The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.
Cowboys.
This he is Talking Cowboys, screening live from the Dallas Cowboys World Course at the Star in Frisco.
Street Second dot Pat Touchdown and now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Patrick Wilker, Nick Harris and Kyle Yeoman's.
It's a Tuesday edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, live from the Star in Frisco and the SWBC Studios, the brand new.
SWBC Studios inside the Star.
As we are back from training camp and we are getting gearing up for the second leg of train here at the Star in Fristco and then also for the regular season with Isaiah stand Back, Nick Harris, John Matchoda, I'm Kyle Yeoman's.
The entire crew is here.
And good thing because we've got some new digs to talk about.
Gentlemen, Yeah, yeah, new indeed.
How do you like it? I love it? I love it.
We were talking about it earlier about how every show just kind of has a different feel to it, which I really appreciate.
That's that's that's big time to whoever designed it.
I guess John, you liked the last studio, but I.
Mean I liked the last ye this is better, but I mean the last studio. I thought it was really nice too, you know. I mean, if you guys seen how plain and boring my place was, Like there's just only a couple of pictures on the wall, like no plants or anything. I mean, it just looks like you can really just do a simple move in and out. So to see all this stuff and how quickly.
They changed everything, like, yeah, it's it's amazing, it's really nice.
Yeah, we just got up, went to training camp, came back and this is what it looked like.
I love it. I love it, man, this is yeah, this is a good vibe. It's a good vibe.
I got TV's all over the plays cameras, high diff a little Brandon on the wall, Zach Martin on the wall.
I wonder when that was done, but it looks good.
I always wonder, like you makes these things, like is this like who's making? Like is that your job full time? Do people just make sets? Are there enough? Do enough people need sets that your full time job is to make sets? Because what else would you do? I mean, I don't know how making this table be similar to me making like a table for someone's house or something
like that. Yeah, I always wonder, like I always thought about that on Sports Center because Sports Center always you know, trying to switch stuff up and things like them, like who's doing this?
Is that your full time job?
I think it is a full time job for for certain design companies. But like you said, I mean, you're not just gonna put this in your your house, Like this isn't going to be in your dining room.
And hey, where's the old one?
See that's the thing I hear. They're taking bids on the old one.
So if you want to try on.
It, it's in the it's in the other room. What's in the storage? You can take some bids on it. Do you determine?
It's a great question, it's a great question.
Is a standard?
I don't know what is standard? What would you what would you call standard?
We have to make sure Nate fit.
It's got to be Nate old Nate just in case, oh, just a case. It's a good idea. It's a good idea. All right, let's get into it. Preseason Game number two is in the books, twenty two to fourteen. The Cowboys fall to Seattle on Saturday. Isaiah, it was a pleasure being in the booth with you for the last two games. You're gonna kill it this week because I'll be not in the booth. We'll have some high school football to deal with, so and foot the body. Michael Irvin will
come and replace me. So he'll do a great job. I guess Michael Irvin he played it back in the day at some point.
So, but yeah, Seattle takes down Dallas. There was a lot to learn.
I think in that game, John, whenever you go back and you look at the film, there was a lot going on. There was a lot going on both sides of the football. Will get to the injuries in a couple moments, but what were your overall takes?
So I think by this point we should be used to the fact that, Okay, Jalen Tolbert has made this jump, but there's still always just I don't know, man, These last couple of weeks, I've just I'm impressed, And I think it goes back to kind of it's all about your perception. What were you expecting of the player? And maybe my expectations were too low, But from what I've seen from him and he carried it over into the Seattle game, Like I kind of just feel like he's
he's ready to contribute. Like it's not can he win the number four job, like if they need him on a Sunday. I feel pretty confident in what they have in him and the everything that has stood out to
me this entire time about Jalen Tolbert. Isaiah would obviously know it's a lot better than I would, but just the fact that from practice to games whatever, it's not like he's always playing with the same quarterback either, you know, like Ceedee Lamb's probably not going to catch many passes from anybody other than Dak Prescott, and whether it's game, practice, whatever, Like I feel like Tolbert, you know, I mean, I've seen him make some great grabs out at camp from
Will Greer and then he plays with Cooper Rush and seems like everything clicks there. So let's see how it goes when he's with Dak. But I've been very impressed with Jalen Tolbert.
What did you think about him? Tolbert did a good job.
I think he's been relatively consistent all training camp all the way through the preseason, So I mean He's definitely showing up. He's becoming a guy that everybody really hoped he would have been last year. Sometimes it takes a little bit more time for some guys, but either way, the light bulbs come on and his led is not halogen, so he's doing He's shining bright like a diamond.
Do you think it would be the same thing if for him, if let's say they stayed with Kellen Moore and it was the same offenses, or do you think that this offense helps him acclimate quicker or do you think it's all in just him that hey, he put the work in, it wouldn't matter.
