Player's Lounge: Breaking Down The Roster

at the New Sofi Stated Inn, Inglewood, California. I'm new he scrugs. This is the Players Lounge, all right. I'm a longtime Cowboys beat reporter here. But the guys who know what they're talking about, former players, Danny McCray, Burried Church. All right, fellas to quote Jason Garrett, how are we doing, guys, That's how we're gonna start. Yes, I'm going to I'm going to maze. Shout out to j G. Man. It's it's just another day, man, It's just I'm doing good.

It's just another day in the books, all right. Mccraig, mccraie, A little delayed there, We'll get mccraie roll in here a lot of topics to get you. First off, I want to make sure everybody understand that the players line has switched. Two thirty is our time, Okay, So Monday through Friday for the rest of the season two thirty pm Central Time, that's when you can get ahold of me, Barry Danny doing our thing right here on Dallas Cowboys

dot Com Radio. So Players Lands two thirty. Book it, learn it, live it, know it, and also don't forget. You can catch replays of the show. Go to the website Dallas Cowboys dot com. We'll check the Cowboys Twitter page right there, so you can go ahead and check um if you miss anything like today, I missed Nate Newton and those guys talking, so went back. There was running some this morning. Bam popped it on here and

I was listening to it. So Derek Ingleton and Amber Garcia and Nick Eatman so went on the Twitter page and and got to listen to their show. So don't forget. If you don't hit us at two thirty, you can always catch us all to replay. That's very important Barry Church these days, man, because you know how things can get away. You got kids, and you can't always hit certain things at a certain time, but you can catch up with it on your own time, you know what

I mean. Oh, that's that's a that's always in the church household. I mean the kids got us running around left and right. If I miss out on one of my shows, I always get to hit the DVR and replayers, so they can do the same thing here with the players Lounge for me, you Danny getting after it, so they'd be a sad press if they missed this episode. All right, we're gonna try and get but Craiz sound

back when we can. Here um technical difficulties. Players Lounge brought to you by Hotels dot Com Game Week, Los Angeles. Rams Here, Barry, My big concern is your area of expertise, and that's the Cowboys secondary. They are not one hundred percent. Jerry Jones did say today, I want to find three the fan that he expected Xavier Woods to be there. Of Jordan Lewis, we don't know. Mike. Milt Nolan was kind of He didn't give us much. McCarthy never gives us anything, but I do want to play. This is

some sound from Mike Nolan yesterday. The Cowboys defensive coordinator, and here he is talking about his injuries to the secondary and what he's comfortable with going into this game. Week from the Rams, here's Mike Nolan. Well, there's still some questions unanswered today, but they'll be answered by the end of the week. But I believe we'll get we'll get it. You know, we'll get a few of the guys back. But it has been a little bit of a struggle along the way we had you know, has

had to move some guys around. But I think in the end it actually I'll help us because we had an opportunity to play some guys at some different positions that we were hoping to when we started out, but not really knowing if we'd be given the chance, and as it turned out, we were. But hum again, as the week goes along, we'll we'll make some decisions as far as you know, who's going to actually line up

where when the game begins. Oh okay, so Church, take me through the coach speak of what Mike Nolan said. Break that down for me in terms of what we should expect and how healthier guys right now in your opinion, well, well, in my opinion from hearing coach talk right there. It's basically he's saying that what they have in their secondary is a couple of soft soft injury tissue injuries. It doesn't seem like it's a big catastrophic injuries that will have these guys out for a long period of time.

But what he is saying is that this first game there might be some guys in positions that you aren't a customly seeing. I mean, they drafted Robinson as a corner and he might mess around and play safety at or the safety this Sunday. So he's saying that there's a couple of injuries here and there, but with the flex they have in their secondary, a lot of those guys can play multiple positions safety, corner and nickel. That they'll be able. They'll be able to work out just fine,

I believe. But the concern for me is if they do not get Jordan Lewis back in his line up. I know we have Anthony Brown in there, but I just think Jordan Lewis is their best guy in the secondary right now. He's a short tackler at that nickel, he's great in the run support, and he can blitz as well, and his greatest attribute is getting the football and taking the ball away. So I'm kind of worried about that if he's not able to play this Sunday. But from the sounds of it, it sounds like he

could be a questionable decision going into it. Hopefully he's able to go because this secondary will need him going forward. But Craig, did we have you back? Baby? I sure hope so. Can y'all hear me? Yeah, we can hear you? Well? Yeah, Well, just to pick it back off of what Church said, that Jordan Lewis injury to me is a really big issue because if I think back to last year, I think one of his best games was against the Rams.

