Talkin’ Cowboys: Early Camp Standouts

Good lord, I've been here a week already. Yeah. I came out here last Wednesday, team arrived. I've done Thursday, so you guys have been day so you reach a week today and so much going on. It is a day off of the players. But it's not a day off for talking cowboys, right or anything else we do right, Nopeickly, just don't have to watch prasca practice and listen to you don't get to watch practice to watch practice, right,

get to have a press conference, that's right. And uh So it's a day off for the players and they'll be back at it Thursday through Sunday. We'll have the Blue White Scrimmage right here Dallas Cowboys dot com and in Dallas Fort Worth on Texas twenty one formerly known as t x A twenty one. Believe it's at six o'clock Central time. I didn't know they changed the name. Yes they did. It's Texas twenty one. Yeah. Yeah, And he's got a nice ring to it. I like that.

It's it's fine. It's not catchy yet because we haven't had a Blue White scrimmage on Texas anyone get forward to that. So we will on Sunday and we'll all be a part of that. We'll talk about that more as the week goes on. But let's get into what's happening here at Cowboys camp and right out of the shoot, I mentioned Zeke watch right off the top, but let's

start with Travis Frederick watch. How about it? Because c dub on Twitter at CBS eleven Bill Jones has tweeted me a couple of times already asking me please cover how Travis looked in pads on Talking Cowboys. So right off the top, how did Travis look in pads for the first time yesterday? I think if you consider it was the first time in a year, and not only did he go through the Gillian Varius syndrome, but he also had shoulder surgery and surgery to repair a numbilical hernia.

I think it was okay, there you go. I think that he showed that he has strength. In my estimation, he was about a step slow, a little tick slow on reacting and just he didn't look comfortable out there. But that's it's been a year, right, Yeah, it's been almost a year. But he's not he's not wrong, And I appreciate. No, I'm not. I'm not arguing because the

view of what he Yeah, I'm sorry. I took that as maybe you're like, oh no, he was explaining that you got to qualify here, right, Yeah, I just you're absolutely right. But I appreciate what Mickey's saying right now because to me, that's what I saw the same thing. I saw a guy that was a tick slow, that

really didn't look totally comfortable with what's going on. There were a lot of things happening fast in front of him, you know, and he was and he was like he was trying to catch up to okay, kind of remember how to do this. He even talked about it himself. May yeah, when I make that reach block I gotta put that foot there, and I gotta cut this guy off and stuff. So there's things he just naturally plays.

There's probably some stuff a little bit of thinking going on yesterday what he had to but I was glad that he least showed the strength and power. Now it's just a matter of getting in rhythm of everything. But hey, as he pointed out, it was just the next step, and then the next step is to you know, play in a preseason game, and then the next step is to play in a regular season game. So, uh, this was just another landmark step for him on his way

to recover. Here's a reminder of just how long it's been. He had to get a new set of pads because in the offseason workouts in the spring, he went to get them and they were gone. They were nowhere to be found. It's been a lot, I don't know, but it just as a reminder of how long it's been. You know, August last year was the last time he went through any type of full speed practice. So you you factor that in because he did like some snapping in the offseas OTA's Mini camp, but not anything uh

in team. And then you factor in that the speed of the game. It's going to take him a little while. I wonder if those pads were from Wisconsin, you know, from his days of playing. You know, sometimes these guys bring their pads with him and stuff. So yeah, I mean his shoulder pads. If you look at him, though, they're a little bit they're formed or a little bit you know, they're a little bit narrower, they're not as wide as in Bulky, So he's probably, uh, he's probably thinking, Okay,

where are my old pats. You know. It's kind of like an old hot love hockey goalie, whatever you want to say. But yeah, I think again, Mickey was absolutely right, dead spot on about the evaluation about Travis Freddick, and Rob is a correct as well. As it's been a long time, he's gonna have to come up with some things, he's going to feel better about himself. So yeah, it's

just the fact that he's out there. I think he's just remarkable because considering, you know, we've all had to learn about what that syndrome was, and it didn't sound too promising. You know, guys, Oh, I've been through it. It took me two years through you know. I mean, guys have just never really bounced back from that, that

is as much. And the fact that he's out there with with a with a bigger guy to his left and an all pro to his right, I think is a good thing for Yeah, and and and he said he talked about there were a couple a couple of emotional moments for him, at least a couple, uh, you know,

going back nine months ago or whatever. And as when he wondered if this day would ever become again for him where he would be able to put on the pads again, the fact that he could feel the ball in his hand as he's snapping it instead there were times last year with this when this, before this, he knew what was going on this time last year. And I thought it was really interesting too that he relied on the scouts. The scouts are out here, the cowboy scouts,

the college and pro guys. Those are the guys that he went to. And when they were asking about his level of play, it wasn't he knew something was wrong, but the scouts were coming up to him and saying, are you okay? Is there you know, because there you get so used to watching a guy snatch a three techniquet at wide three and all of a sudden, seventy two is there that heads in front, his butts around and now the ball shooting off his backside. So you know,

the scouts are going, is there's something you're feeling? Okay, you know, And that's where I think. But there was times too. I remember talking to him in a one oh five three event where he couldn't feel his feet, he couldn't feel his hands. He says, I'm snapping the ball and I had no feeling in my hands while he goes, I don't know if Dak was getting it or not. I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel the ball. That's why they thought it was a stinger r exactly. So, yeah,

we're serious. And remember how many times sitting those one on one drills he was on the ground as he was getting run over it right, and Antoine would fight with Antoine absolutely yeah. And speaking of one on one drills, I asked him about if he looks forward to getting to that stage here and uh he said it was an absolute no. Yeah, yeah, I think, but I hate

