Mick Shots: Inside Scoops

at the top of the coaching staff. Hot off the press, Baby, I cannot wait to hear what Mickey has to say. It was sort of like a fireside chat, just so intimate session with the head coach with about I don't know fourteen fourteen of the guys that cover the team as writers fourteen. It's not very exclusive then, well, ye kind of crowded that. It sound like one on one right,

Oh oh, not like you and Jerry. Not like you and Jerry, Mickey will Mickey will get his one on one with the coach, just like he got his one on one last week with the coach. That's right, Mickey, have you paid your fine yet? I have to address that with him. Yet we're gonna hear about it. We're gonna do that. We're gonna work on a reduction. So we were he was He used the Well, what we had done with the pregame show was the first segment would be with the head coach right on the floor

of the game. He didn't want to do it live, so we had to record it near the locker room about a half hour before we started. I don't blame show too, I'd want to take it to right. And uh so we're in the middle of our little one on one and my phone rings, wow, and he goes a typical rookie move and he goes, that's sixteen hundred dollars. It was great because he didn't miss a beat. He was just answering the question and phone ring he answered

the question right. You talked about literally not missing a beat. That's the way James Brown used to do his band members right. He would stay on beat and tell him got you right, that's where he got you. So he got me. So we had the session recorded right and then so we played it later in the in the pregame show and we got the phone to go right and everybody got a good laugh. Out of it. So when we came back for the next segment, I had my wallet out and I said, Okay, I'm gonna start paying.

I got a little money left over from the training camp now from the lawsuit from when you got hit on your bike. Yeah right, so yeah, so so you made your you made sure the phone was silenced before this quote unquote exclusively still as a matter of fact, and I think I even you might have missed a few I all turned out the off the vibration too, might have missed a few calls do the right thing. Yeah,

so lemonades involved. Yeah, so anyway, but no, he was you know what he did this last year right after he got the job. He got it was like two weeks later, and then COVID theirs, and then it was before COVID hit and he just kind of wanted to get to know the guys that he was going to be dealing with. So we all went up there and everybody introduced themselves. Hi, um, you know, and how long

you covered the team? And of course you know, they went around the room, yes, one by one, and you know, it got to me and I go, well, I've been here forever, you know whatever, And that was the last interaction. So this would have been the second or third week in January. That would have been the last interaction we had. I had with him in person, in person until two

or three days before now. It would have been the day before Thanksgiving when Marcus Paul passed away and he happened to be in our end of the building and we ran into each other. He was going to rich Dalrymple's office, and it was like, I thought I'd go through the whole season without ever bumping into you again, and that was the only time. So he decided, I

guess to do it again this year. And you know, just like Jason Garrett, you know, these coaches have an image when they're in front of the camera and an image they think they need to portray. And then when you get him in a setting like that, he's just a normal guy. He's just he talked about his family, the kids starting school today, and you know, because he's got everybody back together now because last year they didn't, they didn't move down because they were in the middle

of the school season. Wow, it's no different than at training camp in Austin when Jimmy would go across the street right you know or that time, and I think it was so it had been Jimmy. And we got to know him because we got to go into his office the three Beat writers, right, and just that was our one session a week. So we got to know him. And I knew him when he was at Oklahoma State. But in ninety three, so his guys left, wants dat got the head coaching job with the Bears, Tony Wise

went with him. Those were his guys, right, He'd go out and they'd have Heinekens and whatever. So he had rich. He said, you know what, we need to get together with the guys, get about a hit or ten of him. So he got a bunch of us and we went to one of the Mexican restaurants right across the street from No No. This one was the one closer downtown. It was a high rise Mexican restaurant, like two floors, right, yeah. Yeah.

So we're in this we're on this big table and he just wants to, you know, shoot the s and uh the Mariachi band's plan and we can't hear each other, right, So Jimmy goes, wait a minute, wait, let me take care of this. So he goes up to the Mariachi band, hands him one hundred dollar bill and says, just just don't don't play for an hour, paying you not. And they did and they listed and then you know, we shot the Breeze with him and yeah, and it's like, yeah,

that's the Jimmy, you know. But he would do that also that like like on a rig on a normal Tuesday at training camp, the team is eating dinner or whatever, and they're going into meetings and Jimmy would go across the street, um there were there was a Mexican food restaurant or something talk and yeah, and he just you know, kind of gets for an hour or so, and you know, and but but the point is, if these writers are going to be the ones who are critiquing you and

critical and they're a lot less critical of you if you befriend them. Is this the previous of every NFL coach, just the ones that come to Dallas. Didn't McCarthy do this when he was in Green Bay? I don't know that, but I was told, like in that January meeting last year, he was he was just a guy. He was a guy from Pittsburgh, right, And afterwards somebody's asked me how how did it go? And I had said, this was

really good. I said, you know, he's very forthcoming and and he's and it was one of the PR guys and they said, yeah, I talked to somebody in Green Bay and he goes, you know, once the season starts, he ain't changes. That's right, that's that's you know there. It's not their obligation to tell us everything. Right. But at the same time, you just talked about the different presonas. Yeah, and he just has to carry on that persona with you guys, because he wants to keep you at Bay

just a little bit. I'm sure that doesn't work all the time. He wants he has to come out, come on a certain way with his players. It's just the way it is. You can be nice to him all you want, but then there's gonna be times when you gotta make that speech, right, you know, like the speech he made in training camp. There are times when all bs aside, you know, none of this on the on the film, none of this, these hand games and things of that nature. I have something serious to share with you.

