated defense, flex defense, four defensive backs, they just didn't didn't put

much money into defensive backs. You had, Charlie was still there, you had Cliff was just had just left, Cliff Harris had just left Hall of Famer. Uh, Dennis Sturman was being moved over to corner. I mean, we were just a hodgepod, I would say, less potential than they have for the Cowboys secondary right now. So with you and Downs making it in the secondary, who didn't make it like you cost somebody when we started counting numbers. Yeah, it was gonna be between Steve Wilson and Aaron Mitchell,

those two guys. Those two guys, because Benny Blonds is a veteran, he's gonna stay. Benny was until Bill Bates got there. Benny was integral in our in our plans. Still, of course, Charlie was still our starter. Dexter Clinkscale being a very close You could have just said Dexter or Charlie. But you know, Charlie because of the experience. And so we're sitting in the meeting room. The numbers have been figured out through all the defensive backs, and so we said, okay,

one person has to go. We step into the meeting room. All of us are still there. That one person has not gone. The number is still the same. By the time the meeting started, someone had tapped Aaron Mitchell on his shoulder and told him he was going to Tampa Bay. Oh, so that's how trade to the meeting? You yes, Well or Fellows? Mike Downs was all the way in her He was in choice. Fellows was a draft choice seventh round seven B if I'm not mistake, University of Missouri,

though wide receiver. He came in. It was seven to eighty seven B. He and Ken Miller. Ken Miller from Michigan State. Fellows was seven B. If I'm not mistaken, I may have it mixed up and Fellows. It was between Fellows and myself really on who would have been able to go. I had three interceptions in the preseason, but I wasn't drafted. So what kind of weight does

that give me? You understand? So that's what we didn't understand was Aaron Mitchell going to be the guy that stuck on and was I'm going to be the guy that was out of there? So I think it was between Mitch, myself and Ron Fellows on who would have been that third person when they found a place for Mitch to go. Then all of a sudden, we're looking around, Mitch is gone, and everybody's kind of well, the young guys are kind of exhale, especially me and round Fellows.

So that's how that went. So all we gonna find a Michael Downs in this free agent, these these undrafted free agents. And the other question I have spags when you're looking at just how bad our defense was and looking at how we attacked the defense in the draft and free agency. By the way, with all the safeties they signed in free agency, yes, of course, the new guys from Atlanta, those guys. How many I see more

people making the team than we think. I mean, you talk about draft choices, how many do you usually make the team in the draft? You know what I'm thinking, If you got eleven, if you get seven to make the team and not counting the practice, you've probably done well, right, So yeah, not everybody is gonna make it. Uh, the last guy drafted probably. You know, I don't think he should go out and spend his signing bonus just yet.

There's my list here, Matt Farni. Yeah, he ought to be careful the safety Israel, although they kind of liked that he was a corner h mukamu mumukuamu. Uh, yeah, you better be careful there. But I could see one two rhythm with I could see seven and I think you know, Nashon Wright, we'll see, right, wasn't thought of highly by other teams in the draft. The Cowboys did so. Yeah.

I think I think the key thing of all this is is going to be the competition because if you if you look at it, you know they ended up uh drafting uh three defensive linemen, but they signed three veterans in free agency, Basham, Carlos Watkins, and Brett irv Urban, so you know there's three guys right there. Uh. They limited the competition with releasing uh Antoine Woods last week, which you know, it was too bad. I don't know if he was pricing himself out now he was a

restricted free agent. He was going to count two point one million. But I think they were a little worried about. I don't know if they gave him an offer, like to get a two year deal and then lower his base salary for this year and give him a little upfront money, or if it was just the fact that he just didn't fit into the defensive tackle position that Quinn envisions with a three hundred and thirty pounds sixth

round draft choice that they brought in. Right, I gotta say, coming from this defense, no matter how well you might think you have played, considering all the circumstances, I can't see many of our free agents or veterans getting much love from other teams across the league. I mean, oh, you mean, if you're gonna cut somebody, if I Wood, I just see Woods was going to visit the Colts, I mean he would really and you know, we saw how well he played. Yeah, we saw that he did

as well as he could under circumstances. Does everyone else see that? Does does the rest of the league see that? I mean, if I'm if I'm a GM or if I'm type of scout and I'm looking at the Cowboys having the worst run defense in the history of the franchise this past season, why would I go after somebody from our defensive line or linebackers. Why would I go out to somebody that we just released or was just