those and so we'll see where that comes. Uh he did not do that yesterday, and we'll see where that comes in his progress as they bring him along, um, and during these workouts. But as he pointed out, it's not that often in a game or a center has to go one on one right with yea with a player, and so he doesn't believe that drill is important as important for as good at it, plays that leverage though his hands inside and sitting. Yeah, yeah, and it's it's

my favorite thing to watch in practice. But he pointed out, you know, your body kind of gets torked in different ways when you're just one on one with a guy, uh, instead of you know, maybe passing a guy off, and you know, right in the middle of playing somebody up. Yeah, picking somebody up. So you know, um, i'd love to see him do it, But if it's not the best thing for him to do, at least not full time, then yeah, that's that's okay. Well, what they're protecting him

from is the shoulder surgery, right, you asked that question too. Yeah, you're good, and and we're gonna see a little of that as the week progresses with other guys that had shoulder surgery to make sure they're not over overdoing it. You know, you were talking about the shoulder pads, and he said, I bet the trainers are happy because those things stunk. Yeah, you think somebody came through on a tour and said, oh, shoulder pads, let's take them. I

don't know. Maybe the trainers just said, you know, we're not sure what happened to him and pitched him start fresh. It might it might be with Jason Witten's old helmet somewhere. I think Jason Witten had to get a new helmet and he I don't think he was too happy about that either. All Right, moving on to what's the latest that we know of on the Zeke Watch the Zeke front. It was it was funny last night after the walkthrough.

Of course, they had the morning practice yesterday, walked through in the evening, and so Jason Witton stopped and talked to the media, and uh, I think it was Mike Doucey Channel four said, so, could have been any other place besides Cabo, something about the optics. Yeah, but Witton was funny talking about his ill fated trip, infamous trip to Cabo the week before a playoff game. But as he walked away that that uh that he was hoping people had forgotten about but of course we will never forget.

See that's the thing like if Zeke went to the Bahamas, I don't think he would have the same like pickst it, just go to Cancoon instead. Yeah, there's something about that place to go go to Frisco Cabo. Do you guys realize how I did I think point this out yesterday? How hot it is this time of year? And you did point that out? Yes, yes, I mean it's not

a vaga. And Travis Frederick said he's been to that place where Zeke has work, is working out in Cabo, and he's got no problem with Zeke being at that place as long as he stays out of the office. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Have you ever been there? I've not been there. It's on the beach. Yeah. The margaritas are they should put a barometer on him. Two maybe one, okay two maybe the third one year in trouble. I'm drawing. I got drawn.

I got drawn off sides here by Mickey. Is it like the Pat O'Brien's thing where you go in there? But they're good, stupid right, stupid sweet? These these margharita is come in a big goblet and they are strong. Yeah, you had a note about Zeke though, and as far as the contract goes or oh no, And I just heard everybody's starting to say nationally, oh that things are moving along fast, and it's like, Okay, I didn't hear

that from anybody around here. Yeah, as if last night I was kind of hearing the same thing that it was news to them. But we'll see. I mean, they don't. This team is not going to negotiate in the press, so any bits of information you get would probably have to come from their side of the coin. But I do know, like Mickey just said, though, some higher ups

are saying that that's kind of news to them. And by the way, on the Alfred Morris thing, uh, kind of was told that this has been in the works for a while, not just oh Zeke's not here, we better go get Alfred Morris. So when Jerry answered your question about we've got a plan going forward, this was the plan Alfred Morris. Yeah, the plan he got expedited because the Saints had interest. Now they had to go ahead and do it. Yes, that's part of that was

a factor for sure. Well, I think probably from Morris's side, his agent expedited things by getting a workout with the Saints. Well, I can I tell you what happened then. But he had already planned to go to New Orleans. They had been in talked with him and he said, I told him I was gonna come. I'm gonna go, but I'm signing with you. Yeah, that's what I was told a word. Yeah. Yeah. And he didn't have to move. Yeah, he lived. He said,

he lives outside of Debt, so his family's there. So he thought this was the smartest thing, not to pick up his family and go somewhere else. You just had a little girl, yeah, um, six weeks old. He's all set up in Dallas. He said. It's not really you know, not really about me anymore. Of it's for a comfort level. It's just staying in Dallas. Here's the other big thing

for a guy like Alfred Morris. What this does for him getting into camp early in camp is he now goes through camp and when it comes cut down time, Let's say Zeke comes back. In Alfred Morris's situation, other teams will know that he's ready to go when they got injuries or whatever. If he signs laid in camp or or hasn't signed with anybody, then people have to bring him in for a while acount whatever. I mean. Even after practice yesterday, they're running him on the side

over here, getting him in shape. Actually that was his conditioning test. Okay, all right, they chased us off the field. Well, it's conditioning tests. But that is all the process of him being show somebody else you're good. And maybe the best thing is that they signed him for the veteran exception, so all he got was a ninety thousand dollars signing bonus and he counts just seven hundred and thirty five

thousand against the cap. When all these players, all the guys out on the street right now, it benefits them getting in camp now because that way when the cutdowns come in this league, people will will number one, they can watch him and play in preseason games or whatever, and then they were ready to pick him up when they have knees because there, as we all know, there are needs every single day in this league. All right, No, it's your point, he said, there's no assurances. Team has

