Talkin' Cowboys: Concern At Wide Receiver?

you haven't voted, you need to vote. Mickey, you voted, I did, I swung? This percentage is great. Yes, if Mickey voted, you guys better get there. Go to our Twitter account at Talking Cowboys. And of course we have owners meetings to review and then looking ahead to OTA's week at number two. So we're in it. We're ready to win. We have officially one hundred days until the NFL season today, not necessarily the Cowboys season, but until the NFL season starts. It's one hundred, exactly one hundred

for the cow Thursday Night opener. The Cowboys opener, Thursday Night opener on Thursday, will be a hundred for the Cowboys. So and it feels like two days till training camp. We're gonna wake up tomorrow and it's gonna be time to get on that play. Two months Yeah, well, yeah, roughly right. You're excited about this training camp? Seven weeks? Absolutely all right? You enjoy all that because it's already

a hundred degrees out, Yes, exactly, start right there. Yeah, Mickey's minutes a training camp were hard to come up, come by because he was so happy out there. I know he was. Yeah, bring those back well because I didn't have to read the durned paper every morning. Yeah, oh yeah, life just goes by a little slower for a newspaper man. That's a hard thing to do, right, Well, there's a lot of stuff in this world. Yeah, there is about that. Yeah, well, that's why we have the

joy of talking about Cowboys. And it's exciting it's going on out here. And the first thing I want to ask you guys, because we've got a lot to get into, is this the making of a dangerous Cowboys defense? And I pose that question to my lovely panel here because of what I saw at OTAs. We were all fortunate to see DeMarcus Lawrence get the tag, his attitude toward it. You know he's talking, I'm not the normal guy here in this situation. We have a fully healthy Jalen Smith,

Byron Jones fully at cornerback. We've talked extensively about what Chris Richard can possibly do with this young secondary. You have the undrafted Cam Kelly making a little bit of a splash there, Sean Lee being smart taking a second to not just jump into Ota, saving his body. So that's why I wanted to get you guys to discuss this at least because I think there's something that all fans are excited about. Is this something you can hold

on to. It's a great discussion point. I like that because, um, I think you can look at certain spots on the defense and say this might be the deepest we've seen under Rod Marinelli. I'm looking at the defensive line and maybe that pass rush rotation and say, wow, you know, if Lawrence Armstrong fourth round pick, can develop, Cony Eely

steps in. Rod's always liked a big rotation, But maybe this is a group with Lawrence coming on as a Pro Bowl guy, this might be the best pass Russian group he's had since he came here In twenty thirteen, fourteen came here with Ryan after rob Ryan after Yeah, Yeah, I'm this is gonna sound weird, but I'm gonna the rotation. I it might this defense might come down to what do they do? What do they figure out a defensive tackle?

And I saw some good things from jahad Ward and I and I and I mean this in a positive way of movement, strength, being difficult to block. Again, it's different when you have pads on. He might just go by the wayside and we get to Yeah. But you know, if you for a team looking for defensive tackle help, this jihad Ward trade might have might pan out for

these guys. If if you weren't going to do anything with Ryan Switzer, you know, if you had an idea of plans for other things, or and you said, I mean, we're not gonna anything Ryan Switzer, We'll just move off from him. But to get jihad Ward, if in fact he comes in, I would not be surprised if jihad Ward push his first starting role here. I really really wouldn't. I think there's that tight he's got that kind of ability. I think he's you know, if you're depending on what's

happened with Collins and his foot. You're gonna see plenty of Jihad Ward and I'm really I'm fascinated by I didn't seeing him on tape was different for me than seeing him live and seeing him move around in his size, his physical size. I just I'm kind of throwing that out there as a guy that that might make a difference, one of those trades that might actually work out for

this football team. They need him to make a difference, because if you look at that defensive line rotation at tackle during that Ota practice, you're sitting there and going, hmm, there's no Collins, David Irving right right right, and you're going and you're looking at the second team guys, and it's Ash and Brian Price, Price, and although they kind of like Price, yeah, brought him back, but nothing Dayton Jones. Yeah,

Dayton Jones was working with the first team exactly. A guy's missing, and it's like, I don't know, but you're count Onmolee coming back healthy. Well, you're counting on David Irving getting in joy Healthy's a kind of you were counting on it, and but you still got to have another defensive tackle to start, Yeah, and and and you

know we'll see about all these defensive ends. I know there's a lot of optimism out there with these guys, but we got to see and I think you saying that Jalen Smith's one hundred percent healthy, maybe of tad optimistic. Also we got to see it when the pads come on. And then how quickly vander Esh is able to read into her. I read into her comment is the no brace, which makes me feel like that at least they feel comfortable enough health wise that that they, Hey, he doesn't

need to play with the brace. Okay, now we'll see how well now play? And now now to your point, is okay, the thing I noticed and I'm sorry if I'm shifting away from the defensive line, but I know these okay. With Vanderesh, I didn't see Vanderesh in the one time we got to see him play. I didn't see him move from the middle. I didn't see him. He was primarily a So okay is it? And OTA's it's real easy to move guys around just to see how they look. Jalen Smith was the one guy that

kind of moved around a little bit. And and maybe that's something that we're going to read into when we get to Oxnard that Okay, they're gonna play Jalen Smith at some other position. Yeah, he could play mike linebacker. But use of these guys, they'll kind of the rookie guy. They'll say, Okay, let's see if he can play this. Let's see if he could play this. Let's see if he can play this. Yeah, And it looked like to me that they were kept. They were keeping Layton vander

