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It's a marvelous Monday edition of Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. We are here inside the SWBC Mortgage Studios as the bye week is now in the rearview mirror. The Cowboys get ready to face the Los Angeles Rams in Week eight of the NFL season. Well rested, right, guys, right,
because this is, uh, this is a bye week. Right, You're supposed to be like chilling, supposed supposed to be supposed to be relaxing, not traveling or getting super I don't want to do that, but anything like that. It's a young team, though, it is a young team. As long as they stay out of the news. As Nate say, that's the number one thing Nate Newton said. I said, what's the key to a successful bye week? He said, stay out of the news. That's actual. That's so far,
that's the case. So that's good for the Dallas Cowboys. We're back here with a shuffled podcast crew on Talking Cowboys. We have Brian brought us from Cowboys Break and one oh five three the Fan. We've got Kurt Daniels from Hanging with the Boys and the DC Star magazine. And then we've also got Buried, Yes, Sir, former Dallas Cowboys and he's heard on the Players Lounge special edition pregame
and postgame coverage for the Dallas Cowboys. Gentlemen, how we doing, Brian, You're rocking your Rangers?
Shit?
Yeah, ready to go?
Uh was at the game Friday, and I'm trying to remember sporting events in Dallas and growing up in Dallas of just all time gut wrenchers. I was there for the White Clark catch in the NFC Championship game way back in the day. Tony Romo's drop snap in Seattle in a playoff game was a gut wrencher. Does Bryant's standing right there?
Catch? No catch?
That was a gut wrenching play right there for a really good football And then when I'll two v hit that I was learning the press box, and we all know because we've been in the press box. Our life is in the press box, and you can't cheer. And literally it was as quiet. I mean, you could see the Astro riders all just kind of the and the Ranger riders were all just like not again.
So it's been a roller coaster ride.
But the great thing about this the Cowboys and the Stars and the MAVs Rangers, they all support each other. Dak Prescott was at the game dressed up, he had his jersey on ready to go, you know. So yeah, there's a lot of that crossover between the two. But man, I was trying to think of those the all time gut wrenching DFW sports moments, and a few of them came up Cowboys, which was which is never a good thing.
I think it always it starts with the Cowboys, at least in my mind and being in DFW, But man, the Rangers have had some gut wrenchers too.
That was a great one yesterday. It was a great win to get him in game seven to come back. But man, you think about if you find out if you find a way to win that game Friday and then EVOLDI pitching today or last nast night, last night, you have a chance to close those guys out. And that's that's the that's the beauty of sports right there.
Though he got in game seven to nine, Max Schures are on the hill and yeah, man, that's gonna be a fun one.
Two strikes twice, So that's yeah, back in eleven, that was a good pun That hurts.
And I'm not a baseball guy by any stretch of the imagination, like I'm of baseball game.
But so they are like who is out to Bay.
As far as like a football reference like put put that in like for me, as far as like it's out because.
I'll do that.
Pick pick somebody that you absolutely despise.
From the Philadelphia Eagles, I'll tell you what if the Rangers are fortunate, And again I get buddies with the Diamondbacks. And the great thing about working with the Cowboys is that there's guys in baseball that are huge Cowboy fans. So the way I trade my information with them about what's going on with the team, and I learned.
About major League Baseball.
But yeah, just if somehow the Phillies get through the world, that is going to be wild if it's the Rangers and the Phillies, because those are two cities that really just don't get along very well.
I want to see if it lines up. But the Cowboys play the Eagles. What week they played the Eagles after after the Rams game? November fifth? Week nine? So during the World Series, right, the Eagles and the Cowboys.
We had that one time here we had the Cardinals. The Cardinals played across the street when they played the Rams. I believe it was the game that DeMarco Murray had two hundred and eighty something yards. Yeah, he had some incredible rushing day for the Cowboys.
And so congratulations Tony Pollard, You're gonna have a hell of a game in week nine.
Yeah, I'll take it, though.
It would be interesting. Good luck to the Rangers tonight. Of course, You've got our support and man, hopefully they can they can pull that out. Yeah, that's an interesting comp though. I mean where Jose Altuve little undersized for his position, but many hits with power. He does a lot of things really well. My first thought was was Tyreek Hill.
I mean, just a.
Complete game changer, clutch player, somebody who's just an unbelievable athlete and a little bit undersized, a little under the radar until he hit that point in the NFL. That was kind of my comp But I want to try and ask that same question.
I was just thinking on hate sports hate, oh sports hate, Yeah, because.
TV to me, no, he's from him.
Oh No, he's a.
Huge out huge, you know. But he has a history of things that aren't above board, you know. I mean, whether you believe it or not, but he's got kind of that history. A lot of the Astros do, and you know New England Patriots, same way with Tom Brady. There's a lot of things that you kind of Okay, well you can't do that, but you're trying to do this. And I just think because l TV has been he has killed the Rangers in the series, him and Alvarez
both have just killed. But again, it's the football show, so we'll do football.
We got one.
I got five hours, four and a half hours of radio.
The h G from Jersey says out two days equivalent for him is Aaron Rodgers always gets.
Here you go. That is that is that from Jerseys.
I've been a part of those Aaron Rodgers Daggers man, that.
