Talkin' Cowboys: Predicting Change

in the world is Mickey? He's probably an eye twenty somewhere right now, driving back from New Orleans. In the world. He's got the Christian Orleans last night. Well, he gets the big paycheck around too. You don't want to ask you that's I don't do that. In this case. I know exactly where he was. He spent a lot of money to go to that game last night, and his wife's a huge LSU fan, and they had something to party about last night. And now I think they're on

their way home. All right, Very good man. I've been there. What buy your Classic every year? Oh? Yeah, the first year at to Buy your Classic? Me and my wife at the time, she was just my girlfriend. We went walking all through Bourbon Street and French Quarters and everything, just so naive. Could have got mugged at any time, you know. That was That was the dumbest thing we ever did. We had a great time. We got mugged at any time. We were out there to like four

o'clock in the morning, having a good time. It's a great place. The party is probably still continuing right now. Gosh for LSU fans after winning the national championship last night, Um as anything happened since the last time we got together last twes Yeah, A couple of things, A couple of things. Some who are waiting on it would be nice if they could have done it while we was still on the air. Yes, that's right, that's right. We were waiting on that one thing and there was a

former Cowboys coach who was waiting on one thing. Wow. Man, when we came to Yeah, that was extremely cool. How many people cried? Did you cry? I didn't cry. Troy Aikman did the tears for me. Yeah. Man, I think people wanted to cry and they were like, oh damn, look at the Troy just everybody so Jimmy headed to the Hall of Fame, and one guy in here he's very familiar with Jimmy, having played for it. Jimmy was first up. What was that two years ago when I

was up for it? Okay, and everybody kept trying to put us together. And I didn't want to get into any kind of controversiy on that because I want a good karma. Yeah, I didn't want to get into an I still don't know what that means. I had to look at up so but no, I she tweeted right away. I don't know if they get I don't know how Twitter works. I just tweeted out congratulations and I can find it right. Congratulation Jimmy Jay Hall of Famer. I mean that's all he can say. Man. But watching it,

I thought, you know, Jimmy, man, he's so cool. Yeah. I thought Jimmy would kind of play it off. You know, his head never gets messed up. He's the sharpest dresser in the room. And uh, it was that was very emotional for him, It really was, and it was it was. It was good to see that Jimmy. You know, usually you see the cocky little Jimmy, the one always talking trash, a big blow hard. But now that that Jimmy was a guy that you can tell, you know, guy's been

through a lot. You know, we've all you know, coming starting back we first mete each other, all of us to where we are now. You know, you kind of look back on that and say, wow, man, I'm I'm blessed to be why I am right now. So it was I could feel that for him. I'm sure everybody else could too. At Walls underscored twenty four on Twitter said, congrat it's Jimmy Jammie Hall of Famer exclamation point. I definitely want to get that before him, but hey, I'm

not gonna lie. I was happy for him. That was good stuff. You got good TV. If you got a Jimmy memory that early stands out playing for Oh yeah, I got just one. Yeah. Yeah. As far as good ones, uh, good one. You know, positive stories. Uh, I think about that. Yeah, I gotta think about that. Uh well, I feel like this.

He was the first coach to ever want to name me captain out of all the coaches I bragged on, Yes, and I bragged about all these Hall of Fame coaches and future Hall of Fame coaches he's the first one that ever wanted me to be a captain. I mean because you played for some of the all time, I played for Eddie Robinson. Okay, I led the nation in interceptions with He's never had the player do that. I don't believe. He never named I was never a captain. Uh,

Tom Landry, you know he wasn't gonna make me a captain. Parcels, you know, just got there was now the captain Cleveland. You know, I was always you know, the new guy, so to speak, and everyone was always established wherever I went. But when Jimmy came in, his whole idea was to try and get you know, he needs to get a veteran on his side, and I was on his side until we started things going to crap, and then all of a sudden He's like, I was his sacrificial lamb.

So I think he picked me for captain just so I could be a sacrificial lamb. I do believe. But it was fun for a while. The preseason we went like three and one and I was I was I was his He was like for like a month, I was his guy, and then didn't want to qun But you got a ring pretty soon after that didn't Like, I said, what is it a brand? The broken? You are where you are? It's right, okay, And if it wasn't for all of that, I may not have ever

gotten the ring. And that's funny you mentioned that three and one preseason. I was talking to somebody the other day about Jimmy and you know he of course he was with the Cowboys for five years, and then he was at Miami for four years, and this was twenty years. Let's see. Yeah, I didn't realize it either. I just remember when the Cowboys played the Dolphins. It was a big deal and I went to Miami that weekended stories

