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This is the Players Lounge, broadcasting live from Dallas Cowboys World headquarters at the Star. Now your hosts Darry Church, Danny McCrae, Hecma Harrison and Newie Scrugs.
Let's make it hap a CV.
Your eyes are not deceiving you. Yeah, I know you're thinking, like, what's going on right now? Everybody's in a different place, But hey, man, we in the place to be. My man, BC is up in here, hagh Man, d mac is up in here. And NBC's own was it five, six, seven, eight ten, get it wrong? Now, a time Emmy winning Newly Shrugs is in the building, reported live from One Cowboy.
Wayne, you are now rocking with the best.
This is the Plans Lounge in the s w BC Mortgage Studios. And fellas, like I start this show as always, I need a mental check in from all of you fellas. Man, just to know how you're doing, how you're feeling. New it you You traveled the furthest distance this morning, so I'm gonna start with you.
So the eleven year old had her first day at TC soccer camp. So you had to go sign up. They said get there early because the line is long. Nobody lied. It was a long old line. I didn't think I was gonna be able to make it because the long line and get everything situated. But man, I give them credit. They had they well oiled machine. You know, got the student athletes where or bless the student athletes making that dollars, but they were getting it done. Man,
So got her all checked in, watched it. Look, you know, she lined up four drills. I looked at I said, man, I can make this. I'm I have to hustle, but but I think I can make it a worse I'll be bury church late.
And you got.
Y'all here before. Hope y'all wasn't.
Gonna say nothing.
So so b see that's on you. Now what you got? How you doing doing great? Going great?
You know, about to go on vacation with the wife for a little bit. So it's gonna be a good time and uh looking forward to a nice little breath.
Stay si, so you're not gonna say where stay.
For the passport?
Then come on? Man?
Oh yeah, So we're going over the overseas for a little bit.
Over a little for a little bit like Africa.
We're going to roam in Sicily.
Okay, just make sure you can just a little north that.
Godfather House and all that.
Yeah, you got Tony in that season finale, you know, bring bringing back something.
Like listen, I'm good man, quick story. This summer about my life is going Listen. I'm sitting there, I'm talking to my daughter. She's two and a half, and she's, you know, acting up a little bit. And I was like, hey, Zoe, listen, Daddy be being nice to you, right, do you want daddy start being mean? She said, I could be mean to daddy. All right, Okay, I see what we're going
with this r So fatherhood is kicking in. I'm trying to find the fine line between discipline and you know, trying to keep it fun.
But you know, I feel played at the moment. I feel like she tried.
She laid out his hachitake. She just laid out the way it's gonna be, you know, just like she.
Lets you know right there, that's one of the moments when you just laugh because I was like, well, she said.
Take take it in. Taking She's telling you how this houw is gonna be.
She really just laid the groundwork, laying the groundwork for what it's like to raise their daughter. And she, I mean, she's already up up the speed on how to get this done with you?
Daddy.
You said one thing and she had an ill comeback right behind that wasted no time, didn't even have to go too thought about it. Imagine that she's a half and that half, well, wait till you add a.
Teen to that. Checked my instagram not you see she was running the hills yesterday. I said the.
Check back continue.
That's how you want to be me. Come on, she canna be watching protest?
Yeah?
Running?
He had got the protest yet protest. She's like cookies and ice cream.
They're gonna tell her, Mama, what did you do to Zoe?
Look?
Man, cookies and ice cream and everything in between. It was first Sunday, last Sunday for me, And I'm sitting in church thinking to myself. I'm like, as the don't even ask me why the prepastor is doing this his sermon and I'm thinking to myself, man, we got a disaster coming our way.
The Cowboys. I'm in church thinking disaster us coming, and man focused on.
Taking to church with you.
I did, I did.
It is popped in my head. It's popped my I got my cracking, my juice and all that. You know, it's for a Sunday, you know, pray for your name.
For me and death.
Because I met, I had the thought in my head, I'm like, you know, this cap space problem that we're about to experience. This may be the last looking people have said this over the years that this this roster isn't going to look the same. But with the guys that you have to sign with Trayvon Diggs and also Ceedee Lamb, that could wreck you for sure, right and being a guy that's wrecked someone's cap.
That's why I got some cap records in the building Roman sicily.
Record cap record b C Shall still had recovered for what you did to this.
Guys.
When you think about this front office and the job that they have to do to get these guys signed, and I mean, I think for the most part, you're sixteen. I believe Cowboy's sixteen million dollars over the cap under the cap right now, so they're not cat Strap got four million dollars. You gotta get your rookie signed with, so that's gonna leave you right at about twelve million dollars. But what's looming is the Trayvon Diggs. You have to get something done with him. Then, oh, by the way,
behind that CD Lamb. So guys, I got to open the floor up and just ask you how do you deal with that as an organization knowing that you have maybe some market setting contracts looming on the horizon.