One up, buddy, that's the right one.
On uh not Friday. On Wednesday, we had a chance to really talk about the offense, state of the offense, what this team looked like going into the bye week, and some of the ups since some of the downs. I want to switch the conversation to the defensive side of the football today. Starting with the confidence meter, we talked about the overall confidence. Then we talked about the
offensive unit. Barry, I'll start with you, our resident defender. Yes, sir, where does your confidence level rank right now in the Cowboys defense? In the fact that can they still be elite?
It's waver just a little bit. If we're going all the way back to training camp, you know, and all the reports I've read out there, and those guys were just destroying this offense, I'm in my head thinking there's got to be a chance to be an historic defense. I mean, you got the pass rush, you got the secondary, the second level all down pat. If we can just basically muddy up that run that we've had, you know, these past couple years, this team is going to be there.
This defense is gonna be historic. You know. Then the first two weeks come, you go against New York Giants, and the Aaron Rodgers list Jets, and we didn't know how bad you know, those teams were going to be at the beginning of the season. So you're off to a historic pace, and I'm like, man, this defense is legit. This is it because New York Giants, they were a playoff team last year and they were able to destroy them. And even though we didn't go against you know, Aaron Rodgers,
I felt like, man, this defense has it. This team, this team has got the juice. This defense can really roll. And then a couple of injuries happened right there, and I didn't think that Digs injury was going to be as huge as it has been, because if you look at it, man, this secondary back there, if any quarterback has just a sliver of time, just a little bit above average of time back there, they're able to find
open receivers out there. And if we go back to last week with the Chargers Herbert, if he was able to make a couple of those throws, I mean we may be having a different conversation right there. So to me, I think the injuries have played a big part in it. When you talk about the defense as a whole, that secondary they're opportunistic, but you can still get them a little bit. And if that pass rush is not elite every single down, they have a chance to give up
some big plays out there. So to me, you know, my confidence waivered just a little bit. Defensively, I still think they're doing big things out there. They're still doing good things as far as as a whole. You know, the defensive line winning their one on ones, because you know Parsons is going to get all the attention and he's gonna get double team, triple team. And I think guys like Odiggie Zoo. I think guys like de Marcus Lawrence, even though he's not having these sack numbers, I think
he's still unbelievable in the run. I think he's still a dominant run defender. So those guys win in their one on ones. That's a bright spot. But what also kind of worries me a little bit is that injury with Van Deeresh in the second level. And even though Marquis Bell had a great game against the Chargers, that Chargers offense is more of a finesse offense, and when you're going against guys like the Philadelphia Eagles who can pound it down your throat. If you go against the
forty nine ers once again, even Detroit. You know Detroit got you know, Molly wopped this past Sunday. But they're a physical offense and Montgomery's gonna come back healthy. So when you go on against teams like that, I still kind of want Vanderesh in that lineup and he'll be back eventually. But Marquis Bell, even though he had that great game, it still kind of worries me him on that second level because I feel like if you can get to him up there by blocker getting to the
second level, they can easily kind of displace him. He's using to speak good, he's using his quickness good. But I don't know if if an offense sticks with the ground game each and every each and every down, I think you can wear that defense down. But overall, I started out as a nine eight, I'm going down to about a seven six and a half right now, So it's wave it a little bit, but still above Average's
still above AVIAG. I still don't think they could believe be above average, but just not historically great defense.
What's your next question?
Because he hit it all yeah, all the way down. No, No, no, he covered it all and rightfully. So I think that Barry, you know, has a really good understanding about what it takes to play really good defense in this league. And I think that we were all the injuries have now weakened this defense.
You know, you're gonna miss.
Vander esh We'll see how the linebacker corps plays from that. There was some questions about them going in. Losing Digs really kills you because playing Bland in the slot and having Digs on the outside Gilmour on the other side, I think that you know, you have a pretty good combination there.
The pass rush is what it can be.
Uh, But yeah, I just think the injuries have really hurt this defense to the point where it's a good defense. I don't think it's a great defense, but you've got to find a way to make teams very one dimensional because the strength of it is going to be your pass rush, and you got to get guys home because if you don't get guys home like you saw the other night, you know, there were some plays to be made against his Cowboys secondary. And I think there's the
thing with Gilmore. I think that we're seeing some slippage there and I'm only saying slippage in a way of the skill of his ability to run. And I do worry about teams watching your tape and saying, carry him inside.
Let's see if he can chase, Let's see if he.
Can run down guys. And you know that's gonna be a problem. Bland's done a nice job, Jordan at the nickel. You know there's some there's some going to be some issues there. He's he's very much a kind of a sixty forty player, you know, sixty good, forty bad, And you know you got to find a way to to kind of maybe, Matt, I think you've got to mask
a couple of things in the secondary now. The safety play hasn't been great here and that, and I think that's really those are the things that keep you from being elite.
How do you because they're undersized a linebacker you both talked about the linebacker, Vander espn out, how do you make up for that maskt as you said earlier, because DeMont Clark seems like you're only true physically linebacker and you've got a bunch of small guys like you can get to that second level.
And you're in trouble.
Well, how do you cover that?