Eshes at mike linebacker. So to the point about Jalen Smith, if he could play without the brace, give you something as one of the other linebackers, whether it's the mic, the sam wherever he has to play. Yeah, I mean, you know, now your defense is getting back. I don't I don't think he'll ever be as good as he was at Notre Dame. But I think he'll be better than he was last year. I do believe that. I'm assuming, but I'm just gonna ask questions. You guys are all

good with Sean Lee just taking this rest? Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, save him from himself, save him from himself. That's right. At and we talked. I talked to him for a while with some other reporters. He's still out there. He's out there. He says he's feeling good, but you know, that hamstring. They're focused on what they can do stretching wise, and just different things they can do to try to keep that thing healthy and long term, you know, because it has been an issue for him, and it was

an issue for him multiple times last year. So yeah, no reason to push it for him. I think it's a normal routine for him this time of year. But at the same time, they're mindful of that hamstring. You know what, It's almost a blessing because they don't need him out there. Yeah, Joe Thomas gets to work and they get there. You go, yeah, weak side because you still need a backup. And I think when you mentioned vander esh they kept him a middle linebacker, but I

don't know that you want to overload the rookie right away. Yeah, and so that gives him moving around though, Oh he I mean it will be I'll make the prediction right now. It will be on the Nickel defense. Oh no, that's that's very It was. Best traits is his ability to coverage, and I noticed because he can get he can then he notices where the ball is aware and drive on it. Not to break it up, but drive on it to

make a tackle. Right plan, Playing Mike makes the most sense because they believe he can play Mike or Will Well. That's that's Sean Lee's spot. And when you hear team officials talk about who he can be, it's yeah, it's a Brian er Lacker type. It's a relatable comparison. Yeah, Orlando McLean a guy because you gotta have a guy in the middle who can cover a just uh, come up and tackle, cover a lot of ground and he's able to. You've talked about that. His movement is probably

his best side. They've targeted him as a guy clearly that has that ability to, like Mickey said, to play in those sub packages where it's drop, read, react, get to the football, because he could do all that for a for a long guy, he's got some ability to turn. Usually with long leg or limbed players, it takes them time to turn to get everything going the right direction. With him, it's very quick and the way he gets going and I think that's one of the traits that

they really really liked about him. I mentioned mentioned Joe Thomas again, I like, I appreciate you doing that though I think the will linebacker stuff that he showed some stuff because he was a middle linebacker with Green Bay. But he's got some of the traits that you see with mobility wise and things. They used some things with him and the nickel playing with him and Vander Eshens and as those guys and I saw, I saw some good things with him as far as the read, the reaction,

getting to the football, the ability to run. Uh. You know there were some times at Green Bay where you watched and play where he didn't have that kind those kinds of traits. Uh, you know, got caught in some coverage Carolina game I thought was really good for him as far as some of the coverage things, you know, having to deal with some of their packages out of

the backfield. But you know this, this might be another one of those gets that the pro guys had a guy, had a guy in mind, and they said, Okay, hey, inexpensive guy, let's go get him. Uh, just some of the some positive things about him early in this camp. I think from an athletic standpoint, they're better at linebacker with this group. Yes, from a depth standpoint, because that

was a concern, right, huge concern and huge concern. You know Durant couldn't stay healthy and he was at the end of his career, and then you really after that were you didn't have much. Yeah, we're really not even talk Yeah, we're not talking about we're not even talking about Damian Wilson, who was a starter, and we're not even talking about Covington yet, right, you know? And at Indiana and it certainly looks the party. He sure does and so good Bill. That's the thing about it is

can they can? They did? They? Did? They help this linebacker crew enough with the guys they've added, and do they gonna put guys in the right spot? I think that they they have a plan for how they want to play it. Let's hope that all the health holds up. I'm I'm for Shaun Lee at training camp. He could stand next to me all day. Just let him coach, Yeah, him to slip board. I really don't need to do a good job now, Seriously, I don't need any wear

and tear on Shawn Lee. I don't need those practices. As we've seen those practices can be pretty physical with Garrett in that bunch and I and I'm okay with just letting Seaun Lee save some wear and tear on his body. I don't think, Sean, you have to worry about shun Lee having rusted. I asked him what that conversation is like every year. It was kind of like when Witten was here, was like the trainers talk to him, the coaches talk to him, and he fights him at first,

and then it's like, all right, I get it. This is better. Yeah, he feels like he needs to be out his voice needs to be out there. He needs to be leading from the front, is what he said. But look, it's may you know, let's get him ready for August and said, well, well too, Yeah, I think September being September being the most important thing we've seen. I mean, it's been documented by our show. And again, you don't need some former scout telling you. You watch

the games he doesn't play. They're not as good on defense. Whatever you can do to let him play the forty fifty sixty snaps a game, do it. Whatever you have to do. Go that route, saying I still think there's a question mark at right corner and the slot. Yeah, we're going to move. I'm not just saying Byron Jones is over there, and that's he's got it and that makes him better. You're not giving up that fight. Well, there are there are questions about all this. I appreciate

you saying that though. I mean, he's he's done some good things over there. I've seen his ability to kind of shadow the receiver a little bit better. But again, he hasn't played over there. He hasn't done that but four games he started his rookie year. So let's see what he can do and how that affects who goes in the slot, because what if he it doesn't work? Is Anthony Brown out there? You know? Is Jordan Lewis out there? And who's in the slot? Yeah? What do

you think is Byron Jones's best trait from what you've seen? Well, I mean he's he's got great athletic ability. Now does he have the football acumen to be able to play that corner? To know how? And I think that's what he's got to prove otherwise he's back to safety. Yeah, And then you saying, Okay, well I don't have to worry about my safety depth and I'll go back and I'll go to my graves saying no one ever finished the season and said, you know, we didn't win the