Well, good thing for the Cowboys they got you know, Will McLay here, and they've been able to draft well throughout these past couple of years. But to me, that's the only way you get around this because in my understanding, you're not gonna be able to pay you know, it's Dig's top dollar and the wide receiver CD Lamb top dollar. And then you got a backdoor near comes Parsons, who's gonna probably be the highest paid defensive player when he's
able to come up for his compensation. So to me, you're gonna have to draft well because those guys, you're not gonna be able to get the curses, the hookers, the guys that are the payer, the pieces around the stars out there to make this team what it is.
So it's gonna be tough. It's gonna be extremely tough.
But I guarantee you Das is gonna be one of the top two, if not the top paid corner in the National Football League. You know, Ceedee Lamb's gonna want his bag as well. And we all know what Parsons is gonna come when he comes around the corner. So it's gonna get Caps tracked here for a little bit. But they're gonna have to draft extremely well because those you know, bargain choosing free agents here and there, they're not.
Gonna be able to get those guys when those guys come up.
About that man, yoh, yeah, that was that. But putting Digs into perspective, you have J. C. Jackson that just signed a big deal with the Los Angeles Chargers, all right, then Denzel Ward one hundred million dollar contract with the Browns, and so I don't I don't think that anything other than that is gonna be satisfactory for Diggs because they at twenty four years old, he's played in ninety percent of the snaps.
That means he's gonna be asking for give me all of mine.
He's taking the ball away better than any corner in the league. The past couple years.
Absolutely, how do you deal I mean, how do you deal with that?
I mean, listen, if we're looking at the future, I'm looking at some other guys who are taking up a lot of cap space right now.
Who probably won't be here all right.
What happens is when you sign those type of guys, then you gotta let some other guys go. All right, So you got guys I don't even want to say no names, but you got guys on the D line who are making a lot of money annually who will probably not be on the roster. If you have to sign all three of those guys, all right, you gotta figure out what you're gonna do with Dak as well. Probably gonna extend them, but it's probably gonna be in a way that helps you create some more cap space.
If you look at a guy like Jaylor Hurts or Patrick Mahomes, the way that their contracts will set up, so I know that they're gonna be some creative ways for them to get it done. So I'm not really worried as much as maybe a heck, but I know there's some guys that I you know, a guy that I talk about, he probably not gonna be on this thing and then some defensive line guys, so it'll look totally different, but those will be your main stay guys.
So they say, hey, man, I don't know what we're gonna have around them with the curses and the hookahs and stuff, but we know we need to get digs Ceedee Lamb and Michael Parson sign and then we'll figure the rest.
Of it out later.
So so you start looking, you know, I think to all right, your twenty twenty four cat, you know, just looking at uh, I go over here to spotrack dot com and you start to say, okay, chances of Tony Pollard making ten million next year slim?
Okay, so none, okay.
So you got that, looking at Michael Gallup making thirteen million dollars next year, Brandon Cooks on the book for ten. You know, there's there's ways, and you can people that you're looking at and say it may not be here, and they'll be here in different lighton Vanders four point seventy. There's ways that you can get guys down. Man, you're a punter next year twenty twenty four making three point six mil. There's ways that they're going to look cut
extend people, the cat will go up. So there's going to be ways around it. As every team in the league, you gonna have to make some tough decisions. Somebody's not going to be here, right. We'll see play that will determine who is here and who is not. Jordan Lewis, you know, look at George Lewis's contract and just you know, there's there's things today. It's gonna be guys that they just say hey, Steven Jones and I don't think they get enough credit at times. They're gonna figure out who's
got to be here, who's not. They're gonna be a I think heck right now with this cap space because somebody said me, hey man, what about de Hop. I ain't trying to sign d Hop as much as I'm trying to sign Digs. I'm trying to get Digs or Lamb. I need to get one of these two under contract before or at training camp. That that to me would make me feel good because at the end of the year, I don't what I don't want to do is to take Pollard's ten for a franchise. I have to throw
that towards Diggs. It's gonna be cost you a lot more to franchise corner. So I'd love to get Digs done if possible from the Cowboys. And then you've got Lamb's contract. Of course he gonna want to, you know, get it done quicker. But Digs to me that that's the one I really would feel good about.
But you have to explain why you have the urgency on Diggs's contract versus on Lamb. One longer than the other, right, no, one longer than the other because of the way that they were drafted four years versus exactly, and so how they can extend him and they don't have the same luxury. But historically the Cowboys have kind of drugged their feet. At this particular particular time, we saw that with Dak's
contract that ended up costing him more. Would they do the same thing with Diggs's contract where you know that they may franchise tag him. That's a bad word, but that's how you kick the can down the road if you're the cowboy.
I don't know.
With the quarterbacks, yeah, I think it's been an issue with them, not necessarily with other positions, all right, d Law they made him do franchise Tack twice, which is a win when you look at it, you know, in the hindsight of like he was making almost eighteen to twenty million dollars per with that one, But you look at I don't remember specifically do this thing, but I don't remember being that much of an issue to where we were like, they are they gonna continue to are
they are they gonna sign the guy?
We're not really sure.