you know, well resigned. In his defense, when he finally got to start those last seven games, they played a little bit better. Do you think the other teams the position played better. Let's think that the teams actually are they gonna the deep enough to Terry Poe was so bad that me and you could have gone in and played better. Well, a little insider trading there. So the Colts defensive coordinators Matt Eberflews, who had been the Cowboys with the Cowboys under Rod and Mirror knowing, so maybe

he asked Rod Heywood about this guy. You know, we're looking for a kind of a run stopping nose tackle. Uh. So, maybe they're probably looking at season trading and looking at this season as an exception, right, you know, to the rule, and they're saying, Okay, let's go back to what we liked about Woods in the beginning. Right, they'll probably go back to the previous notes forget this past season. Right, this was in an operation. Let's see what we what

we thought about him before this past season. That has to be the thought process, right, and and like I said, so this is going to be interesting with all the competition and think about it. They also had five defensive starters uh in that final game that aren't hearing right, So you lose Chitubey Woozier, Xavier Woods, Tyrone Crawford, Sean Lee, and Alden Smith. So those guys, uh, basically uh and oh this and que guy. They they had six guys that totally of the snaps on defense. So there's gonna

be some openings. Now we assume Kelvin Kelvin Joseph is a walk in starter at corner. I don't know, uh, oss O Diggi Zua, Yeah, you know, but you got Tyring, Tristan Hill coming back, Deville Gallimore played well. So I think there's just gonna be some really good uh competition and death and death and maybe a little bit depth, yeah, and a little bit more size. So if you look at the draft choices, uh, I mean the only walk in starter for sure is Micah Parsons and boy he

better start. Yeah. Yeah, I just have a drama free training camp, you know. And I did a little bit more and we'll get into this at some point. You know, maybe next week after we actually see him out here. But what a stud athlete he was in high school. He didn't just play football eighth bill Bill said, he and he uh. And then when he got to uh Harris Harrisburg High he transferred from another school. Uh. They went to the state championship. His junior year, he was

the star running back. Not only the star running back, but the star defensive end. Looked huge, right, he looked huge. As soon as and as soon as uh the football season was over, he was starting on the basketball team. And then he ran track. He was running the hundred meters at two hundred and twenty pounds. Localf, Yes, yeah, who by the way, found out that football speed and track speed maybe a little bit right, unless you know how good Willie Galt and Ron Brown was how fast

they were. They end up being on the World championship for about one hundred meter relay team. Yeah, and Metcalf can't touch them. He ran up. He ran in that in that meet, the USA Track and Field Golden Games and Distance Open. Uh, he ran at ten three seven, right, So he was last in his heat, just in his heat, and he was fifteen of seventeen guys that ran the hundred. So for him to qualify for the US Trials Olympic Trials, he needed to run a ten point zero five and

he is ten point three seven. Let's think about the guys that we know that were fast. We just talked about Ron Brown, Rams, Willie Galt, Bears, Tony do a set, Yes, Tony Doo a set could have in the race. I bet he could have. He could have. I wonder if Dion would have could have. Yeah. And also Chris Johnson from Tennessee right running back, you know, and I saw I saw the video of Metcalf's hundred, and he was good for fifty yards and then the guys start pulling

away a little bit. I think, lets you know how fast those guys were, how fast Doorset was Chris Johnson. I'll tell you one of the most impressive thing I saw in a hundred uh in in track trials in eighty eight and the Olympics was Florence Joiner Griffin flow Joe. She had the one leg, one leg, one tight leg, yeah, and she at at sixty or seventy meters she was still accelerating. Most people, you know after fifty or sixty year probably not at top speed anymore. No, she was

getting faster. I had to learn something. Of all people, herschel Walker. I never listened to him, but because I must have overheard it, I here he wants a run for governor. Yeah, he needs to just go back and run forwards. But he told me something that was interesting. He said, track is about not about who's the fastest necessarily. How did they put it? He said, it wasn't just about racing the opponent and being faster than him, you don't. It's who slows down the soonest, right, you see what

I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, because it's not like you just talked about top end speed. We all come out a certain way, but how long can you maintain that pace? Right? Right? And so most of course slow down at the end. So that's that was very interesting on how we said it, and it made me look at track a totally different way. It's not about how fast you accelerate through the line. It's about who slows you know, who doesn't slow down?