And by the way they dogged him on his uh Austin power of speeches. Yeah, I like the speech. Yeah, I like good, I like the mojo. Yeah, they would dogging the nationwide about having your mojo. To me, that was all he was showing that, Okay, we need to understand that when we get this turnover, there's a chance for momentum, so we need to have a sense of urgency. Basically,

that's what it was. He was telling them that they had to have a sense of urgency, and he had a fun way to do it, and and and the thing that I think he recognizes and and Jason Garrett recognized the same thing is you have to do things to get your player's attention because meetings after you know, and it's like, we can't listen to this game, so you got to do something to grab their attention right

off the start. You know. We we spoke with John Fossil today, one of the coordinators, and of course they asked him about hard knocks and the vast second. Yeah, and everybody waited to the end and they asked him about it and he and he told basically an interesting story. He said, you know, we had a forty five minute meeting and it was the rookies, and he said, we never talked about football. He said, We just talked about life, and I had guys tell me stories about themselves that

I would have never known. And he said, one thing led to another and they knew something. I said something about my how I had my third child, and he goes, all of a sudden, we got on to that subject and those guys started asking questions because they don't know anything about That reminds you how young these guys are, right. I guess we were all young that time. And he reminds you that he's just like his dad, by the way. He's just like, yeah, his dad would come with silly stories.

And he said, he said, so they got into the deal and he started answering questions and then he realized, you know, hard knocks his role in here. And so they came to him and said, hey, coaches, this is okay, right, and he said, I'll check out that. So he said he talked to his wife, right and and I guess she was like, you know, we've been through this before and you've talked about it. She goes, we're an open book. Go with it right. Let him let him know it's

already been made public. Anyway. I'm sure they've done they had done previous interviews about it a made statement, So that was that was sort of his way to get those guys intention to listen to him. So maybe the next meeting they're gonna talk football, but they're going okay, coaches kind of like us. He's just human, right, and and I think that the head coaches have to work hard on that. You know, think about Rod Miranelli, you

know Marinelli, his defensive meetings. To get those guys attention, he would have the people in our TV department put together a presentation and it might be a wildlife presentation of lions in the wild and eating whatever, you know, and and attacking other animals just to get their attention. Yeah, and that's a common thing that among coaches they do. In fact, McCarthy does the same thing. And that's what he's going you're talking about, Tom Ladie didn't do that.

He didn't know anything about our feelings, right, He didn't tell us about his persecondy Gene Starlin's Allie did was just cuss you out all the time if you pissed him off, because it chapped his ass. That's it was his favorite term. It just chapps my head. Well, y'all could practice longer back. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, they get that. They get us a favorite, right, you didn't have a shot clock, right, yeah, you know. And and so before the before the draft, I needed to do a one

on one with him for the draft party. Right. But they were they were busy putting together their presentation to the team, right because they that after the draft, they had needed to have their meeting, and they were working on what they were going to do. And it was some wild stuff too, but it was sort of like you know what you just said about how he got the attention of those guys with the mojo movement, you know, just to get these young guys attention, Jason used to

work on that hard. Uh. And he said, one of the things they've done, this is new stuff they had, like I've never they would have a brotherhood, a brotherhood dada, and everybody would get up and tell a story about

themselves that no one would know. Jason used to do that when he had that high school, uh, the the high school Quarterback Quarterback Youth where they'd bring in kids from underserved schools and he had the players, like six or seven of them get up there and tell their story how they got to the NFL and it to these young kids, it made it real because they're thinking, that guy's kind of like what I am right now? And he got here right and there were some amazing

stories that we didn't know about people. And so again, you've got to be in command. You're the guy in charge. You might have to fire somebody, right, but you got to have them know you're human. I'm trying to picture Belichick of our it SA doing this kind of stuff. I just can't see that man. Yeah, you know, and I love it. You know what he might have changed because the time's changed because the kids are just saying that does say that's what that was? Who was that?

Saban does it? Yeah? Really yeah? And Saban does that kind of stuff. And he has a lot of guests speakers. He's connected to old school coaches. Yeah yeah, right, and and I think a lot of the stuff, you know, especially guest speakers like he had Ernie Johnson. It went viral just recently. Ernie Johnson from T and T went and talked to their team. He was it was great man. You can find that so cool, find that on social media. It's a five minute talk that they've edited it down

and it is really inspiring. But and then I can't remember he had someone else come in this week, I mean in their preseason workouts and stuff, and the only it just kind of breaks it up and you're not hearing the same voice all the time. The only thing that Tim Andrew did to change it up, think it was you weren't even there yet. I don't think it's

around nineteen eighty three or four. Yeah, he brings in an aerobics teacher in mini camp and instead of us going through that boiling three day well we called the mini camp at that time. Now it's it's OTAs and they do yoga. Now, yeah they did, but this was this was when they looked like Jane Fonder, you know, yeah, the stuff. Also, this is how far back we're talking. They brought out a huge stage on the practice field, and you know, we're out there acting silly. You know,

we're glad we're not going to practice. So they started doing the dancing, the cute little girls and so guys start floating and they started acting silly. Those gus went on for an hour and a half. Really, it wasn't funny after like the thirty minutes funny, no more so Tom was over there. You know, he's just watching and he didn't like how we were making those remarks early on. And then all of a sudden was about and I was gone. We were like, hey, man, I'm done. We

can't even get up off off the ground. We can't get off the grass. And these girls are still blowing. They're just out there just bouncing around, and it's hot as hell outside and they are moving and for I wur to have the last thirty minutes, no one, I think all of us were just laying flat on the grass. That was the only breakup of in monotony. So it's not about it wasn't about what we were about. You know,

at that time, no coaches wanted to know your feelings. Yeah, it was so I just I, you know, I greet this change. I liked this change. I welcome it. I think it's neither, you know, back on the Mojoe moment.

I liked the Mojoe moment in the practice though, because I mean, when you think think back at last season, especially early in the season, how many momentum change moments came, and that was kind of what they're getting at is Okay, they're they're off doing individual drills or whatever, and then they come on the speaker and it's a Mojoe buy and now it's usually like a red zone goal line situation.

