Talkin' Cowboys: Defense or Moore?

off to practice field yesterday. We'll get into some of the things that he talked abound over the course of the next hour here, and we lead you up to the annual Blue White Scrimmage on Sunday, which will be broadcast right here on Dallas Cowboys dot com and on Texas twenty one in Dallas four or six o'clock Central time, four o'clock here on the Pacific coast. And what a glorious morning it is here in Oxnard. Absolutely and then it's uh, you know, like you said, working into the weekend.

We had a nice practice yesterday we could talk about. We got our periscope up and going. Mickey, you can be any happier right now? Could you? This is just lovely. I woke up this morning. It was fifty nine degrees when I went out there work out, and I think it's warming up one definitely, it's it's warmer today than it was yesterday. I haven't checked the temperature right now. I think Brad Chad and told me the high today is projected to be seventy eight. Oh my, hot one.

We'll take that. Yeah, Dallas Fort Worth, you hear that it's gonna be hot time. It's not rubb it in, No, we won't. And it is sixty three degrees right now. Yeah. Yeah. And uh back in at NT Stadium right now, it's ninety degrees. Rob, how are you doing this morning? I'm doing fantastic building. I can't. Yeah, I missed a little bit of the practice yesterday. But you know, Dave hellman is is right there with the tweets, the VIDs. Yeah,

we got great coverage on Dallas Cowboys dot com. So ready for another one to day kicking things off talking about that. Uh, there's some great stuff out there right now. They got posted yesterday or last night. Uh. One is the process. I love the video. It's a nine minute video the process, which uh, but it sounds like it's going to be a week to week a weekly thing that I know Chris Beam is a part of producing,

and Caden Gates. Uh. And um, but it was they followed Gary Brown from his home getting on the team charter. I mean it was. I just sat there in my hotel room and watched that. It was. Uh. I just thought that that is a terriffic thing that the new media can produce now the old traditional, our old school, not you rob so much, but where we used totally have four TV stations to watch and so forth, and the options were so limited. This is what digital media

is all about, people to do that kind of stuff. Uh. And then I love the Dak thing what he did with us on the car wash yesterday. You guys, the Dak drinking game. You got to check that out on social media or I assume it's also posted on Dallas Cowboys dot com. I haven't been able to check the website yet, but um, it was really funny. Uh. And I was first to go on the interview. Did you were you in on the gag? No? Not before? Oh yeah, no,

not at all. The reaction was funny. Your first question, and then he takes a sip and you're kind of like looking at him, and then he keeps taking SIPs and you feared something was going on. Well, I let into the question, which wasn't you don't see on that? My my first question to Dak was what I was in press Moore than anything with this first interview with the media out here was the fact that apparently he

watches Jerry Jones press conference. Sure, and because he had that same reaction when a contract question came up, what was out I didn't hear you, you know? And so he talked about that at first, and that led me into asking the question, so along those lines, do you need a rushing champion to win a Super Bowl? And he was right? So he took this big old along drink drink of his Statorade. So do you want to pull the curtain back and tell what he did then?

And so the next question I asked was about Jerry. If you and Jerry just got together for five minutes, you could hammer out a contract. Long swig again, so I asked about Zeke and I asked about the contract. Okay, finished a bottle Gatorade on Those are the only times that he took a long swig, all right. Next up was Dale Hands and he asked probably a Zeke and he was doing the same thing, and that's where okay, yeah, yeah,

something's up here. And they're not like subtle swigs. These are these a big yeah yeah, which which I love. I love the comedic timing of it. It was was perfect, But it just says so much about what Dak is like. You know, Nui Scruggs was next, and I don't even I don't think he asked about Zeke or the contract, but then Doucy. Doucy had figured it out by the time he got up sure, In fact, we had talked

about it before he got up to be ready. Actually, his was funny because he was going to ask the question and then he figured out, Okay, every time there's a question about a contracts he didn't. He didn't figure out in the course of the interview. He knew going into that, you know, I'm saying he did, yeah before he went in, So he was getting ready to ask

the contract question. He goes, okay, take a swig the preemptive strike, and then Dak said, whoever off camera, I know who it is, but I'm not gonna say um that I think they're onto our game, so but I mean it's just and then the way Dak handles all the questions and everything, he's just what you want leading your football team. You know, just the way he handles everything. He just the pressure and all the stuff, it just

doesn't it doesn't phase him. And it's kind of you can use that as lip service with some guys, but I really believe it with him. Yeah, and he's you know, he's twenty six years old. You know, I think what I was like when I was twenty six. And aside from that, because those interviews they're nothing, okay, but it's out here on the football field and how he leads this team and how he engages in everybody on the team. You know, when they're going to drills and they're getting

started and he's high five and everybody. He doesn't care whether you're a well he's not here now, but if you're the Pro Bowl running back or the fifth string running back, he engages you into the team because he knows what team is all about. Kind Of had a rough day yesterday, throwing him the two minute drill late in the two minute Yeah, it kind of reversed because

I thought the previous practice the offense sort of dominated. Yeah, that's what we're talking about that Jason Garrett was saying, if you have an offense that plays well one day, defense not so good, but then it flips, then you know your team's doing all right. You don't want one side of the ball just completely dominant. I thought Dak was not as good as he needed to be in that two minute drill yesterday watching him throw that ball.