Super Bowl because of my safety. Give me a break. Well, the Saints take care of that middle the front and take care of those foreigners. Saints lost an NFC Divisional game because well, just because he didn't make one tackle, they lost that game. Did you like, Yeah, it's true. Did you like like the Byron Jones coverage on Deonte Thompson last week and the deep ball down the left sideline, the catch up speed breaking it up at the end of the Yeah, I didn't was impressive play. It sounds

like it impressed you rom it did it? I mean it showed his He used his size and use that closing speed because he has great speed. So I think there's potential there. I'm putting trust in Chris Richard knowing what he needs to fit his scheme. So we'll see what happens. But Bryan's talked about it. Look, you got to figure out what he is at something. Yeah, forty

eight games, we're trying to figure that out. I think that the trait that might get him in the most trouble is how aggressive he is, like biting on stuff. Well I not bity, but how physical he plays at the line. Because there were a couple of times last week where the officials throw holding flags on him because he's a jam jam jam. Okay, we're at seven yards.

I'm still trying. I thought one time he got called for hands in the face because he was fighting, you know, he was fighting with Michael Gallop down the sidelines and Gallup was trying to shake him and he couldn't shake him. And then the referee throws the flag and now the ball went to the other side of the field, and I'm like, when what happened there? And I'm like, I see the official, Oh, he's given it the defensive holding sign and pointing, you know, towards Byron and I'm going, okay,

this is where Byron Jones could get in trouble. It turns into he's struggling a little bit with his technique, and now it's like, okay, I'm just gonna turn this into a fist fight, you know, And you'd think of Byron Jones, you don't think a fist fight, but he'll play with some physicality on along the line of scrimmage. I think of Byron Jones, I think physical. I mean, you've seen some of his amazing hits. Yeah, that's what I'm saying, I mean, you could, but I think that's

the one thing. It might be a strength of his a trait. I like what Mickey was saying though about And Mickey's absolutely right about questioning you know that move because we're you know, let's see it and I and I'm usually the I'm usually the okay, let's I'm me personally, I am very surprised they moved him. I really really am. But that just shows you the influence that Chris rap

Shard has on this group. Now, it's funny what you said about being overly aggressive and Christopher Shard, what did he say a couple of weeks ago about what he likes his bigger corners to dogs disrupted the line of scrimmage. Yeah, and that's Byron Jones can do that, So you gotta harness it and follow your technique, right. Yeah, that's the thing about it is, And they changed my understanding is the technique they want the corners playing on which hip

which you have to play? Yeah, that was stut on your point, and they thought that he would be more conducive to playing that way than way they used to play it. So, but I think that's what we'll see. That's why I keep saying this training camp is going to be one of the more interesting ones we've covered in quite some time, because there's a bunch of stuff where you think it's pretty good, but it's kind of

we'll see. Let me ask you this. You're gonna ask the question, what do you mean the question about the second they're about the corners? What if I think the position depth is to me, okay, do you think is the best position on the roster? Yeah, do you think it's the best. Do you think the corner backs as a group are the best? Is the best position on this roster? Okay? Okay? Offensive line? I was I was gonna say, give me, give me okay, Jack Martin and okay, okay,

give me Ezekiel and Ezekiel Elliott zeks. I know what you're saying. Though. There's a lot of bodies there now, and it's a lot of young talent, right, multiple talent. Well, I think what's gonna happen is they're gonna end up cutting somebody that can make a roster because I could do Thomas or something like that, Marquez White, marquess him. No, I'm not saying cut. Let's not forget him. No, no,

I have talking about rookie. I haven't forgot I haven't forgot him at all, because I think he's a perfect fit for what and and actually it seems all length, yeah, and it kind of feels like that they're they're kind of pushing him into some roles and taking Jordan Lewis in another direction. Jordan Lewis is like, guys, I ain't going away. You might put me on the second team at left corner, and you might put me in the slot,

and I'm not going away. So that that, yeah, I just kind of feel like it's the way that they're playing Jordan Lewis. Jordan Lewis went from a what fourteen game starter basically to being a guy that all of a sudden, now is we're gonna move a safety. We're gonna play him at right corner, and Jordan Lewis, you get to play left corner and you're in a backup And and by the way, Jordan Lewis, you don't even get to play in the slot with the first unit.

Anthony Anthony Brown, We're gonna put you in the slot. He's not he's not the prototypical size corner though, right. I mean he might be one of the best players they have. Richards says, he's the exception to the rule because, like Tay said, he's a force. He's physical, he'll battle you even though he's five ten, one seventy five. Oh he did that Scholtz ball goes up and then side. What does he do? He goes with him. One of my favorite things I learned last week about the cornerbacks

and I guess the dbs in whole. They did a lot of exercises at gymnastics gyms over the off season. Wow, that was the first I had heard of it. That every week they were doing different gymnastics training. Wow, double flips on the high, double flips, whatever it takes. Knock the ball from Leo Jones there in weeks six. But I would love to see exactly what they're doing. But apparently they all went together. You know, they're pretty close, all these young dbs, they're very close. So you're talking

about the Jordan Lewis. Those guys think they're competitive. Yeah. The thing it's funny, Rob brought up Byron Jones made a gymnastics move of basically laying out and playing with off hands. Yeah, so I think it's with the exception of the offensive line. Who got to talk about no, no, But I mean, but as far as the position depth, I think it's a really really good group. I do. I like what they have with White and with Lewis and with the Woozier. And you know, we'll see. Mickey's right,

