Mick Shots: Sunday Prep

and the Jacksonville Jaguars are coming to town. But right now, Mickey Spagnola has just returned from Ford Center where the Cowboys at practiced, and I can't wait to get that practice report from Mickey. He has a booty full of information about that's right. I saw Everson as he walked into the Star in Frisco, and I saw the life of a superstar, even in retirement and National Football League superstar.

He can't even go from his parking space into the start without fans saying, hey, commy, commy, can I get a picture? You know, they get more and more devious every time, you know, he calls me cumby. You know he's name association, right, the former teammate, one of the white friends from Hamilton Park. Yeah, well, speaking of Hamilton's Park. So since this guy started on Mick Shots, he's all over TV now too. People know he's here man last night, last night, he's all over the TV because of the

new coach, Trey Bryant. Yes, the first African American head coach at Berkener High School. They also they had an African American coach when I first came to Berkener. And you know the way the school system was, as you're going to integrate the young kids and African American kids, you have to have some association, so they would choose certain educators or even coaches to make that transfer as well. And so one of those transfers was coach John Freeman.

And he just happened to be my dad's teammate at Preview A and M. So that puts some real undue pressure on that. So, now, what was your association with coach Bryant. Trey Bryant was. I played on that Berkener squad with his father with his father, his father, Bubba Lee Bryant. His name is Lee Brian. We just called him Bubba ly and he's passed on since. Just a really cool dude. But he was the one that we beat up on because he was on JV so my one year playing in high school, he was. He was

on the practice class, you know. But this was another instance of Hamilton Park right right right, that's exactly right, that's right, all right. So are they sharpening in any iron out on the practice? Sharpened a lot of iron out on that practice field today. You know what, it was a full practice. It wasn't like we're backing off to get ready for the game on Sunday since it's Friday. Uh. It was a full practice in pads. Uh. Dak was

sharp as sharp could go. Another and he was in team and he was he was throwing the ball on the run. He was thrown with velocity. Uh and looked really really good. And we'll talk more about that. DeMarcus Lawrence was back on the field in team for the first time. Uh. And of course, you know, fresh legs, he's off the line of scrimmage like he's just screaming, right,

So he was back out there. Uh. Malik Turner the wide receiver, full practice for the first time since he I think it was an ankle maybe, so he was out there. Not out there, Layton vander esh he there's some bug going around the locker room and it's not COVID related, you know, It's like, can can anybody get sick these days without it being COVID? Right, And so that's been going around and he missed and then Lele Collins walked off after the first part of practice, and

he walked off with Jim Mauer. When they went to the sideline, the Cowboys, a head trainer h Doctor Cooper met him and they talked to doctor Cooper and the three of them went in and he never came back. And the only thing I saw was Jim Mauer looking at doctor Cooper and going like this. He was patting

right underneath his neck on his chest. So I don't know if that was some indication of what the problem was, because you remember, was it a week ago or so Lele missed a couple of practices, was a I think it was a neck issue, so it might be the front of his neck. I don't know, but yeah, so he missed the majority of the team the team session, which was uh, you know, somewhat troubling. Uh. And then

what else, Uh, zer Line. Greg Zerline kicked again and he went eight of nine time, so much more Mickey's approval a little bit more. I feel a little bit better about that. And and watched thirty three through forty nine and he missed from forty six, but he did make forty seven and forty nine. Um. I did see one low snap come in the ball landed flat on the ground by the LP on speed dot H And as usual, the one he missed a he hooked it left.

So it doesn't matter that this guy's been in the league for a decade and been to the Pro Bowl. I'm just keeping an eye on that's right. So uh. And then they finished practice with a little bit of a walk through. They took the helmets off. I think the pads came off too, and uh. And then afterwards when we went out on the track to do our socially distanced to interviews with the players. Uh, it looked like the majority of the guys out there were the

veterans and they were doing windsprints. Look good, they're finally starting to get in ship in shape. Right first day of training camp, it was like it was I think a little bit it had to do with just continuing to acclimate to the heat. Um, which I guarantee you that because here's the deal today, I'm sure McCarthy would have loved to have been out in the heat again today to get for Tampa, which is thirteen days away,

but a little bit better out there to day. But yesterday, yeah, right, but this was a open practice that fans could come to, and so it had to be indoors at Ford Center for fans to be able to observe. And since the practice started at eleven fifteen, and I think it was it was an adult fan practice, right right. There weren't

any kids there. It was an adult crowd. And then it's getting to and so I'm sure he would have liked to go on and tomorrow for the walkthrough, right, but it's indoors again, right, it's open again fans, that's right, So there'll be some kids out tomorrow. Yeah, and they're only going for an hour tomorrow, I think, yeah, ten fifty,

it's an hour earlier. It's if memory serves me right, on the schedule, the practice is from ten fifteen to eleven fifteen tomorrow because they got a clear out, that's right. Games we've got hey, Everson We've got the Jerry Jones Classic tomorrow afternoon at Ford's Center High School football Denton Ryan versus Long View. So you go to it. That's my people. So'd you go to it? Yeah? Both sides of the family. All right, you'll have to come out for the Jerry Jones Classic. Man, I'll have a lot

of people yelling coming. Well, yeah, a lot of people do claim me. So did you go to a game last night? I watched one on TV. Watched it on TV. Yeah, at at and T Stadium last night. It was South Lake Carol and Highland Park. Wow. So a nice game. South Lake Carol smoked him. Well, you know their quarterback quin Yours declared for the draft. He declared for for South Lake Carol, number one quarterback recruit in the nation.

