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This He's Talking Cowboys Training Live from Dallas Cowboys Training Camp in Oxnard.
Callis Street, Ust Kitson Todown.
And now your hosts, Isaiah Standback, Nick Harris, John Mashoda, and Kyle Yeomans.
It's time for a training camp edition of Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. Live here from Oxnard, California. As today we begin week number two of training Camp twenty twenty three. We've got John Machoda, Nick Harris, and then for the first time here in twenty twenty three, we welcome Isaiah stand Back.
What's going on, buddy, Welcome back back. I was a trip out was good man. It was chill, watch a little movie, you know cool.
I didn't take a nap. I was right by the bathroom. You can't sleep when you right by the bathroom. No, no, between the smell and people bumping you as a bad combo.
Uh you said movie.
You need film right like you were watching film on the way up right?
Oh yeah, well you know you know films just embedded in there. I kind of just have like a direct connection to the film. You you always keep me updated anyway, Yeah, you got you got the connection all this my WiFi six.
Right there. There you go.
Well, we're glad to have you back. We're glad to for the first time you guys have Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I'm very familiar with their work.
Oh for sure, man, appreciate we had some fun.
Yeah, I know this is gonna be a lot of fun because today, gentlemen, the pads come on. Physicality is back and training camp. I mean it's it's been great, it really has, but it can really begin today. And uh, there's there's so much to talk about with Mazzie Smith put in the ads on. I think this offensive line is a question mark right now. And if they can put the pads on, maybe they have a better week this week than they did a week ago.
And still know Zach Martin.
So I want to start with the biggest storyline that that you have on your mind. And I'm gonna call this just pick one, so each of you will pick one and I'll give one in a minute. I'll start with you, John, biggest storyline going into week.
Two I mean, I hate to just go back to Mazzie Smith because you mentioned him, but I mean we're going back to like when he was drafted, Like I want to see him in pads, in full pads, and this is your first chance to finally get to see that. And and really because of the fact that as loaded is this defense, is that run defense is the what I you know, look as the question mark and so how much is he going to be able to do?
I mean, I don't expect him to be thrown in with the ones, but I want to see what he's able to do. It's a little disappointing that Zach martinsen out here wanted to see it go against him. But really, for me, it's in the trenches, both sides of run game, and that for me, that starts with Mazzi Smith, just because we haven't got to see him in the Cowboys uniform with pads on.
I'm looking at the depth of the offensive line, especially with Zach Martin not being here. What are the guys that step up and fill in for him? And then also who are the guys that are rotating in and showing good work. We've seen a lot of Josh Ball we've seen a lot of Matt farneyak Matt will lets go. So which of those guys can get going and find their stride this week once the pads get on and it gets a little bit more physical.
Yeah, I'm a piggyback off of you, Nick. I kind of want to see what this running game is gonna look like. That's gonna be the heartbeat.
Of his team.
So if these guys can't figure out exactly what they're one two or one two three, I don't care whatever combo they want to throw. And they watched the Crawford fight the other night, Eryl, Yeah, let's not talk about that. But they need to figure that out because if they can't, if they don't have that as their foundational pillar, this team's gonna gonna have some issues on offense because everything else revolves around that. So I'm interested to see what
the offensive line is doing. I mean got these running backs are gonna kind of work their way into this new system.
And I'll take the wide receivers because we've seen Jalen Tolbert have a great first week to camp, and we've seen guys like Dennis or excuse me, Brandon Cooks. You have Dennis Houston out there, you have ceedee Lamb. I want to see them continue to have some success because it looked like on Saturday they had to step up and they had really a great practice. I want to
see them continue that, especially Jalen Tolbert. When the physicality's back, when these corners are able to come up and jam at the line of scrimmage and provide a little bit of a.
Rub before the release, and then you have something to go off of there. So I want to.
See the receivers continue the trajectory that they're on before we really can crown these guys as the saviors of camp, and Jalen Tolbert as right now who's been probably one.
Of the best to look at.
But you mentioned responsibility, Isaiah, and I know with a new play caller, things can get dicey a training camp, but things have looked like they've at least come together early for Mike McCarthy as to play caller.
Have you seen anything.
Specifically that with this new West Coast, Texas Coast whatever you want to look at it. I want to know about the concepts because you've run those concepts previously.
I want to know what you've seen.
From some of the stuff that we've looked at in terms of camp and practice so far and how it's affected this.