on Jimmy and everything. Um, but it was there four years, and in nineteen ninety nine is when he retired from coaching, So it was twenty years ago basically. And um, you know, the last game that he coached was against Jacksonville in the playoffs and they got beat like sixty three. So I remember that, and Jimmy always said that that game, that game didn't count. Didn't know that that game didn't count because we knew going in that we weren't gonna

win that game. So they didn't know what they would blow you out, and so I said, but that went over the Oilers the last preseason game in nineteen eighty nine. That made you three and one in the preseason. You count that one, you count. That was fun. That was fun. That whole preseason was fun. That was a captain for that preseason. See, yeah, that's like that was the season went in the toilet after that because we went to the Saints and then all of a sudden we really

what we were. They are thought we were the whole time, you know, But the way they sprung it on Jimmy I thought all along because Rick Goslin's kind of hinted at it, you know, the special Edition show which you were on last week, Everson. I've been there with with Rick all season long, and he was filming in on this sentence special centennial Hall of Fame class and it was his mission to make sure Jimmy got in this year. And in Sharene Williams of course from a sportswriter here

in town. Also, I was on the committee. But so so I was expecting it to happen on the pregame show. Actually Sunday, that's what happened with me is because Bill Caller, Yeah, I wrote it. He was pregame CBA yesterday before, so I wrote a few graphs, just getting ready for Sunday.

And it didn't happen in pregame for Jimmy. I thought, well, well happened then, so And that's the thing is I think in order to surprise Jimmy, they had to make sure they did not do it on the pregame show, because that's what the where they did Coward the day before. Jimmy's probably sitting around David Baker had knocked in yet, you know, and then he gets done with the pregame and it didn't happen, and he's probably thinking, well, these

guys I failed to get. That might have added to his emotion there at halftime, because obviously it did surprise him because if the timing go, yeah, I walk into the room and the TV's on at halftime and he's bawling basically ever since. Why, I mean, because you guys were aware of this. I was not aware of this, and most people weren't aware. I tried to disassociated myself at any time. Once I saw the thing came out. My focus was on Cliff Harris. I called him yesterday

and that's coming out tomorrow morning. The rest of the class. He was hoping it would be today and Wednesday morning. That's when they're announcing it right on the NFL network Wednesday morning. You know, come on, man, I'm gonna get in. That's that, and Everson shouldn't too. But he's not realize I'm not the end. I totally shut down. I don't want to hear anything about it. And then you focus on, well, who else deserves it? When I didn't get in when

I was actually in Minneapolis. That was the year that two guys got the end that Oh my good. I was happy for them, big big big man. The fourth linebacker from Houston, Robert Brazil finally got in, who was amazing his entire career, HBCU brother from Jackson State. Uh, a Steeler killer, Okay, I mean he was amazing, and just because he wasn't a stealer, he got kind of screwed on it. And Jerry Kramer made it that year, which,

oh my god, what so long? I mean he could go now, he could go now finally, that's probably the way he's waiting on. And uh, those two made it when I was in. So now my focus is on you know, it's crazy on the whole Hall of Fame thing, like why was and I'm not saying this just because you're sitting here, but why was Everson not considered until it's so late in the game? You know why? Ask you boy? Richard? Ask Richard. I Richard can tell you all of that. We'll talk to Serene too. See. Yeah,

let's get this moving. I mean, because there's so many guys that and so it's great that they have the expanded class and the reason they're doing it celebrating a hundred years of the NFL and so and what and so the numbers on it, they're in addition to the five players that normally get elected, which will be Super Bowl weekend, there's this fifteen person class, and there's two coaches and so we already know the coaches Kawer and Johnson, and I can't remember the breakdown on the numbers on

the players and the contributors. It's a little confusing because there's this centennial slate, two coaches. We know the coaches. As you said, there are ten seniors selections this year, yes, and then three contributors. Three contributors. That makes fifteen of the Markerson is one of the finalists for the Contributors. Yeah,

as you said, we'll know those wins day morning. I don't know what time on Good Morning Football they're gonna know, but I want to say between and man, I'm not sure if it's Eastern time or Central time, between seven and ten am. Yeah, like I said, top of Cliff for a while, and two other people that we brought up that Uh, I mean, you know me, I'd love to been in there like the year after I retired. But god, you have so many guys that we're waiting on.

