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Are you ready for a break?
Absolutely?
Ready for a break? Yeah, and so much for that.
It's time for the Break on Dallas Cowboys dot Com right with Ambar Garcia, Brian brought us, Nick Harris and Derek Eagleton.
Welcome to the show it is I'm sorry.
It's Wednesday, January eighth, twenty twenty five, Season twenty, episode number ninety eight. We with the latest edition of Break Relive from the SWBC Mori Studios. At the Start, presented by LGLG is the world's number one o leaed TV brand for eleven years in counting. See why at LG dot com Forward slash o leed Evil.
How's everybody doing today?
Excellent?
Brian got on our Texas gear. Yeah yeah, let's look them. Let's go get a win this week.
We got a lot of things I want to hit today, a lot of different topics. I want to start first with some conversation around the head coach, Coach McCarthy and his where his future will lie, whether it's with Dallas or with someone else. In the second segment, we're going to get into a little bit of a season review. I got some questions for you guys. Not sure how far we'll get into that. We'll do a little bit on that. And then in the final segment, I'm going to have our Draft Show, guys, which if you didn't know, yesterday was first episode of The Draft Show.
By the way, great show, guys.
I enjoyed it. I had a good time listening to it. But we got some new additions to that show. But the great part for the Break is got two people from the Draft Show on our show.
So we're going to this year, we're going to try to.
Tap into that a little bit more and try to use some of that knowledge that you guys are disseminating on the Draft Show and bring it to some of our folks here on the Break and maybe push some of those people that listen to The Break over to the Draft Show as well.
But in our third segment, what I want to do is.
We're going to focus in on the two college games that are happening this week in the semifinals of College Playoff, and have you guys give us some players that people should watch. If you were an evaluator for the Dallas Cowboys. You were thinking about players you want to be able to draft. I want you to give us some names of some guys that you'll be watching and as you think fans should be watching this weekend. That will help them be prepared I should say Thursday and Friday. That will help them be better prepared for draft day when it comes up for the Cowboys.
Perfect sounds good.
Let's do it all right, so let's jump in.
Let's start first, Coach McCarthy.
The reason why I wanted to talk about this right now is because yesterday, I think, was when the report surfaced at Chicago. Chicago bears A requested permission to interview him, and now he is until January fourteenth, he is. Basically, the Cowboys have exclusive rights to talk to him about a future deal, and that's why Chicago had to make the request. There has been a report today that the Cowboys denied that request. But my question for you guys is do you think that interests being drawn from other teams, let's say Chicago, even if there are others, do you think that affects the way that the Cowboy ways think about whether they should bring him back or not?
You mean, does it does it kind of tell us?
Is it?
You know what I'm saying is it's it's the girlfriend of boy, ex girlfriend an ex boyfan effect, right, It's like you don't want him, yeah, but the moment someone else shows interest, it's kind of like, should I.
Readthink that to the Dallas Cowboys?
Do you think that that should affect or does affect maybe how the Cowboys view Mike McCarthy because there are other suitors out there.
I don't think it should I if you're asking me, and if I was, you know, one of those decision makers, I don't think anything anyone else thinks about Mike McCarthy should affect my opinion about you know, what he has done. Just because you've seen what five seasons in Dallas looks like for him and you're evaluating that for the future, How does that apply to potentially bringing him back. I don't think necessarily, you know, the ex girlfriend coming along or a new girl coming along, should affect how I feel about about my girl. You know, you're ex girl exactly exactly, not talking about.
The current girl. Yeah yeah, yeah, hopefully she's not listening.
Right, you know, from somebody that's seen it done this way here before. Yeah, I think it does. When you know, the Joneses are very calculating in the way that they do things as far as their team. They like to get a lot of opinions, they talk about things, and you know, I've always found that when somebody in the organization is coveted, they tend to move a little quicker. It's like, okay, listen, we don't want to lose. You can give a couple of examples, and dan Quinn was taking interviews, you know, with that whole thing when he.
Was year before last, year before last.
And all of a sudden, it's like, wait a minute, we don't want to lose dan Quinn. Let's make it work. Dan Quinn's Wow. Will McClay is another one that tends to get you know, some notoriety, some some interest, and the jones Is find a way Okay, well let's do this for Will and kind of help them along. So yeah, they're they're they're they're a group that that likes to like that they will negotiate with you. But what I think makes some speed up a little bit is the fact that when somebody else jumps into the the into the Fray and you know, Chicago, and this is, to be honest with you, this is I think this is a good thing for Mike McCarthy, whether Chicago really wants to interview him or not, I think that's a good thing because it draws attention to like, Okay, there's potential out there. We can't sit here and wait. We have to kind of figure things out what we want to do. And and I find it it will move them along a little more. What Mike honestly needs is New Orleans to get involved, the Jets to get involved, and you know, some other teams to get involved in. That would really speed the jones Is up. But I don't think this thing is necessarily over. I think people are saying, you know, maybe thinking about that this is, this is you know, they're going to sign him up and all that. I mean, it could be way wrong about this, but this could be a negotiating ploy by the jones Is to say, Okay, this is the kind of deal we would like for you to do, and then Mike and then say, listen, I really don't want to do this. And then but now it looks like, you know, the Joneses really aren't the bad guys. We negotiated with you, you didn't want to deal. So we'll see how this thing plays out. I know a lot of people are thinking this thing could very well be over. I don't think it's over, and I think there's I think there's still a long way to go here to get this thing done. But you know, at least by somebody coming after Mike McCarthy, it kind of puts the Joneses in motion to either, you know, negotiate and then they could say, Okay, this is what we want to do, and Mike could counter and say, well, this is what I want to do, and if it doesn't work, then they can move on and then we could start to talk about some other candidates that potentially are out there, which I think the Joneses would would welcome if it came down to that.
