Talkin' Cowboys: Why Was Dez Released?

is a hashtag. I was just confused. That's your problem. All right, glad you solved my problem. Can catch up? We go, here, we go. It's good. He's in a dry fit. He's filling cash. Do you go fishing or something? I'm ready to right, he's ready to sell fishing for a wide receiver. That's what we're gonna get to. So how's everyone doing. It's April crazy time around here. Oh? Yes,

Draft season, right, Brian? Yeah, I'm getting you're ready down to the end of looking at guys that are priority free agents and and guys have probably seventh round guys. They've got, you know, multiple picks. I don't think they're going to use them all, but there's some guys to kind of fill out this thing. So yeah, that part of it's good. And yeah, we're just a few short days away from this thing actually taking place, trying to

rebuild this team. How many supplemental picks do they have? Four? Right? Yeah, well you asked me that question. I have that I've got too many. Know they got four compensive gets four? Yeah, yeah, I'm looking at how does everybody keep writing they have three? I don't know because they trade one away. Let me let me, I've got too many pieces of paper. I'm

like Mickey Spagnola here right now. I know that's good bets story pick at one thirty seven, which is four one thirty seven, fourth, compensatory pick five one seventy one, and compensatory let's see six two o eight those are compensatory picks. There's three, just three, just three? You know why I thought it was four? Like there was a bunch, like they had so many to use that. Oh, we got all these week in trade. Kind of move them

around a little bit though. Well, if you are a Cowboys fan, which I'm assuming you are, if you're listening to this podcast, then your whole timeline. Your entire weekend was spent talking with friends about Dez Bryant. This crew that I'm sitting with was immediate. They have a podcast of their instant reaction of Dez Bryant. And now that we've had kind of over the weekend Monday, some other things have come to light. You know, I asked the guys prior to this show how they felt about Dez

Bryant's release from the team. We've had podcasts on this for months now. But you know, Brian, you wrote in yours writing on the wall. Yeah, it was clearly they're writing on the wall, and you know it's it didn't happen in a timely manner for Dez Bryant. But to the front office, the Joneses, you know, you felt like though that the way that they were looking at receivers, and this goes all the way back. Rob and I were happening to be at the Combine and they were

interviewing receivers at the Combine. They were going through a lot of those guys. They got home and it started to be okay, well, let's now figure out about free agency. You know, they signed a couple of guys. They went after a big fish and didn't land the big fish. And you know, so now you're thinking, okay, wait, something's up here. What are they gonna do. You're talking about Sammy Sammy Watkins. Absolutely so, you know I And then

now you get into okay, we're having thirty visits. Well, they've lined up a couple of first round receivers as possible in my opinion, first round receivers with Ridley and Moore. They're working out Shark, they're working out Kirk, they're working out all these guys. So to me, they were still

hunting receivers. And you know, as as Dez Bryant probably didn't get the word, you know, I just felt like as we were going along, it was systematically the way the scouting department was saying, Hey, we're looking for receivers. We're going to have to make a movie or we are going to make a move. And they had a deadline on Monday, and they took the advantage on Friday to get that done. I'm glad you brought up the combine.

And you guys know, it wasn't really until December. Des Brandt kind of had almost like a press conference at his locker if you guys remember it was a thirty minute media session in the locker room where he kind of explained everything. He talked about his injuries, he talked about this season, and that was really the first time a lot of people started questioning if he would be

on the team next year. I believe. I don't want to say for sure, but I do believe it was Todd Archer who asked him, are you going to be a Dallas Cowboy next year? And that's when he said, you know, I'm a bet on me and that kind of stuff. And then that came to light. And then at the combine, Stephen did speak and he said, we were going to have these talks sooner rather than later. It's been seven weeks. Sure of course you saw everyone in Phoenix or yeah, you know, Bryan's right, Like the

riding was on the wall for months. If you if you listen to Stephen only, it felt like this was going to happen eventually, At least at the very least. They were preparing for life without him, especially when they signed al On Hearns and then when they started visiting, you know, really taking a hard look at these top receivers. You're like Okay, something has to give because you can't pay all these guys thirty million bucks. There's not enough balls to go around for all of them. And but

the one caveat was Jerry Jones. I was hesitant to say for sure that he wouldn't be back because of their relationship, and then when they get in a room together, could something be worked out. Ultimately, they had a plan to move forward, not even a June one post release, just let's let's make this change, Let's eat the cap money and let's move forward. And you know, there's there's you could say, there's a couple of different reasons for why they did it. Production compared to salary is probably

the number one. But if you listen to some things that have been said, Stephen Jones talking about a couple months ago having to control his emotions, Dez being better at that, I think to some degree, locker room was a consideration here with Doz. So there's a lot of different reasons. The thing about it is in the statement that Jerry is given last Friday. So far we haven't

gotten a concrete reason why they did it. I think if you listen enough and read the tea leaves, it had to do with, Hey, we can't pay him this salary for the production you're getting, and that's ultimately why they decided to move on absolutely. And then you brought up Jerry Jones. He released a statement immediately and he did, you know, he echoed pretty much everything you just said. You know, he will always be a valued member of

our family. Des and I share a personal and professional relationship that is very strong, and he's just one one of just a handful of players of who I have become that close to over the past thirty years. You guys have seen that, Mickey, what do you think about Jerry's comments? Well, I don't know about Jerry's comments. You know, this supposed summit meeting wasn't the meeting. I think everybody was portraying they had already made up their mind. There was no oh, will he take a pay cut. He

was an offered to pay cut. They were decided that I guess this was going to be addition by subtraction because they're not a better football team without Dez Bryant. Now behind the scenes, are they better? Well, they put up with it for eight years, right, so now all of a sudden, well we start hearing this and this and this, and everybody's globbing on to stuff, and you know, there's some people I talked to and it's like, you

want somebody that was disruptive, Go look at thirty two. Yeah, eighty eight in practices and things like that, you know, was not a problem. Sure, Now, was he late for meetings, Yeah, he was always late for meetings for eight years. He was late for meetings. He missed things, But that was him. Now, did he need the care of those things better? Yeah?

