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And now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Patrick Walker, Josh Rodriguez and Kyle Yeomans.
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We've got Patrick Walker, Isaiah stand back, Chris Beam in the back. Facika's in the back, but she's not. I'm Josh. The Josh gi is a film school university holding it down for Kyle Owens, who is covering the Senior Bowl and Mobile Alabama.
Yeah, Chris, Tommy, Kyle got Scott out there the mustache himself cover Oh, Scott Stashi sco.
Scott Purcell rocking the crazy mustache.
Good for him.
Man lo us to discuss on Talking Cowboys. It's been a ten days since.
Our last episode. Long time.
We had a lot to discuss. Last time we were on here, we didn't have a defensive coordinator, and now we do, Fellas, we have a defensive coordinator to talk about. And guess what, young buck? It is a young buck.
Mm hmm, spring chicken freshman, fresh face, fresh freshman and from a rival team.
No less man.
So you made the Eagles lesser and you pick up a young man, and then if he becomes a head coach, you also.
Get draft picked.
A lot not too shity, and I think people like this guy.
Guys, we have to talk about. Let's Shoty Cook.
Christian Parker defensive coordinator.
Guys.
Reactions to this Philly fans were struggling. At first, it was no, please, don't take him, and then after we hired him, it's like trying to be like us. Yeah, then it sucks anyway, not that good. Cooper would be great.
Shut your that shut your face. Okay, at the end of the day, let's just put it in perspective. Yeah reactions please, Yeah, so let's put in perspective. And I should have I should have had a sign today. Oh, I should have had a sign. This take does not imply the Cowboys of going to the Super Bowl. I should have had no because this is the Seahawks going Super Bowl.
Yeah, that's right.
Tank was right, So yeah, but I will say yeah and I like it, but he would say yes, Christian Parker has a good bit to prove. This is his first time in the seat as a defensive coordinator.
Congress to him.
So congrats to him, thirty thirty four year old, fast rising defensive mind who is responsible for the development of guys such as Patrick Curtain.
Heard of that guy before? Yeah, I've heard of Patrick. Hurt's pretty Is he a mvpism? Yeah, Hurt is pretty damn good.
And also after certain came the development of Cooper de jen and Quinya Mitchell. Both of those guys got a an All Pro not in twenty twenty five.
It wasn't second team, was it? It was first team? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, sot pretty damn good.
I said on that to say, Christian Parker, even though he's only thirty four, he's already established a resume of being able to develop cornerbacks into greatness. Now, does that mean instantly that the Cowboys don't have to do any work to get him the personnel he.
Needs, No, Nona, not what that means at home? All right, they.
Still need to do their personnel work free agency and in the draft to get him guys, but it does give you a lot of promise for a guy like Savon Revel. Once he's completely healthy and he gets a full off season under his belt, this will be now a first off season healthy and under Christian Parker.
So this is a clean slate for a guy like Savul Rebel. I like those words. Patrick.
Now turning to Isaiah, what were your first reactions whenever we signed Christian Parker to be our defensive coordinator. Didn't know who he was. Tell you straight up, before the coaching search, I had no idea who he.
Was, had no idea who he was.
But after extensive research and tapping in with my resources, I've gained an understanding for who he is, a respect and a high regard for what he's done. His climb quickly ranks, Yep, quickly. That's something we were talking about.
You know.
Obviously I was in on some of the old school cats, that the old ways, but I also said, if they don't go that way, they need to grab one of these young tender loins that that can connect with this generation, right, Because that was one of the conversations we had. His ability ability to connect with the guys in the locker room.
We were talking about that from the beginning. No matter who the candidate was, it needed to be a guy that could relate to the players and coach them up in that way and teach them.
And everything that I've heard about this man is just that right. Ability to connect, his ability to teach, the ability to not only just teach, but those for it to be receptive. So those guys are receiving what he's teaching and excited about working with him. So I am now excited going back and looking at some of the coverages. Love that, love that, I love everything about that. But now you know, my you know, after the excitement kind of wears off. Now you know, I look towards the support.
I look towards the support and the staff. All.
Let me say this. I am.
You know, obviously it is. This person is of greater age than I am. But I can still be proud of somebody that's older than I Am proud of mister double J. I am proud of Double J. I'm proud of Stephen Jones.
It sounds like they're changing their tune a little bit.