Yeah, I agree with Brian. I don't think it changes what the Cowboys think about Mi McCarthy and their review and analysis of him as a head coach and the things that he's done here during his time here. But it potentially changes the sense of urgency in trying to get things moving along quicker and faster. Because one thing we've seen time and time again, I mean the Jones Jones's how do.
You say that?
Jones Jones Jones.
Well, the cowboys, the cowboys, they tend to do the thing their own way, like they it's in their own timeline. And if it's it's how we want to handle this and when we want to and one thing that it could be right now, why it's taking a while. We haven't heard any new reports. It could be like, yes, they want him back, but under what conditions? How much money? How many years? Who's going to be calling the place here? Who's the coaching staff with you? So I think that those conversations, I mean, they can't happen that fast. If they if they were to happen that quickly, I'm like, Okay, we didn't really take our time here to look at it, right, So no, that that's That's what I'm just saying. I think hopefully they're doing their homework due diligence and taking you know, a look at literally everything and coming into some sort of agreement. But because I do think McCarthy Ifeeve wasn't here, he could easily quote unquote find another place where he could coach.
Yeah, and this is not a situation I think both you guys made a fantastic point. From the standpoint, this is not a one way thing. This is not just the Cowboys saying here right, this is what's going to happen.
Right. This is a negotiation.
It's no different than Dak and the Cowboys negotiating, or Zak and the Cowboys negotiating.
Like it is. It has to work for both parties.
So the Cowboys can say, here's what we would like to happen in a new deal. Mike also can say, well, I don't really love that. I want this in a new deal. And then now it takes them negotiating to figure out what am I willing to give up? What are you willing to give up to get us to a point we both agree if that's possible.
So we do all agree that the Joneses want McCarthy back, just on their own terms.
It's just more so about the negotiation.
Now, I can't say that I've not been told that.
What I surmise is there's probably a world where they could see that happening, because I think the reason why you're taking the time is because there's nothing like if they were convinced he's not the answer, then this would have already been done.
I believe they would already been done.
The fact that they're having conversation says to me there are some things that they're trying to talk about and figure out on both sides, to figure out if this is the right fit moving forward. And that's why I think this is going to take some time. Not a long time because by the fourteenth he's a free agent, but it's going to take some time for them to work through this process of.
What I would to anyone who heard the press conference from that last game where my McCarthy talked to the media. The way he spoke, he made it sound like he's wanting to stay here in Dallas and keep building on what he's done so far, and the way he portrayed and responded everything just made you feel like someone who's willing to stick around on the right terms and keep working at it and give this another go. I don't know if you guys got anything else, whether or not, or from Jerry when he was talking to the media too. I mean he talked I don't know how long fortnutes, Oh my gosh, it was a long time.
I know we went in locker room talk to players came out.
Yeah, it's a while.
Yeah.
The one quote that stood out for me for from from Jerry was the determining and the negotiation is all one motion, and so that that kind of made me think that explain that the determining quote if McCarthy is back and then negotiating with McCarthy is all one motion. That tells me that they want to negotiate under their terms and that determines if he's going to be back. And that was that was the big quote that really stood out to me from from Jerry's availability.
Which means that's going to take some time for them. It's not just saying he's worthy of being back, it's he's worthy of being back under whatever circumstances they think are necessary.
Yeah, I think that you know, the Joneses, could you know, they they've also they like to be and it's not selecting, it's you know they as the general manager, you have the ability to offer suggestions for staff, you know, and and they've got a decision, you know, with with Mike Zimmer, you know, do you want to go into another year where hey, they've changed the coordinator now again, you know, you continually changing coordinators and.
That's the fourth defensive coordinator in five years, six years.
Yeah, exactly. So they they're probably thinking about, Okay, if you know, if Mike Zimmer doesn't come back, this would be our suggestion. You know, do you have an idea? What you know? And then you kind of go back and forth, back and forth. They got to talk about the staff. They got to talk about like we've talked about potentially the play call and stuff. You know, if not you who you know, And there's there's there's there's a long I think there's a long road. And you know, if you've got about a week to get this done and and you know, we'll see. I mean, like I said, I I do think the fact that the Bears did ask permission at least pushed things in a way that you you know, you could have wait. He could have waited all the way up until two days before Mike was free and said okay, let's start talking about this, because we've seen how they've negotiated some deals with dak C, d Zach Martin. I mean, they've waited on some deals.
So yeah, let's do this.
I'm gonna go ahead and take our first break when we come back. There are some other three factors that I want to point out, and I want to dive into each one on Mike MacArthur. And if you were Jerry and having to make this decision, which of these three factors are most important? And really talk about the three decisions and what you think of Mike as you evaluate him in these three areas.