I think so. I think they just decided that they were turning this roster over and they weren't going to spend that much money on that wide receiver with some of the other stuff that was going on. But from a production standpoint, you know, I keep reading about what his production was over the last three years, but no one points out that three years of football should be forty eight games. He only played thirty six if you look at the ones he didn't finish, the ones he

didn't play. And so when you look at it that way, his production over those three years wasn't as bad as everybody's portraying. And I still maintain now they're going to have to make up for him. But whoever they bring in, is he going to be a better receiver talent wise than Dez Bryant. I don't think so. That's why I think go ahead, take no, no, no, go ahead. What we're gonna say, Well, I'd like to add something too,

if I could on that. I have some of the stats if we weren't talking about Yeah, all right, so you're talking about Dez Bryant, who will be turning thirty years old this year. He has been, you know, making this since he signed the huge contract in early twenty fifteen. Richard Matthews has been a more productive NFL player over the past three years than des Bryant. Since opening Day twenty fifteen, Matthews verse Bryant, of course, Mickey points out,

you know Bryant has only had thirty eight games thirty six. Okay, Well, why does I say thirty eight thirty eight? Oh? I thought i'd say thirty six. Maybe I've miscounted, Yeah, it was thirty eight, and then one hundred and fifty reception yards receptions, Yeah, receiving yards two thousand and thirty five, the average thirteen point six seventeen touchdowns. Matthews with you know, three games above him had one hundred and sixty one receptions twenty four oh two receiving yard, so about four

hundred yards more. Yeah, average, fourteen point nine seventeen. Now here's the difference between the two in those three years. Richard's Matthews has made ten point six million dollars. Dez Bryant in three years has been paid forty five million dollars by the Dallas Cowboys. That's interesting. I'll say this, how many games did he play? Forty one? If you want to scratch the twenty fifteen season because of Bryant missing seven games due to injury. Let's look at the

productivity after. Tyroll Williams and Jameson Crowder have more receiving yards than Brant over the past two seasons. Tyrrell Williams, he plays for the Chargers and in all, thirty six players have more catches than Brian in twenty sixteen and twenty seventeen combined. Can who was he playing with Chargers? Yeah? The guy who was his quarterback by the way, not big name guys you're you're referring to that numbers wise

could be better. That's interesting. I will say that there's two schools that thought there I think you have to look at the way this offense is structured, especially the last couple of years, even going back to twenty fourteen with DeMarco Murray. Receiver's numbers are going to take a hit in this offense. So it's not He's not gonna be a hundred catch guy in this system, and he was okay with that as long as they were winning. That's fair. Yeah, But to your point, Tay, I think

you mentioned the injuries. I think there's a school thought that he is not the same guy he was in twenty fourteen. He had all those foot and ankle injuries, knee miss time. Maybe he's he's slowed down a little bit. And this franchise is known for trying to let guys go maybe a year early instead of a year too late, and we've seen it with DeMarcus Ware that didn't work out.

So we'll see if this works out. But that is a school thought that injuries had slowed him down to the point where he's not getting away from guys as much anymore. Hey, we'll see what happens. He might go to another team and he looks like des Bryan from twenty fourteen. We'll just have to find out. I've been very critical of Jason Garrett throughout his coaching tenure here, and I will say this, I will give him credit though he was the last one that they had to

bring around. He was the last guy. He really he was the one that deep downside had more They would talk about Jerry Jones when they went around the room, it was Jason Garrett that would had more pause than everyone else. So with that being said, he gave it thought. He gave it thought in the room, he said, hey, you know, are we doing the right thing? And all that I've it's been reliably reported to me that was

the case. So the fact that he was the last one to come around, I think says something about, you know, there was some worry that he really didn't have does Bryant's back and so with you know, with all that, he really he's the one that said, are we really doing the right thing? And then as a group, and I can only speak from experience that every time Jerry Jones asked questions, it was about consensus. They're building a draft board right now on consensus is what they're doing.

And so everybody had their opportunity to step up. But I will say this that Jason Garrett was one of the last ones to say, Okay, let's move, let's go ahead with this move, you know, And so I would have thought, well, maybe he would have been one of the first ones. Yeah, maybe he was a guy that's kind of leading the band, and that really wasn't the

case at all. Well, and I agree with you, Brian, because of the fact we've spoken with Alan Hearns since des Bryant was released and was straight up ast him, did you know this was going to happen? And he said no, I didn't realize he was going to be released. He hasn't been around, he hasn't seen him here or

spoken with him personally. But he did say that when he was being approached about coming to the Dallas Cowboys, it was well aware that there was going to possibly be something offered to Dez as far as a pay cut. They weren't sure yet, but there was a situation and then Hearne's response, he was like, I'm a I'm a wide receiver in the NFL. I know Dez, I know the pride he has. I knew for something, you know,

to take a pay cut, that's hard. Of course, we found out other things that have happened, but that shows that, you know, Garrett wasn't completely ready to go. Yeah, And one of the things Dez did was he reached out to Garrett afterwards. He wanted to know if Garrett had his back, and you know, and I'm sure that I was not privy to that conversation, but like I said, I do know that Jason Garrett had his pause about that.

