Talkin' Cowboys: Minicamp Insights

at the Star in Frisco. It's not only a TCT, heck Ma Harrison, it is a Mini Camp TCT because Mini Camp Mandatory Mini camps are underway today from the Star in Frisco the next three days, a preview to what Oxnard will be coming up in the latter parts of July. But then we hit a bit of a break. We hit this mini camp and then we hit a break, and so we're gonna break it down for you Today is always alongside my great buddy heck Ma Harrison. That's it.

That's the only people in the studio. It's all we've got. We had an earlier show today because of Mini Camp because the schedule gets pushed up and Mike McCarthy as a press conference, and then we've got practice at eleven thirty that the media is able to go out and watch, but I guess we were the only ones that got to memo. Yeah, it seems as though that is the case. But men, like you said, man, this is a this is a great day. It's a great day. Mini camp

is on and Rob pie Island. Hello, sir, how are you hello? Yeah, he's in here. He was doing actual work, so we give him flat but but no, I mean it's just literally, today is that day mandatory. So everybody hands on deck. It's been voluntary falling air quote voluntary before, but now all hands on deck, everyone's got to be here. I'm just excited that obviously now media is able to be back in the building, and it's just starting to

feel so much more reck normal. And I almost hesitate to say that because it's like as soon as you say things feeling normal again, something happens, but it really does. It feels good to have this access, to be able to watch practice in person, be able to listen to these interviews after practice. It's just awesome. Man. It's just it's a vibe of buzz in the building that's set off the fire alarms. Pe so last call for us Yeah, fire alarm. That was that was That was fun. I

was trying to finish up something on the website. Yeah, and now I'm here and I've got a little bit of news. Oh, break it down. Yeah, Dalton Schultz is back. He is back in the building. He will participate in the mandatory mini camp. I guess he would have been subject to fire had he not been. But we'll see if that leads to contract talks any more intensified contract talks. The other thing is I'm in shorts, hex and a Hawaiian shirt. We're all gonna be out, Yeah, we're already.

This is an indoor practice. Yeah, this is indoor practice to day. Yeah, and which might be kind of cold inside for it center by the time we get outside for like eleven thirty twelve o'clock practice, it's gonna be ninety degrees, which means it's probably gonna one hundred and ten out there on the field. So I think Mike decided, m let's let's just do this not today, not today. Well that makes me think that throughout the week they would be inside as well, because it's not supposed to

get any cooler. I mean, it's not supposed to cool down at all great point. So if they're not out there today, they may they may push it for a day. I would anticipate maybe one day they'll go out there. They're not gonna tell us what day it is, so it we'll be in shorts all week long and then we'll figure it out. As soon as we get in the building and we look outside, and then on the practice field, it's, oh, there's there's nothing out there. Because I walked in them was the first thing I saw.

Was just not uh, And I wasn't expecting that, and I wasn't expecting it was just the first thing that I noticed when I looked him, like, wait a minute, they're not any pads up there. Please you just keep going. We're getting an emergency alarmed Chris, I did too, is not here. I wish it was, oh gosh, what are you doing to a CBS our emergency break. Isaiah's trying to talk to He's talking with Jerry Madelon, who's been here the last couple of days giving great insight to

all of the on air talent. And he just walked by, tried to get in the door, couldn't and then they just kept going. I went to open the door for him and they were going down the hall. So business calls Isaiah will be here at some point. Everybody, Well, Dalton Schultz is probably the biggest news. You mentioned it a moment ago. He is anticipated to get back into these mandatory mini camps and make things happen on the field. But off the field, it said that talks have been intensifying.

Have you heard something similar of the sort. Yeah, I don't know how much, but talking to people last week when he wasn't here, you know they want to get a deal done. That's on the Cowboys side. Now. There hasn't been a lot of movement to this point, obviously not enough for him to feel like I got to make a point last week and not show up. But I do think that's something the Cowboys want to work towards. Now.

It's under a month. Now, they've got I think twenty nine days to get it done or thirty one days to get it done. We'll see. If Dak Prescott didn't get a long term deal done in twenty twenty, then nothing's off the table. Like it wouldn't surprise me if they don't get it done. But I do think it's something the cowboys want to work towards because they do value what he brings to the table, obviously, and it would help them from a salary cap perspective too, to

try to, you know, maybe lessen their cap. It creates some more space going forward. How's it going, isam? Hello? Kyle? How are you, sir? I'm great? How about you? I'm fan Tabuloso. Good. You have a good chat with Jerry? Yeah, ge mat Man. I'd love to see him. Man. Obviously we talk on the phone all the time, but it's always good to have your coach in person. This is the first time that y'all have got me. I know you met him back in the day, but did y'all

beat him? Yeah? Yeah, we've met a number of times before. Okay, yeah, yeah I didn't. I mean, but this this back to back days with amazing shirts. I love it. Oh it's nothing, man, It's a thing. I mean, it's summed in him. It's nice. Got a quarter. What's what's the thread account on that? I mean that looks soft and supple, soft and over nine thousand. Yeah, it's over nine thousand. Definitely. I don't think he does threat accounts. Thiggy Chris, I really kind

of a backhand. No, that's no. No, No, him and I are the same. We don't like price tags, a low price tage. We'll work, We'll take it. Got it, same, same right on there. All right, let's let's preview this mini camp because specifically fans out there they want every single ounce. What's up. I'm sorry, and I don't mean to stop you. This is an interruption. It is it is. You did a celebrity run day. We're not just gonna go like I just gonna this in the second segment.

