The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This is the Players Lounge, broadcasting live from Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters at the Star. Now your hosts Barry Church, Danny McCrae, Heckma Harrison and new he scrugs.
Here we are.
To do the Players Last with you live from the s w b C podcast studio at the Star. Here if Frisco, Texas guy had Ma Harrison in the house, Barry Church, Lexon, Lexon.
And beautiful in here with their foolishness today.
Man, that's he bought the shirt like that. He bought the shirt like that when he when he tried it on, he knew it was a three x you knowing style.
In Italy right here on the players Oh boy, oh boy, but.
Ceed lamb conversation.
Somebody asked me on the way down, what do you guys tell people, because because you know, Cowboy fans come up to their ass. So what do you say when people ask you about the country, Is it going to get there?
What do you say?
You know what the hardest thing for me to do is try and articulate them, you know, pretty much holding this deal over CD's head right now when you've already have a placer there, so it I can't clearly articulate to anyone why this thing hasn't been done so far when we know that thirty five is the number. I think it becomes frustrating when you start looking at Okay, when does CD need to be into camp? How does him and Dak and the rest of this offense get
back in rhythm with any with each other? Especially the way that we ended the season off you would think that this season, this particular season, would you about all hands on deck, everybody getting back down together because of the home record that we had and just knowing that, look, you felt good about last year's team, all you need
to do is take the next step. If Cedee Lamb has look, what was it, ten games with one hundred and some seven games with ten catches, he does that in the first four games of the season, You're looking at a guy that maybe finishes with two thousand yards. Are all ifs and maybes and hope it's on the table. I haven't get it out, but either way, there's.
No way to explain it.
It doesn't make sense now, it doesn't make sense at all. And you know, we talked a little bit before the show. I just don't understand why, you know, you're basically your offense, which is CD, you're passing attack. Because outside of you know, CD, you have Ferguson, who's you know, he's a good tight end and upcoming tight end. You got Cooks who's up there in age. But other than that, CD is your
passing attack. Why does he have to go up the river and through the woods, you know, to get his money?
And we all understand you said it earlier.
The number is thirty five, and I can see if it was, you know, comparing Justin Jefferson to a you know, Devonte Smith out and out in Philly, where it's like there's a big gap in there. But to me, the gap between Justin Jefferson and Cede Lamb, it's if there is, it'snu it's minute, you know, it's it's as much it's a little bit. So I don't see the disconnect there. You got your number, what you want to where you
want to be at. And we talked about you know, this team wanting to take that next step and being you know, considered a true contender for their ultimate goal, which is the Super Bowl.
You can't achieve that without your man in the building.
And the only thing that is doing right now with this negotiations, it's hurting that chemistry, it's hurting what that team is going to try to become. And to me, you got to get that man in the building as soon as possible. Do I think it's gonna take you know, months for him and that to get you know, a connection. No, it might take a week or two for them to get that connection going. But overall, you got to get the man in the building.
Man.
So I asked this question by someone in this building, and I said, it'll get done and he'll get paid and we'll just hit I say, why didn't get done earlier? Because at this point in time, this is now trend How quickly we forget last year Zach Mark want his money sitting down and what Jerry Jerry was doing?
Nope, nope, And I bought it off. I just I just sat there and ate the whole bowl of Jerry saying.
Zach stut that got paid of course, and he came in, stepped in offense, went went went right on down the road. So I expect the same thing to happen for cd Lamb. This is not a new offense. He knows the offense. He knows Dak Prescott. They'll get him signed and off he'll go. I'm not worried about Ceedee Lamb from the standpoint of him as a player. You do have questions about being in football shape. George hamstrings, those types of injuries that happened. There's a concern there.
But it's going to get done. He's going to get paid.
Dak Prescott went through this, tank, Lawrence went through this, e isekil Elliott went through this, Amari Cooper went through this.
We just this is how it goes right right now.
When we start talking about guys who are good players who want their money, they're having to sit up here and play this dance.
I don't get why, but this is what we see.
Are you guys concerned at all about, you know, a slow start, because this isn't you know the Jets, the Patriots, the Giants that you're starting out with.
Brother, we already talked about this. So if it's.
Slow, if you McCarthy and you're on that on that year where hey, things got to happen fast. Like I said, they're not going to get some cupkick teams to start the season. We rattled off the guys that they got to go against to start the season. Right, if your season goes off one and at they start off.
One and three, one and four at.
Cleveland, home against the Saints, home against the Ravens, Thursday night at the Giants, then a home game against the Pittsburgh's. No, a road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then a home game is against the Detroit Lions. Then a road game at the forty nine Ers.
Wouldn't you want all your sal just firing.