And you know, a lot of people feel like though maybe he was the ringleader in this and he was the last one to come around. I was told, well, that's in line with what Jason's been about all seven years with Dez, eight years with Does. He's had Does his back all the way through. I think the organization has had Dez his back through with a lot of things, a lot of things. Yeah, I think as a young receiver,

young man coming in, you know, Jerry Jones. I I feel like though that Jerry Jones and Dez do have an outstanding relationship with each other. And you know, I think it was very difficult for Jerry Jones to make this call. But again, he looks for a consensus in the room, and he trusts people. When he trusts the opinion and those people now all know, you know, hey, I'm the one guy that said let's go let's go

a different direction. And at the end of the day, you know, those guys are going to have to answer whether it works or not. They're gonna have to answer to, Okay, we made a move here, it didn't work. You know, Ultimately, it might help everybody's job, or it might get him fired. That's really the bottom line with this business. But I just feel like though that that the organization for a lot of times. I think Dez will admit it, you know. I mean, there are times when Dez went on his

own way and needed to be pulled back in. The Joneses were there to pick the pieces up. You know, He's he feels very fortunate that Jerry Jones, when he didn't play a senior year at Oklahoma State, he still got drafted in the first round. He feels very fortunately contract I think the only regret that Dez Bryant has to be honest with you guys, is the fact that he didn't stick up for Tony Romo when Tony Romo

was healthy. I think that's the one thing he There's not a lot of regrets he has but I think that's the one that he that bothers him the most. That you know is he knew it was right in the locker room to stick up for Dak, you know, the way the team was playing, the way they were going forward. But if he goes, if he had to do it all over again, I believe that he would have said, I was stuck up for Tony Room because Tony Romo was the guy that got him the contract.

It does has a ton of ability, but Tony Romo was a big part of that great point because Rob you were president. On Saturday, when Dak shared his response, yeah, I mean he he spoke in nothing but positive terms about Dez, called him a brother, said sad news. He said, we've got to find a way to replace him, and he said he's been thrown with Alan Hearns. Deonte Thompson was on en route to get here and take part in the voluntary offseason program which started yesterday. So he's

going to get in and work with those guys. And he said, what, We'll figure it out. That's that's what he said, trying to replace des his production. But to me, you know, this reminds me so much Tay of nine years ago. You remember when they let TiO go. You mentioned addition by subpraction, Mick. That's what this is in theory, basically, because there's not a guy that's has proven as Dez

Bryant at receiver on this roster. There just isn't. And I think there's got to be a twenty eighteen version of Miles Austin step in here and be a productive guy in this offense. And to me, it's got to be Alan Hearns because you can go draft a guy in the first round or second round or third round. It's a hard position to transition, very difficult. This is a guy they signed not for a ton of money, but he's been a thousand yard receiver, he's at ten

touchdowns in a season before. He's got to be the guy that steps up and as a reliable guy for Dak And that's to me, what they've got a bank on, because right now, on paper, they're not They're not better without him. So do you think Herns can do that? We'll find out. I mean, I think that's kind of that's the scary part of all. They think Ron will will find out. Basis, what would you can we ask you a question Mickey, and I think I know the answer, but I just want to make sure I don't want

to get this wrong. You don't think that Dez's number were poor this year, right? I think they were average? Okay? If Alan Hearns does Dez's numbers this year, are we okay with that? If you're probably okay with it because he's only counting four point three millions, I'm just it's not gonna be enough to help this Here's what but I'm trying to say for you, I'm trying to say, because you're gonna go, you're gonna tell me the offensive line needs to be improved. Yes, And I agree with

you there one hundred percent. Get Cole Beasley going to by the way, figure out something helped the quarterback there. I feel like though that you need to get get the running game. You know, let's hope that Ezekiel it comes in, is in shape, ready to go, you know, gets the ball from word go. It goes back to what Rob's talking about with the offense. It's a run first offense. But I think if if Alan Hearns puts up Dez Bryant numbers and you have Mickey's offensive line,

approves and is running back improves that helps Prescott. I think that's good enough. I don't think. I don't think Alan Hearns has to be better than Dez Bryant. I just think he has to have similar numbers to what we saw. And again, hers being paid factor into that at all. No, no, no, I just need money out. Take the money out. I just need Alan Hearns to be I don't need him to be Dez Bryant four years ago, three years ago. I need Alan Hearns to

be Dez Bryan in two thousand and sixteen. Which, again, if you're saying he I think this was more about personality than it is numbers. No, me and you, you did a great job or reading a bunch of numbers. And I'm thinking I'm sitting there thinking this doesn't have anything to do with the locker room. This doesn't have anything to do with the tardiness or the problems or anything like that that that you know that people were

kind of dealing with. I think this is kind of an eight year journey of Okay, we're tired, we're tired, and but the production factors in, because if he was putting up, but I don't think I don't think it's the the overlying factor. Right if Hearns does what you just said, Yeah, and Ezekiel Elliott run for sixteen hundred yards and the quarterbacks protected like he should have if those things had happened last year, I don't think we're here. Yeah right now. I don't think so either, because I

think there was other reasons. And I keep saying it. Why he had sixty nine catches, sure, eight hundred and some yards, sure, all right? And for six games? Who were what, guy? Were defenses scared of? They took Beasley out of the game. I know that, Yeah, and they made sure Dez didn't beat him, sure, all right, because they didn't fear the running back. Yeah. So now my question is, when you don't have a wide receiver that people fear, how much eight man front are they going