It's not even just the tune, it is they're listening. They're listening. And when you're in a position of power where you have the all mighty hand right and all you know, they'll all all say the you can listen, right, or you can hear people, but you don't have to listen to them.
And you can't hear Jimmy.
Yeah, you can't hear jim can I So I mean listening, yeah, cowboys exactly. But two, over this last year, we've seen a change in the front office. Over this last year, we've seen those guys be more willing to stand on business in regards to the people that they believe in and people they don't believe in. We've seen them stand on business in terms of going out and acquiring free agents. We've seen them stand on business in terms of making
trades and being more aggressive in that regard. And now we're seeing them stand on business and change the ways in which they have hired and all these things are in are indicative to the fact that they have their eyes open and they are humbling themselves to understand that the old ways haven't worked and we have to adapt.
Let me say this really quickly, though, I don't think it was. It's not a night and day transition, because they did start off last season doing something very interesting in hiring Schottenheimer, which was not the sexy pick. It was not the guy that was very unconventional for the Cowboys. But then they also hired Matt Eberflus to be your DC, a known guy with head coaching experience. So this is a project that they've done many times before.
It didn't work out.
So now, at least for me, it's not necessarily indicative of the Joneses and the front office listening to That's what I mean. It's like it is indicative of them listening to what Shody has to say, because I think they picked the right guy for sure. I think they picked Shoddy as a difference maker for the culture and for the Dallas Cowboys.
As a whole.
But now they gained his trust throughout this season. Obviously ebraflues didn't work out, they accepted it. It's like, Okay, now we're onto our fourth, fourth DC in four years. So now the extensive exhaustive search that was taking place for this DC, because we heard about all the names that were brought to us over the several weeks that
the interviews were taking place. I mean, for me, like we talked about, the most obvious at the time was Arizona coordinator Jonathan Jonathan Cannon Gannon, who was head coach for the Cardinals over the last few seasons. That was the most obvious because it's like, oh, yes, head coaching experience,
there's some relations there that Okay, there it is. There's the pick, right, except things are different now because of the trust that they have and shoddy And it wasn't just Jonathan Gannon or else that would have been it, right, It would have been maybe two or three guys like that, and then it's like, okay, let's go with Gannon. It was an extensive search and exhaustive search. That word has been used quite a bit by the front office, by
Will McClay, by Stephen Jones, and it's accurate. And there was a lot of names flying around and guys that you wouldn't expect the Dallas Cowboys to interview in a position like this prior to this offseason.
So I like that.
I'm kind of interested now in what type of DC Christian Parker will be because now he's as a play caller, because this is his first time calling plays, and he's coming from the Fangio tree, which has proven to be pretty successful.
Blue print.
It's a blueprint. So I ask you, guys, teacher has been brought up a lot. What kind of DC will Christian Parker be?
I think he's gonna be a single high safety, low the box. You're not going to run the ball on us, and we're gonna trust our defensive backs to be able to cover your guys.
That's what I foresee, and that's a Fangio defense.
Yeah, too, high shell, light box, make the QB take the checkdown on corners, can tackle, safeties, can rotate.
That's basically what to that point kind of circling back, because yes, that means you're going to ask a lot of your cornerbacks in that single high safety a lot. That means that you, the DC and your position coaches have to excel at teaching and developing, which means you have to make sure all of the information that you're
giving forth is digestible and that you're connecting. Those two things were severely lacking in the one year Eberflus era, and they have to be capable, and they have to be capable, So that goes back to what I said initially. Does this mean instantly that Christian Parker is going to solve all the issues? No, that means we'll see if he's the right guy for the job. But feels as if he is. He is proven, he's a fast riser. But you have to get him the pieces. You have
to get him the personnel. If those two things jive up, will and you get these position coaches lined up the right way. We're seeing some real interesting names coming down the pike as far as these interviews for these position coaches. And that's another thing you could see the Schottenheimer and now the Christian Parker effect on let me build this defensive staff as I see fit, and I can get some things done for you.
I totally agree with you.
But one thing that I've heard, well, outstanding teacher, that was a quote from Stephen Jones about one of he's interviewing Christian Parker. That was one thing that they brought up. But another thing that they brought up in terms of using the pieces that we currently have to make the defense better.
At the end of the this is from Stephen Jones.