With a small little break from the Falcons on the road. Did he get home and you face the Eagles at home?
Then you get the Texans at home?
You know nothing?
So the facton is the easiest thing. We lay that so you.
Might becall you I want all my cylinders rolling once the season start. I wanted to, you know, get this ramped up, slow start, so you know, I want my guy in the building a sat but that you know.
They can catch this els right exactly. You know how Cowboys is?
You know, you know, here's the thing, and aside from those first five games, aside from those first five games, how many of those teams especially starting out the first quarter of the season our NFC champion. You know teams that obviously you have the San Francisco on there. You know what they did, But that wasn't you said one
and four? Right, Baltimore, you said one and four. So I'm just going over the first part of the season before we build these guys up to be world beating since we don't do it every week, right, we're gonna do it every right Now, Cleveland is a world beater, right, but we're not gonna come back to this three weeks later when Cleveland loses to Jacksonville and say, oh man, but when they come up against us, they world beater us.
I'm gonna just say this right now. The news cycle for Dallas Cowboy fans have got to be it's got to have you frustrated because all you're hearing is this doubt, intrepidation about the Dallas Cowboys. Now ceedee, lamb hold Now does not make this look good. It doesn't. You need that biggest piece of your offense in the building. But are there other teams dealing with the same thing? Does Is there history where a main part of your offense was holding out and then came back and you still
had success to the season. I'm just saying that there is a road map to this and that's not before we continue with this dark cloud.
But I don't know, to be real, he is the offense, Like I can't see if it was one piece. Serve you know a little bit. That man is the offense. Chris Jones last year. I mean, I'm sorry, Chris Jones last year for Kansas City. He holds out, But I think that ends well for Kansas City after Chris Jones holds out, right, Yeah, okay, So I mean, let's not act like it's burn the boats.
I don't know. They're in the NFL. They're in the NFL, so we're gonna pount them out.
You ask me to ask You asked me about somebody, and I pointed that out exception.
I will tell you this, when we start saying anything with Kansas City.
You can't take them off the table. So that's the point to me. They're an except two times super Bowl champions. They but and you know, I.
Am literally with you on that, because the news cycle will dictate that you would think the Cowboys won the Super Bowl last year because year and the year before that, because Look, Patrick Mahomes is on the verge of his fourth super Bowl, three in a row, and I think that's notable.
You should talk about that. But what are we talking about.
We're talking about the Dallas Cowboys who rules and runs the news cycle. And I'm telling you, Cowboy Nations, I'm exhausted. I'm exhausted because I think right now, like you guys are saying, right now, we're one and four, Oh my god, there's a hole in the boat and where we started the season yet, So you're telling me your main weapon, the weapon, we gotta sign him if he's not in the building. That doesn't No, I'm not sitting here telling you and trying to convince you my hopium is not
that good, all right, So I'm not saying that. I think that we start off week one against the against out in Cleveland and we don't have cd on and Cavante Turpin is out there, Jalen you know Brooks. So I come on, man, we got a bunch of we got a bunch of threes and fours, but we know we need our main dog. And I think that's the frustrating thing about it and why we can't get this done and now he is saying, look, that's just the song and dance that at the front office usually plays
for it for its superstar players. But we expect for it to get done because otherwise, you see what I see? How do we get through this first part of the season without our main guy.
He just changes so much of what a defensive coordinator is going to call. But it's gonna get done. That's all of this. And I don't watch the debate shows. I spare myself with that. But we know the Cowboys are a driving topic of the show fourteen that's on the verge of possibly being the first to win three Super Bowls in a row. I hardly ever see enough talked about with Kansas City and what the road they're
going down. So that's why I think cowboy fan comes up to you hack them on the street and they're asking you, Barry, when you're out there golf and going on here, people hit me up and I'm just telling you it's going to get done. The deal's going to get done, and then we'll try to figure oh, okay, well what about dak The storyline is going to be set until these deals are done that people want to make and talk about them, and then Jerry likes this.
Can we admit that to Jerry enjoys this. Microphones are coming up here, He's what am I gonna say?
And this? And then you go on air, you know we do need city all this stuff.
I don't know, I'm not panicking. I mean all of Jerry enjoys this.
Man ultimate business man.
Yes, in the negotiator, he enjoys it. And so when they're talking about we oll they offered in thirty three, he wants thirty five. And so there's another thing. Where do you think we in the media get that kind of number from?
Yeah, where did that come from? That's true? That leaked out. You take something this that leaked out.
You got text with somebody. Heck, we just to let you know, Barry, I mean, that's that's what happens. Yeah, of course, throw it on out there. Then you hear thirty three. Oh you know, then the average Joe fan, Oh my gosh, hocky, do you not take thirty three?