I mean, that's a good question. I don't think any of us can really put our finger on it. I think that he definitely has grown in his confidence. His offseason approach seemingly seemed different. He came in in better shape. It looked like he's ready for camp. But then I think a lot of these shorter routes kind of play to his favor. Kellen Moore, a lot of majority of his routes were kind of pushed down the field. That's not to say that Jaya intober I can't run routes
down the field. I just think that he's able with his frame to win on these slant routes, and you saw him kind of set it up and even in the first quarter, you know, set guy outside come across his face and right, being able to make a good, solid, strong catch at the point of you know, high point the ball. All those type of things are really working in his favor. So that's going to obviously benefit him his positioning to be able to be the fourth guy
on this roster. And we know that the fourth guy is going to get some tick on this team, so you know he's putting. He's definitely done a great job of positioning himself.
I will say just having a new system and being able to come into this new year with a new system, it allows for a complete refresh for him, and I think it benefited him arguably more than anybody coming into their second year, just because he's allowed to regain that confidence in a completely new system. He's allowed to pick up those things and kind of just throw away everything that happened last year, and I think he's been able to do that really well. The confidence is stacking each
and every day. We see it every time he hits the field, and you were talking about just kind of a developed routree he's starting to have, which is really fun in this offense because he can do the short stuff, he can do the stuff downfield as well. We've seen that through the two preseason games. I think he had a pass in a first quarter on Saturday where it was downfield on the side line just got physical with this guy. It shook off DPI. Wasn't OPI this time?
And I asked him Aftuere. I was like, did you think it was maybe Opi either throwing it on you again? And he was like, Nah, it couldn't have been that time.
But it was that Michael Jackson, who that is a player that Salik is a guy that's not going to be on a roster. You know, That's the thing so often in preseason people bet, oh, but who was he doing against? But I mean Michael Jackson is a pretty good corner.
Absolutely, he's probably going to start for Seattle, opposite of Tarik Wohlan, who was of course a pro bowler last year as a rookie. So I think you have options with Jalen Tolbert. This is a rankum that's on Dallas Cowboys dot Com. If you didn't check it out already. It was really well done by the entire team rank them selecting all Oxnar teams as camp ends at least camp on the Oxnard on the West Coast. Brandon Cooks was number four, so that was the top wide receiver mentioned.
Ceedee Lamb was number six and Jayalen Tolbert was right behind him at number seven.
Ceedee Lamb has made a name.
For himself in Oxnard the last couple of years, and he's made a name for himself for other reasons too, but the fact that he's always been the number one receiver to watch and the fact that Jalen Tolbert is right up there snug next to him because of his performance and what he did on the West Coast, I think is a huge plus for this offense because it's almost like adding if he can continue this, it's adding a receiver in the offseason that you didn't have last year,
adding another weapon that you didn't have last year, and it.
Just opens up the possibilities across the board.
I do have a question, do you think he's closer? And I know it's early. He needs to prove it in the regular season.
Don't get me wrong.
But do you think he's closer to pushing Michael Gallup than someone is to push him at this point?
Oh, talking about for a wide receiver three Yeah, if.
You take the paycheck out of it, yeah, it makes sense.
That makes sense for sure.
Yeah.
But I mean even without the paycheck involved, you're still gonna get targets because it's game time.
You might get fed targets. It's not how it works. Michael Gallup is gonna get the three reps no matter what.
I don't think Dak Prescott is paying Michael Gallup, my dude. But he's gonna throw the ball. If Jalen Tolbert's open, He's gonna.
Get the ball Tobert's gonna be on the field because four receivers are hardly ever going.
To be on the field.
So Michael Gallup is an rotating guy, and because of his page trote, he'll he'll be.
On the field, especially with the way this offense likes used tight ends. And I've been thinking about that.
You know, Jalen Talbert's had this great camp, He's doing so many good things in preseason, but when can we see him on the field in the regular season?
How is that gonna work?
I've just kind of been thinking about that. I'm curious to see that in Week one how many snaps he really gets, but I think it'll be intriguing.
Nevertheless, does it help in the fact that last year, whenever they did have the three wide receivers that are the so called three wide receivers that you kind of went with, which was Lamb, Callup and Noah Brown, there really wasn't There was a there was a distance gap between the three and the four. So now that you have a closer four than you did last year, maybe there is a better rotation between the two. Michael Gallup last year was expected to come back from injury and
be wide receiver two to see the Lamb. That was the expectation for Mike. It didn't live up to that expectation because partially I think he rushed back from the injury. He wasn't completely healthy, and he pushed through it because he's a team player and he was trying to be available for his squad.
But now there aren't those expectations for Michael Gallup.
The paycheck says one thing, no doubt, but Jalen Tolbert has a top one hundred tag on him as well, he was a third round pick. There's a pride factor in that as well. He's gonna get opportunities just as much as Michael Gallup does. I understand there's a paycheck, but there's also draft stock, and there's a pride that goes back and forth between the two of them.
I think he's gonna see a significant rotation.
Now.
Is he expected to be a one thousand yard receiver. Is he going to be on the field as a starter. Probably not. He's gonna have to do it in rotation. But John, I think whenever you look at Jalen Tolbert, he's earned that rotation just based off of the way that he's practiced and the way that he's played in these two preseason games already.