And now you got to be able to execute this right right now, and you got to remember what you're supposed to do in that instant, that Mojoe moment, it's a trigger, the trigger, and it gets there a titch in real quick because usually and it applies to the games that changed periods in practice, then they know what's coming up and we just kind of over there, right, we'll be over there in the minute. But Mojoe moment. Yeah,

everybody hustle up right now. Urgency and then when they and then when they take a break in practice, it's not break time. It's it's a two minute time out. Ah. I like it the first time, the time like a TV time the first time they did it and training, or the first time I realized what was going on. I was like TV time out and I was standing close enough to where there was a group of players and one guy goes TV time out in practice. But it's smart, no idea that it was just break, but

think about it. It gets you in the mode as a player that Okay, it's a three minute TV time out whatever. You know exactly what all you have time to do in a TV time out? Now you know if you have, you've practiced it in practice. And when you talk about the Mojoe moment, I mean, of course we saw it as you know. Okay, offense get ready, but now defense also right, Yes, it's momentum changer as well against us. So can you turn that tip back again? So? Yeah,

the sense of urgency is a mindset. That's all football is about. That's what coach is about. It's a mindset. You know, I was talking about, how can we change things around here? No defensive lineman laying on the ground all the time, No linebackers getting cut off because you d lineman on holding anybody up. Now, all of a sudden, you've got this front seven that is totally changed, not necessarily personnel, but just the way they're doing things. The

aggressiveness that Dan Quinn is approaching the games with. This is the kind of stuff. I'm getting excited about it because I saw some guys out there you didn't even know their damn names before this game, and they're in the backfield making things happen. You got to be proud of that as those players, and of course this defense changing their whole style of play. They're changing the mindset. Yeah, and think about you know, the saying about guys you

didn't know were out there. You know. Hard Knocks reveals a story about Azoo Kamara, right, the kid that was born in the Ivory Coast and his family ends up moving to the States and goes to college at with Arizona. I think it was Kansas, Kansas, that's right, but they ended up in Phoenix. Well, okay, yeah, I know it's a long story. No, No, I'll let you finish the story. Yeah, but I'm sitting there when he got that sack late

name exactly, I'm sitting there. I had got I got it written right here on my flip card, the Kamara's story. As I'm doing the game, I want the game to come to me. I don't want to force like Kamara is in the game earlier, but I don't want to force his story. He went to Glendale High School, I mean right down the street from that stadium, And in my research for the game, I'm going, okay, if Kamara Nara does anything in this game, I mean anything in

this game. I'm telling that story about him and the whole thing about his families from Nigeria. What And so he comes off the edge, he gets the sack, and I'm ready to get in that story. And then Babe says, false start. But you know what, because I'm calling the game off. We're situated way in the corner of the stadium, and so I'm not watching the live action. I didn't see the false start because I'm watching like you are at home on TV. I'm just looking at the TV monitor.

I see him coming, and I'm starting to tell that story. Hold on, ball start, And so I can't tell my story because then in real time on TV, I got to sit there and let the officials. By the time we get through all that, there's no time to tell the and he didn't have the sag it didn't happen. And so but it's funny because on Hard Knocks they didn't have to do that in real time. They could go ahead and tell his entire story. And then at the end of it and oh, by the way, it

was a false start, he didn't care. It was like it was like a Hollywood ending for them, right, And so you'll you'll appreciate this. So when they when they when the you finally saw the flag on the field, and I was in the press box and I go, well, if it was such a false start, why in the hell didn't they blow the whistle stop the play? And

Rob goes, you're gonna argue a preseason penalty. I said, I'm just a little curious on where that flag dropped and at what time they didn't blow the whistle, right, they should have saved the quarterback, right, and remember that was not the game winning field goal, but it was the game tying field and that would have won the game for the Cowboys. That was the That was the biggest play in the game, if you look at it,

that was the biggest play in the game. If they don't call that false start, um, then the Cowboys win that game. Whatever you know, right, and again it's a preseason game, understand that. But here's the other part of that.

Even for coaches like Cliff Kingsbury on the other side, Okay, think about it, with the timeouts, I think coaches have to, especially a young NFL coach like Kingsbury, he's got to treat these preseason games as a laboratory for a regular season game, and consider the fact in that situation, even though he's got his third team in there, that he can play this to understand that we kicked the field goal. Now we don't go for it on fourth down. We go ahead and kick the field goal. We've got timeouts

in our hip pocket. We can get the ball back and then we can win the game. He needs to play it like that, right, But even flip it over to the Cowboys side. All right, So you got to Nucci in the game after Arizona ties the game up, he needs to be thinking, and the coaching staff for that matter, but you're thinking it were still over a minute left in the game. I've got it written down here somewhere, but it was a good amount of time left. They've got to be thinking at that point. Okay, it's

a tie game. We want to win the game, but for sure don't want to lose the game. So instead of looking to throw it twenty yards down field, we just need to move the chains and get it to the final thirty seconds exactly. And so so, even though these are quote unquote meaningless preseason games, this is a kind of mental stuff that they have to be working on to teach these players that this is how you manage a game. At the end of the game, that's

the mojo moment. And even if even if you're teaching guys that aren't going to make the team, you just need to but they still have hope for that and it's a good way for him to understand the timing of the NFL and a way to win a football game at the end of the game. I think I still remember writing down one oh five, and I think that's what it was, one oh five. And I said to myself out loud, well whatever, I said, way too

much time, right, and you're you're exactly right. But from the Cowboys standpoint, I think from the coaching staff, from what I heard, they counted that sack to his credit. Okay, because it didn't have that you know what the false start was. I wouldn't back and looked at it. It was almost like the guy in the slot took a deep breath, like if you went like that. I mean, he did not move forward. His body just kind of relaxed backwards and there and I did anybody. I couldn't.