And I'm about a month ago the name, image likeness thing that now college athletes can take advantage of high school athletes in Texas cannot take advantage of it. And so he has moved on to Ohio State. And so it's a great story where he can make money, right, And seriously, we're talking up to a million. It could be even more now I don't know, but at the

time we're talking. He had an opportunity to make up to a million dollars in endorsements, and he couldn't do it here, And he couldn't do it if he wasn't in college. And I mean, so he was in a position, Yeah right, maybe he doesn't need to go to college. He took, he took. He was on track to graduate, and so he took one online class that he was able to take in like three weeks time, got graduated and wound up showing up late at Ohio State after

their preseason drill started. So anyway, here's a great story though. The quarterback for South Lake Carroll Caden Anderson is his name. Coming off an ACL injury last year, he finds out a month ago. He's a junior, big prospects six four, two hundred pounds. You watched him. Uh, the great story about his father. He dedicated the game to his father. His father passed away a year ago this week. Oh my yeah, I mean I'm rooting so so much for

this kid. And uh he had u uh and it was a sudden it was he had was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and three weeks later he wasn't here. And so and so South Lake Carol put up forty six. Okay, but to building. Yes, in fact, their quarterback from from last year, Braden Shager, who's a kid that Babe Laufenberg has. He's schooled and to be a quarterback since he was eight years old. Uh so he's good in spite of

the okay that show. Braden is at the University of Hawaii and he is as a true freshman, just got on campus this summer. Is the backup quarterback at AAI. They play UCLA I think this weekend, sol uh and we get some college football tomorrow, right, we do, right, yea, So it's all starting. It's and ready to go. Hang in and one of these days when we don't have a lot going on, I got some nick shots on that that likeness stuff. Oh right, yeah, you can educate

me even more. Yeah, you know, I'm all in. It's going to be some serious unintended consequences for amateurs. Yeah, well, I don't are they still amateurs if someone's paying them? Where did I see one of the schools that they were the guys that are walk on that aren't on scholarship. Somebody donated money to pick I think it's by Yeah, yeah, absolutely, all right. Of course, Cowboys play Jacksonville on Sunday. And earlier this week, urban Meyer said that he's going to

play his starters. He's going to start his starters. That was when he named Trevor Lawrence as his starting quarterback. And I saw Bruce Arians today came out and said, and of course this is the Cowboys opponent in thirteen days. The starters are going to play the first half of their final preseason game against Houston. He says they need some game snaps they need and so are they now rugly. He also Arians also reserved the right to change two years.

He reserved the right to change his mind though too. So sometimes that just that you're just getting the attention to the players in practice where you got a good couple of good practice. I think he's just trying to get a field. Yeah, I really think he's just trying for not just his team, but for this professional level. He's on right, And but for a lot of teams now it's not so much for Dallas and Tampa Bay

because they're playing the Thursday game. I mean, these games this weekend are when you traditionally would play your dress rehearsal game. From a calendar standpoint, two weeks away from the first Sunday of the season, and so I think you're going to see more teams play starters this weekend than what you normally would see in the last preseason game. So did you bone up on your Trevor Lawrence history. I'm working on it. Work, I'm working on it, yep.

All right. So, and you know there's a former Cowboy player starting for Jacksonville, Damien Wilson. That's right, that's right, got went to Kansas City, got on the Super Bowl ring, went to the Super Bowl the next year, and then they parted ways. We had two former linebackers Hinton as well. The Hitchings was right, Yeah, we got them, and then jackson Jacksonville also had Jihad Ward. Yep, had Ward is

earning the praise of Urban Meyer. I had this press conference some former assistant coaches on their roster, and what did I do with my Jacksonville deal. I highlighted a couple of guys that are coaching there, the only ones I've looked at so far, Darryl Bevill as their offensive coordinator, Joe Culling their defensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer as their quarterbacks coach and pass game coordinator. And of course, uh Mike McCarthy as a history with the Schottenheimer family. Marty he

coached with him in Kansas City. You know, Mickey here is about Everson. He is about to interview the head coach as soon as Mick shots is over. You know, comes early. I think we can invite him in. And we got a microphone and a chair right over there for the head coach. If you can pull those strings, I'm glad so Jack Deonville's wide receivers coach, san Jay Lyle Okay offensive line coach. And this goes way back George Warhop he was a Cowboys offensive line coach and

the guy that Cowboys gave a chance. Former player, he was assistant on special teams maybe two years ago. Carlos Polk Okay is with Jacksonville. All right, So so here's what I want to do. Since Mickey and you probably haven't come up with your questions for the coach yet. You probably need some help. I need some help, okay, all right, so tweet unprepared. You can tweet me at CB yes eleven, Bill Jones, what do you want? Maybe Mickey will take your questions for it and take him

to the head coach. I highly doubt it, but I offer that service up. I'll let you guys make a suggestion here. What do you want to know? Because I

think I only got three or four minutes, that's all. Yeah, it's it's weird because we normally would do the head coach live during the pregame show from the stadium, and so we taped it the last couple of times, but it just kind of looks weird where we're all out at the stadium and then all of a sudden, I'm on the set interviewing Mike, and so they said, maybe we're okay, he's on the set here at the time. So now, the first two games it didn't look as