Yeah, I'm interested to see what they do with the new additions with you know, with Evans, with Shawn Evans, and and and and how.
Does he fit?
Uh?
You know, Michael Jones, Michel Jones, you know, I mean, these are a couple of practice squad guys. Do they make a move at the trade deadline that's coming up October thirty first?
And you know, so everybody's like, well, who would you go get? Who would you know? I don't know.
I mean I'm talking to my guys around the league, and you know, they're giving me names and stuff, but like they're guys should go poach off a practice squad. There's nobody out there on the street. Would you trade for somebody? Nobody's really talking about any guys you would trade for. Nobody's putting anybody out there right now.
We'll see.
They might just address this through what they've done on the practice squad, you know, to try and help. Because Barry makes another great point is, you know, if you put those safeties down in the box, Curse and Bell and those guys, even Wilson, if you get blockers up on them, Burry will tell you again, if you can't. You're fighting three hundred and ten pound guys and you're trying to find the ball and you're you're moving, and if you just read it a tick late, you're there on you.
If you know, that's the great thing about the the.
Layton vander Ushers and the Sean Lee's and any great linebacker, their ability to know formation balls going that way gone. You know, they'd stay a step ahead. And you know, you got, like I say, you've got Demoon Clark who's trying to kind of find his way, and if he's a tick late, they're up on him, or Bell, they're up on him. Or you know, Bell made a great play the night just reading it and going, you know, attacking the hole.
But you're gonna need a lot more of that for this defense.
As a safety, if you're in that box, your first instinct when you see a three hundred pound guy coming at you, let me avoid him. And it's tough when you're in that trenches like that. If you avoid a gat away, you're just opening up another home. It's tough when you got undersized guys like that man.
So we got a chance to talk to Scott McCurley, the Linebackers coach right before everybody kind of went on the break last week, and one of the things was that was asked was how do you feel like Bell has progressed? Because it is he was a safety. He was a safety that was brought in thought hey, maybe we could throw him in linebacker, and he showed some good things and I think his most recent game against the Chargers, when you go back and you look at the film, it was his best game. But it doesn't
mean it was a perfect game. There was a lot of stuff that where he was out of position. There was one where he was beat on coverage, got completely turned around and almost looked lost. But then there were other times where he was shooting a gap, he was reading the formation and which which way it was going, and he was able to get back behind the line
of scrimmage. How tough of a transition is is that, though, from safety to really a linebacker role, because we hear about this safety linebacker hybrid, and there's a hybrid position, but I mean there's two distinct roles that Bell is having to kind of come in and Phil.
Yeah, it's extremely tough when you're at a safety, even if you're not a box safety like that when you're coming down. There's so much you gotta read in that box, especially going against a team like the forty nine ers. I'll show you I candy left and right. When you're in that box, you're not only you know, looking at
the formation, but you're reading. Let me see if this offensive guard pools, my gap responsibility goes from let's just say he pulled from the A gap on the right side, so now you got to do the A gap on the left side. You got to follow these things and track these things. And it's extremely hard to do just
on a whim like that. And I understand he's had training camp, he's had a couple weeks to get acclimated with it, but we can't expect this guy to be, you know, a Sean Lee out there where he's just oh man bang, it's thinkful like that. He's gonna have to grow and especially being undersized, you're gonna have to make those decisions even quicker because you got to beat
these offensive linemen too. The next hole to be able to beat these guys, and it's just tough at that second level because he's also not only is he gonna have to you know, shark downhill and getting those gaps. But there's some instances where you gotta set the edge, Like there's a point guard coming around and he has to match that guard and pull two hundred and ten
going against three ten. I mean, you're gonna get displaced and it's gonna be hard to move around that guy when you got to set the edge, Like, the edge has to be set. So there's some things that he's that he's gonna be limited with just because of the size in that second level. And that's the thing that dan Quinn's gonna have to, Uh, he's gonna have to mad scientists and cook something up.
Yeah.
The thing about it is when you get a team like say the forty nine ers, who don't they don't combo block.
They just they go straight up. They just they don't.
I mean, they're like they trust their guys to win one on one.
Like a lot of teams.
You'll see though combo they'll get hip to hip and they'll push that down lineman to the linebacker and make the linebacker have to run the hump, you know, to get to the play.
And then you're running the hump.
Well, it's already four down, four yards down field when contact is being made. So to me, it's a lot on that defensive line too to try and find a way to hold up these guys, because if these tackles and guards know that they could just go straight up field and not have to worry about a down lineman, then then those safety linebacker guys are are in a lot of hurt.
Well, there's a number of things I think that Bell's gonna have to get better at. Yeah, Nay Thomas whenever he's back in clarkn't have to get better at Clark specifically. I mean, it's a huge hole left by Layton Vandersch, no doubt about it. Huge hole, and those injuries have piled up on the defensive side. But I do want to take our first break when we come back. Can
the pass rush still carry this team to victory? Not just the defense and the success in the defense, but can the pass rush be good enough to win you multiple football games down the stretch post bye week, We'll ask that question, plus which one of these injuries is most impactful on this Dallas Cowboys defense and where do they like they can maybe make a move at the trade deadline. Like Brian brought up a couple moments ago, a couple things on the line down the line here
on talking cowboys. We'll be back right after this.