I think when you talked about Dak and those guys, Jerry and Steven know, hey, man, we're gonna get it figured out. I think it's us in the media who's like, yeah, I'm not really sure, Like we had a whole discussion about back for like a year. Yeah, and Jerry and Stephen like you'all worried about the wrong thing. We're gonna make sure we get this thing figured out. So I think I think they're okay. But that's just me having that that that hope in the organization.
I can see him playing hardball a little bit though they did. I can see this playing horrible. He got the older brother who's who's been, you know, the highest paid guy. He understands like, you gotta get all your words, so you know, he's feeding him a little bread comes, Hey, man, make sure you get the top dollar only on discounts nowhere.
So I can see him, you know, talking to his older brother, getting that knowledge in there and saying, hey, you know what, I deserve to be the highest paid corner in the national football and we understand what.
You know, the Cowboys bringing the negotiation table.
You got that stone, your help. You can get a lot more money off the field as well. So they're gonna play horriball, in my opinion, a little bit going into this negotiation process.
But I'm with you, d Mac.
I think at the end of the day, it's gonna get done because they understand that this guy is a cornerstone of the defense. He's young, he's a productive guy out there, So I think they'll get done. But I can see them battling a little bit negotiations.
When's the last time Jerry Jones lost a key player?
You want? That's never?
Never?
And the truth is they knew this when he set the record, so not like it's just coming up this year, but they've been in the room for a minute, like, you know what, we know that we have this one and we got a whole year year and have to get this figured out they know Ceedee Lamb. On the other side, they've already extended the fifth year option for him, and Ceedee Lamb has already gone on record that Dallas is where he wants to be, but it is in
the back of his mind. He's worried about it because he wants to know, Man, how do I fit into my position group? Well, in his draft year, you have a guy like Justin Jefferson that's gonna kill everything when his time comes. And Justin Jefferson was picked after CD Lamb, so let that sink in. But when you see CD, do you believe that he's one of those guys that right now could at the market as you know that
you're gonna have to do with tray Von Diggs. And how if he is that and how important is this year for Ceedee Lamb If he is going to get that market setting contract, he better reset it before Justin Jefferson because I think it's gonna be hard for somebody to go in there and say, hey, man, I want more than this guy, just based off what Minnesota may do for a guy like Justin Jefferson and the record, the number all that speaks for itself and that's no shot at CD, Lamb one has just been way more
productive than the other. Right, So I know everybody wants to have the like we're gonna reset it and whatever. But I think whatever Justin Jefferson is about to get is going to be so outraged that teams are gonna look and be like, I don't know, Deshaun.
Watson exactly, that's what.
They like.
I don't know.
But because what like basically, what Justin Jefferson has done over the last few years has been remarkable.
Historic, It has been a historic level. Ceenee Lamb, and I kind of go back to what you said, wants to be here, so you at least have that that you in my mind, knowing that a player wants to be here, you can find some way to get there. Even with Dak Prescott, see the whole time, I want to be here, and I still maintain that he believed that he wants to be here. I think there's certain guys who understand the power that star and the seven you know appearing national appearances on I think, you know
CD a Texas guy. I'm not worried about that one as much as I'm worried about Diggs that's the one I'm concerned about, Cede Lamb. I think they're gonna find a way to get it done. And then you know, if I'm Jerry, Joe or Jerry seems like, hey, may Lean, you can go to dak Leland on your boy. But Diggs is the one I do worry about because I that's going to be a very interesting conversation. Yeah, and I just that's that's to me and how you guys
feel and being weigh in here as well. How many years have they been searching to find a player like this? He's a young.
Really, that's really the last mainstay at corner for us.
You know, this is not a guy that you can let out the building go well, we'll just get a camp pick and we'll go out. No, man, these dudes are hard to find. They're very insa passing league. I really put a priority on that. To me, I would I would if I own this football team, I'd be corner Stephen. Get this thing done.
Man.
We cannot be out here searching for corners in the National Football League.
No, not.
When you have one that's good, like you can go search and then you're gonna end up with you know, submit to your guys. But when you got a guy who could turn take the ball over like that and continues to get better year in a year out with whatever it was his weakness the year before, then you got to make sure you keep that guy on your roster.
And that is Trayvon Diggs. That is there's no question about it.
When you want, like when you're playing the game and you're offensive coordinator, you're looking at Trayvon Diggie saying I don't know, like I don't know what rocks we can run over there, But make sure make sure before you throw it there your comfort that your receivers in the right position, that you got the right velocity on the ball, because if you don't, it's likely coming back and you're gonna be trying to.
Make a tackle.
And he plays now, he plays.
Done miss games, has played ninety percent of the snaps and just again based off of his number since he's coming to the league, league leading in interceptions.
So, like you said, you can't find that.
And there's no one more polarizing as far as their opinion of a guy's talent than Trayvon Diggs. A lot of people's a double moved, you know, all of the other things, but still is a playmaker on your defense. But the elephant in the room, guys, we're not just gonna gloss over this, because it's an elephant in the room, all right. And when I was a little kid, I used to go to the circus and the guy with the big shovel, he'd be scooping up the poop.
Stephen Jones is right. Steven Jones is right there with scooping up the poop right now.
