Player's Lounge: Will McClay Joins The Show!

you on Instagram cooking it up. It looks pretty good over Danny mccraig in the house as well. Our other counterpart, NEWI Scrugs is on assignment big time. He's covering the Super Bowl, so you know he's left us hanging there over here in the sw EC studios. But once again, this is the Players Lounge, brought to you by Hotels dot Com and Danny. I'm gonna just jump right into it because it's been on my mind. It's been on my mind this these past couple of hours, and it's

just for what do we see yesterday? And I'm talking about the Pro Bowl here, like when we was growing up. You know, Sean Taylor was playing in their Schmack and punters. You had guys given effort, tackling, guys were really trying to go out there and win the MVP of this game and show what they really have and give the fans what they want. But yesterday, I mean, I've seen walkthroughs more intense than that. I mean, what's your thoughts on this? Look? I didn't. Let me tell you something.

Me turning on the Pro Bowl would have been something that you should all be surprised about. One because one because you already know you are you are a former player. Okay, let me tell you something. If you go out there and you get hurt in the Pro Bowl and have to miss an extended period of time, you're gonna look like a straight up. But you don't be like, man, like what was I thinking? Like? What was I thinking? Like? Why did I go out there? Was it worth it

for me to go out there? You're not making your full check, right? You out there really to have a good time and celebrate the fact that you played well enough and people respected your game well enough to get you voted into there. I'm not going out there to get hurt talking about old school and then I've seen the old school dude. They man, you know back in the day when yeah, that's old school dudes usually stuck in old school. What they what they not? What they're not.

What they're not seeing is these dudes know each other more than those old school dudes knew each other, right, Like, dudes are working out together, they taking trips together, They on Instagram, I'm back and forth. So a lot of these dudes are more than just associalists. This ain't they first time meeting each other. Like they know each other. So yeah, they're not gonna go out there and what are we talking about? They got other stuff to do. So should we should should the least switch it up?

Should they switch it up to like a flag football or like, you know, something like that. Feel like it'd be a little bit more juice to it if that was the case. But I mean, we're seeing guys out there. They was they was catching the ball in the flats, doing a little one two and then art let's tag them off. Let's just I just I's the point of playing the game. It's bro but the game is just it is not a football game, all right, soot they said. They said, just they should find a different way to

market it. It's not a football game. Dudes ain't about to go out there and get tackled. So you can be mad that you actidentally hurt. You hurt your potting and he supposed to be working out in March like, it's just it's just just standing there in the in the moment that it happens, then somebody's gonna be like, oh man, that's crazy. Man. But he went out there and played for the pro bo so so he said.

It's similar to to college kids opting out of the out of their ball games when they're not in the in the college football playoffs. Absolutely listen, they better be looking them to show it up. There's a lot of dudes who were supposed to show up and they're like, nah, I'm good, bro. So would you rather them like do that or would you rather them show up and still get the fans a little something to watch or you just be a just want everybody to be like a man,

I ain't doing it. I'm a Pro Bowl guy. I'm staying at home. I'm not I'm not going out to Vegas and do all that. All the crazy I'm with you on now, because I understand you know, the the NFL, they you know, they want to market their brand out there, so they want to have the fans enjoy it. They don't want the fans go home and say, man, what did I waste my money on this? But you know, I get it from the player's perspective as well. Like you said, you can't what if you go out there

and tearn ACL. I mean, it's so late in the season. It's after the season, so you wouldn't be ready again until maybe midway through the next season. So I understand why the players, you know, take it lax and don't really show any effort out there. I understand that case. But to me, I'm just like, why why you even

have the game? You're just making like a flag football tournament seven or seven or something like that, you know, and that at least have a little bit more excitement than going out there and playing two head touch fully padded. So I think it's an NFL problem. But then you also because I got to keep them blowing on because I seen you all the old school dudes hate a lot of hate. So this year, specifically, dudes that play seventeen games all right, some of these dudes got eliminated.

It didn't even make the playoffs. So they at home on the couch chilling with you know what I'm saying, and then you're like, all right, listen, hey, make sure you stay in because you got that Pro Bowl game coming up, where where the film don't matter, you know what I'm saying, The actual winning and losing it don't matter. Only reason they don't they don't complain about that in the NBA. Uh, it's because one is in the middle

of the season. These dudes still have they in shape, they still have to go out and play afterwards, and then they only play hard in the full quarter, you know what I'm saying. But all Star weekend it's set up so differently to where it's like a true celebration and pro Bo is just probably the season with like think about the dudes who were done in decenting like January Knights like bro so a month later I gotta

go outare and do what? So should they put some incentive on the game, like you know, I know it's after these seasons, so it's not like they can say, you know, whatever side wins. You know, the NFC gets you know, home fill avantge or whatever. You can't really do that because, um, you know, it's not in the middle of the season. So should they put some type of incentive like maybe money wise, maybe you know drafted. Well,

I don't know. I don't know, because they gotta make the game because right now there's no point in watch it's done. But what you saw is what you're gonna get. Okay that the people who really get something out of the Pro Bowl, or the people who actually went to Vegas, the fans who went out there and they were able to watch the skills and drills and get the autographs from the guys that they wanted, those are the people who are really getting some out of it, all right.

It's I don't think it's anything you can do about imagine going like you you're a gambler, you're in Vegas, you gamble on the game. I think they go and then you see the effort that they're putting out there. You're a bad gambler if that's what it was. And you was going out there the bed on the Pro Bow knowing like this ain't the first time them dudes was out there playing like that, all right, Like the like remembering what Sean Taylor did. If that stuff happened

to they dudes are being some serious trouble, bro. There'll be some real beef going on if somebody went out there and smacked the receiver coming across the miner. Bro, come on, this ain't it ain't. It ain't the same. It ain't the same, old school dudes, it ain't the same. Y'all was out there wild the young the young. We work smarter, not harder. All right, all these dudes they

at home, they're healthy, they're healthy with their family. They're not in the hospital walking around because they tore se reps of achilles. Like going hard for a Pro Bowl game. Actually, in the grand scheme of things, the game doesn't mean anything to that, Like they already made it. Get you know what, you're good. And by the way, the winning team gets eighty kachka and then the losing team gets forty. It's a little incentive. These are bro, these are Pro

Bowl players. Bro. Nothing, Yeah, they got fine a grand you know, they played for your offseason adventures. You know what I'm saying. Okay, how about this? How about that? So now, so now you get a workout monus for two hundred thousand. But now you can't even show up the workout because you made eighty can't You can't show up, and now you might lose your spot because you see boys getting that's the right, that's right people getting white.

Don't let it be you. Exactly. The skills competition was more compani exactly exactly CB. So before we dive into you know, Dan Quinn and the comments Jerry May, let's talk about this skills because that's what I watched. To be honest, once I turned on the real Pro Bowl game, I was like, man, you know I ain't watching it. Ain't of them. So the skills challenge, we had two of our guys competing. I think it was the fastest man competition. I don't know if it was forty yards.