odd because the team was on the road. I mean, well the Arizona game, yeah, so but yeah, so anyway, well but we'll see. So what do you want about? Five questions? What do you have? Five question What do you want to know? Okay, what's your first question? So I did this because I'm trying to prepare Mickey for it. Probably something about his head, right, you know, something about that for some reason, that last preseason game, you're going

to take another look at Cooper Rush. Are you going to give him a decent opportunity with some of the offensive lineman actually playing with him? All right? And Everson, how would you answer that question? If I was Paul McCarthy, I would tell him to go to him that next question, next question, none of your business. Might ask him something about how they've handled the outbreak of COVID. They did get Malie Cooker. I did say that, right. I don't

know that you did. That is a very impertinent point. He's back in pro he's back in practice today, and then they have the pseudo walk through or whatever tomorrow and then so he'll be playing in the game on something. But they're still gonna have guys missing, And I'll probably ask him, what do you think the you know, opportunity is for the rest of the guys to get back in time before you actually start your first game week,

which would be a week from today next Friday. You know, you don't, you don't have This doesn't have to be a question. We can all look it up. But has he ever not played his starting quarterback an entire preseason. That's kind of unusual. I like that, it really is. Well, yeah, last year. I mean, everybody starts off with it last year outside of last but everybody didn't quarterback last year, and it didn't affect Dak because he got off to the heck of a start, right. They were averaging thirty

two points a game those first five games. So and then I'll probably ask him something about Dak how he's looked in his first live team drills, which I know the answer, he's looked awfully, awfully well, I mean today was really sharp with some of the throws he made. And so and maybe we answer this question because it keeps coming up to me, so I know what the

answer should be, but it should come from him. The question seems to be going round is do the Cowboys have to pull back on their offense to protect Dak's arm or are they worried about his ankle because he hasn't done this. And my answer to that is if they have to change the offense, like we're not going to throw a ball past twenty yards or we're not going to have him roll out and throw on the run because we're worried about his ankle, then he shouldn't be playing. You got to be able to go and

Kellen Moore tried to emphasize that yesterday. He said, we're

going out to play football. That was his answer, and then I think he followed, we're gonna play ball, and that's what they should do, because if you're going to go out there and try to put reins on him, which you can't, right, and he wouldn't follow those directions anyway, then he shouldn't be out there, like, you know, I'm not going to call a bootleg because I'm worried about him running or and you know, and and I'm sure they've had the discussion about him pulling the ball down

and running, right, but I think the emphasis on that is get what you can and go down, because that's how he got hurt. Seven yards would have been just fine against the John. The guy was lightweight. I mean, he had them by twenty pounds. Probably the guy that the guy to tackle out. It was just the way it went down, well, and so that was the guy wrapped his legs around his to bring him down, and you know, he's gotta do what he's got to do to bring him down because he's undersized, right, So he

was just a you know, he was a victim. But now I don't need the eighth yard seven's good and see you touched on everything that was going to ask you. First of all, I think he needs not just him, but the offensive line himself. They need practices like that. I mean, they've got to get into that rhythm. I mean, this is the only time they have a chance to do it. Was the first team verse first team early in practice. It was yes, and I wrote down some of his throws and the boy, he was right on

the money a bunch of times. They this is something that can also kind of, uh just kind of make him ease up a little bit in regards to how anxious he is, because you can feel it. You can see it on the whole shows. That's not an act. I mean he's and you could you could imagine it wasn't like he played an entire season last year and now he's starting off not getting to play in the preseason. I mean he had he missed twelve games, rights eleven games.

That is that's just you know, his blood is boiling. I'm sure it's basically eleven and a half games. So yeah, I mean you got that's just you know, yeah, and when you're the starting quarterback and now you're making this money, you're feeling this, you're feeling that. So many different variables in regards that why these practices. I think he needs

them more than anyone. But I think the entire I think more the offense mostly they need this as far as the line and Zeke himself, you know, and maybe the concession they make. I would think early in the game, just let him have a couple easy completions, maybe a little out, uh, you know, a little five yard ten yard pattern, dumped the ball to Zeke, you know, first place. Yeah, we'll show you right, everybody back up. Nothing wrong with

my arm, that's right. So I see no concessions. Yeah, but I would think just the just the first game when you haven't played, just to get his confidence read. Well, well you've got the sssions, but you got Zeke back here. Yeah. So and you've got this offensive line who's raring to go forward. So I mean, you're gonna be what you're gonna be. You're gonna be that same team that you're intended to be two years ago, and of course even last year when Zeke wasn't having such a great year

before dad got hurt. So, speaking of Zeke type, how about if we speak of Zeke when we come back here shots Okay, what a t Zeke talk when we come back In just a moment, we were just getting in tuney 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 and t Our best smartphone deals are for everyone. Restrictions apply. Is it att dot com for details. The Cowboys Way We're sixteen Hall of Famers and five championships, shows us what success looks like. Where turkey is always the second best part of Thanksgiving Day, where we are all defined by one single thing, the star, where we as fans