How much do you need? Exactly?
I got that whole thing. The other perception part that fans love to jump on. Yeah, that thing goes out that we've seen that happen before.
That's that.
This is all part of the negotiations.
But at the end of the day, I'm just telling you the deal will get done because ask yourself, then ask yourself this, when's the last time it didn't get done for a player that Jerry really wanted.
Yeah, it's just something about this season that's a little the wave that last season, and it just makes this season just a little bit different. There's a twins, there's something different about it because you have three market setting deals that are going to be on the table. I don't know a lot of teams that have to face that. I mean San Francisco maybe in that vein where they're resetting the market with each deal that they have to do,
especially with their quarterback coming up. But you know in BCU more than anybody can speak to this that you can't be mad at these players for chasing the bag. You know you can't. And it's just like, give you a class example. Out in Cincinnati, Jamar Chase is dealing with the owner who has been known to be a fierce negotiator, and Paul Brown is telling him, I'm not even negotiating this this year.
But what is Jamar Chase saying? I don't care.
I'm gonna sit in all right, because guys are as intimidated as are gonna acquiesce because there's no state tax, and all guys want the bag. And anybody getting upset with guys that are chasing the bag and knowing what their value is, you only get one time to get you what you're worth.
And you can't be mad at yeah, because you know, look at the other way.
If if he goes out there and God forbid this happens, gets injured, then what man, tough break, Man tough break. We'll circle back and see what you look like after this. You know, injuries healed up so MANIAI Dak Prescott a quarter exam, but that's the quarterback he'll talk about. Receive the quarterback you gonna get achilles. Wasn't that kir Cousin had achilles? He still got the bad wide Receive it. You get a serious injury defensive lineman, linebacker.
I think a player like Cede Lamb and what he did last year would still find himself paid. Cooper Cooper cup the Rams injured last year with Pooka, the coup are going off. Pook Theo was showing.
Like you know, my baby.
If Cooper, if Cooper cup is on the market's gonna get paid because he's a prime receiver. And when I look at Cede Lamb, that's the same type of thing like this dude being hurt would still get a monster contract because how many CD Lambs are there out there, They're just ain't a bunch of This is a special player, and I don't use that word very much, but this is a special player. And if the special player hurt his knees, special player would get paid.
But when he gets market setting paid, what.
He's trying to well, you know that's a fair point, which is also why he's not there, which is why this is why he's chilling wherever he's act because he's going to make sure that doesn't happen exactly, which is what any smart agent would would do, would be Whereas Dak is on the other side of Hey, I'm a quarterback. I've got to be here, I got to play this thing out. And you said, Kirk Cousins, he is showing you me, bad Achilles. They're still going to get you a back.
Still got the bag, old man bad.
Achilles, never could move anyway, Still getting the bad So Dak is getting paid for the people out there, but there's too much of you.
Guess what he's gonna get. Get it. He's going to get.
Dallas Cowboys or whoever that Dak Prescott is going to find himself as a paid individual. We can talk about Ceedee Lamb all day long and what he'll do, but here's just the honest facts of this. And we'll come back from the break talk about this part. Unless these offensive line questions get answered and so we start to see this thing fall into shape, it may not matter the Cowboys take on the Chargers Sunday in their final preseason game. The offensive line is definitely still a question mark.
Let's speak about one position, a critical position on that offensive line. Next bear you raise it in the topics. That end of that with Barry Churchech Maharrison, I'm new schus. This is the play is lounge about to you buy? Aristocrat Gaining on Dallas Cowboys dot com Radio.
Are you the twenty twenty four Dallas Cowboys Fan of the Year. The Dallas Cowboys and Captain Morgan are celebrating extraordinary, inspiring and original fans. Nominate yourself or the biggest Cowboys fan you know for.
A chance to be named the twenty twenty four.
Fan of the Year and win prizes including a trip to Super Bowl fifty nine.
Visit Dallascowboys dot com.
Slash Fan of the Year, Go Cowboys, Hey, their Cowboys Nation. Kyle Yeoman's here sharing that same team that brought you Buffalo Bringing NFL casino games that show America's team on and off the reels. Aristocrat is changing the game with a new experience football fans. This means you can pick your team and play your team. Check out the Cowboys theme casino games developed by Aristocrat, a Proun sponsor of
the Dallas Cowboys. Gambling problem please contact the US National Problem Gambling Helpline at one eight hundred Gambler that one eight hundred gam b l e R for twenty one over.
I'm Dak Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.
And they snapped the fresh guy who looks right, it's not there. He escaped slapped. He'll run for a first down.
Just like football, when it comes to crypto, it's important to have a team you can trust. With blockchain dot Com, I know I'm in good hands, says twenty eleven They've been trusted by millions around the world to buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency.