I'm aggressive in the off season to do it. Yeah, let's see, you know. I mean, Nicky's right. I think they're gonna put somebody on the street or trade. Anthony Brown could get back to where he played his fresh is fresh freshman year rookie. I understood when you said it. I did. It's like, yeah, it's freshman year junior Switzer too much Yeah, over the years, but yeah, if he can get back to doing that and you got a

five six man rotation there quarterback. Yeah, because they felt like two year a year ago that that dB group had reached the ceiling with Claiborne and Church, Wilcox, Scandrick, Scandrick. Now it's these rookie second year guys and maybe they make a big jump to show they were hard pressed to find four guys a couple of years ago to play corner. And you would like to have five for sure, and they were hard pressed to put that fourth one on the road. Ask you this the four guys real quick,

the four guys. You gotta go to break, Okay, goa to break? No, no, no. Ask you a question. Yeah, I was seeze it. I was wondering. Okay, when you come back, when you come back, I want you to ask. I'm gonna ask a question about which one of the four guys would you have liked to have kept for this current group? How about that? That's a great hanger. And when we come back, we have to get to the offense because we've exhausted this defense in a good way,

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With over three million pairs sold, We've put in the hustle to make sure your Nestle shop exclusively Cowboys Underwear Tommy John dot com Forward slash Cowboys better have them Tomorrow. It's gonna be hot. Yes, we were just talking about the weather out here. Of course we have the indoor at Ford Center, but I think they're gonna stay outside at least for tomorrow. Yeah, it's gonna give warm out there,

all right. So Brian asked a question before we get to the offense, because I want to talk about Zach Martin. Terrence Williams we have to Tavon Austin, so before we get there, I just was curious if there's anybody of the corners that you would have liked to have had back for this current group, or none at all comfortable with what the group the way it is, the way

you liked the group. I mean with somebody. Could Mo Claiborne been a factor of the way they're now playing Brandon Carr or like you said, none of these guys. I'm okay. They did the right thing. I'm okay with this Corner group for me as far as DBS go. I mentioned it last week. Barry Church when he was here, was a stabilizing presence at safety. Yeah, but I think they've we mentioned the number of guys they got at Corner, young guys. I think a Woozier's poised to take a

step this year if he can stay healthy. I like what they've done at call. So they made the right move. Then, to everybody out there, it was kind of like it was the gnashing of teeth that Okay, well, oh guy, they're getting rid of all these guys. You can't play with young corners. So they actually that was a good move by the front office. Financial standpoint, also sure, because I'm with you on maybe Clayborne. But he got a little bit of money from the Jets. Jets right right, Yeah, um,

he got some good money. And you're sitting there going, well, I'd like to see him. They have that speed there, but he couldn't stay healthy. As for the rest of it, Yeah, it's too bad that these guys didn't stay healthy last year because I think you would have seen the takeover at a greater pace than what we did. Well, this is a good segue because obviously those guys they've left, and it happens every year and a large part of

it is due to contracts. And now we're here. Was Zach Martin everon thought that contract would get figured out a little bit sooner, but things happen. Time hands passed. We are close to June and Zach Martin still doesn't have his long term deal. We all expect it to happen, but until then, he's here working out he's just not participating in OTAs right and in the meantime, and it's got to get it done. You just gotta get it done.

I think that to me, this is this is one of those deals where and you guys, correct me if I'm wrong here, but this is just my thought about it. It's a position that we've seen very few. We've seen the position go up through the years. I mean the last couple of years, people have stepped up to pay their guards as much as tackle has always been a position you paid. Wide receiver has been a position you paid, Cornerback has been a position you paid. Quarterbacks a position

you're played. I think this is new to teams. I think these is new to teams that having to play, having to pay that much haven't much for me for a guard. And it's not that they don't want to do it, but I think they're in a situation where they're thinking, Okay, what is the right amount, what's not what's too high, what's too low. I think you're always comfortable with the other positions I mentioned, the tackles, the quarterbacks, the cornerbacks. I think that you. I think your team's

front offices are comfortable with those positions. Guards a little bit different. Cat and I and you don't want to. You don't want to. You don't want to short change an all Pro player. And of course he's gonna sit there and say, you know what, I'm one of the better players you're on your team. I deserve just as much money as this guy or this guy or this guy. So I think that's why the Cowboys are having a

little bit of problem right now. It's not something that they don't want to do or they're trying to hold it up, but they're trying to figure out what exactly the market is for an All Pro guard to make sure that he's compensated like the All Pro that he is. I wonder if the guy is Norvelle and Jacksonville, Yeah, I wonder how much maybe he reset things because see that's one of those things that you do. Yeah, that's

exactly I mean. Now, all of a sudden, he's I think he's the highest paid guard now and Zack Martin's a four time Pro Bowl, All Pro gay. So yeah, so I think I think probably what they're trying to do, because this is not about this year or next year. It's down the road absolute and I bet what they're trying to do is guarantee him more money at and

the total package it's less. It's like, you're gonna get this right now, give us a break on what it's going to cost you In three years when I'm paying a quarterback and I got to make a decision on Zeke. At some point, I've got to pay a wide receiver. You know this, this this little thing ain't gonna last for long. Well, not only receiver by committee, but you know Alan Hearn's two year deal and he's not making that much money. You drafted Michael Gallup. Yeah, and to

turn out to be something really good for you. Well, and in three or four years, you're gonna have to pay him, right if he does. So you gotta watch how you budget your salary cap money. It's not their money, it's the salary cap money. I'm sure they'd love to pay, you know, Zach Martin all, you know, whatever, But you gotta watch how you budget down down the road. You gotta next year, you got to figure out what what if Lawrence has another Pro Bowl season, what are you

gonna do with him? Yeah, you know it's a long term deal for him too, now, So they got to be careful. And and I think you're right about guard. You sitting there going, God, it's a guard, but the best one in the league. Right. But See, that's why I don't think people have a real handle on that.