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a counterclockwise lap around the rule. Now the lucky grease stained jersey goes on, and lastly the dance you know the one. This is a game day ritual no matter where you are, whether you're traveling to the game or watching from your favorite vacation spot. Booka plays to stay on Hotels dot com and keep the traditional live and well. Hotels dot Com proud partner of the Dallas Cowboys back back to mixed shots. The New Era Sideline collection has landed in stores so fans can wear the same headgear

as the team. Just head to the pro shop and your official store of the Dallas Cowboys Nation and get the twenty twenty one New Era draft cap. Visit your local Dallas Cowboys Pro shop or online at shop dot Dallas Cowboys dot com. Adversity Baby way to come through. I was waiting now that put a. Mickey was reading that spot off his iPhone that you don't have an iPhone though, do That's why I know that. That's why when I text with him, it's a green bubble, it's

not a bloom bubble. That's why I know I'm identified. Right. But he was reading it off his phone and he wasn't sure he'd be able to come through, and it was his best read of the year. Let's give credit to my new spec. I was gonna say, you must have turned up the Yeah, they turned a notch up every year. Hey you got there. They bringing it from the back, right, Yeah. Do you know what your prescription is? Negative? What I don't because Chiquon Hardy said it was fifty

which is but he meant to say negative two point five. Oh, I guess yeah, he says two fifty and I'm gonna do that's why, that's why, that's why he's by the way, he got interviewed again, That's what I'm saying. He got interviewed and so he re spects. Is that what they're called. I'm not sure. I think that's what the name of him mark Yeah, um, and his his nickname is one and one right, yeah, because of one. Yeah. Yeah, he's like the first person I've ever saved one and one.

We're going to get a heavy dose of one and one on Sunday right between him and yeah we got one and one. He kind of saved himself on the last drive Hardy did or Knox one and one? Okay Hardy hard Yeah. May he was having trouble catching the ball, having trouble doing everything. Yeah. He's not very big, not at all. And I don't think we spoke of Knox

on Wednesday. Did we speak of Knox? One? We mentioned him, but because because I mention myself and I couldn't remember his name, and then there he was on the show. But we didn't even include him in regards to candidates for so at least Knox is five eleven two twenty three from Marshall, Jaquan Hardy five eight to fifty from Tiffin. Yeah he looks five eight. Let's just what about los anele gravity? Is that? Yeah? Because no, he had because he looked like he had pretty big size. Yeah new

house like yeah, maybe not quite a new house. So anyway, and no one. That kind of leads us to our running backs, right, that's exactly right. And um, and by the way, Hardy from Tiffin University there, which is a school that has produced a Pro Bowl running back in the past, believe it or not, Tiffin. This was like five years ago. Who was that talk to him? Chris

Ivory from Tiffin University. I wonder if he was on that because if I remember correctly, I think LSU played Tiffin one year as one of their non conference games. That's typical of the SEC. And then maybe Ivory was like crambling or something like that. That's what that's what I'm looking forward to moving to the SEC. Maybe we get to start conference games. Yeah. Um, they hung with them for about a quarter in the people in the stadium, We're getting a little bit nervous, all right, so yes,

he set up Zeke. Yes, the Cowboys restructured his contract, and for beb people understand what they did and why they did it. They converted eight point six million of his nine point six million dollars base salary into a restructure bonus. So the reason they do that is to lower his cap hit for this year, which cleared six

point eight million off the cap. And they take the bonus that they give them and they divided out over the length of his contract, So they divide eight point six by five and it comes to adding one point seven two million each year for five years, so it doesn't like add years. Everybody's like, oh, we got him for this or that. Well, the thing it did was killed this perception that the Cowboys were ready to get rid of them, right, I didn't know that perception was out.

Oh oh yeah it was. You don't listen to sports talk, right yeah. And then that's why I'm spot you do your own spirit radio. And here's the real reason that they created some cap space for this year. Okay, now he's going to start with the fans first came right, Okay, who's the quarterback that you want the backup? Quarterback. You want the backup quarterback. You were talking the other day about Nick Foles. Nick Foles, okay, so that clear space

because he said eight meal dead money. I think you said something like a lot of more more than that. But he's making like eight a year though, right, eight meal a year. Oh no, No, the big question came out they were going to trade for stuff on Gilmour Yeah, okay, and it's like, yeah, that's not going to cover his base salary, by the way. But anyway, so so again the reason they did this some cornerback, why would you pay that much for right? Right, they only had five million.

It was just a bit more than five million in cap space, which really is not enough to finish out a season. Because you got sixteen guys that are going to be on your practice squad, you got to pay them their minimum for now eighteen weeks. That takes up a pretty big chunk. That'll be a couple of million dollars. You have to make sure you have enough in reserve that when guys go on IR you still got to pay their salary and you got to replace them on

the fifty three. So now somebody's going to make more money. So from an operating standpoint, they like to keep eight to ten million available to get through the season. So this now gives them twelve million available under the cap, which will get them through this year. And if you don't have to use it all, you can roll it

over to next year. And you've got a couple of guys that you need to would like to resign, You don't know if you can afford to resign them, but if you add that to your salary cap next year, you got a chance at maybe Michael Gallup, or you got a chance at Layton Vanderish. And the other thing is you can use a restructure mini contract and they can still do a couple more if they need to and if they want to. But the thing that you don't want to do is add years to the contract,

and that's not what they did. So Zeke gets basically instead of having to work for his money this year, he gets a check for eight point six million right off the bat Garonte. Yeah, and his base salary was guaranteed this year, and it's guaranteed already next year because the guarantee was if he was on the fifty on your ninety man roster five days into this league year, it guaranteed next year. So that's what the new deal

is all the time. Now the smart agents they're making sure the next year is guaranteed this year, so you don't get into your last year of your contract, which is what happened to the cornerback at Miami um Zavian Howard. His guarantees were running out this year, so it didn't matter what his base salary was next year, it wasn't guaranteed.