Offen So I'm very familiar with the West Coast style offense. West Coast they call it Texas Toast, whatever they want to call its. I'm calling the Texas Toast if that's what they want to call call it, so Texas Toast office exactly. That's you can trademark that. It's very simplistic, it's very easy. It's very concept based, so they're able to get in and out of the huddle. Everybody has full clarity as to what it is that they're supposed
to be doing. The route concepts are two or three man route concepts, so guys are not running out there trying to figure out what kind of combination of a route they have to run, do have to make any adjustments versus coverage? You know what what you have, And they're making it reads very easy for Dak where he pretty much picks one side or the other based upon what the defensive presenting.
So it's gonna allow for those guys to play fast.
It's gonna allow for them to have a bowl of confidence when they step to the line of scrimmage and be able to execute their assignments because it's really the same plays out of different formations, ad motions, ad shifts, all those types of things, and it looks more complex than the defense.
But for them, they'll be able to run it in their sleep.
What have you seen, Nick?
Has that been fitted anybody or has that hurt anybody in terms of this offense?
Definitely, But if it's Dak Prescott, because if you're simplifying what this offense is, then it simplifies his job and it simplifies the receiver shop as well.
So whenever they can get on the same page as quick as possible.
You mentioned it, getting out of the huddle really quick and making sure everyone knows what their assignment is right off rip.
That helps Dak at the end of the day.
When you look at it, John, helping Dak is always going to be the number one priority, right, And so that seems like it's all good and well. But there have been concepts of this used in the past and when Kellen Moore was here. What makes this different that now Miya McCarthy's the one that's calling the place.
Yeah, I think from just being around talking to the players, and what they've said is talking about their confidence, like you mentioned Isaiah, like they just look at it as one of those things where you don't have to think as much, they can play faster, and again today having
the pads come on. That's something I'm looking forward to seeing is how much does that all kind of mesh together, especially when you got a new guy in Brandon Cooks, Like how does he fit with CD and Michael Gallup and then obviously what we've seen from Tolbert so far looks like he's gonna make a second year jump, So kind of all of that together, let's see how crisp that looks. Because honestly, what it all comes back to everyone's going to point to is the fifteen interceptions that
gets brought up at nauseum. And I think it's pretty obvious that they've talked about players that you know, some of that has been some miscommunications, some tip balls and things like that, and those are the type of things that we'll be able to see, you know, those miscommunications things like that, and if they can clean that up and you can take that number down, which if you look at Dak's career he has, then I think everything on the offense will figure itself out.
Did you like running the West Coast? Absolutely? Absolutely, It's easy.
I mean, and I don't know if fans don't want to hear that, because fans want to hear complex and all this. You know, very diverse is going to be that. But that doesn't mean that the route. I mean there's nine routes, right, there's nine foundational routes. And when you can go out there and give concepts and guys know exactly where my route is and say, hey, it's not for me to try to make this thing work.
It's based upon the coverage.
If I'm open, he's gonna hit me, right, And I know, based upon the coverage when I set to the line of scrimmage, whether or not there's a high probability of me getting the ball or not.
So there's it just really simplifies things.
And I loved it because they literally come up to the line of scrimmage, look one way, Nope, look one way, yep, all.
Right, and you know exactly where to go with the ball.
And then there's always a three levels to most of the concepts where there's a you know, deep, you know, intermediate, and check down.
So Brian Chattenheimer said the other day he talked about the footwork, like how big is that for a quarterback?
To footwork in the West Coast.
It's really big, especially in the shotgun.
Especially in the gun back in the day West Coast, you know, most of the guys were underneath center and there's one, two, three, and you kind of find your rhythm. When you're in the gun, you kind of you have to really work to set your feet because you're you're kind of lazy back there right. You know, you're standing up, you're kind of comfortable, you're chilling. You can survey everything from six yards back, and if you get lazy with
your feet, those quick throws, they really become inconsistent. So you have to be accurate. You have being Your accuracy stems from your feet. So Dackson have to do a great job of catching the ball from the gun, getting his feet sets, stopping pop. If you're running screens, you gotta get out your hand quick. If you know, most of the three of the concepts are three steps, which is from under center, so from gun it's catch and throw, so it's really catch, set your feet and get the
ball out. So his hips are gotta be in position. His feet are got to be right otherwise you're gonna see a lot of balls kind of be inaccurate.
So you mentioned wide receivers knowing their responsibility and how that helps the offense you mentioned, I mean getting the ball out quick. That's gonna vote well for an offensive line. Is there anybody that this doesn't bode well for on offense having these West Coast I guess concepts in general is maybe the run game is that where this suffers a little bit.
Not really, I just think that there's gotta be a downside.