Cornell Green, Yeah, yeah, I mean Harvey, Martin, Harvey, Martin, guys this and that that is now out of the you know, they'd be senior. And my thing is, why why all the other Hall of famers waiting so long for, you know, for my cowboys of course, Drew, Cliff, Harvey and Cornell. But then you know, I'm I'm an HBCU guy. I've seen some guys make some amazing plays, and as a fellow dB, I've always told my number out there,

fifty seven. But if you're a cornerback and you're getting interceptions, I don't care if it was back then or now. Ken Riley, Cincinnati Bengals, floor the A and M University. I'm sure Nate Newton has probably been talking trash about this guy sixty five interceptions for the Cincinnati Bengo with his entire career, and if I'm not mistaken, he played

cornerback the entire time. Wow. So as I stepped outside my star shoes, Okay, I'm talking about just injustices other out there from from other other teams, and I look at him as an HBCU brother. That's something that I'm talking trash about. Fifty seven and this guy got sixty five, sixty five interceptions and I think some of those years were fourteen game seasons ye two. Yes, So his NFL he was four time All Pro nineteen seventy three. He

was the first year year was All Pro. Drafted in nineteen sixty nine, so they didn't go to a sixteen game season toil nineteen seventy seven. The bulk of his career was were spent playing fourteen game season with sixty five picks his career, which is just ridiculous that and you can't blame any media here you go, how about that hashtag? Ever since the who cares? Let's do it, yomen work. I'm getting that T shirt right there. Who characters about the rules? Stop it? Who cares about the rule?

But now it Uh. You just wonder what the Hall of Famers are thinking, because now it's in pretty much their hands, if I'm not mistaken that point. I'm also confused about one who actually votes for the seniors, because you don't campaign anymore like I was trying to do for present day. Yeah, you're just out there. You can't do anything now. I mean you could do more if you die, if you know what I'm saying. As a senior,

this year's a little different. There's a blue Ribbon panel, I think I call it that, and they voted last Wednesday. They all convened last Wednesday, and it was included Goslin and Serene Williams, but there were others that are normally on the Hall of Fame committee that it may have been Hall of Famers themselves. I skimmed it, but I think gil Brandt was on that list maybe and maybe Belichick took I forgot. I'd have to go back and look at its present day. I know as present day.

When I was present day, you still had Hall of Famers that vote for you, yep, because several came up to me and said they did. But that's I think it's uh uh, you know, together with the media when it comes to the seniors, you know, are they all who you know, who are the reporters out there that are senior voters as well? Along with the Hall of Fame,

a president, hall of famers. That's the thing that see, when this process gets so secretive, you know, for years and years and years now all of a sudden, you know, in this whole age of information now where everyone's demanding like, wait a minute, let's lift let's let's lift the veil. You know who, where's the Wizard of Ours back here? What's going one on? And how is it happening? It still can be a look yeah, I got it too,

but you go ahead. Well, I mean just some names on. Yeah, it's a combination of journalists and you know football people. Belichick is on that list, Gil Brandt, Jared Bell from USA Today, John Clayton, longtime journalist, Um Dick le Beau, John Madden, Gary Myers who used to cover the Cowboy, Jozzy Newsome, Bill Pollion, Bill Pollian, and you mentioned Sharine and Ron Wolf. Yeah, so that's that's that's for the Special Committee. But but year to year, I don't know what, Yeah,

who does? And I think they're trying to change everything from how it used to be too. I think the centennial thing is they're trying to push it to the normally from here on good. They're trying to get more guys in. Maybe not fifteen every right, but that could be a long In fact, I think what's gonna happen with the ceremony, there are some from this class who are going to be a part of the ceremony. They'll

all be in attendance, but they get their speech. Or what I heard was that some of them will be involved in an August ceremony. And also there's a September ceremony. Say the ceremony every year can go four hours. That come on, man, it's a speech, it's not a plate, right, all right? Coming up here on talking cowboys, there's some other news that made some headlines from here at the Star this past week. We get into that when we come back. I'm Jay Novachek, former tight end for the

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on GWS one s cour September twenty nineteen. Back to Talking Cowboys, and we continue on talking cowboys. Has ever continues on his telephone call HEMN with spags is not here. We just go to crowd. That's what that's exactly right. Yeah, yeah, no reason to step out of the studio. Were awful at probably thirty seconds. You gotta listen to me having I got a cough just second, So talking back to talking WC Mortgage studio. All right and we are back

now and cy Sex you go. All right, a little bit of news this past week here at the Star in Fresco. As we talked about a little bit last Tuesday, because the word was out there's a new head coach on the premises and the introductory press conference took place last Wednesday. Mike McCarthy has been hitting the ground running and putting a coaching staff together. And Rob starting with you just your impressions of what you've seen so far

the last week, starting with that press conference last week. Well, I'll start with Thursday, the day after the press conference, because he's getting settled in. We actually saw him coming down our hallway where we have our offices that Thursday morning after the press conference. He was looking for his office and he couldn't find it. He was getting some help trying to navigate the Star and get to his office,

and it was pretty funny. But I think the term in this business is when you win the press conference. I think he won the press conference. Yeah. I think he really made a strong impression on media and fans. He's an experienced guy. You can tell that that was

a lot. I mean, that was a that was a big doings so to speak, at that press conference, because you had tons of cameras, tons of media, You had cowboys staff up in the balcony watching, and you know, while you're the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, that's a big time job, no question. This is another level in terms of media exposure, I think, and just probably even national exposure. And he's ready for that. You know,

he talked about that. And I think the biggest thing that I think the Jones is conveyed during the press conference was we're lucky to have a coach like this available because they still feel that this roster is in position to compete and here's a veteran guy who's been through it, who's been through it with with a big time franchise, and they think they can hit the ground running with him. So we'll see what happens. But yeah, he's right now, he's trying to get the staff together.