So his agent really made a mistake because the Mahomes contracts started this where you it's it's evolving, right, this year covers next year, next year covers the year after that on guarantees. So stuck, but they redid his contry. They did, and that's why he said he was underappreciated. You know. It was like Byron Jones was making more. Yeah he had thirteen years, was eleven and give me a break. But what he was worried about was the

next year because he had a big under appreciate. So when you sign that contract, you ought to look at that stuff and don't get into a point where the guarantees run out and then next year's base salaries like sixteen million. Because if anything happens you don't have a good year or you get hurt. They would, they would get out of it for no dead money. That means that Zeke is gonna carry the heck out of that ball.

Oh yeah, this season, he's gonna earn his key. They might keep it, keep him in on more at at all of the all of twenty six years old too, by the way, twenty six he got here at twenty. He's gonna have a good year. Yes, he's gonna have a good year. I truly believe he's gonna have a good year. That's gonna take a load off of everyone. So anyway, that's uh, that's report, that's the Zeke report.

So the why they did it as far as this year's salary cap has nothing to do with going out and purchasing a high dollar back back up, better back back, you know what. The thing we forgot. The still could do if they can, if they can get a deal like they did last year with Dalton, where it was it was three million base and the rest of it, that's nocent of you would pay the next year. You could do that. Yeah, but actually it does given the option now of doing that, because as you pointed, out.

You need operating cap space, right because you're gonna have injuries. You're gonna have back and forth flow from the you know, guys get hurt and you got to replace it. Even with minimum wage guys, you got to have enough to operate and the cap that I'm sorry, and the cap right now is just the top fifty one. So now you got to add two more base salaries or two more salary cap hits to it. He back fingers cross cowboys. My sign a former Texas high school quarterback, and Bill

would be the happiest in the world. He can just spouse all kind of can they bring in about it? What's the guy's name? Yours? Yours? That's right, bring him in? Now? Why is it? Go go to um? And you factor in the practice squad on that test I injured reserve and everything because the salary is the weekly salary for the practice squad guys. That's gone up. UM. So yeah, you gotta you gotta make sure you have enough operating

capital to get through the season. I mean, you just factor and let's in the past, it's been like seventy five grand for the the the annual compensation for a practice squad player over seventeen weeks. I mean even if you just factor and some get more than that because they want to make sure they don't get picked off by another try to get picked off. Hey, let's let's

just average it out at one hundred thousand for each other. Yeah, I mean there's six to sixteen man practice squad, and you have some veteran guys who will be making more on the practice squad because there's some competition going on that they want to have that guy in reserve. Well that's one point six million dollars right there for just for your practice squad that you need. Yeah. Absolutely, So

it takes up. And by the way, so we talk about this backup quarterback thing, and you know the Cowboys they got lucky, but Cooper Rush wasn't the backup quarterback here twenty seventeen, twenty eighteen, and twenty nineteen, by the way, so somebody trusted him. Now, he only had to throw three passes over three years, right, and I think all

three of them came in twenty seventeen. He was one for three, but he had been their backup quarterback, and you know, the previous regime thought, okay, well he's our guy. So we'll see what happens. But this is going to be a significant game for him. He's gonna have to come out and he's gonna have to duplicate what he

did last Saturday. I'm not saying he's got to throw two touchdown passes, but he's got to show that he's comfortable, that he can run the operation, get the plays in and out, and you know, bit, Mike's big on Cadence and you know, make sure as Cadence is right and just feel comfortable running the offense. I like, he just looks strong in the pocket. He looks stronger than Gilbert. He looks stronger than his feet are quiet. Does that

make sense? Well, he's not like that's good. That means he's that's my hercue jerky, wait, that's that's my was that the left hand of the right hand back, that's that's my young young dig right? That was a no handed quarterback. But now he looked he just looked bigger. He looked like he was more in control. And like you said, you can tell about the footwork, how comfortable you are. That means you know exactly where you're going. Your progressions are as timely as your throws. And that's

what you want. You want you want to make sure that timeliness is there. And that's why I think that you know, whatever you know, Tyrn Smith, I think also wasn't out there for much. I think he had the bug too. Okay, but you know, you probably got to have Beyondish at center. Um, you're gonna have Connor McGovern at one guard because you Williams love to have Connor Williams. But he's probably still out with on the COVID list. So yeah, as much as support you can give him,

put it out there. Chance Tampa is going to bring it. That D line, well, the fund seven is amazing, right, they are just amazing. So we need to be prepared. I mean we need to be at our best, not just physically, but ready to make this happen. In Tampa. By the way, they added to their defensive line in the draft. Their first draft pick thirty one or two overall was Joe Tryon and who's an edge rusher as well.