Prescott's gonna run this himself, run it up the middle, and he scores.
Whether you're new to crypto or an active trader, They've got you covered.
What are you waiting for?
Get started at blockchain dot com.
It's the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys, Jack Black, and right now, Cowboy fans can get fifteen percent off their seventy five dollars order plus. Because every deal needs a playmaker, your order will include a free five piece skincare set and free shipping. The Jack Black Playmaker is four of Jack's favorites and a full sized intense therapy wipball. Make a play for the playmaker at Getjack Black dot com slash Cowboys with the code Cowboys VIP.
That's get Jack Black dot com slash Cowboys with.
The code Cowboys VIP to the players Lounge.
The creators of Buffalo Casino Games brings you a Cowboys theme casino game developed by Aristocrat Find America's team on and Off the Reels now at a casino near you. Do you have a gambling problem, Please contact one eight hundred gambler for twenty one and over.
Thank you, Hack Maharrison here in the players' lounge, brought to you by Aristocrat Gaming. He's Bury Church on Cowboys say, I am new he Scruggs. All right, Cowboys charges this weekend offensive line.
Barry, you brought up a good question here.
Yeah, brock Hoffman the incumbent versus uh Cooper b B. Yes from your k State wild Cats. Em every man of Wildcat BB is a rookie. Yeah, Hoffman has played. I still say at this point in time, it's gonna be haff to me. And I say this from the standpoint of you, Mike McCarthy, you Dak Prescott. You're both in the final year of your contract. I'm gonna get out here and go with somebody who's seen some bullets.
We got Cleveland at me. You've seen it. BB.
Stay ready, do you think? But that's just my opinion. We'll see what happens. We'll see what health goes there. So Church your thoughts on.
The center position, it's center battle. I'm with you one hundred percent on that one.
I'd rather go if I'm the Prescott and you know you're going into this year and you want to be able to stand up right. Not that BB can't get the job done, but you want somebody with experience, especially at the quarterback position of the offensive line, and this is somebody has to go in there kind of help line up the line, make sure the protection's coming from the right angle, make sure they're bumping this way, bumping that way, fan and whatever the case may be.
You want somebody with a little bit more experience.
And this is you know, Cooper BB's rookie season, who if I'm not mistaken, he played guard right at.
All American guard all American guards, so that's his main position.
So he's trying to get into a new role, and as talented as he may be, you want that experience there to hold down the fort because we all understand what upsets quarterbacks the most is when you get that pressure right in your face. So to me, brock Hoffman as of right now is the choice that I would put at center. He had some experience in there, and he hasn't played bad. It's not like he's out there just getting tossed around out the club. He's been able
to hold his own this preseason in training camp. So for me, I'm going towards Hoffman to be that starting guy. But you got bb blitpreathing right down his neck.
Yeah, this is one of those arguments. I think initially you thought that Hoffman was just gonna run away with it just because of the experience. But now you're gett an opportunity to get eyes on Cooper bb And what your eyes are telling you is that he pack a little nasty with him. And that's the thing that you love about him is that he is bringing something that you have been craving for.
You got it.
You want that guy who is a finisher, you know that is getting to the second level and you're seeing him destroy linebackers in safeties as that running back is still coming behind him, and you know, and this is Look, this is just a jimmysm. And if you talk to Nate Newton long enough, he'll give you a couple of jimmysms. And that's the that's the the fact that you have an incumbent that is on the same level as a rookie,
and who does the job go to. If this is Jimmy Johnson's team, the rookie's gonna get it, because why, it's not like he's leaps and bounds better than Cooper BB.
Your eyes are showing you and telling you.
Like, yeah, he breathed down the stroke because down his neck, because look, he's not as good as that guy, or at least especially when you've been on rosters and you say, look, that guy's better than this guy. How did he not make? And then there's some things to show you. He's a bigger draft, big money, all those things. When you look at these two players, it's like the rookie cut he's edging him out is in certain areas, And I think that level of nasty really is what got me with
Cooper BB. And I think when you have an all pro to your left and an all pro to your to your right, man, you're in great company. And I think he's gonna be protected. But again, I just think his mentality is what's gonna make him successful this season.
On the offensive line.
What a good problem, now, exactly right, Okay, I mean the end of the day, what a good problem to have it with Mike Sallari, the offensive line coach has
done out here is pretty tremendous. That you've got an undrafted kid in Brock Coffin who they brought in last year and you feel comfortable right now that you could go with him as a starter, or you got a kid that you just drafted this year that you're working with him and you're seeing up positives with him that you could have him as a start seventeen games season,
both with the position flex that Mike McCarthy wants. Kudos to the Cowboys personnel department for finding the right type of talent to come in here and get the job done. I just would defer to somebody that's actually played a little bit. But at the end of the day, Mike McCarthy, and you go back to his time in Green Bay,
is not afraid to play rookies. The possibility of starting two rookie offensive linemen against the Cleveland Browns, to me, is just not that appealing because at this point in time, it looks as though you're going to have to have your first round pick. Tyler got can get out there left tackle.
