Players Lounge: Excepting Mediocrity?

by former safety's Barry Church and Danny McCray. We've got forty five minutes of professional football talkwee key in on the Dallas Cowboys who have a noon game against the San Francisco forty nine Ers on Sunday. That means I gotta get out of the house, like nine thirty to get on down here for this game. So yeah, it was supposed to be a Sunday night game on NBC. You know, seven o'clock, waiting all day for Sunday night.

Now it's get on up in the morning and get ready for a brunch kickoff game between the Cowboys at forty nine ers. Maybe you're not bothered by it. Clearly Jalen Smith and the Cowboys not bothering him at all. As Jalen was asked about this, and he said, quote, if the owner ain't tripping, we good talking about being from prime time to the noon game and being flexed out four Wait a minute, Wait a minute, Cleveland and the New York Giants. Gentleman, I'm just gonna read to you.

I'm gonna read to you what one gentleman told me. Okay, I asked. I asked a veteran, a person who's been around the Cowboys for a long time, knows Jerry Jones very well. And I sent I sit the same thing I said to you guys that I retweeted Twitter, and this person said, noon starts are the graveyard of mediocrity, the weekly home of the non contenders. The Cowboys have embraced their new identity sad thoughts. I'm gonna tell you what, man, you write it, But whoever told you that was right

about the mediocracy thing? Because I tell you what. When I was in Jacksonville, that's all we had was twelve o'clock games. I mean, we scratched it. We clawed to try to get even the three o'clock afternoons start, and I think we had maybe two of those throughout my whole time down there in Jacksonville. So this is not where the Cowboys want to be. I mean, this is supposed to be America's team. This is supposed to be the ratings are supposed to be spiked when the Cowboys

touched the field. But I mean, I guess, I guess the Lord's gone. I mean, when you go four and nine so far this season, I mean things start to get snatched away from you. Then now we got the Sunday Night getting pulled for Cleveland and New York game. I mean, how the Mighty have fallen? D Mac, How the Mighty have fallen? You know, listen, it's the first time Rights, it's a rough season. You don't have Dak.

You know, your team's underperforming. In Cleveland, all of a sudden is playing well enough to be flexed on Sunday Night because this may be the first year they've been in the playoffs since since I don't know when, you know, So this is a really big game. I don't think this is something that will continue to happen to the Dallas Cowboys. I mean, this is this is one of the off years. So I think Jalen was okay with

his response. Was I think worded wrong. But he should not be worried about being flexed to twelve o'clock now, he should be worried about playing the best football that he could play. I don't think it's that big of a deal. But you know, like NEWI said, it's never happened. So this is a sign that, you know, the same old stuff that happens with the Cowboys to where you can you can be below five hundred team and people

still gonna watch and all that stuff. This may be changing so that this may be that little kicking the butt that we need, you know, to to get things right so we can stay in those promtime games. Here's my fault process. When I hear what Jalen says, and I'll repeat it. If the Yonner ain't tripping, we good. Yeah it was very wrong, but he said it all wrong. The thought process through the years has been, hey, forget the head coach, because when these guys have a direct

line to Jerry, that's what they care about. Don't care what the head coach says. And this goes back to Troy Aikman, who hated Chan Gailey's offense and was straight to the Jerry to get Jan Gailey gone. Dion Sanders had that pipeline, and Romo had that pipeline, And it just seems as though from what I'm reading from this with Jaylen Smith is say, hey man, you know, Jerry's cool. You know Jerry and I cool. I got my contract. Man. You don't forget it. No, no, man has some personal pride.

Your season is so bad that the one network who always wants you on and said, yeah, man, we can't even put these dudes on. You're that bad. And you're like, hey man, it's cool, it's cool, it's down. What is this supposed to say? What? Like? What what would be your ideal response to that? To that question, the fact that they asked him to question anybody, but what would be your ideal response? He should have said. He should have said, you know what, you know, that's something I

can't control. Unfocused on the game in San Francisco. That's what That's all he had to say. And let it go. Take that. I mean, what the guy over there talking about, you know, if he and I could pitch. I didn't see this, but I can picture how he handled it. I can see him just laughing about it. Hey, Well, look man, what Jerry said he ain't say, man, I ain't worried about it. Then, like that whole non chalant adtitude from one of your leaders is just something you

can't have. I mean, and we wonder why the Cowboys a fourule nine right now, and we wonder why the Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in NFL history. I mean, when you got guys doing things like this, it's just it's just it ain't gonna work out. It's just not Is that? Is that? Is that an acceptable answer for you knew it? So here's more. I gonna give you more from Jalen Smith. This comes from Michael Gelkin o the Dallas Morning News. Jalen said, quote, Honestly,