He's got some good reports this preseason. So that's why that's why that backup tackle position is so important because it's roomed this offense for last three or four years. Right, they didn't have anybody they can step in and just yeah, and we saw that. We saw when everybody talks about Tampa's defense, Oh yeah, they tore Mahomes up. No, that offensive line was yeah, he had no time, which is why they spent so much this offseason on getting that

Kansas City offensive line back in shape. Yeah. Yeah, absolute players. So I'll be interested in how they're gonna how they're gonna play it. But they started off with the backup tackles being tying the Secky left and Terrence Steele right. But these last two weeks, it's been Terrence Steele left tying the Secky right. And if we've watched the games,

the secki is struggled, it hasn't been. And then at times Terren Steele gets overpowered steel but he's better, you know, last year, but rookie free agent undrafted from Texas Texas Tech, Texas Tech, and he just wasn't strong enough. And so they finally said, Okay, we can't do this anymore. Zack Martin, you're you're the right tackle, and we'll put Connor McGovern at right guard. Well to me, if that happens again, and whoever that guy is struggles Zack Martin's out there

this time. This time they would do it less because they have confidence in Connor McGovern that he's ready to play in the NFL and he's had a good training camp. So if if my right guard, if my right guard is better than my backup left tackle, then I think you got to make that move right. The key word there is better. Yeah, that's it. Okay, So how does what we've seen this past week with a little COVID issues here on the team, how does it affect their

cutdown date at a position group? Their cutdowns at a position group like offensive line, where you need to make sure that and for teams across the league in fact, all right, yeah, you can have a guy on a practice squad that you can call up, but especially at offensive tackle, they're just aren't very many offensive tackles in this league. And I was looking at don't you have to keep two offensive tackles on your fifty three? Absolutely? And every team in the league is going to be

doing both of those guys. They got to keep both of them right. And now with the Connor Williams thing up in the air, like they were going to force it that he was going to be the backup center. Well, the only other guy on this team that has snapped the ball last year even in college was their seventh round pick Mac Forniac. So I think they got to keep him because without without Williams, he's the next guy, and he's the guy that's been taking the snaps on

the second team. So you might so you're looking at You're looking at as it stands right now, assuming they don't make a trade for you know, they do have some positions of strength where they could swing a trade and get a backup tackle um. But you're so you're looking at outside of the starters Steal Inseccy, Brandon, Knight, and Farniac right right, McGovern and McGovern. So you got that ten night. That's oftensive linemen, and that's usually what you would like to do. And then you keep your

eye on the waiver wire. But you know what, I've been watching the cuts. Not a lot of guys that you would recognize their name at tackle get released. How many tash we have within the entire group, you would have that three back nights play tackle before and you got the other two Insecky in steel and then of course Zach Martin can slide out right, So I think, yeah,

that's going to fortune you. And now the other thing is when you put guys on the COVID list, um, they don't count against your fifty three if they're still on it. So you would buy yourself some time if indeed that took place. But I would think, just judging from the way this thing's going, by next Friday, these guys should be cleared, uh and and ready to go. And I'm sure the Cowboys are darn well hoping they are.

And Josh ball the fourth round and then you got to decide what you're gonna do with him, because he's the guy that should have been challenging for that swing. He started his college career at Florida State and then he wound up having a transfer to Marshall. Marshall Yeah and fourth round direct. Yeah, But we didn't see him

at all in the preseason. We saw him the first week and a half maybe a training camp, and that he suffered a high ankle spring and so I just saw him finally back like out at practice and t shirt and shorts and he was starting to do some cord things. So maybe, so my question is on that, Okay, it is a long season two. So he's gonna unless unless you're gonna place him on IR and he's out for the year. But you keep right, but you have to but you have to be on the fifty three

the first day. No, No, to get back. No, I'm not not. Yes unless you unless you just want to make it a red shirt year for him and you put him on IR for the whole year and you can't bring him back. He's we don't want to do that, considering the fact he could be your guy in the second half of the year. If that who is your you're left it might try down to keeping Ball or

keeping Brandon Knight. If you're only going to keep ten, you would because because um forniac has worked at guard but he did and that could be one of the classic cases. Or Insecky But for that matter, right where, here's what you do. Yes, you keep Ball on the fifty three, you cut the veteran guy. Okay uh, and then the next day you put Ball on IR. You can bring him back at some point in the season. You resigned Insecki and then Brandon Knight needs to learn

how they snapped the ball if he could. Yes, so no, and they've done that before. Remember it was ah, I forgot what year it was. They did that with Kellen Moore. Okay, they cut him and then because he was a vested veteran and he didn't have to go through waivers and they told him, don't go anywhere. We're gonna resign you. Yeah, you know, and you got to I guess you got to have a level of trust there. What was the what was the what was the limit? Give me the

time frame where he was vulnerable twenty four hours? Twenty four hours. But but as far as the veteran, uh, having your your veteran contract, Oh, guaranteed it's the first week of the season. But if you're on that first week. So yeah, they could do that with Inseci uh and and not guarantee his one year deal and just tell him, Okay, we're going to bring you back. Now. Who knows, somebody's really desperate. They might yeah, they're gonna be there watching why.

They might say, well, i'll pay you three million dollars a year. Yeah, so you have to risk there. Yeah, for sure, the Cowboys knew Kellen Moore wasn't going anywhere. He wanted to be here, but they they did pull that off that one year and you can do it, but you gotta be because it had to be you know, in order to do that, you have to feel really good about Terryn Steel that first week, right, Okay? Uh and um, especially now we've got to figure out what's

wrong with reports it was a stinger. A stinger, yeah, but if you're having recurrent stingers that can be an issue too. You know, Well, that just lets you know what they were. They were going at it, right, I mean, they were just going pretty hard. I think that happened in in some of that two on two pass rush drill because he was out there to start and then cow intense was that walked home? Yeah, because those drills are more intense than the team drills. Hey, we're playing

football ball the day, all right. We take a break and hopefully Mickey can be around for the rest of his show and Mike McCarthy doesn't show up for his pregame and walk in here and you can start the interview right away. And so that's the way Darren Woodson did last week, right that that is something we can look forward to. Will the head coach you join mix shots here in just a moment at Smoothie King we