We'll do that when we come back to the Stallas Cowboys dot com Radio.
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Evo Welcome Back.
It is the second segment of The Break life in that s WBC Mortgage studios at the start. The segment brought to you by blockchain dot Com. All right, real quick, I wanted to make a service announcement. There is a possibility that you will not hear podcasts tomorrow here on our air. We're preparing for some inclement weather. We don't know yet whether it's going to be bad enough. Brian's already over there like we're coming. We're gonna do the show.
But just in the sake of the.
Draft tomorrow, chair tired right preparing.
For the possibility of bad weather, there is a chance that we may not be doing show.
So if we're black tomorrow, then you guys know why, you know.
What we We just basically couldn't. We couldn't get everybody here.
So can I make a public service announcement?
Yeah?
Sure, Brian, watch and I will have you covered on a podcast if you guys want to pap in.
You're talking at that from home, right, we do it from home.
That from home, But no will We will try everything we can to get those shows on the air. But if it doesn't work out, then we'll figure it out and we'll hopefully maybe what we'll do is get an extra show next week or something.
We'll figure it out.
All right, So let's jump back in talking about Mike McCarthy. There are three things that I think are in my mind the three things that as a part of evaluating whether he should come back, if I were Jerry, I would evaluate. So I'm gonna throw those things three things to you, and we're going to talk about each of the three, and once we finish talking about them, then i'm gonna have you guys kind of put them in order of how you would rank them in relative importance. Let's start first with replacement options. I think in any decision you're making where you're talking about a particular position, you have to think about who's out there and available to you relative to who you already have to know whether it's worth a move or not. Are there any specific names out there that intrigue you more than Mike McCarthy as a head coach?
Here ones you could actually get.
Yes, it would need to be a realistic like obviously you wouldn't say yeah, go get you know, Mike Tomlin, like it's somebody that's realistic.
Talk to be traded for these guys. Now, by the way, I've.
Heard that, can we say names not under contract? That's why we're leaving those that are currently coaches?
So said yes or no question?
No, no, no, I'm saying we're not talking We're not talking about coaches that are currently coaching. We're talking about people that are out there.
Are there any names of coaches that you would look at and you'd be like, that would be an intriguing person that I would think about if I were looking for a head coach for the doubts.
I'm with you now, my bad Mike Vrabel and Pete Carroll I think are two very interesting.
Carol, really, I think so.
Yes, he's his age, Yes he's old, but he's fit, he's good, he's good going.
I think looking good looking.
I was just a good looking You're right, but that's a good going.
But he's got ten more years here, He's got ten more years.
Think, yeah, what is he like seventy's like seventy.
One, seventy two, Yeah, seventy three, seventy three, he's got he's got eight more years of You think coaches like running, He's like running every morning.
My brain is all already starting to do crazy things in life. I don't think that's true, but I just think that I just think that's a lot.
But Mike Rabel is the more interesting name than I think any any than any of them. But you look at the Patriots opening, that was make so much sense. It makes so much sense for him.
Yeah.
Yeah, if the Patriots wouldn't have moved on from their coach with Mayo being let out, Vrabel would be the clear number one of the of the guys that are available. Yeah, you know, I mean, we probably can't talk about college guys, right or anything like that?
Can we college guy that interests you like that? I would, I would, That's fine, you could throw out.
I just was just was curious. But there's some I think that Rabel makes the most sense where you're going to I think you're going to do. Where you're going to do the most, You're going to do the most good is with guys that are currently with teams, you know. I think those are the guys.
That if you were trying to trade for if you were trying.
Yeah, or if you were just if you know, if if you ask for a window interview, you know, if you if you catch them in their their interview windows and stuff like that.
I don't realize McCarthy was sixty one years old.
Still young, sixty one young?
No, sure it is.
I mean I'm trying my guess, Like, what are you trying to say?
Halfway there?
You're off seventy two?
I said for certain jobs, okay.
A podcast with certain.
Jobs are like they they're draining, and especially look at the media, like being the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. I mean that has to be draining.
It has to do you think it ages people?
Sure does? I mean there are certain jobs that I'm That's why I'm saying I'm for certain things, certain specific positions. How old is he.
He's think he's younger than me. I think he's probably.
I mean, he wore the same thing every day. No, but I'm that's not a you never smell bad, he's he would shower.
I guess, yeah, saying years.
He doesn't.
He didn't. He didn't age like most coaches do on these under these circumstances, you know, to an interesting guy would be uh, and he just lost his job. I guess we could talk about it was Doug Peterson. You know, if you if you talk about you know Doug Peterson as a super Bowl winning coach.
Uh.
The thing with Doug Peterson to me is, I think his offensive is I think he's got a really good offensive mind. I think he'd be creative. I do worry a little bit about the D game management stuff. That would be probably something that would turn people off a little bit. But if you're talking about guys that just lost their jobs, you know he would be one just because of the because we've seen him have some success. It's unfortunately what happened in Jacksonville. I thought he was going to get that thing turned around the right way. But you know, they they they lost some bad games and then this year was just really bad overall. But there's a guy that does have you know, if the Joneses are looking for a guy that does have a Super Bowl win, you know, that's good.