to face in this running game? Oh? I think, Mickey, when this offensive line was healthy in twenty sixteen, they faced a lot of eight man line. I have some some numbers on it, but there was at least there was something to pay for when you did that. Cole Beasley was to pay for well, from a short standpoint, but one of thirteen games playing that way right. See to me, I don't need Alan Hurns to be the MVP. I need Alan Hurns to be sixty nine catches seventy

three catches liable. But he needs to be a threat because they don't have anybody else that's going to stretch the field that anybody's scared about. Okay, all right, well let's take our break. Let's take our break. We're stopping on the fact that Mickey doesn't think they have anyone to be a fairy enough. And this is a good topic. We will have more on this once we come back from our break. It can be hard to find the

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back in here. And before we went to break, we were, you know, of course, discussing Dez Bryan in the situation that the team is in now, and Brian was bringing to the point of, you know, Alan hearns having the production of des Brent this past year seventeen, and Mickey,

I'll let you continue what you were saying. No, I think if if, if he does that, and he doesn't have to face not having Ezekiel Elliott for six games basically the second half of the season, and not having Tyrann Smith out there for what he missed three and parts of two others, basically five games. So will that be enough to offset the lack of a passing game? See all this stuff? Would DAC two is the same thing?

If I hear one more time. They never could get on the same page those last eight games in twenty sixteen. The page was pretty good. Sure, forty three catches I believe it was the second half of for six hundred and forty six yards average, fifteen a catch and eight touchdowns if you count the playoff game. What page were they on? Right? But suddenly that page got ripped out when they didn't have a running game and a threat

and they couldn't protect the quarterback. So I get tired of seeing that sixteen here wore the numbers Mickey's right. Of course, des Brand had ninety six targets. Only Cole Beasley had ninety eight over him, So two more that's okay. But of course you're looking at the production of Ezekiel Elliott that you're kind of offsetting all of that. You

mentioned Cole Beasley. He offset anything that was happening. Jason Witten had ninety five targets that you're in six hundred and seventy three yards when des Brand had seven hundred and ninety six. Just add the fact that you had a dynamic, dynamic running back in Ezekiellett, because if the run game ishm like it did in twenty sixteen, we should have no issue. I said this on the podcast Friday.

Do you have to have a number one receiver in this offense that puts up, like I said, one hundred catches. I don't. I don't think so, and I don't think that's they're thinking. However, I agree with you, Mickey, and that you do have to have somebody that can threaten downfield, be reliable on third down for Dak, and keep the chains moving. And to just think you've got an offense built around the running game and you're gonna be fine when Zeke's back. Just remember Christmas Eve, he comes back.

Everybody thinks, oh they're going to the playoffs, they're gonna win out, they're gonna go to the playoffs. They put up twelve points, they kick field goals. So you've got to have a guy he can rely on and can take the top off of defense, and you can argue Dez isn't that guy anymore. Maybe that's what they decided. But you've got to find somebody who can do that. And besides Cole Beasley, Jason Witten, work in the middle of the field, running game, all that kind of stuff.

Gotta find somebody else can do that. Maybe the draft will help. We'll see. Now my question to you, So, everybody's numbers in the passing game went down, Yes, not just Dez. Quarterback threw more passes and he threw more he did. Okay, Dez numbers went down, Beasley's numbers went down dramatically, Whitton's numbers went down dramatically. Williams then as many touchdowns as the four of us put together. Right, So, but somehow this all fell on Deza's shoulders. Money, I

don't know. I don't know if it was money. I think money. We talk a lot in this room about how certain players are looked at to have higher performance levels because of the contract they're playing under. We talked about that with Tyrone Crawford. We talked about that with they were going to bring Morris Clayborne back here. We're talking about money. Money has been the thing that everyone has been talking about when it comes. That's okay. If

they're talking about it, doesn't mean they're right now. The thing, it's like, you're looking at the fact that this was a receiver that was being paid to produce at Julio Jones, Antonio, you know, yeah, but he's not out there playing singles. The thing about it is in Pittsburgh. But Stephen Jones did say repeatedly, we've got to look at his number. Oh, I understand relationship production. I mean, he he gave everybody fair warning that this is going to happen. I mean

he really did. If you listen just to Stephen, you we probably should have known this was coming. I feel like that with Brown, it's a different player. He does come from a system that runs the football for a different type of player. About Julio Jones, Julio Jones, I think is I think that the Atlanta does a really good job with their system and the way that they

get their receivers open. That's why I think des needs to go to San Francisco because a lot of things in place in Atlanta was kind of is now in San Francisco. I think I think that Julio Jones is like Brown. I think he's an elite receiver. I think he's got the eliteability to get open for a big guy. He runs his routes better than Dez. He separates better than Dez where they're very comparable, though as they make tested plays. Dez didn't make as many contested plays this

year as he had in the past. Is that Matt Ryan throwing the football better to Julio Jones. Well, you know, let's see what that's all about. But I kind of feel like though that to me, I look at more Tay and Rob, you're right, Steven Jones told us. But as Steven Jones gonna come out, he did say though about the outburst he did, he did, he did offer that as a reason it all goes together. Yeah, and so you know, so for me to sit here and say, Tay, no,

you're wrong, that's not that's not right. But what I will say is I think the I think that the things that for eight the last eight years, I think there's clearly some people within the coaching staff, front office, players, teammates that it had enough. And that's where Jerry Jones had to say, Okay, you and you and you, what do you think? And that's that's where this came. I think I don't think they worried about the money as much as we kind of are talking about right now.