The example about the kid that got signed at Jacksonville. Yeah, you know that, that's not having a handle on And they had so much money, Yeah right, they had They did because they were like seventy million under the cap, so they could spend and it's like, okay, well, you know, well's never gonna run dry. We may be a little spoiled too, because we've seen Tyren Smith, Travis Frederick, even Lale Collins last year to get done early, like with

two years left on there deal. I think we all kind of thought, oh, Zach will get done last summer. It's gonna get done, I think, But it's it's taken longer than we thought. It depends what they're asking for. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Well, a lot of fans have a lot of questions, and you guys are the experts here, so everyone has heard about what's happened to Terrence Williams. He was not out there last week, not only because of what's going on, mainly because of his foot and the rehab there, and

we all expected he wouldn't be out there. Well he didn't practice, right, didn't practice. Yeah, that's what I meant. He was out there. That's what I'm when I'm saying out there, I'm mainly meaning that they're on the field participating. Terrence Williams, does he have one foot at the door? What's going to happen with this? I hate to ask that and put anyone's job on the line, but we're just, Oh, he put it on the line. That's not true, Mickey,

you're right, You're right. And so there's just a lot of speculation of his future on this team and kind of getting your guys's thoughts and understanding of it. Well, we don't know what's going to happen. Legally, Yeah, we know that the NFL can can take action against a player even if it's not even if he's not charged. I mean we saw that with Zeke or if it's not a serious matter. I think we're talking about misdemeanors here, I believe with what we've seen in the reports, with

police reports, with Terrence in the public intoxication. Yeah, I don't know. I think this receiver group's got to shake itself out a little bit before you start talking about moving on from him. I still think you've got to see some guys emerge. And I'm talking about Alan Hearnson. I'm talking about Michael Gallup, and you know what you have in Terrence, and he's a guy that's played with DAK. He hasn't been a high production guy, but he has helped you in certain games. He's helped you in the

running game. I wouldn't jump there yet, but obviously they've brought in a lot of competition and it certainly would help him to be on the field competing. Well. Unfortunately, he's hurt, so he's in double jeopardy. Not only the legal thing hanging over, but he's recovering from surgery to repair of fractured fifth METATARSL. So he wouldn't be out there, and the idea was not to have him out there

till training camp, but he didn't do him himself any favors. Now, again, it may come down to what the league does, because if the league wants to punish him, then the guarantee goes base salary this year, three and a half million disappears, right, and then it's like, oh, well, it's not going to cost us that much to absorb the rest of his pro rated signing bonus. So at this point, you know, everybody's waving their liberal flag. I'll get rid of the

guy and we don't need him. Well, it would cost you three and a half million because he's already on the books for a guaranteed salary. So you have to be careful, and you would like to write it out and have one person here on the field that actually la a lot. Last year, even though he didn't have any touchdowns, he still had fifty three catches. You know, you just eliminated one hundred and thirty two catches from your team. Would Witton and dead now I add fifty

three to that, it would just be Beasley. He'd be the only guy leafed over. I think now Noah Brown, and look at it as it is right now, Beasley is the only guy on this team that's caught more than sixty four catches in a season. Hearns one year in Jacksonville sixty four. I said more, yeah, yeah, twenty four times in the league. And I think at the last three years we've had situations where players have conduct detrimental policy whatever you want to say, only four times

have the player been released. I means twenty other players with the similar type of things that have happened to Terrence Williams still stayed on the team. So I don't think they're gonna get him. I just don't write. You look at somebody like Demontre Moore and what followed him from Seattle's. Yeah, but players in this situation, twenty of the twenty four were brought back only four times as a team cut a player like this. I you've all

made great points. It's catches, it's it's experience, it's it's familiarity with the player. Yeah that you know what what happened last year at this time, if you remember as well, with Damian Wilson and his thing with a gun in a parking lot of or dispute and all that, Damian Wilson was still here, you know. I mean there's things

that they will tolerate. And I think this is a situation where he made a mistake and you know, he's he's going to uh, he's going to pay for it, not only having to get his car fixed, but he's also going to pay for it, you know a little bit personally, you know, with himself. I mean, he's got to live with that now. But I think the team keeps him around. I don't. I don't see them getting

rid of him. I see them getting him healthy, getting him back on the field and then let him compete, as Rob says, and let them shake this receiver thing out. That might be the position right there. When we talk about the strength of a team, that one might be the weakness of this team. It's unproven. When it's all said and done. We just need don't need to be so righteous. Yeah, right off the bat, before we even know.

I mean we've heard three different stories on well, the worst thing that happened is he shouldn't have him and his agent should have made a statement right once. Then once all that police the video came out. That was very embarrassing. Yeah, that's something they can't take back. Oh I didn't do this. I didn't do this. I know. Well oh wait wait flipping over the front of your bike here, what are you doing there? You didn't talk

about that, did you? You know? So that's yeah, this is this is something you know that needs to be worked. I mean he was very he was very polite to the police officer. The police officer very polite to him. I mean you could see all those things handle the right way. But they didn't need to make a statement. They just did not need to make that. And he is let's gotta point this out. He's a guy they've never had a problem with off the field. So you know,

it's like you said, it's a mistake. Fortunate except for running forty yard dashes in the parking lot at three in the morning. What do you remember that one? Nope, there was another another one. Let me tell you what. There was a bar in Dallas that somebody bet me I couldn't hit a five iron over a parking lot, over a building, and I did it, And that sometimes you do forty yards. Sometimes you do forty yard dashes in the uh. You get challenged, you're challenged, and sometimes