I think he ran around the field and covered pretty much anybody that was in that slot area and made some big plays. And they will need him this game

for that. And like Church said, we'll be seeing some guys play some positions that they hadn't played before, but putting faith in the defensive coordinator to call some plays that will still have those guys doing the things that they normally do, right, so you'll call it cover one and have a guy still covering, versus having a cornerback coming down and trying to feel like A, A, B or C gaps, So you know, just putting trust in him and hoping that he has a true plan if

he has to go to some guys that aren't used to plan safety are playing corner and he has some in the works for them to be successful. Okay, just based on what we've seen so far, who guards Robert Woods, who's checking Robert Woods, who's checking Cooper Cup, And who's checking the rookie bad Jefferson who they're very high on

out in Los Angeles. For me, I mean, if Jordan Lewis is healthy, I'm putting him on Cooper Cup in the slot, because Cooper Cup, I mean that's where he did a lot of his damage last year was in the slot, being able to take advantage of nickels or safeties or linebackers in zone. So I'm putting Jordan Lewis on Cooper Cup, the receiver, the rookie see you're talking about out there, and who the Rams are very high on. If Tabon Dins cracks this starting lineup, I'm throwing him

on him all day. I mean, Tabon dis is long, he can run with anybody. He's great, impressed a man and man coverage. So if I'm if I'm putting anybody on him, I'm putting him on there and say, rookie, have a nice day. Lock him down. The rest of the rest of the guys I think can be Robert Woods and they're tight end Higbee I think can be easily locked down. So those two are the main ones that concern me. But I think we have the talent

and the secondary to be able to contain all of that. Oh, I gotta go opposite of you on that one, man, I got okay, I go. I gotta put our best corner player on Robert Woods. And this is specifically because I don't believe in Jared Golf to be able to go through his reads and get to the third receiver. So if you lock down Robert Woods, you take away Cooper Cup. He's going to have a hard time getting

a third read. Especially with what we expect to see from our defensive line up this year, he should not have enough time to get to the third read. Lockdown the first two. And what we've seen from Jared Golf is he authority or he would take a set, and that is exactly what we need for this game. Let

me ask you, guys, this is former players. Do you take any account of what happened last year when these two teams played out of Jerry World December fifteenth, it was a forty four twenty one Cowboy drubbing of the Ramps, Dan, absolutely not. The only thing that you take into accounts who the quarterback is, the game is the game, and last year is last year, and even from this season game two, whoever you played for the division in the first game, they will not be the same team in

the second game. So you can barely even look to what happened within your division. So you definitely can't look to what happened last year. These teams will be totally different. They might come in with totally different games, totally different personnel, So I wouldn't bank on any of that. For me, I gotta disagree with you a little bit there, Danny. I think this this going from last year. They blew

this team out. I forget what you said, the score was forty two to something, but they blew this team out. And I think that's why I think this is a must win for this Cowboys organization. I mean, you got a new coaching staff coming in, you got all this hyped up talent, coming in on offense, on defense, you added a couple of guy pieces here and there. So

I think this is a must win for the confidence boosts. Now, if you go out there and you lose against an LA team that lost Gurley had offensive line troubles, I mean, they got two receivers out there, Cup and Robert Woods, but none of those guys are blowing off the top of your defense. Now, if you go out there and lose that game, I think that's an extreme stream confidence deflator for the season coming up. So I just think this is a must win, which I do think they'll

blow this team out, by the way. I think it's a must win. But do you think that they can look at what they were able to accomplish last year and kind of put some work into that this year and say, since we blew them out last year, we probably we probably should do the same thing this year now, just because you know, you mean, they're coming in with a totally different new scheme, new coaches and stuff. So I guess they can't really build upon what they did

last year. But I know for sure they better not go out there and lose on Sunday night today. I would say if that's the case. You know, whenever we played the Jests, they could just look back and be like liquid we could beat the Cowboy because we put the work in on them last year or the year whatever should we played in previous That's true. That's true.

So Church that final was forty four twenty one. I went back and just checking the stats here, Todd Gurley had eleven carries for just twenty yards in that game. Tyler Hickbee the tight end at twelve catches one hundred and eleven yards in the game. Brandon Cooks four catches forty six yards, Cooper Cup six sketches forty one yards, and Robert Woods had four catches for seventeen yards in

that football game. So the defense did pretty well. Dak Prescott in that game with two touchdown passes, Tony Pollard and Zeke both went over one hundred yards. Tony one thirty one on the ground and a touchdown on twelve carries. Zeke with twenty four carries one hundred seventeen yards and two touchdown. And I bring this up from this standpoint.

Remember how La dragged the Cowboys in the playoffs and they had two one hundred yards and I felt like they hadn't forgot it and that game had happened you actually within that calendar year out of the LA College sum and it was payback for the Cowboys. So that's why I just kind of wonder, is there any way we could kind of look at is there any flow you carry over into this game from from last year, just knowing the Cowboys had not forgotten what happened to

them in the playoffs. My pink, let me tell you something. The Rounds were not playing well last season, and the Cowboys actually weren't playing well either. So I just don't see that being the case, especially especially Game one. I think this is this is a whole new, whole new thing. Everybody's watched all that the way, and we'll get to see what these two teams are week one. I don't think it'll be anything like it was last year. And I really don't think that it'll be payback or anything