I think it was more about I just can't take this anymore. I can't take this anymore. And you know it wears production on this. He catches one or two more of those balls, you know a game. I mean he had some drops. He had more drops he's ever had the league. That's what I'm saying. That's not a Dez Bryant type of a situation there, So he catches those. Mickey's right, it might be we're not might might be talking about this one more catch a game. That's that's

kind of I agree. He had twelve drops. Yeah, if he was twenty fourteen day at twelve drops, yes, he would catches. He would be here right now, my opinion. If he was putting up big time numbers, whatever they're saying is an issue in the locker room, they would have found the way to deal with it. If he was a guy that Dak really relied on and needed in this offense, he'd be here. Nicky someone tweeted and said, do you not think that Deontay Thompson can stretch the field?

He's a speedster. Well, I don't know. Has he done it? Yeah, I've just known from the film. I'll answer that for Micky. It's not a fair question to him. I'm the one sits there and acts like an idiot watching tape all day. It's a it's a when you look at Thompson the

way he plays. In matter of fact, am Garcia and I broke down a play of him for some almost where you do you see the vertical where he eats the cushion they have the you know they have the cornerback for the Jets is sitting at maybe at twelve yards, and all of a sudden, Thompson is on him and then now past him. I think that's where you need to figure out how to use that guy. Maybe they

didn't figure out how to use Bryce Butler. Butler, Yeah, but he's Bryce Butler with more inside game, more inside routes, more things in the middle of the field. The numbers aren't huge, but when you throw him the ball, he seems to come up with plays. He made some seriously good acrobatic catches with wide passes where he's having to adjust, So he gives me a little hope that way as far as can he be a guy that separates, but

can he be a more complete receiver? You know, we got to figure out how to get the ball to Beasley Again, like I keep saying, you got to figure out Hearns. Whoever they draft, they're gonna have to figure out how to get the ball to him. Thompson could be a very nice little supplemental piece to what you're trying to do. Again, I should we showed you that the separation, the closing of the cushion, those are things

he can do. So you know, we've talked about the fact that cool Beasley needs to get it more involved. Mikey brought it up. Terrence Williams garro touchdowns on the year with Deza's absence. Now, is this going to help evaluate really how Terrence Williams can be here? Can I I'm just letna chime in. If they draft, if they draft Calvin Ridley really will be your Z. He should be your Z. He's a better player than Terence Williams.

And Terrence Willis becomes Bryce Butler exactly or becomes a guy they put in the game to block or occasional you know, loose play. Terrence Williams's greatest strength this is ability to find space when things break down. That's as great at strength, you know. And and he didn't. They didn't get him the ball in the end zone. He didn't have those red zone touchdowns. You know that we or we see from him because of him finding space.

But they if they draft Calvin Ridley, Calvin Ridley will be your see and they will put him out there and let him go. And I talk about how receivers are hard transition, and I don't watch as much tape, nearly as much tape as you do, obviously, but he's ready made to step in and be a good receiver in this league. He runs, his routes are great, He's he played in a pro style offense. I've watched enough Bama to this guy's ready to play in the NFL. Yeah.

I like that. We brought up Bryce Butler because I don't know if you guys saw Bryce Butler's response when they asked him if they'd want Dez Bryan on the Cardinals. Of course people were looking at that, and he said, whatever, we need to help the team. But look, I'm trying to ball out. Does is my guy, but I don't want him on my team making it harder for me to get where I need to go. You know what I'm saying. They got Larry Fitzgerald who'll make every single catch.

Throw out that it's already making it hard. Yeah, that's sorry, make it. And they've got a running back too that catches a hundred balls a year when he's healthy. So yeah, Bryce Butler, you're gonna probably have thirteen catches again this year. Get ready guy should like he picks terrible teams. He got traded here, but he has to start right. Guys, he loves golf. You look good. The golf outfits. Guy

should walk around with a ten second delay. No, Bryce Butler, Just like when you say something, I think about it and then you go, okay, I want that back. We all need that sometimes. Yeah, you included not me? Oh never? Never. Why would he say something like that. I think he's been honest. Well, no, he probably is, but I don't think that's to his benefit. Who's hurt. So basically he's telling the Cardinals, Hey, I'm your guy, and don't bring anybody else. In here to compete with me, take catch

us away from me. Get ready to have a mock draft where Ridley goes to Arizona fifteen because they don't get a quarterback. Yeah. Oh and then sorry Bryce, Sorry. Bryce's kind of like when Alfred again, he's in golf Heaven there, you know, he got the dead her mountain and knock it around. He'll figure out though that it's he had to take one less club to hit the ball because of the air. That's always the downside of a free agency. You go somewhere and you think, Okay,

now I'm the guy, and then they draft somebody. Well, honestly though, Alfred Morris, yeah, he talked about he talked about San Francisco, and San Francisco is a really good fit for a wide receiver because he and his Pierre Garson and Goodwin or early their guys Garoppolo. Yeah, and you got Garoppolo. You got a coach and knows how to use a big receiver. I've said that before. It does Bryant. I hope does Brian does end up in