That's that's the first order of business. Has had a sort of self deprecating since a humor at the press conference. Yeah, it seemed like a guy that is he seemed like in that setting, guy that's easy to get along with. But he's got he's got a toughness about him too, being a Pittsburgh guy, and I think he wants his teams to have a certain toughness about him. I think what I saw in the press conference was you saw

the toughness. You saw that old school toughness to where the experience that you spoke of Bobby will allow him to be able to tread the waters. Uh when in Lake Jones so to speaker, you know, because Jerry's it's a different beast here, no doubt about it. I'm sure even when he had his job with Green Bay, a's a great organization, historical organization. I'm pretty sure there were not nearly as many cameras there. I'm sure it wasn't nearly as intimidating, because, let's face it, I don't care

where you've coached before. When you come to the Dallas Cowboys, it's entirely different. Whether you're a player or a coach, it doesn't matter. Things are different here. Sometimes things are off the wall crazy. Sometimes things are just run. They happened so quickly that it can make your head spin. And that's the beast of the Dallas Cowboys. I don't care what he's been doing in Green Bay. I don't care what kind of issues they had with Aaron Rodgers at the end of his career, and it got kind

of dicey there for a minute. He had to answer some very uncomfortable questions about well, who's running this team. But those kind of thing, Yeah, you see, so those kind of things that unnerved him. I remember those press con and I'm nerved him. That's nothing compared to what he's gonna see here. And I do hope he's ready for that. I think he is ready for it because

of his experience. He can just channel all of that out, tune it all out, and then be able to do his job, which is you can just tell if I if I was in his head, I know all day he probably just wanted to say, doing the press conflience, guys, I'm just a football guy. I'm just a coach. You could just see that in him, and that's really what they need here, somebody who can just tune out all that bs and get down to coaching, no matter what we're talking about, no matter how you know what a

failure this part of the game might be. During the season of what this union might be. He's the kind of coach I think can handle that. And I don't mean very stoic, like like Jason, but just to where I'm not trying to smart you, I'm not trying to be cute. I'm just here trying to do my job and sometimes that's what you need. What do you think? Oh? I um, you know, it's interesting. You know, the one of the biggest takeaways was about putting a staff together.

And when you look at this coaching staff and now it looks like, well Kellen Moore is staying. I mean that's not out officially, but it looks that way unless we've heard anything different. Now they really haven't announced anything right yet, but that those reports are out there that he's supposed to come back. And I think the Rams announced that John Fossil will be coming aboard, but the Cowboys haven't yet. But yeah, when what we've seen out

there is a veteran will be coming here. That's the reports. Okay, yeah, and again I don't know what point the cow the RAMS press release did say that he's accepted a job with the Cowboys, right I did, Okay, I think it was on Twitter or something I saw it ever lies, right, It's just interesting that they would just come out and say that where he's going. Um, and then Doug nust Meyer. The reports are Doug nust Meyer will stay on this staff as a quarterbacks coach, moved from tight ends coach

to quarterbacks coach. So if those are the only holdovers, okay, this will be right up there with the largest shakeups of a coaching staff we've ever seen in this organization. Even I went back and looked when Jimmy took over from Landry in nineteen eighty nine, there were three holdovers on that staff. One of them was Dick Nolan, Alan Lowry special team's coach, and Neil Armstrong. But but Neil Armstrong,

he was his position was research and development. So I don't know if that's officially a spot on the coaching staff. He's listed, he's listed in the Media Guide as of course, he was a coach in his career obviously, but at that point it was later in his career and that may have men more in personnel, but research and development. So there, technically there's three movers. OSU Okahoma State. That's right, Okay,

that's right. What a great guy us Yeah, I enjoyed him. Yeah. Yeah, So anyway, if there's just two holdovers, I'm pretty certain that that's the biggest changeover in a coaching step that we've ever had here, even greater than when Jimmy took over. Really, I hadn't thought about that, because Quinn Parcels came here, there were several that stayed, including Mike Zimmer, Jim Jeffco because I remember Bill was having trouble getting some of

his guys over here and he wound up sticking. There were a lot of holdovers, including Mike Zimmer, and that turned out to be a great partnership. But um, yeah, I guess you're right, even Jimmy's coming aboard because everything changed when Jim right Man, Zach Jerry was coming in at the same time. Now, Dick Nolan and Allen Lowry weren't here much longer, yeh. But but he did keep those guys around, So I would have to say that I think the problem they're gonna have is is defensively,