I didn't know that until now. My thoughts right now, this is my thoughts right off the top, is it's a business. I don't focus on what's happening in the future. I'm embracing each moment each day. So that was more from his thoughts about the Cowboys being moved from prime time with the forty nine er. But I'm just telling you my opinion. And I've seen this a lot longer than you guys, because I've covered this team going back

to when Jimmy Johnson was head coach. Is this mentality of dudes thinking, hey man, I'm just I'm just taking whatever Jerry says. It's cool. I'll just play off that. And also this acceptance of hey man, we're at the twelve o'clock spot now, I mean, this is I remember years when the Cowboys may have hell he had, you know,

one or two twelve o'clock starts. I remember when I had a new boss at TV and this guy had once worked in Minnesota, and he was trying to tell me that, hey, what you need to do is go to these games in the NFC East, fly home immediately after and come to the late show. And I had to explain to him, Dude, in Minnesota, you guys played a lot of noon games. This is the Cowboys. Most of the games are gonna start at three o'clock if it's not a seven o'clock. Can you know the Cowboys

are America's team. They don't play a lot of protect game why because the networks want them on. The networks fight to keep them on. And when you get dropped down to this and you're just like, hey man, it's all good, it's cool. I just find that just like what this person said. This is accepting mediocrity, dandy, and that's how I feel about it. It should be accepting mediocrity. Listen, I feel you listen, And like I said, I think his response was off the beginning of it. Anyways, I

like the second part that you read. I really don't. As a competitor and knowing some of these guys just just a little bit, I don't think that they're really accepting it. I mean, the question was asked, he started off wrong, he finished it right. I think that if it does still bother them to be flexed to twelve and they're gonna be losing and going four and nine and all that stuff. So I don't think they're accepting. I think they want to be better. You know, sometimes

it just doesn't show on the field. But I you know, I don't. I'm not gonna put this against Jayalon Smith to say that he's accepting the fact that there four or nine he's collecting this check and that he's just gonna go on about his business because because Jerry say it's fine. Because one thing we do know new it Jerry is not okay with this. Well, it's it's interesting, so speaking of this game against the forty Nineers, in which the Niners are five and eight Cowboys or five

nine San Francisco favorite in this football game by three. Defensively, what should the game plan be to stop this Niners football team and the witch that you're gonna have to match up against Kyle Shannahan, the head coach who calls a place, who's very good at it. Well, look, I think something that we're gonna that we're gonna have to do that we haven't done pretty much all season, and that's just played decent run defense. I mean, look, take

a page out of Marry Nelly's book. Whatever you gotta do, get some stunting going on, get something to keep these line back is clear to where they can just go out there and make plays. Because we know Kyle Shanahan loves the run game and he's creative with it. And what did we see last time we went against a creative run team in Baltimore? They gash just with all those pulling guards, the ghosts, motions, the counter looks. That's all right up. Kyle Shanahan's allie. He's creative when it

comes to the run game. And they got three running backs back there that can tote the rock, and you know that's all they're gonna do when it comes to this defense, because we haven't stopped it all years. So that if it's my game playing and I'm going out there with this Cowboys defense, I'm stacking the box. Man. I don't believe it. Either Mullins or Beth back there

at quarterback. I know they got Auka or I'm sorry I butchered his name, but they got the right receiver over there, they got the rookie receiver a Yuk out there, they got Deepo Samuel. But I just don't trust the quarterback play. So I gotta stack the box because I know Kyle Shannonhame is gonna come with some type of creative run scheme to take advantage of our linebackers and try to confuse our linebackers and go out there and get big games. We have to stop the run if

we won any part of winning this game. And that's just defensively. I mean another fact. We're talking about the offense another time, but defensively, we have got to stop

the run or at least play okay run defense. Talk about talk about wishful thinking, all right, This is if you have to put out a game plan, like you said, Church, if you have to put one out, if you have to go into the lab and try to figure out something to do, you're going to say, yes, the same thing that we've been trying to get done for the first thirteen weeks of the season. Stop the run, dude. I think it's going to happen. Absolutely not. Like you said.