I don't know what they were racing, but it was a forty forty. So the two players we had in there Michael Parsons, Trademond Diggs, and the other two were the Cheetah Tyreek Hill and Nick Chub, the running back out of Cleveland. Now, going into this, I know Michael Parsons ran what he were like a four to three something in at the combat, so I know he was going to show out. We know the type of guy

he is. He's a competitor. Anytime there's some type of competitive juices going on, he wants all a part of it. He's a young guy. He's young exactly. He's a young guys that would have been my So going into that, you saw what the guy was able to do in that forty yard dash. Does that further cement him as being one of the most explosive players, especially being a rookie International Football League? I mean he was. I know,

Tyreek didn't really trial like that. He came out that the box jog and he had his full suit on, so he really wasn't going like that. But thenz and Chuck up. They were trying and that's a corner and that's a running back going against a linebacker slash defensive end. Did it further solidify anything for you and that in that regard, No, sir, I mean for three or fourty three,

it don't matter what you play, all right. So once once he see men of the fact that he was running that fast, I wasn't surprised that he was there. While I also wasn't surprised that Tyree Hill didn't sprint like I said, Tyrek Hills a vent in the game. He got nothing to prove. You could turn the film on and see how fast is do this. All you got to do is turn it on and see him waving the dudes breaking ankles could touch. Even if let's just take Tyrek tried like I'm really in these box,

I'm really getting out. You think Parsons would have had any chance to beat him? Now, I don't think it would have been a blowout of a race. But now Tyrey Hill, Tyrek Hill. The race I would like to see is Tyree Hill and Jamar Chase just just game film game speed. Those are two dudes. When you turn the film on and you watch how they just defeat angles of guys and and then them dudes ain't slow corners at all. And then that's what it like you said,

they're erasing angles out there like you see. I see. I watched on that. I think it was they played Cincinnati the first time during the regular season. I think it was week seventeen, and um, what's the no, no, no no, I'm sorry. It was the playoff game against the Bills and Tyrek Hill caught that overtime pad or whatever my man literally was piecing dudes out. They were five yards ahead of him, so and he was piecing them out five yards behind him. No one he was going to

be erased that angle. I mean, that's pure speed. And then like you said, Jamar chased the way he's his ability to just gang ground on people. It's remarkable. That would have been a hell of a race to check out and and listen. This is how you know dudes is fast. Right if your coach does not yell at

you on the sideline when you're getting burnt out. Anytime Tyrek Hill line up at number three in a closed formation with a tight end and he runs that over route, you can automatically assume that he's going to be open because nobody can run, you know, step for step with him. And then the coach is just like, dangn that go again. You can't. You can't. You can't even want to ground. You can't coach. You can't coach the dude the run faster. Right if the d lid don't get there, Tyrek Hill

is able to outrun anybody who's covering him. So that's how you know dudes is fast. When the coach is like, man, I got nothing. You remember we used to be like called hamstring buster. Who used to be the hamstring buster. I'm a can breaking Yeah, I mean your hammies are gone if you try to chase that man. It was Coach Baker used to be like, hey, man, y'all make sure y'all stress for y'all get out there on that field to day, because I'm telling you, dudes is coming. Okay,

play play teen yards, I'll play twit. Yeah, whatever you got to do to make sure this dude don't get past you, because you know he's just that fast. There's a hamstring buster. He's a hamstring buster all right now. But before we take our first break, you know, we got a couple of minutes before that first one. Let's dive into a little bit more Cowboys football. Let's get a little bit more deeper into this now. You know, with all the reports going out there, Miami didn't have

their their head coach hired. I forget his same Mike McDaniels. I thought the multiratial Yeah, oh, why couldn't they just say buying the ball time ranger. I ain't gonna lie to you, I ain't gonna dive into it. But look at the picture. Look at the picture. I said, wait, we look at the picture. You identified as whatever you want to whatever. Everybody got that, right, I guess I don't know what. Just look at the picture. That ain't the problem. Okay, they talking about black coaches. I don't

care what they're talking about, specifically black coaches. And the reason they talk about black coaches because most of the league is black. That's what we're talking about, all right, But whatever. Yea, they hired him. They hired him, So Miami got their guy. And I don't know if Kellen has anything else lined up around the league as far as interviewing process, not sure, but from all you know, from what it looks like, the guy might be coming back to Dallas or he is coming back to Dallas.

Do you feel like bringing him back as that offensive coordinator? Do you feel like that makes this team that much better? Better than who better? Just as overall just having him back on this offensive scheme or whatever offense we've been running these past couple couple of years. Do you think that bringing him back is the right thing for the Cowboy? Yeah, it was the last few years, and they've been good, Okay the last few Okay, the year before Dak got paid.

This was the year when Dak was on my fantasy team and he was getting enough but trash yards. We came here every week. It was like trash yards. We know, if Dak had ten points in the first half, it didn't matter because he was gonna get twenty five in a second because they was gonna be a slow starting team who had to come back, and they still didn't have a good record all before he got hurt. That next year, we were almost losing to Atlanta if the

watermelon kicks. We were turning the ball over like crazy. We were not on pace to be a Super Bowl winning team or one of those offenses to where they are electric from start defense. It was like we gotta clause up back in it. Same thing we saw this year when you played against some good competition, or the further that you got into the season when you had to start switching stuff up, because though the defensive coordinators are able to see what you're doing, we were not

able to be successful. So the only thing that can make this being successful with Keller Moore coming back is if he goes and this is no pun attend. If he goes in the lab, we're gonna another coach going into the lab. Bro. He got to go into the lab, Bro, and he got to sit back and he got to

go in there. First, you need to look at the mirror and say, listen, whatever I did or whatever I'm doing with this specific quarterback is not working how it should be working right with the weapons that we have.

Then going the lab with dan Quinn and figure out how you can scheme up some other stuff, how you can get your guys in one on one position to say that I'm better than this guy and I'm gonna beat him on the slant, I'm gonna beat him on the face some of those Dad's Brian plays some of some of that, like mine is better than yours, and when we're gonna we're gonna toss it up and see who can get it. Going the lab, see if you can get that done. Maximize the potential of your star players.