At the end of the day, it was Christian's vision the wrinkles he can bring that would fit the pieces we have in place, And a few of those names popped up. He's talking about Savone Revel, talked about Demarvin overshown as pieces that are currently here that can work with Christian Parker's vision. I'm I'm thankful to hear those words because a lot of these players I think didn't
have a fair shake. I think Savon Revel's season was tumultuous at best, but I think a lot of that was the communication with with Kaylen Carson.
I'm in greatest game. He just got yanked.
But a name that wasn't brought up, a name that wasn't brought up by the front office by Shaddy. You're not really necessarily hearing that, but Shavone Revel was a big one.
That Yeah, And I think that really quickly, Melvin, If you want to know, the biggest negative is the obvious, which is he's never called plays before. That's so that means TBD on his ability to call plays, and that also means they will be growing pains as he learns how to grow plays and learns how to you know,
what plays. It's called situationally, So Melvin and all those wondering. Yes, we're talking about the positives right now, but we cannot stress enough the glaring I don't want to say negative, but the glaring question mark, which is can he and how quickly can he develop his play calling ability? So
that's obvious, but personnel is going to be key. What I like what Steven said there, but the reporter and me flips it the other way and says, Okay, Now my question becomes, does that mean that you're not going to be aggressive and acquiring new guys? Because I fear having covered this team for so long that I love the Shoddy effect right now. I love it twenty twenty six and beyond. Not a good bit in twenty five,
but not on the defensive side of the ball. Becausett eber Fluss was the front office higher but now in twenty twenty six we're getting.
The full Shoddy effect.
How much of that is going to continue to extend to making trades like they did for George Pickens and Quinn Williams and bringing in guys like Javonte Williams, who was a risk at the time. And our good friend Isaiah stanmbeckxtill on the table and said these guys are going to be something for the Cowboys, and he was
absolutely right. But that level of aggression in free agency needs to continue, if not ratchet up just a little bit because as it stands, this defensive personnel keeping in mind, you have a good bit of these guys going into free agency right now as well, Donovan Wilson being one that come to mind immediately. What's the development of mayor Stofile now look like under Christian Parker for example?
So because they need fast linebackers and.
Snail wise, you got you got some got some questions that need to be answered.
One question that I wanted to ask at least is expectations. You kind of touched on it as well. I mean, this is a first time play color as far as a coordinator role for him goes. Would you say that he's here to raise the floor or actually touch like top five defenses in the league right now? Like, what do you think the expectations.
Are for year one? Yeah? What are yours? Just personally?
What are mid tier middle? Yeah that's not a little take too. If you have a top tier offense.
I mean yeah, if you if you get top sixteen, if your top six we said this right to talk about if we say this on Talking Cowboy, Yeah, if you're top sixteen, top fifteen and all all around defense and you can be top five and takeaways, I'll tell you yeah, I'll take it because to know, seas points are a very valid point.
There's gonna be growing pains.
There's there's gonna be things that happen this year or you're like, what in the entire heck was he doing? Bro Like, you know, and it may cost you some games. You know, it may cost some games, but guess what, that's a part of growth. And when you hire somebody who's thirty four years old, who's gonna be who's around the age of some of the guys that you have on the roster, there's gonna be growing pains.
Right.
He has to learn too, you know, there's some young bucks that are on the team. There's some young coaches that are now on a team. So he's gonna have to learn, and you're gonna have to have grace while he's learning. And that's a part of something that the ownership group understands.
Right.
We understand the upside, the potential upside, but while there's great upside, there's gonna be some some speed bumps along the way.
I feel like I love what Isaiah's saying here. Let's timper the expectations. We love to high. There's a huge question mark on what does his play calling look like. How quickly can he get past these growing pains, because there will be growing pains.
Okay, I'm going to.
Give him a year one grace period in saying that if he can land at number fifteen, if the defense can come in ranked fifteenth overall, and the offense can take strides over what they were last year, because they were prolific last year, but they had pockets of times where they went cold. First it was first halfs of games, and then it was second halves of games, and a large part due to the defense, large part doe to
the defense. But if Shoty can learn from his growing pains, because Shoty had growing pains as well last year, if the offense can become better, you give them a mid tier defense in twenty twenty six, you're in the playoffs and possibly at the divisional round, may be a conference I don't know. But what I'm saying is a fifteenth
ranked defense I think is very possible. If they finished building the staff out the right way, and they attack free agency and the draft the right place way to give Christian Parker the support and the personnel.