I'm not sure if that's necessarily an upgrade over McCarthy.
Yeah, oh, I feel no. No, I I've known Doug for a long time, you know, uh no, no, No, Doug and I Doug and I have known. John Gruden is another one that you know that if you wanted to talk about now what the thing with John Gruden would be with the thing with John and I've known John a long time. John has the idea of old school running game. But I think John, and talking to him, really understands now that an offense you have to attack these defenses a certain way. And I think he's adapted some of his thinking. But his running game I think travels now. Don't let John pick players, you know, that's where John's at a disadvantage. John. John would love these guys because they'll they'll pick players, but John would get involved. But I think the offensive side of things, I mean, he's tough on his players, demanding that kind of stuff. You know, Jerry was asked about him. I think you guys asked about him in the Median and he basically said, well, John, and we're friends with John and stuff like that. But if you gave me a choice of those kinds of guys, I'd take John over Doug. But you know, those are those are coaches that I think that that have a super Bowl pedigree that you know, would someone would probably want to talk to.
Yeah, that's the interesting part about all this for me is regardless of what and we'll get to these other two areas, these other two factors, But I just don't right now see another person out there that I'm looking at and I'm saying, that's a clear upgrade over Mike McCarthy. I look at it and I say, Mike McCarthy, what he's done so far just me that he's.
A good coach.
There are some areas that have to improve, I think, no doubt about it. But it tells me he's a good coach. And I think for a lot of those other names, I'm like, I don't know that I say that they're a better coach, right those are really And I'm thinking right now, I'm drawing a blank harball. When he was coming out of UH when he's leaving Michigan to go to the Chargers, I remember having a conversation with somebody I was like, charge is gonna turn around quick.
You look at that man's history. He turned programs.
Around like it's not you don't have anybody, in my opinion, in this cycle that's like that, that level of coach to where you've seen in his history he goes somewhere and when he shows up, it's like Parcels. When Parcels showed up somewhere, you knew the team was gonna get better. It's the same thing with Harball. And I don't know that there's anybody out there right now in this cycle that I feel like that about.
You know, college coaches.
That I feel like that about should go hider.
Nick Saban's fun.
Ambro get upset the fact he's seventy. Yeah right, let's see.
Yeah, sorry, you know you you could not be an HR person. Let's just put it like, he.
Just could not do that.
If you give me something else, there are certain jobs that I need, you I need more. It's just it's sorry. Sorry, We're all getting there at one point.
But hopefully you know I'll say this. You know, I think what I think what set some college coaches back, unfortunately in the in the NFL, is what happened with urban Meyer Jacksonville.
Yeah, you know, a very accomplished college.
Urban Meyer is a guy that And if you and here's to your example. Everywhere urban Meyer has been he's won. He wanted Bowling Green, he wanted Utah, he wanted Florida, he wanted Ohio State. You talk about a program builder, but if you don't have the people's skills and you know all the things in college, you can get away with things. You could be a bully. As long as you're winning, you could bully people and and and be just fine. The minute you start losing. Look what happened to Look what happened to Bill Belichick in New England. Once Bill Belichick started losing, being a bully wasn't cool anymore. Like there were questions about his job. Is he losing it? And I saw the same thing with Tom Landry here. Not that Tom Landry was a bully, but you start to lose that at the end. And you know, it's amazing how parallel Tom Landry and Bill Belichick's careers are with what happened to them in the last four years of their great, great legendary coaches. But when all of a sudden, when personnel and decisions and things and coaching hires all start to go backwards on you. You're no longer the darling anymore.
Hard sort to reverse that, hard to reverse that. Yeah, all right, let's move onto that.
The next factor, The next factor has it have is his overall record. This is a man who has gone He went six and ten the first year, which was the COVID year, which, say what you want, I tend to give a little bit more of a pass on a COVID year as a first year coach. But he went six and ten that year, then had three seasons where they were twelve and five, and then they had this last season where they were seven and ten. Let me ask you the first question is what are the similarities you think it exists between the losing season versus the winning season?
What were the things? Can can you draw on anything that.
Gives you some insight as to why he had such these drastic swings from you know, the six win season and the seven win season all the way to twelve win seasons for three years in a row.
Yeah.
You look at the injuries that he dealt with in both of those losing seasons, specifically with Dak Prescott.
You could look back to this past year and see.
DeMarcus Lawrence factored in that Ceedee Lamb not being one hundred percent losing Zach Martin. And then in twenty twenty also he was dealing with a defensive side of the ball that was an absolute mess and heard that was friends, yeah, and that was that was correct to going into twenty one. So, you know, the the I think the consistencies that you can find though between the twelve and five seasons and the losing seasons is an inability to win the big game, you know, whether it be a big game in the regular season.
Granted there were a couple of big wins in there.
You know, I think of that Sunday night win in Minnesota with Cooper Rush's quarterback. You know, I think of I think of the Seahawks game last year. That was a big win at a good time last year. But I all, winning the big game never really came with a lot of consistency, and I think that's going to be the biggest indictment if you look back and McCarthy's not the head coach.
In a week. The biggest question I have with Mike right now, and maybe this about injury. Why did your offense just completely fall off the map from one year to the next, you know, and maybe it.