And then I think I think the scuys the limit for us. But if you continue to be able to let defenses dictate what you're going to run based off what they scheme and what they show and how they disguise, it's gonna be the same thing. Yea, you know the same thing. I mean, I'm with you because because the guy you know credited this guy, he did have the number one offense, you know, throughout the regular season, but

that didn't correlate to more wins. You know, we got into the dance and we weren't able to get over the hump. Weren't able to go out there and get to w against San Francisco forty nine ers. And a lot of that's got to be on the offensive side of the football because defense, you know, the forty nine were able to run the football on us. They scored on the first four possessions, but the defense of the second half they held their own. They gave us an

opportunity to go out there and win the game. You know. Offensively, we just weren't able to get out of that slump. It just seems like we weren't able to get out of our way, whether it's you know, penalties, the defense just figuring us out, not enough creativity, whatever the case may be. We weren't able to get over that hump offensively, and that was supposed to be a strength, especially coming into this season, how lowded we are. We were supposed

to have the three thousand yard receivers. We got a ninety million dollars back in the backfield and a great compliment back to him, and Tony Pollard got the tight end situation. Offensive line, it's not the best as it was in the past, but it's definitely nowhere, you know, as bad as Cincinnati's offensive line is. So we had no excuses out there. Yet through the beginning of the season, it was all up, Oh man, that's throwing the ball over the place. You know, this offense is clicking on

all cylinders. We had two running backs in the top ten rushing for the National Football League. The receivers are happy, everything's going great, and then that calf injury happened and he missed two games, and then after that that slump happened, and it just seemed like we weren't able to get out of our own way. And like I said, I don't know if that was creativity wise. You know, defense is just kind of getting the tapeall kelling and figuring out how to slow him down offensively or what in

case may be. But in your opinion, what does this offense need to do next year to be able to be I mean, I know they were the number one offense this year, but to at least get that number one offense and have wins to back it up as well. I think you should not be focusing on being a number one offense. I think you should be focusing on being a balanced offense with an identity. You need to find a way to when you're building this team for next year and you're putting it together, to say this

is what our identity is going to be. Right, I'm gonna go back to when we had the offensive line. Nobody had a question what our identity was. When we had Tyren Smith, and we had Travis Frederick and you had Zach Mark. It was no question. Every defense that we played knew exactly what they was gonna get. For sixty minutes on Sunday, you was gonna have to see

them dudes. You had to see Zeke, had to see de Marco, and then you was gonna have to uh Davis was gonna be in a one on one, right, You knew exactly what was gonna happen and they couldn't stop it. So the number one thing they need to do you need to find a way to find some balance, get some identity so your team knows exactly who they are? Why are they going through the season because nobody knew what we were? Do you think like this? So, do you think the offense is trying to feature a strength

that really isn't a strength? You know they're trying to I know, I know Dak Prescott's a hell of a quarterback. He's a hell of a player. I wouldn't call him a leak or anything like that, but he's a hell of a player. Do you think what we're doing offensively it's just trying to highlight him too much instead of being more of that balance, you know, highlight Zeke a little bit here, not put everything on Dak Prescott's shoulders.

Do you think that might be some of the disconnect here between being a number one offense and not correlating the victories. Yeah, I'm just gonna say I believe that it is. I want to say overthinking, but it's getting close to overthinking of like, how how can we draw the play and make sure the read happens perfectly every time to where you have to hit the right person every single time versus sometimes you got to throw some contested balls. I mean, the dudes gotta make some contested catches.

Sometimes the hole is gonna be clogged up, but you got a ninety million dollar guy back there, You got Tony Paula back there. Sometimes the player is gonna have to make that play right. It doesn't have to be perfect every time, but you have to get these dudes involved in the game so they can show you why they are special. Right now, we're not letting dude show why they're special. We just letting dudes run routes and then if they open based off whatever the defense gives you,

then that's what they got. But that's not why you pay dudes. That ain't why you pay him. Mark Cooper million, I mean hundred million. You pay him a hundred million because you know that if he lines up one on one that he can route this dude up and he should be open. You pay Zeke ninety million because you know if you give him twenty carries, your record is almost four to one. All done, hell a lot better.

That's why you're paying this dude ninety million dollars. Right when when Ezekiel Elliott was out, when he was suspending up six games, why did we feel like the season was over? He was that that guy right identity and we just don't have that right now. Oh Zeke, Yeah, yeah, he passed blocking and he doing good and nobody got don't know what. I don't want to pass blocking. We want to run back in the back ninety million. Yeah, run the ball, bro what are you doing? Zeken special?

He can still be special, but if you don't give him the opportunity, like Jerry said, yeah, you're gonna waste the career. You're going to continue till when you're gonna waste Tony Bowler's career. You're gonna waste Z's career. Coop you know, I don't know what they're gonna do with Coop this year and all these other guys, but you yeah, you put in some money on some guys and you're gonna be like, man, my ro I just did not

come back. It didn't come back at all. Nine. Well, we're gonna take our first break here, which is at the s WBC studios here at the Star. When we get back, we're gonna dive into a little bit of these free agents or who's gonna stay, who's not a Mark Cooper. The Law also comments what Jerry said about bringing back the defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and we also have the great, the legendary Will McClay, the one that's been hitting on all of these draft picks these past

couple of years. We'll have him in the studio probably around our third segment, but this will be our first break. This is a player's house, brought to you by Hotels dot Com. Here to SWBC Studios. At Smoothie King, we are blending goodness to fuel your greatness. Every blind is crafted to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

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your butt happy. SeatGeek, get your seat in a seat Back to the players loud back here, and I asked WBC Studios. This is the Player's Lounge, brought to you by hotels dot com and Danny, you know how use hotels dot com, you know, get my mountain trips that you so, yeah, they're getting me right. Take birthday. They took care. They took care of me. Man, So make sure if you if you're traveling within you know, anywhere at the hotels dot com. I need the church because

I know your code is a little different. Now code it's about the same. But uh CB, he got a he got a little bit of Jerry's audio that we're gonna listen to here about Dan Quinn and bringing him back to this cowboy organization. I know my boy Daniel Berry is excited about it, so sebe can you roll

that audio for us please? What we really did, the hard work on was to maintain dan Quinn, and I felt that that had a lot of different different things vantages, and I mentioned that I was so pleased was how we had stayed in communication with Dan, stayed in communication with his representatives, and how Mike had spent time and had his polls talking to him because all of us wanted Dan to stay. That was a key to our

continuity here. Well, you heard it Ry first, or you heard it at that interview, but you know, I know you're excited about this, Danny. I know you're exciting because you was beating down the walls before anybody beat down the walls about bringing dan Quinn back to this Cowboys

organization or just bringing him here in general. So, what are your thoughts on the Cowboys bringing dan Quinn back as their defensive coordinator even though he was one of the hottest candidates in the league this offseason as far as getting a new head coaching job so so far, definitely the biggest move of the off season. Um and depending on who you can get in the draft, it might continue to be the biggest move of all season.