I'm all about the position coaches right now.
And speaking of there are a lot of names floating around, a lot of interviews taking place, and they're trying to fill out that defensive staff. When we come back, we need to discuss those names.
Give me those names.
More talking Cowboys after these messages.
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But are you doing the stance with the leg though we can't see the leg is up on the Actually, I didn't want to show off everybody.
So I wanted to ask you guys about the expectations on Christian Parker because I don't want to be another one of those podcasts that's like just hyping.
Up part and then fifteenth fifteenth year one, I think that.
Would be an acceptable upgrade, yes, from last year's defense of this year's defense. But then you did see after Anyways, I'm just saying, temper your expectations were we can be happy about the pick and also temper.
Our expectations, so please understand that. Guys.
The coaching staff, now, we had a few I'm angry departures from the coaching staff. Aaron Whitecott White, I'm angry being the main one. I'm angry Why Isaiah.
I'm excited for him? Yeah, yeah, good for him. Great human, one of the Titans, great human being, great coach, great coach, motivator. Yeah. I mean we've seen what he did with the d line. I mean, come on, man, like he's I just gathering all this side and I.
Hate that they lost him. There's two listen, no disrespect to the rest of the coaches. Two coaches that I feel as if the Dallas Cowboys I don't want to say can't afford to lose or couldn't afford to lose, but.
You'd hate to see you hate to see them lose them. Aaron White Cotton was one.
Yes, the other one most likely will probably be saying bye to him too.
Go ahead, Linda Wells. And there's a good possibility.
There's a great because it's because it's a it's a promotion.
It is a heck of a promotion, and it's just heck of a situation and it's a it makes and you got on black and yellow that this is mornings. There's no news. I don't know anything that y'all don't know, but I my spider senses are going on.
It would be very And.
How could you blame him if if that's what he decides to go.
You can't.
I mean, I listen, Cowboys Nation. I hope that you retain Linda Wells. I hope that he.
Says, no, I'm staying here.
But if you're Linda Wells and you have opportunity to go play for a coach that you played underneath, you have the opportunity to go play for another great organization, go coach for another great organization.
You have a great tight.
End room over there as well to work with, and you have office of coordinator position where you're one step closer to being a head coach. And you don't really have to be the office of coordinator. You just get the title and you get the like.
And behind the head coach who was already long in the tooth may not be sticking around.
It's a great lot I don't know. I'm not trying to pump it up.
Obviously, this is cowboys talking, but the reality is you're most likely going to say bide him as well. So too, one great coach is gone that everybody in that room loves. Obviously, he was up for defensive coordinator positions. He didn't get that for where he's going.
He interviewed here for DC, Yes he did. We talked about that.
So yeah, so it's said about those departures.
Of course, that that departure, but this guy isn't falling. Anytime a new defensive court or a new coordinator is hired anywhere in the league, the league turn turns over about thirty to fifty percent of their staff.
I mean, it just happened. So I was hopeful.
And again this is understanding what the ownership is in position to do. Yes, some times obviously we blocked right mister Jones and the Jones family.
They made on Clayton Adams. Yeah, clay await, buddy, they tried to get Clayton Adams.
No, I mean, to be fair, he probably was like, go ahead and blocked at them.
But was I'm good on the only reason why they were able to block it is because it was an adjacent move. Yes, right, it was offensive coordinator to offensive coordinator, right, So that why is that's why they had the power to block it. They don't have the power to block Aaron Aaron Whitecotton, who was getting the d line position in Tennessee, but he's also getting the promotion to the to the rush run game coordinator, right, so he got a promotion entitle Linda Wells is the tight end coach
for Dallas Cowboys. He's not going potentially going to go interview for a tight ends position coach in Pittsburgh. He's going to go interview for the offensive coordinator position under coach McCarthy, who he already coached under.
So is it know anything about McCarthy hires his Buddyes, so is it an interview?
So so anyway, so that's that's that.
But about these new guys.
About these new guys, Patrick, give us the rundown, please, all right?
So I will say I'm waiting on confirmation for this. I know that there's some critible reports out there from some of our folks that are on the beat, like Todd Archier, for example, who spoke that the Cowboys are finalizing to deal with Arizona Cardinals cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith.
I'm told it's in the works.