I couldn't see the all twenty two because I couldn't see when the flag came out because a lot of times these officials times they replayed in their mind. No, but you know what happened. I think the guy the Cowboys slot corner and the safety pointed just like that. And the key on the sack is did did who Kamara was going up against it? He quitn't know, That's the whole He didn't. He didn't see them flag, so the offensive line. So I'm marking him down for a

SA couldn't tell your story. That's a count because it was. It was a good story, and I don't know that a lot of people I didn't know about it. I didn't know what it was. And he was on the I R all last year with See, this's the kind of thing I was talking about when they brought the zoom to the draft and you saw, you know, he's the family, the parents. You know they're doing the best they can. You know, your invite them into your home.

The home doesn't look that great. You can tell that struggling. You can tell there, you know, economically, uh, struggling, that's the kind of stuff you don't you don't need to hear the story. Yeah, that's why I thought that was cool. You can see the story right there, Zach, this kid is not dressed up in the suit. They didn't go, you know, get some agent that that fronted them, somebody

for the brand new custom fit suit. These guys are sitting in their houses with their parents who have struggled their asses off to keep him where he is right now. And that's the reason. He said to me. That had even more of an impact than to see the guys walk out there and be paraded down down the love. I love the hard knocks showing the family and I guess maybe and his sister, uh talking to the mom saying, look, she can't take the smile off her face. She's watching

the play. You know that almost what you just said about zooming in, it's almost uh reminiscent of the first time Jerry and Jimmy allowed uh. I think it was ESPN into the draft room, right into the war room, and you got to actually seem kind of now, they didn't reveal anything intimately that would hurt the team, but you got to see kind of the eye It was eye opening. It was open because no one has any idea.

Somebody asked me one day, you've been in the war room, I said, They would have shot me if I walked in the wall room, right, and here they are. There were heads of high hanging on the wall because back at the ranch they had that scouting room, right, and they had their big board up there. So not only did they have a big board for for the draft choices, they had their big board for their players like which players were in what order at what position? Right, and

that was protected like Fort Knox. Well, they might have up there whose trade bait? Right, So yeah, I think about that'd be all revealed. You don't want to see, they know, and none of a sudden they're letting the camera in there because they used to have there was a and I want to see. It wasn't obvious, but it was an armed guard standing out that wow, out

that scouting department. And you got to know that all the other teams around the NFL were thinking, man, Jerry's blowing it again, you know, because he came in with some innovative things that at the time people were thinking, Man, these guys they're not gonna last. Yeah, this is not gonna last. And now look at it. It's the norm.

You know, here he is. You hadn't had a hadn't made the playoffs in so many years, but yet your team increases in value to where it's the most uh you know, most powerful team in the world, most powerful sports team in the world. And it kind of brought a new look at the NFL. Look you got to touch the people, which some other leagues were late at the first. I thought that that was the one with the Broncos. He kind of brought a different field for

the game bowling and Jerry came right after that. Everson. If I said the words lirim high rulahood, what would you think? I would think you're having a stroke when we come back? How much? Right? Knew we come back in a moment. We will le roam a high ula Smartie, he's having a shoke right there? 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

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the Dallas Cowboys back back to vick shots. Get breakdowns of each position, battles to watch, scouting reports for every player, and more with the official twenty twenty one Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine Training Camp Preview. Get your digital copy today for only four ninety five at Dallas Cowboys dot Com slash Star. Do you you got new glasses? No? No, these are the old ones on he sounded very fluid. That's funny, you said new glasses. I lost my glasses

at training camp. Oh wow, I had some backups, and I know why they're the backups or these brand new ones. No, these are the backup. Oh, these are the backups. Were very the backup seemed to read or that, which is funny because when I just went to the eye doctor this week, the thing that had to get better was the reading part of my glasses. So yeah, no, I don't think that. Did you have to read for him

at the eye doctor. Oh, you gotta gotta get those read full sentences, paragraphs, got to get those lines, those letters. He's not cross anymore. Let's get okay, So Mickey, you read that great? Now can you read the new kickers name for us larum hi wu lahu? Very good? That was smooth. It's actually pretty simple once you Yeah, well, you gotta get rid of all the letters that that don't sound sound you know, they're silent. Right, here's a

j there's a jai. It's a soft jai. No, well, but it's got an a before it didn't have an i. It's pronounced high but it's h a J. Yeah it makes sense. Yeah, get out but J H and I. So let you're depending on the dialect. Come on, come on, Bertner or Grambling? Did you have any hieron louho was in your hat? Hamilton Park? Elementary. I had Okay, there you go. As so why are we talking about we

talking about this guy. The Cowboys worked him out today and then finally signed him because uh, Hunter nice Wander came up with a back issue. Uh and he wouldn't have been able to kick on Saturday. So they needed somebody to kick. They didn't want Steve Zirline to start until next or Greg'slin, Greg, Steve, is there a Steve Zerline brother? Yes, Steve, thank you see that man. Help me. I guarantee you. We do not want Steve Berlin. So so they needed somebody to kick. So this guy's been

kicking around. Uh. He was in The Rams had him and then I think it will scared. The Rams had him last and he got beat out by Sloman uh last year for the kicking job, and then he kicked in some spring league. Uh and uh he's been but out of work, but he's made his money in the Canadian Canadian Football League. I was going to say, tell

me there's more. There is definitely more. Six years in the Canadian Football League and he kicked the winning field goal for Toronto in the twenty seventeen Great Company yeh won the champion class for most was how far would Yeah, but you should listen. Now you listen, you need to listen to the call of the game because the guy after he made it, he goes that was probably for this Lion guy, the longest kicker ever to look at, knowing that what was on the line thirty four years

and yeah, the goalposts, right they what? I don't know? That was my next question. Remember if they're they're wider, skinnier, I don't remember. Because they don't want field goals in Canadian football, they want touchdowns. So now, okay, we're talked about the pronunciation of his last name, but it sounds like his first name is Lyrim And okay, well you just said like it is lim. It's l I R I M. Yeah, but lim. And most recently for the Hamilton Tiger Cats, he was forty seven of fifty five

on field goals eighty five and a half percent. And he also punts and that's big. Now here's the other thing, because we in BacT Mickey, I think after the show the other day, Mickey and I were talking about nice wander and especially in this COVID environment, that we are still in the importance of having a kicker and a punter, a guy who can do both on the practice squad.