I think what we missed in that video was Jerry Jones saying kind of insinuating that guys like to stay here in Dallas, especially when they assume that they may be a potential head coach Das guys. It's guys, guys have that that that that kind of idea of like, hey man, I want to be in Dallas. There's a potential for me to be a head coach. And he wants guys to think that, right, he wants guys to think that. So you got last week, you had Sean Payton, you know, all that talk about John pay Now you

got this talk about my man dan Quinn. I'm just glad that Kelly Moore is not in the running to be the head coach for the Dallas Cowboys. We don't know that yet. We don't don't I know, I know you got Mike McCarthy dan Quinn up here. There's no way there's an elevation of Kelly Moore over dan Quinn's head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. But now I love it man to you know, all seriousness or whatever, Kelly Moore, I don't have no issue what to do. This as

an all series of to the poke. I don't I don't know, I don't know the dude, but um, I think it's great, I think Michael. I think it's gonna help the help Michael Parsons continue to be a better player. Depending on what we do with Tank. I think it Tank gets a full year under Dan Quinn, you will see a much better Tank. When he came back, he looked like a totally different player than what he was last year. Depending on what you do with Randy, depending

on how many tools you give this dude. You see, he could make some noise, and that was just his first year where you've seen him. You know, they chopped at a half pretty much of like we were the worst all of a sudden, we floating around the middle of the pack. Next year, if you give the dude the tools, then you should be able to get up into that top ten defense. And I'll be asking for my bet back. I don't know about top ten, This defense will definitely get I'll ask for my bag. Were

gonna see, We're gonna see. But I'm with you on

this regard. You know, I think you know Dan and Quinn last year was definitely one of the biggest free agent you know, acquisitions we got, if we can call it that, And I think it's it definitely proved dividends for this defense overall last year, and then bringing him back in that same type of defensive coordinator role um to me is important because you, like you said, he got the most out of all his players, because pretty much a lot of those players that were on that

historically bad defense in twenty twenty we're part of this twenty twenty twenty two season, and they played extremely well. I'm talking about Anthony Brown, Jordan Lewis, look at what Diggs did out there. They were able to play extremely well out there. Even Lvee he came back and had one of his bounce back years. He wasn't back to his Pro Bowl caliber, but he was definitely a solid

player out there. So I think dan Quinn definitely got the most out of all his players out there production wise, and another year under that system that could be even better. I'm not sure what we're gonna do with the law and those other guys and a lot of free agents on the defensive side of the football, but bringing back dan Quinn definitely definitely will prove dividends for this defense.

I mean, when you got guys like you know, Curse coming in here, Kzy Brent Urban, you got a couple of guys that, you know, not really big known guys around the NFL, but he was able to go out there and turn Curse, who basically in Detroit and Minnesota was you know, a special teams guy. He played defense sparingly here and there. He turned that guy into one

of the better safeties in the National Football League. You Now, I don't know if it was just his system or however he used him, but the guy was definitely highly productive out there as a safety. You look at Kazy, he was able to do some pretty good things, even though he needs to work on his angles in the back end, but that's a story for another day. You got this defensive line who he works extensively with, you know the law urban O, Diggi Zooa, you know Gallamore,

Randy Gregory. He works with those guys on an everyday basis, and he got him flying around. He had him flying around as well as aiden he's their defensive line coach out there. He had those guys flying around. So the importance of bringing back a dan Quinn to me, it's it's it's it's up there. It's extremely high up there, and this guy has proved dividends for this Cowboys defense and this organization overall, and the culture of your team. Yeah,

their entire team. We saw the entire team followed that swag that dan Quinn came in with. Now, it didn't get us to the super Bowl, but you can you can just fill it from around the building from due our training camp and you're hearing like how the defense is playing and all that, and you can attribute a

lot of that to dan Quinn. I think even Mike McCarthy got a little bit more comfortable knowing that he had a defensive coordinator who could really get the most out of his players on the other side of the ball. I think that also helped Mike McCarthy be better at his job as well. So it's huge that we got dan quinnback stay another couple of years. By man, please let us let us be let the Cowboys be known

for having a good defense. Let let that be something, right, because when this last time we've been known for that, right, it's always been offense. I've always been offen. Let's get the first round draft pick. Let's get this. We got rong, we got the Marco. Now now we got a team to where we can get the defense rolling. So I'm okay, if we get a two thousand Ravens type defensive performers from from the Dallas Cowboys moving forward, I'm cool with that.

And without further ado, we got the legend, the man, the myth, the legend, Will McClay joining the players lounge here down at the s WBC studios. Thank you, Will for stopping Baden to talk to me and my boy McCray right there, right on time. I got any about twenty seconds off. Look like that's see, that's that's why. That's why he is what he at right now exactly early. No, that's why I like y'all because y'all were on which made me there you go, there you go. What's up,

Will Man? How you been good? Man? Just got back from the Senior Bowl. Okay, a week of Mobile Alabama. I can see that. I can see one of my old teammates, Kelvin Shepherd, is out there. He was coaching. Was he cousin linebackers? Use linebackers? He's like he was having a of the time he's out there in Detroit. Oh yeah, okay, so it looked like he was doing a good job out there, man, you know, so it's mobile, So you got to look for the posters. This is true.

It is true. Yeah, alright, Well, so I ain't gonna hold you up too much, man, I just wanted to pick your brain a little bit here, you know, going into You've been doing this for years now, years now, scouting and then getting these picks in for these guys here at the Cowboys, and you've done an amazing job. I mean from LV to you know, Parsons to you know Jaylen Smith was out there for a while doing

and CD and days. I mean, your records impeccable. So what goes through, you know, the process and an offseason like yourself going through scouting these players, getting them, you know, ready for the combound, Like what what what are you looking for in these players to come to Dallas and help this team out. At the end of the day, what we really need to continue to improve on us getting those dogs. We need to get those guys at the time when it's time to make plays, to make

those plays. And as you build a team, you continue to do that. But when it starts, when the season's over, we understand where our rosters. We go evaluate our roster, what kind of what plays A free agents what holes are. We're going to have that whole process, do it that

way to talk about where our team is. And the college scouts have been out since you know, August, going looking at prospects and so they've built all the reports and we're continuing to find out about the players and then we get to see them live, interview them, do all that stuff. That's what starts now is like trying to find out what's on the inside. You know, we can watch the tape and find out kind of their abilities. Now what's more important is finding out what's on the inside.

Can they learn, do they have the right stuff, and then do they fit what we do? So just off the topic a little bit, So I want to know how the new college system is affecting how you think about players, right because you see guys sitting out years they might not play in the Bowl game. They might be having a different mindset now because they might be making a little money before they even get to the league.