Oh you were, Yeah, I'm since, but it was Wade. I was going to hit it in the second throw it out there. Yeah, I played like trash. Yeah, I was disappointed. He struck out in the celebrity I did. I did not strike Yes, you did. No, I did not get hit. Two foul balls, that's strike out. That's definitely not strike strikeout. I made contact, Kim Hamlets struck out. Did you put the ball in play? I did? No? You didn't. Okay, because you want a two time because

you can hit it all? Still strike out off for the second time. You fouled off both. Yeah, you left before the second one. Oh, so you want struck out in the first step bat. No, I fouled out. I have it was a foul out, and there's a strikeouts two different things. Stop it. I go on the bike out and foul out two separate. It was, Yes, it was a toss. I got video for evidence this studio. I fouled out. I guess we're just doing this foul ball doing this in the Yeah, we're gonna do that

for a segment. I hit two fous my first up and my second up. I hit it into the outfield. It was a pop up. So I had a bad outing as an offensive player. That's okay. I made some good play. I threw somebody out at home. Okay. I made a couple of good catches. But that's expected. You're supposed to do that. I didn't hit will who was disappointed? Who was pitching? Who do we have pitch? I think

Kevin Minch, I think was pitching. Okay, former pro, former Big leaguer, Yeah, yeah, yeah, he was under hand though we also had Cole you know. Yeah. I couldn't hit that, so you know, yes, you know, man, you got it. I didn't get past tea ball. So I'm not part of this. I'm not part of this. I'll let you guys down, so I apologize. I'll make it up another day. Sorry, I was trust me that nobody was harder on themselves than I was. I could tell. Yeah, I don't like

frust for me. I just I just wanted to know. I mean, I'm sorry, I mean you he's in here and I've been waiting to hear about that. I was looking forward to coming in here and just boasting, but I didn't do it in past years. I've been freaking amazing. This past year, I just wasn't. I'm not gonna make any excuses. Too many mine, too many didn't do well.

It didn't do well. Yeah, the uh well, we'll hit Reliant and we'll hit Green Foundation at the start of the segment, just for for people that are are listening and want to hear about many camps specifically. But yeah, it wasn't great outing. There were a lot of great cowboys out there though, former cowboys, and they hang out with a lot of boys. Ken Hamlin, Evan Oglesby. It's all for a great cause. Absolutely good stuff. Yeah, really

really cool day at the ballpark. And we'll hit the Green Family Foundation, which we talked about in our last episode coming up here in a little bit. But let's talk about MANI camps specifically, like I said, because fans want to know what to expect, and honestly, we are having that same conversation in the room here. What are

we expecting out of mini camp? And Mike McCarthy's been very adamant about the GPS systems and about putting players through the right amount of work throughout his career here with the Cowboys. But Rob, when you look at a three day stretch like this, where you're having camp esque practices without the pads, but still a high intensity, high work level, what are you expecting from these next couple of days and how that could lead into a bit of a break before Oxnar. You know see, I don't

think it's a whole lot different than OTAs. The main difference is contractually, if you don't show up Dalton Schultz, who is here, then you're, yeah, you're subject to a fine. Other than that, I think no pads, the pace of practice, like you said, the intensity, I think it's pretty much the same as OTAs. Now, I will say, if you go back to last week, there were guys he was he was being like to your point, he was being

mindful of guys reps. Last week there were certain vets that did not take part in some of the stuff, and I don't think it was really injury related too. I'm thinking about, you know, some of the offensive lineman Tyrann Smith, Zach Martin, Jaron Kurse, guys. He's being mindful of guys reps. And he did mention last week Mike McCarthy that there's a rookie wall that's present already for guys after eight installs heading into OTA, So I think

that's he's mindful of that too. So I think there's probably somewhat of a review of the of the installs and some competitive stuff. We'll see how it's scripted, but I don't think it's a heck of a lot different than what we've seen in the last three weeks what you expect to see out there specifically, you know, I think one the way that OTAs has changed probably a

lot less physical than back when when you played. So you know, I think for like say, for instance, for the defense, it's all about reading, react and having your keys. Now you've been in the system for two years, and I think for dan Quinn that's all he wants to see. He wants to see his guys in different scenarios, different sets. How do we cover bunch, how do we cover trips,

how do we cover twins? Things like that. You know, in the defense, I've seen a lot of guys moving around, So I think that position lex that we talk about, We're starting to see a lot of that become apparent with guys like Chauncey Gholston. How does Dante Fowler, you know, his impact on this defense, him being able to upload what you know Dan Quinn has been teaching. But I think for me, I want to see this team because

coaches always say I don't coach penalties. This is a team that was the most penalized team in the NFL last year, and holding penalties plague them. You just go back to the playoff game, which has a bad taste in everyone's mouth. You know, those penalties really was the difference in the game, although all you can think of is Dak running out of time and on that last play.