given him no assurances of making this team. But at least he's got it. He's on tape and he's thirty years old, but he's on tape and if he has a solid preseason, if it doesn't work out here, he gets picked up somebody Else's right point, I mean ninety thousand that you gotta eat that big deal, right all right? Big contracts signed today in New Orleans, the Saints have signed their wide receiver Michael Thomas. It's reported to be

a five year, one hundred million dollars deal. Then some other reports came out that it doesn't average twenty million a year. There are some big time of bonuses incentives at the end of the contract that would get it up to twenty million dollars. It's more like a nineteen point two five million dollars year contract, but still the largest for a wide receiver in NFL history. The key is sixty one million sixty one guarantee. Now how long the guarantee is over is significant. And then the other

thing you have to factor in. It's a five year extension. So his base salary for this year was like one point one million. He was a second round pick, so that so that means six years, one hundred and one million dollar deal, right, Yeah, And so we got to see how it's kind of like on the Carson Wentz Carson Wentz's was an extension right averages thirty two millions.

But if you if you encountered his base salaries for when he wasn't being extended, then it was it basically averaged out to about twenty five twenty seven million a year. And of course, how that affects the Cowboys is does that prompt movement on the Amari Cooper contract. It seems like to me talk to some folks, it had like you said, it had fluff in it, that that contract had some fluff. So, you know, with that being said, then they have to find a way to kind of

you know, get that squared up. Uh, you know, if that's the case, that's the agent number. Yeah, the agents are always going to put that out. I heard the same thing that you know, Well, just you've got to be careful of that, you know, because it always comes down to what you're guaranteed. So, but the point is all these big contracts, to Rob's way, all these big

contracts are always going to be that way. All these all those contracts are going to have something that you look at it at the end of the day to Okay, what what extra things did they put in? There's no big contracts that don't have that. It was important for the agent the player to get it announced, says one hundred million dollars deal. Yeah, and I got the highest. They're trying to get over twenty million dollars. They wanted to be the twenty you know. It's like, it's like

the whole thing with Dak. I mean, to Dak's camp, it's important for him to be a thirty million dollar quarterback. That's where that's at with him. It's not that, you know, it's not that. Oh, at the end of the day, it's the number, says thirty million dollars, but it might come in under that, you know that. But that's that's the it's the it's the it's the optics of it is what it is. And Cooper, he's on the books

for fourteen million this year. So you got a figure the negotiations start it fourteen million a year at least, right, that's that's the bottom or that's the basement or what's the franchise tag going to be next year? Yeah, and so for him it would be one hundred and twenty percent of fourteen million if the franchise tag isn't more than that. And I think, oh my math real quick on twenty percent more than fourteen. I mean, that's what we talked about with the Marcus Steele. You know, that

gets you to sixteen something. So he's gonna get paid somewhere. I wouldn't imagine it's going to average somewhere close to eighteen million. But aside from all those contract numbers, the fact that Michael Thomas's deal is done now now you can see where the market is for wide receivers in

this league. I want to get there before Julio Jones gets sent and and so do you think that this will prompt now that the Cowboys will get something done with Mari Cooper before the season, because now the agent has something to work off of, because the important thing is getting something done with Cooper. As you pointed out, with a fourteen million dollar capit, then you reduce that and you got more money to play with for the

other tea exactly. I think it's encouraging that his agent was out here this week too, a couple of days ago. So yeah, I think so. Although Jerry was asked specifically about that contract in New Orleans that just got done a couple of days ago, and we're not worried about. See, that's what I think. That's what you have to look at it too. I think the Cowboys or Mickey's talked about, Rob's talked about, everybody's talked about it. They had their own issues that they have to go buy the thing

with the thing with this Thomas contract. Yeah, it's something that that now that Adam and Todd and Steven can look at and say, okay, that's what they did. It gives you an idea because they break down how the contracts structured. So once these cap guys go through it, they could say, okay, well this is something we could think about, or we would never do this. You know,

see to me, who which team? Okay, which team? If you looked at both teams are very very talented, but which team has the most guys that they have to sign? You know, the best the best players. See so if you say, okay, we're looking at the Saints, so we're looking at the Buccaneers, or we're looking at the Cults or whatever, this team has more players that you feel like have to have bigger numbers and contracts. There's some teams that could get away with signing guys that you're going,

uh that, you know, wow, that's a huge contract. But but it would it would wreck this team, like Mickey was talking about, it would because this team has younger players. The Saints are a good team. Off the top of your head, who are the highest paid Saints players If you were just guessing Drew Drew Brees at twenty five million, I think Michael Thomas and then they got the defensive end there cam Jordan. Yeah that Camaro is still on his right, what is he? This is his third year?

I think camar is the third year. Yeah. See, it's ub saying though, if you the Saints have an offensive line that's got some money to it, you know they're putting much like the similar to the Cowboys. I don't think they're to the level of what the Cowboys are and they s aren't paying another wide receiver because Thomas had what one hundred and twenty catches and the next

wide receiver had twenty, right seriously? Yeah. See that's that's where I think that Mickey's point is very valid, as that you're sitting there and you're looking at a team and you're thinking, okay, yeah, that makes sense to us. Yeah, we'd love to sign our guy, but we've also got five other guys. They got to think about Simon vander esh sometimes soon. I'm just going, yeah, going down the list here, Jalen Smith is restricted next year. Byron Jones is in the last year of his deal. About Xavier

Woods maybe one day or something like Xavier Woods. You've got a lot of guys in the secondary who were up after this season. Jeff Heath, Anthony Brown Brown, Yeah, good players. Collins didn't even mention Lyle Collins, Collins, Malie Collins. That's what I'm saying. You're you're You've got a team you can't have. And I'm we're doing this documentary on Barry Switzer for Deep Blue. That's coming out right a couple of weeks. And y'all were around those late nineties.