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Welcome back in the Dear Doctor, the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of Dr Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller, would.
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To Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. This segment is also brought to you by Invisi Line, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. Back here with Barry Church, Kurt Daniels, Brian brought us Chris Beam in the back. I'm Kyle Yeomans talking through this Cowboys defense, Kurt Win. It looked like initially early in the season, and I put this
out there on our shows whenever it happened. Trayvon Diggs going down was robbing not only Cowboys fans but the NFL of a possibly historic defense. That's what it looked like at the time, because they had just gone through those two games, they had really been working in the right direction. Felt like, okay, this defense can be special.
But even without Trayvon Diggs They're still going to be really really good, if maybe even great, but still not as good as what they could have been without Trayvon Diggs. In the fold, we just talked a lot about Layton vander Esh with those two guys out, now, which one's been the most impactful injury or is there another one that stands out to you based off of Digs and Leyton vander Esh and how this defense has to fill the holes.
I think over these next few games it's going to be Vandersh And just because that position is so thin, there's not a lot of experience there. There's not a lot of just linebackers like we talked about earlier. And it's not just his his physical presence of being there. But you guys will know better than I do, but it feels like he just kind of keeps that defense in check, like he settles it down.
He's kind of that leader in.
That way, and then he's able to make sure he's in the right place and this and that, and so I think, you know, I was obviously blusing Digs is a big blow, but I felt like with Bland and maybe Jordan and some of the young guys, you had enough there. You weren't in dire straits. Now at vander esh out, there's enough talent around him. But still I think that's a that's a huge hole there that I wonder. I'm interested to see how they feel.
Yeah, I'm trying to think about, you know, with with vander esh You're right, Kurtis, the position was then to begin with vander esh Really, I'm gonna you know, he does so much he helps you in the running game.
You could put him in coverage.
You know. Clark played well the other day against the Chargers. It was nice to see him step up. The New England game was his best game before that.
But man, that injury to Digs, it just to me it.
You know, the one thing that you got to be able to do is you got to be able to cover.
And if you could cover, that helps your pass rush, you know, and and and.
I think there's been a little bit of some inconsistency with the with the coverage since uh Digs been out.
So I mean the.
Pass rush, yeah, the pressures, but maybe if you can hold it a tick longer en route, you know, or keep a guy from getting up the field on you, that gives that buys Parsons an opportunity, Fouler opportunity, Lawrence an opportunity, Osa Diggi's what buys them an opportunity. I think that digs injury is huge, and I think they could play around vander Esh, but just the coverage aspect, that's what teams are doing now throwing the football, and they're finding ways to do it on the secondary.
A little bit.
Yeah, when we talk about these injuries, I think right now, I think vander Esh is a huge injury right now, But as far as the long picture is concerned, I'm gonna have to go with Digs on this one because when you think about it, the teams that they're gonna have to play the upper echelon teams or whatever you
want to call it. They not only have an offensive line to match your defensive lines pressure, so they're always gonna be you know, hound in the quarterback, but the majority of them have that that double option a wide receiver when you talk about explosive players, and before the digs injury went down, you know you had faith in Gilmour and Diggs and be able to match those two receivers. So when I'm talking about them, talking about like Philly,
they got aj Brown and Deavonte Smith out there. Are you gonna leave one of those corners back on an island against you know, a J. Brown or Devonte Smith kind of have your safety shading over there, or are you gonna kind of have to play a two high shell over both of those receivers, But then that leaves you weaken in the run. So I think when you had those two corners out there, you were able to do a lot more with this defense, and dan Quinn was able to be a lot more creative. You also
think about the forty nine ers. I you Deebo Samuel out there. I mean Miami coming down the road. You get Tyreek, Kiwaddle, Detroit Reynolds, Saint Brown. These these upper echelon teams that you're gonna have to play to get to that next level, have those double options and they have the offensive line to kind of match your defensive
pass rush. So I think that digs injury long term is going to be huge on this defense when you talk about being able to match skill for skill out there and not have to take away something from the defense as far as aggressiveness to kind of you know, match and help out those corners on the outside. So I think over the period of time that Digg's injury is going to be humongous.
I went back and real quick, I'm sorry.
I went back and watched the Browns play the forty nine Ers on tape. I was curious of how they matched, how they matched up and barriers right they What was really interesting. They very smart the too high shell. And what they did though, is when brock Perry started too high and then when the snap of the ball, they drove a safety in the middle of the field as a robber, and.
So they went they went.
So what they did was they played man underneath and they went four man rush, but they took advantage of Buford and mckivitt's.
On that right side.
Teams know the Browns were good enough to put pressure at tackle and at edge, but the way they did it they took They took the forty nine ers cross game away with playing man underneath, playing man really all around, and then driving that safety to the middle of the field to take the crosser. And then they had somebody back over the top. So they were they were they were covered on every level of the defense, but they were able to get.
The pressure home and then they gave pretty and you.
Know, Dallas I don't think is equipped to play too deep, not with not with Curse playing the other safety, you know, and sometimes even Wilson, you know, his eyes get lost. And but if you're going to play a too deep and play with a robber in the middle of the field, you know that that might be something going forward that they kind of a little bit of a different look that they give it. That's how the Browns got to the got to the forty nine ers. They just didn't
allow him on these crossing routes. And that's the thing that I'm worried about when it comes to Gilmore. I said it earlier about our team's going to carry him inside and make him chase anything vertical.