But seriously, these are just the things that I think that this team has to go into this season thinking we got to clean up some of these penalties before the defense is just the read and react portion of it. Yeah, I think so that the fans understand the priority during Mini campus, just the expectation levels raised, right. We expect you now to understand what you're supposed to be doing. We expect you now to apply the install that we've

done over the past however many weeks. We expect you to have that tightened down now, right, Like, you can't make those same mistakes. You can't say you don't know, you can't say that you forgot, you can't line up incorrectly, you can't make the wrong read. The expectation now is that this is a rough draft or what we're going to hit at the end of July here, and you

need to have these things tightened down. So it's kind of like you're it's kind of like a mid term, right, It's kind of like a midterm, Like it's not your final grade, right, but it's gonna give us a great idea. It's gonna give us a great idea of what to expect here towards the end of it, towards when it actually matters. And that's exactly where these guys are at right now. So guys are they should be in shape

now right there? Shouldn't. There shouldn't be guys out there huffing and puffing in terns where they worried weeks ago, you know. So there's no conditioning element to it, and there's no mental failure. There shouldn't be at least no mental fatigue. You should know exactly what you need to be doing, and you should be in a position physically and mentally in order in position to be able to

execute it. But if for the average fan that doesn't know and understand what all of that means for the season, like everything that you're talking about, what is that? What is how does that help your team success wise? And when the season comes around? Yeah? So, I mean, let's imagine if we all were in here playing the same position, okay, and you know, say, you know that side of the room is all vaccine and we're all the rookies over here. Guess what what we've done in Ota? So okay, cool,

we you guys have less grace. We have more grace because we're the rookies, right in terms of us being able to learn to come in and adapt and all that jazz mini camps. Oh, now, the rookies, we expect you to put form like like the Vets. Not quite like the Vets, right, but you we need to see some hint that you guys should be on the same on the same playing field, right. And if we don't see that, ah, now I have idea of where guys are going to be slotted once we get to camp.

Because once we get to camp, we got a couple of weeks of practice and guess what, we got games. Yeah, so I don't have time to be fooling around trying to figure out if you're ready to go. This gives me a great snapshot or whether or not I could put you in a position to play with the big boys on the other side of the room. Yeah, Because Mike McCarthy talked about he said last year, I played more rookies early than I ever have in my career. And we think about all the guys, especially on defense

that did that and made those contributions. That's a credit to what they were able to apply this time. Yeah, last year. So they've got to be able to catch up, because that's the other thing he talks about. There's a gap right now between the rookie class and what the Vets can do. How quickly can they catch up? How much can they show what they're doing well at this point heading in and hex right with the penalties, Like

Matt will, let's go the fourth round draft pick. I want to say it was either rookie camp or early in OTAs. He had a he got taken out. Now, Mike said that was something he does going all the way back to Green Bay. But clearly, clearly it's an emphasis because to a certain extent, they beat themselves last year with some of the just kind of getting out of their own head. Now you mentioned some of the

youth and how that youth was successful last year. When you're a young player, there's so many steps along the way, so you finally get to training camp. There's the OTAs, there's the rookie mini camp, and there's of course the mini camp, which one is the toughest from an informational standpoint, because you're drinking from a fire hose all summer long, trying to get a playbook ready, trying to get in

the right place at the right time. But now, like you said that that expectation has risen, it would make me think that mini camp would be the toughest on young players, or is it another part of the off seasons. Good question. I would say that from the self applied pressure, I would say that OTAs and you know Mini camp is probably the most even level. Yeah, you know that's you're in terms of Ricky's coming in an applying pressure

unto themselves. Right, I'm coming out, I'm trying to impress, I'm trying to learn, right, I'm trying to get in shape. All these kind of all these different pressures, right, these different elements that's all taking place at OTAs in Mini camp. Now when you get the training camp, it's a whole different type of pressure because now it's the expectation, right, the portion I just talked about. Now, I've been through all that, I've been able to get in shape, I've

been able to learn the system. But now we have to do it in It matters because you know, two weeks we're playing a game. You know, there's no there's no wayte of reps. Right, I don't have time for you to be It sounds bad, but I don't have time for you to be trying to develop because there's only so many plays we have in practice, right, we're running sixty plays. I don't have time to be giving you ten fifteen plays. I gotta get these camps ready to play right, So if you're ready to roll cool,