Yeah, I just feel like there's always gonna be injuries in football. And you know, you mentioned getting to Cedric will or Noah Brown, Cedric Wilson. There's just been guys over the years where, yeah, maybe right off the start of the season you don't necessarily think that you're gonna get a lot from them, but just the way the position is played and how physical the game is, you just never know when something's going to happen, and then you have to be called on immediately to step in.
So in a way, I mean, if he doesn't play a ton this season, maybe it's a good sign for the Cowboys that because that meant all your top three receivers performed and they all stayed healthy. But that's also you also got to be a realistic I mean, it's a long season and injuries happened. And when I say injuries too, I don't even mean necessarily the oh this guy tore an ACL he's up for these I'm talking about in the middle of a game, you know, a guy twists his knee something, he has to come out,
like for a few players something. Jalen Tolbert is going to have to step in right away, and from what we've seen, he looks like he can handle that. Whereas last year, I mean, that's why you went out and got t Y Hilton because you didn't know if you had that next guy that that could kind of step up.
And now they have to feel good about what.
They have there.
Now, what about the defensive side of the football.
Because the defense, of course you're not seeing any starters Isaiah, But what did you see on Saturday against Seattle, and what were some of the things that you took away from that one.
I feel as if the defensive line was doing a good job of getting up the field, but I don't think there was a lot of gap discipline there in the game. Obviously with their quarterback being able to take off a bunch, uh so there are some some holes there that they have to shure up. Obviously, we'll get to the injury stuff. The secondary. You know Jyye Thomas, He's had one heck of a preseason. I mean, even without the interception, that dude is flying around even towards
the end of the game. I'm I was watching him on places where nobody's even looking at him, and I'm like, this dude is playing still with a ton of energy left. So I'm super proud of him and what he's been able to produce in the in the preseason. The young secondary, you know, Eric Scott, juniors of the world. Those guys still have a lot to learn, seemingly about just awareness, kind of just appropriate reception, just being aware where where
they're at in space. There's a lot of opportunities I think we saw in the game where they were unaware of where the ball was at and those are things that you know that you learn right you see it on film, you experience it, you see it on film. You know our hairs coaches them up and then they're ten times better the next couple opportunities. But in terms of what we've seen so far, I think awareness, spatial awareness is important. I discipline is something that also needs
to be shared up on. But when you're in that position, you're so locked in as a young player. You're so locked in even a draft PI because you're not guaranteed on this roster, on that side of the ball, that you're going to be retained. You're you're locked in on your assignment. And sometimes when you're so intent on trying to do your assignment, you forget some of the other tangible things that you that also are required, other attributes that are require for you to be a holistic player.
And that's really the battle for young guys in the preseason. And it's frustrating because it's like, oh, I did this dog and I forgot about this, you know, and those one little things, you know, I did a good job. I got my hand on them at the line of scrimmage. I shadowed to them I got my hand on the hip.
I stayed with him the whole route, but shoot, I forgot to turn around and find a ball and there's a completion right, and it's like the ultimate goal was still achieved by the by the offensive player because you missed that one little check box.
So overall, they're looking relatively good.
Just kind of just tighten up some things with some of the younger guys, looking forward to seeing the ones obviously here really in a couple of weeks putting an owl out there. But in terms of these guys, they're coming along as you would expect in a preseason.
I think it's olf. I don't think I just want to add on that real quick.
Is just I think it's funny how you mentioned about guys potentially, like young guys, having nerves, because I think a lot of fans would watch these games like it's a preseason game, nine o'clock start in Seattle. Like you, as a fan, might not take it that serious because Dak's not out there and twenty five veterans aren't out there, But to these guys, this is everything.
This is you know, a little mistake.
I remember you talking about it early in camp when we had one of our first shows about how like one little thing you'll remember for the rest of your life if it like so, I think it's easy sometimes to kind of if you're a fan and not think about it, especially in the second half of some of these games, because you're just like, who really, you know.
I was watching the tail end of the game that was on right before the Cowboys game on NFL Network with the Bears, and it was just dragging on, and I'm sitting there as a fan, going just run the clock and get this game over with. Nobody cares. But these players, the players that are out there, this means a lot to them. And so I always think about that too when people talk like, just get rid of
the preseason, you don't need the preseason. Yeah, that's fine for some of your starters, but like, there's a lot of guys that they want these preseason games, and the coaching staff wants it so they can evaluate them.
And the preseason's unforgiving in all three phases of the game. It's unforgiving. I think we saw special teams, the punt,
the punt that got blocked on Saturday night. You know, Rico had this great game, and that's the thing that's focused on afterward, you know, So it's unforgiving at times, but I wanted to especially highlight Eric Scott talking about the defensive side of the ball because I feel like we saw the highest of what his potential could be, and we also saw the first year learning curve that he still has to take the highest potential being on
the very first drive getting two pass breakups on Tyler Lockett. Yes, I'm saying too, because one of them was definitely out of balance, so it's not a completion. So I'm accounting for him, and he's probably getting graded out that way by the staff too, So like if he's gonna get graded out that way, then that's how we should treat it.