Told it's not done quite yet, so put a pen in that waiting for that to become official or at least agreed to terms. So it's not been agreed to terms yet, but he is in the building, so that's a possible addition. Promising. I will say young. He's in his early forties, mid forties, so still on the new guard type space.
Right, modern minds. Right, this is also a guy.
Who you know in college he coached took Kalt Farley with a Virginia Tech so and then of course you know that when you're looking at the Cardinals defense, particularly their passing defense, they were the number one defense in the league as far as far as fewest passing touchdowns allowed. They only had ten last year. That was the lowest
amount in the entire league. So if you combine him with Christian Parker's ability to develop defensive backs and cornerbacks, you might be cooking with some fish grease there.
Alright, I'll right listen to a coach with a secondary background on cornerback coaches, but love that.
Now, as far as some well going to the departures really quickly. Aaron Whitecott and we just talked about that. Assistant offensive line coach Ramon chen Young. He is reportedly headed to guess where the Pittsburgh Steelers to reunite, see where you're going with it, to reunite with Mike McCarthy.
So Cowboys need to handle that on the offensive side of the ball and potentially Lounda Wells's vacancy if Lunda takes that job now as far as going back to defense pending, these are the guys who are being interviewed. Zach Or Raven's defensive coordinator. He was interviewed in the defensive coordinator process for the Cowboys. Seen in the building multiple multiple time, multiple times, multiple day with multiple days, not just multiple times, multiple damultiple days. He and his family,
his significant other and their beautiful young child. They were in the building multiple days during the defensive coordinator search to the point where I figured that he was going to.
Right.
As it turns out, there's some still love and mutual interest there because he's interviewing it for this is home, yeah, and it is that's this is a U and T guy, young family, right, young family, U and T guy Kyle is here, then I let him call call so zach.
Orr, that's a new call for him, zach Orr.
Of he's one that's interviewing again for a possible position coach role. Robert Livingston. Uh, this is real quick backpedal on zach Arr.
Yeah, this would be a downgrade for him in title and we never know what the coaches make, so let's lay that out there. But I don't know what they would do back in wise contract.
But there was a there was a tumultuous end to his uh in Baltimore.
In Baltimore.
Yeah, and at least if you go on Twitter, it's he's not a good pick because.
Everyone thinks he sucks.
You know what I'm saying, uh, in terms of Twitter talk. But then again, this is a well respected coach in the NFL. That I mean, the Ravens are always expected to be top five defenses in the league. So I think you got to get this guy some grace and not thing went right for the Bultra.
And not just that, but also the reality of it is we talk a lot about how sometimes a head coach is better served as a coordinator, right, not every coordinator needs to be a head coach.
Well, not every position coach needs to be a coordinator.
And then sometimes a coordinator might be in a situation that's non conducive for them, be it personnel or ownership or whatever, and then they kind of downgrade to a position coach and that's a better fit, and they rebuild themselves and they end up in a coordinator role in the next couple of years.
And again I bring this up again. I don't know this man's family, but I do know that the baby was in a stroller, right.
Young family. Maybe he doesn't want all the responsibilities of being a coordinator. It's a lot comes with it, a lot.
More time just speculating, But yeah, I'm speculating.
I'm looking at it. It was amazed both speculation. This is where fathers conversation time matters.
So Robert Livingston going back to him really quickly the defensive side of the ball. This feels like the Connor Riley move right because Robert Livingston will be coming from Colorado as a defensive coordinator. The only difference is Livingston actually has a little bit of NFL experience before he went to Colorado. But the fact is if he comes on board, then Shotty and the Cowboys and Parker are pulling him from the collegiate ranks the position group. Good question,
Good question. Same with Zach Orr TBD. I thought Zach Orr was for linebackers, That's what I heard.
You might be right.
I'll double check that because he's not the only one. Ronelle Williams, assistant linebackers coach for the Eagles. We talked about coaching Eagles defensive coaches. We got Christian Parker in the building, jokes on you. Well, apparently they're not done because Christian Parker reached back and said, hey, let's see if we can get Ronelle Williams, the Eagles assistant linebackers coach, in the building as well.
So you hotline blank.