I'm just I'm with you. That's a person about this thing. Man. I know he's happy to have this these these weapons. Offensively, I'm sure that's the first thing he saw like, Wow, look at that, and it's kind of reminds you. It reminds you of his years in Green Bay. You always had offensive things going on. Except for maybe Julius Peppers and a couple other guys, they really wanted the formulable defense at all. So he's used to dealing with a defense that hadn't had much success. I hope he doesn't

have to continue to deal with that. Yeah, but you're right. You look at this roster. They could go play right now with what they got on offense. And the guy's coming back or expected to come back. Dack's not going anywhere. I'm Alty's probably not going anywhere. Um defensively, though we talked, ain't going nowhere. Yeah, I wonder about that. I mean, I wouldn't think so at this point. Right he's supposed

to be a free agent, but he is. It's only coach he's ever had if I was, If I was a coach, that's the first sign I would make right there. You're guy cop. You're a big copy. I am a cop guy. There's no doubt about it. He has been doing it way before anybody that we've seen around here. Uh, the numbers didn't pay out last year. You could kind of see he was getting a bit frustrated with not being targeted a bit. But he didn't go in the tank. You know, he just more and he's a professional. That's

that's why you need him here. We need more professionals around here. That's why you need a cob here. Nuss Meyer moves to quarterbacks coach Rob. There's an opening for a tight Ends coach here? Oh, what are you applying? Bill? Would you like to apply for that job? I don't think I'm qualified anybody. You got the studs of the of the Can you think of anybody who might want to apply for that job? I cannot think of anybody

who do you think? I don't know. I'm not sure if anyone who qualifies to be a tight Ends coach? R No, no, no, let's take a little bigger picture, all right, Yeah? Yeah, well no no, because then he'll start wanted to play again. You got to make up your pick a lane. Okay, you stay in to stay out, let me go. But you were talking defense, and I just counted it up, and we've talked about this previous show. I think eighteen guys can be free agent Defensively, they

have a lot of questions to answer. And they also and these are prominent prominent names, prominent names, Robert Quinn, MALIEK. Collins, every level of defense, they've got questions there. And they also just they need to play better. They need to figure out And I don't know exactly what the scheme's going to be. It's gonna depend on the personnel. But

they got to answer a lot of roster questions. Okay, let's talk about the scheme a little bit, because okay, all right, Mike Nolan has been a three to four guy in his career, but he's also been in four three systems before. With what the Cowboys have coming back, okay, and I'm thinking specifically of DeMarcus Lawrence. Is it better than four three or three four? I mean, I can't see DeMarcus Lawrence in a three four as a as a standout. You've made an investment like that, Yeah, I

don't know if that's the best spot for him. I mean, a stand up outside rush linebacker. Why why don't you think it would work for him? Well, because he's not. I just can't. I can't see it because I've never seen him do that before. Cover and right, because you right, that's part of the job. How much now, DeMarcus where how much was covering that in those well and the

other part of it is there. You know, you're in the nickel seventy percent of the time, and so you're in a four man front and in the past they've rotated guys. Now Lawrence would get the bulk of the snaps. But but in your base, you know you want him on the field. So what do you think me to me, this is an opportunity for d Lawrence in its entire defense,

to make a change hit that reset Buddon. And if I have a coach coming in and he tells me this is how we're gonna do it, and we're gonna tweak your responsibilities and your tea techno just a little bit, then I would hope that that coach is sense enough to say, I'm gonna make sure that we're going to enhance your game. And this is a guy that he is the guy that can enhance his game can be better. It's no doubt about it. He can be a much

more dominating player than walking around. That's what I'm saying. Don't be don't be closed minded to that. Belichick came up to me and said, I want you to play safety on third downs, on passing downs. Coach, you know, this body ain't made for tactless, it's not made for safety. But I did with the ass I led the team the interceptions. We have the number one third down defense. Okay for the number one defense, period, but the number one third down defense. It did not harm our system

in any way. When I say oh, I mean the Giant system the way it was when I got there. That was the way it stayed. And he only tweaked what I did. And it made me a more a better all around player. So that can happen with d Law. Seriously,

that can happen with d Law. You know. It's it's so much about matchups, and you know, and we've seen the way defenses have evolved in the National Football League, where the old traditional three four base defense or a four to three, they're moving guys around in that front stuff, don't be able to try to get a misman And you think Lawrence Rush can beat a guy, a guard on the inside put him in a position to do it.