You know. Look, you know I have my doubts.
My doubts early on just not being able to see Tyler guiding, so I didn't know what he had I think, come in a way, looking at that all twenty two of him against the Raiders and Max Crosby.
You see the nasty and you see why.
They like him, and you see why they believe that he can be a piece for them at left tackle. That is the key position on your offensive line, don't get it twisted positions, And we talk as much about the center position as having that pressure right into the lap of the quarterback. That's his blind spot and if he can't see and you can't yell duck look loud in the NFL stadium and you have to protect him. But right now, I think, as look, we're gonna go through some growing pains.
You know you are right.
But one of the things that I love about Guiding when I listen to him in interviews is him talk about having technique.
He's honed in on that he understands.
The things that you got away with in the Big twelve, you're not gonna get away with in the NFL. And your mechanics are going to have to help you out there because these guys are just way too good. Miles Garrett will destroy you. He will you know, he will make you look stupid if you lean one way to
the left or to the right. So that's why his mechanics are so important, and I think even coming into this next two weeks, I mean, we are not far away from the season starting, and you may be looking at too rookie starting, but two really good rookie starts.
And when you look at it, everything you said about Bbie, the nastiness, the finishing, that's exactly what I see in Guiden. I mean, we all saw that. We all saw the tape on this guy. When you look at it that Raiders game for Exist, for example, he's tossing guys to the ground, and not only that, he's jumping finishing those guys.
And as a defender, that is the most degrading thing you could have. You already on the ground, You're like, man, this dude done gap and.
Then Boomy hits you, jumps right on the top of you and buries you into the ground. And that's one of the things you want as an offensive lineman. It kind of reminds me. I'm not saying he's on the same level, but a trick Williams. When he goes out out there, he's gonna bury you. He's gonna make you feel his presence each and every down, and that's what you want from your left tackle, somebody who's not gonna take no nonsense. And we saw the clips from from
Trum training camp. If he loses in a one on one, he's run that right back. Run, I want it again, right back. He's not, you know, sitting there. And from what I've hear, he's a student of the game as well. You know he sits there. He doesn't want to just rest on his athleticism. Like you said, he needs the technique. He needs to sharpen that up a little bit. But from everything I read about this guy and I see it from this guy, he hasn't a chance to be an outstanding left tackle.
But also I think once other teams started, because what happens is he's a he's a big unknown to a lot of defenses right now, and when he starts to put that tape out there that he's that guy that if he'll finish his guy in front of him, and he's looking to get down the field to not only block a guy, pancake a guy, but demoralize the guy.
Then you start to get a reputation.
And then when Trent Williams, his reputation is almost bigger than him. All he has to do is just show up and guy's are moving out here. We ain't gonna send him. We're going that way.
Yeah, you know, so this came from Zach Martin.
Quote.
They've done a good job since they've been got since they've gotten here, diving into it head first. They started training camp obviously before they got here, and in a couple of weeks they were down here training. They've been on top of the playbook since they've been here. Obviously the last couple of weeks they have been thrown into the mix. He's talking about Guidon and BB. So once again another player who does not throw around words. Very
likely Zach Martin's very good. And he goes on and also say you see it on tape, Tyler Goydon Man. The guy moves he still got a long ways ago, but from a movement skill, it's pretty impressive. As a rookie, coop continues to get better. Big strong guy can anchor the middle, which is great. They've done a great job. So when I have a Hall of Famer, yeah, I don't like to use that word lightly either, but you
just go down the resume. Zach Martin has everything that Hall of Fame guards have in terms of Honors and everything else. There you got a Hall of Fame guy who understands a position, who, by the way himself, was a left tackle and a Bowl Game MVP for Notre Dame who kicked into inside. So has an understanding about what it takes to make moves. And his brother was a guard at Notre Dame. Then he moved over to
center when he went down to the Houston Texas. He has the understanding about what position flexibility and change like, especially for a guy like Cooper BB.
So he's giving him that. We'll see where it goes.
But like I said, my initial thought process is a go with the guy in brock Hoffmann, especially to start against the Cleveland Browns. But I will say this, whatever decision the organ isation makes, fans should back them because when it comes to the offensive line, they know what they're doing.
They get it right. Oh yeah, I would agree with that one for sure.
They know what they're doing there. Let's take a break. We'll come back running backs.