And so this is a great opportunity for near him because if he can show something both punting and kicking, here when he gets an opportunity, he can have a spot on that practice squad because you never, you know, if COVID hits your kicker or your punter on a Friday before a game and he's got to go into quarantine, and what do you do? Yeah, and and think about this also with was Zerline coming back from back surgery,

you better have a backup ready to go. But every team in the league, one of those sixteen spots on the practice squad needs to be for a guy who can kick, especially if he can do both. Yeah, Usually the punter is used as a backup kicker because if you think about it, remember was it two years ago when um oh I forgot the uh it was admirer or the next guy was hurt and Jeff he go out in the middle of the game and try to

kick extra points. But even more so now because I mean you can wake up on Sunday morning and a guy is out that's right, you know, Yeah, they have him. There can't go out and sign him at the last minute. Yeah, so anyway they made that. Plus you got to get him through COVID protocol in order just to happen to be ready. So I have a question, you know, you the inside man spags all right, we did all of

last year, even though we were zooming. And while Dak's going through his surgery, I heard him say something extremely interesting about his ankle surgery. The second one. Yeah, the second one, he said. We kept that under wraps. They did until I didn't know. I never can't remember if it was the end of the season or it was in It was in late December, okay, and I think there was some swelling in there. So they went in

there and whatever they needed to do. Could you imagine if everyone knew that he was going to have a second one, a second one before he went in. Could you imagine the s show that you know least you know, and let us let out around here. It would be crazy, it would have been. If I would have known that, I would have been extremely concerned about that, and it

was more of a kind of a clean up thing. Yeah, but you wouldn't be able to ok that's what That's what happened, and it was something that I think needed to be taken. What wasn't Wasn't it something that they thought they might have to do anyway, And we'll just see where you are at that point. And sure enough, he was at that point where they needed to go ahead and do it in a timely fashion too, because

of course that makes he had time to heal. But again it pushed back his rehab right, and that's what I think he was time to heal by by a march. You know, he very contract done. He was very cheeky on on that first show. It was just we talked about it Tuesday, but he was so cheeky on that first show. And as you think about it, sometimes you have to save the players from themselves. Yeah, you know, because he's out there, you know, he's really fussing and

just you know, whining really about not getting enough. We have to get it. Then all of a sudden he goes out there like, oh you know, and he feels it, Okay, what's going on, Oh he can't follow through hurts. Well, yeah, it's because he's been throwing like a madman. He's probably throwing in the hospital. You know, come on, well you heard him. He was sitting, he was sitting on a chair throwing when he when he couldn't stand up. Yeah, so, but it was it was one throw that ended up doing.

And speaking of Dak, so he's not playing on Saturday. He didn't do anything to suggest he would in practice yesterday and it was a really good practice. But he did everything until they started doing team stuff, competitive stuff, and they said, nah, he if they were playing Sunday, he'd be ready to go. Now they just don't want the risk to play in a preseason game. And Mike had priviley said if he doesn't play in the third one, he's not playing in the fourth one because that's for

the young guys. So sound he's not playing Saturday. So he's basically going to go out there and the first time in a game since October eleventh is going to be against the world champion, the Bay Buccaneers. But also and not just and I was gonna say, and not just him, but that means the whole offense is not going to have a snap together until that first snap in Tampa. So we don't look forward to Taylan, right, we don't do we look forward to Martin? Do we

look forward to to Colin. Colin's maybe not now because he didn't finish practice yesterday. He had a little back neck issue, So I would imagine they'll be very careful for that. Was having the right, Yeah, No, it was it was leal Um. They might put those guys out there. I mean, Zach they've really not messed around with because he didn't do any team stuff yesterday either. H Tyrone was out there, so they might put him like for a series or two, just to give Garrett Gilbert a chance.

Because teams just don't have enough backups on the offensive line. And I've said this forever, that's why these these alternative leagues fail because there's not enough offensive linemen to go around tackles, and especially the tackles. And I know we want our lineman to be ready, otherwise our running backs don't have a chance. But man Zeke looks good, yes,

and so looks good Man. So what what McCarthy was trying to impress on everybody was we've got to go through the practice process, and we got to trust the practice process right that they'll be ready. Dack will be ready because that's how we're practicing, right. And so I got the end of my column last night, and I was like, well, we're going to test the old adage that practice makes perfect. That's a good one. Let me say something. I'm not sure that. I'm not sure that

this is a good way to go. No, well, I'm really not sure about that. But and then this is old school talking, I know, because I know I have to get out there and get my timing down. I

remember held out after nineteen eighty five seasons. So we're going into eighty six and we played against the Giants first game like Sunday night, I think, and I was okay, but I held out the entire training camp and I only had like maybe two or three days preparation before the opening game, and I did not feel well about it. I didn't feel comfortable about it. It played okay, but I know I would have played better if I only had one back that game. Well, I don't know what.