You know what I mean? Who can maintain That's my lasting memory from the hundred meter championship race in eighty eight in the Olympics, when Ben Johnson beat Carl Lewis, Yes, And I'm sitting there watching and I had a really good media seat. I was like in the middle of the hundred meters and Ben Johnson's going right, Carl Lewis is motoring, but all of a sudden, Carl Lewis is like this, He's looking. He ain't getting any closer. He's looking. And the third time he looked with like ten meters

to go, and he can't believe he's getting beat. Now. If you can see the look on his face as he's running, yeah, that's perturbed, Like how is this happen? How am I not catching that? He knew something was wrong, and then he knew something afterwards. We knew something was wrong because after the race, the runners would go into the locker room they would do their testing, and we would sit in this to militarized zone and they would

walk back out for interviews. Well, we waited and waited and waited for Ben Johnson and he finally came out after a long time and every we're all sitting there going on something I don't know, And yeah, they tested him right away, he tested positive, tested him right away. Yeah, you know when the guy wins like that, just come in side, now, come here, we have a test for you right here. And let's remember now Johnny Lamb Jones, Yes, was another one that we had here. Ye now, that

is world class speed right there. That's not you know, just a uh. He wasn't to me, he wasn't a football player. We always talked about Bob Hayes talked about guys like Dorset. They were football players who just happened to be fast. Right, There's a difference between being a track guy and trying to be trying to play football. That's what Johnny Lamb tried to do. Alexander Right. Alexander right is another same thing. Remember the speed, Well you

weren't you were gone. That was the next year ninety He was the second round pick. Got here late because he held out. His agent was arguing that he was a first round pick. He got picked twenty eighth. Yeah, but that year twenty eighth because the Cowboys forfeited their first round pick for the supplemental draft, so there was only twenty seven, and his agents were arguing, no, he's

got to make first round money. He was the twenty eighth right now they're going sorry, it says twenty seven here he's the first and he had all the speed in the world, but he just couldn't master playing wide receiver. And see that's the difference. I remember Jake Gaither talking about Bob Hayes. You know, he said, look, guys, just because he's fast, that doesn't mean he's a track guy. He is a football player. Yeah, that runs. And the difference is the muscles in the legs. When you look

at track guys, they always went straight ahead. Everything's just straight ahead. But we're talking about football player. You're talking later movement and talking about boast, quick boasting, going straight. Here's a quick, funny story, sorry for you, and we'll get it. Go to break Um Washington, the track star. He played for the Oakland A's. I can't think of his first name, and he basically was They basically brought him in to be a pinch runner. And I remember

one time he got to first base. He was playing the White Sox and Dick Allen was the first baseman and he was a big horse racing fan. And so Washington gets to first base. They throw over to you know, keep him close. He takes the ball and he rubs it down the back of his calf. And somebody asked them afterward, what are you doing? He goes, well, you know, when when I check out horses that are racing, I check out their legs. I was going to see how strong that calf muscle was. Yeah, and he just he

couldn't master hitting. He just couldn't do it. So but they kept him as it was like the DH runner, you know, designated dr designated runner. When when we when we come back, I want to you know, pick your brain on who like the greatest athletes, all right, and and the other thing. We're gonna come back because we seek the offensive linemen out there, their strength and condition. And it made me think about this offense coming up this year for the Dallas Cowboys. As we'll continue here

in a moment with mix shots. Honey, big news, Gary, Are you okay? Oh I'm not Gary anymore. I'm Jackie Flash. What see? I want the latest smartphone, but the best deals are only for new customers. So to get a new customer deal, I changed my name to Jackie Flash. Okay, but the best smartphone deals at AT and T are for everyone new and existing customers. That's huge. Then guess who's getting the deal? Is it Jackie Flash, Jackie Flash. It's not complicated at at and t our best smartphone

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for the year. For some of us, knowing what games are win and soon we'll find out if we're going to games or if we're not going to games. And uh, it's always an exciting day to see that twenty twenty one schedule and saying exciting here on Mick Shots, We're excited to welcome back Bill Jays. William I said, Yeah, did you hear me say I have some struggles? I said, Bill must have been burning some rubber with his tires

and at worem up, I did hear you say that? Actually, there's you know, as a result of the power outage in North Texas back in February, there are a lot of houses that are basic having to be reconstructured because of damage. And one of them is my next door neighbor's house. Now it's not my house, but the next door neighbors. Last week, my wife had a nail and her tire and today I found a nail. So I'm gonna blame it on the construction next door. But I'm on my way out there, and I actually left the

house early. Okay, I'm gonna get there early. I'm gonna show up forty five minutes in advance. Okay, Mickey's gonna be so proud of me, and then all of a sudden, I'm driving down the road about fifteen minutes from my house and alarms go off in my truck. I got something wrong with the tire I stopped off at. Fortunately I was like two blocks away from a discount tire and so I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it, but they could. There was a nail in my tire.