He's fine.
Anything across as a chase situation has been a little bit of a struggle.
So is the I said that dig is obviously one of the best in the game. Is Bland that big of a drop off or is it more of a domino effect because you're kicking out band.
And that's now your slot is.
That's where I that's where I think it is. I think you're weak now.
At two spots, well, actually really weak at one spot because Bland playing slot, to me is the best of you know, you get three guys on the field that can cover. Now, now, all of a sudden, you take one of that, you take one of the best defenders off the field, and you put Bland on the outside.
He's good. I think Bland's even better inside.
I agree.
And so now.
You're dealing with and you know that if you believe in Pro Football Focus and all those people that grave these players, the eye test will tell you Bland's had some really nice games and some nice coverage. But man, he's just so much better. I think it's it kills him because Lewis has his moments, but not like Bland, you know. And so now you got now you've got Diggs, Bland, and Gilmore in the back end covering and that that that's that's the best.
Of everything inside.
That's the question position strong.
Well, that's what I'm saying, because they can't They're not going to play Jordan Lewis outside. And if you had somebody else and not everybody has all these corners.
I mean mccuamu was a guy that we saw last.
Year late in the year, all of a sudden, they're they're getting guys off the street to play corner in these games, and all of a sudden, mcwamu's like, okay, we're we're not going to do this anymore. We're not going to play with these off the street guys. They put mcwamuy out there and they actually played well, played well. But I don't know if man to me is it's just it's a struggle just because I love Jordan Lewis.
I just don't know, you know, if if that's the all the time thing that I want to go with any.
Thoughts on right sliding on the outside, you get the length, he's a little longer of a corner.
Coming back from injury. I think they're they're trying to work him back into the fold. But even if that's the case, is he gonna be better on the outside than Bland would be on the outside, because at least with Bland you have Jordan Lewis to rely back on in this true right in that nickel position. The one thing I'm looking at whenever it comes to the domino effect you mentioned the domino effect of Trayvon Digg's injury is not only is Bland better suited for the inside
in the nickel position. But Gilmour is better suited as a cornerback too. Now he's been a corner one his entire career, but they signed him to be a cornerback two to not face the AJ Browns, to not face those number one wide receivers. But now he has to again, Well, they don't travel, but they don't always travel.
See that's I'm saying so to me. To me, I don't look at football anymore as a one in a two corner I don't.
I just think you have to find a way because the way that teams formation you. And if you're not gonna travel, you gotta play. You're gonna they're gonna gonna play.
You're gonna play.
Yeah, they're gonna. They're gonna They're gonna find a way.
They're like, Okay, we don't think he's better than this guy.
We're gonna line him up over here. That's what these teams do.
They'll scheme you to a point where all of a sudden, like we've seen guys with, they'll bump a guy. They'll bring a guy in motion, bump a guy out, and they'll bump. They'll put a linebacker on Christian McCaffery, and you're like, oh, wait a minute, he had a corner on him earlier here. Now he's bumped him out because of the motion. And so they'll match you up. If they don't feel like that you can that you can cover, they will find ways. So I don't look at it
as a one into two. I just think I think both the guys have to be more than suitable.
But you also look at it from a totality standpoint of the of the secondary in the cornerback room, because if Bland's on the outside, you feel pretty good about it. Yeah, you feel good about what Bland is. He might be your best corner. Maybe he might agree. And if if that's the case, then you put him back inside. Your drop off from the outside from Bland is then either nay Sean Wright, Noah Iggbonogany, or somebody else. Yeah, I
mean that's just kind of what it is. There's a significant drop off, whereas if you take Bland out of the slot, your drop off is from Bland to Jordan Lewis, which is not nearly as significant of a drop off. So that's why they're putting him on the outside. That's why they're playing him out there because one, whether or not they travel Gilmore, He's gonna face a number one or a number two wide receiver on the boundary. Bland is going to face a number one or number two
receiver on the boundary. Jordan Lewis has just got to play better. I mean, and I'm not saying he's played poorly.
There's times when he's been fine. I just have we faced a team I say, well, I shouldn't say we have they faced a team that has a dominant slot player.
You can, I mean throw Brandon Ayuk in that conversation, but incredible.
But are you killed him on the out outside? It was?
I mean, but you have three guys there.
You see.
I'm interested.
I'm interested in watching the Rams this week and seeing what they're doing.
What they're gonna do. Who are Yeah, yeah, Cooper, he's.
Gonna be everywhere. Yopau's gonna be slot outside bound, it doesn't matter Nicula. I mean that's an headed monster.
Yeah see, I'm interested to see how teams tried to match up against them that way, because those guys have been making well. I know that Cooper Cups coming back from injury, but that kid from that kid from BYU has been special.
He really yeah, he's been fantastic. Speaking of rookie impact, when we come back, let's talk about this draft class. Let's talk about some of these rookies maybe filling these holes of these injuries that we're talking about. Maybe if the draft class would fill those holes, you would feel
a lot better about it. But we'll talk about that, We'll talk about the impact of the rookie class, and we'll give our predictions for the post bye week season when we come back right after this with more talking Cowboys.