I don't know. I would affected the rest of the team. But if I remember the first meeting against the Giants in eighty six, you guys won, Yeah we did win, but defensively we sucked. Yeah, yeah, we gave up too many points defensively. Well, not just not just my fault. So just just but because you had at the halfway point, you had the number one offense, it didn't matter, right,

you just sound that story people. But here's the thing though, once again Zeke looking yes, really really good, right, And those film clips on hard knocks are not deceptive that he was been like. You can't fake that for three weeks. You can't fake it. And I also can't fake say I saw somebody say, oh, Zeke knew he's miked up. That's why he's acting like the way he's that goofy all the time, right, that's why I got in trouble. Yeah,

that's yeah. Somebody asked somebody asked Malite Cooker because Hooker was from Ohio State and I think he probably Zeke's senior year, that might have been his second year, and they asked him, you know, was he he goes, well, I'm sure he matured a little because but he was that goofy back at Ohio State and kind of like a kid bouncing off the walls all the time. Right, But that's him, you know, the deal about the powder

and the hot dog and you know, just being just goofy. Yeah, rapping the president, Rapping the president that was remas look my mind still, that's right, that's right. Um. You know, to your point on on Zeke, when I got out to training camp and I saw him the first couple of practices, I said the exact same. I said, WHOA, Okay, he's good, he's good to go. Let's get he won't

need a big hole. Let's get to give him. It's getting to Sevember nine, and and so I and I think in the first episode of Hard Knocks they may have talked about it. H McCarthy like, okay, yeah, we're here talking with Jerry st st Stephen who was Stephen.

They were mostly talking about that. Now, there was one point they were talking about Zeke and I was like, and I was thinking, not just preseason games, I'm going in practice, can you just get let him run on the side, And could you imagine if we used him as that weapon down the field, passing it to him

as a receiver. He's got that ability. Yeah. And you know, like you said, you don't want to show how he ended up wide open going down the middle, right, you know, we don't want to show what that play was giving the tail end of that one, because that was clearly something that they need to work on and they're going to use that play oh, hep kids. And that reminded me of the pregame interview I did with McCarthy and I said something about Michael Parsons and I said, gosh,

you're using them so many different ways. Um, you know, how's he handed it all that? And he goes, well, now, Mick, that's given away some secrets and so we know he's going to be all over and then he answered the question. Right, I think it doesn't take a genius to figure out they're gonna they're going to use him in a variety. That's why I've quit calling him a lineback, glidenbacker, Michael Parsons.

It's football player from Michael player. That's it. He's all over the place and and good and he's handling, you know. And that's was one of the things dan Quinn continues to point out, and he did it again to day about giving guys a heck of a lot to do and then I find out what they can do and what they can Shame on me if they can't do and I'm asking them to do it in a game.

Who does that say about last year? Yeah? Right? Because I mean, we constantly saw the same thing week after week, so obviously no one was trying to realize what was

being retained. Yeah, yeah, okay, we got one more segment here on mix shots, so we got fifteen minutes left right, and so we need some questions that need to be answered on Saturday night and players that you have your eyeon on Saturday night when the Cowboys play the preseason home opener against the Houston Texans at AT and T Stadium and a moment at Smoothie King, we are blending goodness to fuel your greatness. Every blend is crafted to

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don't miss another kickoff. Visit United agginturf dot com. Offer ins February first, twenty twenty one. Restrictions aplenty see dealer for details. Now let's get to work. Back back to Mick Shots. Does your Cowboys fandom go beyond the game? The NFL Fan of the Year contest is back and we're relaunching the search for one extraordinary Cowboys fan who is a positive influence and inspires others through their love

of the game. Nominate yourself or others for the chance to win a trip to Super Bowl fifty six in loss ange Jeli's nominate today at Dallas Cowboys dot com Slash Fan of the Year. Final segment here of mixed Shots for this week is Okay, We're gonna make this the pregame show. This is a pregame show for Saturday night when the Houston Texans come to town and give me a question that you would like to see answered

on Saturday Night. I would like to see answered with Neville Gallimore out four to six with the dislocated elbow, if they've got somebody to take that spot, because I think that is a huge vacancy at this point. Neville Gallimore was playing awfully well in his second year. So who's going to step up to take that three technique. The first guy they've been using is their third round draft choice, osa odiggy Zua, and they're pretty on him,

but again, now what can he do? And he'll be numbers seven five out there, so you'll be able to see him. He's going to take those reps with the first team. I thought he did, and and so they're they're kind of high on him. They need him to come through. The other guy dan Quinn mentioned, even though it's not the same position, is Quentin Bohannah seventh six,

seventh row six. He's more yeah, and he's more of a one technique, But as Quinn pointed out today, it's like, Okay, we could put him at the one technique because Carlos Watkins has some ability to play the three um. The other thing that Justin Hamilton is another guy that they can rotate in there see what he can do, and then in pass rush situations if they get Terrell Basham back on the field. He's a defensive end, but he can move inside. He's big enough to do that too.

So they've got a couple of different ways they can go at that position while waiting for Neville Gallimore. And they got a decision there Bill to make. If you know, can he can they put him on the fifty three for three more weeks and say, Okay, you'll be ready to go in game four, or do they put them on fifty three and then the next day put him on IR and all you got to do is miss three games and then you'd be ready the fourth week if you're physically ready. So they got to do a

little bit of roster massage at that position. And the timing of the injury. Okay, it happened to a week ago. Basically last a week ago, so we're one week into it. Dislocated elbow in six weeks four to six, four to six, So even if it's six and we're three weeks right now, we're three weeks from the opener, so you'd be at

four weeks at Tampa Bay. Right, all right, then you got at the Chargers then home against Philadelphia, and I would say, you go, ir, you probably because let them have that because even even if it's healed or after you're off that time gonna need a wink to get it back in shape and then a week to get ready for the next game. Right. So yeah, when he came in, you know, they said he was quicker, and he had a great offseason. Yes, he was one of

the winners of the offseason workout program. Um, so you know, I hate that man. And then that that happens, he'll be he'll be salivating when he comes back. Yeah. Absolutely, So that'll be my first one along those lines. I mean, like nice wander. I mean, he's having a nice camp. You know, he's so and now he's he comes up with an injury and at the timing of it, at this time of the year, you have an injury and for roster reasons, they got a waving injured and they

will put him on IR and he's out for the year. Alua, the fullback he had, he really showed something in that first game as an injury for the year. Was his offseason, I tried, Yeah, So speaking of a lot Honolua. Uh. Nick Ralston from our guyle down down the road here a little bit high school. Uh, he's the loan fullback on the team now, and they're going to give him