like that. They both teams know they didn't play well last year and they're looking for a new first start, all right, So let's stay with the Cowboys secondary here. So the fact that they have injuries going on, the Cowboys decided to go bring back a familiar face. That's Brandon Car. Once signed a fifty million dollar contract with the Cowboys, and he's after leaving the Cowboys, they let him go. He went to Baltimore and he's had a very good career and it had a good career up

there in Baltimore, but nobody picked him up. He's on their practice squad. Now here's Mike Nolan talking about the benefits and what he likes about having Brandon car in the Cowboy organization. Well, obviously he's an experienced player. He's played both at the corner for a long time, but also at safety when he was at Baltimore, So he's got some versatility. You know, we're trying to improve our depth on the back end and and I think he

adds to that depth. So you know, like I said, his experience in versatility would be the two things I liked the most. Church. So your thoughts, Brandon Car. He's here. A lot of Cowboy fans upset, a lot of Cowboy fans. I'm saying they want Earl Thomas, but you've got Brandon. Look, I mean, you know Cowboys fans, I mean they get upset about a lot of things, but this is the one that they shouldn't be upset about. This is a guy that's coming in and he's the ultimate professional. And

I'm talking about Brandon Carr. I mean this guy, he hasn't he hasn't missed a game since he entered the league. This guy is durable, and he's on and off the field. He's the ultimate professional. He goes out there and does what he has to do. He's not this you know, rad Rod screaming all over the type place type leader. He's a lead back, example type guy. And this is a young secondary that can use that type of leadership going into each and every game. He can show you

how to prepare for games. He can show you how to be a professional on and off all the off the field. So I think this is an extremely good pickup for the Cowboys. He's versatile, like they said, he can play safety and he can play corner and he's played nickel in Baltimore, so he can do all those things. He's durable, and I just think this is an excellent

pickup by the Cowboys. Yeah, same here, same here. I just um, I know a lot of people are like falling into the trap and thinking that he's going to be you know, the like a strictly a safety and just listening to the coach talk right there, I think that they're looking at him as owner and they're happy that he would be able to play safety as well, which kind of puts up a little red flag for me that you know, they believe that they need a

little corner help, especially with these soft tissue injuries. But I've seen Brandon Carr play. I saw him play last year, I saw him play the year before. He still has a lot of the tank, and I wouldn't be surprised if he came in it took one of those starting cornerback jobs sometime throughout the season. I just I would not be surprised. I wouldn't be surprised either. I mean the way he goes about his business and just his technique,

it's flawless. So I mean, he might not be the fastest four two corner in the world, but his technique allows him to stay on top of receivers by jamming him at the line. I mean, he knows all the tricks of the trade. So, like you said, d Mac, I wouldn't be surprised if he came in here and cracked and started line up eventually during this season, Brandon Carr did a lot of winning when he was up

there at Baltiward. Now there is another player who's no longer with the Ravens that the Cowboys, especially Cowboy fans, have had interest in. We won't let you hear what the defensive coordinator had to say about Earl Thomas. I'll tell you what Jerry Jones had to say about Earl Thomas day and also how Jerry Jones says the Mike McCarthy team will be different than a Jason Garrett led Cowboys team. That's next right here, all the players lounge

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Find a participating eye care professional by visiting slur usa dot com. See more. Do more to the players loud Players Loud here on a Tuesday is game week on I mean really you got you guys are all mad about some chicken. I mean really chicken? Wait about style? I want to eat chicken wings in my hotel room. That's not that's not much to ask for. Okay, all right,

you know mccraying church. Uh. If we ever can get together again, and I have to be you know, virtual here in the U s A WBC Mortgage studios, here, I will I will smoke some wings and I'll bring them up to you. Okay, I'll throw them on my a bit green egg that the tying smith helped me get, and I will bring some wings for you, and then we can you know, you can. You can have a smorgust board on me as we do the players logic two thirty Monday through Friday, right here on Dallas Cowboys

dot Com. That good. That good. It don't count for you losing a bet, but that's my I'm still gonna Hey, Okay, don't worry about it. Make sure we have the same I know, I know my bows headphones hear you every time every every show. You got to talk about this bet that I lost every show. But that's okay, that's okay. Um. Now, Brandon cars In Cowboy fans are mad. All they want to talk about is look at that catch you had

against Odell Beckham Junior. They want Earl Thomas. I asked Mike Nolan about Earl Thomas yesterday and listen to the response from the defensive coordinate. I have not had any conversations with Jerry or any of them about it. You know, when it becomes serious and then maybe there'd be a conversation, But from as far is including me, thus far, I have not. Okay, so he's not. He's sitting here saying