Yeah, that's why I say put a pin in because I heard the same thing you heard about or but I'm curious as to because I feel like if it's a lateral move, the Eagles are going to be pissed off enough to say, no, we couldn't block you on, Parker, We're not letting you take Ronelle Williams from assistant linebackers coach to assistant linebackers coach. There has to be a promotion there involved some yeah, and if he is coming
in as linebackers coach, then I don't see that. I don't see Zach Or going from DC to assistant linebacker anything. So it'll be interesting to see how that works out. Marcus Dixon, Vikings defensive line coach. His contract ended at the start of this offseason. He was in the mix a little bit for defensive coordinators, still in the mix for defensive line coach, especially now that Aaron Whitecotton is
out of the building. So recap Zach Or, Robert Livingston, Marcus Dixon run now Williams all being interviewed.
For position coachingmate.
Ryan Smith is, I'm told nearing a finalization of a contract to become the cowboys new cornerbacks coach under Christian Parker. So those are your updates. A lot of moving pieces, so just stay tuned as we get new information.
And Marcus Dixon is a fast rising coach and he's team I was going to say, tell me what tell the people what you text me? Yeah, MD.
Argus Dixon was my teammate here in Dallas. I believe it was like an eight. He was my teammate. Big fellow young you know young obviously same age as me, energetic and can really connect.
He's a real one. He's he's one of those straight shooters.
And when you have a coach that can, that's played it, and he had a solid career too. I think he played predit jets and moved around a little bit, but he played a position. He can connect. He can talk to these cats, he can meet them where the ad. He can talk to them in a way that older guys can't necessarily talk to him with, you know, at and be respected and received.
So he's he's seems like a reoccurring theme with this coaching stuff.
Listen, my last time see him, I saw him on the field when we're doing a pregame show against the Vikings, and he walked he was walking around the.
Field and I was like, MD, He's like, man, what's up. It's just instant connection.
Just it's always good to see old teammates doing well in terms of the coaching ranks. But I love hearing his name affiliated with the Cowboys again.
That's great.
Man.
Okay, let's take our last break. When the coaching staff is solidified. From a personal standpoint, how does free agency and draft strategy change. We need to discuss these things more or talking Cowboys.
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Welcome back to Talking Cowboys Live roun the star Red godg.
This I don't know, I don't know. Just have some energy. I'm here with it. We got some energy.
Yeah, we're talking strategy changes. How does hiring Christian Parker change our draft strategy, our free agency strategy? Please tell me it gets even better from me here.
Well, I can tell you one thing. One of those picks are going to be a defensive player. You think so, I can tell you that much.
Steven Jones said that they're putting the board together just like they always are.
Give me, both of them have a PASTAVI both full. I honestly, this is my honest thoughts. Please, that's all we asked for.
I believe that mister Jones, Stephen Jones, that is, likes to keep things in his pocket.
Doesn't like to spend it per se.
If I had to guess, I think that you use your first draft pick, first round draft pick, and you trade away your second to acquire more picks, because I think they what you were just hearing what you what you what you were communicating to us? There no see in regards to Stephen Jones talking about using what we have and like you continue to hear the language right in terms of hey, like I don't want to spend It.
Ain't all about we utilized what we already got in the crib? Is it ready to the refrigerator at home? We got food at the crib, you know McDonald's going out to eat, you know we have at home pie? Yeah, yeah, don't start with the conversation.
So I foresee them using the first draft pick on the defensive player to give Parker what he.
Feels that he needs, because that's your new coach.
And then I think that they or they grab something position, you know, a position of need, whatever is most evident at that time, and then they trade away that second first round pick to go acquire you know, a couple of thirds or fourth or whatever it might be.
Do you think because of his background as a secondary coach, does that mean we attack secondary more No, more so than a pass rusher or so you finished?
No, please let me finish. Yeah, No, I think you attack. And this is why it's great that you got two picks in the first round. I think you do attack, especially with Christian Parker. I think cornerback was on the table, not even I think cornerback was on the table for Christian Parker, now even more so with Christian Parker in the build. Yes, but the beauty of it is, because you have two first round picks, you get your pass
rusher and you get your cornerback. Now that be as what Isaiah's saying, very well, it's very well that you know, possible that the Cowboys could use one of those picks moved back into the later in the first round, maybe into the second second, get some more picks because they don't have I mean, they're missing that pick in the second round anyway.
So uh, and then handle it that way. But I do believe, as we have.
This conversation, and we're having this conversation before free agency starts, keep that in mind.
Yes, keep that in mind because there are a lot of players Christian Parker has coached other teams, including the Eagles, including the Broncos firing contracts coming up expiring.