And so now I had returned to the house and I actually listened to the first segment of the show, and uh, I quickly got on because I was afraid I was going to lose my job because you were doing so well for a segment. So was this? So the house being fixed? Is that the house of the neighbor who fell in the pool? No, that's the other that I have to visit your neighborhood, one of these danks. Just ride around and see what. We'll let the guard gate know that you're coming. No, don't let him know.

He might hurt himself. So since we let see if we can let you on, and Bill, I'll let you. I'll let you take over here. I'll just set us up with this. Since we mentioned the schedule, I thought maybe we'd take a look at at least we know the Cowboys opponents and we'll find out tomorrow. Uh, the order of play, obviously they have. I did this about a month or so ago. Uh, they've got fourteen opponents, you know, in just counting the NFC East once the opponents,

plus the seventeenth game this year with New England. So it's three opponents from the NFC East, four from the NFC South, four from the AFC West, and then the third place finishers in the AFC North and I mean the NFC North and the NFC West. So I went back and looked, and I was looking at all the teams.

They have to play home games against the three NFC East teams, plus Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Carolina, Denver and the Raiders, and then the away games against Kansas City, the Chargers, Minnesota, New England, New Orleans, and Tampa Bay. I circled the Los Angeles Chargers as maybe that's the Cowboys opener to

open up Sofi Stadium for a football game. What do you think or if you have a better guess on who you think the Cowboys would open up You mean, you mean with you're assuming there will be fans in the stands, so open up Sofi Stadium with fans in the stands, yes, as opposed to last yees? Right, Um,

you know that could be one. And you know I penciled in the Rams as the what would be the Cowboys second preseason game at Sofi Stadium this year, because of course they're going to play in the Hall of Fame game on Thursday, August fifth, I think is the date on it. I believe pas Ohio, and I thought

with camp in Oxnard would be it would be. And also with the Cowboys playing and being an NFC team only getting the eight home dates this year and nine away games, I would think they're going to give them two home preseason games in just one road preseason game with the otherwise the three game preseason schedule, Cowboys play

four because they in the Hall of Fame. So if you're breaking camp in Oxnard, you play the Rams at Sofi Stadium in the what would be their second preseason game didn't come home for the last two m assuming it makes Yeah, Well, if Jerry has his way, we're going to Oxnard, right, I mean the way it stands right now, Jerry wants to be in Oxnard, and they're making out that preseason schedule as well as the regular season schedule now. So but anyway, yeah, I think it's

a good thought. You know. The other thought that it's out there is, how about the Cowboys open at the Super Bowl champs Tampa Bay. Yeah, that'll be interesting. Yeah, I would have to look at what Tampa Bay's schedule

is to see who they want them opening with. They get the tough schedule rights, you get the toughest, well, the two teams in the corresponding division, so they would no, not really, because they get Washington, okay, because they were first placed in the NFC East rights you put that aside, and then and then they would get the I don't know what their corresponding division is what the other one,

uh they have to play. So yeah, that'll be interesting to see if they want to replay of the NFC title game, um or whoever they're playing in the AFC. But obviously they'll they'll host an opener on with the Aaron Rodgers drama. But that sounds pretty good. And actually, actually Tampa Bay fin is second in their division, so they've got a second place schedule because the yeah, because the Saints won that division, not the postseason, so they get So they get the Giants. If you say so,

I don't remember who what the final standings are? You got it figured out, Mickey, I do not. It's been so long ago, I know. No, No, Tampa Bay's playing Tampa Bay. Um. The Cowboys are playing the NFC South right, that's right, And so they're playing Washington and the Giants and the Eagles too. Yeah, Tampa Bay's playing all the NFC's teams. So Chris has their thanks, Chris, Chris has THEIRS. So Tampa Bay at home, they've they've got Buffalo, the Bears,

Miami and the Giants. In a way, they've got I mean the non division games, they've got the Rams. Oh, the Rams Tampa Bay verse is the Rams um New England? Oh in Indianapolis. Okay, well, okay, hold on there, Micky. For the for the audience in general, do they go Tampa Bay has the Rams or do they say WHOA, Tampa Bay has the Cowboys. Well, that'll be interesting to see. Yeah,

you're right. Or maybe they get the Bills. Buffalo Tampa Bay would be yeah, yeah, the Bills in Tampa Bay would be closer to I mean, if you're looking at teams that are projected to do something this year or a possible future Super Bowl matchup, right as if they're gonna make it, Tampa Bay is gonna make it back there, which they're not. On the record in May eleven, Guy Tampa Bay is not going to the super Bowl again this year. Down he's not here, That's what it is.