I hadn't talked to anybody all. Now. It seems to me if Mike Nolan was really concerned about Hey, man, I got issues with this defense back Yakee bro We're bringing a Pro Bowl guy. Man. Let me go do that. He's not saying that at all. So Church, we had Jerry Jones today not totally shoot it down, but he's not sitting up here waving the flag for Earl Thomas either. Then we had Isaiah standback earlier on one of our Cup podcasts, former Cowboys say he expects Earl Thomas to

be a cowboy on Monday. So I'm gonna start with you, Danny, where is this Earl Thomas thing in your mind? I'm just confused on you know, if he's gonna pick up Earl Thomas, why did not pick him up this Monday? I mean, you know, I don't get that. I don't get that take. But you know whatever, you have to guarantee a salady, that's why. Because you don't have to guarantee the same if he's on the roster week one, you gotta guarantee the whole, the whole salade for the

rest of the year. About I still don't see it happen. You picked up a Brandon Car, what you gonna do the same thing? Pick up a player, but cars on the practice squad. So if he doesn't play week one, then then he's okay. So so we Brandon cars on the practice. He's not on the active roster yet. Let me tell you this, Earl Thomas will not be a Cowboy on Monday. That is almost a guarantee for me. And number and number and number two and number two.

I just don't think it's a fit. And I think Jerry Jones has been the showman that he always is. He said he wouldn't take it off the table. I think this type of stuff, you know, he loves it. He thrives off this. So of course he's not gonna let anybody know that he doesn't want or al he does. He wants that to be out there. He wants it always to be a possibility because the fans are going to continue talking about the Cowboys and Earl Thomas church. Uh yeah, Earl Thomas will not be a Dallas Cowboy

this season. I don't believe that at all. But for me, what's more concerning is, I mean both of these coaches. You got the head coach and you got the defensive coordinator saying, you know, basically we're not privy to these conversations. I mean the head coach was talking about how you know, hey, they I haven't been brought in on this conversation yet,

so I don't know anything about Earl Thomas. Then you got the Mike Nolan over here saying basically the same thing, saying, hey, I haven't been you know, included in any of those talks, so I'm not sure what's going on with there. So, you know, I just feel like it's kind of a I don't know, y'all see the same thing I'm seeing. It's just it's it's kind of discerning to me that, you know, these coaches are saying, you know, hey, we're not privy to those conversations. You're the head coach of

the football team, you're the defensive coordinator. You think you would have more input on that. But I mean that's just me Church. I honestly, I honestly don't think anybody in the building that is talking about Earl Thomas. They just trying not to give it away that they that they that you know, they want to keep it up with Jerry and keep that thing out there, that mystery out there. But I don't think anybody is talking about Jared, I mean, Earl Thomas. I don't think they're missing out

on any conversation, especially being a news coaching staff. They don't want to start their type of culture. I hope not. So what you're saying, So are you saying that Earl? Are you saying that Earl? The journey is just trying to keep this Earl talk alive, to keep people interested in the Cowboys and basically keep the Cowboys in people's mouth? Is okay? All right? I like that. Take what has when hasn't he done that? I mean, he is the ultimate business man, So I like that. I like it.

Is this like the desk conversation when he sat it there and said that the combine he's still dreamed in the shower about death and everybody ran exactly, exactly, never did anything with this nothing. How about we've been talking about Earl Thomas, Earl Thomas coming to the Cowboys since last year. We got this conversation has been going on for a long time, and this is exactly what he

wants and it makes sense. I mean, yes, you want your your team to be talked about more than any of the team, and he accomplishes that every season, I mean, and he's successful at it. He is. All right, So let me move on to this. Mary Jones's radio show today was asked, what's gonna be the difference and what's what's gonna be the different deal? You see about Mike McCarthy and and the way he coaches the team, and he says that the Cowboys will be less predictable. Your thoughts, gentlemen,

go ahead, Danny. Let's yeah, let me tell you something less predictable as in what this is. As far as I know, they built this team when Jason Garrett was here to be a running team, one of those teams that they line up and when the defense lines up, they know what, you're gonna run power, you're gonna run zone, and you're gonna run counter. They built this team to be predictable, know that you was gonna run it down

their throat and run it down they throat. And when when when the Cowboys were doing that, it was oh yeah, a great job. No no, no, Then we start seeing some injuries on the old line and you weren't able to get that running game started, so you couldn't really get your play action going. And then all of a sudden, it was like, now we're too predictable. But when we were predictable and running it down people strow Zeke twenty times here, the marcol murder twenty times there. Everything was perfect.

So you can say what you want to about how it was in the past, but I know that's what the team was built on. We were not built to trick and dig anybody around, all right. It was we're gonna line up and we're gonna power. Do you have anything about McCarthy and what Jerry had to say? You still gonna go and live in the past about what was? Can we talk about what we'll be Listen, listen, I knew where you were going with you. You You get about to get on the bad bash the old staff of things.