San Francisco. That'd be a great fit for him. He wouldn't see us twice a year though, No, he's gonna that he's gonna in Houston see us next year for twice preseason report season. Yeah, the reports are he'd love to go to the Giants and play with O. B J. The reports I've been seen is that the Ravens are very interested in him. They were the first time in

two Yeah. I was telling Brian that'd be a great fit for him because it's a veteran quarterback, good quarterback, great organization, strong, accountable, strong GM leadership on that team. Got thirty receivers on the roster too. Yeah, but they they're looking for one. The plays they always do the Ravens are they look at look for receiver. I think that'd be the best fit for him. But what about Detroit, go replace Megatron. It's like Baltimore the quarterback. Baltimore has

become last chance you for receivers. Oh there's that last chance again, right, Yeah, I mean they've brought in a bunch of Oh they are tread they have a ton receivers. Yeah, it's because the periman can't play for him. They've they've they've kind of given up on him a little bit. Don't give up on him. Yeah Yeah, all right, Well let's take our last break. When we come back, we will have Rob's Twitter poll and we will wrap up everything that's happening here at this start in Frisco. Join

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and T is a proud member of Cowboys Nation. This is talking cowboys, and if we're talking cowboys, we're still talking Papa John's pizza, especially with the draft coming up. Nine dat three, Buddy needs a pizza on Thursday night during the draft, and Papa John's, I'll have it for you. With those great ingredients veggies, the pepperoni, and with ingredients like that, you have better pizza. And it's Papa John. Absolutely rob no further the Twitter poll, Oh, let's talk draft.

How come I couldn't find it because you're old? I don't I don't know. It's not hard. You just go to the account and scroll down. I went to at well, I'm good, Gosh, I'm incompetent. Maybe I'm not that hard. I would have gone then competent. That would have been the one I would have got. I went on talking Tuesday. I went to at Talking Cowboys Now, and I scrolled down twenty four hours worth of tweets, and I saw no pole. How high a draft priority is wide receiver?

After Dez Bryant's release, Mickey, what's the choices first round? I'm gonna vote second round, third round or later, so three through seven, or hey, don't need one sign a priority free agent? Pretty good? Huh. Probably a bad buddy vote for that last one. Probably a bad idea on that one. You got two? Okay, Hey, there are a lot of receivers on this team right now, even without death. Yeah, there are. So my answer, my vote would be at least by the third round, more likely the second. Okay,

so second round, second round? Okay, how would that be hard to find? I just found it in two seconds, that's what I Yeah, So your vote a second round? Yeah, you know what, Brian, I'm just gonna take their approach, the Taco approach. Yes, more receivers throughout the draft, in the second and third round than there are linebackers. So I don't think it's paramount Is that the right word? Yes? Okay? Paramount that they draft a wide receiver at the in

the nineteen. I do feel like though at fifty they're gonna get some pretty good value there. And maybe if you don't do something with fifty as far as maybe you can move it up, you know, move that moved the fiftieth pick up and and that would be an opportunity to grab I think the run of those receivers is going to start, and they're the top of that second round. So it's kind of no man's land in a way if you don't draft one or you don't

think the values they're at nineteen. But I think there's enough. There's there's a good depth at wide receive. I think there's a good Absolutely Mickey's right. And and so I'm going to take the Taco approach from last year. When they come out and they say why they drafted Vanderesh or why they drafted Evans, they're gonna tell us it's because they didn't feel like the depth at linebacker was nearly enough. But I include Sudden in that group of

first round guys. You know they're going to consider you know, Sudden from smu More, you know from from Maryland, and then Ridley. So yeah, I just think there's too much good depth there for them to hit when it at at nineteen or have to hit one at nineteen. And vandersh I know there were reports yesterday that he flunked some part of his physical Yeah, he wasn't at the he wasn't at the medical rechecks. So that's that was just what they were reporting. Exactly. Yeah, what were you

gonna say, t Stern from the five or five? And

what you got? I said second round as well, because I think that if you look at this draft at nineteen, you know, if Brian's saying that at fifteen, Arizona is going to go get Ridley, and then now you're just working with more and you don't know necessarily more in Sutton too, Tay, Yeah, but more And if you if you're considering Courtland Sutton right, first round, right, and a lot of people didn't even consider Dj Moore in the first round to start this true draft evaluation, you're they've

been looking at linebacker. Everything that I've seen that they've been putting out, I think they're probably going to go after a linebacker in the first round. They stay right, hey, Vita, great safety and the results were defensive tackle, the jasive tackle. But no, I meant safety at that position. Safety of that position. I got you, I'm safety at that position because a lot of times you think they're looking at that. The results were second round. Yeah, well they've kept themselves open.

What are the results? So we all had second because I mocked linebacker receiver in our two cent why went you I did it. Yeah, yeah, I went the other way. Okay, Yeah, you would receive would yeah yeah, we'll see. Okay, yeah, fans agree second round forty nine percent, thirty eight percent say first round. Gotta get one at nineteen, so we'll see. So the other alternative, if this all works out the way you said, yeah, um can I can I pull off a somewhat of a Travis Frederick go down and

trade down into the high twenties, low twenties. I'll take you why to look at like twenty seven, twenty eight. I'll take you to New England at twenty three, and I take my wide receiver lower and then get an extra pick, like maybe somebody's looking for me, because those linebackers will probably be gone if I get past twenty five. Yeah, twenty three at New England will net you a third.

If you go down to New Orleans at twenty seven, I'll get you three, and of four you go to Minnesota, thir y'all get you two if you play that games. To play that game, that's the trade that they made for Frederick, was to go down to thirty. I just go back to that though they've already got ten picks, Like how many picks do you need? Well, I can use that second to go back up. Yeah, you can go back up fifty to you go back fifty to maybe to thirty four if you want to do that.