M what would you do? I mean, what the fruity stones back there? The running back positions? Toy door, sat ain't walking through that door.
L boogie, gentlemen, he is heck comparison that Spirit Church on New he Scruggs. This play is not brought to you by the fine folks at Aristocrat Gaming on Dallas Cowboys dot com radio.
To kick off the twenty twenty three NFL season, Hugo Boss teamed up with the NFL and Micah Parsons to launch an iconic apparel collection featuring hoodies, crews, T shirts, polos, joggers, and more. The bold, unique apparel of the Boss NFL collection unites football and fashion while reflecting what it truly means to be a boss. Get yours today at nflshop dot com, slash Hugo Boss, at Hugo Boss dot com and at Boss retail stores hashtag be your own Boss.
I'm Cowboys alumni Danny mccraig here with Smoothie King asking what's that sound. That's the sound of me sipping one of their Powerpacksmoothies with over ten grams of pro team with real fruits and organic veggies. Because that's Smoothie King. What you see is what you sip. So grab a delicious Smoothie King Smoothie, throw a straw in your job and gets sipping real Smoothie King. The official smoothie of the Dallas Cowboys.
Hey their Cowboys Nation.
Kyle Yeoman's here sharing that same team that brought you Buffalo. Bringing NFL casino games that show America's team on and off the reels. Aristocrat is changing the game with a new experience football fans. This means you can pick your team and play your team. Check out the Cowboys theme sino games developed by Aristocrat, a brown sponsor of the
Dallas Cowboys. Gambling problem, please contact the US National Problem Gambling Helpline at one eight hundred gambler that's one eight hundred gamb l e r for twenty one over.
Raising Caines presents the other rules of football. Rule one, any broadcast without the express edition of cook to order Cane's Chicken fingers is prohibited. Rule twelve, no crinkle cut fries, Texas toast or cravable cane sauce constitutes an illegal formation. And Rule thirty one anybody who loves to feed their game face is an eligible receiver of Canes when it comes to winning game day. Caines rules Raising Canes Chicken Fingers one love Go Cowboys.
To the players.
Loune Cowboy Nation twenty twenty four. Dallas Cowboy Training Camp presented by American Airlines is here after sunny Oxnard now through August twenty first. To watch the team practice and mission is free. For more information, visit Dallascowboys dot com slash Training Camp.
He is Heckma Harrison and his em new he Scruggs along with Barry Church last Cowboy padded practice of the of the Year for them Oxnard, California.
So get it in, get it in, get it in white. You can get it in white. You can all the reps running back. Yes, what you're thinking, big dog. Yeah, I mean we got a lot of hesitation.
Because because it's twofold kind of thing, you know. We started talking about Ceedde Lamb, Ceedee Lamb, took about the offense. Ceedee Lamb in a game changes things for the defense. According Then we went to the offensive line potentially two rookies starting, if not definitely two first time starters, whoever the center is going to be full time since Tyler the otis is now gone. And then left tackle with with our Tyron Smith gone, so two spots there, brand new starters.
Then we got a running back room where.
Ezekiel Elliott is not who he used to be, didn't play with the team last year. He's come back. Yeah, ric o'dondell, Nick Davis, duce fun I got el Boogie. Interesting room right now, Ezekiel Elliott looks like the starter.
If the offensive line can handle their business.
How many one hundred yard games do you think Ezekiel Elli could give this team.
I'm gonna be honest with you, diad New, I don't see any any hundred yard games from Ezekiel Elliott this season. You know, I think he'll be around maybe fifty sixty on average, and that to me would be a good, you know, a good showing because I think that'll add up to about almost one thousand yards. But I see him around there because I believe they're gonna do more of a running back by committee deal, at which I am not a fan of, but I think that's what
the way they're gonna do it. You know, they're gonna have Zeke be that short yardage maybe grind, grinding, pound down on the defense and then let you know, WECo come in there, kind of like what they did with Pollard la last year. I can see that happening. But when you talk about one hundred yard games. I don't see Zeke getting more than you know, maybe twelve touches a game running the football. I can see that happening.
And you know, I don't believe that he's as much of a threat in the passing game as he once was. So that's why I think they're gonna do this committee deal. And I just don't see him getting enough touches to go ahead and get that one hundred yard mark this season. You know, I could be completely wrong, but from what I've seen in training camp, and I just I just don't see it. I don't see it.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to put some respect on Zike name, Like, did he have one last year with the Patriots? Well, he had six hundred and forty two yards last year, So I mean at six hundred and forty two, I believe if you're able to get maybe a little bit more production in that, especially if you're going with running back by committee is what I heard, you know, running back by committee, but let's say hundred yard game because of his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well.