This is one of the most creative running the tacks in the NFL. He's going to find their way to maximize any advantage that he has, and he's going to take advantage of the fact that we have not been able to stop the run. Inside. Our linebackers are catching on blocks in their eyes, they're seeing too much, so they're going this way and chasing stuff that they shouldn't be chasing. They're going to take advantage of all that, and unfortunately our secondary really hasn't played enough to stop

even second to thirteen or quarterback. So it's going to be a run day for us. So the offense is going to have to save us. That's that's my offices, that's my defensive game plan. Going there and talk to Andy Dalton and Kellen Moore and say, look, bro, y'all. Y'all, y'all do what y'all can to keep us off the field. And I think I think we can. We can make a couple of big, big plays for y'all because they have been able to turn the ball over for the

last few weeks. So will they put three linebackers on the football field something they didn't do against the Ravens? Yes, I would. I mean, look at me. I would. I put I put Jal, and I put LV out there, and I put Sean Lee out there. I mean, just for the simple fact that if any of those linebackers can dissect or run and try to help this this

defense going forward, it's Sean Lee. I mean he might not have the physical attributes to go out there and be a game destructor like he used to be in the past, but he can at least get these linebackers lined up and going in the right direction, because we're gonna need to. I mean, we've seen what happens when these guys are going out there reading their keys. They're

looking at way too much. And when you and Danny said it, when you look at a lot, you see a little, and when you see a little, you see a lot, And That's what I think Sean Lee can provide with this linebacking corps and hopefully just hopefully go out there and do something against the run. Just don't let a guy coming off the street rush for a hundred yards like we did against Cleveland and like we

did against all these other teams. I mean, it's just it's hard come we just we just talked about Shanahan being one of the most creative guys when it comes to call it plays. If you plan on going out there and running your base package for the entire game, you are going to get ran out of the stadium. I can get first second down. Where do they come out of What did they say, Hey, we're gonna maximize the fact that you know, we're gonna take a man

into LV and jayals Smith. We're gonna come out an eleven personnel and we're still gonna run power, We're still gonna run counter, We're still gonna run zone read. Are you putting your three linebackers out there when they personnel on first second down? I could live with with Mullins and better trying to beat us with our arm I can live with that. If they go out there and throw for three hundred and beat us because we're in

base and they're in the eleven person up. I can live with that, But if we go out there and base and they're still just trumping going down the field on us, I mean, it's that's disheartening. That's like a stab in the heart right there. So I can live with the throwing, but I just can't. I can't do running up the gut for three hundred some yards and I just can't do it. You hear this, do it? You hear this. We've been known to give up the run for the entire season, so this week we'd rather

stop the run and let Nick Mullins beat us. Now, I'm saying, listen, when you stop to run all year, so why don't we figure out how to do what we've been able to do sometimes turn the ball over and cover some of these receivers because you listen. Like I said, wishful thinking for you to be able to think that you're gonna be able to turn into a run stopping team this week against a team that knows they're on their backum quarterbacks, so they have to run

the ball. So here's a crazy question, because you guys mentioned base defense, do you think they'll start tak Lawrence this week because when they ran out based defense last week against Cincinnati, he had to run off the field because he says he's not a a the base defense man. They better start d law I'll tell you that right now. He's been the most consistent player of these past couple of weeks. He sparked the whole defenses takeaways last week

by punching the ball out. He's your energy player, he's your guy. You paid him twenty some million dollars. There's no way in hell he should be on the sidelines to start this game. I don't care if you run out of base Nickel, DN, special teams, whatever it is. He needs to be on the field to start this game. Yeah, okay, he's got He should, he should, he should. Ain't no way, the hesitation, the hesitation of my voice. Let you know what's been going on in all season. We have no idea.

They've been hiding stuff since training camp, trying to trying to be all incock. Need a lot. Let not let people know what's going on, and all of a sudden they run out here. Don't start taking Lawrence. They hide too much, man, Let us see it. So somebody can tell you, Hey, bro, what y'all doing is wrong during the week. Y'all need to go ahead and re evaluate that before y'all get to the game all Sunday, because that ain't making no sense. All right, let's take our

first break. Danny McCray wants a timeline met on the Mike McCarthy Air. In terms of it, he wants to know when is a deep playoff run coming, when is a Super Bowl appearance. Let's get to that. And I got a barking dog right outside my door here my SWBC more Virtual home studio, so let me handle that. We'll be right back here on the plans loud. Hey, they're cowboys fans With ty Cleaners at home pickup and delivery,

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Church two former Dallas Cowboys safetists. Cowboys are four A nine hosting San Francisco forty nine ers Sunday at high noon at AT and T Stadium. All Right, Danny and our topics before the show. Wanted to know and wants a timeline on Mike McCarthy and when Mike McCarthy is going to produce a deep playoff run and possibly a Super Bowl run, and when I got the question, absolutely laughed. I laughed at it. Let's just say Barrett, Okay, here's why I laughed at it. TCU once hired a basketball coach.