So I just want to take that clear now listen, now, listen. Hopefully, hopefully if the players thought that somebody was predictable, then you know, hopefully it's a little different. Kellen Moore is still the offensive coordinator, so I mean, it's still the same stuff from last year. This is not rocket science. Run to play. Let your best player get open and make a play. Get out there and start looking like the stay you're gonna embarrass yourself. So hopefully they're not

too predictable. Hopefully, hopefully they're good at something. All right, Church, I think yeah, I think, um for the most I think those comments were related to the defense. I think offensively, we know who we are. We're a team led by Dak, but we have an extremely great co star and Zeke Elliott who can run the ball thirty forty times a game and be highly productive. So I think that that part of the offense, I think that's just gonna stay

the same. I mean, I think we all know the engine of that offense is, you know, Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott. But defensively, I think when he was talking about being predictable, I think that that was true. I mean, Baron Ellie's defense, everything was out of the two shell. What I mean by two shell, everything was a two high safeties and two corners down low, and then we rocked and rolled from there, which means when safety came down at the snap of the ball pretty much every

single time. So offensive started picking on that and started picking us apart, you know, secondary wise. So I think with this multiple look scheme that Nolan has gone in, I think our defense will be a lot less predictable. You'll have a lot more or a lot more different players in different positions each snap, so you don't know who's coming and who's not coming. So I think being less predictable on the defense was more what these comments

were related to. But hey, we'll see what happens this year. Let me warn you, let me let me warn y'all. All right with this different looks on defense. All right, the last time we did this and we did not have a true offseason. The miscommunications and blown plays, the number of the number of those that we had throughout that season was astronomical. All right, So I know we're all excited about this, but I don't think he's going to take it too far. I hope he doesn't, but

I don't think he will take it that far. We'll see safe be saved, especially with some young guys. You got a new guy on the Pregnant Squad branded card that just came in. Who has to learn the playbook. You know, it's cool to disguise and all that stuff, but make sure that everybody knows where they're supposed to be. One of the ballish Now, don't try to talk about Danny. You're referencing a Rob Ryan defense. Absolutely, and it wasn't. We just we just didn't I know, we just didn't

have enough time to learn it. It was all about the skies and and attacking the offense in certain ways based off what they did previously. We just didn't have enough time to get the defense in. Okay, all right, just checking, all right? So we got that. You didn't like that, Church, would you say now you don't like the Rob Royan defense? I thought Rob Bryan's defense was unbelievable. I just think we had too many injuries that year.

I mean, we lost Sean Lee. I mean, we a lot a lot of people on the defensive side of the ball, and it just it just didn't work out the way I thought it could work out. But I think Rob Bryan's defenses were always We're always pretty dope when you look at him, because you got different blitzes from everywhere. Quarterbacks are always kind of jacked up when they're going in their three step drops. So I thought

his defense was great. He just you know, fell on injury times and he was in and out too quick. Your thoughts, gentlemen, on Shaun Lee and LEL Collins the right tackle being put on injured reserves. Shaun Lee long time linebacker here, Start with you Church, Well, first, you know Sean Lee I mean, I gotta feel bad for the guy. I mean, he he only had you know, one healthy season throughout his eleven year career so far. I mean it's it's tough that he's gonna be on ir.

Hopefully he's able to come back after these three weeks and perform like he did last year. But I think the big news here is on the injury to Lyle Collins. Yes, they say he may be able to come back after the first three weeks, but this is a guy who, in my opinion, had the best season last year as far as it comes to the offensive line. I think he should have made the Pro Ball. I think he

was a Pro Bowl snub. But this is a guy that's protecting the quarterback and with him down, We've seen what happens in the past when our top offensive lineman goes down. I mean, look that happened to Chads Green when Tyrn Smith went down. I mean there was a six sack parade in Atlanta that day. So with Lyo Collins being down, and we have some guys that can fill those voids, but he's he has big shoes to

feel and I think he's our best officive lineman. So hopefully he'll be able to get back sooner than later, because we're gonna miss him these first three weeks. Let me, Danny, let me jump in here on this because because you brought something up here that was something that bugged me about the Cowboys and how they ran their offensive line

under the last regime, which was they didn't help anybody. So, Tyrant Smith leaves the game, you put Chaz Green out there, with all due respect, everybody and their brother knows Chaz is not Tyrant. So when you see they're just running around Chaz, why not get the guys some help? And last year when Tyre and missed the games, same thing as well. I said, hey, well and they had they had Cam fleming out and they said, Tyrant, why don't they help more? He says, that's just not what we do.

In my opinion, you got if you when you got a guy who's putting up a Hall of Fame resume, was just named all decade, if he leaves the game, you gotta go get some help for him. So if Lyle Collins, well, if he's going to miss this game, and if Cam irving out there at right tackle struggles fellas, don't you think they need to help him out a little bit. And you think that Joe Philbin will run a different style of scheme versus just saying, hey man, you tackles are out there on your own. Oh yeah,

without a doubt. I think they gotta help them. I mean we've seen, like like you said before, we've seen with Chad's Green where the drop off was so amazing from Tyren Smith to Chads Green that I mean, there was no help for him. You could have had at lista running back coming out there and chip them. You could have had to guard, you know, have a hand out there to help them tight but they were just

a tight end something. They were having their way with Chad's Green, And like you said, last year, the same

thing happened. So with this here coming up, like I'll missing these first three games for sure, I mean I hope, I hope they come up with some type of scheme to where if he is struggling out there, get a running back to chip on his way out to a route, have a tight end, give a chip on the way out to his route, give him some type of help, because you do not want a SAT parade like Atlanta A couple of years ago, yeah, did you go ahead from mc crae. No, no, you God absolutely, uh listen.