He's somewhere else. I think that's affecting his decision in his boldness. So how about this the thing? The thing I figured out with when I was looking at who the Cowboys had to play, I figured out of their last of their fourteen opponents, the last time they've met each of those opponents, they have a five and nine record. Not surprised, so they haven't these they haven't fared very well. Uh,

they beat Atlanta so the last time they played. Obviously last year they beat Uh, they beat Philadelphia the last time they played, and then the other teams. The last time they played in one a game was the Raiders. Believe it or not, Kansas City and Tampa Bay. As a matter of fact, they've beaten Tampa Bay seven of the eight last meetings. They've dominated them. Unfortunately the other

way around with New England. Um, I think they've They've lost the last six games they've played to the Patriots. It's like playing against Jordan, though, you know what I mean, your whole career is going to be effected if you were in the Jordan era. Yeah, most likely you're gonna you're gonna run up against some problems. How about this. They've lost five of the last six to Arizona, the last two to Minnesota. They lost the last meeting with the Saints, and their three and ten against the Saints

since nineteen ninety eight. Lost the last two to Carolina, last six to Denver, last three to the Chargers, in the last six to New England. What did they win? Oh so indivision? We only win individual games. That's it. So nicky. Even before the schedule comes out, you're ready to predict a Cowboys looking at the history a good thing. History doesn't decide. Here's the way I look at it.

Every year when the when we already know now that the teams have been put together, trades have been made for the most part, whatever, we kind of know who the quarterbacks are going to be for all the teams that Cowboys play. So you look in the division and You've got Daniel Jones with the Giants, you got Ryan Fitzpatrick with Washington, and you've got Jalen Hurts with Philadelphia. Okay, that's a manageable schedule right there. For the Cowboys. Okay,

all right, Let's look at the NFCS, NFC South. Whoever New Orleans is going, whoever is going to win that battle in New Orleans, Taysom Hill or Jamis Winston as your quarterback in New Orleans, all right, Tampa, you got Tom Brady Carolina. You've got Sam Darnold, who is unbeaten against the Cowboys in his career. And then you got Matt Ryan in Atlanta, all right. And then you look at Arizona, Kyler Murray he won here last year, and Kirk Cousins at Minnesota and at a road game at Minnesota,

I believe, as well. Then New England. It's whoever wins that battle between Cam Newton, and depends on when it is in the schedule as well. Cam Newton might be the starter at the beginning of the year, Mac Jones might be the starter towards the end of the year, or it could be Jared Stidham. And then you go to the AFC West, and you've got Herbert with the Chargers, Far with the Raiders, Drew Bridge of course with Kansas City, and then you got Aaron Rodgers with Denver. So there

you have it. Oh Aaron Chers, Yeah, I got that. They say he's not going anywhere. Bill, I say this. I say this. Forget the freaking quarterbacks. You're starting to make me mad. A give you know you always bring up these quarterbacks in that relationship with how that's just gonna depict every success that these teams have. You better start looking at that defense in Tampa. See how well they're gonna play this year. Let's see if they can.

Can't this team all the way just like they did last time, from the NFC Championship Game into the Super Bowl by just controlling that entire narrative the entire season. How will Aaron Rodgers play if he plays with Green Bay, will that defense be able to show up and support him? He's upset about so many things he needs to be upset with his defense not being able to hold it down. You know that, to me, that really has so much to do with the success. And Tampa Bay showed that

last year. As much as I was getting on y'all's case during the season about talking about Brady and Rodgers and all these guys. Todd Bowls was the hero of that Tampa Bay team. His coaching staff and his defensive personnel. They made the difference in the entire NFL. And they you can see it. They were improving week by week, game by game, and by the time the playoffs started,

they were a well oil defensive team. I just hope the Cowboys can be just in that same neighborhood because we are going to need, as we know, our defense this entire upcoming season. And it's sure helped Tampa Bay that that Kansas City was without Eric Fisher, their starting tackle. Schwartz, who was a starting guard, moved to tackle. And I see where the Colts just signed Eric Fisher for one year nine point four million hunt for a guy coming off of a ruptured achilles in mid to late January