His name was Trent Johnson, and I asked, Trent, how long before you make the NCAA tournament? Got a timeline at all? And he gave kind of a terse answer that afterwards, when I meant to go meet him the press coffy and say, oh, yeah, you're the one that asked that dumb ass question. Why is it a dumb question? It's like you can't put no timeline on making a tournament. I said, yeah, what I remember when Jimmy Valvano took over NC State said they went NAS Championship. Four years

they end up win NAS Championship. So I'm sorry. You got a contract, and in your contract, is it legitimate to ask you when you think you'll take this team to an NCAA tournament. I mean, I don't think that's a crazy question at all, because people kind of want to know what's the return on investment. So this question is asking Mike McCarthy, All right, go ahead, there, no look, no, what I was saying was I wanted to hear this.

I wanted to Church to answer this question because that's this guy, right and maybe having these meetings in there so and when you know how people have those vision boards in the back of the office or something like that.

I want to know if Church saw that when he walked in there, and if he can give us an ideal of what is acceptable for him, because he was the de kool aid man, and so I want to know what is acceptable for him and Mike McCarthy and how how his seasons should progress, how how should we see them get better? Because I want to will you accept another four and twelve season, which which what we're heading for right now? Nah? You see, you see I'm

not accepting another four and twelve season. And like I told y'all, went to my AA meetings and I got off to kool Ai. I'm kool aid free right now, Big Mike. I mean, that's still my boy. But he maybe looked bad. He baby looked bad this season. So I'm off to kool Ai. But for me next year to be considered a successful season and for him to keep going, I think he has to at least at

the very least make a playoff appearance. I know they added another another spot to that playoff, so he doesn't have to win a division, but he has to at least get into the playoffs, because I'm sitting here saying, you know, people killed Garrett for going eight and eight those three years and not making it to the not making it into the playoffs. And this guy was supposed to come in here, big Mike being that was supposed to come in here with his all star coaching staff

and all this talent. We loaded up on this team and we were supposed to go places. Now, we didn't expect covid and we didn't expect all his injuries to happen. That's why he kind of has a built in excuse this year. But next year it has to be. It has to be some type of movement. We gotta go into the postseason, or we gotta win a division next year. I think so to be considered successful, all right, I think so Church next year, I say this, Can I

say this? Go ahead? Go ahead? If I'm listening to you, you're saying McCarthy has to make the playoffs next year. And you're the guy who says that the Cowboys should dump dok Prescott and go get rookie justin field. So you're saying with just yes, and bolster the defense, and bolster the defense. Don't forget that part, or else we're gonna be out here with five thousand yards and empty calories eight and eight not making the playoffs because we

can't stop. Back to what I was saying, I think he needs one more year and he's got to get to the playoffs. He gotta make you listen, You gotta define that a little bit better, man, because like we talked about yesterday, the record matters. You said this, all right, because a team even from the NFC East make the playoffs with five could make the playoffs with five wins this season. So it's a five win playoff team good

enough for you? Or does it have to be a real legit good team that's looking at some like ten and six, eleven and five and then make the playoffs, right, Because you can still have a sorry season like we have it now and I sent Nui the stuff earlier, we still are mathematically in the playoff hunt. Well, look, I'm gonna put it like this. I don't think this this type of season in the NFC East is gonna

gonna happen again next year. I mean, the last time we saw something like this where a terrible division winner ended up taking the playoffs I think with Seattle when they were seven and nine, and I think that was about maybe eight years ago, maybe nine years ago. So I don't think we'll see, you know, a terrible division make the playoffs like this each and every year. I think it'll be more competitive next year in the NFC East.

And what I'm saying is, I think we gotta get into the playoffs, and if you want specifics, we gotta. We gotta be over five hundred. We gotta at least be in that nine and seven, ten and six round. And I think that's gonna get to the playoffs next year. And if he's able to do that, I consider that

a success. We can still have an eight and eighteen make the playoffs out of the East this year, By the way, I'll take that too fat as long as we get in the as long as we in the playoffs, Danny, you want to go ahead and hit this, hit this just the man, Hold on, wait, which one? Is it as long as we in the playoffs or do we have to have a nine and seven, ten and six at least record, which I mean, what's the difference. If we're nine and seven in the playoffs, that's cool with me.