I mean there's a pro there's everything for sure.
I mean, so release point from a quarterbacks perspective is gonna be important because and that doesn't have that issue.
He doesn't have a low release.
But you're gonna start seeing a lot a lot of teams start being more focused about either I get a heck of a rush right off the back or I'm have to just jump and get my hands up. So tip balls does become a concern because now teams are going to start jumping up and getting their hands up
because they know the ball's coming out quick. The other thing is a lot of trap type defenses, a lot of a lot of defenses where it looks like one coverage and they're disguising something and they're gonna come in roll into his own So where he was going, say it was a quarter, say it was a tight end, you know, quick quick stick route or a five yard out route. Well versus cover three, the guy clears out
on the outside. You hit your tight end all day long on the outside, Well, they'll start running traps where at a cornerback will act like he's going into cover three and come back and then all of a sudden, it's a two and he's knocking a mess out of your tight end. Right, So you got to really be really he has to watch a lot of film because people are gonna start trying to trick them, you know. After the private first couple of games of the year, I.
Think it was interesting that Mike McCarthy really emphasize how, you know, he wants to get to play call in quicker because of that, so that day can get up there and get time to diagnose kind of everything that's going on pre snap because of that extra time, because of exactly what you're saying that you know, there could be multiple times before the balls even snapped that they're changing things on defense and you have to kind of react to that.
So that'll be interesting to kind.
Of and talking about the run game.
The run game is going to be able to open up a lot more in this offense as well, and just being able to have it be more fluids as the game goes on and as the season goes on. You know you're talking about film. You know, as the season goes on, there's gonna be a lot of things that they succeed on weeks one, two, three, and four that we're not gonna work fifteen, sixteen, seventeen. So being able to have an effective run game that's gonna help a lot. I know me and Isaiah talked about it
quite a bit last night. You know, how does this run game help this offense? And I think that's a big question.
Markin do you think they can have an established run game?
I think they can.
I think they came with Tony Pollard, but there's gonna have to be another guy that could be established as well.
Who do you think that guy is? Right now?
It's a great question, Kyle, That's a great question as good as.
Mine might name be on the roster.
You could you could point at any any ball carrier on that roster, and I'd say, okay, like I see, I see your reasoning. You know, you can look at anybody that's not on the roster. It'll be like, okay, I see your reasoning. So it's a great question. That's something I would like to see answered this week.
That's the best thing about the preseason is that you know, sometimes he's preseen game can be boring. But I'm looking forward to that running back position. Who was Emlie Davis, duz Vaughn, Ronald Jones, Like who can step into that role? As I've said this before, like there's just too much riding on this season if one of those guys doesn't fill in that number two spot. I mean they've shown in thea just look at last year the guys that they've gone after when they've needed to fill a spot.
So that's always a possibility. And as we're seeing across the league, it's not like people are paying running backs a ton of money right now, you know.
And I mean you you bring it up, I mean safety position. Two years ago, Malie Cooker signed him in training camp because they looked around and said, oh.
Oh need we needed another.
Safety in here, we need somebody to go over the top, and he's still on your roster. I think he's had a great camp so far. Last year, you needed somebody to provide a jolt from special team standpoint, brought in Cavante Turpin. You brought in a new kicker after training camp last year. I mean, you had a whole kicking competition, which by the way, that apparently gets started today via John fossil So.
But then even during the training camp last year, they need a linebacker, got Anthony Barr defensive to have got Handkins, when got t Y Hilton, when they need to wide receiver. So yeah, I mean, while I'm obviously focused on the players that are out here, ye like, don't think for a second that they won't go out and make a move if they I guessaid.
There's just too much riding on this season.
I want to know if you're breaking any news here. No, I know, I mean would be fun though.
You'd want to see, No, you'd want to see you know, you want to see these running backs and see what you have from them. You don't want all of a sudden going in another direction, like you want to see them get out there before the you know, I mean at least with pads on, you know.
Yeah, And of course that getting started today I think provides.
A little bit of clarity. But until other teams are trying to.
Take your running backs down, you're not going to really get a true test of who's carrying the football and how they're going to be in the regular season until we get into preseason games. But kind of along those same lines, I do have my concerns on the offensive line. We talked about it a little bit up at the top of the show. I want to talk about that when we come back after this first break.
Is the offensive line the one week spot.
In this Cowboys roster right now, and it's that somewhere that the Cowboys should address before going into the regular season when we come back with more talking Cowboys.