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To Talking Cowboys.
Back here on Talking Cowboys. This segment is brought to you by Quaker Oats, a super trusted superfood. Quaker Oats the official oatmeal sponsor of the Dallas Boys. Waking up here on a Monday morning following the bye week, Talking Cowboys brought to you by a Black Rifle Coffee Company, Barry Church, Kurt Daniels, and we've got Brian brought us Brian. What time are you are you going to the ballpark tonight?
No?
Houston, Houston.
No, I'd love to go. I'd love to go about it. No, I did to make that I absolutely thought about it.
But we got a broadcast today, but we've got full coverage on Winter three.
The fandom, I'll let.
You get like an RV and just oh thing down I forty five.
I'll tell you what I was in the I was in the stands the last time for heartbreak.
I mean, let's just say that that l twov too. He took my soul hour man, he really did.
I'm ready to get my heart broken again tonight. It's gonna be great.
Don't say that that's not knocking confidence.
I actually do have confidence. I think Sures are about to go out there and throw an absolute gym.
I hope so great.
I hope so uh. But yeah, let's talk about this rookie class for the Dallas Cowboys, shall we. Yeah, we've talked about the offense, talked about the defense, the overarching theme of this team. Now let's run down the draft picks. We'll start with, of course, the first rounder Mozzie Smith. Kurt. When you look at Mozzie Smith, has he done enough to reach your expectations for the first six games of the year.
Oh no, not. I don't think anybody thinks he's reached the expectations that you'd want from a number one pick, just as far as the impact he would have. I'm choosing. I'm choosing two things. One is that the Cowboys have some depth so they don't have to rush them in.
Two, I'm just.
Hale Will McLay and his staff, and I'm putting my trust that they, you know, and they're obviously one of the best in the league, and that they know what they're doing.
I don't.
I don't know what. I have no idea so they but they've proven to be uh guruz at this before and I'm just I'm putting my trust in them.
What do you think, Brian? Yeah?
I mean the thing if you're one of those guys and gals that watches all twenty two, and I encourage you, you know, if you can, if you can afford to do it and go to the NFL dot Com and get your the package. You don't have to be a former scout or ball player, right and you don't have to be You could see it with your own eyes, you know, you could just sit there and focus on number fifty eight. Did he have problems getting off the snap? Initially? Absolutely he did. Was he laid a bunch. Yes he was.
Has he gotten better he has. Yes, he's gotten better getting off the ball, He's gotten better playing with his hands. His base is better. The numbers don't say all that. But if you really sit down and just say, today, I'm gonna watch Mozzie Smith play football, and you know he gets like fifteen eighteen snaps a game right now, and those there's probably four or five of them, you go, okay, little late there, got turned, got knocked out of the
hole and all. But then the other fourteen or fifteen You're like, okay, got off the ball, disruptive, held up, the guy did a good job with osa. I'm not sitting here and carrying water for the Dallas Cowboys drafting department or the scouting department at all, but I'm gonna say this guy is not a bust.
He is not now.
I love Luke Schoonmaker. Luke Skingmaker was my guy. Luke Skinmaker is struggling right now. I mean, and he's struggling catching the football. He's struggling with some of the point of attack blocking as us all the tight ends here. So to me, those first two picks and then overshown gets hurt. We were just talking about it during the break among ourselves what Overshown's role would have been. So this thing would have looked a lot different if you
would have had maybe Overshown in the mix. But don't throw dirt on Mazie Smith right now, love it. Just don't throw dirt on him. And I encourage you, if you can afford to watch the All twenty two, go get it and just and just take a peek and get the end zone part of it and just kind of look, oh, look there's fifty eight boom. Watching him play, you'll have a better understanding of what he is.
But as a number one picks.
It's been yeah, it's it's not been Yeah, it's no, it's not it's it's not it's not the impact of you know, of some of the other number one picks around the league. You know, it's not just looking at names like a Will Anderson into what you know, what he's, what he's been able to do. I mean, there's there's plenty of guys in this draft that, you know, the first round picks, that are playing at a much higher level.
I just don't like I say, I I think the position he plays, if he was an under tackle or a three technique and not a nose. You know, noses are different than what you know, those guys that get on the outside shoulder and run up the field and they're disruptive and all that. Would I like Mazzi to make more tackles behind the line when he gets in there, and play a little bit more power, Sure, absolutely I would. But I think that the position he plays limits really the numbers that you're gonna see.
And you know, I would like him to be a little bit better and some some snaps. Sure, absolutely.
Yeah.