That would cost you the straight three. Or I can trade for maybe a veteran safety. Yeah. Can I ask something real quick to Mickey on that one. You're really good with odds. Not I don't wan odds, but you're really good at getting information from people. Is that a rule? Is that a real talk? Is that real talk? I don't think it is real talk? Uh, in relation to what Seattle's been asking. Yeah, John's out of his mind, right, Yeah, if if I give him a third, i'd consider it. Sure,

although he's not gonna make fourteen million a year. Yeah, I need to talk to him if I'm gonna move. If it's gonna be a one year rental, now I'm not doing it. It's a one year rental, Yeah, with the with the hope that him resigning, I would say, okay, But I need I need to I need to talk to the player before, I need to before I do this deal. I need to talk to the player. Right, I'm not gonna I'm not gonna play a baseball trade here. Yeah, I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna I'm gonna rent him. Ye,

I'm not gonna get sign. I'm not gonna give up a third round pick for a seven month guy. I'm not gonna do that. Baseball they do that all the time. Brewer's got a guy from the Rangers now because of the catcher that's hitting. It's incredible. I'm not doing that. And they do it in hockey all the time at the trade deadline. But I'm thinking about though, I'm thinking about that if I I'm thinking about fifty and I'm

telling John Snyder, you don't have it too. You know, this is best off you're gonna get from me, so you know you can take it or not. And you know that's that's kind of where he will be picking. You know if he if he had it too, he'd be picking right in front of you. So that's kind of his spot. So he you know, I feel like though that I don't think he's gonna be able to

resign the guy. I don't think the guy. I think that you know, John is smart enough to know that if I have to take the two and move on, I'll do it. I don't think he's just gonna hold on say I'm gonna make it work. I just don't think he's that type of guy saying. Here's another thing to consider in that scenario is the fact that they

didn't designate des a June one release. True, And I'm told the reason they did it that way, even though they had to take the extra four million dollar hit, was they wanted the salary cap money now right it didn't want it June first, because if you do it June first, you don't get that twelve and a half million dollars base salary back till then you get that

doesn't really help you. You get the three million from Scandric after June one, and you can use that for your basically a draft almost fun your draft almost you're probably a couple million short. But now they got that extra twelve and a half million right away, So that's about the money. That's something to consider of what their alternatives are, because look, you're not gonna use that in free agency now there's nothing left, no that's gonna cost

you that. But if you trade for a guy, let me ask you this, anybody hearing anything about them by July getting something done with Lawrence a long term deal. Yeah, have you heard anything. I have not, but it sounds like they still want to try. Yeah. I'm hearing some whispers on that one. And again that saves you money. Yeah, I think that they know everybody's talking about Frederick, and I think they're just waiting for Frederick to sign off on the dealself. I'm sorry, I said, Zach my bed

that's gonna get done at some point. Yeah, but they I had somebody somebody. Don't be surprised if we get make some progress on this Lawrence deal. I just think from Lawrence thinking even July, when we get to Oxnard kind of a thing, thinking a lout. Logically, they can basically buy him off of that if they get the signing bonus. Sure, all of a sudden you're gonna get say you get a seventeen million dollars signing bonus. Well, now I've got it four or five six months before,

right would get it eventually. Right, that means a lot when you're talking that much money. Absolutely, you gotta get it done by July sixteenth. Yeah, all right. Coach John on Twitter wants to know everyone's definition of a number one receiver. He's asking that because you know, obviously we're talking about des was the obvious number one receiver here. What does that mean? I think it depends on the type of offense you have. You know, it's all it's

all relative. And I don't, like I said, I don't. I don't think in this offense you have to have a guy that's gonna get you one hundred catches and fifteen touchdowns. It's not the way it was when Tony was running this thing most of his career, where it was pass happy. It's it's it's run oriented, and I think you just got to have a reliable guy who can threaten the most and has to draw an extra defender, help everyone else out in the passing game, get the

get people to back off the running game. I think he's asking, what is the number one receiver? Number one receiver is when they break the line of scrimmage that defense is looking for eighty eight. He's Michael Irvin. Yeah, that's a great He's Randy Moss, He's the He's Tim Brown. It's not like question. Yeah, he's the unquestioned guy that when you're playing defense that you scheme against. He that's

your number one receiver. That's the guy that's generally the X to me, it generally it's the guy that people say, Okay, let's we have to take this guy out of the game. He's the guy that's he's making the tough catches, he's running the routes, he's getting the touchdowns. Account you have to account him. You have to account for him every single play. You know, that to me, is your number

one receiver. But Rob's right to a too. In teams that run the football, you know, you would say that, you would say that in Pittsburgh, Brown is the number one receiver even though they run the football just as well. But you have to scheme and try and stop him. Now, New England, who's New England's number one receiver? Do they have a number one receiver? We have been Brandon Cooks, but he's gone. Gronk is the one that everybody has to account for them. He is that Hman's great. Yeah,

that's what I'm saying. They rank is the one that every snap he could he can. He's your daily hurt. Yeah, there's there's guys in that New England's and it's about the scheme. You know, they don't really have a number one wide receiver. If you think in the true sense of a wide receiver, they have they have several guys that you have to account for, especially Grinkowski that makes those plays down the field. That's but yeah, I think, to me, when I think number one receiver, I think

of a guy like Michael Irving. So that's that's who I think of. Coach John, here's what a number one receiver is. It's fourth and two. We're about to tell a coach on the Packers thirty nine yard line. You're down by four points and you've got to score, and you throw it to the three yard line and the guy goes up and catches it. That's another one catches it. He catches it. Yeah, and he did catch it, by the way, and they're showing it right now. He did catch it. Yeah, Oh there it is. How about that