And you're gonna have to get Michael Parson signed to a mega deal. You're looking at all these deals right now at they're on the horizon. The big briefcase is the biggest deal that you you got to get done.
You got you castle.
He's gonna be up there with you know, the Aaron Aaron Donald right, he's getting like thirty summer year and rightfully so he affects games, and that's exactly what Parsons does.
So worried about that.
He's gonna have to do not right now.
I'm not Yes, you got some time right now, guess some time.
But it's what is bosaat That's first thing you know, what is to do is gonna go ahead and hit the market. And I'm not worried about that one either. I'm really I'm really not worried about these right these two, these two guys, you gotta deal right now. Three dak digs and and and UH and C and TD. I'm worried about that. Parsons will take care of itself, even if all you got to do is throw a franchise tag on the guy. I mean, you can at least
and then he can. Don't called the city in you come to camp and the city and if you want to, I'll get to that when I can. These three are going to take more presence in importance because how you get these three done will also dictate what you're what, how your approach is with So.
You think this this team can have the highest paid corner, d lineman, quarterback possibly and wide receiver in the league.
You had the highest paid quarterback. You then you paid Zeke, made him the highest paid running pack. You had Cooper tied to the mark for Martin, Martin had Hearns.
You had You know, you get all these players that you can't really build on because you're paying all those guys that money.
I don't know where Bland comes in that's where you pay a Tyrone Bland. That's when you drafted Tyler Smith. And that's what they've talked about. It's player development. That's why I said it earlier. You got to be able to draft of outside of injuries too. Like Jalen Smith and Layton Vanders were two very good draft picks. Yes, they just couldn't stay healthy for the most part, but then you see lighton coming back. So again this team drafts well.
Yeah, and then when you pay guys like that, that is going to have to be your main focus, like who can we get around them on a cheaper deal to make sure that you know that we're still competitive. And I think they've proven that they are able to do that. In order to pay these players, were gonna
have to pay some bills. We're gonna take our first break and be right back and talk about the ambassador, the guy that's gonna be talking these guys in to re sign it with the Cowboys, and as Dak Prescott, we'll be right back after this.
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I'm Duk Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys. Blockchain dot com is one of the most trusted ways to buy, sell, and trade crypto. Whether you're always on the go or stay closer to home, blockchain dot com is just a few types away put the power of crypto in your pocket, so no matter where you are, you can trade on your terms and build a crypto portfolio to fit your life. For crypto pros, rookies, and anyone in between, blockchain dot com makes it easy to own a piece of the future.
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Back to the players Line.
Join us for Dallas Cowboys June teen Celebration in partnership with Miller Lite at Miller Light House at AT and T Stadium on Saturday, June seventeenth from four to eight pm and enjoy live entertainment, play long games, and shop local black owned businesses. For more information, visit at t stadium dot com. Slash June teenth, Back in action here at the SWBC Morgan Studios. Heck Maherrison, My man knew he's sitting across from me. He thought he was gonna
be late, but he was on time BC. Yeah, I didn't even think of all all up in here though.
He on his time.
He always on his man. If life is good, was the person. Oh my god right here.
Once he got away from conflict, he can nothing about nothing.
But fellas.
This is the this is our final podcast, and then we'll be back after when what's the training camp starts?
And knew it's going to be in California.
You say you're going to California a lot of month.
Then you look so sad. He's trying not to incriminate himself.
The hotel is a nice hotel. Yeah, but you're there all day, man, That's the thing.
I can tired there all day all day.
You gotta get you gotta be up on the road at eight o'clock because you know how the cowboy fans are. You got to get over there, get your parking spot. Basically there all day and it's not like it used to be the hotel used to be able to stay inside of the hotel, so they bang you so you can't stay there. So you basically you got to come in and stay after the press conference. You might be able to get a lunch, a little lunch if you want to, because you got to come back for the
rest of it. But you basically people think, hey, man, yeah, here an'ybody surfing. I see the beach when I if I want to wake up at seven and walk down to the beach because from the hotel you can get there. But you know it's an all day thing. Man, This is not It's not now. Ain't what you guys do with camp. This sounds pretty bad to you. It sounds like sounds like California is horrible. Sounds like you should think about just not going.
That.
Ain't that won't work.
Can we bookmark this too? Because when I'm looking at Twitter while you're out there, that's what I want. I don't see them posting nothing. I'm here. I'm gonna remember this the minute you post something that that looked fun.
And the same got him again, got him again?
Truth, man, We're gonna see it.
Ain't all such ice. Keep want to saying in La all surface son.
All right, well, the.
NFC least has gone back to the NFC beast.
And look, the.
Conversation about Dak, it always somehow goes to a guy in Philadelphia. But I'm gonna not allow this to happen today. Uh.
And the thing is, it's gonna happen anyway.
Uh.
The thing is Aaron Rodgers has left the NFC and is now in the a f C.
So the NFC is wide open for the elite quarterbacks. Tom Brady's retired, Aaron Rodgers moved on, and so now you have a bunch of young guns and now Dak and Kirk cousins Uh in the NFC.