When we talk about Bozzi, uh, you know, was he getting thrown out of the club early? No preseason all that stuff? Of course, I mean no, no white teas at all. He was getting tossed around, especially in a Seattle preseason game. But like Brown was saying, I mean, he's shown improvement. You know, I wouldn't I wouldn't call him, you know, tackle Charlton's just yet, all right, this guy
he's shown improvement. And what people got to realize is, you know, he wasn't brought in here to be you know an Aaron Donald, a guy that's gonna just go a field, disrupt everything. Penetration early on. I think what he was brought here to do is pretty much solidify that interior, which means at the point of attack, if you're getting double team, stand your ground right there. Don't let that combo block work up to the next level
to the linebackers. I think he was brought here to be a space eater and and you love to see him get a little bit better at and kind of pushing that pushing the off the line back a little bit more. But he's getting better. I feel like that Chargers game, he was doing a pretty good genat of holding the point of attack and you know, shedding here and there and not letting those guys get up to the next level. And that's why we were able to see a Bell and Clark, you know, kind of go
sideline the sideline and do their things. So you know, he's far from a bus and he's showing improvement each and every week out there. But to me, I just would have loved to see Over shown out there just so far this season. I mean, that guy had so much promise in the in the preseason. The way he was able to move out there, I just feel like he could have been an unbelievable chess piece for Dan Quinn.
But so far this year, when you look at this draft class, I think we've been spoiled a lot, you know, from the past with the Cowboys as far as getting first round picks and them having this immediate impact. I say, just give a little bit of time for Ozzie Smith, and I think you'll see improvement each and every week.
Look at every first round pick since twenty eighteen. Wayte Vander Rush immediate impay, Cede Lamb immediate impact, Michael Parson's boom, Tyler Smith boom. Mozzi Smith is the first one since Taco Charlton then has not had it. We'll see immediate, but we're six games in. Yeah, he'll have a battle rookie season.
I think people I think people are seeing maybe what Jalen Carter's doing with Philadelphia with the Eagles.
You know that Jalen.
Carter on a lot of boards was like the first overall pick as the thought of people when you talk about Jalen Carter, you watch Jalen Carter tape and Mozzie Smith tape for Michigan, it was a clear difference. But I think people are kind of expecting that, like, well, look what they got out of their big guy. Why can't our big guy not you know, why can't our big guy not have three and a half socks and stuff like that? But you know, that's it's kind of
a different player. But that's that's kind of how you view it in the lens. But I encourage people if you can watch it, go watch it.
You'll learn a little bit.
So with with that being said, he's he's shown some improvement. I want to do some second half superlatives. And I know it's not the second half of the schedule, but it's post bye week, so it's.
The second half.
It feels like the second half. Uh, predictions for this most improved player? Who would you think would be the most improved player on this Cowboys roster? Kurt, I'll start with.
You, Well, it's probably the low hanging fruit. But and this implies that he hasn't been good in some ways. But I think he's just kept progressing. That's OsO. I mean, he's really stepped up his game even more this year. He's been good at first two this season. I think you're the third. You're really seeing him come along now. He's been a maybe perhaps because Malesi's learning curve here. He's really stepped up and held down a lot of that interior thing.
It's been awesome.
Arry, I'm gonna have to go even though he you know, he's strull a little bit early on, had a great game last week. I'm gonna have to go with Bell on this one. As far as improvement. You've seen a switch his position from safety to linebacker, and they kind of threw him into the fire. And the first couple of weeks practice whatever you want to call it.
He didn't.
He kind of seemed lost out there a little bit. And as the weeks go on and as he's getting more comfortable at that linebacker position, you see he's starting to make plays, you know, whether it's shooting gaps or covering guys like Austin Eckler. I mean, because he pretty much made Eckler, you know, a non factor in that game against the Chargers. I mean, he was pretty much
on him from a coverage standpoint. So I'm saying he's improving, and I'm and I'm seeing a lot from Marquise Bell, and I like what I see so far.
I think Turpin is a guy that I'd like to see him get more involved in in some of the offensive snaps. You know, the guy has actually shown the ability. They brought him emotion one time and he jumped up in wheen of the longest runs they had in the game the other night, Like I think it was a seven yard room, maybe a little bit longer, but he's like he goes, he comes in motion and then jumps inside and is able to get a block and it.
Gets the back. It's like second level through.
And then now you know they're running with a little bit more of some space. But when they hand him the ball, throw him the ball he blocking. He seems like me to a guy that he played a lot of football last year because of the USFL, and then he came in and you know they were trying to kind of you know, I mean, there was thirty some odd games. I think the guy played was kind of crazy.
Maybe long and wrong about that, but he seems like a guy that I would try to get more involved in the offense him Cooks, try and get them a little bit more involved in with that burst in that speed and take.
Advantage of it.
I think I would throw Jalen Tolbert into the fold too, just at that wide receiver position. I think more it's maybe not because he's playing just out of his mind. It's because of where he came from. Sure came from last year and he was in a bad place from a football standpoint. He was in a dark place with the coaching staff, with the front office. I mean, nobody was really happy with Jalen Tolbert. And it's that he's worked his way onto the roster. He's showing a willingness
on special teams. I know he's coming off of the play against the Chargers. I thought he was just trying to make a play. Yeah, oh he got got blown up, trust me. And he's filling in first a good one in that situation. There are times like that where it didn't go well for Jalen Tolbert. But he's shown a willingness to play on special teams. He's shown ability to make an impact from an offensive standpoints. I'm gonna say most improved Jalen Tolbert. Now, this one's for the first
six games and the rest of the season. When the season is said and done, Barry Church, who will be the Dallas Cowboys Most Valuable Player MVP? Here's the guy.