If they don't, then I don't. I don't know whose fault it is for not giving this right tackle. Help. You should automatically in the game plan right now, know that they're going to attack him and have some plans for him. Be it read I was put meant in some situations where he has to make some decisions and slow him down, Like you said, chip them, read option them, do anything you can to slow them down to even

just give Chad. I mean to give him some some confidence over there on the right taple, like you don't want to go into the game and leave him out there body so and then you know it starts going bad and all of a sudden he has no confidence. So hopefully this coaching staff does that different. That was and I knew he I will say this. I was absolutely wrong about Layo Collins because I thought that he was going to be healthy enough to play and they were just taking it easy on er. So I was

I was wrong with that one. But they made a mistake in the Atlanta game that cannot be made again because that was straight up embarrassing the way that they left him out there by itself and they led a guy who's not known for sacking anybody wreck the whole game. So he got made off of that one. Yeah, yeah he did. He made the Pro Bowl, so um, we got to take another break here. Cam Irving will be the starting right tackles. He dealt with some injuries too

during this training camp. Want to bring up two guys that I believe will be the first two to help cam Irving if he has any issues at all against the Rams. Let's jump on this. On the other side, you're listening to and watching the players louds on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio. I'm Neuis Krugsy's Buried Church and Danny mccraig. Hey, they're Cowboys fans. With Ty Cleaners at home pickup and delivery, cleaning your clothes has never been

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good let get it. The phone just went down. Were like boom with the bluetooth onmbe here. That's that's the life part of doing this show. You a church, do you Uh, you like my fantasy football championship right over there, you see it. I'm gonna I'm gunning for one. I'm gunning for one this year. You know I ain't gonna come and last, I say that much. No, not last, but not first. All right, what you're gonna doing for Nette? What you're gonna do one for? Nette? Man? Yeah? Danny?

Who are your running back? You got letter from that? Who are you rolling out there trying to win? Listen? Listen, I got I had Zeke, I had Zeke and leonarfour Nette. But now I just picked up the guy that you got me from. Uh was in Washington, and I and I and I mean I got the backup running back from um from Buffalo, Zack Mass. Yeah, I'm okay, I'm all right. I got You're gonna be all right, Zack, Zack Marks. I got to take care of you, okay, Zach Mars. If you go, if you roll with Zeke

and Zack Mass, you'll be okay. So okay, listen, did you did you you heard who's going to get the goal line carries for Temple? Though? Right, let me get until until let me see what happens when they play the Saints. On Sunday. Until then, I'm just not gonna buy it just because just because Arians is saying it. So we'll see, we'll see. I mean, that's doing the right thing, trying to buddy up to Tom Brady. She all those photos. Take the time right now, that is

a smart thing to do. Hey, hey, look say something, man, that's smart. If our net breaks a sixty yard running he's going to be playing in the game for more snaps than what Bruce areas talking about. He get out there and just started running over people crazy, He'll be playing more than Jones. I'm not worth it, he said, Ronald Jones. That's this guy right now. So he's he's gonna roll with Ronald Jones. So we'll see. We'll see, man. Hey, and Jerry wants the back. He dream about him in

the shower. So there's a lot of stuff the coaches saying not relevant. Well, Jones is on the team, so we at least got that going the guy. We took a break here the players. Last I was speaking about cam cam Irving being the start right tackle for Collins and the help he will get, and I'm thinking of the tight ends here. They brought in black Bell, whose brand new comes over from the world champion Can City Chiefs and the free agent rookie Sean mckewen of Michigan

this big Kid six five, two thirty eight. I'm looking at these two guys as possible guys who can help cam Irving if he gets into any trouble against the Rams on Sunday. Your thoughts, shoe go ahead, Matt, help

him early, don't. I don't even want it to be a case where it's like, get him in trouble, help him early, Yes, yes, yes, they They'll get out there and they'll help him, and they'll start I don't want them to start chipping after we give up two sacks or after he gets blown by a couple of times started off. Help him out, give him some confidence, let him know that we got his back, and then let's put him out there one on one, you know, mix

it up for him. I do not want them to go out there and say, hey, next man up, let's start off and see how it goes, and then if he needs some help, will give it to him. That that's just not a good game plan. But I think those guys can help him. I think we will use them. I think Kelly I'm gonna learned this lesson from previous from previous play calling, and he will make sure that he has has his back to style. Yeah, you gotta you gotta go out there and help him. You gotta

help him early. I mean, you gotta have him chip. Even when they're an eleven personnel and you know Blake Jarman's gonna go out for a route, you gotta have him chipping. I mean, you gotta get his confidence up early in the game to where he's like, Okay, I can block this guy. I can I can do this. I mean, I'm just going from myself going into a game we had to play by third year, we had to go against the Giants and a back by the name of Brandon Jacobs was in the backfield. And this

guy's like six four, two fifty six. I mean, this dude was a huge dude. He's an imposing guy. So when I'm going out there, I'm like, man, I gotta have you know, he's an intimidating guy. So I'm thinking as a safety and I got to meet this guy in the hole. I mean, I don't know, my confidence was kind of shook, but that first hit when I got him Loane brought him down. It got my confidence up and I was no longer like, man, this dude is so imposing. I don't know what to do with him.