before the Super Bow. It's a great one year contracted. Yeah. Man, usually you're gonna come in you know, well, you just prove it to us first and then we'll go from there. Well, they they seem to like his one year potential. I'm coming off a darn achilles and I don't think I got quite that much. Talk to Jerry Man, make him understand where you're at exactly. Bill, Should we hit the okay break here? Do you want You got another topic you want to hit before? Yeah, we need to go

to a break. But I've got something on Twitter here I want to ask you about. Because I didn't hear this in the first segment. Clarence Yee is asking on Twitter and you can tweet at me at CBS eleven, Bill Jones, if you got any questions for Everson or Mickey? All right? Did you mention Claude Elle Washington in the first segment? I was trying to think of his first name. I mentioned Washington and I couldn't remember Claudell. Yes I did. Oh no, no, okay, Well, he says, you're talking about

Claude Elle Washington. I remember him from his Braves days when our cable provider in Saskatchewan finally picked up the GBS of the eighties wide receivers speed Tyreek Hills High School two hundred meter time twenty point one four got him sixth at the Rio Olympic Finals. Claude Elle, Why wouldn't you talking about Claude Elle Washington. What were you talking about? Everson brought up we were talking about football speed versus track speed, and we brought oh oh, and

we brought up deep. It wasn't Claude Ell. No, it wasn't claude Elle Washington. That was HERB Washington, Herb Washington, who was pinch runner for Yeah, yeah, Charlie Finley with the A's in the seventies. BIRB Washington was an Olympic sprinter and they signed him just to try to steal bases. But Claude Elle was a great player for Oaklint. In fact, Claude remember ever since you remember claude Elle Washington. I don't. I don't really build, and I watched a lot of baseball,

but the A's had a lot of great players. Go ahead, yeah, and he had a short time with the Rangers. Claude Ell had the broadest shoulders I think I've ever seen on a baseball. Yeah, it was her. It was Herb Washington, that's right. Yeah, it was the pinch runner. So anyway, all right, and digress, but he was the pinch runner. We were talking about the difference in speed, and Everson said, yeah, I always looked at sprint's legs compared to football legs

and the speed. And I said, I told the story of him being on first base against the White Sox when he played with the A's and they threw over and and Dick Allen took the ball and rubbed it down his calf to see what his calf muscle was like for a guy that fast. It was pretty funny. Were they were the White Sox playing in their shorts that game? I don't believe they were way back in the day, but yeah, it would have been in the It would have been that the seventies. Yeah, yeah, they were.

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Get details at Dallas Cowboys dot com slash tickets, Hey Bill, all right, and at seven seven o'clock tomorrow night the schedule release, right, Yes, Everson, You know I always uh, your voice is truly missed on some of these readings after especially after Mickey reads them. You know, it's just you know, the different, the difference is just just vast, right. So I started thinking about guys with silky voices like yours. Always think about somebody like a Mike Doocey or somebody

like that, right, And Mikey can sing. Mike has a great singing voice. He always acts like he doesn't want to sing, but then he just all you gotta do is just problem a little bit. Next thing, you know, he's Frank Sinatia somebody. And so I was wondering, with your silky voic voice, do you have a great singing voice? Is that? Is that for TV announcers to have a great singing voice? Is that is that how it goes? I you know, I like to think I have a

great singing voice, and my wife would beg the Jeffer. Yeah, I know. Dale Hanson doesn't have a great singing voice. He just doesn't. He just not that dude. But guys like yourself, Doocey, you know, it seems like you guys. You know, I know Doucy can can blow. Ducy can blow? Can you blow? I know? Yeah, yeah, I know. I've heard him, you know at ticket events. He's he has sung publicly, and so he's got a lot of talent singing. Maybe I will debut my singing voice one of these

weeks on mixture. I'll defer to both of you guys. Yeah, I know I ain't singing, No, I am not. I can't even dance, Bill, So I'm sure you could dance better than me. So No, I just figured with the territory. You know, the shower is scared of v sing. Just what else? So Bill, Yeah, we got ten minutes. Yeah, I was gonna I was gonna do this. We we've talked about the defense, how it needs to improve, and all the defensive guys they've brought in so the other day.