And it's so hard to read now now the offensive lineman they don't know if stunts are coming now, they've got to be a little bit more honest, and d Law is not gonna be right there for you to pick him out every time. To me, I think that flexibility up and down the line could be very good about gild Smith. That's what I was thinking, man. I mean, you can see him as a rusher. That's what he does best is rush, going forward and hit. He has a knack for it from the linebacker position. I don't

I don't have any insight on this yet. I mean, I don't know what they're going to do exactly, but maybe he doesn't have to be one or the other. Maybe you can run some three man line and still have some fourth three concepts. I mean, the Patriots are

a hybrid. I was just thinking about the Patriots in like a Dante high Tower, and I thought when High Tower came out, In fact, I wanted the Cowboys to draft High Tower back in twenty ten or whatever whatever twenty eleven I think it was, and they already had John Lee. And one of the things with high Tower is he could play inside linebacker in a three four, or he could go to the edge. You know, he's a versatile guy, and that's the way he's his career is kind of played out there, But a Jalen Smith

could be like that in a three four DC. Well, here's the thing you have. I looked up Mike Nolan and just a kind of system that he had, the kind of players that he likes. The linebackers we have they don't fit the system that he has. His linebackers, they're going forward, they're extremely aggressive. He loves the blitz and they get a lot of turnovers from those blitzes. They get a lot of strip sacks. I mean, they like, they like to be they like to put the pressure down.

Now he's had to do that at times because he didn't have the talent that he wanted on certain defenses. But when you look at the Saints, you look at those linebackers there, and that's what he was coaching while he was there. Those linebackers are different from ours about de Mario Davis. They are they have no necks, they have no waste line all right. These guys are straight up tree trunks and they but they can move around and they can make plays and he loves to send

them out to the quarterback. So I look for a more aggressive defense for us to have but that's gonna also leave us open for more big plays. And you got to answer questions in your secondary You got to get those dbs that are ready for not necessarily lockdown, but just be able to challenge your wide receivers the way we would challenge. We were challenged by some dbs. They wan't that good, but because of the system they were successful against us. Let's see if we can do

the same. So is it more exciting that they have so many free agents and there can be a makeover and from a from McCarthy coming in here or the whole coaching staff. Do they they look at it as it's more exciting um possibilities here because you can and that we're going to see, you know how involved as McCarthy in the building of this team, you know, acquiring person I look to see who they keep. Okay, that's gonna tell you a lot. Who are they going to

keep around. We're gonna we're gonna have our steady guys that are going to be there for us. But man, this is going to be a shake up. Defensively, yea, that may not settle in. We might be like the Kansas City Chiefs. They only got better than like the last seven games of the season's right, this might be us, that might be the way we are. Parcels was a three four guys whole career, and when he took over here, it was three years in until he switched to three four.

So it's not something you do overnight. But like you said, bo, I mean, you're in nickel a lot now, especially the way offenses are run now. But Alec Everson said, to see who they keep and see who they draft. You know that oh five draft here or it was five or seven defensive guys, and they really braced themselves for that chain. How about that draft that was where and Spears in the first round. I mean, you're switching to a three to four and you get Ratliff in the

seventh round, Kevin Burnett even in the second round. It's hot. You know, three or four draft in history of the team. I think Barber was in the fourth round. It was something yeah, yeah, And that was when Parcels got involved in the draft process, right, Yeah, I had his fingerprints all over it. That's when he was. That's when he was GM ready. I mean, that was it. That's why he knows he's the best GM that he can deal with. So to my point is okay, and I think Jason

Garrett was heavily involved in the acquisition of players. And you know, Rick Goslin talking about one of the great things about Jimmy as he as he put it, Goslin talked about his you know, wearing that yeah high for talent. He had a talent. That is something that Jason gets a lot of criticism on his way out as head coach. But in building this roster, which we all think is pretty good, he has had a voice in it. And I don't know if he's got enough credit or people

realize that. You know, the Joneses gave him that voice all right, the play and didn't think about the Wade Phillips era. Okay, Now that two thousand and nine draft was about the worst. He was the worst, and now they didn't have a first round pick, and then they traded down in the second round. And remember that guy that walked in the building. It was their first pick in that draft, Jason Williams lineback or Robert Brewster, which

one maybe Williams was the first. Yeah, Robert Brewster walked in that door, and I said, oh my god, wait without a shirt on. I was like, wow, that's a third round pick. His weight was a challenge. It was a challenge for him. He wasn't around. But I never liked the media. You guys know I'm dirty, But listen to him right now. Sorry, How involved was weighed in the process and the acquisition to play? I don't know why. It seemed to have the attitude whatever you want to do,