you do it. So like in training camp at the old Cedar Door in Austin when we were hitting seven ironers into from the gravel parking lot, hitting seven irons into the power plant. Yeah, well I was bet. I was bet I couldn't hit it over a building. We got it over the fence. I don't know how far it went really back back in all right, talking about speed though, tavon Austin. Of course, it run's curious of

what he's going to end up really being. You have this hybrid receiver running back out there, and he calls himself he said, I'm just a playmaker, it's all he is. True, He's just here to make so hopefully he'll he'll make them for you. Mick. He can run quickly, He's very quick, and I think it gives him a dangerous person for

punt returns. And I raised the prospect of returning kickoffs with him and he goes, well, you know, I really haven't done that much, right, And I said yeah, But just like that, he goes, I'm sure my name's gonna come up. And all I can think of is with the new kickoff return rules, somebody actually kicks it to him,

and you've got all that open field. I probably shouldn't have said it to Jason the other day, and I said, yeah, sort of like the did I go the Kansas City game at the end of the half when you brought up the Hill Mary when Mickey no, it was a dump off that ended up at Hill Mary, right, But but no, just think of a fast guy like that in the middle of the field when you don't have a lot of people around him. And now it's almost a video game and there's no running start anymore. There's

no running start. You can't drop your guys back to block. You got to stay in that area, so there's a lot of space if you've got a speedy, shifty guy. I think there's seven, sorry, seven new kickoff rules that will impact if they're trying to prevent collisions. I think they've done a bad job with this rule. I think special teams coaches are going to figure this out about skykicking, pooge kicking. They don't have extra blockers in the back. Now, all you have to do is put fast guys up

front on your cover team. You just play balance. But if you win that initial block where you have the stationary blockers in that area, now you're running to the football. They don't have enough guys to block you back there wedge, So all of a sudden, you're gonna see people dumping the football. There's gonna be more collisions in this game. People trying to stop them from from bringing the ball out past. Yeah, you're going to do one of two things.

Because the two guys you only can have three back there, right right, So two of them aren't gonna be linebackers or defensive linemen that can block. It's gonna have to be somebody that catches the ball. And if you only can have one guy back then, how liked the field? Yeah, and you're gonna start hitting the ball to the ten yard line on the side. There's gonna be more squib kicks, there's gonna be more pooch kicks, there's gonna be more

trying to be disruptive with the football. They're gonna they're they're gonna get the total opposite of safety here. There's gonna be a ton of collisions, directional kicking. Try and get guys pinned into a corner, get them on the tackle them on the ten, twelve yard line and let them start from there. And they think that's the bad rule. You think that instead of just trying to go for more tapas. Absolutely, because you can pin them deep like that.

Just now, there's gonna be more collisions or you just don't get to the ball. Yeah. Today, And if it is about safety, right because NFL owners, the report is owners were told concussions are five times is likely to occur on kickoff returns. So, but it's a collision game. But if you're a kickoff, if you're on the kickoff team, you don't get a run up anymore. Right, you gotta be one yard But all you have to do is

well and they and they're not allowed to drop. So right the way it is, so you're gonna have a lot of collisions up front. Up front. Is it going to create about forty yards of space? Absolutely? And who's keeping somebody from dumping the ball and letting it just bounce around down there? And again putting putting defensive backs on your kickoff team, Guys that can run, Guys that can avoid, Guys that can make make the plaque that

can cover the kick. I think Jason said it best in the press conference when he said, when you make rules like this, there's always unintended consequences. Oh yeah, get ready, you didn't did you think it all the way through? Because the coaches they will figure it out how to take advantage. They are figuring out right now. Yes, absolutely, Well, if you guys haven't figured out, you have to go and vote for our Twitter poll. Mickey voted, Brian voted. So we will have the rest of the answers coming

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got a great deal going for twelve nine nine. You get a large pizza, a side of bread, and a two leader bottle of whatever soda you want. Hopefully Pepsi not bad and it is pepsi by the way, there we go, Pepsi product. And when you add in the ingredients they put on that pizza with the veggies and the pepperoni. Boy, that twelve ninety nine deal is a good one. John's. You can order it while you're watching the uh the finals, the NHL finals, the NBA finals,

the no basketball league, no basket league. Okay, no making a baskets God for one side, I was embarrassed two old men going at it here. Bryan's teach, tell me basketball's over, it'll finish. Even the Cleveland Boston game was awful, just awful, all right, Lebron James, yeah, we still got him, all right. We got y cowboy fan, Lebron James. He is a Cowboys fan. We got and Chris Paul is too. So how many shots? How many shots did uh? I don't want to get you the Twitter poll? Do you?

You just don't want shots at Harden put up last night like twenty nine seven for twenty nine or something ridiculous. I don't know. We already got into it a little bit, the receivers, but your pole falls along those lines and Mickey hinted the fact that he he twisted up the uh the percentages, so right, I have. I'm gonna make a guess after you read it. I'm gonna guess who make you chose? Please do? Okay, simple poll, Brian, which new wide receiver? Of these new wide receivers will have

the biggest impact in twenty eighteen. I've got Tavon Austin as a receiver here. Okay, he's gonna at least do in my opinion's probably gonna most of one. Alan Hearns, Michael Gallup or Deante Thompson. Okay, Mickey, before I make your guess, did you at least choose somebody that was on this Yes? I did? Okay, there was no rite in available, Okay, so I couldn't. I couldn't vote for Marchie. He loves his Marchie Marchie and Mickey Marchie Special pot Show.