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quest of living life. The Cowboys Way Copyright twenty twenty Bank of America Corporation. Hi, I'm Clint Tillison. Will you nan at agin turf before you can yourself in front of the game, park yourself in a John Dear and power through your chores. Our land Run package is a ten twenty five twenty five horsepower tractor with a loader, rotary cutter and a box blade for two twenty nine a month. And the price you see is the price you'll pay. No surprises, so don't miss another kickoff. Visit

United egginturf 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, Mickey Spagnola with his next read coming at you in three two one. 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 inspire others through the love of the game. Nominate yourself or your friend, anybody for a chance to win a trip to Super Bowl fifty six in Los Angeles. Nominate today at Dallas Cowboys dot com slash Fan of the Year. All right, and that was a behind the scenes version. Now wait, you don't want to know. The email that I had had five attachments and it was one for all the different shows, and I chose door number three and it was right. He is on today.

Go play the lottery. Yeah, all right, go play the lottery on today. And here's my extraordinary fan of the day. Gary Jackie Flash asked a question on Twitter of Mickey. Was Cedric Wilson's catch for twenty one yards the best dak pass and eleven men drill today? It absolutely was, And it was a heck of a catch by Cedric Wilson. Two. By the way, it was top end cut, deep endcut,

it was. He was coming, if I remember, kind of across the back of the end zone and he hit a right at the end line and Wilson went up and made the catch and Tiptoe number one did it, which I told you. He explained. He explained his number change from eleven to one, and they asked him about it, and he said, well, when I saw him draft Michael Parsons, I knew eleven was probably his choice and he goes in. By the way, my number in college was one. So everything, yeah, tried,

he probably probably one was available. It was a kick, was it the kicker? Kicker number one? Remember somebody had one lifetime when it wasn't those weren't available because remember they changed the number. Desmas. Yeah, I was going to ask what was the deepest pass thrown by Dad in the drill? He threw a nine route, threw a n and he did yesterday or two days ago, right on the button to Dove Shelts both uh yeah, Shelts running the nine. Yeah. Well he was down fielding one to nine.

But that was the deepest past like sea route I'd seen him throw getting down the field man. Yeah, and jar one had a couple of catches for him today, So yeah, that's my dude. Jarwin is my day. I can't wait to see him come back. His injury was extremely devastating from the team as well, and they'll use that too tight end, which, by the way, if it was if we want to go back to having to use a swing tackle, let's just go too tight ends

and give that guy some help. Now, I always had concerns about the blocking in Jarwin's case, especially, Yeah, I wonder if he's gotten bad. I know he probably hadn't been paying attention, but you know, I know he's no winning and we go out to tackling but blocking, they're blocking, but they're gonna need uh, they're gonna need him to stick his head in there. And he just a few bad penalties. I think two years ago they really kind

of heard this. Yeah, I think it became a proved on that and then Schultz is probably a little bit better block. Actually, they really like McEwan as that third guy. But that's another guy Bill. You know, it's like, can you get him on the fifty three because you would like three tight ends, but that high ankle sprain, he's probably not ready in two weeks. That's interesting get tied end because you got a guy like Jeremy Sprinkle who's been with Washington for several years, a veteran guy. Could

that be another one of those situations? You know what, we saw a snap the other day that they used a tackle when they wanted to go two tight ends. So you can always do that, and the tight end thing ties into your fullback from our gyle, you know, Nick Ralston, can you keep three tight ends and a fullback? Or can you keep four tight ends and no fullback? So that's running back? You're down doubtle now, and so will these other guys step up to make a yeah?

Or do you scan the waiver wire on the running back position and way what's on the waiver wire against hardy and knocks and so, I mean, it's possible. On Tuesday, it's possible they would just have They could on Tuesday has have two running backs that are on the final on the fifty three, not fullbacks, and and I'm including fullbacks. They could have just Zeke and Tony Pollard. Not with the intention they're going into game day with just that,

you know, or game week with just that. The next day they make their adjustments with who they got a place on ir opens up a spot where you bring back to fullback, you get the running back or whatever there's but every team in the league is going through the same yes, juggling act. So who was one last year? M or was there a one nice wander? Nice winder? Yeah? I was right the punter, Yeah, hunter the punter. So can we all agree that Amari Cooper is the man? Yes,

he is the man. Freaking amazing dude, he is amazing. I mean this guy, I called him Allen Ivers. He's just yeah, And I know I'm stepping on some some old u toes Ceedee Lamb could learn a lot from him, and you could learn from because one thing I noticed about they start talking different techniques, and you could see the difference in a lot of Ceedee Lamb's Twitter and videos. He likes to approach you straight up. He never takes a side. It's almost as if he waits for you

to commit and then he goes. But he's waiting for you, as a defensive back to commit. With Cooper, he always attacks at an angle, don't matter what, never straight up, and he creates that with his footwork. I'm very happy you brought that up. Here in the last five minutes the show, because the playmate, Michael Irvin is going to be in the broadcast booth on Very Good at noon, and he actually has worked with the Jacksonville receivers during

training camps or the offseason. But you know, they've got one kid from DeSoto, Leavisca Chenalt, who was a second round draft pick last year. But I'm gonna make sure that we dive into that very stuff with Michael about Cooper and Lamb. What can Lamb learn from Cooper and so forth, and then and tell him Michael that I said, hopefully he can make a noon start. Yeah, having to start back working out, he's getting a little thickish. Well, he's flying around the country. Yeah yeah, I mean he's