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I mentioned offensive line. I want to start with the defense first. I mean, not everything can be handy dandy. Everything's sunshine and rainbows. We've got overcap overcast clouds today. But in terms of the defense specifically, is there a weak spot on this defense that you've looked at through the first week of camp that needs to see a step up going into week number two?
Not through the first week camp. I go back to the run defense.
If we'll see a lot of that today once the pads come on, I'll be able to get a better judge of it then, But nothing through the first week that I really thought the defense to the first five prex has been pretty dominant. To be honest with you, you know, if you're a fan coming to some of these practices, you probably don't get the real feel for Micah Parsons because of the fact that he has to just run by the quarterback. You know, he can't really,
you know, bring the quarterback, which is smart. You don't want him tackling Dak Prescott. But yeah, the run defense is the only part of this team. Everything else on that defense looks like it's going to be elite, so and maybe the run defense will be too.
We've gotten a really good chance to see the depth of this defense, specifically at safety, with Donovan Wilson and Israel Wakamu going out, and you know, I guess the answer would be maybe the depth of safety, but it has has been. Marquise Bell has been fantastic. Tyler Coyle had an interception a couple of days ago. So I like the depth of safety. The depth I would like to see a little bit more as a linebacker, just
because there's a lot more inexperience in that room. You have Demond Clark who's coming into his second year.
But it's almost. It feels like almost his first year.
You know, we were talking about it with dan Quinn and he said last year was more of a red shirt with him, just because, you know, coming in with the injury and getting him up to speed and all of that. So you know, this is demonk Clark one hundred percent healthy for the first time. Then you also got to marveyon Overshown, who was a straight up rookie so or a true freshman.
I guess you would say, so.
I would like to see the depth in that room a little bit more and see how reliable it is. And I guess that's something we'll look at in preseason.
Man.
I mean this, when you look at the roster on the defense side of the boy, it looks like the Mons stars right on paper.
So on paper they look amazing.
It really just comes down to the chemistry and we know from you know, the last few years, that they have built upon that since dan Quinn has touched down, and I'm looking forward to seeing that continue to grow. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the young bloods come in and really add their elemented to it. But the interior defensive line is always gonna be my My
question mark. Because when you have a roster like the Dallas Cowboys do on defense, the one spot that you're gonna attack and say, screw it, we're gonna run the ball. We're gonna run it, right because passing it is a bad situation for us, right, we can't we can't drop back. You know, they're gonna get to us. They're gonna blitz whatever it might be. They don't have to blitz, they just get They get home with three or four guys. So you're there, you're going to attack them on the ground.
So do they have that answer? On the interior defensive line? Are those guys gonna be impactful? Big handkas is back, awesome, big Manzie. We're gonna see what you can do.
Right.
So that's what I'm looking forward to seeing because every other spot is really solid, you know. I mean, like to your point, if you had to go beyond that linebacker is a little shallow. Outside of that, you know, they have safeties that can fill in and those linebacker roles. So that's not even a big worry for me. So it really comes down to the interior defensive line.
I'll piggyback off that really quick.
This is the proven week for Manasie Smith, you know, since he's come in the building. He said, yeah, just you know, get at me when the pads come on. Well, the as a wrong and you're the first round pick you were brought into provided immediate help.
So let's see it in action. Let's see that strength on display.
Does it make you feel any better the fact that you have Jonathan Hankins though, as kind of that mentor, I put out a tweet the other day where it's it feels like every level of the playmakers that are youthful playmakers have an experienced veteran to learn from, and it's kind of that combination, and I think that's part of what plays into the excitement with this Cowboys roster.
With Mazzie Smith, it's Jonathan Hankins. Bringing him back was a huge retainment from last year's team, not only because I mean he statistically made that run defense better himself, but now you've got a young buck like Mazzie Smith that's coming up and continuing to get better underneath him. Do you feel like that that'll provide more confidence for him going into his first day of padded practice and then of course further along in the training camp, yeah.
For sure.
I mean, but he's also a first round pick. I mean the expectations, he knows what they are. They're obviously as high as they get. And I mean we talked to you mentioned safety earlier. I mean, look at defensive tackle. I mean there's a long gap there between they when they've made some significant, you know, investments in that position. I mean you can almost go back to Jay Ratliffe for how long it's been since they've really had like an elite defensive tackle. And so that's why it's so
exciting to see what Matt Mozzy can do. And and you know, it's almost like you don't want to put too much on him like the first week, because he's a first round pick and you're expecting him to come in here and and you know, tear things up and look really good, and especially with that.
Zach Martin not being out there. But Hankins helps, no question.