That'll be the MVP.
So this is more of a prediction as opposed to a review.
If the season goes how I believe it will go, which this team will get to the playoffs and hopefully make a run. I'm saying this, this MVP has it's got to be Prescott. I think it's got to be him if this team is going to make a run. We understand what this defense brings is to strengthen his team so far, and I think they'll always give you an opportunity to win ball games. And I think it's going to come down to can that quarterback make the plays out there? And we saw last week he has
the ability. He has the ability to put this team on his shoulders and make plays out there offscript, on script. He has that ability. It just comes down to the decision making and if the play's not there, don't compound the issue about trying to force something in there, throw the check down, use your legs. And we saw a little bit of that last week. So if this team's going to go where I believe they can, I think Dak Prescott has got to be the MVP.
Yeah, I agree.
I mean, obviously Michaeh. Parsons is gonna make a case for but I mean the ball is in Dak's hands every snap where Mike's not even on the field on some plays. So I think in the end, this team is going to roll how Dak rolls.
So if the ball is in Michael Parson's hands.
The other way, it's got to be Tony Pollard because this cowboy running game is non existent right now, That's true, And the second half they've got to figure it out, whether it's what's going on with the five guys. We had Stephen Jones on one O five three the fans on last Friday. We talked about annuity. We talked about this group, this offensive line, the five guys that play together. Now a couple of weeks. You know, you really didn't
have any opportunity to practice this week. So the second half of the season, you know, you're gonna have to kind of figure some things out with this offensive line. I know, the first three games, the Rams, the Eagles, the Giants, and then you get the Commanders, you know, with you know, with their inside guys, you've got to figure out ways.
To block fronts. You've got to be able to run the ball.
To take pressure off Dak Prescott. You know, you've got to try and be more balanced. I think that's what McCarthy wants to do. But it's going to have to start with it up front. But anytime that Tony Pollard has the ball in his hands, it can't be a plus two or plus three. It's got to be plus four, plus five, maybe some bigger.
Runs than that if they're going to have any success.
But is that a Pollard issue?
Is that an offensive line it's an offensive line issue.
But they're going to need Pollard though, if they do figure things out to be the guy that's going to carry the mail for them in this thing, they're going to have, you know, even throw him the ball, you know, throwing the screens and stuff. If they can continue to find I think putting the ball in his hands maybe I don't know. Tony Pollard might not be completely he might be healthy, but I don't know if he's got
that burst that he once had. But if this team is going to have offensive success, he has got to have success himself.
I like I honestly, I think the run game is where this offense struggles the most right now, and I think if they can get that going, it's going to open things up for Dak Prescott. So I agree with Brian, I really do. I think Tony Pollard is the key to this thing. And I mean the real key is the offensive line.
Say maybe the MVP's the offensive line.
Well, that might be the number one concern. The MVP would have to be Tony Poller because he's the only one that could maybe make it invad home.
They've had some struggles.
I mean, you always great offensive lineman, you know, sixty five plays, you know they might if if they have three bad plays, it's an understanding. If they have six bad plays or seven bad plays, then there's a problem there. And we're starting to see if you're great sixty five plays, that there's six or seven problems. You know, Tyler Smith in a couple of games has not been as great as he has been in the past.
Tyler Beatdish is healthy and he's not been great as much.
You know, Zach Martin is really playing on one leg right now. Tyron Smith started off the year really, really well. And Terrence Steele, I mean, you know it's just him and Martin on the right side have just not gotten it going blocking wise, like we've seen in the past, the tight ends have got to be better at the point of attack if they're gonna do anything in this running game as well.
Man, there's a long way to go and there's a lot of things to look at with this Cowboys team, but man, we're gonna cover it all the way through. We're back to the normal podcast schedule tomorrow and catch Barry Church on Players Lounge ThM Central Time. Tell me why you should watch Players Lounge.
Because I'm on it all right. If you want to learn anything about football, just you know.
Kurt, You're on Hanging with the Boys. You guys go at one pm Central Time Monday through Friday. Why should we watch Hanging Because Nat and Jesse's on it. That's a humble brad, humble man. Brian on The Break eleven am Central Time. Everybody watches The Break.
Right, Oh no, we all like the Break and so yeah, I think that Patrick Walker has done a great job with his insight there. Amberger sia. It brings the fire and the passion every week, and Derek kind of moves the thing around like you's all and Iverson's a point guard.
I love it.
We have we have a we have a good show and encourage people to to stay tuned.
Callin de A I and I'm gonna call him AI over there. And then, of course if you're watching the show already this is Talking Cowboys. We'll be back, of course with the normal crew, Nick Harris, Isaiah Stanback, John Machoda starting tomorrow, nine am Central Time, Monday through Friday. This has been fun, gentlemen, Thanks for coming on. This has been so much fun. Lots of talking ball. That's what we're our show is all about. We like to talk ball and of course break down what this this
Cowboys team is doing. So should be a whole lot of fun. Long to go in week eight. Crazy to think we're already there anyways for Chris Bean, for Barry Church, Kurt Daniels, and of course Brian brought us some Kyle Yeoman saying so long from Talking Cowboys. Will see you tomorrow on Dallascowboys dot Com.
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