If his cumulative.
Find a way, I'm a find a way, I'm find hold all right, I'm a find a way to get it all together. I mean, I feel like, look there more there's more than one thing that you get from Ezekiel Ellie. You pointed it out the other day just saying that, Look his ability also, you know, to pick up the blitz g' being somebody strong that you can
rely on. But even that, I think one of the things that hasn't gone away from his game is his hands, his ability to catch out of the backfield, and I think he could be an asset to you in that way as well. Look, it's it's gonna be tough sledding. It's gonna be tough sledding because we don't know how the offensive line is going to come together. We know right now on our head we're looking at Zeke and
we're saying short yardage specialists. You know, basically he's a guy that we know we come into a third and shorter, we're in red zone.
Any of that.
We can give the ball to Zeke three or four times and we know where he could what he can do for us. I think you still in the same mood a mode that Jerry is in with the defense of line. You're checking the wire you're making you're checking everything to make sure that you don't make a mistake. If there's a third guy that you can bring in that could be an asset on special teams, but also be an asset in that running back room, you take
advantage of it. Or if there is a bona fide number two running back out there, look you take a flyer at them. You make sure that you get a guy in here that at least that one to two punts can be bonafide, and that could back defenses up because right now, if they don't respect the running game at all, that's gonna that's gonna add another degree of difficulty, especially if you don't have CD Lamb too to go with it.
Your you're no one hundred yard games physique this year? And you got how many about rushing though?
Right?
One hundred hundred yard game rushing? How many you say?
No?
How many I'm gonna go too. Two, I'm gonna go too. Two, I'll go too, game too. I'm with Barry Church. None.
And here's here's also a main he said why one hundred yard games are also about opportunity. Last year, Ezekiel Ela didn't have one game where he had twenty plus carries. Well, no, he did one. It was one Pittsburgh fits Pittsman. New England had won twenty two twenty two carries for sixty eight yards and they won the game way yeah, twenty
one and eighteen and one at Pittsburgh. Before that, in twenty twenty three he had one game over with twenty carries more once and then in twenty twenty two he had one game where he had over twenty cakes.
I said to NEWI.
Look look man gone now, I said to Neuie, that's my hopium right, yes, said that that's it too.
The last I did, say five two.
The last time he rushed for one hundred yards twenty twenty one, God damn.
The last time he went over one hundred dollar Yeah, oh yea.
He had In twenty twenty one he had just two, two games of one hundred yards and in those games he had twenty one for one ten and then he had uh.
One hundred and forty three yards on I want to say.
Come on, Zeke, give me two games. And I was right before he got paid it, right, give me two. So give me too, z what we're gonna put on it. So that's a gotcha question too. He set me up for that, He set me her heart.
Yeah, he got hard. He already knew he didn't have one hundred yards? Is twenty one? That's all right?
I like.
Two man two of the next how many? How about you got your hair.
Too in the maybe I don't want to hear man. He's gonna have eight plus tubs. Yeah, game eight plus tubs.
You give him eight touchdown game I game eight tubs though, He's gonna get some short yard of situations.
Yeah, he had eight plus tubs though. Now you think they gonna run him off and run live.
Key, live key, It's gonna be they come out run both guys in the game.
Because I anticipate to see the fullback in the short yard situations that we'll see. There will be opportunities. You saw the Mojoe moment. I texted you, I texted you to Momjoe.
Moment coming off the side. So so.
Hunter Limke will be a part of this when you're doing your running back room like that. Clearly it's it's going to be different guys. Mainly it will be Ezekiel Elliott because that's the one you trust and he's been in a Mike McCarthy offense, and Mike has knowledge of him. But overall, they're going to have to get some production for some other people. And you know, at some point time, I'm wonted by Duce Vallin that's gonna be.
Now, that's that's the one that's in the roster spot right there, that's going to be because have we seen Duce on teams at all.
I mean, he's returned a little bit here and there, but you got.
You gonna have turp and turp and gonna have that handled during the regular season.
Can he run down, don't kick off and make a tackle? Punt punp protection hadn't seen him do it. You hadn't seen him in any preseason action doing that, and you know, hadn't had any word about him coming out of Oxnard doing that either. So I mean, it's tough. It'll be tough. It's tough. And that's when you start to start talking about the fifty three. How many actual running backs are
going to be on this roster? I mean we talked about that last show, like how many you know, are gonna because somebody's not somebody good isn't gonna make it.