Is this the year for Dak?
Guys, as you look at his career going into year eight, is this the year for him to just kind of put himself into that elite playing. They've done everything for him as far as bringing in a talented wide receiver and Brandon Cooks.
Your young guns are ready to go. Is this the year?
And do you look at Dak and you survey the NFC and say he's one of the top in the NFC. And I'm gonna start with you just based off of that look you just gain. I mean, I don't think it's ever been a question if he's one of the top in the NFC. I believe that he's been that way since his rookie year when him and Zeke made the initial connection. I think he's been that way. I think it has been a little shaky throughout the years.
Two years now with injuries. One he missed the whole season, than last year he had the hand injury and he missed five games. So you look at it and you're saying, okay, Look, in order for dak to now be the top guy in the NFC, with the Tom Brady out, with the Aaron Rodgers out, he's gonna have to at least go to the super Bowl because, like you said, the guy up the street in the same conference, i mean, same division,
just went to the super Bowl. Right, So the standard is there for like, hey man, you want to be better than then whoever was the best. You gotta make it to the super Bowl. And I think that he does have the weapons around him. I think the question mark for is he ready and can he do it? Because you say he has all the pieces, is the offensive line If you cannot protect Dak right, who has changed since he broke his up, broke his leg, he has changed.
He has not been as mobile as he used to be.
If you cannot protect him and have him feel comfortable in the pocket, then you're not gonna get the best Dak. And I think that is the one thing that may hold him back. So hopefully new offensive line coach. We got Tyler Smith, we got Tyrant. Hopefully he's gonna be healthy. You got Terry Steell. I see him out there working out looking good. So hopefully the offensive line can can hold up. And if that's the case, then I think this is a year where you see the competition for
Dak being the best in the NFC. We'll be asking that question.
If I'm Dak Prescott. After the NBA Finals, I called Jimmy Butler and just say can I come visit with you? Because Jimmy Butler is he's never win again v But Jimmy Butler is a straight dog who's a leader, and his teams play with togetherness, and that's what I'm looking for for Dak Prescott as a quarterback. Now that you're working with Mike McCarthy, how can you bring this culture and you guys have a togetherness about you. That's where he needs to be. Forget you have many a MVP
throwing for this or that. These opportunities that you have are running out in your career. And I said, I look at a guy like Butler and what they have and the way he goes about his business, and I think of Dak and that kind of fashion, like Jimmy. Jimmy the best player, but nobody grinds like Jimmy. And we've known for you, Dak is a grinder. Dak puts in the work. That's what I would like to see
him become more of as a player like that. And then of course look at where Jimmy Butler and Miami heat all right now, they done shocked everybody tied the NBA finals. And this is, by the way, people forget the second time he's played in the finals. Houston, Texas home. By the way, Jimmy Butler, that's.
A damn good comp though it is.
I'm just just giving it up.
I like that.
But you know, as much as our rag, you know, on Dak Prescott, Yeah, he does have I feel like this will be a bounce back year for him.
You know, I could be wrong, But I don't think he's ever you know, back.
To back seasons has thrown you know, all these interceptions, So I feel like he will bounce back.
Like you mentioned McCray, he has the pieces around him.
He got a deep Threatned Cook, she got that do it all guy in cdee Lamb. Hopefully Michael Gallup can come around, got a tight end piece. Hopefully that offensive line can can withstand some pressure out there and give him time because you know, in my opinion.
It's going to be on his shoulders.
You know, we talk about the run game. Mccarfey always talking about were gonna be running the football. They're not going to run the football like that, all right. I mean, you're not paying this got forty some million and the guy that's the head coach, that's playing, that's calling the players. I've never really ran the football like that in his career while he was in Green Bay and now here in Dallas. So they're going to throw the football. It
is going to be on his shoulders. But to me, it's all gonna come down to can he make those decisions. Can he make those great decisions out there to keep this team rolling instead of compounding the issue you know, we saw it last year when when things started getting a little shaky out there, there's one interception, all right, now, I got to force this sit in here and here comes another interception. Then it rolls downhill from there. So to me, it's all about the decision making. He has
the ability, he has the smarts up there. He's a great leader, one of the best leaders I've ever been around. So he has all that working for him. Is can he make the great decisions out there to lead this team forward? And I believe this will be a bounce back year.
And he's got a Super Bowl play caller.
Oh my god, and he does and he does. But Danny, I want to I want to go back, Tony.
I want to go back to something.
Super Bowl when it coaches on the roster, I mean you got I mean you got Daan Quinn, you got Mike McCarthy. I mean, so what you got a super Bowl winning owner.
It's not relevant, you know what do you know?
Oh, I'm crazy?
He went not even the same he not even run the same place.
Disrespect on this show that we have for killing Moore is I just can't tell you that.
I can't believe.
No, you know, what you brought up.
You brought up a great point about the roster and how they've upgrade the wide receiver position and how things are looking up as far as the production in the passing game, but also where the offensive line is. I mean that's the great divide.
Uh.