I'll roll you in there. That's what I'm talking about. As far as those guys looking like they should be on the same playing field, I'm getting OTAs. Mini camp gives you a snapshot of whether or not these guys are ready to compete with those vets on your team. And if you're not, then guess what. I now know you're gonna get that third team reps. You're gonna get those second team rests because the first team has to

get ready to play a game. Hack. When you've been out there watching practices, is there anybody that in that rookie class has already looked like they're a step ahead of the game. I want to say Tyler Smith, just based off of aesthetics. You know, he's a big kid,

he big man, and you know he moves well. He has the most pressure on him, I mean, because the Cowboys got to know that they're right about that twenty fourth pick, and you you know, just if we're talking about pressure, he has a ton of it on him. And he also has kind of a government right breathing down his neck. So there's gonna be a lot of competition, like you always talk about, Man, I want to see the competition, guys competing for this starting spot at the

left guard. But the Cowboys got to know that they were right about him and they got to find this out. That's why everything that you were pointing to about the conditioning, the disciplines, all of those things. For me, it's just allowing these guys to play fast. He's already that guy that you project as. Is he a guard? Is he a tackle? Well, he's a left guard for from now and all the way through Oxnard and the season started. Can he adapt to what they're asking of him? And

again the bigger questions start today. He asked to start filling in those blanks. Yeah. The first thing you notice about him, and it's kind of the same thing I noticed about Tyrn Smith when he first came in is good comparison. It's not bad, not bad. Is his heavy hands? Okay, heavy hands? Like one of the nicknames they had they gave for Tyrn early on was Hotel California because he's from LA and when he got your hands on you,

you're not checking out. Yeah, Okay, that's that's really That's where it came from and there were some plays in practice you've seen where he'll get his hands on somebody Micah Parsons even stop rips, plays over vice gripts, and so that's that's good for playing guard, that's what they need.

They need that power inside. And I think there's there's a feeling within the building too, he might be better off playing guard right away than tackle because because of that physical still set and that things happen faster inside. You don't have to worry about um, these outstanding edge rushers in the NFL and having to play space as much. Yeah, it's it's definitely. I mean, if there's one player to keep an eye on, it's Tyler Smith because you want

him to be in that starting lineup. Like Kekma said, you need him to be your left guard moving forward. Right now, he's taken those second team snaps, he's learning the offense, he's kind of getting into a rhythm. But the full expectation is that he's going to be the starter by the time training camp comes around, and this is the time where he can kind of separate himself from the rest of the pack and try and work

his way into that starting position. We'll continue to keep an eye on Tyler Smith moving forward, but when we come back, what second year player can replace Randy Gregory's production? Is there somebody on this roster specifically that we have in mind. We'll answer your questions and a whole lot more when we come back with more talking Cowboys. There's nothing as unique as our eyes, which is why SLOR

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Eighteen team may Temporreli's dated speech with the network is basically strichens and acceptance may apply. Hi, I'm Clint Tillison with and I'm Jay Novachek, and we're both with Turf, the official tractor provider of the Dallas Cowboys. So if you need a tractor to bail some hey a'm more to cut some grass, or a gator to get some chores done, get a John Deer at unanatag in Turf and then let's get to work. Hey Jay, that's my line,

well not today. Get to work with a John Deer tractor package that's just right for you in your budget, visit unantaginturf dot com to talk in Cowboys join us for Juneteenth in celebration with the Dallas Cowboys in Miller Lite at the Star in Fresco Saturday, June eighteenth, This upcoming Saturday from two o'clock to six pm and joy live performances, play long games, and shop local black owned businesses. For more information, you can visit the Star in Frisco

dot com slash June teenth. Great event being put on out here at the Star. If you've never been to the Star, this would be a great opportunity to see it, a great opportunity to to support a great cause specifically, And there's a lot of people in the building that are working really hard for this event and it's going to be awesome. It's going to be incredible. So now, wonderful event. Wonderful event, and uh man, kudos and to

the Dallas Cowboys for having this event as well. Especially you know, obviously we live in a time where where people are kind of a little awful little bit. So when you have an event like this and you're you're trying to bring the diversity to the NFL, and the NFL has obviously been struggling with that. I just like I said, it's it's like it's really kudos to the

Dallas Cowboys, but also juneteenth is my wedding anniversary. Fells things on the eighteen, uh, eighteen years eighteen on the eighteen, on the nineteen nineteen, on the nineteen. Yeah, so there gots congratulations. So now that we do have an opportunity, how did the Green Family Foundation, the the Nibble and Mingle Celebration ghost wonderful? There was a host there, well, he had a microphone hosting the MC of the events, and he was up on the stage and he did

so many different things. It was Hecma Harrison. As you can imagine in the three piece suit. I think I think you're alone on noting at the thread cam right there. We just try to let that live. But no, it was wonderful, It really was. It was wonderful, wonderful event. And like I said, guys, we talked about when when Rob was talking to Uncle Joe and being impacted by

someone that's lost their life to cancer. Like I one of the questions I was like, by a show of hands, who's been in if you know anyone who's been impacted by cancer and everyone, you know, raise their hand. It's just you know that it's important to continue to uplift and support people after they have a loved one pass. And the University of North Texas has answered the call for the Foundation to have the scholarship, and I just

think it's wonderful. But the night with the man with the amount of gold jackets, the Hall of Famers, that was that Cliff Harris was there. I always say, you know, people don't understand like a lot of these older players, guy's like Cliff Harris. I remember him being at the Foundation before and like people say, hey, yeah, we're only gonna take a picture with the yellow jackets, and Cliff Harris would have to get out of the picture. And I'm saying to myself, like, do you know that is

Captain Crash? You lost your mind. But now he didn't have to do that, And I mentioned that to him as well, and him and my uncle had had an inside joke on that, so he never has to step out of the Hall of Fame pictures anymore. But man, it's just a great ye Van Earl Campbell Hall of Famers were there, you know, So it was wonderful, cool, that's outstanding. And by the way, just because the event is over doesn't mean you can't donate to the Green