And I know, I know back in the passage just like dudes is grinding so they can they can try to make some money for their family. They want to make sure that they get that. And then now you got guys were freshman's freshman going out there making a million dollars hire million dollars there. So how does that affect how you look at a player, how much more research you have to do, and to who they are

as a person. It's ever evolved. It's you know, you add that layer into it because, like you guys said, when we were coming up, it was ball and you know you had to do something to put food on the table. Now these guys are getting opportunities in college to do that. So what's going to be their motivation for playing ball? That's why you got to dig in and find out about them. And you know, I always say it's about scouting and what we do. We're asking

people about people and putting them into another environment with people. Well, now you add the element of finances and what's in a dude's mindset when it becomes more difficult and so you really have to dig. You really got a call on like, it's important for me to have guys like you interact with some of the young guys because y'all are younger guys that but are old heads that kind

of understand the new and the young age. So it's it's trying to get that information and really dissected as much as possible, because it's really hard because, for example, we had this hard line stance last year at the beginning of the process. When you're thinking about guys who didn't play, guys who opted out, Well, now you got to find out what their why is, why did they opt out? Okay, now you got to weigh some of

that in with your thought pressing. And there's biases and everything we do we try and overcome those and say, if we're gonna look at this situation this way, let's make sure we look at the other situation with all the different variables you know involved too, to try and help us make a better decision. And it's crazy too because two of the best players this season did not play college Parsons Chase did not play college football. That

if to it. That adds to it. And you know, we go to like the Senior Bowl and agents are pulling players out after a couple of days, and that's been common, but it's just more so now because there are some guys that didn't play last year and had success, so other guys think they can do that. Well, you might not be those two. Everybody always always remember that.

So I want to ask another one, um, what is the evaluation of free agents, like, because these past a couple of free agents that you guys have had that the Curses, the Kazys, they've come here and they bawled out, I mean curse. You know when he was in Minnesota, when he was in Detroit, he was more just a special teams guy, came in here and did a couple

of defensive snaps here and there. You know, when you're evaluating guys like that, how did you how did you know that he was gonna be able to come here and be kind of that standout safety, kind of be that guy in the back end. And can you also add parcels in there too, because we also want to know, like because when I wasn't here at that time when Parslons got drafted and I was like, yeah, old line also stuff and then people saw it though, Like so just kind of going too in regards to curse and

like pro free agents College's projection. You know, you're projecting these dudes in when you go to pro free agents, it's more these guys are actually this is they're actually competing against NFL guys, and so you kind of look at this skill set and for us defensively and offensively when you include players in there, that's where the communication with coaches and stuff, Right, Okay, what's your vision for

this player? What are you looking for? So then we go out and try and find the skill set and there's evidence on that skill set on tape on NFL. Guys, you say, Okay, if we coach him right, he can fit in this role. And I think with Dan and what we've done in the free agent parts, you gotta feel for guys like if both of you guys were free agents right now coming into the system, I would say, Danny mccraige, boom boom boom, this is what he can do.

This is what he can't do. Same thing with Barry Church, coach, what are you looking for? Now? These things fit and it's it's actual to me, it's it's it's easier when you go UFA's it's actual from a skill set standpoint. Now, what you still have to kind of get wrap your mind around is who is a dude who you're bringing into the locker room? His skill sets? One thing? Now, who you're bringing in because the culture is the locker

room to fit all that other stuff. And then when it comes to Micah as far as players, um, we remember going through the draft meetings and you look at Okay, he can do this, he can do that, he can do this, uh and all at a high level. But now it's how are you going to use him? That's the key, you know, it's you say it's about I always say it's about the Jimmy's and the Joe's, not the exes and the os. But you got to figure out where Jimmy and Joe go within your exes and

o's and that's where the coaching comes in. So so with that because you know, I'm a dan Quinn so so in my mind to me, I'm just thinking that Dan dan Quinn specifically not not the shots to other other coaches that have been here, specifically has an idea before you pick, like when you ask the guy, hey, man, like where am I? What am I gonna do with him? What do I need him to do? Like a curse?

And dan Quinn in his mind has that he knows exactly what that is and it's set in stone like yeah, like I know exactly what I could do with a guy like that. That's right, Yes, that's it, and that's that's the key to it. The NFL now is so uh, there's so many roles and different players on the way people do it. You have to match defenses, have to match offenses now. So you look at the skill set

and what a guy can do. But it's not just doing the one thing because you don't want a guy they can do one thing, because the team will flip it around and put a guy in motion. Make it. You got to be able to do two things. You gotta be able to do the high level curse, for example, is able to cover tight ends. He's able to fit down in the box. He had the length and the physicality to be able to play in the box. There may be a guy who can cover tight ends but may not be big enough to fit in the box.

So where does that fit within your defense and what you want to do. It's just so the NFL has becomes so role specific now and it's because you're taking players from a college environment that the college environment is starting to eke into the NFL. But it's still the NFL with a few wrinkles in it. But so you have to fit those pieces in right. We talked about the Pro Bow early today. So just a quick tip bit on that. What do you if you're a player

is in the Pro Bowl? Do you want them to go out there and play harder than what you're watching On some tags, I'm saying, but it's the risk worth the reward in your mind it's not. But well, for me, you want them to go out and see him play football every time. You know, that's the old school in me. But there's also the reality of it, as those contracts

are not guaranteed. There's there's different mindset that go into do I make that decision to hit somebody when it doesn't really count, right, That's the tough part about it. Like my ac jone was hurting two weeks ago. I've been on the couch. Now you want me to go ahead and hit this dude? Because I do it. I'm watching the game and I'm like, I understand. I'm just happy y'all went out there and gave the gay the

fans something to actually watching. Some of the fans are watching like what, and I'm like, yeah, but that's just like the NBA off starting. Okay, what do you want to do? You want to see scoring? You know, have fun. Let's see, it's the reward of the game. We don't want to see our players that were counting on the next year get hurt, you know, and not be able

to help our team. But you know that you're gonna go out there and as a football player, old school style, I'm gonna say, anytime I strip up, I'm gonna give my best. Yeah, it's it's a little bit different to your quarterback out there on the offensive line. He might not. Yeah. So I got a little I got a little two

part of for you here. Two part of part one. UM, you know, how impressed were you with Dan Quinn and you know his ability to basically turn this defense around and have them taking football away almost as good as anybody in the National Football League. And then my second part kind of a fun question, is this the best

defensive line that you've seen here? Because we've been a part of some good ones with d Ware, you know, Hatch and you know rat Living all them guys, is this one of the best defensive lines you've been a part of? UM well number one in regards to Dan and the defensive staff putting it together. I mean, when we play football, we all want something to believe in. UM you know, and so if I have a coach that shows me that I can be better, how he

can make me better. There's a unique way that you know, this season was a unique way to bring all that together. You have players that kind of felt that vibe and they were all working together and hopefully you can build on that. That's the uniqueness of Dan. He can make you feel like and and and understand where you're coming from, your strengths and your weaknesses and be able to communicate

that with you. And that's a unique skill set in today's day and age when everybody's being paid, you know, in college and hey, how do I you know, how do I reach this dude to uh, you know, I think Dan and might do a great job, but that we're trying to understand guys so understand how to motivate them and get them to play. As far as the

D line, I think we're building that. It's nothing compared to you know, some of those lines we had when you had hat left Ratcher, you know Ratft Hatcher spears that gold uh you know, spent you all those guys. That was a unique Now these are young guys, dudes

that are coming. Um, I think that there are some elements, but it's hard to say which one was better because I know and there were some guys now, yes, yes, yeah, and you was on the tea with them to do so when they when they call you and ask you, why would you make that? That was not a day MC great question. Okay, I just saw d where the other day. All right, hall of Fame guy. I did not. That is not my question. But so oh yeah, so I want to ask about my guy, Okay, my guy Wilona.