And then another one that forced a fourth down. Did fantastic job against the ones in that first drive, but then later later in the first gave Jackson Smith and jigbit inside leverage, and if you if you know anything about Jackson Smith and Jig, but he's going to take advantage of that every single time quick release slant he was gone. I will give Eric Scott credit though he was able to pick up a ground on him and at least get into a position to make a play.
But Jackson's Jackson, and he did his thing. But I'm really excited to see what his process looks like. I think, I think, you know, give him a year in the system, let him, you know, maybe take a valuable rep here there as the season goes on, you know, just to get just get his feet wet. But I think he's eventually going to be a contributor on this team for sure.
Correct.
I'm excited about some of these young players.
And I was excited about a couple of young players that went down on Saturday as well, And we're gonna get to that when we come back.
On the other side of the break, the Marvion.
Overshown John steven Junior both torn acls and just ultimately a gut punch for two guys that had great camps were really finding a role on this team, both offensively for Stevens and then of course over shown on the defensive side. But when we come back, let's talk about how the Cowboys have to react. Now, Are they okay at linebacker? Do they have enough at this young tight end room to keep you confident going into the regular season,
or should some moves be made. We'll even talk about the offensive line a little bit when we come back with more talking cowboys.
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It's segment number two in our brand.
New SWBC podcast Studio.
Nick Harris, John Machoda, Isaiah Stanback, I'm Kyle Yeoman's now two guys go down. Three guys technically, if you want to count Matt will Letsko as well. Not nearly as serious for Matt Willletsk go. But we'll talk offensive line here in a couple of moments. Torn acl for de Marvin Overshown, third round pick out of Texas linebacker who
was shining in the preseason. I talked to Dan Quinn just a couple of days before the game against Seattle, and I asked him which young guy has he been impressed with, and he gave me De Marvi an Overshew. That was the first name out of his mouth he did. He ended up saying Eric Scott Junior. To your point in the last segment, but Dan was very complimentary about Overshown in his versatility, his talent level. I thought he was very high on what he had and to see
him go down as a gut punch. I know, Isaiah, you and I were surrender cobra in the booth. I said it like, kind of in a joking manner. We were both like this in the booth because you could see it pretty immediately. And then John Stephen Jr. John Stevens Junior later in the game goes down with an acl as well, and undrafted free agent out of Louisiana
Lafayette that had shined all training camp as well. Let's start with overshowing Isaiah, I mean, without him in the fold, feels like there's already a void, even though this defense is stacked and there's a lot of a lot of position groups that are very deep. I don't know if f linebacker necessarily counts in that regard.
Every pretty much every position group on defense is dance aside from ironbacker, and I think everybody would probably go on record saying that that was a one position group that you were probably uneasy about if there were to be an injury at any point in time, and during the season or preseason, they were not in a position to being able to afford an injury.
I mean, even with Malik Jefferson went down. Sure, the guys.
I was worried with Malik Jefferson and obviously his is not season ending at this point, but he's he was fighting for a roster spot. But even with him, I'm like, okay, he went down. All right, that's about all they can afford.
You know.
It sucks, and I feel for him. I've unfortunately been in the situation as he's been in, and it's terrible. It's he has a positive outlook and it's it's awesome, right, His spirit is awesome. His outlook is awesome, but that's forward facing and that might very well be internal as well. But he's going to need some support because I mean, he knew what he was doing, you know, on the field.
He knew the product he was putting it on the field, he knew how the shape he came in, he knew how prepared he was when he stepped on the field. He also knew the value and the coaches knew the value of what he provided to the team. And you now take that element out of it, right, I said, Regardless, if you want to title him a linebacker, a safety, I mean he's you know, Jayron Curse.
It's just that's what he is. You're right.
I mean, that's that's pretty much what he is. I don't care whatnever you give him. I don't care where you put him at on the field, third, third level, or second level. He's another Jaron Curse and he was going and Curse was going to appreciate him because he was going to take some of the physicality off of him. Now you missed that, and now you're asking somebody else
to step into the fold. Devin Harper's fully cap bull to come and play linebacker, but he doesn't have the versatility that the mary On Overshawan has.
He doesn't. I mean, he could be as great as he can be, but nobody else.
Possesses that versatility aside from those two players on the roster, Curse and Overshown.
And now you're missing one of them.
Yeah.
Absolutely, I think God punches the best way to say it, especially with those two guys, and going into this preseason, the linebacker depth was thin, but I feel like everyone had an agreement that it was capable. And now you have two guys down in that room, one for the season. It almost forces you to make a move there when you could have made that same move for offensive line, or maybe you don't have to make that move for kicker now. So maybe that's the maybe that's the cancel out.