Family Foundation. Go online green Family Foundation dot org, great cause scholarships for those that deserve it, and of course, in memorium to a great woman. At the same time, we also had the Reliant Home Run Derby last week. I know a lot of people listening to this show would like to hear how that went. Over one hundred and thirty five thousand dollars raised to charities around by the Reliant Home Run Derby, the Dallas Cowboys and the

Frisco rough Riders. It was a fantastic night, so much fun. Mica felt like he got this the show stolen from him a little bit by you. He hit the most homers. Now he had the most homers, he had thirteen, but Layton Vanderesh raised the most money, so by by rule, he was the winner. So it was Layton Vanderesh Anthony Brown who didn't hit a single ball in the first and not like Homer didn't hit a ball in the first round, and then he finished second because he just

figured it out and made some adjustments. And then Mike actually finished in third, so real quick. So you and I got the chance to do the Media Days stuff last week. Yeah, and that's what that is is when you if you go to the game and you go to eighteen t Stadium and all this stuff on the jumbo Tron, some of the cool video stuff when you're watching Sunday Night football, the starting lineup video packages for all the guys, like, that's where they film all that stuff.

So we helped out kind of scoring guys around to different stations. I walked with Anthony Brown for like two hours. He was so pissed off about his first round performance. Guys are so competitive, man, it's I love it. You just talked about it with yours too. It's just like because he played and he's like, man, I had to get my timing down, you know, and he still almost pulled it out. But hey, when you when you spend five hundred bucks on a bat Man, you yant to

do pretty well. As Mike did. He was as entertaining as anybody. Hit two over the wall, like not the short fence, like over the wall in left field. One of them went almost into the street. It was absolutely phenomenal. As for my media home run derby, I finished in third. I didn't win. I put on a laser show. In the first round. I hit nine in the first round, so I was I was rolling, hit six in my

first seven pitches show. I was rolling. Then then the second round because I went last because of my last name, because wise towards the bottom of the alphabet, I went last, and so I had a quicker turnaround to get to that second round. I just ran out of gas. They screwed you. Yeah, no, I would. It's not totally totally blamed on that because in my final round, I hit the first two, I popped them up, got underneath them, and then I hit four out of my next five

out of the yard. So I was at four with three outs and I needed five to get to the final round, and I just hit the final two. I did it again. I popped them up, So it happened. It's okay, it was my first one. I feel it pain too. I'm gonna turn around. I'm gonna be I'm gonna be right back in it. Don't you wanted to hurry up? Come back around. I want to repeat yourself like this. It was so much so We're playing at Globe Black. We had to hit bombs there was no

short fifths and nothing nothing like that. The Rangers had to the Rangers players mentioned autumn casts. They were trying to hit him too, and caps his warning track in it. You know, there was this one professional softball dude who got up there and was hitting straight bombs just stropes found thirty feet. Oh my gosh, that was the real laser show lasers, show your bombs. All right, let's answer

some questions from Cowboys Nation now that we've hit that. Uh, appreciate everybody who's been sticking around with us here over these last couple of weeks. Lots of charity and lots of events going on. All right, I'm pretty sure I saw some dear anitlers our friends. Our friend Kevin says, do you see the Cowboys addressing linebacker and or wide receiver before training camp in August? He would even throw into fence ven but he just doesn't want to push it. Rob.

But if any of those positions stick out to you as a must add when we get into the latter parts of the ops season, must add. I don't know about must add. I would say wide receiver. No, I don't think they would add anybody. Linebacker, maybe I think linebacker stands out is more of a depth deal. We talked about that, but again, if it's going to be a veteran, it's got to be something they're comfortable with, what both sides are comfortable with, and who's out there left.

You know, I know Bar as a guy people have mentioned. Is maybe a link to the Cowboys Anthony Barr. Maybe that's an option, but I think it wide receiver, especially like I just think, you know, provided guys get healthy. James Washington is not back to practice yet. Maybe he gets in today. We'll see. Jalen Tilbert just got back to practice. Third round draft pick. I think they want to kind of see how that all fits together first with Dak and then kind of reassess it if you're

not happy with it. Obviously, Michael Gallup still working his way back. What do you think. Heck, well, I'm gonna I'm gonna beat Isaiah to linebacker because I know where he's going. But it's true, I don't think you feel comfortable with the depth right now at linebacker, and no matter how Dad Quinn expects to play, it's laden. Vander esh has shown flashes in coverage. We know he's a great run stopper, but after that you really have questions.

I know I do. I know a lot of people are relying on Jabril Cox in the second season, but I think there's something to the ACL injury, how he comes back from that and then still trying to get that rookie learning curve because it was cut off for him. Some of the other guys that they have in like Story Jackson and these are completely guys that are buried undrafted free agents. Can someone like that emerge from that room? But Devin Harper right now, I think he is someone.