Do we else? Okay? Because going into last year, I think it was last year, right, Blake Jarwin ends up getting hurt at the beginning and then shots comes in. He has a to us, from our perspective, had a rough game just because he had to step in. We thought the lights were a little brightening. We were down on him, Yeah I was. I was. And then you see what he's been able to do at the end of last year and then all of this year becoming one of those those those staples for Dak Prescott. Right.

And then I think a lot of times the tight end coaches, they get overlooked for being able to coach a guy to be that good. Right, so they might he might have the skill set already, but what he saw from Dalton Shoultz was you started saying, all right, what that better find Schultz when you got a guy like Coop, when you got a guy like Ceedee Lamb, and then Shultz is still able to make that type of noise within that offensive scheme by man Luda Wells. Yeah,

no question, it's coach Wells. There's a standard that he has in a room and he's gonna hold everybody accountable to it. But then he has a way again of making guys better. Everybody that's in that room, they're pros, they're at the top of the game, but they always want to get better. So he finds little ways to make guys better to drive and to make them, you know, achieve their stealing. He's gonna challenge them in a way. And you got to be in that room, and it's

got to be in you. And that's the thing about Dalton Schultz is he was in the room with Jason Witten. First. He learned how to be a pro from witness and there's a lot of little witness ms in him, you know, and how he attacks the position and how he runs his room and all that but then it's coach Wells holding them accountable, teaching him he can get to a higher level. When a guy can get to a level next level, I'm gonna believe in you. I'm gonna get the young guys on your side too because of what

you've done for me. And that's what Wales has done and understanding the offensive line being an offensive line coach and then learning the passing game. He's bringing an element to tight ends that's different than maybe they've received before. Two. Yes, I think I had a little bit of LSU so me and yeah at loading is my guy, man, Just just to see him be able to because I think when he was in he went to New York right for a minute, and he was maybe like a GA

or something. He was, he was a line coach, he had done some line coach and uh so I've seen him and then now just to be able to see that's true. Man. He just went from what I'm but I remember him being an LSU to what he is now and the way he's able to affect these players because I'm here. When he was an intern, yeah I was yeah, so it was intern here. Yeah he was okay, And that was when I first. I mean, you know, we was kind of coming up together at that time.

I got one more for you on my side. How how impressed were you because I know I was certainly impressed with the jump that Terrence Steele was able to make from year one to year two, you know, being that swing guy, being all over the offensive line. It seemed to me like he was able to hold his own for the most part. This season. He struggled a little bit from here to here, but he's a growing player, a young player. He has time to develop. How long press were you with his playoffs so far as season

or if this season? I mean, he did an incredible job coming back after he played his rookie year, played a lot of snaps his rookie year. He came back stronger, he came back more determined, And that's the unique part about him. He played both sides, and yeah, it's not ideal, but at the end of the day, there's not enough quality offensive lineman to go around thirty two NFL teams. People make mistakes drafting guys in the first round in the second round and don't get the level of performance

that we got from Steel. So that's exciting because just who the young man is like, he's determined, he got a little nasty with him. He's long, he's athletic, and he got stronger, and he doesn't say a word. He's got that offensive line mentality, and he's got a great

veteran group to learn from. When you Tyrn Smith and Zach Martin and LC, you understand what it takes to be a pro and then you got to take it upon yourself as a young man, which he did to come in his weight room and get stronger and do all the things and took to play at a high level. And I think he's going to be a surprising player for US, young player for us as we continue to

go forward. I was converted. I mean last year I was bound on still and I was like, oh man, you know, I hope I hope it right because if confidence goes away all of a sudden, when you start struggling like that, we've all been through it. And then this year, just to see him, to know what he had to go through in order to get as good as he was this year, Like people don't understand that, bro,

that's that's a year of it. And then you also have to you have to be vulnerable enough to put yourself back out there and say, listen, I still might get beat right, but I'm gonna trust the work that I did in the off season competitive and it's gonna work. That's the dogs that we're trying to find when we started to deal. I mean, it's guys like y'all. As you continue to grow. People might have ability, but you

got to find out what's on the inside. You're not gonna know what's on the inside until you get to experience it with them. You know, you get to find out. You get to put him in the trenches. It doesn't matter. You get some guys drafted. I love this time of year because you got all these big draft boards and

people they don't know anything about that person. We're trying to figure out about that person and see if they got the charent steal or they got the Micah Parsons that kind of stuff, and where the Danny McCray or the buried church. That's the stuff that we're looking for that makes a difference. There's Drake. There's Drake hal there. Because I know you don't like to listen to Drake, do you like? No, I'm not I got that Drake jay Z. You know he's talking about, you know, coming

from the struggle and how not lollypops. I don't know. That's a little way. Okay, so so so so so so we dow versus and we dow versus. I'm jay Z over Little Wayne, but he might not, okay, because you cannot use the mixtapes and all that stuff your albums. Because what I said is when Little Wayne drops his mixtapes, he goes off other people's beats, and he also kind of steals a little part of what they were talking about in the song You're Taking the Man Strings strange

a mixtape. You know some people you know got out of school, but I played your ride these get the grees. Yes, all right, well we're gonna We're gonna let you slide about, hold on, hold on, And you know I'm a fifty five year old hip hop head. I will you know, ride, ride or die with it? Um, Scarface the best in business? Like you heard it here, man, I canna argue listen because I'm from Houston, So you know, we it's a thing like you like Wiz and you like we believe

that Scarface is the guy. Real quick subject quick, real quick, Burrow or Herbert, Oh Burrow, I mean that's why. And here he got that dog, that arterback position that leads the whole thing. People want to follow Herbert because of his talent, and he's establishing that. Burrow came in a dog, got the dogs to follow him. And now look where they are in a place that you you wouldn't expect the Bengals to be because they don't do that, and

they've also been lucky. But he's got that dog. Sat you get sack nine times, don't don't you don't blink the flinch and your team is they got your back. Because we're not gonna say that they win specifically just because Joe Burrow, but the defense is playing harder because of Joe Burrows. There is a that Prescott effect to Joe Burrow, when you get people to believe in you no matter what, they're gonna ride with you. And that's what he's done. Yes, he's just phone right, Herbert. Her

is extremely talented. He's extremely talented. When he came out, that was the one thing it was like, hey, where where is that at? And you see more of it than we saw in college. But Burrow, somehow, some way has that thing you know on that night. We take our next commercial break. This is the player's house. Thank you will for stopping by. Brought to you Byte dot com, but the SWBC Studios hot thank you. What's the game will? Game day? You know what that means. First cupbob prep