But I think being a first round pick, there there is that you know, all eyes are on you. You know that, hey, there are high expectations for me to come in here and play, well, what.
Are those expectations like?
As as a player, Isaiah, Whenever you go in and you you can feel the eyes on you, but it's different. I mean, it's you had eyes on you in Michigan, you were one of the bigger brands of college football. But it's different whenever you're in the NFL, no matter if it's the Cowboys or whoever else, it ends up being.
Yeah, and I can't I can't be for him, but I do know that from the team's perspective. As far as teammates, you know that there's a an adjustment period and that's.
What the camp is for. That's what the preseason's for.
So even if he doesn't come out and absolutely kill it in these first you know, a couple of weeks of practice, it's like, all right, let me let me see him in the game, right and you give you give those those guys the opportunity to get their feet underneath them, to gain their confidence, to adjust to the speed of the game adjusted.
It's the size of the game, and then find their way. The higher to pick.
The less tolerance people have for you know, I guess for time span with that, with that window of time, but I don't think guys are gonna be tripping. Guys are definitely gonna their intendance of seeing what he can do. But when you kind of put the spotlight on top of yourself, I mean he's a double spotlight. He had one spotlight because the first round pick, and he put the other spotlight in for another angle. He's like, wait
till the past come on. So well, like you said, the pans are all we'll go see prove it.
It's a double spotlight day, for that's the name of the show, Double Spotlight Day.
I think there's elements.
To Masie that I'm excited to see, but I said it at the top.
Of the show. This is an offensive line.
Then if we're talking about a week spot on the roster, especially without Zach Martin, it's with that being said, I do think Zach Martin will be back in time for week one. Let's not get carried away, but I think this is an offensive line that if one guy goes down, you're in trouble. And so what do you need to see from the offensive line this week? John to really build your confidence going into at least a padded practice or two and then going into the preseason.
I really want to see one of these reserve offensive linemen step up. And when I talk about that, the number one guy is Josh Ball, and during the break I brought this up because I wanted to make sure I was accurate on these This is the big thing with me with a Josh Ball and Matt we Letsko guys like that, is that one of the biggest successes Mike McCarthy had in Green Bay was finding quality offensive linemen. Not in the first round. I mean we're talking we
go back. You're looking at guys like TJ Lang fourth round, you go, let me see here, hold on, hold on, let me bring us up. David Baktiari fourth round, JC Tretdor fourth round, Corey Linsley fifth round. I mean, they're just there. Was It's not like you just had one. Now since he's been the head coach. They obviously got an undrafted guy and Terren Steele that stepped up, but now they need another one of those and we'll let's go and Josh Ball are the.
Two guys I feel everyone's looking at.
And Ball has been given every opportunity with Martin being out, so if you don't have something there, it kind of goes back to the running back thing. Does that mean that you have to go out and maybe sign a veteran at that position.
What do you think, Nick, Yeah, like you said, one of these reserves, you're gonna have to find some reliability there, especially with Zach being out as he is right now, There's going to be a time this season when one of these five go down with an injury. You know, I don't want to wish that on anyone, but that's just the way a seventeen game NFL season is right now, And how are we able to plug a guy in and have reliability in those areas? So you look at
Josh Ball, you look at Schuma Ydoga. He's got a lot snaps as well. Far New York will let's go. Does anyone really feel really comfortable about having that guy start a playoff game or start, you know, for a foreseeable future.
I don't think the answer is yes right now.
Isaiah, You've you've told me before this is just our side conversations and of course talking Cowboys Nation.
This is a friend group. We're all friends here.
You've told me that if if the Cowboys can't run the ball, none of this is gonna work.
None of this West Coast, all that stuff.
That sounded great in the first segment, Yep, it's not gonna work facts.
Does that start with the offensive line? Yes, it's got to right.
Yes, I believe this office line has depth. They don't have proven depth. And that's what pads are for. That's what again, that's what preseason's for. Coninuity is absolutely everything on the offensive line. You can be a lesser individual, but if you can work in if you work in chemistry with somebody else right really well at the guard.
Position specifically, then you're okay.
You don't have to be an amazing individual guard because you're not on an island, right, But how you communicate, how you guys work, it's a dance right the center and right tackle. You know, you're stuck in between those guys and you know or whatever left side, whatever you want to look at, and you have to figure out how we can work together to move these large humans off the ball.
Right.
All we're trying to do is create gaps and create seams. I don't need to be able to grab. I mean, there's gonna be times where you got to be able to lock up on somebody and drive them back.
But let's be honest.