Uh and and it's kind of happening right now. Uh with the strength and conditioning going on. I look out on the field and I see Dak running normally right, really being able to run. I see Lale Collins running. Uh. Last week with his shirt off, it was the greatest three hundred and ten pounds you've ever seen. With Tyrn Smith running filing his surgery along with Lale surgery. Zack Martin was out there. Uh and and Tyler Badish was out there. So that's four fifths of the Cowboys offensive

line that at some point last year was missing. The five starters. You know, those four guys out of the five only started sixteen of the sixty four games, and Martin started ten of those, Yet the Cowboys ended up gaining five thousand, nine hundred and forty nine yards three seventy one a game. They finished fourteenth in the NFL. In offense, I figured out that was the seventh most total yards in the last thirty seven seasons of Cowboys football,

seven seventh. With that many guys missing on the offensive line, dedn't throw in Dak only starting five games, jarwins, starting won games. All six of those guys were back on the field, working and running well. So I'm thinking, if you just look at what they have coming back, adding to the guys that did what they did last year, managing to gain that many yards, this offense could breed

could be prolific this year. Considering they'd had to start four quarterbacks last year and they still scored thirty points eight times last season, winning six games. So it just dawned on me looking at that, with those guys coming back and what this offense did last year, basically without the majority of them, they could be pretty darn good

this year, health permitting. When when you look at when you look at last year, spags a lot of those years at the first four games, that was out of necessity because we were always coming from behind, but they were coming, but they were coming. No, they were able to come, no doubt about that. I am hoping we don't have the need to score those mini points. Maybe yeah, I don't want to have to score those mini points because every time we did that, it brought us out

of our game plan. And when when when Dad was hurt, I mean, his stats took us. I think by week eight they we were still like the top five passing they were in the league, simply because of what he did in those first four games. And I think they finished pretty high in in passing u as. I will look it up here real quickly, and it really it really showed us up, you know when it came finished eighth overall throwing with four quarterbacks starting, two of those

starting their first NFL games. And and so when I the other thing, I looked at those six starters that I mentioned only started twenty two of a possible ninety six games, and they still put up that many yards. So, and I'll tell you what, Tyrn Smith looked really good out there. I'm telling you it was the best three

hundred and ten pounds you've ever seen. I hope your rights bags and so there they were out there today working and and and the other thing we got to remember is, you know Connor Williams, I guess is considered the weak link, but he was coming off ACL surgery, right and he started all sixteen games. Interesting, so because I know I was one of those guys that was

definitely on this case. So when you look at the offense, the only two things I think that need to be figured out is who's the backup quarterback and who's the backup swing tackle. Now they signed the veteran Tyn Secki. He's thirty five going on thirty six, He's been playing for a long time and not all in the NFL. Uh And so they got to figure that one out. They did draft Josh Ball, who might be able to be good enough to challenge him for that backup job.

And then the guys that got experienced last year, Brandon Knight, Terrence Steele. We'll see where that goes. But really offensively is probably has no doubt our most important offense period, absolutely period. And talking to Mike McCarthy after one of the draft day press conference, he was just ecstatic with the progress that Lele Collins and Tyrn Smith have made since their surgeries. Zack Martin's fine, Tyler Beadish is fine.

So that could make a huge difference on what this offense is able to do and maybe be able to run the ball a little bit more consistently instead of having back up undrafted free agents starting at the tackle position. I'm not gonna lie. I'm a little bit nervous about, you know, Dag's leg. I really am. I'm not gonna lie about that. I was hoping that we don't depend on him as much. Yes, we paid him a whole lot more money than he made last year, and we

depended on him a whole lot in previous seasons. But I was hoping that this running game can really I hope. I was hoping he could be a compliment to our running game. And I know they're saying a lot for somebody just got the just got the bank rolled out, But I would think that we'd be smart not to put too much pressure on him right the way. Well, talking about that, and you guys, if you think about it, the surgery he had the injury was the same surgery

that Hearns had at the end of that season. I think it was the twenty eighteen season, and he came back in twenty nineteen, went through training camp. They ended up releasing him, but then he ended up playing these last two years, I believe, for the Dolphins and played well. So you know they the medical people think Dad will be just fine. But again, yeah, you don't want to have to rely on him him as much as they did last year in those first four and what three

quarters games. Zeke Elliott has to be that leader that we've always wanted him to be coming in amazing and he looks good out there. He looks like he's lost weight. Maybe he doesn't feel so desperate to gain that extra yard two and get careless with the football. That's what I'm talking about, right, And the other thing we need to remember, now that we've seen this for almost a year, he was coming off COVID in the summer too. Yeah, so who knows what that might have done to his

atlantical effects? Right? Yeah, all right, Bill, I think I took up the whole Well, I got a question for you, Mickey about the offensive line. Yes, who's the backup center? What happens if Tyler Biadis goes down with an injury? Who's your Who's Who's lining up is the backup center even as they start offseason, no tas and stuff, assume they have. My guess is they're going to ask Connor McGovern to put his hand on the ball. Uh. And then I believe I'm trying to remember I saw this.