But I'm sure we'll get into that at some point. But I think this especially really sucks for John Stevens Junior because it basically resets where he was at whenever he entered training camp, because he's gonna have to go back into training camp next year as a second year player. Oh, this guy was great at training camp last year, but he got hurt, so we got to see it again, and so he's basically got to start right back over and prove everything that he's proven this this training camp.
So I think it especially hurts for John Stevens because once Overshown walks back into training camp next year, everyone knows what that potential is. Everyone's going to put him in those positions to succeed. And not that they're not going to put positions for John Stevens Junior to succeed. It's just I think that's going to be a lot harder for him to do.
Yeah, I just go back to that first preseason game. Biggest takeaways from that game was, Man, I feel a lot better about this linebacker group with the way de Moon Clark and Demarven Overshield played because going into that game, that was one of my biggest concerns or biggest question marks. It's like, what do they have here outside of Layton vander ash You saw signs from de Monte Clark last year,
but you're like, you want to see more there. And the way that those two played early in that game, I was like, well, that answers a lot of questions there. They got to feel great about linebacker now, so that happens and it just I don't know. The way that the injury happened too is just such a freak. And also he's making a big play too when it goes down, But just to happen out on the sideline like that
is just I don't know. It just it's not like any acl is you understand it, but that is just so much worse when it happens on something that you're just like, I can't believe that that's the play that's going to end his season. But for me personally, I just look at linebackers. It's I think it might be
the most dangerous position in sports. And I think a lot about like the Chris Borlands and Louke Keikley's and the Patrick Willis is that, you know, we we got to see a lot of greatness from especially Willison Keikley, but they both hung it up early. I mean, that's just a tough I mean, heck, just here Sean Lee. It just always seemed like if it was one thing after another. Layton Vanders has had his issues obviously, it just is such a dangerous position that you just almost
never feel comfortable about your depth there. But now I look at the roster and I'm like, I almost feel like you got to go out and try and get some type of a veteran at least for some depth. You don't necessarily you're not going to get it to Marvin overshow sure, but you're going to need probably some depth there.
Yeah, feeling the void, not only from a versatility standpoint, is pretty much impossible for a guy like demarvi an overshown who's missing. But then it turns into a numbers game because depending on how long Malik Jefferson's out, you have Devin Harper, Jabril Cox, Layton Vander esh Damne Clark, am I missing anybody.
I mean, there might be one more name that I'm missing, But for the most part. That's it.
Those are your four guys as a linebacking corps. And like John said, all it takes is one hit. And just like it did with de Marvey at Overshones, just as it did with Malik Jefferson, it takes one hit. There are some names out there. Kyle van Noy is still on the open market, thirty two years old, spent last year with the Chargers, former Patriot. Definitely he would be a veteran to bring in true linebacker, true inside linebacker.
Jayon Brown from Las Vegas last year. He's twenty eight years old. He's on the open market.
Gerrod Davis, John Bostick, Mikah Kaiser, Jermaine Carter. Those are just some of the names that are there. So there are options. Now, are they exciting options. No, But at this point in the process you're not going to see a whole lot of exciting options. I think last year you saw it with Anthony or with Anthony Barr, bringing him Barr and bringing him into the mix, but that
was even a training camp. This is later than that move was made, but that was a similar move for depth and the guy that could play in a rotation and linebacker should something happen to Layton vander esh and he ended up playing next to Blayton vanders for quite.
A bit at the start of the season.
I think this the conversation about trade equity has to present itself again as you start looking at where you're actually deep at on this team, defensive line guys are most likely guys are either gonna get let go or you're gonna get traded.
It's just is what it is. It's a numbers game at that position. They're just too deep.
They're too deep at that position, and there's too many teams that need solid defensive linemen, so you might obviously I know for I'm pretty sure they're looking around rosters, looking trying to say, okay, who's a little deeper at the linebacker position or even like position flex. Maybe somebody has a big safety that we can bring down, you know who necessarily hasn't fit in with that scheme and
their current team, that will fit in perfectly here. Because I don't think that dan Quinn and this defense is looking for a true linebacker. They don't want another true linebacker. When I say true linebacker, I'm talking about the e vander esch or Jermo Clark. Those are true linebackers, like put them in the box, come downhill, take.
On off his a lignement.
They're looking for some people with some versus, you know, some flex, and that's what Overshown provided. And equally as excited as they were about Overshown on defense, they were just as excited about John Stevens on the on offense and what he was, how he was coming along, and the and the assets that he provided them when he got down to the red zone. We saw it in camp. You know when they got down to the red zone, who was going in there? Well, all right, it was
either Hindershot or Stevens. That's pretty much what it was. And Stevens, you know, a KA stretch.
He's he's a big body. And I know Lindu's right now has to be crying in the car because that was his project. You know, that was coach.
Don't don't cry in a car.
That's okay, Well, it all happens. It happens to everybody, but.
Don't do that.
Come but you know, I know a lot of attentions is gonna be put on Overshown because he was a higher high draft pick and Stevens was you know, obviously got picked up, but he has a bright upside as well, a bright, bright, bright upside, and he was coming along camp and they were going to give him the time. I believe they were going to give him the time that was needed to become a real asset as a tight end in this on this roster.