There that that that should break it down enough for you. But what are we six and teen in the playoffs? Does that? Does that? Is that? I mean for you? I mean if if, if, if it was a fifth, I mean, like you put you moving the gold posts all over the place. I'm saying seven and we're in the plight. The loss we can go is nine. What's happening this year? I'm going based off what's happening this year? It's not if, Like right now we have so we're saying,

so you must make it to the playoffs. So he must make it to the playoffs in order for me to see it as a success. Is that a good enough answer for you? No? No, I'm saying, what does this team have to look like? Man? Can they be a six win playoff team and that being acceptable for you because they made it to the playoffs? Or do they need to look like a real contender at nine and seven, ten and six, because this year we have a five, they could have to be a contender they

be at thank you, thank you, that's all. That's all I wanted to hear. I have to make the playoffs. You're a contender. But okay, all right, good, that's not Come on, Church, Come on Church that if you make the playoffs, you're contender. It's Washington a contender. They're gonna be in the playoffs. Yes or no, that's a yes or no answer. Yes, Yes, they're they're contending for a super Bowl. Yes, okay, all right? Oh he means literally, he means literal literally, Okay, I got you. That is

that's Barry Church saying that. You know, buck Nell University or Toledo makes the NCAA basketball tournament, they're a contender because they got in. Even though so whats so was the New York Giants a contender? Where the New York Giants a contend in two thousand and seven and two thousand and eleven when they snuck into the playoffs, were they contender? What was their record? Seven? There were ninety seven? And you know, I did anybody consider them? They got

into the playoffs, they ended up winning the Super Bowl? Church, That's why are you hearing what I'm saying. I'm saying, if we are, if we if we are below five hundred and make the playoffs, not nine and seven or tennant six. If we are below five hundred in a division like we are now, you you bring up the Giants, you got to say that they was two games above five hundred. I'm told it is gonna be. It's gonna have a seven and nine winner again next year. Who

knows years? Seriously that eight nine years. You guys are acting like this happens every season that the division has a terrible person getting into the playoffs. That doesn't happen. Usually every years there's a winning record and those guys are getting into the last two And when was the

last time that happened? Barry? The last two seasons, it has been a scrape at the end trying to find a division winner in the NFC East And all right, so it was the Philadelphia record, they were there, eight and eight, nine and seven, right, they were around that. It was that a losing record. It was a nine and sevent team that ended up, you know, winning, scraping together wins down the stretch. There was a point in time we're both teams, the Cowboys were sitting around here

and they both had had bad records. I mean the NFC East has been bad, the worst division in football the past two seats, the worst division right now. Nobody's got their own starting quarterback plant. But you're just gonna sit up here to soon next year it's gonna be better. So you say, Carson Wentz is gonna be back to what he was, that Washington's going somehow to be there next year. I'm just saying, because so what I'm saying, Okay,

all right, to break it down. So let's just say this, nine and seven in the playoffs, to make it, to make it simple. Nine and seven and going into the playoffs, thank you. That's all. That's all he wanted to know. That's all you want to know. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. No no, no, no no. You said that, and then you backed up and said, as long as we make the playoffs. Let's two different things.

H my god, go ahead with your point, man, Like I'm telling y'all, you gotta make the playoffs nine second. That's it? Like what I mean, what the do you want from me? Man? That's it. I've been waiting for that. I've been waiting for that. Flor Okay, So let's let's so let's keep going with this. So let's keep going with this, like, I mean, what's the what's the what's the what's the end point of this? Are we are we gonna come to a point or we just wanted

to know what I felt like. I mean, that's no that that's the point because you know me, I like the rewind so next year when this stuff happened, I don't when you start backpedaling, the backtracking back, I want to make sure we got to some tape with the discussion. We're just stop. Go ahead, all right, let's keep going,

all right, let's keep going. Okay, all right, so so so so the point is, the point is Mike McCarthy has to make significant improvement over this year, uh going into next year, and I'm saying within the next four four seasons he has to make two playoff runs. In the second needs to be pretty deep deep off in there so they'll know that this guy is really becoming a Super Bowl contemper. Especially if you signed Dak Prescott to a four year deal, that means you got four