Part of the issue was the start of free agency. And yeah, they kept the top guys, but you gotta have fifty three guys to win a Super Bowl. Rob I lived it. You guys covered it. Yeah, Yeah, you guys covered it. I lived it. And trust me, the the salary that when when the salary cap when you're paying it to Emmett and to Michael and to Troy Aikman and to Darren Woodson. Those were the guys were And then we did a horse sue job of trying

to find players that could subble. We couldn't find MALIEK. Collins. We could We thought Willie Blade was MALIEK. Collins. Well you get into the two thousand, like two exactly. We we thought that guys. Uh, you know, we thought Derek Ross was uh Byron Jones. You know, we didn't. We didn't have guys. Yeah, exactly, Mickey, exactly. Shame on us for for not but that's what happens. But the curses that you draft players and then and then all of a sudden it's it's a good curse to have, but

then you have to pay those guys. Go back, go back and look at the number of free agents they lost in that ninety five season. Between ninety four ninety five, I bet they lost about five or six stars, including Ken Norton, Mark Stepnoski. They lost a bunch of guys and it it was pretty significant Jones Jones, Yeah, yeah, the depth on that defensive line. Russell Maryland went to left and then the next year Larry Brown left after the Super Bowl MVP. So yeah, the free agency kind of,

we've got to we're gonna take a break. By the way, Drew Brees cap hit for the Saints is twenty two point seven billion dollars, and the quarterback here in Dallas here in the next few years, they're going up to a thirty million dollars cap for this quarterback year. There's that shows a difference between teams and when you've got a veteran quarterback who's already made his money in this

league as it compared to young quarterbacks. All right, should we be concerned about Sean Lee when we come back here? Talking Cowboys has been helping Cowboys fans see better since nineteen seventy two, so they don't miss a moment on the field. Get classes with slor's 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. Find up participating I Care Professional and details by visiting or USA dot com. That's USA dot Com terms and conditions applying. You want the most interesting up to the minute Dallas Cowboys News Straight from the Star in Frisco. How about exclusive and on command. That's right, news and nuggets you can't find anywhere else. With our exclusive Cowboys content on Alexa, you can have all the answers, secrets, stories and more. What's

Stephen Jones thinking during a game? What's Joe Looney's favorite pregame meal? We take your questions to Cowboys players and coaches and you can hear the answers directly back to you. Just say Alexa Open Dallas Cowboys. You're like me and you love I mean, if you have a high thing, then cutting the chord is scary. But then I found out I could switch to direct TV Now and still get the live sports I love. No satellite needed, no bulky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live sports.

You try direct tv now for ten dollars a month for three months. Visit DirecTV now dot com direct tv now more for your thing that's out a thing He's called real the a limited time price for a little packet a few months when his monthday full price currently man Himum forty dollars and less cans. Prices may change

and you subscribers cancel any time. Content varies by package and maybe limits for sixteen o five A man's steps and doesn't just protect him from life's elements, it projects an unstoppable and legendary spirit, just like the men wearing silver and navy on the field every Sunday sends eighteen sixty five. Steps and Hats are American made with pride right here in Texas. They are still the official crown of all self prospecting Cowboys, and Stetson is proud to

be on the field with America's team. Find Steps and Hats in the pro Shop or at Stetson dot Com. Today. Doctor Pepper is the one you crave, But how do you explain that craving? Imagine being shipwrecked on the desert diamond anone glass like curls of self bound at the shore with Doctor Pepper colored waves, surrounded by desire. But you can't drink, kids, because it's the ocean fish and even there, the only thing you want's Doctor Pepper and you can't have it. Now, that is it, Doctor Pepper?

Craving Doctor Pepper, the one you crave? Back to Talking Cowboys. Docing Cowboys continues on a Wednesday here in Oxnard, California. Yes we are at the corner of Vineyard in Ventura and Oxtart, California. Mickey, you have big plans on your day off today. Yeah, I'm gonna tape two TV things. We're gonna do your work cast, and I gotta do mix shots for Dallas car Robbie have big plans eating pad on my back turned thirty eight month ago and now I'm now I'm thirty eight. Yeah, and just yeah,

it's like it was like eight. It sounds like it was just yesterday. You were at the kiddie the Thanksgiving kids table with the crayons, reading emails. Yeah, it's been a while. It's been a while, been fifteen years ago. What did it Talking Cowboys start? Two thousand year Remember it was on the Cowboys Channel TV. It was a

TV show. But I remember because you guys, I was working and I would watch it and you guys were always right and had always right, and it was we were always wrong, and uh Rob was at the card table right. It was like romy might when I was a kid at thirteen years old. They'd say, Okay, go sit over at the card table at Thanksgiving, and you guys would go over to Rob and he would be and you know, at the card table and it was like poorly lit, you know. And Scott Purcell, director of broadcast,

like it was clause Valley. Yeah, he was like, why don't we put a sport code on you and just try to dress it up just a little bit, you know. No, we were in the studio, yeah, I know, but you guys were, but it was in a clock spared of the studio at the Star. Yeah. And if you remember so, it was on Comcast TV and it was on a twenty four hour loop, so we had a station twenty four hours and whatever content we had, whatever shows, it was every one of the shows. We had an hour

long wrap up show. It's like an ESPN Sports center. Yeah, and you guys were hunting for some content we did. We did Talking Cowboys and we took calls and the Jets, who were the two teams had Atlanta to Atlanta and there was no It wasn't the thought. I thought it