an opportunity. John Fossil was talking about his special teams play and for the for basically to convince them that, okay, you'd like to keep a fullback, this kid can play special teams. And he had two tackles. Again, he played a little linebacker at Arizona State too. Yeah, and he had Fossil talked about the one tackle he made. He said, this was an offensive guy, you know, a fullback, and he shed two blocks to go bust through and make that tackle. He said, so we're gonna see if you know,

can he can he help us on special teams? You know who he tackled? Who is a tackle? That? Eno Benjamin? Oh yeah, I was on the on the opening kickoff of the second half. He went down and made the tackle. It was a really good tackle. What you're talking about. Eno Benjamin was the running back at Arizona State, and Ralston says, lead blocker for three years. Very nice. Right. So So anyway, buddy, how you doing good? In the Arizona game, they used him in some fullback situations near

the gold line or whatever, and so let's see what happens. Yeah, a good block on Zavian Collins, first round draftick linebacker on what you like going into the draft for the Cowboys a matter of fact. So yeah, let's see what happens. And you know, it's another good uh hard knocks story. You know, local kid, undrafted rookie we know about on the traffick. I don't want to. I want to, and nobody asks, but I was waiting on Bible to ask me. But I want to see a better passing game. Okay,

And it's not just coming from Gilbert. That's not really the points not really about how they protect. I want to see without backup while receivers can really really do it. I haven't been too impressed with any of them, except for the kid from Stanford Hoko. Yeah, he's been doing very well. Trying to see what kind of backup tight ends we have, you know, just you know, is there

anything there? You know that I mean, if you can't even show for this game, you can show for what do you hear on a team in case you get cut? What are you hearing on Sean McEwan as far as high ankle. Yeah, so that's at least he showed something eighty four if he got hurt in the game the other night, if not four weeks. So that gives an opportunity to Jeremy Sprinkle eighty seven because if they decide that maybe McCann has to go on you know, returnable I R, then they'll need a third tight end. By

the way, it's qwan mckewan. It spelled. It's spelled McKeon. Here we go, it's give mc capital k e o N. How do you get mqwan out of that? I don't know, but that's where it is. Yeah, I gotta be at U in that somewhere. Yeah, but but even some I keep getting this. I keep telling this receiver it's Brown eighty five, Brown Brown. I want to see him do better. I want to see him really show. Okay, I'm out

here with these backups. I want him to play as a guy that's playing against backups, and and he's he's probably considered the fifth guy. Uh And you know, hanging on to me looks like hanging on by It used to be all over them because every time somebody'd ask about Noah Brown and they'd say, well, he's a good blocker, and it's like, I don't want my wide receiver to be a good blocker, right, I'll put another tight end out there. Well, he probably didn't like it either, because

he lost weight less, he reshaped his body. He looked like a wide receiver. He's faster. Now, he's got to be a little bit more insertive to get because that because you mentioned Bill Fioko or you you didn't. And it's like, okay, if you're only keeping five, maybe that fifth one. So I'm telling he's hanging on will be he is Money's exactly, it'll be at least one point. When they drafted him, I had a feeling that this

would be a matchup between these two guys. And so now if you're talking rookie money, six hundred thousand compared to one point two two point one, so you better make it worth your while. Yeah, and then special teams will come in because he's a good Noah's a good special teams player. So do you do I convince them that I'm the fifth or do I convince them that you need to keep six wide receivers? So, yeah, I think the first four spots are pretty much taken because

Cedric Wilson is. I think he's really good as your fourth receivers and he helps you on special teams. Right except when you call an end the round? Yeah, what fault man? Let it go, Stags, let it go. That is throw the ball. So yeah, that's a that's a good spot to look at. Now they're going to continue giving Connor Williams some snaps at center in this game. Um, you know, I think they like the way he's handling everything else. But if you can't snap the ball, you

can't play that. Let me clarify something. Now. The two point one millions on one who Brown? No, no, no, he's he's got a I just looked it up. He's a one year, one point one two seven million dollars deal. He didn't he was not a restrict He's in his fifth year strictly, No, he's in his fifth year. And so they signed that is and yeah, there you go,

and so and that is a huge deal. Uh, and very smart on Noah Brown's part to keep his salary down in a range to where he will be Yeah, yeah, you want to make that extra million dollar, but you want to make the team. Does he does? You want to get the first one point one million is guarantee? Is uh? Guaranteed at signing one hundred thirty seven thousand total guaranteed one hundred and thirty seven. So they basically

gave him the veteran exception. Yeah, because that means he doesn't count as much against the cap as it as it chose because they gave him the minimum signing bonus. Yeah, this cap hits nine eighty seven. They have done him a favor. Yeah, right, himself a fair and it shows that they value him on special teams to get They wanted to make it manageable to where we want to keep you right. So but anyway, go back to the center spot. You know, they they just want to give

Connor Williams needs snaps. He's never played the position before, so now can can he? Can he do it? They'll give him people coming in looking differently. Does he look stronger? Yes? Because he needed to. Yes, And I think he has uh and and I think it shows that his left guard spot because people wanted to continue to say, wow, there's there's competition for that starting spot. He's got that turning spot and he's not competing with uh the idest

for center. He's only problem at center is he can't snap. Yeah yeah, yeah, but not nice position. That's like he didn't if he didn't have to snap, he could play center. He just can we do like we did on the field and just hand the ball back. So they're gonna continue to try that because really the alternatives on this roster I don't think are here, uh Fiarco, Farney, Farniac flows, I gotto, he's reading better, boy, you read better. Put it in front of him, man, you know. And I

think we talked about this at training camp. I think one of the reasons that they like the idea of Connor Williams playing center if he could snap, is from a mental standpoint. Now in his fourth year in the league, he can make the calls and all that right stuff, and so that another reason why he was a good candidate for that spot. And he's been in the league and he been through it. McGovern just played a little bit last year and that was really his first year