I think ty n Secki has played every position on the offensive line. I don't know that you want him to play. He doesn't look like he's built to play center. Uh. He's like six eight, I know, yeah, yeah, it would be the first six eighth center in NFL history. But will come up, but we'll come up to Dak's chest. That wouldn't have to lean over to get the ball. He's just you know, be right there. And you know what they can you know, Joe Looney still out there

if they need to go that route. Yeah, yeah, that's the thing. And that's I was looking at the well and I was looking at even their undrafted guys, and I'm not as familiar. I need to research them. But they don't have a center, you know, someone that I'm aware of who has a much experience snapping the ball. Even among their backups. They've they've they've focused so much on trying to get that swing tackle. Yeah, and it's still early. I mean it's only May eleventh right now,

and so they've got time. And like you said, they got Looney out there, as you know, and then Looney factors in as far as a salary cap. Even now they're up against it, and so they've got to they may have to sort some things out. But um, I think it's interesting that because that's that's one thing that any coach is always looking at. What if this player goes down with an injury, what if that one goes down?

And and the other thing on Connor Williams is even coming into the league, there was some speculation among scouts that eventually his best position might be center in this league. And so I wouldn't be surprised even at this offseason if they give him some some some reps at center as well, just to see what they have there. But you know what that was said, That was said last offseason and it didn't happen. He volunteered and it didn't happen.

So remember Connor McGovern started at center, uh in I believe it was twenty seventeen Penn State, am I right? Was he at Penn State? Connor McGovern, right, he started one season center, so I'm thinking he he if he doesn't win the starting guard job, or if even if it's up for grabs, uh, then he's your Joe Looney can swing between backup guard on game day and backup center. I would imagine that's what they're looking at right now.

See how that goes, and then you could always if you don't like what it looks like, you tell Joe Looney, well, you still don't have a job for you know, veteran uh exception. Uh, you know, we'll we'll get you one more year if you still want to play, and you know, he'll play with and we'd rather play is around him because last year it was all backups. Nothing was ever you know, we never had continuity in any position last year. So I'm sure he might play better with a little

continuity on both sides of Megawn. It's almost like we forget Lele Collins played no games and Tyrann Smith played two games. That's huge, and we're telling Luney to come in and save us, and the guy that you brought in to be the backup ended up playing like five games. So yeah, that the offensive line just kind of dominated what happened up front. You know, then you're starting two quarterbacks in their first NFL games with that offensive line

because convoluted, everything was convoluted. It was great. That's good. I think he played better with more experience around him. Yeah.

And the other thing that I would do with her, with the number of tackles that they have, who who don't look like on paper that they could play in side at guard, meaning Josh Ball who's a six seven guy terring steel, Brandon Knight would be a guy that I would think they'll have give reps inside at guard as well, which would I think it would behoove him to do that too, to add the experiensition flexibility to make the roster too. Didn't they move him in there?

Brandon Knight, Yeah, I think he's Yeah, he's been primarily a tackle even in his career at Indiana, but you look at his body type and he would be one that would be more more effective than some of the others probably moving inside. So that's another thing to look out for as we go along. And hopefully we'll have some access here in the next few weeks. Hopefully they'll have OTA's out there where we can come watch and

take a look at him. Well, we shouldn't be able to look at we should be able to look at the rookies this weekend with the rookie rookie Minicamp, and that's happened. That's happened at other places around the league too, So I know the Jets. There was a video of the of the Jets work out when they got their rookies together the weekend after the draft. All right, that

does it for this edition of mix Shots. So we'll have, Mickey, we will have plenty to talk about if we have an opportunity to look at these rookies over the weekend next week, don't you think be some great individual drills will get to see. Yes, absolutely, Okay, I'll be able to see there you go Everson making a comeback, and we'll see how he fares with those rookies as well over the weekend. All right, that does it for mix Shots, and we will see you again next Tuesday at eleven

thirty am. Go Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.