I mean, but coverage was good. They got some pressure. Uh. You know that those guys in the secondary, those guys in the secondary are starting to show up a little bit more. I really am impressed, you know with what I've seen with Anthony Brown at about there. You know, we talked about Jordan Lewis and what he's done, Xavier Woods playing as a safety. So that might have to be more about those guys affecting Dak than than really

Dak having a bad day. But he was off on some of his throws yesterday that I thought he was. He's been completing through some of these products. You seeing some of it that they're not on the same page with with It's not the same page it's just guys doing a really good job some tight window throws. If you remember the compete period, he throws the ball over the top of Witton. You know, with Xavier Woods covernment, Xavier Woods is fighting his rear off to stay. That

used to be the Byron Jones drill. Byron him and Byron Jones used to go at it when they used to heat and Witton would go and they did. And Byron Jones, as I remember one time, Byron Zoe get back in the huddle, old man. I mean, he waved his finger at him and told him that. And but now it's Xavier Woods. And you see, Xavier Woods is a good enough athlete, but boy, he's a shorter guy. So he's it's like he's shooting tennis balls off a tank. You know, he's kind of banging, banging with him. But

he didn't give Dak a window. Dak tried to throw it over the top. And so you're seeing some throws he's having to make that are a little bit more difficult. I'm not looking at some of the interceptions and stuff like that. I think those are good plays. I'm looking at some of those tight window throws you might saw

tune the compete period with Anthony Brown. When what he did, they tried to get to Gallop inside and I mean he was on him and as soon as he've made that break, there was Anthony Brown offhand knocked the ball down. So you know, if Good's going against Good and Goods trying to get the ball to Good and it's not work, I mean, that's that's part of the good things you get to see silently. Anthony Brown has had a really

good Yeah, he really has. Yeah, you know, and they kind of switched it up the other day because he had been, uh starting out on the right corner with the first team and then when they went to nickel he'd come inside right and Jordan Lewis was just go outside. Well, that previous practice before the day off, they started with Jordan Lewis on the outside and then when Anthony Brown came in, he just went in into the slot. And they changed it up a little bit, but they went

back to that normal rotation with Anthony outside. So, uh, he's been pretty darn good and you know this is a contract drive season for him too. And Mollie Collins, right, you watched Millie Collins in the one on fast. Yeah. I was watching him do the standing bag drilled down there with the block and dummies and him going through in and out the four little power man. He's quick, is speaking a quick You're still seeing Dorans I'm strong

to show that quickness in the pass rush. One other thing about the corner situation, Jordan Lewis, he had a handful of pass breakups and in the various drills yesterday, he's just once again he's in a spot where you know Byron's out right now, he'll be back, and you know he's looking at third fourth corner again as well as Anthony Brown's playing. That's you know he's on track to keep that Nickel job. Yet whatever Chris Westery, did you know he had some personal business he took care of,

came back, he jumped right back in. Had a couple of nice plays too. I think overall, just the secondary, you know, the receivers were seeing some good looks. You know, John Vay Johnson unfortunately had a ball go off his hands that he had on the sideline. I mean Cooper Rush in the two minute drill hit him with a good pass. But man, did you see the play that

March Lillard made. I mean he comes from march low to the simple zone drop and he goes, he reads and all of a sudden, the balls I mean it's it's falling, falling, falling, and he just one hand scoops it and that tipped. Yeah, well no it got so it went off john Bay Johnson's hand right, and he scoops the ball as it's going to the earth and able to roll over and make the play and get the second offense off the field. So love the tower. It's not often that those guys getting mean throwing it

up to Jerry. Yeah. The drills are all kind of conducive to offense, moving, moving, moving, and then you know, but that was that was a great point. You know. Another thing I noticed when they were doing the walks or the special teams and they were practicing kickoff uh coverage. Uh. Both Armstrong and Covington were out there right, the linebacker Covington right. Uh. And and so you noticed that, Okay, they still think these guys are going to make the team.

And then there was another guy out there that seems to be coming on out of nowhere, Luke Gifford. There you go. He was the only young guy on that kickoff coverage team. Everybody else had been on the team before, but he's been moving up and now he's on the second with Sean Lee not practicing, Joe Thomas going to the first team, Gifford's on the second team right now.