So that's why we can't say their name. We cannot say the names right now, there's one that's on that is coded hare. I'm sure there's there's how what how to blanket? All right? Yeah? Just chili? Somebody? Do you have to get on a boat later water? You know, I mean you need a blanket sometimes.
Well, I know that one of the players that are coming free is I hear he's a dog.
Dogs, So there's that.
But I mean they have several guys that are going to be of note entering free agency. Can't say the names because they're still in the contract until the at least legal tampering starts UH in the first second week
in March. But nonetheless, just like Christian Parker is reaching out to try to get Ronelle Williams in the building, I one hundred percent for see him reaching out to some of these formal current assumed to be former Eagles players on the defensive side of the ball, saying, hey, if you like what we did over there, try to come in doing it for.
If you people dance, if you don't like your head coach dancing in the backgrounds fans in the tunnel, come to down.
It's far less punch.
Up if you catch that reference. Yeah, we're we're good. We're good, They're good. But no, seriously, I think so. I think I said hit the next on the head. As far as what could happen with the draft, I still want to see aggressiveness and free agency like we're
talking about. Because if you're aggressive and free agency and you do it the right way defensively, because George Pickens is at the top of everybody's list in this room and in this building, but defensively you handle it the right way, then maybe you walk away with a very impactful edge rusher whilst retaining Deveon Clowney, which then allows you to continue to develop in you know, slowly unleashed as Roku get you a free agency linebacker who can
impact the game along with Tomorvey on overshown and Mayrizleiafile. Okay, now, when you go into the draft, because I because I'm going to spend so much on pickings and I want another edge rusher and free agency, I want a linebacker and free agency, I'm not going to say, oh, well, also give me a high ticket cornerback because they're not going to do that. But what it does allow you to do is go into these first two round picks. First, these two first round picks. Sorry, and you say, I
can attack. I can throw cornerback first pick, first picking my first round of the draft cornerback. And then when the second pick comes around, you say, okay, well we did get an impact edge rusher, so maybe now we can afford to move.
Back a little bit and attack edge that way.
So I think exactly that, like you're talking about trading that second first round pick to acquire more picks because you currently have no Day two picks at all. One of the things, at least in Fangio style systems, they value safeties that can play high and in the box, corners that don't panic with their eyes. Linebackers who can run, not just hit. You have linebackers who can run right now.
I think that's right, athletic linebackers. I think the vision is there for him, and I think that's one of the things that sold them on Parker.
But I think an.
Emphasis on the secondary doesn't mean cornerbacks in the first round. I think that means multiple mid round cornerbacks, which is why you would maybe want to trade that for one of those first round picks. And again, virsual safeties in competition everywhere, if you look at the recent playoff defenses Ravens forty nine Ers Chiefs. They wrote tape between seven and nine defensive backs yearly. You have to have depth. It's not just your number one guys. You're talking about
a team that got rid of Trayvon Dicks. They released him in just before the last game of the season. A guy that was, you know, a ballhawk in his in his time, but a guy that would give up the big play. I'm wondering now is the is the mentality changing on like are we over creating those splash plays. I'm not saying entirely, but are you more relying on players being right? You don't need players to be great, you need them to be right, cerebral players.
I'm curious to see question, Josh. I'm curious to see how coach Parker impacts the draft in regards to do you feel as if you need star players or do you need consistent players across.
The board the ladder? Please? You know what I'm saying, Like I'm being genuine because and I'm sitting here asking myself why not both? Well, sometimes you can't get both right.
Sometime you got to go go get the guy because there's only a handful of guys, that's true, or you say, I gotta I have to be okay, letting that team have the guy, let me get the guy that's one or two guys behind him. That is gonna not gonna necessarily be that, But I know exactly what I'm getting out.
Of disguises another exactly. You know.
So sometimes you either have the one dog or you can have you can have three three cats.
Second, that's gonna be there, tried and chew every week. You don't need Superman.
You need guys that know what's about to happen, Guys that can recognize the play.
Okay, so Devil's advocate, you need Sean Lee's out there. So so Devil's healthy. Sean Lee when healthy was a guy. Absolutely, So that's what I mean.
You need mental Lee something you.
Need mental Lee's. Isaiah is not wrong. It's just a matter of how how are you going to approach this?
Right? You have to decide what your outfit is gonna look like.