And I talk to you about this, Kyle while we were out there. I'm like, look, man, number fifty is moving, he has some legit will is he gonna be able to not only have value with his defensive reps but also value in special teams. Um, that's where we're looking

at from our linebacker package, from my linebackers. But I think at some point you gotta you gotta get another linebacker anyway before you go to camp, and maybe they're waiting and seeing if there's other cuts on other teams to go with a linebacker, And that's maybe why getting Schultz signed to add that cap space, that you may need, but they have to be looking at that, and Reill Cox is not even practicing yet. They're they're building him

towards training camp and they're excited about him. But you're right, like he hasn't He hasn't played very much at all, and I think they're counting on him just to step in and be counting nil, you know, repeatedly step into his role playing. You know, half the snaps say line backer. I's already been said. But you need to bring in somebody to compete. You need to bring somebody in to compete.

I know you have vanders coming back. I know you have Michael Parsons in there, and I know you plan on having Curse walked down in the box and be another six four linebacker whatever he is, six five, Okay, you need a veteran linebacker that can come in and push the envelope. You don't, even as much as you want to rely on Michael Parsons to be who he is to be, to Bazuka to make a leap again

somehow someway from year one a year two. As much as you expect vander Esh to be the savvy veteran that's sitting in the middle that you just resigned for one year to come back, you need somebody to challenge both of those guys. You need somebody to push Michael Parsons in terms of his leadership, in terms of his development, because you can't just say, oh, he's going to continue to stay on that trajectory. You can't just expect that.

You need somebody else for him to learn from. Okay, And that's not to say that DQ doesn't teach him. That's not to say that you know that other guys on the defensive line won't teach him. You need a linebacker that he can lean on and get some tips from, because as of right now, he has none. He has nobody at that position that he can lean on except for vander esh Okay, that he can say, Hey, what should I do in this situation? Right? What do you

think about this? He's expected to be the best, and I think that's a lot of pressure on him coming off the year that he just had. So I would love to see the Cowboys bring somebody else in that is that you know is going to be a sure thing. It's a sure thing. He doesn't have to be a freaking baller, a beast we're not talking about you know, Bobby Wagener's all those guys. Those guys are gone. But I'm talking about a sure thing linebacker to everybody in

the league respects. Minnesota has some guys you're saying that are that are probably still hanging around. I believe that you could bring in and say that's somebody that he can lean on should things get rough or if we have a situation where somebody gets injured. Now we know we don't have to guess what's the production that we're

gonna have. Yeah, that's the other thing is contingencies. Because Layton played every game last year, I think, which you know, he's had some injury problems and yeah, knock on wood, you know, good, good for him, and I think he's resigning him is big to help this rotation. But if something were to happen to him, then that depth takes

a hit. If something happens on the defensive line like it did last year, somebody breaks their foot, DeMarcus Lawrence breaks his foot in week two, Oh you can move Mike and down to the edge, Well, then how you fill in that gap? So yeah, I think depth a linebacker is definitely something they're they're probably looking at and need to look at it. And I like the point of a veteran for Micah to potentially look up to and to kind of have that that growth continue. Layton

vander Esh's twenty six. Luke Gifford is twenty six. Those are the two oldest guys in the linebacker room because everybody else's Jabil Cox second, your player, Michael Part's the second, your player. Devin Harper rookie, Aaron Hansford rookie, Story Jackson rookie. That's it. That's your linebacker corps right there. Boom, that's youth.

There's a lot of youth there, which is not a bad thing, but it's also you would like to have somebody in there as a like you said, well rest perspective player and for depth, because both of which are a massive, massive lack at the moment in that linebacker room. Our friend Joe says, how make or break is this year specifically for the coaching staff? Heck mo When you look at Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore, there's a lot of pressure on those guys. How big of it is

a maker break? And what would what would your expectation for a break. Mean, man, I've never found I've never seen anybody find the hot seat as fast as Mike McCarthy has after the success that he had in the season and then to have the Sean Payton rumors. I thought that was crazy, I really did. I thought it was crazy. I thought it was disrespectful. He handled it with grace and class. He didn't, you know, let them throw him off. By every interview that I've seen him in,

he hasn't seemed like he was unnerved by it. But as a competitor, he's got to have that in his back pocket where he knows that my team underperformed in the playoffs and I have to have them ready. Guys, y'all know, I binge watched these Cowboys the seasons and I just want to figure out, hell what it is what's going on with these guys in this offense that

stopped them from getting to the next level. It's just a quick We didn't have any quick strikeability in our offense at all, and I think a lot of that has been on Mike McCarthy and the They're gonna say Kelly Moore, but even Kelly Moore and him are tied into together. Really quickly on how this season is going

to play out. So, you know, I just feel as though offensively, Mike McCarthy has got to have his hand on the pulse of this offense right now to make sure that this season doesn't He doesn't have to go into through any of those loaves that he had last season. I think every year unless your name is Jason Garrett and I think that you're on the hot seat here in Dallas. I mean, and even he found that for a little bit. He was around for a long time. He was so he was around for a long time.