So we got a mail back question about that Sam spot this morning, and you know it was a fair question because with Sean out, is there somebody in the Kyle Wilbur realm that could when he was here, that could moonlight between hand on the ground to a stand up SAM position. And Brian pointed out the depth there is better than you might think because of Gifford, and

you mentioned Covingtons. See, people don't know Gifford yet. Mickey, did you guys a favor out there by talking about Amber Garcia said the same thing in in during Training Camp Live yesterday, Hey keep an eye on this number fifty seven. She noticed the same thing that Mickey had, that he's getting involved in some of the special team stuff every morning. David Hellman and I come out here and walk or run on this field, and Luke Gifford's

out here by himself working on Kickslide, Kickslide. Henry Schroke of the pro scout is also out here running and Henry walked by him one day and goes, keep keep working. That's that's what you got to do. Keep working on that. So he's got that kind of temperament. And University Nebraska played as an outside really as an outside linebacker, but now playing more inside. A matter of fact, with scouts, scout's eye goes up later today, he's my eighth point

to keep an eye on. Good eye by Mickey though to notice Satisfy six three two five pounds link in Nebraska was a high school quarterback as a matter of fact, and played basketball, so he's an athletic guy, absolutely, And uh so keep an eye on fifty seven Luke Gifford out of Nebraska, the rookie undrafted free agent. And that's what you get from Bill's scouting report there for for the free season scrimmage, I should say, yeah, there, you

gotta make a few tackles. This guy'll make a few tackles. Bill, we'll talk about him probably a lot more. We'll see, we'll see what this linebacker again. I think that you know, it's nice to Covington's back, but I kind of had coming to as a bubble player. Yeah, I think. You know, people always ask the question. You know, Mickey will be at the Pizza New York Pizza Austa. They're hanging out and someone will come up and say, Mickey, give me a veteran cut. Give me a guy that might be

a veteran cut. You might think of Noah Brown as maybe a veteran cut. You know what's going to happen with Tavon Austin could be a veteran cut. Philo being a veteran cut. Well, you know, Covington was a guy. Chris Covington was a guy that I was kind of thinking, oh wait, he started on the NFI list. That's not good. It's kind of like to me, the Rico gathers and the guys like that they're getting hurt. Then I'm signed saying, Okay, these guys are starting gonna cut themselves. We'll see if

Rico comes back and does things. But least he was in his dress for this afternoon practice, right. He didn't do much, but he was out there there, tried to go through the individuals, right, So I'll give him credit for that. But if you're looking for a veteran cut, there you go. If you if he counts as a veteran, yeah, yeah, and youre's a service of course. Yeah, he may be in trouble, all right. So Chris Covington the linebacker, where

does he fit best at linebacker? Which which position? I think he could play the Sam I think that's really the idea. If you look at if you look at his you know, the size and how he's built all that. I mean, these guys are all kind of the same build. When you look at these linebacker they all got out of the car the same. I mean, they're all the same,

the same looked, same height and stuff like. As far as the SAM linebacker in today's NFL compared to what it was in yesterday's NFL, you know, people talk about, well, Sean Lee, he doesn't have that those dimensions, the link maybe that you're looking for in the Sam linebacker from the old school. What are they looking for today in

a Sam lineman. You know, that's a great question because back in the day, if you talk to Bill Parcels, he told you he drafted Bobby Carpenter to play the edge and to set the edge of old time school SAM linebacker was a guy that extended on the edge. Most teams being right handed, you set that edge and then you allow everybody else to get to the football. In this day and age, the sam linebacker kind of

could be a guy that could kind of rush. You know, if you get a guy that's good enough to where he could play with his hands, he could he could force the run. But maybe you get him involved and some pass rush stuff. Actually, so it's the position is really involved from being a guy this this group has got guys that can cover. You put Sean Lee on the field and now you can run. See we saw did you see Jay? Did you get to see Jalen

Smith in one on one yesterday? There was a neat little wrinkle that actually that that Kellen Moore had and he knew and it was a call out competitive situation. And you talk about linebackers that can cover and linebackers that it's not there at forte. Well, Jalen Smith got caught. To me, Jalen Smith attacking the pocket is the best thing. Jalen Smith having a play in space and Carrie is not a great thing. So he gets caught in a situation where they go one on one and they take

they take Tony Pollard and Dak Prescott sees it. Okay, I know, okay, I see you in coverage. He walks in. He just says, go walk out there, and so you get Pollard in motion all the way to the outside as a wide receiver. Now he's going to run the vertical route, and now you got j Jalen to catch up. And you know Dak missed the throw. But it was one of those things where you say, okay, I see

why Now did you say Jalen Smith? And maybe like an old school line beast, sam linebacker, big bulky kind of guy, rush rush, rush, attack, don't be a guy that has to play in coverage all but you know what they're doing with that strong side linebacker. They're not playing him on the line of scrimmage right right, because he's got to take on the tight end right right right. They got Sean Lee off right, and and coven Eton can do the same and so and and Brian's right there.

There was one a couple of plays where there was the weak side linebacker and the strong side linebacker both got in the coverage. The weak side guy took the running back, the strong side guy took the tight end right, and so they're playing not like the Singleton days. Yeah, yeah, it's not nineteen eighty four. Or you're gonna line up on the line of scrimmage and muscle. You play him off and you can protect him. That's right. Marinelli told me.