I know a lot of people gonna say, well, was he gonna make it? I think he was training more towards making it. Yeah.
Personally, absolutely, I agree. Two quick things on the linebacker depth. A. Whenever we were on the conference call with Mike McCarthy yesterday, he mentioned Devin Harper Jabroll Cox as guys that are gonna have to step up. He also mentioned Tyrus wheat On, drafted free agent of the Mississippi State Correct Mississity, Mississippi State, a guy that has a little bit of that versatility between the first and second level, not necessarily second and third,
but honestly overshown. I feel like eventually he was going to grow into that body where he was more of the first second level, and that's just because of his past rush background at Texas. Because they transitioned him from that safety down to linebacker, put all that weight on saw that wide frame and then he was rushing the passer a lot last years at Texas, so I felt like that.
Was what he was trending more towards.
But he has said before I can play on all three levels, so I'm sure they would have to toyed around with some different ideas, but nevertheless a Tyros sweets guy.
Also.
Second thing online backer depth. I think Waiver Wire is going to be very very interesting next week in that department. I think that's gonna be They're gonna look around at some guys and try to pull somebody that they can at least put in the depth of that room and watch them work. And also I wouldn't mind seeing Isaiah land get some get some opportunities, and in that instance
as well. I know when he first came in UH he had talked about inside linebacker as well, and I think he has an interesting skill set for that.
He's havoc on the D line.
He has He's been fun and I don't want to take him away from that.
Him.
Then we both of those guys, yeah, Beast on the D line in the preseason, absolutely, when those two are in together, it's like, oh crap, well it might be your fourth or fifth d line, but y'all better strap up as offense of tackles.
These duds are gonna they're gonna caust you some havoc. They've been They've been fun to watch.
Both those guys were very high, uh on the draft board for the Cowboys during April, and they were high priority free agents going into that that process as well. So having both of them there and showing out I think is encouraging. It's tough to see guys go down, but like Nick said, I mean, this is an opportunity for some of those those young guys to step up and kind of fill that void. And then, especially with cutdowns, I mean, this is different than what we've had in
the past. It's one day. NFL rosters are going from ninety to fifty three just like that, and of course practice squad and stuff goes in there as well, but it's all one day. There's no TI there's no tiered cutdowns this year, and so it'll be a mad scramble for a lot of these prospects that are going to be available on waiver wires and be.
Picked up by other teams.
I think the Cowboys are probably going to be looking at an offensive line. They're gonna be looking at linebacker and possibly kicker depending on what that looks.
Like as well.
All right, when we come back, we'll wrap things up here on Talking Cowboys.
We have a busy week ahead. What should you be.
Looking out for as the Cowboys return to training camp at the Star and Frisco with more Talking Cowboys.
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us here from the SWBC studios. We will be back on Thursday, by the way, ten am Central Time, and you can go ahead and send some some text or get ready to send some texts at that point eight one seven two nine zero three two nine to eight.
Uh, you've got the call line.
We're gonna take some calls on Thursday, gentlemen. How's that sound. I want to hear from Cowboys Nation.
I'm with it.
I want to hear from everybody, So.
Be ready Thursday. We're gonna hear from the fans. We're gonna talk a lot about the practices that we have coming up. Starting tonight Cowboys Night at Ford Center at the Star and Frisco six pm. Things get kicked off in terms of practice before that opening ceremonies at.
Five point fifteen.
You can watch Isaiah standback and Nick Harris and Bill Jones and myself on the TXA twenty one broadcast and on Dallas Cowboys dot Com going live at five thirty, So plenty of ways to watch practice tonight.
Isaiah, what are you looking for this week?
We talked about the injuries, putting those aside, What do you want to see from the team as they get back to Frisco and they continue to march toward week one?
Healthy good answer? Yeah, that's number one. I mean, continue to put it together. I think it is a tricky week, right because.
As coaches, you're still you still have a job to develop the players that you have on your roster, but you almost can't help but start letting your mind start drifting towards the regular season kickoff.
For the coaches, they know, for.
The most part, who's going to be on this roster ninety five percent, I would say they probably know at this point in time where the rosters at most teams do, unless somebody just has a turp in type day that just changes everything on its head. These injuries put things into a little bit different perspective. Offensively, I would imagine that Sean mckinna's job is probably secure now.
Defensively, you're looking at other.
People's rosters and you're trying to figure out, Okay, can is Cocks going to you know, present himself the way that we would like for him to come off of his aco from a couple of years ago. Is Devin Harp are going to be able to fulfill the role? You know on special teams? What does bones Fossil think? Are these guys showing up on special teams enough to be able to be on the roster at light linebacker?
So you're you're looking at some of those that's probably that five percent that you're probably taking a look at. So you're getting those guys prepared to do that, and you're just trying to get out of this week healthy honestly, and then you in your mind switches over next week. So that's where I think that this team needs to be focused on right now is continue to execute, stay healthy,
build upon this offense. They're probably gonna start expanding the offense within practice, I would imagine, not necessarily forward facing, but practice.