I'll coach him up. He's had a bit overwhelmed. Yeah, I'm not overwhelmed, but lack of daisical is a better word to where, like you said, just just bringing me a guys out. Whatever you want to spile with me, I'll coach him up and we'll be fine. I think defensively, he weighed in on guys he thought could fit his style of defense. Offensively, he may yeah, it may have been more of a and Garrett the offensive coordinator, and I know that they they valued Garrett's opinion on on

offensive players. All right, take a break and we wrap up talking cowboys when we come back in a moment. Since eighteen sixty five, Stetson hats are American maid with pride right here in Texas, and Stetson is proud to be on the field with America's team. Want to show your Texas and team probably too. You can by purchasing your own Stepson. You can look just like how the flag guys do on field at every home game. Stepson heads the official crown of all self respecting Cowboys and

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so nice to treat you. And even though it feels weird to talk to we, can you pick one up and say, it's so nice to be treated doctor Pepper, So nice to treat you. Back to talking Cowboys dot Cowboys continues. Robis stepped out to take a calling. Yeah I'm not sure. Yeah, he had to go do something and he's coming back hopefully Mickey is not here and Rob is back now okay with hands up, Hey, how are you? I'm great? Great? No, Mickey so no, read

that's very disappointed. Go to Jack get Jack black dot. So you sound just like something about I think I think. Yeah, hesitate, and I did the same thing. Because you want to say black jack, Yeah, we have to say, I think is it jack black or is it black jack? It's jack black jack Jack black Get jack black dot com. That's a free pot. They didn't even pay for that one, that's right. Yeah, Mickey's frobably getting something for it. We should have had him call in from the road and

do it. Yeah, been something he was at the National Championship Game. He doesn't care about LSU, but he does care about LSU because his wife cares about it very much. He's on that man wagon. Ye. So all right, um, what do you think of what do you think of this? We'll go talk. I want to talk about the lack of evolution of the defensive backs, not just in college

but also in the NFL. Well, I could say that the other round, because I just I saw some things last night and I've seen them throughout the year, and I sound like the town cried here. Defensive backs are devolving. If they're not devolving, we're not evolving along with the rest of the positions. Because as the rule changes come about, then there's a there's a there's an adjustment period for everyone. Now dbs are learning. I can't I can't just go

head first. I can't use my crown. Everybody's learning, you know how to do it, and there's there's always that that learning curve. I get that. But there are certain things that whether you hit the guy or not with the crown, there are certain things whether you hit the guy past five yards in a line of scrimmage as and you're you're you're in a press position, there's still certain base that don't go away. Sideline is still your friend,

the waistline doesn't move. Okay, these are things that These are basic things that defensive backs have been taught since before I was born. And it seems as if because of the rule change, we want to lay on that and depend on that. As for the reason for so much success by these outstanding wide receivers that I spoke of last time that are coming out and are in the league right now, the white receivers are evolving. They're taking advantage of the new system that take advantage of

the rule. The defensive backs we gotta move quicker. We have to evolve quicker, because all of a sudden, you say, all right, Drew Brees has Michael Thomas over there, he's got the one on one. Oh, that's pitch and catch. They never used to say that, Bill, They never used to say that, you can't make that automatic, okay, And for the commentator to just think that's automatic, that is the norm now in the NFL. And to me, I guess I'm taking it personally because I'm a defensive back.

That was never the norm. You never had anybody say, oh, well, Dion's over there on his wife. Michael Thomas kitching cats by Drew Brees, and Michael thought, no, you did not say that. You never would would even think to urge that against mel Blunt, against all these great great defensive backs that I've seen and tried to emulate. So to me, I think they need some coaches in there to stop teaching players not to turn around for the ball. Wait till his hand goes up, then you That is a

bunch of bs and is so outdated. Whoever came up with that. They have ruined dbs because no one now turns around to try to make a play on the ball. They talked about it last night. Lawrence Right Sunshine said, if if the dB doesn't turn around, I'm throwing the ball. I heard him say that. To me, why would a dB not turn around? It is like, you know, let's like saying if the dB had no ankles, I'm gonna go after his Okay, you have ankles, you have like

you turn around? You know? To me that that that concept, that technique that's been taught. It has ruined kids from high school and now they're doing it in the pros And to me, it is ruining a lot of guys careers. And I've done camps now with kids before I tell them this, I don't get what's going on with you guys. What you've been taught in this camp forget. We're gonna turned on. And it's not just me. It's all about

the narrative. If you tell a kid he can get interceptions, you show him he can get an interceptions, he's gonna get them. The kids are coaching camp and that's not just me, it's the whole camp. Because we teach differently, you're gonna go You're gonna get turnovers. We got so many turnovers one camp. It was ridiculous. And it was all because the light turned on in their brain. It wasn't about they became different people. They only thought differently,