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number one ticketing app. So what are you waiting for? Download? The app now, or visit SeatGeek dot com to get tickets to sports, concerts and live events and make your butt happy. Seek get your seat in a seat to the Players Loud, and we are back at the Players douns, brought to you by Hotels dot Com. Here at the SWBC podcast studio in the Star, it's your boy Berry Church, your average box safety with joined by me. We're going to join. I can't even talk joint that sound like

New y'all here. That's because the Herbert got damn Will to Herbie. I'm joined by the ultimate surmraper, Danny mccraige. But Will's words definitely put a dagger and put a dagger in my Herbert argument over Borrow, because I mean, the guy's been scotting twenty five thirty years now, so man, that that hurt me right. Okay, you can watch Joe Burrow on Sunday on all the TV screens, whatever you want to buy, you watching, you just watching win Super Bowl MVP, and then I don't want to hear nothing

about this year. What he would have the same number of Super Bowls? Is the great Aaron Rodgers tell you just tell anyways. Anyways, I ain't want to bring this up while we had Will over here breaking things down for us. But I gotta get to the question. I gotta ask you the question. I'm gonna put my two cents in there as well, but I'm gonna go with you. First. Two guys that you know a lot of reports have

been going around. Maybe here may not be here. Let's start with the guy on the offensive side of the football. And I think you know who I'm talking about. If you were ahead of all of this, if you're the guy can charge of bringing guys back, signing guys, all that good stuff, do your bring back number nineteen, Amari Cooper.

I think I think the thought that we'll have to go into it is kind of something similar to what Will said right when we talked about Dan Quinn and you talked about bringing curse in and you said, Hey, I see this guy. This is what this guy's gonna do, this is what he can do, this is really good, and that's how we're gonna use them. These are the same conversations that you don't have to have about a Mark Cooper and how you plan to use them. Okay,

how we have been using him. I would not I wouldn't pay twenty meal for basically for what for last year? For last year, I would if we're gonna use them that way from what I saw on filming in the games, I would not pay twenty meal for. If you are going to make him the guy that guy, right, you're gonna find a way to always get him in one on ones, put him in the slot so so you can maximize his ability. If you're gonna do that, then

absolutely I'll keep him. But but I feel the same way about Zeke, like if you're not going to use him to what for what? He's good at punishing dudes, so when you're wearing on them, so when they get to the end of the game, I was sudden those those three and four yard runs turn into twenty and you're just gonna use his pass blocking ability that I

wouldn't pay him ninety million either, you know. But I but if you're gonna find a way to maximize these dudes ability and potential kind of kind of like a dance Brian is where I see a Mark Cooper not going up to get get the jump balls, but finding a way to get him in want to marget target wise right and not just not just the targets, right, because all of a sudden you see Mark Cooper get three, three four out routs and he got five targets in five. Kids.

I'm talking about those big time ones like like DeAndre Hopkins, DeVante Adams, that type of stuff. If you're gonna use them that way, absolutely, If you're not, and you're just gonna draw stuff and try to get whoever is open, they it doesn't really make much sense. So if you're going to buy that way, if you know, if he like you said, if you want to buy that last part where you're just drawing stuff up, his price tag

is too high at that point. You gotta you gotta kind of let them rattle that one because you're not using them, like you said, Like like a Devontae Adams type where we know defenses know going into into Green Bay or when they play against green Bay, Devontae Adams is that guy. But the Green Bay Packers know that as well, that defense is going to kill on them. But they find ways to either put them in bunches, put them in motion, find some type of way three

by one set let him be the single receiver. On that other side, they find ways to get him the football and he's able to prove or dividends for their offense. But we just don't see that here with you know, Amark Cooper. I don't know if it's you know, the coaching staff don't. They don't see him as that you know, number one bona five receiver or what the case may be. But they're not giving him though. They're not featuring him, you know, like a DeVante Adams, like a DeAndre Hopkins,

like somebody along those lines. And I think he has the skill set and I think he is, you know, of the caliber player of those guys, and he can be one of those guys, but he just doesn't get the opportunities as far as big plays, like like you said, we'll see him on a couple of hit trouts here and there, a couple of slams. He might get an eight yard game here and there, but they're not drawing up plays for him to be that focal point of

the offense. And I think you're right if if he's coming back on a twenty million dollars, you know, price tag, then you gotta feature the guy. And if you don't, I think it's kind of a waste of money. The only thing that kind of I kind of fear or push back on is if we let Amark Cooper go, we let him walk, you know, what is that receivering corps gonna look like? What is this? Because because as much as I like Ceede Lamb, he's a pro Bowl player, young emerging receiver, I don't know if he can hold

his own, you know, bayself out there. I don't know if he can be the focal point of the offense. Defense is putting all their coverage on Ceedee Lamb. I don't know if he's that guy just yet. So if you take Amara Cooper out, does that hinder your offense that much? I don't know. That's the only thing that scares me. I'll say that if you let him go, you're gonna have to find you, you know, you fifteen

sixteen million dollars guy that you could bring in. But like I said, if you're just drawing up the roster, get guys open, then you just need a guy who's able to know offenses and know how to run it. You know, if it's his zone, make sure you sit down, if his man, make sure you keep running. You that you just need a guy who's technically sound right if you're gonna pay twenty million dollars. But guy, that has to be a guy who when all techniques and all

that stuff is out the window. It's man, I'm going to beat you. I'm going to put you in position, and we can keep looking dudes. In the Super Bowl, Jamar Chase goes first round, third and twenty three, thirty twenty seven him, Hey, man, and it ain't about drawing up who's hey, Jamar chases one on one. All right, that's what we throw on the ball to backshow to faith and if we lose it, we're gonna lose it knowing that we went to our number one guy. Like

la situation. You know, they're getting a zero blitz. Cooper Cup ain't even a part of the central He's just a clear out route. Stafford Jos's back. Hey, I'm gonna throw this up to my guy. And what happens? They get the rod. You know, they beat Tampa Bay. They go on to beat up who they beating in the

NFC Championship game. San fran ended up beating San Franz and not they're in the Super Bowl, but they feature they highlight their main guys and you know, that's just something if we see it, if we are just sitting here in the podcast studio, we watch practice, we watch the games, if we can see that, I know these coaches have got to be able to do it. So I'm kind of leaning towards their kind of overthinking it

or trying to be too perfect or too cute. Oh, if we draw this up like this, the defenses will focus up on it and no, get him. There's no way that's playing to work. Sometimes you just gotta be like, look, man, our guy is better than your guy, or our guys better than the guys that are double covering him worst feeding the ball. Sometimes they just gotta be like that, give the man a chance to make the play. These dudes want to go out here and show that they

are worth that price to ye. And it's and it gets to the point where it's unfair that we have we coming. We have to say, I don't know we should pay the dude, and I don't believe it's his fault. I really don't believe it's his fault. I'm I'm of the mindset of like, allow him to show that he can't and then you can say he's not worth it. But I don't feel like he's getting those opportunities. Same with Ze same ceedee Land was the first round pick. But I still don't think that they are utilizing his