might have been the Colts, I don't remember. And then the NFL network came into the system and they told Jerry, why would you have a station that would compete with your other station you own, meaning you own the NFL network, you know, And It was funny because about a year or two. A year later or so, Jerry came up to me. We were in a hospital qality room on an away game, and he said, you know, he goes, when I get this this thing settled with the stadium,

he goes, we're gonna bring that station back. Well, yeah, not so much. Well it kind of done it in a different we've but we've expanded. What what's happened is, uh, you know, the digital age and the internet exactly right, and the local over the air TV stations. Meanwhile, we're dying and we have a twenty four hour that's exactly right product now. And by the way, one of my great memories here at an ox Nard it was either an oh four oh and or oh five, was we

had to set here doing talking cowboys. Had Kevin Costner on this ship, yes, when he visited camp. Had a long discussion with Kevin Coston that in between us, Right, I'm going to sitting here talking to Kevin Costle. This is unbelievable. You star struck, Mickey. Yeah, well I was Bill too, you know, I thought I was on with the great Bill Jones. Pap Pip CD wants to know assuming assuming we keep six wide receivers, who would you keep?

I know we're very emp away early for that. I give you three for sure, give me three for sure, and then let's talk about the other three Cooper Gallup and Cob okay, and then let's see what happens after that. Anybody's standing out for you a little bit? Robert over there, uh, Jalen Gen had a nice day, but John Vay has been my guy since one of the speed is noticeable or one of these young undrafted guys gonna make this team. I think I think one of them will sure, and

one for sure. Now Tavon is probably if you were looking for the fourth guy at this point, it stays healthy just because of his body. He's not out there and he's losing traction. He needs to get out there. But again, he had his knee scoped and they're gonna take their time with him. They know what he can do. Point yeah, but because yeah, okay, shown the past, let's say, and Reggie Davis has got his hand up in the air a lot. And as the one who told me this,

Chris Hall said he can run out of sight. He's running past guys again yesterday. I mean he's incredible. It comes to that, and they're and they're giving him reps at punt return, so you know, see if he can do that. Um was it John Vay? Yesterday he ran uh post deep post and I can't remember who he beat on it, and then he was probably down there. He beat Chris Chris Westy on a route the day before.

That was what we called that slugo the slant go and Westrey bit and he took off and there was yesterday he was dining then down at the far end of the field just bent over like he was almost like he was winded or something. I don't know what it was, but and so I kept an eye on him and he was back in for his next rep. I mean, trainer came over and asked him something and he was fine. But a guy like that, they know as much as they might be hurting or whatever, they

still gotta go right. And that was that said a lot for him is that he would. He didn't miss a rep. He was right back in there. Many these guys run a lot. That's there's two positions that run all the time, the defensive backs and the receivers. And that's why when they're doing gassers. I'm surprised those guys. They have them still running over on the well. And it was yesterday too. Somebody mentioned, they go, why are those wide receivers dragging behind? I said, because they've already

ran all day. It's like a soccer match. But when they went to second second team offense yesterday, it was John Vay Johnson and Reggie Davis. Yeah, split wide, there you go. And then they were bringing in Cedric Wilson. Let's not forget him in the slot there. He's a different type of slot receiver. He's a little bigger, he's thin.

I don't know what his speed is. But I think they like them, and I feel like we need to mention their numbers when we say their names the new players, because when you see the videos then you'll you'll register. It's kind of like me prepare to do the preseason games out here. It's so helpful for me just learning how they run, what number eleven looks like run. You don't even pay attention to what their number is because you notice them and Scott would would look at it

that way. Eighty one is John Vay Johnson elevens Reggie Davis eighty three, Jalen Guy guys sixteen and six. And by the way, that was Cooper Rush with some nice touch, some deep balls to those young receivers yesterday again one better. Uh, Eric want helps when your quarterback gets the play. That's

you said that yesterday, Eric wants. Are you seeing any new things on the defense anything, anything, anything different than what you have more maybe blitzing, more than bringing linebacker, seeing that we're seeing guys playing and we've seen different nickel guys. Anything they changed yesterday When they first were in team in bass um, Anthony Brown was replacing Byron Jones, and when they went to nickel, Brown was moving inside

and Jordan Lewis was outside. Early yesterday yesterday they had they had Lewis outside and when they brought Brown in on the nickel, he went into the slot. So they were taking a look at least of Jordan Lewis, giving him a shot to compete on the outside. Joe Thomas playing for Shawn Lee. Joe Thomas was the same line. Um. I believe Taco Charlton was at left end yesterday. Yes, he was, so he's moving him around um and Luke Gifford, Yeah, he was. He took Joe Thomas's spot on the second

he was defense. He was the first young guy in, so he was playing the linebacker spot where Thomas was. Lee was out, which we didn't answer your question when you yeah, Shawn Lee out after tweaking a knee on Monday and the first padded practice. According to the head coach, Minor sprained mcl yes, and normally when you see her a sprained himsel you're thinking two to four. I was told this was less than that and that if they had to play next week, he probably could do it.