I said, well, how do you protect you know, Sean he goes, Well, he doesn't have to be on the line of script. He can play off and we have ways of protecting him in a traditional sense. You want Sean Lee flowing to the ball, but you can do that more in the way this is set up now. And you mentioned pass rush. You like Jalen going forward. Sean Lee's one of the better rushing linebackers they have too, so he can he can rush as well. From that's

Jaylen created a really nice opportunity. I think I talked about it a little bit for Carrie Hider to get home because of the power, the forward power that he was able to play with. You know, you mentioned Pollard

going in motion. They spent I can't remember if it was yesterday or Tuesday they spent Sanjay Lyle must have spent fifteen minutes on the guys going in motion against air and making sure that when you hit your step where you're supposed to turn and be ready to go that you take off with the right foot, and he made guys come back one and no wrong foot? Wrong? What do you get doing wrong foot? You know? And and and you had to time it right too to get out to the exact wid you needed to go.

And they went over it and over it and over it to try to get those guys in motion the time it up right and take off right too. And then they had to take four steps long steps and then break to the inside. That's how precise they were trying to work on those motion things. You're getting too feeling about anything about Randall Cobb. I mean to people have been kind of disappointed in Randall Cobb, and I guess it's because Twitter's shown video of it and stuff.

I don't feel that way. I feel like Randall Cobb playing inside. I feel like the coverage on him has been really good. I mean, and you'd start talking about some of these guys if he was saying, oh, he's not separating the time he made several plays yesterday. Yeah, as he's been a part of some coverages where the ball has been knocked down. So I think in I think that's a product of what's going on in the second.

I'm not one of these guys that's to sit there and throw dirt on Randall Cobb because I know what he can do. I know what he can do in a game and stuff like that. But I feel like he's kind of being unfairly portrayed as a guy that all the Dak's problems, all the Dak's poor throws are going towards. Well, I've got I've got a message for the people that put the videos on there. You go watch the whole play. All you're doing is on one guy and you're following. That's where a lot of that

comes from. And that's what's happening. Look at the whole play. Well, plus early on in camp, Okay, it's like it's like opening Day in baseball. They play one hundred and sixty two games, but what they did on opening Day because everyone's got their eyeballs on it, you know, and early on in camp everyone because we're all so hungry to

find out about these players and stuff. And then you're looking at these videos like what you're talking about get posted and okay, there's a you know, for instance, Dak and Cob aren't on the same page and and Dak talked about it and afterwards, well, I think with the NFL network, he said, yeah, I need to make sure that he cuts that off. Whatever it was, it was a hot exactly, but people see that and say, okay, what's wrong with Cobb did an interview with the fan

and he said it was a good interception. He goes because it was a great teaching point for me because he said when it was over, Dak goes up to Cobbin says, oh, my bad, bad throat, and Cobb goes, no,

my fault. I should have cut it off, and he said, So we were able to sit down and say, okay, when they have that coverage on that play, here's what you gotta do, and one of them was cut it off or do not throw the ball there goes somewhere out and that is part of the process of training camp right there, finding out exactly where your quarterback likes you,

your death or your routes, all those things. And two practices ago, that same practice where they had to pick for Xavier Woods, there was one play Brian and I were doing training Camp live. He had his receiver beat down the field in the end zone. And just couldn't quite come up with it. That is a dimension he brings that respectfully to Cole Beasley. It's not the same all the one at the back of the end. Yes, he just overthrew him just a little bit. That could

have been very easily a touchdown. Yeah. And another thing you have to know about these practices, the first axiom of warfare is no the enemy. Yeah. I think Xavier Woods knew who the enemy was and if they were going to bring a slot blitz that they're probably gonna throw hot to that guy. That's great instincts, and all of a sudden it's like, Okay, if you're gonna blitz, I have a feeling I know where this ball is gonna go to. You. Is a very positive thing about

Xavier Woods. Exact into the Xavier Woods and more. When Talking Cowboys continues at a moment or has been helping Cowboys fans seed better since nineteen seventy two, said they don't miss a moment on the field. Get classes with slurs, best vision, clarity and protection with the Ultimate Lens Package, three innovative technologies in one lens. For a limited time, you can double your lenses for free when you purchase the Ultimate lens package and get a second pair of frames.

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Talking Cowboys continues now here from Oxnard, California. Cowboys with a morning walk through in an afternoon practice today, the second of four consecutive days of practices running through Sunday. They'll be off on Monday. If you're headed out here to California, it's a great opportunity to get up close and personal with the Cowboys. And football season actually kicked off last night. We had a Hall of Fame game. Gil Brent goes into the Hall of Fame this weekend.