to play. But not only does Connor Williams have to work on his strength, he's got to work on his footwork because you could just see it land this year he just didn't seem to be first of all, strong enough to withstand the moves, and secondly, he just didn't seem to react well with his feet when the pressure

became too much for him to bear. Because sometimes when it comes down to it, if you can work that footwork, that will put you in position to where you don't have to worry about all the hand fighting as much, right because you're already in position and you gain leverage on him. So that brings us to tie Nasecki as the backup swing tackle, the veteran guy who's thirty six, and I think he's got something to prove still, and so keep an eye on that because it's last kind

of a week and a half of practice. When they couldn't went to the seconds. He had been at left tackle, Terren Steele was at right tackle. Well, they flipped him, so I think they're trying to see Terrence Steele play left tackle. What was his grade? How did he grade out? Naski, Oh, I don't know in the game how he graded out. But he was the one that caused problems at the goal line against Pittsburgh when they moved down there and

there was a sack. Well, it was his guy, and the next play on third down, it was his guy that caused Gilbert to have to throw the ball haphazardly. How long do you want Gilbert to play this week? I give him a half half, But that depends on who I've got on the offensive line, right, I can give him a half. I can't hit him back up play. He hadn't played who's on the line. I mean seriously

outside of the game against Pittsburgh last year. He hasn't played since SMU, which is like a decade ago, right, right, I mean that was his first NFL start. Yeah, in the NFL. Right, he played in other places in ten years. Hey, not really. I don't know about his preseason, but well he played. Nobody played preseason games last year, so he played in that played games. He played four games were the Orlando Apollo and then the season XL. And actually

he was playing well, he was. They went first place. I don't know that who cares he? So there's there's some things that for sure, probably look at the other guy, Jabil Cox, because he's starting to get it. Their fourth round pick, the linebacker from Ellen. He's one of my favorites. Uh, he's starting to pick up the pace. So see, you know, if he can move into some rotation with all those linebackers, they're trying to get on the field in different ways. Um.

And then Malie Cooker, you know he's gonna play. Now, let's see how far along he is. Uh, coming back from you know, that's two two guys coming back from Achilles. What I always said, you did a good job. I already said that Tuesday did a great job. But you did. You did a great job, even with Babe being there. How you did that? So my question is, um, what did Babe have to say about de Nucci's performance, because he was a bit critical doing the game. Yeah, he um,

and he was correct in some of his Uh. I haven't asked him about the Nucci, but I did talk to him today and he's he thought Gilbert took a step back last week. I thought I didn't think the Nucci made any ground. Yeah, I really did throw a touchdown pass. Okay, okay, I think it was just a I'm still looking for the grown up because he still looks like his arm is a little too weak. Yeah, he still looks like he's you know, he's not doesn't have the NFL body there's nothing wrong with his arm.

I think it's his emotion how quickly he recognizes things. But the motion is he's throwing side ar yeah, all the time, way too much. And then the other part is under pressure, he's got to step up to throw the ball, even if he's gonna get hit. He's fading. He stepped back, and you don't want to be thrown off. And that is almost like he's the point like this, and you know what they I think it was on Hard Knocks when nus Meyer was talking to him and he was talking to him about your eyes. He goes,

why are you looking over there? There's nothing there. You were supposed to be looking here. And so those are things that you know, a guy that hasn't played much since college, you know, he's got to get snaps and so I'm sure they would like to give him a half. I don't know what they're gonna do with Cooper Rush. I just think if if Gilbert's your backup Cooper Rush, you're wasting your time as the third guy. And nothing against him, but that guy should be somebody that's young

that you're trying to develop. If you keep three right. Otherwise Denucci, you put him on the practice squad depending on what you need on the fifty three. You gotta keep three, right, But I would think somehow, some way, right, So yeah, I just want to see that kid play because he's you watching training camp. He can throw the BA and he can run, which you know there was kind of Tony Romo's deal when he first got here. You know, Romo could run, he could throw it, but

you never knew where he was throwing it. The defense did. Yeah, no, No, I mean I mean he would miss. He would miss guys ten yards high sometimes right, and I could see. So are you seeing are you saying that you see some Tony Romo Innucia both played the same level of college football, both got in the league. Nucci played some major college football at and he and he transferred right and then he was one of those candidates to win the Walter Peyton Player of the Year one so um

played the National Championship game. I mean, if the Cowboys had judged Romo the way he played in his first two preseason not even preseason practice training camp, he'd have been out because he wasn't accurate us and his arm and his coach didn't even back him. No, remember, you guys will never win the championship with this guy. Yeah, so there's hope for Denucci, Yes, I think there is, But how long they can He reminds me there the way he talks, he reminds me he's got a confidence

level about him. That reminds me he's got to get another half. I think you're looking at Gilbert first half and then and regardless of what happens, this got the last game to this game, he's got the last game. Maybe you give give him the start in the last game and see what happens. But they got to find out. They got to know what Cooper Rush is, right, he's been here. They got to know, but they don't know yet about so so that the determination they're making there

is whether they keep three quarterbacks. Danucci's go on the practice squad, right, Okay, you're putting him on the procc. If he's on the practice squad, then they keep two on the fifty three. Okay. So you're not saying if you quarters right okay, yeah, right, yeah, okay, And it's den Rush Okay, yeah, okay, I think it's that's what McCarthy. Kay, Okay. That does it for this edition of mix shots. What are we going to be back on? I think next

week we were supposed to do Monday Wednesday Friday. Okay in our in the ration, all right, Monday Wednesday Friday, same battime, we hope, who knows what time ends, depends on the practice schedule. If they decide to practice next week, then we will go at two o'clock or okay, okay, all right, enjoy the game. We'll see a Monday Go Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.