years to get this dude to a super Bowl. That's what you if you pay out that kind of money, that's what you're expecting in as many times as Jerry Jones is going on his radio show touting Mike's successes in the past and the fact that he's won a super Bowl. Yes, Danny, that is to me, that is the expectation. And Mike McCarthy himself, I'll give him credit. He said, look, we're here to win super Bowls. If you're not trying to play for the Super Bowl, no

reason to be here. So to ask Mike McCarthy to have two good playoff runs with this team and for this team to be an an NFC championship game, I don't think is an unrealistic expectation at all for him if he fulfills this contract, I do not. I think that is minimum what should be expected from this football. Cool cook, cool with me. All right, let's let's take a break. I'm starting Yeah, I'm starting to see I'm

starting to see a trend with you. I think every show you say something a little bit out there that makes it say wow. Yesterday you posed a question that made me say wow, Really, berries think of that. Let's dive into what you wanted to talk about yesterday. We didn't give enough time too, because this this may take a little bit here to unpack between you McCray and I will do that next on the playoffs line right here on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio each game day.

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totally contactless experience. Your clean garments will be returned promptly the next scheduled delivery day, So skip the errand and enjoy life not laundry. Visit ty Cleaners dot Com or your local store to sign up for Type Cleaners at home pickup and delivery today to the players Love Hey give the gift of Cowboys' holiday season with a membership to Dallas Cowboys United, presented by Globe Life for a limited time, get a commemorative established nineteen sixty sixty Lapel

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This has been a very y rough year for the Cowboys and a tough year for Ezekiel Elliott, in fact, the young running back's worst season in his career. A lot of factors have gone into that. Yesterday, when we were formulating topics, one topic we didn't get to the Barry had put forth was in the off season, do you consider putting Ezekiel Elliott on the trading block? Church follow up on the thinking there for do I consider it? I mean, you know, it depends what the right offer comes.

I mean, if somebody comes along and just says, you know what, a we want these guys talent, We're willing to break bread with you. Guys. What do you guys think? I think you hear him out. I don't think you know. I think you don't go out there and say, no, he this guy's untouchable. This is our this is our horse, this is our backbone of our team. I don't think

he I don't think he's got that right now. So if somebody were to come with, say, first round offer or anything like that, even a second, do you consider it? I do. I don't know about y'all, but I think

I consider it. Listen, Neue, he called me crazy a few weeks ago when I said this, Uh, look, if Mike McCarthy's not gonna use him how he needs to be used, then yes, go ahead and let Tony Paula spin draft you a guy in the later rounds to be the backup running back and move off from Zeke, because if you're not gonna use the guy like he's been used, the reason why he got the ninety million dollars.

Then then why have him here? Why why keep paying him the same The same thing goes for all the other players that get paid seventy eighty million dollars and not getting the correct usage. If you're not gonna use these guys and they're just gonna sit here and collect ten fifteen million dollars a year, that you need to find a way to get some value out of them, because this offensive scheme is just not fit for Zeke right now and the way that he's used to handling

on the ball and using the running game. So I don't think it's crazy if Mike McCarthy and Keller Moore aren't going to use them, how you needs to be used? All right, gentlemen, I'm just gonna go straight to the numbers. Okay, this is a numbers question, and the way the Cowboys have set up their numbers, you can't cut it. You can't even trade them. It would cost you in deadcap

hit money. Okay, deadcap hit money. In twenty twenty one, twenty four point five million dollars to get rid of Zekiel, and then in twenty twenty two it is ten point eight million dollars. You're realistic out to get away from Ezekiel Elliott's twenty twenty three. That's that's what the Cowboys have done it themselves in twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two. The waves at this contract up you you've basically tied this guy to the team. Give his agent, Rocky Arsenal

a lot of credit. Cowboys are stuck with number twenty one. So to me, the conversation really you got to have if you're Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones, is you go down there to Mike McCarthy and Kelly Warren. You let these guys know we're not getting out of this deal for two years, and I need you to figure out

how to use it. I heard somebody talking about trading Amari Cooper in the offseason, and I said, you know what, guys, whenever you have these conversations, please go look at the dead cap hit money Amari Cooper for the It's basically a two year deal. It's this year, next year after that. You could get out of the money with these deals, and basically all these deals you got to find where's the exit point all these deals where you're not killing

your cap and the deal here for ezekiel Man. You're stuck. That's really what it is. You're stuck. Well, we gotta found a way to better use them, because right now, I mean, what does he getting twelve carries? Okay, here's a game, go ahead. Yeah, And that's the only reason that the questions are being answered are being raised though, it is because not not of them and their talent. We know a Mary Cooper can go out there and

catch ten balls. Again, we know that Zeke if given the right opportunities, he can go out there and get ninety five one hundred yards a game. The question is only being raised because of the plays that are being called. So, like you said, Nui, the point is, if you're not going to use the guys, then get them out of here.