I want to say that Mickey wrote Deontay Thompson that you voted for him. I did not. Did you vote for Gallup? I did not? Okay, Well, then I'm out. Well, I'm not skewing it. I played the percentages of who's going to get the best chance and it's gonna be Alan Hurns. Oh, he wrote the obvious one. See, I thought he was gonna go with the Deontay Thompson, you know, run up flash on him. Bryce Butler two point kind of a guy. Yes, Yeah, who'd you vote for? I

voted for Herns? He did. Yeah, And if he doesn't make the biggest impact, they're in trouble. Well, I just need him to be as good as does Bryant was last year. That's all I need. Was it? Sixty five catches? Sixty nine sixty nine catches? How many yards we have? What was how many touchdowns we have? Six? Okay, give me that In total agreement, I went with Alan Hurns as well. Fans agree, Yeah, why well, I would just have to say, you know, he kind of has nothing

to lose here. I mean, granted he has you have to be this number one wide receiver, but no one's thinking of him as a Dez Bryant type guy yet, right, you know? So we remember Sweeden nice though the Dez Bryant numbers, the numbers would be great, and yes, he wore eighty eight at Jacksonville, so there's yeah, hopefully some similarities there. But I feel like he's in the perfect position to have a breakout year. It's great opportunity for sure,

and they're not. Yeah, they're not asking him to be dominant necessarily, that'd be great, but just be be reliable for deck. How close were Thompson and Gallop? Well, hearns one forty five percent. Thompson only got three percent of them. Okay, the folks don't know him yet. Michael Gallop was second thirty seven percent, Austin fifteen percent. I wonder how much of that as well. Is he going to be a quasi running back, Yes, he will do some of those things.

They're gonna move him. He's gonna be a chess piece, right, yes, so very similar to I believe you'll see it, very similar to the way they used him in Los Angeles. Was is a running back. They used him as a slot player to throw the ball to a lot of his stuff is not down the field. A lot of his stuff is around the line of scrimmage. It's the jet sweeps. It's the sweeps, it's the straight handoffs, it's you know, one back runs, it's screens. That's that's the

kind of player that he is. And I see them doing the same thing with him with him here, so I don't don't make any judgments on what they do in the first week of OTA. He's like, oh, he's only playing wide receive, right. Look, the guys settle in getting used to the offense, and then you'll start seeing them moving them around and they may not show us

everything exactly right. Yeah. I think though, the one if they could get gallop though, if they can get gallop to the learning curve with gallop to be very small, you know, to get him out there. I mean, he's got the quickness, athletic ability to avoid the jams. He can make plays down the field. I was talking to some guys. I'm like, you know, you turn around every once so while you just see the ball going down the field of thirteen and like Mike White throwing it.

The guy's got the ability to adjust, to extend, you know, those types of things that you want. He could be the one surprise that if things don't really work out for Alan Hearns, Okay, now it's about okay, let's get him going. But if the learning curve is very, very small, he might give Alan Hearnes a run. So thirty seven percent of the people there might be absolutely right a situation. Yeah, he was my second choice. Yeah, and I just just thinking,

how is he going to get the opportunity. The rookies usually take a little time to get going, but he could have a huge impact well. And so this this occurred to me from a percentage standpoint, What do we see more of four wide or two tight ends? I think you'll see more. I think that the three wides is there or you said four, said four. Yeah, they tend to run the ball. They could run the ball out of eleven personnel pretty well, spread people out, and

they're probably gonna have to do it. Well, they're gonna have to do it. Just maybe if the receivers don't have success, they're still probably gonna have to get an eleven personnel just to make people spread out. You know, like if you could say, okay, well we'll play everybody a little wider and give themselves some space and keep people from walking guys down into the box. I mean,

it's gonna be tough for them. They've run the football against eight and nine man boxes before, But don't you think that's gonna if you're a defensive coordinator right now, I am not scared of you worried about. I'm not scared of any one of your receivers. I'm worried about Zeke. I'm scared about Cole Beasley, and I am scared of Zeke. Okay, Zeke. We got to talk about him because something came out about him last week that I was pleasantly surprised to

hear about. He has Nobel Prize, not close, not close, but he's getting there. He is on the Leadership council. Man, when the Nobel Prize, he's on the Leadership council. That's a step in the right direction to that Nobel Peace Prize. But he is on the Leadership Council, and he says, you know, big step of that is that he wants to be more vocal this year. He wants to step up as one of the younger veteran ends on this team.

I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that because I think that a large part of his identity on this team has been you know, it's Zeke. He's been on the party planning committee, Party Planning Committee, moving more to the leadership counsel. Yeah, there you go. He goes from social director to actual director. Le mate how well he does on that console after July sixteenth. Why do you say that? Why because then he's on his own for a month June sixteenth, A

July sixteen two, Well that's the weekend. We got the fourth of July coming up for Zeke two trips less. I'm happy to see ye. Yeah, And look, he's one of the best players on this team. It's important for your best players to be leaders because you gotta have We talked about this. You got to have the production to be able to be vocal. I mean, you got to back it up on the field. So he definitely does that. Well, if I'm Ezekiel Elliott, I'm looking at how it affected the entire sea. What a pain it

was the entire season. What a taxing experience. It was probably not worth it at all. And then the fact of the matter is just look at what he lost. He lost money, He lost respect from coaches and teammates, He lost a lot. I don't know if he lost respect, but he lost guaranteed money. Yeah, I'll go with the money. And I think I think everybody they respect I mean reliability more. You know, it was hard every week in and out. Yeah, I think they you know, this is