There's been some successful guys that have been on previous rosters that weren't world movers on that front, right, But they worked really well with the guys that are next to them, so that's really all they're looking for now with Cowboys. NA should be happy if they went out and got somebody who's an absolute dog.
Yes, but guess what that would have.
Happened already if there were somebody out there, right, guy, the free agents that were out there got snatched up.
You know, Sean Payton took took a vetuite to that day one. Yeah, so now it's just a.
Matter of saying, Okay, who's gonna step up and who's gonna fit best together?
And these guys are gonna have the opportunity to figure that out.
Do you have anybody that you think could step up? I mean that questions open to anybody. Because you mentioned Josh Ball, I don't think I would put him at the top of that list as a guy that I expected to come up. He's gonna get the opportunities. He's in a phone booth at guard and we've seen him at tackle and struggle to tackle. He's had an up and down week this week. I don't know if I feel confident in him even in a phone booth to
get the job done. Maybe it's an awesome Richard's, maybe it's a true Madoga, maybe it's a Matt Will Let's go. But is anybody on your mind in terms of who could step up in that regard?
Absolutely not.
Like when they talk about your top five, you know, getting your best five out there with Zach Martin, like they have their best five when they have Zach Martin and there's a significant drop off off after that. Now, can somebody step up during you know some of these practices. Can somebody step up during the preseason?
Sure?
But as I sit here today, no, I didn't feel.
Terrifies me, absolutely terrified.
I mostly agree with John one hundred percent. I will say, though, as a caveat, I'm excited to see what Matt Will Letsko can do this week, just because last week it was a little bit weird for him. He came in, he was battling a sickness, missed a day of practice, was rotated in at times. So I want to see him at full speed, especially with the Pats on this week, and then we'll go from there. But mostly agree with him. There's a significant drop off after the top five.
You're not replacing him, You're not replacing Ziam But I do want to see what let's go. I want to see him. He hasn't had an opportunity to really show himself yet, and I'm I'm I'm hopeful that he will have that opportunity and now at this camp.
So put the pass on and see what he does.
I'm interested to see I mean, awesome Richards, but he's mostly going to be at the tackle spot. I want to see Chumadoga slide inside because I mean, Stephen Jones has talked about him very highly on a couple of occasions. I'm interested to see if maybe he fits that mold, maybe more so than Josh Ball. But overall, it's it's not a comfortable situation. It's a little of an uneasy feeling for the offensive line because that's where this whole
thing starts. I mean, that's where it goes. And so maybe you take some of those defensive line when we talked about, maybe you put them on the trade block and then have some conversations. But overall, you got to find somewhere, some way, somehow to shure up your offensive line in order for this entire West Coast scheme to work out in favor. So that'll continue to be a focus point. But I do want to say, let's let's
end on a high note. When we come back, we're gonna introduce John to a nice little talking cowboys tradition. It's time to give out some smelly stickers.
Yeah, we'll talk.
About the tradition.
We'll introduce you and tell you what it's about, and then we'll give out some smelly stickers for week one when we come back with more talking cowboys.
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Welcome back into Dear Doctor, the show where I answer life's questions with an ice cold can of doctor Pepper. Sheila, let's hear from my next caller, would.
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Welcome back to the final segment of Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. This segment is brought to you by Invisi Line, the official smile of the Alis Cowboys. John Machoda, Nick Harris, Isaiah standback. I'm KYLEI omens here from Oxnard, California. What a week it has been. We are going into week number two here in training camp. We finally have Isaiah along. We've got one of our friends, Linda Wells, walking by us coaching staff.
Walks out, get on camera a little bit. There you go.
That's that's somebody we need to get on the show, no doubt, but the Mike McCarthy just walk by. We're getting ready for practice number one with pads, and so the excitement level I think is high today to get to see these things. But I want to take one final look back to week one. I want to give out some smelly stickers. And I said, this is John's first time. It's also Nick's first time for smelly stickers. But Isaiah, I want you to explain it for everybody
at home. What is the smelly sticker and how did it begin?
So usually smelly stickers usually takes place after a victory, right after a nice little victory. Can we bring the helmet out, okay? And Kyle brings a nice little little scratch of sniff stickers okay, And we lick at the stickers and we attach the significance to the sticker to a player or coach right that had a amazing job and made it, did a mazing job at the game, or they showed up as a coordinator or a coach, whatever it might be.
But they get the highest acthlet's highest credit.
From us attaching their name to the smelly sticker, and we give the reason name for the sticker, right, and then we scratch it, and you know, someone.
Let's do that.