Him and Jerry were obviously they were tight, Okay, So he wasn't under the pressure that Mike McCarthy is because Mike McCarthy, to my understanding, Sean Payton lives within what a fifteen mile radios from here, So there's a little bit more pressure when you have somebody that lives in the same area that as a highly regarded coach that all just happens to be a sitting at the crib

right now. Yeah, there's gonna be pressure when you underperform by Dallas Cowboys standards with the roster and the health and everything else that went your way last year and you still came up short. You're absolutely gonna be in a hot seat when that dude is sitting on the road. Yeah. I mean, just just listen back to what Jerry said after the season, right after the season when they lost, you know, and like that's as good as he felt about a team going into the playoffs since the nineties,

as healthy as they were. It was a huge disappointment, like you and and for Mike too. So yeah, absolutely there's pressure. I mean there's pressure on the coaching staff every single year. Um, how hot is the seat? We got asked that on the mailbag. I don't know. I mean you'd have to go upstairs and get inside Jerry and Stephen Jones's head to really really know that and really know if the season doesn't end the way they wanted to go this year, what's whether the circumstances around it,

all of that. But absolutely there's pressure, and and you know, everybody wants to talk about maybe what they didn't do to improve the roster. I don't think that changes expectations though. I think they're still expected to win the division and make a run. You start maybe worse than that. Two home games, two home games, Yeah, it's heat. I want to put this scenario right. Are we talk at Bunsen Burner? Now,

where are we on this? Yeah, it'll get there. Also, reports this morning you can say, yeah, I'm just setting on medium a little bit. Reports this morning said that there were rumors around the Dolphins that pursued Sean Payton as their head coach. You see that number, four years, one hundred million dollars is what they offered him, and he said, no, where's Yeah, he's on the couch. What you can make money in TV? Though, Yeah, that's true. Tom Brady's gonna make it an amount of money five years.

Heck my Harrison money and then I don't know if he is really would have announced that by now, Okay, that money and he just sitting at the house. We have to take our second break because we're getting cut a little bit short today because mccarthey's press conference. When we come back, we're going to continue answering your questions, including the one I t s in the first uh going in to the first break. Also, it's Calvin Joseph good enough to be cornerback too, Isaiah may not believe,

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Isaiah standback. Heck, Ma, Harrison, I'm Kyle Yeoman's all right, let's answer this question that I didn't get a chance to get to in that second segment. Do you think and this is I'm not going to be able to say this name right? Uh Spurs fan one oh eight three? Is the tag on Twitter? Do you believe as I do, that Chauncy can replace Randy Gregory's production? Oh, it's Nebbi. That's who asked that. Oh hey, Nebbi, it's Nebbi. He tagged it with nebbi at the end. But uh he yeah,

he says he believes Jauncy can replace Randy Gregory's production. Heck, when do you believe that that's a possibility? You know? Looking at at Chauncey Golston, he damn sure looks impressive. Um, he looks like a guy in the second year that can have a breakout season. I think for the presents that Randy Gregory had on this team last year, playmaking ability, I think that's gonna be a by committee from a

few guys. I don't know if we can depend on just one guy per se uh to fill that gap with what Randy Gregory meant to this team, And maybe it'd be unfair to expect that also, so I'm looking forward. That's why I say Dante Fowler is going to be important, Terrell bash him. Guys like that are going to be important as well. So, um, you know, I think that Chauncey Gholston is going to have an impact. I don't know if it's going to be on the same tier

as Randy Gregory. Yeah, oh go ahead. Presence and production are two separate words. I don't feel that Randy Gregory was that productive. I feel like he had a great presence. I felt like people knew what he was capable of. I feel like if he if you pissed him off and you hit his easy button, he'll run through your whole face right and get to the quarterback when he

wanted to. But it's not something that was always there, So can somebody I don't know about ghosten in particular, but can somebody on this roster have the same production? I do believe, So, I do believe. So I think it's probably gonna come in the form of Fowler, right in terms of somebody who's going to be designated at that position and they're asked and tasked to go get the quarterback. Randy Gregory had six sacks last year, six Daurn's Armstrong had five exactly. So when we started talking

about production, presence production two separate words. So production wise, yes, I believe somebody else and somebody else. Keep your eye on Sam Williams. I can't wait to see his due with Pasla. Yeah, that's why Heck's talking about committee because there's a lot of guys and and even Randy last year, like he's not playing sixty snaps and that is a rotation plan that dan Quinn has. He's always had it

for his defensive line. So I'm looking at Dante Fowler first, and I know like his biggest production years have been when he's had like pro Bowl guys around him. I get it. PFF says he's had thirty pressures in each of the last two years. That's what Randy got last year and I'm kind of looking at Dorance Armstrong too, is can he take another step forward? And if he does, because you said five sacks, I think he had twenty

two pressures. He could turn out to be kind of a moneyball signing where it's like, yeah, you don't resigned Randy for fIF seventy million, but you signed Durrance for two years and fourteen, you signed Dante Fowler and you

kind of piece this in together. Sam Williams is part of the rotation year one, and you're recreating that production with three or four guys and you look at Dorance, Terrell, Basham's in the fold again, Dante Faller, Junior DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams, and then there's Gholston down there at the bottom. He's gonna play a lot of inside too. I mean, that's kind of what he said. And I mean, Heck and I were at practice when we were like, man,

that guy's a big dude. I mean, he put on twenty pounds, so I mean, and there's no doubt in my mind that it's a full twenty because he's gonna play a lot of five technique. He may even slide inside and play three. He's talked about the possibility of doing that, and dan Quinn has certainly built him to that moving into his second year. So the impact will be there, Can the presence be there? I think I'm

right there with you. But great question, Nebbi. Is Kelvin Joseph going to be cornerback to at some point here in his second year as well? Jordie Jordan asked this on Twitter. Or even if he's not get some more reps, that's the biggest thing. He's got to get some snaps because last year he was not a huge part of this defense. But Isaiah, you had a great reaction when you saw Kelvin or you heard the name Kelvin Joseph. Do you think he can take that second year? Joe Current,