Was from last year to this year.
Yeah, why why all of a sudden you have a MVP quarterback to basically and even with him playing, they just weren't very good. What was the I like to know. I wonder what his in the staff study on that was why?
I potentially try to answer that for Ahead.
I think when Dak was in the equation, they had zero running game. They could not figure out that running game until well after Dak was gone. And then by the time Dak was or by the time that running back or the running game got itself figured out, then you're dealing with the Cooks injury, so you really only have one passing option. I think it is a personalel based in some ways, but it was really a product of the run game not being as as productive as Dak needed it to be.
Was it that they couldn't figure it out, just weren't using it because it seemed like early in the season the volume wasn't there, let alone whether they were successful that they just didn't have the volume in the running game, right.
They just they won. They won that game, and I believe Week five against Pittsburgh by doing the exactly what they needed to do and they just never And then oddly we get the inactive Rico Dabdle against San Francisco and it's just to me, I wonder just what was the what was the disconnect there?
Why?
Why?
I mean, you're right about the running game stuff, but why was the offense? Just why were you like every time you know, you got in the red zone, you scored, and this year you couldn't get you get in the red zone all even was kicking field goals? Yeah, you know, so I wonder where to me that was?
That?
To me is the biggest question I have about Mike McCarthy. That's one of the reasons I'm okay with Mike McCarthy coming back. I just don't want to go through again this year. What were next year? What we went through this year with that, with the offense and stuff, you know, the questions and things.
Yeah, it makes it worse when we sit here do show after show and talk about it. And that's what drives me nuts sometimes. And I say this, I've said this before, how we from a viewer, analysts, fan perspective, we see certain things, but then they don't, or based on what they show week after week, it doesn't seem to be processing or they're watching the same things that we're watching or talking about. And that was the most frustrating part of this whole thing, because I doubt I mean zech Martin coming out. We saw how much that affected the running game and what the offensive line was doing. But at the same time, I think if you stuck to it and actually gave those opportunities to a guy like Rico, there could have been something some type of production to hopefully balance things out or at least try it out and see what was happening. But sometimes it's just like they just keep doing the same thing over and over and over, even though when it's not working out. So that is my biggest thing, and we keep saying, I'm okay with him coming back as a head coach, I just want somebody else as a play color completely.
All right, let's go to the third thing. It's playoff performance.
And obviously this has been the big achilles heel Achilles heel for them.
Here's an interesting question. I thought of that act.
I want to get here for the last thirty years, Well, that's exactly where I was going How much blame do you give him for the playoff record when this has been an ongoing problem going back to Chan Gaily, Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, They've all had playoff.
Teams that have all fallen short.
How much do you hold him accountable for what it seems like this has been an ongoing problem with a lot of coaches, a lot of good coaches.
Well, this is what you also have to say. I think Will McClay does a really good job of building a team that can win your division. Where I think they've missed the boat. And this includes the coaches, because the coaches do have a say in what happens with personnel here. They don't have a team that's built to win the conference. That's the problem, in my opinion.
They don't explain that a little bit more.
They don't have a team that could go and be tough against San Francisco, go or go bite kneecaps in Detroit, or go win a game in the cold and Green Bay. They don't have that team. They have a team that's very competitive to play against Philadelphia, beat the Giants up all day. You know, the Commanders, I mean the Commanders are better now because they've got a quarterback. But you're a team that's built to win the division, and then all of a sudden, you have to go play some of these other teams. You go play in Miami, you go play a Buffalo, you go play somebody else, and you get embarrassed because your team is not built. But the head coach has to say in how this roster is, I just don't think. I think they're built perfectly to win the East. I don't think they're perfectly built to win the NFC the conference. I just don't. And I think that's something that they have to look at really strongly. Right now, your team is just not good enough. You watch those games. We all watch those games. Man, It's like you're thinking, there's no way Dallas can compete in this game right now. You know when you watch this, you know Detroit play Buffalo or somebody like that. These two teams just look home much better than you right now. Physical, more physical, yeah, built built to built to win the division?
Is that about the people themselves or how they're coached?
I think it's I and I include the coach, because the coach has to say that's the only reason.
But I'm saying, though, what's more important is it you have to get the right mentality type guys to play that football, or is it that they're being coached in a way that makes them tough?
Look what look what Shanahan does with his guys. I know this year was a bad year. They went through a lot of terrible injuries too, But look at how Detroit's turned things around. They've gotten better players, their offensive line, they they lose everybody on defense and they still are number one seed. I mean, they lost they lost their their their their Hutchinson the day they played Dallas that seemed like years ago. Didn't miss a be did not fall apart, and then they had more injuries along the way. Lose their runner, they don't fall apart.
They picked up alfau Camino or Africomino. That's a basketball player, uh alchemy, But yeah, that was bad. Al Kadi Muhammad who the Cowboys released after camp and he has three secs in the last five games like that.
That just hurts.