You have to start it.
Hey, motions, different position, different personnel groups, Okay, we're gonna start adding these different flayers to the offense and start building on it. But this is hard because the threes need to get reps, but your ones also need to start getting their reps too, So it's a tough week.
Yeah, and at the same time, that's focus is slowly starting to shift over to New York Giants.
Yeah.
We had asked office coordinator Brian Schottenheimer lest Thursday somebody had did win the preparation for New York Stars, and he said within the next seven to ten days. So that probably tells you right after that Oakland game, New York film, let's get it. So that's that's coming soon.
But you're playing they're playing Oakland.
Man, Man, strike strike one, Strike one, Las Vegas, Vegas Raiders.
We're gonna keep you in check.
Man.
I'm typically you're the.
Youngest one on the squad. You shouldn't be saying Oakland more than anybody.
At least I didn't say Los Angeles.
Yeah, that's fair.
That would have been That would have been interesting.
I'm looking forward to that offensive line, you know, being in that conference caller say with Mike McCarthy talking about how you know this would be the first time for the ones to get team reps together because obviously Zach Martin, you know, has worked his way back in so to see what the offensive line has that's very high on my list. You know, when you talk about getting prepared for the Giants, I kind of feel like they've been
prepared for the Giants all off season. And when I say that, I mean that there's just a lot of stuff that they're not going to show offensively. Yeah, And that's what makes my time covering the team. Maybe there's another game that I'm not thinking of it. I think this might be the most I'm looking forward to a Week one just because you know, I mean, you had Jason Garrett going to Scotland hand going to callmore, you had some similarities on the offense, and will there will
be some carryover. But there's part of me that's thinking that there's going to be some stuff that we see week one that were just like whoa where was that? Like just that they just didn't want to even show it, to even have it out there. And so maybe we'll see a little bit of that stuff in some of these practices here.
Maybe we won't.
Maybe they're going to hang on to that stuff for a week one, But little things like that, I'm looking forward certainly. I would like to see some of these linebackers step up. You know, when you mentioned Jabrill Cox, one of the first things I go to is, and I hate to be negative like this, but with him, he showed signs of being a player before the knee injury that you're like, yeah, he's going to be a player.
And then so it makes you wonder too with overshow and think you just can't automatically assume he'll get right back to what he was right away. I mean, the acls take a little bit of time there, so you really need a Jabrill Cox Devin Harper to step up.
So that's another area for sure.
And then just because with the offensive line still my number one concern is really that the depth on that offensive line, I just I wouldn't feel great about anybody having to come out in any backup having to go in in Week one.
Right now, I was just about to lean in on that.
We've kind of looked past the old line and Matt Willetsko's injury. I think he had a sub sublexation of his shoulder. Had my fair share of those, and it was his opposing shoulder from last year.
Yeah, different, so so.
Yeah, so okay, So since you've had those, what's the worst part about You can't punch.
Okay, you can't punch.
There's no shoulder stability, your shoulders unstable.
I can't hold, I can't stop you from pushing through me when my shoulder capsule isn't solid.
So that I hate to think about it like that.
I mean, the trainers and the doctors make the final ruling on that stuff, but just from my experience, I don't see that being a viable option anymore. And that sucks for him back to back years. But like now, oh well, that's good, you take him out the picture. Hoffman's been getting pretty done in, pretty.
Bad on the o line. You know, not be honest, but.
Barnc Farniac hasn't had the preseason that you'd like from the half. So to your point, what happens, right if somebody goes down?
I did, like in the second half of that game the other day, I thought the interior of the offensive line did. Okay, it was Matt Farniac, brock Hoffman and Josh Ball those are the three guys on the interior, But I didn't say that until the latter parts of the third quarter, whenever they were whenever they were playing in the second quarter, I wasn't saying, wow, look at this interior offensive line. It was laid in the game whenever I finally made a mention to myself and said, ooh, okay,
well now they're doing work. So I think I'm with you as against the ones. I don't feel comfortable with any of those guys going in. John said that a second ago as well. But if if you're going up against the twos and the threes, they're always going to look okay. I mean that part of being in two and a three, but that's.
What they are.
I mean, they are reserves for a reason on that offensive line, and I don't think they have a guy that they feel comfortable with throwing into a spot sage.
I think that, Okay, this is a team that if you're not even look at it at any other team, just looking at this current Dallas Cowboys team. Maybe I'm taking it for granted, but there's a part of me that thinks, okay, you see so many of the offensive linemen that the Packers have under Mike McCarthy that were drafted later and then just on this team, you see how they were able to develop a guy like Terrence Steele. Where do I think Terrence Steele is got the upside
of Tyron Smith? No, but there were times where you were like, man, this might they might have something here. This might be a swing tackle, maybe even a starter. I don't say that about any of the backup offense now, you really don't.
I think the number the only guy that I've even remotely thought about that is or that way.
Of I'm interested. If you're gonna say the same person as.
Me, TJ.