I do not. I don't have that faith in my current state. I believe that a Brown is still the man over there as a number two. I think he was very productive last year, you know, and people start looking at these cornerbacks, so you know, they look at their productivity in the form of interceptions. This defense had a lot of them last year. But that's not the

only way in which you impact this game. You impact this game by being a pest you impact this game by by being a run stopper, by being where you're supposed to be, by using a sideline to your advantage, as a whole lot of other areas that these cornerbacks can have impact, and I just don't feel like I've seen enough from Kelvin Joseph in that regard yet. And that's also looking at him in a special teams game. Hey, you started utilizing him a lot towards the end there,

but I didn't see the impact. I saw a player out there, but I didn't see him having an impact at that even in specialist as a specialist. So I'm looking forward to watching him in camp, if you know, if everything stays the way it stays right now in terms of his status and seeing what his development looks like, he's in a position to compete. Let's see what I think the coaching staff wants to see him take the next step. I think they came into the season wanting

to see him pressure Anthony Brown for starter. I think Anthony Brown just played his butt off and kept him on the bench and made it hard for him to crack that defensive rotation. Kelvin Joseph has to work as well on the field, he has to do some things on special teams. He has to improve a lot. Man. In my experience with defensive coaches, if your alignment assignment is off and you're getting beat deep, they will yank you.

And especially if you're a rookie, that is a very short leash because Kelvin Joseph just doesn't have the experience. They're guys like Nash and Wright that we talked about during OTAs in training camp. We just thought that this guy was going to be someone that could pressure Anthony Brown. Again, just back to who what the job that he did? Now, I gotta ask you guys like for Jordan Lewis, who's played a lot of slot, that's where I think the

pressure for where Kelvin Joseph can be most effective. If he can play inside, that's interesting, you know, be an outside guy right going back to college. But he's got I mean, look position flexibility. No, for sure, absolutely, we talk about it. I mean, and I understand you one two guy, but you need another guy to pressure there as well. And again, Jordan Lewis did a heck of a job holding guys off because going into camp he also had some pressure. So look for Kelvin Joseph, and

he's had a really bad offseason for the Optics. You know, is his reliability going to be there? There's got to be some maturity issue questions that they ask as well, but he's going to have to do a lot to show this coach of staff that he can be relied upon. Yeah, I think we're talking just from a strictly football perspective. Because you mentioned that there's a legal matter. We'll go

back to the spring we talked about it. He hasn't been a wrestler or charge or anything, but we know from history the NFL can look into things too and maybe hand down a suspension or fine. You never know, so that's always looming out there. But just from a football perspective, like I think Anthony Brown and Jordan Lewis you can argue had career seasons last year like they Yeah, maybe they felt the pressure and they delivered and played the best of their career. So I don't really see

Kelvin Joseph holding either guy off. But I do think he's got talent and I think he missed a lot of time last year that probably set him back, and so I think he's somebody to watch that. Maybe because you saw it a little bit late in the season. He saw him kind of getting there in certain packages and maybe that will continue. He played one hundred and sixty five defensive snaps last season. That is a number that needs to go up, I mean quite a bit.

Doesn't mean he could be the starter. Kind of like what you guys are saying. If you want Anthony Brown and you want Jordan Lewis to play as well as they did last year, however, you also want Kelvin Joseph to play at a higher level. So that way you have four guys that you really feel comfortable interchanging and going up against some of the better wide receivers in the NFL. And that's exactly what you have with the secondary if they all play at a high level. But

that doesn't for us here on talking cowboys. Gotta get out of here a little bit early today. Who's kicking us off the air? The head coach, who's a lot, The head's a lot, Who's who's who's who's challenging? And positions? Right? Double m Really come on? Yeah, we can talk about all this, but we'll talk about it at at a later date. We'll save it and there's a lot of stuff we can talk about. Maybe an ox Stard maybe next week, who knows. I don't know when we're our

last show? Is they have this is your last show? This is the last the last show. Wow, thanks, Nobody told me so has no tact you know, get out of here. You know, no that JR. Tell you. This is the last week. Mini camps, last week. We don't have any extra days. Blues a crack. Yeah, there's some over quality guys to another season. We will see the school. It is the end of school and I didn't know it was coming. Everybody, it's been fun. We will see

you next time on Talking Cowboys. Everybody that listens to Talking Cowboys, you are the greatest. For Chris Beam, for Rob All Ups, Isaiah stand back, heck my Harrison, I'm Kyle Yeomans. We'll see you next time on Talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.