But he doesn't have to play till September eighth, so we may we're not going to see Shaun Lee in any preseason games like yeah, and they're gonna be real carry they're back to the bubble repub. I don't know if he was hoping they were over too. I don't know if he does much the rest of this week. He probably wouldn't have done anything in the Blue White scrimmage anyway. And then they get a day off, so so we even even dress rehearsal game. If everybody's healthy,

I mean Italy not. Maybe they'll maybe how it goes, but they're not rushing him back yesterday was that makes sense. The funny thing was yesterday was supposed to be his veteran day off anyway, right, and he tweaked it early in Monday's first padded practice. Yeah, and on Sunday might have been a divot out there are you never know? It was on Sunday we interviewed him after practice and we're talking about just how he loves training camp, and I think I asked him a question that just is

there anything he doesn't love about training camp? And he jokingly said sore knees. Oh no, well, you know he's had knee problems not but this now, this knee. I was the right one, Jason was right by the way, and it was the left one that he tore the ACL college again here. Yeah, as anybody knows how Mike Jackson's doing, that's a question they've been asking Mike Jackson

the corner thirty three. Yes, have you seen him Jackson, he's been in I want to say on the second nickel right in the slot, right, Well he's playing outside. When we did training camp live yes Friday, right right left left corner had him in the slot working. Yeah, they they've had they're trying to kind of find a spot for him is I mean I've seen him in some covered stuff where where the ball hasn't gone his direction.

So I see a guy the movement and stuff that you see why they try and play him in the slot. But he is a long guy too when you look at him, I mean he's got that like the ranging kind of bill. But yeah, but you watch him move and hit, the ability to turn and through some things and carry guys and routes. He was running with Guyton, he was running with John Bay Johnson and those guys. So yeah, it's that they haven't attacked him. You know, we haven't seen like they try to attack a woozier.

I mean they've seen you've seen balls go at a woozy and he's been up to the task. I think it has been a very nice start to the camp. And but with Mike Johnson still kind of waiting for uh, the one Mike Jackson, I'm still if you look at the one on one stuff that is a hard, hard drill for defensive backs. It's that the seven blocks of granted and one thousand and seven the guy and then he throws, you know, Mike White then throws the ball

kind of a thing. But yeah, as far as the coverage and stuff and watching him carry guys, he's been pretty good. We'll see if he can make some place from that though. Good to see yesterday the interception from Xavier Woods, you know, on a hot throw. He just jumped rout and very impressive. Kellen Moore gave those guys this morning and the explanation of what happened to it, he said. He said, it was a great teaching interception

for us. Yeah, he said. When it happened, Dak apologized to Randall Cobb and cops said, no, it was my fault. I should have cut my route off. He said, So now we understand on that play what has to happen when the defense does what they did. He said, it was a great interception to to teach and show what needed to be done. Love that about Randall Cobb, right, I love what I love everything about that guy. You get the idea that he's he's just a perfectionist, don't you,

I mean a professional? Yeah, well that too sure. And he doesn't shrug off a drop pass either. He dropped at himself. But but yeah, but again, not to minimize what Xavier Woods did. He jumped the route, he saw it and it did a really good job. Xavier Woods was kind of sneaky in the way he played it too. He kind of like was standing like he was. You could tell he was looking at Dak and he was thinking, Okay, I've got this. I got with slot blitz, I gotta cover.

As soon as he saw the play fake, he knew something was coming on the hot and he drove it, I mean hard, and that was that was where I think that. Uh, you know, with Xavier Woods, you talk about safeties that can see the field. That's what you gotta have right there, you know what. Keep an eye on that. Hey, we had the question yesterday who could emerge as the Pro Bowl defensive player and given more thought to it now, yeah, he could be the guy say him yesterday. Ye more that I think about it,

and not just based on the pick yesterday. So one of the things that Garrett was talking, you know, and growing mentally and and what Garrett was talking about Xavier the other day in his press conference, he's he's naturally a more quiet russ. His personality is more quiet, and I think you have to when you're naturally like that, the more confidence you get. The more you learn about how to play in this league, the more that will come out and you'll become more of a vocal leaguer back.

You don't think he's James Washington, Is that what you're saying? And you know what, maybe you don't have to pay one hundred million dollars for a safety. Could be true, It could be very true. But we've seen you know, he hits. You know in the yesterday Jeff the safety have an interception too. Yeah, and then he kicked it up to himself. Yeah, well, lay on the ground the safety. You know. Chris Rachard said about Xavier Woods von Frazier

as well. What Rachard said about Woods is he's kind of our bell cow back there in the secondary as far as being physical and making hits and doing those. Now, it costs him a couple penalties last season, right, but he brings that already. Like you said, it's hard to make the Pro Bowl as a safety if you get some takeaways though, you get in the conversation, yea delivering

a message fifteen yards yeah, yeah. And Richard told me when I was talking to him about Xavier Woods and didn't have a lot of picks and he goes, well, you know why he didn't have a lot of picks because he was in spots where the quarterback had to go somewhere else. And people don't see him taking up the field where Okay, I just eliminated where the quarterback wanted to go. Now he's got to go somewhere else.

So he thought he thought he for a first year starter in the NFL, and his second year he was really started. He's totally bought into Richard by the way he talked to him. He might not say much, but he'll say a lot of good things about christ Shark. Okay, let me ask you this. As a safety grows in this league from a scouting perspective, Okay, what Mickey's talking about there, Okay, he's got a he's got an area

covered or whatever. But as you gain more knowledge and you can deek a quarterback crafty guys, Yeah, and then you can you know this is where you're gonna be. But you lay back a little bit and make quarterback make that throw and then you make a pick. Don't do what you're supposed to do too soon, Yeah, exactly. Chicago Bears. Chicago Bears Safeties Eddie Jackson. Right, Yeah, those guys they are in, they're in always it seemed like great position. The balls get tipped up or they get