See, that's that's so saying, though you just you you wonder like with and I think Mike the culture thing and all that you know it to me, it was disappointing to hear about the whole thing with Zeke missing meetings and stuff, because to me, Zeke missing meetings or being laid or whatever he was doing, I wish Mike would have just moved on from him. Just move on, you know. And maybe maybe he tried to. Maybe they maybe they they didn't want to move on from him, But I don't know. But I just think this team is they're built to win the division. They're not built to win the conference. And that's why you don't have playoff success because you're not You're not that that team that was second overall last year, let's be honest, caught some breaks, caught some breaks with Philly falling apart and some other things going crazy. You get the second seed, and now you go play a team that's that was fighting for their playoff lives and you get handled it home. You're not built the right way.
Yeah, all right, let's take our final break.
We'll come back and we want to talk about these college games coming up. So you guys gonna give us some players that we should watch this Thursday and Friday that may be of ventures or should be of interest to the Dallas Cowboys when it comes Draft Day.
We'll talk about that when we come back.
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Welcome back, final segment of the break Life from this WBC Mortgage Studios at the start at the Soccolo College Football.
The College Football Playoff.
Happens Tomorrow night and Friday night. And so what I thought we would do is give our draft show experts an opportunity to give you some names to watch some guys that will be playing in those games.
If Texas was not playing, would we be having this segment.
We would absolutely be having a segment because it's very important to me to give our fans the most insight that we can give them about football and about the Cowboys, and so we would certainly be talking.
I was like, Oh, this is gonna be good.
Absolutely, no, Amber, I would not be talking about it. A matter of fact, I'm going to watch the game and I need to know a couple of guys to look out. All right, That's why I'm doing this.
Let's start with Notre Dame versus Men's Day.
Give me some guys that will be playing this Thursday night that you think should be or could be.
Of interest to the Cowboys come drafted.
Yeah, I'll give a defensive lineman for both sides. I'll start with I'll start with Notre Dame defensive tackle Howard Cross the thirties and three tech kind of an undersized three tech, but he's a state champion wrestler.
Does this ring a bell?
Leverage?
Does this ring?
Does this ring a bell?
Here?
It sounds like osa odigizua.
Uh.
He was a wrestler from his from his high school days and has been an undersized three tech but has understood leverage, like you said, really well. The same goes for Howard Cross, not only with leverage but power distribution. He he does so well with that that it overcomes his physical limitations. He can clog some gaps in the run game. Now, granted, I don't think there's a lot of consistency in him getting active in the pass rush or the run game because whenever he gets active, he can just get double teamed. And when he gets double teamed, he gets overwhelmed. But I think that's why he's more so a Day three pick. I put him in about the fifth round from from my initial viewing. But a guy that lines up at three tech for Notre Dame and has has been active for them on the Penn State side, this is gonna be a top ten pick. Abdul Carter. Now, granted he got hurt in their quarter final win over Boise State, but it looks like he's gonna be be playing tomorrow night in the in the Orange Bowl. Abdul Carter is an interesting interesting cat when you when you factor in the Cowboys aspect of things, because over the offseason he wanted to take he wanted to take his game to another level.
He reached out to Michael Parsons.
He said, Hey, what did you do in the offseason here at Penn State that really helped your game going into your final year. And he completely replicated that over this past offseason and he lost some bad weight that he had, and he's put a lot of focus into speed rush moves. And he's a speed rusher and the body of a power rusher in the sense that he's six foot three, two hundred and sixty pounds, but he moves like he's two thirty five, and he can get around the He can get around the edge in a hurry. He uses the really an intense speed that he has to get around. This is going to be a guy that I think is going to be four four or five at the combine.
It's led to eleven sacks.
It's led to eleven sacks and twenty two tackles for loss as a senior. This is one of the more talented defensive prospects in this entire draft. I have him as a top ten pick. I think something would have to happen for him to slip at twelve. But yeah, there's a lot of time.
As we need the gas now.
I was just about to say.
Situation, but this is a really player and if you have any dirt on him, let me know.
That's at the draft show.
But he wears number eleven.
It's it's it's funny because it looks like Michael Parsons, except if Michael Parsons ate a bag of burgers, you know.
So yeah, it's it's funny. Yeah.
When you were first describing him, I'm like, yeah, he ain't gonna be there at twelve.
Now when you when you when you when you beat the Commanders and then beat the Bucks, Yeah you lost, you lost.
Who's who's to say they don't maybe trade up grab a guy.
Like I'm with you, man, he is. He's the best you can get, right and the best. He's the best edge player in the draft. And I think Nick nailed him perfectly.
Uh.
I'm going to talk about a couple of kids. I want to mention just a couple of players that are that are hurt and not gonna play, but I think they're going to factor into the Cowboys. I'm gonna mention a couple of names. There's a corner named Benjamin Morrison, who plays at Notre Dame and a six foot one and ninety corner pound corner man. You talk about outstanding movement, the quickness, plays both sides, all these things. There's a fluidness to his game and I think a lot of teams. He is coming off a hip injury. He heard his hip in the season and it cost him an opportunity to play the rest of the scene. He got hurt in the Louisville game. This kid comes from a sports family. His dad was Daryl Morrison, who was a safety with the Commanders. His sisters, his brothers and sisters were all scholarship athletes. His sisters were champion gymnasts and stuff like that. This kid's really but he's hurt, he's not gonna play. But watched the name Benjamin Morris. I think he's a first round corner out of Notre Dame. And then the second thing I won. The second guy I would like to mention is a safety, a free safety. And this is for Penn State. It's kJ Winston and he's not going to play now. He hurt his knee in a game at the very first game of the season, like West Virginian, and they were getting ready for Bowling Green. But here's a guy that's a two year starter at Penn State. He's a rangy, physical, firstle, really good football player. When you start to talk about these guys that can tackle, this guy misses like two percent of his tackles missed. That's it. He's one of the best in the country when it comes to tackling. Six two, two oh five. You know, can cover, takes tight ends out of the game, deliver a blow. Physical guy. Dallas is looking for a free safety. This is a guy you're thinking about in the second round. Sorry, two guys are not gonna play. But when we start talking about draft coverage and get a little bit more extensive, these are guys that are I think are going to.