But the fact that you can't get them out of here and and really have your team survived as far as cap wise, that you need to go down and have a real discussion with your offensive coordinating, the guys who are putting the passing game together and let them know that you want to see dis amount of uses from these guys because they gave him a whole year and they never called on to it. And I go back to just just take it a stay in the

division and look over at Carson Wentz. I'm looking at Carson Wentz is dead hit number, dead cap hit number for twenty twenty one. It is fifty nine point two million dollars. You know, So the situation for the Eagles is truly how do you fix this dude? So maybe they end up firing Doug Peterson, And I know that makes surprise. Some people are here because he won a

super Bowl. But if you can't get anything out of Carson wins, and this coach is gonna think he can get anything anymore that you can better go find somebody who can, because this is sixty million dollars hit you simply can't take. And you start looking at these numbers for Cooper, you start looking at these numbers for Ezekiel, even Tyrant Smith. You better find some folks who can figure out how to get the best use of these players.

And you're getting ready to tie yourself up deep. But Doc Prescott, you've got to get people in here from a coaching standpoint who can figure it out. I hurt. Michael Lombardi say this on his podcast. He's like, Hey, if you got a forty million dollar problem. Why not spend ten million dollars on the guy to fix it? And right now when you start looking at Ezekiel Elliott

and then what you're gonna end up paying Doak Prescott. Um. If Kellen Moore is not the guy to get this right, then maybe you tell Mike McCarthy, I need you to fix it. But somewhere along the way, they've got to get a return on investment for their money with these players, because these players are going to be here. That's really the bottom one. You're stuck with these guys, So you better figure out how to get something out of No,

I'm no contract, gurgle. So I'm gonna ask you a question about the dead cat money versus being able to be traded. So you're saying if they are traded, that that money still stays on us as dead cat money. This is the money that you've agreed to. And look, and I'll say this, nobody's gonna trade for this contract. I mean, for instance, if you want to trade for Carson Wentz's money, you're gonna have to trade for all this cash. And nobody's going to sit up here and

pay these numbers. Um, it's ludicrous. If you start to look. Well, Carson Wentz is it's a little. It's worse. It's a little, it's a lot worse than the other guys that we mentioned. You're looking at fifty. But but but I'm asking, are they able to trade them and then still not have to take that dead cap hit like once you once you come up with a deal, I think all of that is going off of your cap um. Well, it

doesn't work like that. I'm saying, Okay, so if you trade him that dead cap, no, the dead cap, the dead the dead cat is your signing bonus. So they do your signing bonus. They spread it out over so many years. So what happens is if you trade the person, all those years that were sprout over gets backlogged to that year accelerat into one. Yes, so it doesn't accelerate

it will kay. Um going in here looking at dead cap hit money on Zeke's twenty four point nine, ten point eight over the next two years, then twenty and then you basically got it out after twenty twenty three. Um, just looking at his base salary money, just base salary money for twenty twenty one is nine point six million dollars um with a cap hit of thirteen point seve and he's got a signing boone on us A one

five and an option to two six. And then next year you get looking at a base out of twelve point four million, signing bote us at one point five million, option to two point six million for a cap hit of sixteen point five. If we just look and ask ourselves these in today's NFL and looking at Ezekiel Elliott, would it be wise for you to trade a first round pick and take on this money or would it be better for you to go ahead and go into the draft and try and get somebody or a heck,

you could even sign some dude right now. I'm not saying Levia Bell's going to be the answer for a team, but you know, you can go find some guys to run the football. Kyle Shanahan has done that ended up going to a Super Bowl. So I just think that Ezekiel Elliott and his trade value is not what some people may think it is. Because you look at this dude now you guys have talked about it doesn't look as quick as he used to. The numbers are down here.