So hopefully they can do that for cam irving out the tackle position. Just get somebody to chip, get that confidence up and going, and hopefully he can withstand the whole game. Make make cam Irvin tell you that he doesn't need help. Do not make him ask you for help. Yeah, make him tell you a coach. Coach, I got this on my own, But I got this on my own. Y'all can go ahead and do what y'all gotta do. I think that's smart and I love that. I love

that idea. There, mcrai. Let's talk about the roster here. Two undrafted free agents made this team without OTAs, without mini camps. They made the roster of running back Rico Dowdle and the title we spoke about from Michigan Sean McKinnon, and Rico was from from South Carolina. So, gentlemen, your thoughts on those two guys making this team a team that a lot of people say is one of the most talented rosters in the National Football I think it's huge.

I think it's amazing that. I mean, these two guys are undrafted rookies. There was no OTAs, there was no mini camp, and it was basically like an abbreviated training camp to where I mean most of the time, when you're undrafted, you make all your bones and you make you the coaches catch your eye when you're in OTAs or when you're in mini camp or when you're in early parts of training camp. And for those guys to not have any of that and still you know, beat out.

You know a lot of guys that were you know, picked ahead of them or draft picks. I mean it's it's a pretty amazing feat now. And the hats goes off to those guys. Yeah, I mean being a being an undrafted free agent. Uh, I think that that is huge, and hats off to them. The only thing I would I would like them to notice it is just starting, fellas. Everything is even now. Who being a first pick in the draft or last pick in the draft, None of

that stuff matters now. It's even playing field. Go out there, make your plays and get you some money, like my boy be Church did. Speaking of speaking of money, Uh, speaking of money, we saw DeAndre Hopkins get a two year, fifty four point five million dollars deal with the error Zona Cartons. Um okay, I guess that was money that Houston was not going to spend because Houston gave Deshaun Watching four years in one hundred and sixty million dollars. So there's no way in the world they had two

hundred million dollars two hundred four million dollars. But he's two guys. So I think Bill O'Brien, while being criticized, if that's the kind of money the hot one, and I see why he left because they definitely had to pay Deshaun Watson the going rate one of the top five quarterbacks in my opinion, the National Football League going to that. But create your thoughts on that man. Shout out to that man. Man back that brief struck up

and unload his money. Congratulations to him, man, that's that's a big deal. I'm just trying to figure out who's next? Is Dac next? I mean, we you know, we just paid somebody a hundred million, We paid somebody else fifty, somebody else seventy. Do we have enough if Houston didn't have enough, can we get it done? Or it's that gonna be up out of here paid Dack some money. Man, he just sitting here watching everybody get paid. And I

saw that. They asked Jerry a question about him getting paid, and Jerry said, I think it's gonna have a phenomenal years now. He also said he also said they'll get married, and that they were that they they still playing on signing Dak Prescott. I know, I know, I know, I know, and they could have got into a cheaper rate, like I know, I know, I know. Man, I'll tell you,

I'll tell you who did. I'll tell you who did play their hand right, uh, Dak's agent, Todd Franz, I mean, he wasn't with it when he when they said, you know, hey, how about this thirty four, thirty five, thirty six million dollars NA, we're not taking none of that. And he was right he saw that. I mean, look at Watson, he's getting I think annually went around thirty eight thirty nine a year. I mean, and he's done. You know, I guess they're they're about on par with Dak Prescott

what he's done so far in his career. So Todd Franz, I mean, he played an incredible hand and now Dak Prescott is looking at I'm thinking forty plus. You gotta be gotta be forty plus. Well, well it's four years. It's a four year extension, so Watson still has two years there. So it's gonna take the number down a little bit. So right now it looks like for you,

but it comes down a little bit bottom line. Um. You know, if you're if you're Dak Prescott and his agent, you feel real good that, Hey, look, Watson got there. So Watson's been paid, Mahomes has been paid. Let's go ahead and get what we're gonna get there. I feel that if you're Jerry Jones, you may want to ask Stephen, hey, why didn't we get this back in August? Because the prices have gone up for him? But I don't know. I mean, what else can I say? I mean, I'm

only lose the money to bury Church about this. I thought it was getting done, man, I thought it was getting done. So I am hopeful it gets done after the year. Jerry says that it is so, so we'll see. But if you're Dak Prescott, you're happy because of what Watson has gotten and what Mahomes has gotten, and you know that that life for you is gonna be pretty good. You know that. You know Dad's gonna be able to make the rent. You know he's gonna be able to

make the mortgage. You know. Listen, if y'all, if y'all don't know that that Dak is on a play and see season right now, there is no guarantee that Jerry Jones is gonna pay that. If the season doesn't go as he plans and as he expects it to be with all the weapons that he has around them, there will not be a big contract. And if I was back and I had a big year, what Deshaun Watson made is not even in the realm of what I'm asking for. Because once he got drafted in the first round,

y'all got me. Y'all got me in the fourth. Pay me, pay me more to compensate for what I've done for you in the past. Where the value that you got out of me for being a fourth round pick and for what I'm gonna do in the future and for making me wait, I want all that. Yeah, And if you think about it, all the quarterbacks he's been on, all the quarterbacks he's been on, part of me got the Winzes, the golfs now, the Watsons, they were all extended.