Because while Isaiah is absolutely correct and that they're only handful of God at each position in the league period, right, So then you.
Are going you have a Pro Bowls under under roster, Right, now stop that.
Now you're going to have to figure out if you're going to go and get that guy and then the depth chart around him are guys who are just simply consistent or are you going to elevate those guys a little bit by downgrading this? And now you have guys who are at you know.
So one of the things about coach Parker that I read about I say, he loves get the competition now, right, he loves competition and that's we know that's one of the.
Core value competition here.
Yeah, Well, coach Seta Huimer loves competition, right, we saw it, We saw it in training camp.
This is another opportunity, there's another opportunity. Do you stay true to that? Not often? Do you stay true to that? Right? Do you do? You? This is what I say.
I'm curious to see exactly how this draft goes down. Does Coach Parker stand up in the meeting room, in that room and that war room and say I need these guys and the Jones just say, well, we already have these guys that we're invested in.
What's that conversation look like then?
Right, if mister coach Parker says, hey, I need this guy, he's a competitor, he's a dollar. They say, well, we already have that position filled. What happens, That's what I'm curious to see. I can't wait to see the picks because that's going to give you a peek behind the veil in regards.
To who's really running, who's not necessarily who's running the struggle?
Right, But like, are they going to continue to listen or is that going to be a situation where there.
Is resistance you?
You know what I'm saying, pushback, But they're like, I've given on a lot, now I'm not giving on this all right.
So here's the thing though, the Cowboys over the past several seasons, and when I say over the past several I'm going let me reach back into the Jason Garrett era for a minutes. When you're looking back at the Jason Garrett era, a lot of the reasons the Cowboys were finishing eight and eight was because outside of having a guy, a dude, an animal here and there, here and there, you had positions that didn't have a guy
or that dude. Now fast forward through Mike no through Dan Quinn, who had an excellent defense with the exception of it couldn't stop the run, and then Matt eber Flus and Mike Zimmer not so much. You're going into twenty twenty six. You look at this roster and look at who's going in the free agency from all the teams, including this one, and you say, okay.
At defensive tackle, do I have a guy? Yes, you got at least two. You got two.
You got at least two without resigning Jadeveon Clowney because that deal is not done. As we have this conversation. At defensive end, do you have a guy? No, because you don't know what Zrak is yet, so you don't. At linebacker, do you have a guy? No, guy, you have a guy with an asterisk.
With an we'll see when it gets a full off season.
Okay, so that's fair defensive, but right now I would say no defensive back.
Keep in mind you need to be concerned about dron Bland's foot. So no. As safety, do you have a guy?
No?
You need to get guys. Yeah, That's where I'm at with it.
No, you need and I don't disagree with you, but again, my thing is from the management standpoint, if you've invested in guys, right, For instance, take the cornerback position assigned Roan Blam to the extension. We just drafted Rebel, We just we drafted Carson a year before. Do you if he comes out and said I need to draft two corners, what is the response by the upper management and he comes out. If he comes out and says, hey, I
need I need more linebackers. No, we just got we just got Leah Foul and we just got you know, over Shot.
No, no, no, no, I need this. Are they going to listen draft the safety?
My answer would be yes. If Christian Parker comes to me, I think you go get him. And if Christian Parker comes to me and he says, to rebuild your defense and my vision and the way that you want it to be over the next two to five years of my contract, I need you to give me whatever I ask you to get. And here's why I think the Cowboys will be in on that, because pre dan Quinn personnel acquisition wise looked much different than when dan Quinn
got in the building. The Cowboys didn't approach attack or bring in the defensive tackle position like they should have. But then here comes Aaron White cotting Oh, and all of a sudden not only do you trade Michael, which you may or may not have done anyway, but you trade them for Kenny Clark and then a few weeks later you go and get Quinn Williams.
So use that to me. They're listening, Yeah, they're listening. Yeah.
So if Christian Parker comes to me and I'm Jerry and Stephen Jones and he says I need him, him, him and him, I'm like, call him, call him, call him.
Whatever you need, Christian, Yeah, whatever you.
Need, all right, fellas, that will do it the fucking Cowboys. We will be back next week with the full crew. Kyle will be back for more coverage on America Seam. Stay tuned all day, every day on Dallas Cowboys, not Cone, Fir Patrick, Rich, Mocha, Beemer and Faucca.
We'll see you next time.
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