Then we know that Dak can't, like any quarterback, can't deal with a bunch of guy pressure on you. The only person that can do that is that guy in Cincinnati. He seemed to be the only one that could be successful. Is still get beat up. He the only one that could do that.
Right.
But when you look at this, I mean, being a former NFL player, when you look at this roster, dude, has the Cowboys done a good enough job of formulating and put putting a roster together that can reach that championship level?
Not only that, is this roster good enough to compete?
Hell, let's just start in the NFC East, because that's where most of the problems are. Listen, If you don't get if they if their offensive line is is good, is they believe it can be, then I think they're fine. I think the Cowboys will be fine from what I see of the offensive line, I don't know that we have. Those pieces are the continuity to be as successful as we can be running the ball or protecting Dak Prescott. I think some of those interceptions that were thrown last year,
they was under some pressure. I think that our running game when Tony Pouler went out against San fran the gaps were not being open, right, and that.
Was throughout the entire season.
You brought Jason Peters in at forty and we couldn't even figure he was a rotating player, Like you just don't.
You don't see that type of stuff in the NFL, right, So if your offensive line is not up to par, then you won't be competing against a team like Philly, maybe not even the Giants, because that is one of the main points of you paying your quarterback forty million dollars because you need to give him time to get the ball to a Cooks of Ceedee Lamb, a Michael Gallup or to open up those holes for Tony Pouler. And if you don't have that then then you will have a hard season. So if they if they as
good as they believe, then I'm all right. But if not, yeah, I think it's gonna be. Yeah, We're gonna be in trouble. When you look at this roster, what do you what do you think? Do you see talent? Do you say, hey, there's still some holes that need to be filled, or we're a long way away from making to making it to Vegas at this point time.
I'm gonna use that word, the word I used to get this togetherness. Last year, I thought they had a good locker room and that was minus the wide receiver.
Talent.
Talent was not where we all thought it needed to be in it and it came back and bitter. If these guys can figure out a way to play together and and really get established a better culture. They don't have a culture of finishing, you know, That's that's one of their problems. They got to get it togetherness and the culture of finishing, because what have we seen in the last two years. They have not finished and the
way they have finished the year has been bad. So showing you can get this done, the whole roster construction. Do we have this guy or that guy? I mean, and I know it's not fair to compare them to Kansas City, but they had a culture up there that they just Okay, we're gonna plug people this is your job. Go do your job, and you go forth from there.
I go back when I watched those NFL films about you know, your uncle Joe Green, and there was always dudes, who this is my job, And that's how chuckn No' had it. Man do come in here, gets your job done. This is the culture.
This is the standard.
Go get it done. And so to me, I look at that, that's what these guys have to go do. Rodney Harrison. When I've talked to Rodney about how they got things done in New England, they was always changing the roster and that was always guys, what does this guy fit here? Hey, man, this is the standard. This is what we need you to do. Go out here and do your thing, and we're gonna trust you do your job. So the Cowboys can get that. And I hope that that's where Mike is. I think Mike has
done a really good job in managing this roster. Supposedly after the first year, keep that going and try to take that next step.
Yeah, I'm with you one hundred percent on that one. Dude.
When you talk about finishing and you talk about the last two years when they went into the playoffs and get San fran I mean, you go in there the first year, the penalties, you know, hurt this team and they couldn't finish. And you go into the next year, you go up to San Francisco. A couple injuries here and there, but they just weren't They just weren't playing
their best ball at the right time. And to me, that comes along with the leaders in locker room, and I think they have, you know, that great mix of veteran leadership as well as young talent to go out there and if they can get that togetherness, like you just said, if they can bring all that together. They got the head guy who's he's the head coach and Colin plays now, so they're kind of under his leadership as well, and he's done a great job these past
couple of years. If they can get together on that and just find a way to finish these games, especially when you look at towards the end of the year, it's always a many almost lost against Houston or they're losing these games that they should just demolish these teams. If we can find a way to finish the season on a high note, enter the playoffs, you know, going on a high note, I think that'll prove huge dividends for this team.
But you've seen the.
Last couple of years, it's always these last you know, three or four games, they end up losing.
To the Commanders.
You know, going into the playoffs, you can't have that mojo going in there. You can't limp or walk into the playoffs.
You got to be riding on a high stream.
And if they're able to do that going into this year, I think they can make moves in a.
Turn of church Is talking about the AFC Invitational. Goodness great.
As you talk about limping through something, they lived straight through the AMC and develop.
You got to develop your guys, man. I mean, I go back to being at that Super Bowl forty five at Jerry World with Mike McCarthy's Packers. I mean they lost Donald Driver during the game. They had a good running back and who's having a Pro Bowl here? And Ryan Grant who got hurt earlier. I mean, you just you gonna need dudes, Charles he got hurt me. So, I mean you just look at the Miami he Tyler
hero out here's just Ducky Robinson stepping up. So along the way, you need different dudes and that team you played on, Jackson, then you going need some guys a lord, I mean dron Blair who saw that?
I didn't see that ship? Nah? You mean now?