Jerry Jones, the Jones family headed that way as the big weekend is here for them. Who won that Hall of Fame game last night? I believed they came back and they took the late fourteen ten. And did you have money on that one? I had it on Drew Lock he got the three lock. There you go, all right, all right, Terry Tiger, there you go, all right. Jerry talked to the media coming off to practice field yesterday. Mickey, you got a quick recap for us? Well, I think

there was a couple of things. The first thing was when they are you worried you haven't got this done? Is drawn along, drawn out, and he kind of turned around and goes, when I haven't, When haven't I got this done? Meaning when has I have? I not got

a player signed? And you know, I don't know. And when Emmett was out right ninety three, he was working a no contract, so if he missed games, he wasn't missing money, right, right, Zeke misses one game, it's two hundred and twenty four thousand dollars, right, thousand, Just a little bit I wanted. I wanted to make a very at of thousands, a lot of lettuce, right ye. And then the other thing when he was asked about, um,

are you mad at Zeke? You've had his back and now it's kind of like he's turning his back on you, and he goes, No, he goes because you know, no matter what, at some point, you're gonna intersect with a divergent He used the word divergent, meaning we're gonna split apart. Right, he goes, And then afterwards you sit down and reconcile, and he goes, And I've got more patience now with these types of things. So he's not mad at him, right, and so his relationship with with Zeke will get the

deal done. Yeah, yeah, you're absolutely right. Lets you know what, probably just the way DeMarcus Lawrence got it done with Stephen Jones. You know that they figured it out and got it done and um and he and he just didn't seem worried about it. You know, it was almost like, how many more of these questions you're gonna ask me? Because I'm not worried. I'm not worried that he's in Cabo, he said. I know Zeke. He's very conscientious and he's he will work out and be ready to come when

we get this done. So all the handwringing, right, the cat doesn't die in the tree. Just remember my parable. M Okay, okay, how about periscope. Periscope wants to know as we've got to the first week of practice, how your pet cats doing? Thinking of cats and trees. Yeah, that's a nice little segue, Rob, how's yours still up in the tree? I've got like three I'll say. Lawrence Armstrong has been one of mine, absolutely, and I think he is taking advantage of these extra reps with Tank

Lawrence still rehabbing from shoulder surgery. I'm anxious to see him in the games where he may get a start, may get to play a lot. Um the other side, John Vay Johnson, he's had some ups, he's had some downs. I think Jalen Gaiden is another guy who's playing well at wide receiver. But again with Alan Hearn's not on this roster anymore. They both got an opportule. Absolutely, yeah, yeah, Mickey,

Reggie Davis, that's your guy. We got reminded that he was on the team and in that mini camp practice right, and then he doubled down at the end of the mini camp. And now he catches everything. You know, we always talk about how fast is yea And he'll outrun anybody if they have some sort of right he's out running him. But he catches everything, and some of them aren't just right perfect here he can contort his body

and catch the ball. He's not very big, but I mean, what did he tell us from when we interviewed him that day. He's like a yeah, I think he said, oh I know what he said. He goes, yeah, one sixty eight, one seventy. I looked at him, I said We'll give you one seven soaking wet, you know, okay? And that was when did he say the ways in that mini camp? At the mini camp, Yeah, so listed it one eighty five. Yeah he ain't Maybe he said one seventy eight, one eighty and I said, I'll give

you one eighty. Then he looks like me in fifth grade. It is, but he can run, he can run rong. How did he do anything on punt returns yesterday? Deal? Okay? Was catching him? Yeah, I'm just trying to think of ways he can help himself. And these punt these punt catches here are difficult because they always have the punter pun with the wind and you don't really realize the high up there. That winds blown about ten fifteen miles

an hour and the ball carries. And on top of that, it's difficult to catch a left footed putter in the first place with no wind because his ball goes up and then it backs up and dies. I remember the

first time he punted Chris Boniol. It would have been Bonial. Yeah, he told me he goes the Giants will fumble at least one or two of these punts, and sure enough they yes, because the ball it spins differently and then his backs up, So when you think you're there, you got to take another step because you're gonna miss it. But he did a pretty good job of catching him. If you got a pet cat on defense, a pet

cat on defense, not off the top of mine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Jalen Joe because last year was Antoine Woods right right, Well, he's he's already. He ain't a pet, no mare, He's a starter. I'll take I'll take that. I'll take Rod Marinelli's pet cat. Okay, who's Rod Marinelli's pet cat in this rookie class? Triston Hill. That would be Tristan Hill. I don't know that I've ever gone to a Cowboys camp where there has been less talk about the first

draft pick of the Cowboys, I mean roster. Yeah, but I might argue with you on who's the top of last year's vandersh didn't get a lot but but but Taco really didn't because it was Jalen Smith getting back. It was almost like Jalen was the first round pick coming back into camp. But go ahead. So maybe it's because Triston Hill after practice is laying low and people aren't not putting himself in which it can be a very smart thing. Okay, not putting himself in position to

run into any mini camps. Right, Okay, what are you seeing from Triston Hill out here? I see a good play, I see a bad play. I see a good play, and I see a bad play. I think the consistency. The caboose is pretty fair nickname, and he knows that. He admits it. Now. I heard him on the radio talking about, Yeah, my nicknames the caboose, and so I

got caught. He's caught on. He understands. And for those who who aren't familiar with the story behind that, it's the it's Rod Marinelli trains leaving right and you met are not getting left behind because right now you're the caboose. Yeah, so he's the very last car on the train, and so he knows that, and so the the But what I need to see from him is more consistency, because they're like I said, there's there's been plays where he's been really good, you know, with the how active he is,

he could play with a little violence. He's got some he's got some range to him. And then there's times where he's like, oh my gosh, I'm facing this guy and I'm just getting turned and washed and all that. So there's gonna be a lot of up and down for him. But he needs to develop a little bit more consistency. But the kid is fighting his ass off every single day. I mean even when he when he does get blocked. You can see it in the film afterwards.