Be in play coming off of Andrew perfect pick for Dallas in the second round.
Absolutely Okay. Now I'm gonna give you a guy that is going to play in this football game. Tight end Tyler Warren from Penn State. And he's six six, he's two fifty seven. He's gonna line up all over the place. He's plays sometimes he plays when you see him flexed. You'll see him play as a wide receiver, see him play as a wildcat. He catches the ball really really easily. For this he could be a tough runner with the ball in his hands. He can make tacklers missing space. They use him in the red zone. He finds spots. He's got awareness. There's so much about him. You see him. He'll knock a linebacker, he'll knock a defensive lineman down. He'll get to the linebacker on the second level. He's got really reliable hands for the positions. He's not gonna drop targets. He's gonna make contested catches. Dallas probably not in the in the mode for you know, for a tight end. But you're gonna notice number forty four for Penn State in this football game because they use him quite a bit as a weapon.
Yeah, I noticed that in that last game. He's all over the field, always making plays.
All right, let's move on to the Texas Ohio State the premier game of the week.
Give me some guys who should be looking at.
Yeah, I'm gonna start in the Ohio State side. I'm gonna start with interior lineman. But he's gonna play left tackle in this game. Donovan Jackson, originally from the Houston area, was a big time recruit coming out of the Houston area. Actually covered him back in the day. From Bellair Episcopal has gone up to Ohiose State. He's a three year starter for the buck guys and has started at left guard going into every season. But after the injury to Josh Simmons on the Ohio State offensive line going into week ten, Donovan Jackson moved out to left tackle and he's he's been a versatile.
Guy from them in that since.
But he's gonna be the He's gonna be an interior guy at the next level, no doubt in my mind. He's got the ideal interior frame at six foot four, three hundred and twenty five pounds. He's only allowed five sacks over twelve hundred and fifty pass block snaps.
Now.
Granted, two of those five sacks came against Abdul Carter in Week ten in his first start at left tackle this this past year or over this past season, so you know he's had some issues there at left tackle.
But I think whenever you look at.
His consistency and him being able to overwhelm one text at times that are bigger than he is. I like Donovan Jackson in the third fourth round. I think this is a guy that if if he's sitting there, especially to start Day three, Uh, that's a that's a guy you could you could package some picks together to go get. I think if you look at it from a Cowboys perspective, they probably have a hole at right guard that they want to fill going into going into the offseason.
I think this could be a candidate.
Looking on the other side for Texas, I this is this is my favorite player in the entire playoffs right now, and it's John A.
Baron the do.
It all, do it all defensive back for the Longhorns. Jim Thorpe Award winner this past season, awarded to the nation's best defensive back. He has experienced at every position in the secondary. He's been Texas's chest beasts in the secondary for the last two seasons, whether it be lining up at safety, lining up at what defensive coordinator peak quick colse he likes to call the star position, and being able to rotate between safety and nickel, kind of play in the box a little bit. He's played outside corner a lot this year, matching up with guys. Now he can struggle one on one against speed guys and I think Ohio State is going to try to isolate him and number five Malik Muhammad in this game to create one on one matchups for Jeremiah Smith, and I think that's where it could get dangerous for Texas if these are left on an island by themselves. But the one advantage that I think Baron could have over Smith is the sense that I think Baron's more physical than Smith is.
Even Smith being.
At six foot three, two hundred and twenty five pounds and getting comps to Julio Jones, I still think Baron can fight with him to make his day a little bit more difficult, at least more difficult than the day he had against Oregon. This is a mid to late first round guy in my opinion. If this is a situation where Dallas you know, doesn't see their guy at number twelve and they parachute back, this would be an ideal candidate to throw in the secondary, just because you're going to have a lot to figure out in the secondary going into the offseason, and this is a guy that I think is so versatile that you can place him anywhere you have a hole and you'll be all right.
I'd take him at twelve. Yeah, I don't care about Paris. I take him at twelve real quick. Here, Tlink Williams, the Ohio State defensive tackle, is who I'd like to talk about. Massive time. This guy's six threes three to twenty seven defensive tackle, defensive tackle. This guy, yeah, number ninety one for and this is going to be the challenge with Majors and those guys inside for the long words, veteran offensive line. We're talking about first and second round offensive lineman on the Texas line. This will be a really good matchup because Ohio State's got some guys too. But Talak Williams is massive tackle. This guy's not sloppy at all. Powerful upper body, he can control blockers. He can stend his hands. He's he can fight single blocks, double team blocks. He's got he gets momentum going up the field. You know, there's things you got to like about him because he's a really smart player. He doesn't get fooled. Sometimes he tackles loose side of the ball to where it goes. He's really good at reading plays. He's got a relentless motor.