But no, it's just it's just a way for us to give kudos. It's just like the old school Helmes back in the day. Right, you know, he coaches around says, hey, good job Nick. You know, here's the reason why you get a sticker. We do the same thing for all the players around here and coaches.
All right, you want to start us off on who got your smelly sticker for week one of training camp here in twenty three All right.
So I wasn't physically here, but I'm reading up, but I've been getting a lot of the words, and the word is Jayleen Toper is doing his thing. So I'm gonna go ahead and give Jaalen Toper the smelly sticker. I'm not, I don't have it physically here, get it for next week. But I was critical of him last year and I understand the pressure that he was under. I'm looking forward to him make taking that step, and it sounds like he has done so in his first part of camp past. Come on, now, let's see if
you can still produce it out there. So I'm excited to see that. But for now, smelly sticker goes to Jayen Tober first.
Smelly sticker of twenty three going the Jalen Tolbert. Tell me if who had that one on the betting odds? Yeah, Isaiah, Eric Chris is in the back.
You have a mic over there? You don't, do you? Oh? You do have a mic. I was gonna ask you for your smelly sticker too, if you if.
You had a mic right now?
Yeah, give me, okay, I'll come back to you. I'll come back to you.
All right, Nick, what do you think I'm gonna have to go nay Shan?
Right.
There's been a lot of injuries in the in the secondary in this first week, and Nashan has been able to step in and he has been fantastic. He had a huge interception on a ball that was maybe underthrown by Deck a little bit, but it was a fantastic play. He's showing his link out there on the boundary and giving some reliable depth in that area. You know, we're talking about having any concerns and depth, there's none in the secondary.
So he's he's done a good job.
He's definitely drilled it into our heads that he's going to have a fantastic week in fantastic training camp.
What do you think so Isaiah hit N had It's no question. Number one on the list is Tolvert for sure. But I'll go Jalen Marino Cropper just because I didn't really have a ton of expectations coming into the first week, and he showed up on a couple of different situations
and so he kind of stood out. Now, if you want to talk about somebody, when we were talking about Mazi earlier, how it's like he plays a position that you know, maybe he'll do some things that might not stand out to the naked I whatever.
I'll tell you what.
I have not seen anybody make any plays out here when Stefan Gilmore has been around them. So I mean he hasn't hadny interceptions, but there's nobody making any plays around him either.
He just don't know.
I'm really excited to watch him play this season because I know he's getting up there in age, but just the way he takes care of himself, the way he goes about his business, I mean, he looks like one.
Of those guys you could give it to.
But again, he doesn't have the flashy interception or anything that jumps off the tape yet.
But he's been impressed about there.
Yeah. Absolutely, I love his demeanor.
We got to talk to him last night just a little bit in passing here at camp, and I mean just the way that he carries himself. He's got so much confidence, but it's a quiet confidence, which I love and I think both him and Trayvon Diggs both share that trait.
And even yesterday he was saying.
Yeah, I spent the off day just kind of hanging out, just relaxing, rejuvenating, getting ready because he's like, that's a big week ahead. You put on the pads, it's gonna hurt a little bit more. Jake Fergus that said that as well. I love that for Stefan Gilmour. All right, Beamer, Okay, Mom's.
Gonna go to steal because he worked his.
His his peach off since we're doing sticks his daunches off off season to get back because it's only been eight months I believe, since his injury.
Yep.
And from a standpoint at his position, that's that's my smell sticker.
Terrence Steele.
Yeah, Haley Sutton did a great story on Special Edition about Terrence Steele, and she said that the average offensive lineman return time is eleven months from an ACL injury and he was back in eight.
I mean, that's fantastic.
And Mike McCarthy talked about the work ethic and what he's done day in day out, making sure he's in the building, makes sure he's going through all of his responsibilities. I think that that's a good one, very good one. I'm gonna go a little bit cliche, a little bit mainstream. You guys have have had some great names. I'm gonna give it to Michael Parsons because it doesn't matter if it's training camp with pads, training camp without pads, regular season.
Of course with pads, he still finds a way to get in the backfield. And so I'm gonna give it to to Michael Parsons. He had a great practice on Thursday where he had back to back sacks. He was in the backfield quite a bit again, just breathing down Dak's neck on Saturday.
He's just He's Michael Parsons, and I'm gonna give it.
I'm gonna give my first smelly sticker to number eleven as he continues to to just w recavoc on backfields and I can't wait to see what he can do this year.
All right, more real, quick, and more importantly for our jobs. Phenomenal quote.
He never he almost never disappoints when he talks's and he did not disappoint this this week either, honestly.