he's got a lot off. That'll be a good one because if you watched Hard Knocks with Cooper trying to show Lamb the footwork and he kept and it was his after his first practice in teams and he said, I got to get my feet right, and that's that's his big deal, which is I'm glad you also said that because I'm so tired of everybody going well, I don't think the Cowboys can Afford, Gallop and Cooper, and they might have to get rid of Cooper. It's like, why would you get rid of the guy that caught

ninety two pass from from like three different quarterbacks? Who I mean when you look at the start, let's I'm never It's like, I know, we cost twenty million a year, but that's the price to pay for a guy that can catch ninety two passes for career high. Yes, his career high. I've got a question for you to ask the coach. What's that? Ask him? Um, if there's somebody on this roster who he thought didn't have a chance of a chance of making the fifty three, who's gonna

make the fifty three? What was his response? Again, I can't remember. This is a joke, right, I'm laughing. It's like, Mike, let's try this one again. That's why they treat your reporters like that. Yeah, well, I mean that would be a great question, the best questions. There's no way they're going to answer, right, Yeah, exactly. But he just wasn't

talking about this one. So we're doing this again next Tuesday, which is the cutdown day, and clock we might have to petition to go a little extra, So we're going from two to three on Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday, Thursday, two to three. Are we doing this alternating until the season starts. They're going to read so then after Labor Day, which will be well, labor day will be nearly game day. Yeah,

so we figure out we're readjusting. Yeah, well, I think we're We've got Tuesday of that week, okay, and I think there's a combined show on Wednesday or are you going to the game show that has not been determined. I am going to the game. You are, so hey, I'm going to Tampa. You have to and I got to back your buy three o'clock on Friday to do a coaching show. You gotta you gotta fly there on your own or no, on with a tan and let us Yeah right at all. Let's just be clear about

So what were my questions for Mike? Tell me review? What do you say? How many times has se uh not played the quarterback the entire preseason? That's right, other than other than last other than last year? And you have one bill? What was what was the first one? That was the first one? I don't remember what it was. I like the fifty I'm stuck on my fifty three minute, we were going to talk about Cooper Rush. Damn, there you go. What what he needs to show up? One last,

one last thing? Do they need another practice such as these last two going into the last week of preseason. So, in fact, since they're playing Sunday, I bet Monday in Tuesday are off days because you don't want to get anybody hurt that you're gonna cut, right, and you may try to wait till the last minute to cut guys because you want to get hope they get through waivers and sign them to the practice squad the next day.

Well and think, yeah, and think about this, what do you what did we normally see teams do when they played their last preseason game on the Thursday, and then you're going into game week on Monday. You would give them three days off. So so let's say you gave them off Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, which would be like the old Friday, Saturday, Sunday, come in Thursday, come in Thursday, and get them out there on the field doing stuff whatever. Right, and then Friday is like a Monday, right, and so

and Saturday is like a Tuesday. And then maybe you pract so one of those two days is a day off, right, and then and then and then went and then your startup your game week is Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. And then what's the pace? Then what's the pace? Oh, I have to practice pace? You could do you get another one of those? I think. I think it will depend on if he thinks they need to put the pads on, because you remember, you only get so many padded practices

a year. Start it starts the game week one, game week one, so it would start next Friday, right, So whatever you do that first week, if you put the pads on, that's one I think it was. And then once again eleven thirteen, it was not just the rules, but all you're gonna overdo it. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. You got to make sure underneath right right, I mean, of course got the bid. Something happened up man, what are you doing practicing? That's hard? You know how

we are we right hindsight twenty twenty. So yeah, absolutely, that is something you just always have in the back of your mind. Let me tell you something. Heat is not going to be a problem for this team getting ready to play in Tampa. Heat's not gonna be a problem it's gonna be plenty hot here next week. Yeah.

They continued to be exactly very hut tried next week, so yeah, not too many days off then maybe, or at least get them out there running, you know, if nothing else, and do your walk throughs outdoors so they're they're used to the heat now. The humidity is a different thing in Tampa. Yep. Yeah, I mean it's been bad here, but I would think it's suffocating there. It could and it could get worse with Ida on the way. Oh that's right, Hurricane Ida hitting a New Orleans area

on Sunday morning out here. So just to be clear, yes, Tuesday, two o'clock Tuesday, that's the plan. Yes to three pulls to three plus unless we push it back to two thirty, but I'm sure at three o'clock they'll announce the cuts. All right. So that does it for this edition of

Mixed Shots. Can't wait to see count Down to Kickoff and Mickey's interview with the head coach, which will be at eleven a m On Sunday, So Deep Blue would be at ten am and then Countdown to Kickoff at eleven and Michael Irvin joins Babe Lauffenberg and me in the booth for the game at noon. Very good. And the Deep Blue is war stories that made a debut last night. It's pretty dark and good. Yeah. Story about the draft, all right. And he didn't hate the draft.

He didn't make it the conversation yet, the conversation with gilbrad on mail to ste not to draft Cuvey. How did you have twelve draft choices? Not to twelve. He's a local guy. We can just get him in right down street. Yeah, Larry Brown story, that's right, all right. They included in the war stories a good okay, that doesn't remix shots. Have a great weekend, everybody, and go Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.