But you know you bring up you bring up an interesting point because I'm sitting there watching OTAs and I'm seeing CD, Cook and MG all together, got their helmets together and everything, and they walking together, they doing their thing, and I'm thinking to myself, we are one injury away from jayling tober to send me.
For Hoko being your third.
Yeah, that's that's the reality, and that's that's fine.
So you need those guys to do their part every day. I mean, you two played, but you need these dudes. Hey, are you serious? Are you going about your job the way you need to? I mean, what's old boy, Malcolm Butler. They's a prime example right there.
Man.
Nobody knew who this dude was on game day, okay when he made the pick, Literally, me and a bunch of folks over there in the media area because it held us before they let us go out on the field. Who where's he from? But they coached him up, and then, you know, give the player credit. He allowed himself to be coached up. Knew what he needed to do. Russell throwde a stupid.
Pick and the rest is what they call history.
But that to me is when we talk about roster construct because people want to look at names. O, get d Hot, go get that man. You better start Casimi Fooko and Jaalen Tober and you know boss Man Fat Sam Williams, these other guys here at some point time, Man, they are going to have to make a contribution to your football team. And while Mike McCarthy got right, was it twenty first? By that was that coaching ranking crazy? Mike since he's been here, has done a good job
of developing guy. I mean Terrence Still. Now you got people using draft picks in the first round to go get dudes like Terrence Steel, and they've developed them. You gotta have these guys ready to go. I mean even the Eagles, mean, I give them credit, they have developed guys too. You start looking at the teams, who are who who.
Are who's playing?
Well? They'll tell you people, Man, say whatever you want about Howard.
They have developed people.
Which is why he's sitting here with two coaches now that he's hired, in their second years of taking this team to the to the Super Bowl. We can sit up here and dislike them all we want to, but right now you could look, hey, what's the standard at Yeah, you know.
And somewhere in this country a toilet blow just flushing, and we're gonna look on the other side of the ball.
We're gonna look on the other side of the ball and talk about something that has no question marks in it at all, and that is the Cowboys defense. Coming up next on the players lounge. Hi, I'm Danny mccraig, Dallas Cowboys alumni player here with's Smoothie King and Smoothie King wants to ask you, what's that sound. That's the sound of you and everyone else absolutely loving New smoothie bowls from Smoothie King.
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Back in action here on the Players Lounge And as I was going to break, it occurred to me that over the weekend, over the last week that we've had some some Twitter stuff going on with one Kelvin Joseph come of call him by his rap moniker, Kelvin Joseph breaking down for us, brother knowing what's going on, on Twitter, Kelvin Joseph.
Has heard he's heard chatter. He heard it, heard the chattering.
He's sitting here from Danny McCrae.
Uh As, he said, I messed with that, dude.
I ain't mestling with Kentucky with the Kentucky Wildcat. Hope.
I hope you. As a matter of fact, I gave him prompts.
I said, hey man, he boughting on special teams and they should be honored to have him as long as he not making those pillows him And see that good one.
So for Kentucky Wildcat up L s U slashed the L s U.
From now on, he gonna be my L Boston the L s U Wildcat. So Kelvin has been tweeting, but this was the one tweet that it made me kind of like okay. So Jordan Lewis sent out the tweet three days ago. No, it was with the Junie first Junie first, and he says, Trey Gilly, dB JK Lick, Donald is Bell, we got the best in the league, bro one hundred and he's responding to des Bryant. Jordan Lewis is Kelvin Joseph comes back. He quote he says boss man fat Let's not forget him.
And sounds like they forgot him.
They did to me, that's what sound like to mean.
Hey, bro, listen, drama.
I like this what I want to tell you, bro, Hey, just focus on your special Team's role right now, because that's that's what they pegged you as at the moment, right And once you start trying to you know, hey man, I'm more than this and I need to be on that's when you start slacking on both, all right. So make sure on special teams you out there doing what they paying you to do, which is be a core special teams player, a gunner or flyer who's gonna make
those tackles. And when you get your shot to get out their defense, then you go out there and prove your point.
What happened was you got that option that shot last year.
I'm gonna tell y'all what he did, like like I do with your your tweets, I forgot he probably forgot to tweet that.
From now, I'm.
Back in that mode. I was just going through a phase. We can't downplay God's gift. Time to show I'm really him after critics, I accept it all back on my dog.
He also tweets, oh goodness, that's what he realized. That's when he realized he wasn't in the burner. He had come back home starting he start getting the comments.
Yeah, yes, he says, I want to see everybody shine. If you get yours, make sure I get minds. If that's how it goes.
Oh all right, yeah, that's all right.
Now. On May twenty second, he tweeted out, I'm understanding it all now, y'all. Finn to be in trouble.
He understanding it all now.
That took it some time, but I guess, you know, we're glad with his sticky stuff, you know. So if that's what he's seeing, then that's what's going on. But nonetheless, I think what Jordan Lewis was trying to say and what everybody is seeing that the Cowboys have a special mix of players. If you look at you know, from JK to bringing in Stefan Gilmore to what we were talking about with tray Von Diggs, this front line with
Mazi coming in, how special they can be. And this defense on paper right now has the potential to be a very special defense.