I mean there was the throw. I was watching the Rams game and like golf, just like he gets hit, he just throws it and it goes sailing over everybody. And here's you know, sometimes there's safety. You're just sitting there, the ball bull comes right to you. So those are instincts. Yeah, if you're if you're a guy that the ball, the ball gravitates to you. That's a good thing. And I think Xavierwords is developing. All right, we continue with more

talking cowboys in just a moment. If you're like me and you love, I mean, if you have a thing, than 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 bulky hardware, no annual contract, just that the live sports. You tried DirecTV Now for ten dollars a month for three months, visit DirecTV now dot com direct tv now more for your than that's outur than us called real the a

limited time price for a little litle page. If three months when He's month at full price currently mad him forty dollars and less cans. Prices may change. We subscribers on cancel any time, content varies by package, and maybe limit districts in the pot. It's time for tailgating with the auterbox boys. The auterbox that builds those crazy protective phonecases. Yep, and now they're changing the side dish game with the Auterbox Trooper. Soft cooler, lightweight mobile, and leakproof. Trooper is

perfect for blitzing a crowded parking lot with a freedo pie. Amazing. Hey you think I could fit my seven layer salmon salad into the Trooper cooler? Yep, but please don't. And that's been tailgating with the autobox boys. Learn more about the Trooper soft coolers at auterbox dot com. While the player can look good on paper, it's when he's out on the feet that you really find out what he's made of. That's why the Cowboys rely on more than

just stats and scouting reports when building their team. When picking a tractor, it's why you should rely on more than just specs and features. You've got to take it out and put it to the test the Cowboys did when they name John Deer their official tractor experience one for yourself. Visit my John Deerdaler dot com slash football. It can be hard to find the right resource for

learning about important financial matters. You search how to build savings, you end up reading about the one weird ingredient from supermarkets that can make you taller. That's why Bank of America build Better Money Habits dot com, a safe little corner of the Internet for answering your financial questions. Full of simple videos and tips, Better Money Habits can show you how to make the most of your money without resorting to random searches that always seem to lead to

unbelievable photos of childhood stars grown up. To learn more, visit Better Money Habits dot com. Slor has been helping Cowboys fans see better since nineteen seventy two so they don't miss the moment on the field. Get glasses with ls 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.

Find a participating I care professional and details by visiting or USA dot com. That's USA dot com terms and conditions. Applying back to the Talking Cowboy. So that steal special on Jack Black they ran out. It's over now, but they've got a new They've got a new one. Good for you. If you make a sixty dollar pork purchase, you get a free oil check kit oil. Really, that's with a sixty dollar pork purchase purchase, right, you're just

as bad as them. And what you would get with that purchase is a deep dive Cli colic facial oil control toner and clean break oil free moisturizer. And you need to shop now if you go to get Jack Black dot com. And the word was glike coolic the first try nailed that about that? How do you smell that? What a G L y C O l I C glycolic? Yes, Rob Phillips, Sims want sim wants to know how Jokes is doing? Jalen Jolkes, Yeah, do you think him or

Joe Jackson? Can you know? I was gonna ask you guys about Joe Jackson because aside from now, I like Jokes, I think in Mickey's up too, he showed up. He's uh, and I don't want to make the direct player comparison here, but he can do it. He's got a Jason Taylor body's he's a long so he's going in the Hall of Fame. I did not say that he's built kind of like him, and I think he's got some deceptive

shrink because he's kind of he's kind of skinny. You know, you know what, You're not wrong, You're absolutely out of atam. Or you could watch him. They would play him down as an undertackle sometimes in the nickel and he would take on double teams and split him. And you've seen him play with a little power, a little snap out here. Actually you're talking jokes, jokes. He got a he gotta, he gotta Welcome to the NFL. Though, on one pass rushing the team, uh, Mike Webber chipped him. Oh, and

you're right. Yeah, it was like he was fighting fighting your boy Fleming and all of a sudden he got a shoulder of number forty right in the ribs and dun him. He had some good pass rushes though in the one then and you mentioned Mike Jackson, Oh yeah, jo Jo jack I was gonna ask you guys, about him, because I don't feel like we've talked a whole lot about him since, even since the draft, you know, but he had he had a pick, thank courtesy of Rico,

probably to day him afterwards. Yeah, dropping the ball, skillets. What have you guys noticed from him? You know what? To me? The coaches will tell you, Oh, I'm surprised he was there, you know, Rod says, oh, surprised he was there when we picked him, you know that kind of thing. I've been kind of waiting for him to show something. I see power, I see a good body. I see really a left end. I don't. I don't

see a right end at all. I don't. Actually Marinelli told me he's big enough, he can move him inside. Haven't see Yeah, yeah, okay, get really late one of these late preseason games when it gets down there, trying to rotate guys. Mickey's right, don't kick him down. He's yeah, okay. So I was gonna say, yeah, get the right thing. This one I haven't seen. Okay, So that tells you a lot right there. I've seen more. He was two seventy five before the off season program. Now he's two

eighty five. Yeah, absolutely, yeah, and he just looked like a bad boy. He's a he's a big guy, right. Just yeah, he's gonna wind up playing inside. Speaking of inside, his Christian Covington number ninety five, done anything for anybody. Mike wants to know that. Uh. I like to look the things. His one on one pass rush it wasn't so good yesterday. It doesn't have a lot of pass

rush moves. It's more pros just he's just pushing. But you know what, when they got in team, he pushed the pocket a couple of times into the quarterback's face. Now that's one thing that's no that's what he can do. That's what you notice on the Texans tape when you watched him play with with the Texans last year. And sure, they've got Clowney, they've got Watt, they've got you know, they got rushers, they've got guys that could go. But when you put him in games and stuff, he could

get some push and get somebody home. He was doing that with the Texans and speaker of getting some push and get somebody home yesterday. Nice job by Jalen Smith on they got they got some pressure almost I think it would have been a sack. He just jam He got right between Martin and Collins, showed great power and that got uh that got our guy all the way home. On the defensive side there, Kerry Hyder was coming all the way around and got it clean. So you know,

you get they're playing these games. But I think this is where Christian Covington is gonna come in as far as helping you with that kind of So do you think the blitzing we see from the linebackers is the defense or are they practicing blitz pick up for the offense. I think they're practicing their blitzes is what they're doing. Both may yeah, both, okay, both, because I just noticed a lot more of the linebackers uh coming than normal. Yeah. Absolutely,