You know.
For the position. He can get upfield as a pass rusher. I like what he does with overall though as a player, though, I just think he does so many things, so many positive things for that kind of size. He can control inside. So I'm going to say that you need to keep an eye on him. As far as the other Texas offensive lineman I need to look at. We need to talk about Kelvin Banks. I think Banks is going to play. I think he's going to play guard in the league. I think he plays, you know, white now. He plays left tackle for the Longhorns. You know, like I say, there's people in the scouting world that's projecting him to play play guard. But he's got initial quickness, but he plays with explosive power. He can handle defenders, He's got a lotteral agility. There's a lot of things can anchor down about him as well. Hold off initial punches from these edge rushers, the awareness when it comes to picking up stunts and dealing with that. I didn't see him get fooled very much. You know. There's some snaps where he tends to bend over the waist a little bit, and this might be a little bit of some hip stiffness, but he is going to be a first round player again. He's a guy at twelve, Dallas might consider taking and then also playing him at guard.
Yep, which they could use the guard. But I love both those two guys.
You guys mentioned from Texas have both been really good players for Texas. So interesting here you hear that, And I do think the matchup there is going to be really really interesting to look at that offensive line for Texas versus the defensive line for Ohio State.
I actually think that's where the game is going to be won or lost in my opinion.
Might look at some of those other ed rushers just really quick for Ohio to State, Jack Sawyer and j T.
Tuamolowai.
Those are some really physical power rusher. It's going to give Cam Williams and Kelvin.
Banks a lot of I heard somebody say this is this will be the best defensive front Dallas is fit. I mean that I'm sorry that the Texas long hoards have faced, including Georgia. Yeah, and uh in Georgia obviously George's.
Probably got better pass rushers.
Yeah, I think second level is a lot more talent.
The physicality that that that Ohio State plays with the front four is impressive.
Yeah, we will see all right, let's get some picks real quick. I'm gonna have y'all pick these games, and thing's gonna win these these two CFP games.
So we boored Ambar. She she got out of here lunch.
You know, she had to go, she had to go shoot for some moost cowboys.
Uh, picks in this game. I'm going to take Penn State in the Penn State Notre Dame game. And just as a precursor, this is a complete heart pick. I am not picking from my brain. We're going Texas in the in the Cotton Bowl. But if my brain was picking, it might look a little bit.
Yeah, I would absolutely I'd love to see Texas win. I don't think they will. I think the matchups are going to be really difficult for them. And uh but I do like I do like Notre Dame. I do like Notre Dame and what they You know, they seem to be right now since they had that terrible loss against Nord of the Illinois. They seem to have found their way and there and you know they they don't have to they can morph into how they have to play the game. You know, the quarterback is a physical runner. They like to run the football you know, we'll see at Penn State how they play that. Penn State's on a nice little run too, So give me Notre Dame. Unfortunately, I think Ohio State goes on too.
I remember sitting in the hotel room in Cleveland in Week one and watching Northern Illinois finish off that win and think to myself, Man, Notre Dame.
Like the cooked, probably don't cooked.
Yeah, yeah, they've they've invested the wrong portal resources. This makes the Notre This makes the Texas A and M loss last week looks so much worse.
Yeah, but here they are.
Hey, look if Notre Dame plays like they played last week, I think they win that game.
Yeah.
I think Notre Dame is getting gone on. They've gotten better and.
Golden has done a nice jobs a defensive coordinator there, They've got some we talk about Watts. They have a safety there. That's a that Dallas is probably going to look at as well. Man, really really good player.
Yep.
And I'll say this about the Texas game. One thing I love about Sark so it gets this team ready for games when they're the Underdogy're playing better teams, which I do think on paper, I think Ohio state' is a better team, which says a lot because I think Texas has a ton of talent, but Ohio State might be the most talented team in the country. I think that they also have a little bit of that textas in them. What I mean by that is they can start reading their press clippings at time and they get a little bit enamored with their own success. And so I love the fact that everybody's talking about Ohio State has the team to beat here, and I think Texas, if I would be more concerned if everybody's talking about texts like that, because I know we have that tendency to will we will certainly start reading the press and then say, hey we're there, we arrived, and then fall flat on our face.
We see how Ryan Day two and some big games. Yeah, you know, there's saying times some coaching decisions where you kind of like, yeah, that was a little interesting.
We'll see how it goes.
I think these will be some really great matchups. I love how it panned out with these two matchups. I think they're both very interesting and we'll see how it turns out. I think obviously the text is gonna win Texas.
We will see all right, guys, appreciate you join us back next week.
Remember check our our app tomorrow to see if we're gonna have shows Tomorrow.
We're gonna try.
We'll see what everything helped, what happens with this weather. Uh, we'll figure out how that's gonna work. But we'll be back with you guys next Wednesday at eleven till then for Nick Harris. Brian brought us in amregarci. I'm Derek Eigld and this has been The Break live on Dallas Cowboys dot Com Radio.
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