going to sound really strange and probably bad. I think they knew who Ezekiel Eliott was, but when they drafted him, drafted it absolutely when they drafted him, I think that there's no secret to what was going on in Ohio State with that group. Now again, it's it's nice to see him say, Okay, I have to be more accountable for what's going on. Yeah, that was a very difficult year, not only for Ezekiel financially, but it was a difficult

year for his teammates. And you know, if you're any kind of a teammate, you would feel bad about to sit su. You know that he wasn't there for them for six games. You know, I mean that him playing in games. I mean he basically came out and said, asking Hi, about what was he fifty third on the top one hundred player list. He goes him is six games almost have a thousand yards? You know? I mean

that's that? Yeah. Well, no, I'm just but but I'm just saying though, he I think I like if there was some remorse about how it went down last year and the and the reward for him now from the coaches is Okay, listen, we do trust you. We think you can be a leader, we think you can may be a difference maker. I think this is his way of bringing him back in. He was a little bit on the outside last year. And you know, but everybody loves Zeke. I don't know anybody that doesn't. Yeah, teammates

love him. And I will say one one way he does lead is on the field. Physical. He's gonna bring it every single time he's out there. I think guys follow that physical tone and that's important, you know. So that's another way to lead. You don't always have to be the vocal guy. But obviously taking care of off the field business. Every leader, every if you're gonna be a leader on a team, everybody has to do that, no question. Well, he's so lucky the draft class he

came in, they're good class. I mean you look at guys like Jalen Smith. You have to follow his lead of just everything he's done just to get back onto the field. Yeah yeah, I mean yeah, this is Dak's team. This is Zeke's team. Now, I mean there is no Jason Witten anymore. So if the best young players on this team have to have a larger role in the locker room, and that includes Zeke for sure includes Zeke,

that includes Zack Martins, that includes the Byron Jones. Yeah, it's all of a sudden, this team is very, very young. It's it's really incredible. I've been meaning I need to go back and see, like where it ranks. It's just an average age because it's it's a lot of second and third years guysperience. Well, now you're starting quarterback has started a lot of games in the league. Now for being twenty four years old, that's good. But you shook

your head. Yeah, well yeah, they they're they're young. But these guys have played. Yeah, yeah, you know, Dak he's played thirty two games. Zeke's played. Dak's played, Zeke's played what sixteen and ten? Yeah, Collins has played. Collins has played. You look at now once you get healthy played, Xavier Woods played, Brown's played. They've all they've all played. So

some spots you're gonna have some guys that haven't. Of course, the you know, if the starting mic linebacker happens to be Vandersch, right, but but if whoever they play at SAM linebacker, if it whether it's Jalen Smith or Wilson Wilson's played a lot for a young guy, and the offensive line it's played. Yeah, if Connor Williams wins the job, okay, fine, But at least the backup tackle now has played in

the Super Bowl. So your depths there is much better off than what you, I guess projected you had, which didn't work out so well. This the one position I keep going back to is this receiving group. That's the one I think we're gonna have to figure out. Well. I think we're gonna have to say, you haven't had to worry about in a while. Yeah, who are the best five? I mean, I'm not saying right now we

have to just throw out five names. But I think when we get to Oxnard and it show you know it show fifteen, it show eighteen, it shows you know we're down to it. We're going, Okay, what do we learn about this receiving crew? Jeff trouble ranking them last week? I put Beasley at number one. I did too well. You know, you look at where we were this dot com by the way, yeah it's there. I remember there being a discussion about what they we're gonna do with receiver.

They had so many I mean Andy Jones was the name that you're like, does he stay on? At this point last year, Lucky Whitehead was still on the team. You know, young guys were not gonna make this rock the whole thing with with Noah Brown. Noah Brown was a Bryce Butler. He was gonna be Yeah, I mean, there was it was it kind of a group of guys that you're like, Okay, we've got the four, who's the fifth one or who's the sixth one? And now you're kind of like, okay, we've got two or three.

Who are the other three? Yeah? You know, and you don't have to count Austin in that group necessarily, right, you know? So yeah, but who else can Lance Lenoor break through? See? That's that's the guy I always talk about, that's my my Lance leanr. Because of Will mcclay's relationship with him is like, you know, I'd like to see him do something. There might be it. There might be a surprise guy that we don't think about, like that, the Lance Lenore guy that we that that comes in

and it's like, well, what Cedric Wilson. I mean I'm not giving Cedria. I mean I'm kind of just kind of pooh pooh and Cedric Wilson, right, I know, and he's got he and he's got he's got a lot of ability and and so, okay, do you carry five wide receivers? Wait a minut we're carrying three quarterbacks? Now, well, how many tight ends we're gonna carry weight? You gotta carry Rico. No, we're not gonna carry Rico. We're carrying

three tight ends. You get you kind of get into who a numbers a numbers game with some of these positions. And I'm not necessarily sinking it might be that whoever doesn't make this team probably made it because they just weren't good enough. It wasn't because which is a great problem to have. Well, it's a great you want him to be good, but you want to be able to say you want to be able to say. Man, we

had a really tough decision. We got seven we got seven receivers for five positions, instead of okay, we've got seven receivers and we were only going to take these four. And by the way, who was on the waiver wire today? Ye? Who was? Who can we trade for? Who is there somebody as Yeah? Who do we need to work out? You know? Yeah? And be and be aware of Earl if he can play like he did in this season

open or against Missouri. Yeah, Malik Earl, Earl, Yeah. I can't believe I sat there at the TV just cussing. Eighty nine yard touchdown on third and twenty four. Welcome Missouri football man. What a hanger. Well, if you guys didn't realize you had just joined us for an hour of talking Cowboys, We will be back next week, Final OTS week, and then we get into mini camp. So join us in our last few episodes before training camp.

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