You can see that he knows what happened. He's starting to understand, Okay, I can't let I can't let Zach Martin do that to me. I can't let Tyrn Smith hook me like that. I can't I can't let Suephilo hook me like that, you know, saying so he understands. What do you think the hope is? Where? At what point this season will he be contributing? Oh, I think they're going to throw him in from the word go okay, so they'll throw him in. Well, what at what point?

Being a rookie do you think it will It'll take some time as long as he Yeah, it might be. It might be the Dolphins game in one time. It's mid season. Think about Layton vanderess s. Marris didn't play the fourth fifth game, was the first pick in the draft and he was a rotation guy. And I don't think he started to like a game eight or nine his rookie year and they were deep. I get it, but and I don't know, they don't need him. They need him to hang in there for fifteen, eighteen, twenty plays.

That's that's because you know, like when they did the one on one pass rush, when he goes and you go twice, right, and he'll win one and lose one. Absolutely, you know he got He's get the point where he's winning both. Yeah, and and sometimes he's not going up against the starters. He's against those he's against Sue Filo or somebody like that. He's got to beat those guys. I thought Taco practice better yesterday myself. If you talk about guys that kind of need to do a little

bit more. I know, we dump a lot of dirt on him and and you know he brings it on himself. I mean, we'd like to see him have that, right, But I thought he practiced better yesterday. The problem with Taco is he needs to stand his feet better. Still has problem with it. You know that Robert Quinn Quinn is yeah, absolute right, Quinn was better yesterday. But to me, going back to Taco. Taco wins on a rush and then he's on the ground and I'm going, man, just

stand your feet, you can make that play. It's almost like these defensive ends are playing on the edges of their shoes, you know, and they're just and they're hitting this grass and they're not getting to where they need to go. You know what they need, don't you. Those two inch mudders that we played football with fifty years steal spike, spot built. They're working Tacco at both end spots. Right, he's seeing anything from him flipping to the left side.

It's not anything I mean to me, it's still about you know. You watch him go through the bags and he's like and you know, I was talking with everybody, Steven Thomas sitting there, and I go, Geary's gonna spin an a shirt bump, sp spin, spin, you know he does. He just hasn't developed the ability to just separate himself on a rush without spinning or you know, if it

works once or quite great. But these guys who figure out how to play him just keeping wide, keeping wide keeping, why he's gonna spin, He's gonna spin back to you and him. Yeah, when he gets frustrated too. He just tries to bull rush and Tacco can't bull rush. That's not He's not MALIEK. Collins, He's not the human log logs. When they get in trouble, they will just power you into the quarterback. Yeah, but Taco, you know, Tyrn Smith is not gonna have any of that. Lyo Collins is

not gonna have any of that. And I can't remember who told me. I don't know if it was DeMarcus, where it was somebody. It was a veteran guy, and they were saying, what he's got to learn is that spin move is no good unless you get into the guy right. He goes. If you start spinning from afar, all you're gonna do is they're gonna catch you. He'll spin right into right. So you gotta have the power

at least to get into the guy and then spin. Yeah, Taco's biggest problem is that lineman can affect him by stopping his feet. That's the the Taco's feet never he never gets any type of momentum to get a rush, and so all of a sudden he rushes, He's in good shape, and then his feet stopped, and now he's got to restart, but at that time the ball is gone or he's got washed or you know. It's it's it's really it's frustrating to watch him and not coming

down of Michigan. He you know, he wasn't this dynamic make pass rush. I mean that that big ten is known for some of those pass rushers, a lot of them there at Ohio State. Michigan had one, you know here recently, but I mean they just don't. It's it's it's hard for him to do what he needs to do. And again it's it's it's I hope that he could stay healthy. He's fighting through some things. I could tell you know, there's times after plays his body language is

kind of bad. But he's fighting through those things. He just needed to kind of care on. I want to ask one more question. I was going to ask you your pet cat. Oh. It's like Christian Covington is my guy that I've kind of been watching, I've been talking about. I really like, I was really thought that if you talk about a player, I thought it would have a huge year. Xavier Woods was my huge year and then huge huge year guy and then but Christian Covington is a guy that I came out of he didn't get

a chance to participate in the OTAs and stuff. He had a sack in the two minute drill the other day. But he okay, he he beats Whitesman the guard. But but Whiteman's Whitesman's been. He's been. He's been good. I mean, he hasn't been terrible. It's not like he gets beat every single play. So I felt like though he had a nice rush yesterday, got off the ball well, affected the pocket a little bit better like what I'm seeing