And but we they've done that before, so we know, we know where you know, Malak Davis is a type of player you cut because you're going to feel like, who can we get back? And so if he's been okay for you, how many people out there are going to snatch him up and say, oh yeah, we want
this guy. So to me, when it comes down to final cuts, I anticipate seeing a linebacker or defensive lineman or office I see them taking one extra and say, hey, well gamble on the running back because the other thing too. And you guys know this and fans always think about it. You have to go. You know, you got to get
somebody's gonna come and learn your system. If it's not the system, you know, that makes it even challenging for certain guys, especially the running back spot, because your guy's got to be able to do pass pro.
What's what's your confidence level right now? With Rico Dabble as that that you know pace back.
Basically, I think he could be a solid, solid number two. I think as a season progresses, he can even jump into that number one spot if he can continue to grow as a player in pass protection. I think he shows a little bit more burst and juice than Ezekiel Elliott, and if they can trust him over time, I think he can, you know, start to get more and more carries as the game goes on, because I feel like he still does have that explosive to explosiveness to his game.
But when you talk about a guy like Royce, like Royce Freeman, I just think he's too similar to Zeke, Like you got two in between the tackles downhill guys, I don't see Royce being able to make it.
And that's another kind of guy you can cut.
Yeah, Okay, we're gonna cut him because we feel like we can get him back versus letting letting a player go here. Before we get out of here, you brought up another question here. Could Jalen Hobert be the number two receiver Church? You brought that up here.
Yeah, I think he can make that jump. I mean, I know, you know rookie year, you know he was kind of a red shirt year. Second year, he has eighteen grabs. But this year you look at it and it's and I feel like each year he's gotten better and better, and his rapport, his connection with Dak has gotten better and better. And when you look at it you got an agent Cooks out there who's not really taking the top off of defenses like he once did back in the day.
So to me, as a season.
Progresses, I can see Tobert kind of sliding into that number two wide receiver spot because he's gonna.
Get a lot of one on ones.
I mean, you got Fer, you got ceedee Lamble, He's gonna get a lot of one on ones. And if he can continue to get better as the year goes on and win those one on one battles, I can see him sliding into that that number two option for this passing attack.
I've taken all of my expectation off of Jaalen Tober, and I think anything that he does because I don't have any expectation, is good for me.
You know.
I don't say asking him to take the step to be a number two wide receiver in the NFL right now, I think it's a stretch because we hadn't even seen that spark yet in a game where he's like, oh man, that's going off right now, and that's what that's what you want, you know, you want an eye you to debo where you're like, oh man, deebo, that's an embarrassment of riches. When you have a guy like this that can take over in your main star that you're thinking, deebo.
It doesn't even have to be a part of the passing game or running game, and so we just haven't seen it.
I think the only thing that we have close to.
That is ferg Uh, you know, and we need Yeah, hey, pro bowl Ferg you know that's what we need.
Yes, he keeps saying, keep.
Saying it because he's right there, he knocking on the cuspcuse mister Kittle. Yeah, yeah, absolutely, And I think I think that's where you know your offense can go. Who can be that three and four? And I think Tobert right now is your four? You know Brandon Cooks obviously, man, his speed is something that's still formidable, and he's still
a guy. I think in the second year of this offense that we'll see him take bigger strides Ferg ferg for Kittle Kelsey, Yeah, Kittle Kelsey, Yeah, I believe that. I mean, it's a lot of people doubt him. You got to go back and look at the numbers. We do it with everybody else, we just don't do it with Ferguson.
Okay, fur delicious. Man. You love to know that, man, I love to know that. That's eighty seven in the league. Ye, Mike's had Pro Bowl fullbacks before John Coole.
You know, it's a blueprint. There's a blueprint. That's all I'm going by is what I see, guys, So you can laugh at it. But McCarthy, I mean, it's just like Mark McCarthy. How many times did I beat up on your boy Kelling and say Mike was the guy?
Was I right last year?
Or now?
All I gotta say is Harold minor, Harold minor baby Jordan's It's a big difference. It's a big difference. I was right. I was right about Mike calling players versus your boy Kellen. All your boy Kellen Diaders go out there and get fired.
Ain't going to Philadelphia, get talking about.
Somebody got problems. Problems over there that we count.
The can the interceptions that Jaylor hurt is it's another day head thrown an interception in camp that ain't good?
Ain't good? Keore doing his thing? Yeah, Herbert fell off. Your boy fell off. I said, Ellen was bad. And Kellen do your job over there.
Man.
You know what, Kendrick Lamar I have a song about him, say I told you to be careful with you.
That was bad. He was sad. Your boy was bad. Fire, he was bad in l A. Yeah he was bad. He was, but he was bad like it was bad.
Harrison, Thank you very much. By Church, Philly Jazz. Thank you, Josh, Chris Beam. Everybody is a part of this Players Lunch podcast. We will talk to you Friday today, Central Time, right here on Dallascowboys dot Com Radio.
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.