So how do you feel about this front four? The depth and the whole thing? Now, you know, because the reasons one of the inside guys, one of the reasons. You know, when Gerald McCoy was available, I was one of those saying me right because a lot of it was because of those intangibles of Gerald McCoy. I'm feeling much better having been out here and seeing him in the off season and now out here, I feel much better about the interior guys. I feel better knowing that

Tyron Crawford could play inside the three technique. Yeah, but if if if, if if if? Because Kleek looks healthy and he's playing like he's healthy. Antoine Woods is still Antoine Woods trying to muck things up in there with his quickness, and he got his weight down. Absolutely haven't seen Lawrence out there with it. And then we'll see what happens on the right side. You know, Quinn shows, you know, one on one, he wasn't that great. He's

starting to slide on the grass too much. In Mickey's right, I have never I have never seen Robert Quinn on the ground as much as he's been in the last two days. But then again, he's up against Tyran Smith. No, no, but it seems like he's got bad shoes. That's what I thought. He's you know, he could he could capture the edge, because we've seen him do that. We've seen him get inside. But when he gets to the edge, it's like he's playing on with no cleats. It's like

it's to with his feet and they're gone. And then you get a guy like Aaron Smith leaning on you, it's gonna make it look worse. He needs to get can come off the ball now? He yeah, does he not?

First all? Yeah? He hob keeps mer mindedness. I'm sorry he was doing around one yesterday and if you know, you know, if you keep looking at the interior of the line, Tristan Hill, I think, well that that was the other thing I was gonna say, Okay, Mickey went through all these guys on the defensive line, and we didn't mention the second second round draft pick. Who I think is he's just getting used to the pace of

practice out here. I think he's I think he's had some really good moments and some moments where he's like, oh my gosh, what am I doing? Yeah, you know, and and that you could see some frustration at times, you know, he got I mean Zach Martin I wrote about this yesterday to one on once he got a

chance any time that he could go. If you could win one out of every four reps against Zach Mark, I mean a win like at least make him back up right, you know, if you win in like that, that's good because they're not a lot of guards in

the league that are Zack Martin. If you can win on him one time and yesterday, he kind of got Zack Martin all bounced a little bit and got underneath him and was able to kind of push him to the spot, push him to the dot with a quarterback stands And in my mind, I'm thinking, okay, man, just come with some pass moves. Just kind of work on something, grab, pull, swim, do you know, do some stuff, because he could play with some power, but get you don't. You don't often get.

Zach tried to set him a little wide and kind of his foot came up and then and he caught him. I mean he'll caught him underneath the pads and kind of then Zach said, okay, now bumpat both feet down, sit down kind of a thing. But if you could kind of get that, you'll get that kind of confidence and going against a guy like that, that'll help him in the long That's when we first I first really noticed MALIEK. Collins a couple of years ago. He was

giving Zach Martin's fits in those one on one drills. Yeah, so another another guy to watch inside Daniel Wise. Yeah, an undrafted guy who has some ability. It's just it's it's such a numbers game. With his defensive Lineman. It's just it's gonna be tough to keep all these guys. You can't do it would be that you would have two guys from Kansas and you're shocking where the Sooners. That Charles s Tappers with the Jets, you know, good for him. I'm watch out less Miles turn that program around.

I think the thing with whys I keep saying this, I want to see him get an opportunity to rush against Connor Williams and Zach Martin and Travis Frederick and those guys. I want to see him. They list him as a defensive end. He's really a defensive tackle. I want to see him and we'll we'll get plenty of that. I'm sure in this Blue White scrimmage that we're gonna do on Sunday that we'll be talking about that. Mickey'll be down at field level and talking about, Hey, look

that rush right there from Wise. Look, he's a slippery player. He's got some quickness to him. He understands how to get to the quarterback. You know, he knows how to play with some technique. I just want to see him go up against you know, when he when he's when he's battling against Jake Campos and guys like that. I'm expecting him to win. I don't want to see him win against some other guys. Always done a better job

than what I saw in mini camp. Is the Hyatt guy. Yes, yes, feet feet don't look as Yeah, he looked like he was in mud. There's a reason he had over fifty starts for But he's starting to come and they had him at left tackle tackle. Yeah, and you know the guy that's I mean, I don't I know they like him, but you know, Connor mcgoverin kind of getting left behind here although there's there's no one backing up inside. Yeah,

and he has to worry. See that's the thing. No, I mean at the guards, but the sue Philo and you're thinking if if, just if Connor, if he could be here, if he could get reps long before he can get out there. I don't know, we need to follow that. That's that's pack. Yeah. A lot of times when you mess with your pack, that's the season. Yeah. See this is where again the folks on periscoper asking that question, like, how's he hasn't practiced, folks, He has

not practice. He's been out in the Mini Caamp, not since the Mini Camps, so we need to follow up on that for sure, right, we will follow up on that and we will talk at you again tomorrow here on Talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.