for him. Liked how he chases the ball too. He's bought into the Marinelli balls down the field, rush, get down the field, hustle, hustle, hustle, that kind of thing. I think those kinds of things pay off for him as well. You know, let's get to your periscope after this break that, after that playing that nose tackle position, maybe you don't get in and get a sack. But he's pushing the poets. He did for JJ Watt did a lot of the dirty word and he doesn't win

and ends up five ten yards behind the question. He's got some power, he's square. He'll help these guys with some play. Fun fact you know whose dad is. Yeah, you know, I didn't know him. I didn't know, but yeah, Grover Covington played in the CFL a long time. It's just interesting. He's been around football his whole life. He was an unheralded guy for the Texans. Yeah, so he could being under the radar signing for this absolutely all right.

More from periscope when Talking Cowboys continues it on all But if you're like me and you love I mean, if you have a thing, then cutting the chord is scary. But then I found out I could switch to DirecTV Now and still get the live sports I love. No satellite needed, no polky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live sports. You tried direct TV now for ten

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Back to Talking Cowboys Cowboys continues here. Our final segment on this Friday Cowboys will be out here on Oh I'm sorry, Nicky, I'm so sorry, it's making stir waiting fall start. That was a false starter. Finscarecare hand of the dells, and you know what they're here today, aren't they. I got reminded of how food, how good the shaving cream jels whatever they call it. I used it this morning and again it was like butter It just came right off butterface, irritation of the skin or anything. And

I'm looking. I believe that is one of the JB four faves. You get there we go when you get a playmaker for ten dollars with free shipping, so go to get Jack Black dot com. There we go. That was very good, Paul. It is actually concise, and that's the way we need to do it. Every time I didn't. Oh it's a shot. We'll do more if they send us a box of product. Right yesterday, you're reading the legal ease at the bottom. It was said using there.

You said they're gonna be here today. I thought you meant Jack Black was the referee offere I gonna have their talk exactly. Oh they are, okay, Uh, Periscope, you're looking forward to that usually lunchtime, Periscope would like to know from you, gentlemen, what excites you guys the most about this team's potential Kellen Moore or defensive growth. I was gonna say offensive growth. Okay, well so that would be Kellen Moore. Well, I don't think it's because of him, Okay,

I think that's because of Let's flip it. Then let's flip it, say say offensive growth or defensive growth. You're gonna see growth in Connor Williams. Okay. You've got Travis Frederick who had a much better day yesterday than he did his first day. I absolutely he was more in sync of what was going on. Michael Gallops in his second year. We saw what he did the end of his first year. I think Randall Cobb will be just fine.

You've got now, regardless of what Witten does. You've got two tight ends who've actually played in the league this year. Last year they played, they hadn't played before. Dak gets another year and Amari Cooper happens to be here for the whole season. So if he does you a whole season what he did in a half season, this growth of this offense could be huge. Go ahead, Bright, no

killing Moore. There's still an unknown there, you know. I think you may have to get into the games, and because they're not showing everything, see what happens in the games. And look, Zeke's not here either, so that's there's still some unknown factor. I'll go with the defense because I think we talked about the D line, Covington, Tristan Hill. They've taken some steps to fortify some things inside. Maliek Collins hopefully healthy. You know, Layton Vanderesh and Jalen Smith

should only get better. I'm excited about Xavier Woods potentially is more of a force back there, maybe some more takeaways in the secondary. They have a lot of young pieces kind of would make you sad on the offensive side that should get better. A Woozia, you can just go down the list. Defense excites me. Bill Jones, I'm going I'm going. I like what you're saying, Nicky, but I'm gonna go with the defense and the secondary or special Yeah, I mean what we were talking about earlier

in the show. These guys like Anthony Brown and Jordan

Lewis what he's shown all offseason. But I think Xavier Woods it can be a real force in the secondary, I think, and I give Brian credit for picking him out out of Louisiana Tech right from the get go in that draft year, and then I think Cheeto, I think, and one of the things on Cheeto we were talking to him yesterday for guys like him, and there are numerous others that are now like third year or even with the tight ends in their second year where this

you go across the board and Michael Gallop going into his second year across the board, it was probably last year too much to expect for a lot of those guys in their first time really playing to do what they did. Okay, now though, since they've got that year of experience under their belt, you know, Layton vander esh too, you know, you can see growth there, and so I just think I think there's there's potential these young players on defense for growth. I like what everybody's saying here.