He's already not practicing today because he's got the lingering effects of the calf issue. Offensive line's not as good. I mean, I just don't think that he's anywhere close to being a tradeable piece for what you think you might be able to get for them. Yeah. Look like I said, I don't think we should trade them. If you don't matter, worn't running back you get up here

in this offense. If you if you don't run them and give them enough care, you give them enough such as, then we're gonna be saying the same thing about the next guy as well. So the solution is, you know, have Jerry or somebody to go down there and talk to McCarthy and Kellen Moore and let them know that these guys need to be need to be used so they get a return on their investment. Yeah, I think

you're right. You've got to use the talent. And look, if Mike McCarthy and Kellen Moore want to go back to the playoffs, I would think the wisest thing to do is figure out how you can utilize twenty one to make your offense. For the offense where your quarterback is throwing for no more than thirty passes a game and then running the football between Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott twenty seven to twenty eight times a game. It's something that can be done and doable, so they've they've got

to figure that out next year. To me, that's one of the biggest things that needs to be worked out on this football team is trying to figure out how to become more balance out the run and pass. These forty times and fifty times and you've got your quarterbacks passing, it's a losing recipe for the Dallas Cowboys. You can just go down the list and look at the records or Dak Prescott, Tony Romo. When these guys are throwing forty plus times a game, there's usually els that that

come with that. So it's pretty pretty uh to me, it's pretty scared when you start throwing up those numbers. By the way, speaking of scary, UM, let me, with all sincerity give my best wishes to Jason Garrett. Um. He's got COVID. Giants offensive coordinator has COVID and UM, it is nothing to joke about. It is something to take very serious, and so I hope Jason can get over it and and and be back in good shape. We've seen a lot of guys in the NFL ab overcoming.

But you know, Jason is uh, you know, Jason's he's not a player, He's not a young guy. I mean, Jason is in his fifties, so I'm hoping he's a okay on this, guys. Yeah, definitely. H best wishes goes out to Garrett out there man in New York. Like you said, man, he's not the youngest of the guys, but I mean he's a great guy. So hopefully he's able to, you know, pull through through this and he'll be back on the sidelines coaching soon. Yeah. Same here.

You know, what's your first speedy recovery from him? And uh, you know, hope, hope everything goes well. Man at COVID is serious. So everybody just make sure you stay safe out there. All right. We got Thursday and that football. The Las Vegas Raiders are hosting the Chargers what looks like to be the last couple of games for Anthony lenn his head coach. The Raiders are a three and a half point favorite. Church who you got tonight? I

need a big game. I need a big game out of Herbert tonight for as the fantasy playoffs, So I gotta go with my guys out in Chargers Land. So for me, I gotta go Chargers twenty seven, Raiders twenty one. You know what. I'm going Charges as well, but I'm going the thirty one twenty eight. The Raiders have lost a lot of starters. I think they're down like four or five starters. I don't know if it's COVID related or injury related, but they're down a lot in a secondary.

So gotta have a big day out of Herbert. I got to well, well, well, gentlemen, I hate the fact that there's a lack of faith in the new defensive coordinator for Vegas, who I ain't. Am going to go ahead and bed on all right, I'm sticking with you, Rod Mary Nellie getting the ship turned around, getting effort turned around, and I'm going with the Raiders to take it tonight thirty to twenty four in this football game. So Raiders in home Fairy by three and a half.

Rob man Nellie comes through thirty twenty four. Boom, Raiders like that? You like that, does Jeff? He's getting another interception this week? Man. I hope, so I said, I hope not. I hope not. I hope Herbert torching the boys from about three hundred and thirty. But you know, it's crazy how quick the tables can turn. I mean a couple of weeks ago. I mean the Raiders were out there in Kansas City. I think he picked off you know, my homes a couple of times, and everybody

was hooting and hollering about this Raiders defense. And now I look at DC, he's on his way, he's fired. I mean, it's just crazy how things can turn so quick in a season like that. Man, it is that man, that that's how that's how it goes. But that's why you got to play the sixteen man. December football and you guys have played December football is where you know, we start to separate the men from the boys out here.

And to me, I think December is also where you decide, you also see who can coach you know, can you coach your guys to keep improving and getting better. But you know, there's a lot of truths to be told about your football team in December and who you've developed and where you're going with your program, because because that's when, to me, that's when these things start to get one all right, it is fifteen after that is our show, Chris being producer. Great job today, Church mccraig. Always fun

to chat with you. We'll give our predictions for forty nine Ers and Cowboys tomorrow. I don't remember. It is a noon game on Sunday at Jerry World, not a Sunday night football game. Don't be upset by it because, as Jalen Smith said, quote, if the owners cool with it, we ain't tripping. We're good. All right, talk tomorrow right here on Dallas Cowboys Down. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.