Do you see the.
Same thing because obviously with Dan Quinn's influence over this defense. These guys can be top five in the league. Uh yeah, I mean I saw it last year. I've been saying that we're gonna be a top ten defense for the last couple of years. And you know, the stats are based off total yards giving up on all the other stuff. But we can all say with the eye test that when you watch this team play that they are a
top ten defense. Like when you go against you say, you know what our defense against whatever offense we're playing, most of the time you're picking our defense over them, unless you're playing Kansas City or sometimes Philly. You know, just last year, but our defense has been top notch. And now you just added a steph on Gilmore. You got the first round picking Mizie Smith to clog up the middle, which we thought had been the weakness for
the last couple of years. So absolutely from the top five, top five, Dan quince here.
Five, I'm with you on that.
I mean, they got all the pieces, you know, d line, they can rush the quarterback, they gut secondary back there that can hold her own.
So what's not like to like about this this defense?
So I can see them being the top five even statistically why I can see them being the top five.
But real quick question, did he say CJ's name in there?
Then?
Okay, I'm just saying now they don't look at him as that.
Are we a top five defense? If Kevin Joseph was out there at cornerback.
No, I just don't. I don't see it, Persont. I'm saying what I've seen.
But when you when you go across the roster and all those people that were named that you got your roster out there, any one of those people that Jordan Lewis plugged in, you'll be like, you know what, we probably the top five and then you know, so like you no offense to the guy just telling like this, you know that's what it's go out there and ball out, and then that'll changed the conversation.
When you're talking about that. Okay, Trey and Gilly wanting to Okay, so you know you got dB play that he deserves, you know, Okay, you got Jordan Lewis. I mean you start looking at you know, you start looking at who your your top three guys. He's not in the top three, not in the top four, so he can say, don't forget me, Well, you got forgot by your teammate play.
When he got his shot last year. That is what got him in the position that he's in now. Can he get better?
Yeah? But like right now, how is that when Jackson did, yeah, you have to do this?
Whatever happened, Trevor Lawrens was like, oh, there, there you go whatever, big old red blake wherever he was, big old red black, Like, they went there and they were scored, and he got benched.
And then he just became full time you know, special teams and that in that game, and he played well and right in that role. But so when he says, don't forget about me, what's the on line? It says your action should speak so loud. You don't have to say anything.
Right now.
What we see on the fields, parcels and all ain't go by is what I see. What I see right now is Kevin Joseph is a corner. This is not cutting it for a guy who is a second round pick. He has been he has been a disappointing player at corner. As a special teamer, he has earned his spot on the team. You do need him, you need him, he does help you. But when you want to say, hey man, don't forget me. Go out there and show people that you don't.
Need to be Let me be clear about this too, all right, Kelvin Joseph, all right, I've been in your position, my brother.
All right. I was on special team.
I got my chance to start and listen when I lost my spot. You ain't see me out there tweeting talk about that. I say, man, I know exactly where I need to be at. Bro put me back those special teams. Let me go ahead and make my money. But some people just can't. They don't understand. Hey, man, what's your play. That's how you can shut the naysayers up. But your play didn't prove it. So now you got
another shot. Maybe, guys, that's gonna be Uh. This is an off season wrap on the players lounge and when we return after the this little short break that we're gonna get my man, I have a ten Uh are you gonna Are you going to survival mode anytime soon? Or what's going on with you? I'm family telling the.
Daughter, what about you? What you got going on in the off season? Just do it the game? Ask you it is, do it the game.
Okay, that's from Washington.
That's that's not prop jokes.
The game, so I can't put my pinky figure in there and say we're going to Italy. But hey, Orange Beach, Alabama, we on our wife.
And by the way, you know about the big event coming up?
Yes, yes, yes, this Saturday, Nibbling Mingle Uh.
It is benefiting scholarship for the University of North ten and students getting a scholarship that have been affected by parents that have cancer.
It's awesome.
It's gonna be at the Highland Hotel this Saturday. All of Hall of Famers galore will be there. My uncle Joe will be there, Charles Haley, Tony Dorr said a lot of guys would be there for this week. It's gonna be special, man. So if you can make it out to the Holland Hotel on Saturday at seven o'clock.
It will be a great event.
Let me add this, Okay, when you go to this event, Joe Uncle Joe is Joe Green. He make the guys where the jacket the Hall of Fame day. So they're walking here's Tony door and you can walk up and talk to Tony Doris. That Earl Campbell, I mean it is Randy White. I mean dude, the best of the best are there. It is better than any autograph show that you're going to. It is work. It is truly worth it.
Man. It's better.
You got better access to these guys than you would if you tried to go to camp for Football Hall of Fame. No lie, right there, man, it's a hell of an event if you love football, old school guys to respect them and they all appreciate the people that come up there and really just say him and thank you man, thank you for what you did. You made me a football fan. So it's a great event.
Great event, and.
Your boys hosting it.
I n hey, man, but that's a rap man. We'll see you on the other side for the Players Lounge.
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