and that's what we need. Are you saying dbs are more reactionary now as opposed to aggressive and trying to make those play. Yeah, they're not turning around. It's a reaction. So good, that's so good because you you you voiced it better than me. You're worried it better than I did. They're reacting to a receiver when when his hand go up,

only do you react? I just think that is you're you're you're you're doing a disservice to the intellect of some of the defensive backs that have come around this league. And one thing, you know, you got Gil brand out there. I know he's missed the Hall of Fame, but back in the day, Gil Brandon, all those uh Gill imagines. You think I can find a wide receiver or a defensive back on any street corner. That's what they used to say about defensive backs and wide receivers, and that

is not true. The best defenses are because they have the smartest defensive backs. So let's just be real old out there, and you gotta be intelligent at every position. And it doesn't just stopped at quarter Boom in Seattle. The reason they were so good was they had smart dvs chan those So don't be a drone. Okay, be your own player. Think the game. That's how I was taught to play. Don't react like you're talking about. You gotta go out there and be the dominant players you are.

Jalen Ramsey's not out there waiting on somebody to turn around. He's kicking his wide receivers. But every running his route like Richard Sherman did against in the Minnesota game, was that defense the whole time? I'm thinking Richard Sherman, just the way he plays, the way he made that interception. He controlled him immediately from the line of scrimmage and not just beat him up. He knew the route he was running, So you have to recognize the routes of

the being run. Don't just go out there and just drone it, okay, independent, be an independent thinker. Fifth round draft pick us a wide receiver in college crazy and it's so good right now he is. He is making his mark as one of the better defensive backs to come through the playoffs, especially, and he's turning teams around

that were not known for playing good defense. And he went on an epic rant after the Minnesota game last weekend all you're just saying that I don't know why you beat you guys just constantly make excuses for why I'm so good. Was great? All right before we wrap up, um, because we're about out to take you further in that earlier in the show next week. Um, Packers, Niners? Who do you like this guy? Go? Niners? Man? I just I don't know. Rogers is good, of course, but that

pack that that uh ninus defense, I can't see. I can't see a letdown. Okay, who they remind me of? They remind me with Bosa on coming off the edge and they're showing up on that defensive line. I just don't see any gaps for him at all, not any consistent gaps. I can't think of who they remind me of. But they are so dynamic. But I remember seeing that

linebacker Dre Greenlaw. He was a rookie. I remember seeing him in the preseason, thinking, man, that guy, I mean, you could you could tell he belongs even as a rookie, you know. And then they lose Kwan Alexander for the bulk of the season and he steps in and he's making exact next man, you need to find a Dre Greenlaw in the draft, you know, yeah, seven of them? Yeah, so who you got? Yeah, go ahead. You know, I'm gonna say Green Bay just because I'm looking forward to

an Aaron Rodgers Patrick Mahomes super Bowl. And you don't think Guaffalo can can stand up? Is that what you're saying? Be the match up there? He doesn't get enough credit for being a really good quarterback because everybody rightfully so as you said, they talk about the defense and they are nasty. But I usually in these games, I take the better quarterback, and Rodgers, to me, might might be the goat. So he's going back and this is and they've got something cooking like he was. He was in

the zone last week. And if they can keep that up, he's got It's like he's been waiting on the playoffs. Yeah, I'm just gonna child. I'm gonna let Jones take care of things then and people talking that, you know, his stats are down whatever, but he was dominant, all right, Titans chiefs oh Man, I cannot. I love the Titans, and I knew they were gonna win. I knew they were gonna win. I did did no. I love I love of rape he's he's got a great go out

there in the running game itself. It's its defensive playoff football that he has going on, but is dialed in. It is amazing. Yeah, it's hard to go get spot. And they called Mark Collins after the game. He's with Kansas City, but I played with him in New York. Is my fellow cornerback. He said he's never seen anything like it. He'd be dead, and he's I've been playing around football all my life. I've never seen anything like what I saw today. When they announced it, they ran

out of fireworks because they scored too many. So you need to know right there, I go Chiefs. Yeah, it's crazy. So you got Chiefs. I've got Chiefs Packers, Chiefs Packers, all right. But ever since right that forty nine Ers team is I might be the most complete. Can't mess that up. He can't mess that up. Canny can't he mess that up? Oh? He can? He? I mean has he has. He shouldn't have been in the Super Bowl in twenty fourteen at Seattle, and he found a way

to get that done. If they had just recovered that on site. And the way Shanahan called plays too, I mean he will take it out of his hands. Yeah, because that running game is is just like what he did in that game at New Orleans, you know where they got home field, you know. So all right, does it for this edition of Talking Cowboys and we will talk at you again next week. Production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club