Who did you even mention Robert Quinn? Yeah, you know, factoring in the pass for us to a proven guy. Well like, I like it, man. I think you guys have got this thing nailed really Ado. Another question is are they more likely to keep four tight ends or six wide receivers? Oh, that's easy. I think probably. I think there's more. There's a lot of young talent at receiver. I would lean towards six receivers. I second the motion. Yeah, okay, I mean if you're also keeping a full back, so

Brod so there you go. That helps on the tight end situation. By the way, has been getting used a lot more. Yeah, when they were when they were doing some of their I think it was Nickel offense, or maybe it was two minute they had him as loan backback there. They'd like his blitz pickup. And by the way, Pollard did nice job on one of those team fields. And they were using them out in the motion. They were motionating them out, they were sending them into the formation,

into the past patterns. Uh. It was almost like they were trying to use them a lot more. First guy Kellen Moore mentioned in the otre not Zeke. I'll add to that, okay, that sky war office more likely six wide receivers, four tight ends or two quarterbacks. I two quarterbacks. Is I think that's too anyway you're going. I think it's yeah, two quarter quarterbacks, two quarters, regardless if it's six or four. Yeah, man, the two quarterbacks allow them to keep four tight ends in six wides. Why would

you why would you keep four four tight ends. Yeah. See, that's the thing I think I've I've moved on from the Rico experiment. I've moved on from that. I did the best I could, you know, I tried to give And now if I want to keep them forward tight end, maybe there's one playing for the Denver Broncos of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or somebody like that that I feel

a little bit better about. Yeah, I got squad. I was gonna say, do you want to keep Cody you practice squad and then sure, sure, But I mean, if you want a great story, he is, by the way, which you want have time to get into right now. Do you see them really given up on Mike White though as a fifth round pick? Or is that am

I just I don't know. I feel like I just feel like he's not getting that many snaps he's he's he made we made a really good throw if you know the team, after he got sacked, he made a really good throw down the middle of the field to Dalton Schultz to get him in field goal range. And the clock was running and he spiked it and I remember looking at Bucky like did the time run out or you know, But Yeah, it was a good It was a nice blind back shoulder basically throw to Dalton Schultz,

and I hadn't seen him make one like that. I get frustrated with Mike White because I saw him play so much better at Western Kentucky. I asked Jason Garrett about the things. Hey, kind of teach us what to look for when we're you know, you know, in and out of the huddle, leadership, moving guys around, completing the play, all these things, and it seems like that Mike White is always lacking one of the things I need him to do in order to kind of quiet. That's okay.

Cooper Rush is quiet, yeah, but not I don't want him quiet. Cooper Rush making better throws. Yeah, that's just the bottom line. Yeah. Yeah, So if you told me if they were going to go with two quarterbacks, Cooper Rush and Dak Prescott are your two quarterbacks right now. If you just want to go off what we've seen out here at practice, well, the other thing you can do is Mike White practice squad. Yeah yeah, maybe somebody else. Will somebody else say, you know, we had a pretty

good grade on Mike White. Let's give him an opportunity and he might be the situation where he didn't want to be on the practice squad here. You know, someone maybe go somewhere else to be on the practice squad, and you know the games he may, he may. That's that we're saying about that number four twenty sixteen at this point. Yeah you have another one. Uh no, okay, good with that one thing. Two minute warning goes to

both benches. Now. One thing Jerry talked about also yesterday was Alfred Morris, and I think he basically confirmed what you were saying that that was the that was the other option. That was his plan, the plan, and and I was thinking about it this morning that even if you look beyond let's say Zeke comes back, which he will, but from an injury standpoint, all right, we love seeing

the development of young running backs, yes we do. But I think it was important to get a veteran like Alfred Morris in here just to have the insurance, just to have in case of injury. And they felt that somebody else might go get him. Yeah, yeah, they'll sit down and watch because we aren't sure even though we as as media, as fans, whatever, we're looking at young guys saying okay, we kind of at this point you kind of see what their potential could be. You want

to see that potential. And the fact of the matter is, it's tough playing even though the running back is a position where you can come in, It's tough for a seventh rounder. It's tough for a fourth rounder to come in here. And a lot of them why, whether it's blitz pickups whatever, for them to really be a guy that you're depending on this first year, or it's tough on a guy that spent the year on the practice squad. Don't go to sleep. But Jordan Shutting, Yeah, his name

has been popping up around here too. Don't go to sleep on him. They like him, yep. And that Darius Jackson those well you see him. Do you see him knock a woozier on that they run? They run that crack toss? Yea. And by the way, you see who was the point of attack player at the crack toss? It was your fourteen million dollars receiver blocking Robert Quinn, you know what I mean. Yeah, so he hats off. Give him a helmet sticker for that block he got

right there? Was that the one on the sideline? Oh yeah, that's the one that Heath came up. No, it was Xavier Woods. Excuse me, it's a Woozier. No Woozier. But then after it was over, Heath came up and got into it, like, okay, so we're gonna get physical at practice today. Sure, I think we're gonna get on the goal line. We're gonna get physical. We're gonna go live. Can we go live on Go go live on goal line. We'll be there writing about and talk to me right on the goal line. He day is the day to

do it right. Training camp Live. Take goal line today, Today, today, and I'm asking for the Friday before the Blue White scrimmage has been a day where they go live right. Sure day Jason's press conference line today. You may not want to tip off the opposition. It's Mickey's day on training Camp Live. So we go goal line. You get to hear the room at it. That's what we'll look forward to and we will talk at you again tomorrow.

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