They didn't even have to work to wait till the end of their rookie deal to get to get the money. That had to wait all throughout his rookie deal. And I was saying, little y'all could have got this done. Y'all could have extended me then, but y'all waited too late. Now, you know, you gotta pay what you gotta pay. Okay, So what's the number right right now as we're talking here,

what's the number? Guys played? Dak's agent McCray was heay, no, no, No No, Today are today are after he has a great season, because that's the only way he's getting paid if he has a great season. So we're doing today like right now. Or if he goes and takes it to the NFC Championship or Super Bowl or something, which

one of them. Well, look, I mean I go back to something I read in John Findsin's book The Quarterback, and they were talking about Joe Flacco that year he turned down money from the raven said I'll bet on myself and he ended up going to Super Bowl. Flacco said, the one reason why he turned it down because he said he felt like, no matter what, somebody was going to pay him. Somebody was going to give a contract

because to be a star quarterback in this league. And if Dak Prescott has a season it's eight and eight or nine and seven and the Cowboys having to miss the playoffs, there's going to be a team that goes out there and says, yes, we will sign you. The Chicago Bears, no, that Dak Prescott is better than anybody on their team. It's a quarterback. Okay, it's better than anybody on Jacksonville's team right now. It's a quarterback. So so there's going to be some a mark for Dak Prescott.

So let's just at least establish that. But let's market. Is it thirty two million? It's gonna be at thirty two He's gonna get that. But is it like but once again today are we talking today as if y'all should have paid him. De Shaun Watson's got paid if they were able to pay him right now based off

what has happened or just played out season. He goes out here and he has you know, he puts up god like numbers and takes him to an NFC championship with Super Bowl, he's looking at about forty five right now, he's looking at about forty forty five. Okay, you win, you win a super Bowl, Yes, yeah, you win a super Bowl this year. Yes, yes, you're looking at somewhere. They got to work out out somehow to where it'll be looking at. He can work it up to be

forty five forty five mil. Yeah, yeah, you got. I mean you got to him the man. I mean he brings home. If he brings home the hardware, I don't think there's any doubt in anybody's mind. Jerial, right that check for him. I know what you said. It's a market somebody's gonna pay. Let let the Bears go two and fourteen. They looking for a quarterback to pay, all right. They got to choose between Dak Prescott, proven super Bowl winner or something or and Trevor Lawrence possibly And I'm

not even sold on that guy, but I'm not. That's that's a conversation either. But that's that half another day. But let's also remember this, Okay, he won't be able to just go to the free agent market because they still have one more franchise tact to play on. If they want to so franchise tag next years. It's thirty seven meals. So the Bears and other teams won't get a shot because Jerry's gonna go ahead at least say nah, I'm gonna do it one more time and look at

but look at sixty million. We're gonna get Kirk Cousins happening, and in Chicago's gonna pay my honey and sit whatever a four year and he got another chance to get paid. This this looks more and more like that's where it's going. He'll be the black. Kirk Cousins was one of these unbelievably short Garrett ken Folk kirt so so that that may be it. All right, um boy, time's flown by. I mean we're now doing forty five minutes instead of

one hour. So every day two thirty Central Time players lounge with Danny McCray, Berry Church and me NEWI Scruggs. So make sure you tune us in follow us on Twitter. I'm at NEWI Scruggs. It's n e w Y Scruggs. It's n e W Y Scruggs Church telling where they can find you at on social media on Instagram and Twitter. That's at Bury Church forty two and catch me at at Danny d mac forty four on Twitter and Danny

Underscore mccraig forty on Instagram. All right, we will dive more into this Rams matchup as the week goes on. I'll be very interested to see what this initial injury report is. Cowboys football, the season starts in Inglewood, California, on Sunday, the first ever game they played at so Far Stadium as the Rams and the Cowboys get back at it, Cowboys. I'll tell you I already put it in the Sunday paper for the Dallas Warning News. I predicted the ten and sixth season and the Cowboys win

the sen and six ten and six. Yes, a lot of people are saying eleven. I said ten and six because I still have some question marks about the secondary. If I felt better about the secondary, I could go with the eleven wins. But I'm just gonna say ten, ten and six right there. Philly's got a couple of issues too, but but I believe the team. You know, we'll dive more into that tomorrow. On the Players Lives, everybody,

we appreciate you for checking out. The Players Lives brought to you by Hotels dot Com right here on Dallas cowboys dot Com. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.