For real, Isaiah, If if you haven't watched it yet, go back and watch Micah's press conference last week. It'll make you excited to get up and do your job. Just in general.
I mean, forget football as I knock a water.
Bottle off, but the I am a bike, I'm knocking stuff over. This is great.
But yeah, no, go back and watch it because it's it's a lot of fun, all right.
Before we get out of here?
Stick what was that?
You know who does not get the smelly sticker? The marketing team for blowing off right next to.
Beamer.
Beamer saying no thank you to the to the the nice little drill that's happening above us.
I think that's a leaf blower.
It was a drill.
I thought was after a drill.
It's electric.
From sky. I appreciate the marketing. Yeah, that blows.
Got it all right?
Before we get going, bang, Mike b.
Before we get going. One thing you're looking forward to most, it can't be the answer of going through pads, it's got to be something else then you're looking forward to most going into week two.
I want to see what Dak Prescott does in terms of spreading the ball around. We've seen him connect on a deep ball with Brandon Cooks, a nice one in the red zone with Cede Lamb the other day. I want to see him kind of spread it around to all those guys and then really see if Tolbert is ready for that number four spot when the pads come on.
Those are both really good points. I'm going to kind of work around that.
Then Cavante Turpin, I want to see how much they integrate him in the offense this week. You know, if he's taken that next step from an off the field offensive standpoint, and if he can get some more reps this week, that's definitely something I'm looking at.
I want to see coach McCarthy expand on this offense. From what I've seen so far, is very simplistic West Coast, but West Coast can get very complex as well, so as he starts adding in those those motions and shifts and personnel groupings, like how did these guys handle it? And how does he expand upon his offense. He necessarily won't see it in the preseason games, right, but it will show up later on in the season. He's still that's what they're preparing for. People forget that is vanilla.
The stuff might be in the beginning of training him, they were preparing for a season, so they have to practice those plays now as well.
Yeah, I think I'm looking forward to the growth again of these young secondary players. I mean, we saw from Jane Thomas, that's a name we haven't mentioned today, Marquise Bell, nay Sean Wright, we've talked about a couple of times.
I think the secondary is.
Gonna grow now that they can at least press and provide a little bit of physicality at the line of scrimmage.
I think it's gonna benefit them quite a bit.
I think the offensive line is gonna benefit from having something to grab onto. But I think I'm most excited to see those corners, to see them come up and challenge some of these wide receivers. And like I said at the beginning of the show, Jalen Tolbert has had a great camp so far. He earned the smelly sticker for a reason. I think all of us could have
given Jalen Tolbert a smelly sticker. But if he can't do it against the physicality and the press is the line of scrimmage, then there's gonna be another hurdle for him to cover before we get into the regular season. So I want to see how that continues to develop and continues to grow throughout training camp. But all right, we've got a lot of things going on in training camp.
Real quick plug some of the stuff that you're on, John, So that way, talking Cowboys fans can can watch and listen to you.
Or read your work on the Athletic. Where where can they find you?
Yeah, on Twitter at John Michodo j O N M A C H O t A. But yeah, the Athletic. If you're not a subscriber, we obviously appreciate it if you subscribe. Trying to put up as much content as we can, So yeah, I appreciate it.
Nick, Yeah at Nick Harris DC.
We got a lot of stuff coming out on Dallas Cowboys dot com this week just covering training camp, and we have the Training Camp Hub too. It's a one stop shop for all of the stuff that we're doing during training camp.
So check that out.
Hey man, I'm on I standback on IG That's where I've been most of my time. I'm not on the X as much as most people are, but yeah, that's where you can find me.
Y'all hit me up.
I'll respond yep at Kyle underscore Yeomans, and we're gonna have Inside Cowboys training Camp and Training Camp live with Isaiah all week long. You better better get like a cough drop or something, maybe some like cot tea and honey, you're about to You're about to get some work out.
I'm tapped in. What's not tap in? I'm not tapping out to February.
Maybe let's go, Thank goodness, let's do it late February, late, right, late February. All right, that's gonna do it for us here on Talking Cowboys. Time for another Talking Cowboys tradition, the chopper. We gotta do this at the end of every episode as we go out, John, you gotta do the.
Chop little wrestling. You're not gonna do it, not gonna hop on.
This sweater is too tight.
I'll work it in.
For John Machoda, for Nick Harris, for Isaiah stand back. I'm Kyle Yoma saying so long here from Oxnard, California. We'll see you on Wednesday with more Talking Cowboys.
This has been a production of dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.