Bass, what were you thinking?
That's a good point, though I was going to say, well, let's go, Well, let's go.
Last year I was underwhelmed the times with what let's go in this camp for obvious reasons.
And now he's coming back from injury.
I think before the injury I looked at it and I was like, Okay, maybe this guy could do something. Especially last year I felt really good about what let's go. So him coming back from injury, I expected that. Again, I don't know if I ever got that that. I don't know if he reached those expectation levels for me,
I think TJ. Bass exceeded my expectations for TJ. Bass and so I'm not saying he's ready to be your backup right guard by any stretch of the imagination, or backup left guard, or wherever you would have put him. But at least he's shown that he can exceed the expectation that I had for him initially. And I don't know if I could say that about any of the rest of the offensive line.
I would say with Austin Richards, not necessarily that he's exceeded any expectation, but he's done really good in adversity, being able to battle, coming in as the starting left tackle on two days notice, fighting in that after playing guard a lot, after playing guard the entire camp, and then switching mid game to guard, doing that in the both of the games, and I think he's he's definitely held his own there, and I know I've emphasized it
many times, but I don't want to cheat his process there. So if it takes, you know, later in the season to where he even gets on the field, I'm cool with that as long as he feels comfortable doing it in both of those spots. But I feel like they're lining it up to where he can be that reliable option on the tackle Warrick card.
So who's your swing tackle?
Awesome?
Awesome Richards.
Yeah wow, see but that show you have a fifth round rookie and that's your swing tackle.
Yeah.
I don't think told me.
That though that during Terren Steele's rookie year, I've been like, all right, that's fair, you know what I'm saying.
Like, and he was undrafted, so yeah, so he had even less thoughts.
Maybe there's just a lot of luck involved with finding maybe. I mean, obviously this this organization has done a phenomenal job at finding him in the first round, there's no
question about that. But after that first round, it just I don't know, it's almost like corner with me, where it's like some of these corners you'll take, like in the second or third round, and then you get and there's just so many ups and downs, and then you get like a drum bland where you're just like wait and I never really saw any ups and downs and you just seemed like nothing was ever too big from how did that guy not go in like the second or I don't know.
Yeah, credit to them for drafting, but also it's never a perfect science, Yeah, never really.
Is all right?
Fawn ends up in the sixth rounds?
Yeah, exactly. How about that Duce Vaughan again fantastic in week two.
I just feel like we should mention his name every show.
Let's just throw it in.
I don't know how it took to this point in the show to mention Duce Fawn another touchdown? Has he earned enough real quickly? Is he earned a day off on Saturday, a day off, day off, pads off?
No, I don't think so. I think Tot has, and I think Rico Daubdle has, but I don't think.
I don't think Rico won't touch the field. I don't imagine.
I don't need to see aymhere as Sam Williams, to be honest with.
You, Okay, I don't want to see any Dumont Clark at all.
He was playing.
He was playing special teams in the second half of that game. Please get him off the field. Let's wrap him up and bubble wrap and get him the week one. I think I agree with you. I think I think all three running backs are going to play again because based off of Mike McCarthy yesterday and his conference call, he said, Ronald.
Jones is going to be hard pressed to make it to the field. It's a good Saturday.
So I don't know if they're just gonna roll with two and it would be Deuce and Malik Davis.
I think they'll probably keep carries with Hunter Lipkey.
That's what I was gonna say. Maybe, Yeah, Malik Davis, Deuce and lip Key.
Okay, not a bad not a bad trio, not a bad option, all right, Uh quickly, one player to watch this week at Cowboys practice.
Go Devin Harper.
Devin Harper, Zach Martin.
Good one, Goodness. I was gonna say, Zach Martin.
It's his first time getting getting on the offensive line, So I'm gonna I'm gonna pie you back off that Evince.
He's been like staring at me this entire you know how, Like there's those pictures where like I don't know if it's the Mona Lisa or the eyes, Like like I just every time I look at Kyle right over.
My shoulder, beam could probably take my camera.
Probably angry as I've ever seen them.
Yeah, there he is right there, it's right right there.
That's Zach Martin. You can't see the eyes, but they are looking.
At John and that's the name of the episode.
One Oh there is. There's the eyes look at there looking at John the whole time.
And then there's my look at Isaiah, at Isaiah across the room. All right, Uh mine is.
Man.
Zach Martin's a good one.
I'm gonna say awesome richards.
I want to see if we're gonna put them, if we're gonna make him our Talking Cowboys swing tackle, then I want to see him step up and continue to play better. So yeah, I'll say awesome richards this week at training camp. I want I'm gonna learn from Zach Martin a little bit as he gets back out on the field. But that's gonna do it for us here
on this Tuesday edition of Talking Cowboys Again. We'll be back on Thursday, ten am Central Time, right here from the SWBC studios for Isaiah standback, John Matchoda, Nick Harris, I'm Kyle yeomens, Come on, John, get with it.
Yeah, little chopper, get out of here. On top of Cowboys. We'll see you on Thursday.
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