for time he did catch it. We were all standing right there saying it was a Cat's a number one receiver that you trust him to go out. That's fourth play, fourth and two play right there. Point I thought he was going to dump it a basically believe that. In the twenty seventeen season, every defense the Cowboys played. I didn't say that as Brant was playing. I didn't say that. I didn't say that, but I know they knew where

he was. And all you had to do is watch the game and watch what the safety was doing at the snap of the ball, or watch what the linebacker was doing at the snap of the ball, and you'd understand that they knew where Dez Bryant was. I think I think there. I think I think I think defensive coordinators does Bryant in the red zone, That's where I think they feared him. I don't think they feared him in the field of play as much as they feared

him in the red zone. I think defensive backs know they were gonna get bullied, they were gonna get pushed, they were gonna get things. It's aggressive style of play. His his you know, it's like Jason Witton. People say, well, Jason Witton can't play anymore. You get Jason Witton inside the twenty. He has a really good understanding how to get space, how to get open, how to push off,

how to rub. He doesn't have to run fifty yards every He's like, oh, you throw him the ball, he turns around, it's a hook, it's eight yards and the guy's on his back. When you get Jason Witton in the red zone, that's where he is the most dangerous. And that's where this offense, to be honest with Scuby Tay, the offense is ability to drive the football run run, pass, run, pass run. You know that. That's that ability to get Now you're get in the red zone, okay, yeah, you

get close. You hand it to Zeke. It used to be you know, you know you were before you were here. Take there were times they get down the red zone on the goal line. It couldn't run it in and you throw it three times to Deaz and pray that you know that he would make a play one outfen Well, yeah, exactly, yes, And that's what I'm saying. It drives people crazy. You think just handed off with who do you think they

feared in the in the field of play? Then if des was red zone guy Beasley, Beasley, I think that Beasley, because Beasley Beasley was the Mickey hates the word targets, and he's right, that's a rung. But you have ninety something targets and he has ninety something catches. I mean he that that you're he converted. He was humming along. He didn't have any drops. They It's a simple little pass. You throw it to him, he runs. We saw him in the red zone. He just wore Green Bay out

in the red zone. What do you act like he was gonna go inside and block Boom, explodes the outside, catches a touchdown. That's what That's what the thing is. Beasley is the guy that teams I felt like took away with the bracket. They didn't allow him to run the pivot routes and things like that he's really really good at. And because there was no Ezekiel Elliott for six games had a lot to do with that. I think because they were not worried about Alfred Morris burning

him what they were worried about Dez. And to go back to this number one thing, you're saying, well, they were a running offense. Yeah, they were a running offense in twenty fourteen, righting, how many yards did Murray have seen? Yeah? Had like fourteen touchdowns. Yeah, Dez had a pretty dark and good season. Sure he did. I don't have his numbers.

It was like here, it was like fifteen touchdown. I think a different quarterback though, Yeah, different quarterback quarterback that kind of understands had a manipulate with a running and it was a running attack Tony seventeen hundred yards. That's why they drafted Ezekiel Elliott to try and emulate or replicate, I said, replicate what they had. Then Tony Romo's best season down the stretch when DeMarco Murray got banged up, all the saying it's like, all right, now I could

take the team, I could throw. Tony started doing things in the last month of the season that he had done really all his all his career is throwing the football. So, yeah, they drafted Ezekiel Elliott for Tony Romo just worked out. It beneficial for for Dak Prescott. Yeah, and great point about Dez. If you look last year his stats, he was still fifty five percent inside the twenty forty percent inside the ten that is above names like Brown, DeAndre Hopkins,

Mike Evans. Yeah, forty percent inside the ten. It's like, to me, equivalent to a guy that shoots three pointers. Guess it was one hundred percent, said the ten receiver, Uh Grinkowski, Kelsey Kelsey, Yeah, Travis Kelsey of course, Yeah, Yeah, I knew it was a tight end somebody Alvin Kamar, P what does that mean? A very good kent. He caught every pass, every every pass inside the ten. Yeah, so did Alvin Kamara. So did so. They never threw one over his head on purpose because nothing was open.

Now they threw it to some other and he didn't get a target. Yeah, they get a target through it the hill here herell you'll take it over your head. Still the worst stat in the NFL. But no, that's what I'm saying. You're talking about a guy that converts forty percent of the time and on the inside the ten with a fuel shrinks. That's saying a lot to me. It is. Oh absolutely. I was just saying, you know some of the other names that you're comparing them too

for elite receivers. So they gotta find that dude. They gotta find dude you can throw the fade up to. They gotta find that dude. When are you putting that mock draft up there? When is all that we got Friday? Mock draft, got a draft show of this Thursday. Coming up next Monday, We're gonna do the mock draft of the Cowboys. We're gonna do a simulation that we're gonna on the draft show. Yeah, so we'll do a ten we'll do the ten pick mock draft of the Cowboys

on Monday that night. How many of you trading? I'm not gonna trade in this sinking. I'll tell you what. They we'll have an opportunity, Well, we play. We've done this now for several years. We've kind of dained as a great job of up and back and so we'll figure that thing out. Well, we'll probably not take all our picks. Make you're wrong with the draft. We will have the schedule released at some point this week. Stay tuned to all of that and so much more on

Dallas Cowboys dot Com. Thank you so much for joining today's Talking Tuesday episode of Talking Cowboys. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.