his his skill set the correct way. You've seen him come out of the backfield one time. I think it was a big game, and we didn't see it again. Jet Sweet. He's a Jet sweet guy. This is the who you should been in the Jet Sweet. Amark Cooper should be running him every time his man coverage. He should be crossing the field in motion because what we know about the defender is when they get motion, you can't press because he's so you should And this is

what they do with Defonte Adams. Every time Defronte Adams come across the field, the receiver gets off and you see him running out route, you see him running come back. You get to see him have that four route street because he's not getting pressed. So I think there's simple ways to get it done. I'm no offensive coordinator, but I just haven't seen that be done for a twenty million dollars guy. And then you look at Amark Cooper

and he has the mind. I believe he has the mindset to where he wants to be one of those top receivers. I mean, we look in the off season of last year, he came in saying, you know, I believe I have the skill set to be a top three receiver or one of the top receivers International Football League. He came out halfway through the season, I'm not getting the ball enough. I can help this team win if you give me the ball. And we know his type of personality, he's not allowed. You know, he's kind of

the opposite. You know, if dz Bran nothing against Daz. He was a passionate guy about about football and about getting the ball and helping his team win. Amark Cooper I think is just as passionate, just in a different way. He's not as vocal as a Daz Brand. But we had him midway through the season. I need to get the ball. I can help this offense win. So if we do decide to bring you know, Mark Cooper back

for this offense, hopefully they feature him. Hopefully he's able to get those targets and get those passes that a lot of the top receivers have out there, and if he's able to do that, maybe he can turn it into one of the best seasons as a receiver. But if we just use him as you know, a scheme guy or you know, hey, he just draw some stuff up, he might be open there, he might not be open.

Then twenty millions just too much for me. This this is why guys like Cedric Wilson and the orb around can get open because you just drawn up, just drawn up to play, and we gonna hit the guy that's open. Okay, they playing cover of three, so this is not gonna be open. So make sure you hit this dude. Nah manna, sir. The dude I want to beginning opens a mark upers

so they running cover of three. The dude who is running running whatever route for the weakness of cover three whatever, trying to he is a mark up, is gonna be that guy. So yeah, I just yeah, but I think he has a skill set to do it. But it depends on how you are going to use use the guy. All right, Well, so we talked about the offensive and now I was going on the defensive side of the football.

And another guy that you know, he's still under contract, but you know there's a lot of reports going around. Will he be here, will he not be here? And that's the Marcus Lawrence. Now we saw, you know, early on in his career, he had those two back to back seasons where I think he had eighteen or seventeen sacks on this franchise. Tags got the big deal. It's still a hell of a player, but we just haven't seen the numbers as much as you know back before

he had gotten the contract. Now, a lot of that had to do his injuries. I mean, I know he was injured lash here this year. He had went through some things, missed eight games I believed to a broken foot. But when he came back, he was bawling. I mean, he had a couple of sacks, a lot of forced fumbles. He was just a terror out there as far as a defensive player. Now, his numbers might not indicate that he's not in the double digit sacks or anything like that,

but the guy was distructive out there. Do you think he similar situation to Mark Cooper high price tag? Do you think he is warranted that high price tag and

coming back? I think his is different than the Mark Cooper's because dan Quinn is a defensive coordinator and I think if if you had the Marcus Lawrence for the full season and he was healthy, I think you would have solved those type of numbers even if it wasn't fifteen sixteen sacks, you would have said that the offensive line they have to come up with a game plan to make sure that they know where where the Marcus Lawrence is. It Also, also the secondary is getting better

and what we know, russe and cover worked together. Okay, if you got a secondary who's taking the ball away, they're given the D line that extra half a second to get to the quarterback, then the D line is going to to be more productive. They're gonna be able to get those sacks, get those those hands up so they can get some of those interceptions. And we saw that throughout the season without the Marcus Lawrence there. And we know the type of talent that the Marcus Lawrence is.

So I'm saying give him a full year with with with DQ and AID and then see what happens, because I think if the dude is healthy, I think he's gonna get back to that form of like, hey man, this dude is a monster. He's he's a force to be reckoned with. Now he has I'm not sure sure the number on the price, but I know it's high. High. Russias are high. The franchise thing for it's up there. Hopefully they bring you know, if you can bring back

both back, hopefully. But I leaned towards the Marcus Lawrence. I'd rather bring him back than in the Mark Coover, just because the simple fact that, like you said, the coordinators, then Quinn's gonna find a way to get de Marcus Lawrence productive out there, and if he's not out there putting up crazy numbers, he's at least opening things up for other people along the defensive line. The Galamore is the o Diggy zooas the Randy Gregory's to have one

on ones out there. Parsons as well. He benefits off of the Marcus Lawrence being out there so he can have the one on one. So I'm definitely with bringing the Marcus Lawrence back, even though it's gonna be a high cap hit and at least letting him go out there improve he's worth that value rather than just saying all right, man, you know, thanks, thanks for your business, but it's trying to walk on so I wouldn't want

to do that. So I'm in the business of keeping the Marcus Lawrence when it comes to Mary Cooper, I don't know kind of fifty fifty because I'm nervous or what that that wide receiver corps is gonna look out without him. But with that high cap number and him not getting the targets or the attempts or the or the catches that he needs to kind of fulfill that number, it's got me a little nervous. So I'm leaning towards d Law over over Mark Cooper on this one. Yeah,

same here, same here. I'm with you, man, just you know, shout out and killing helping guys out, bro attempt to because because next week we have to have the same conversation about Zeke, Like it's gonna be there, right because now you've got TP, you got Zeke. You want to find out like what he still has left and all other stuff. And I don't think the conversation should even have to be had if you do the correct thing

with the guy. All right, he's not an Alvakamar. That's not that's not it's not the type of guy that he is going to be. But we know his skill set, we know what he can do, and we and we saw it this season. We saw it this season when you gave him the opportunity, especially before he got hurt. And then you know, it just kind of feels it out like Mark Cooper makes the noise they gave him, gave me the ball, win game. It was a lot of out routes here here you go, all right, get out,

get out of here. Let me throw the said. I'm going to say, my bad, should bad man. You approved me all the way wrong. But all right, man, it's it's eleven oh four. Our time has come to an end a lot longer than I thought we would. Go. Um shout out to Will McClay for definitely stopping by the Player's Lounge and giving us his two cents on on his role in the offseason and how he evaluate it's players. Once again, I'm your average box safety Barry

Church brought here with my boy. I'm all over the place. You know, Oh, you're an apology or an apology because this is it's it's a little bang bang like it's a little harder than it looks. But I'm here with my boy, Danny mccraie, the ultimate survivor. This has been the Players Lounge, brought to you by Hotels dot Com. We're here at the s WBC Studio. We will see you next Monday, ten am, right ten ten am. We'll see you next Monday at ten am. Thanks for listening.

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