On today’s episode of the 'Boys and Girl Podcast, Jane and Bobby talk about the signing of Andy Dalton, and what it may mean. Cowboys legend Drew Pearson stops by to discuss the continuing legacy of 88. Jane and Bobby also welcome new rookie Cowboys defensive end Ron’Dell Carter. And NFL agent Ron Slavin drops by to talk about his clients Leighton Vander Esch and Aldon Smith.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello, Boys and girls, Welcome in to the Boys and
Girl Podcast with Cowboys NFL Network reporter Jane Slater and
NFL Network producer Bobby Bell. Cowboys Community with the inside
scoop on the Dallas Cowboys now coming straight to you
(00:22):
from the Lone Star State. Here's Jane and Bobby. All Right, Well,
just when we thought that the offseason, this pandemic was
going to slow down Cowboys news or everything that we
could talk to the fans about. I feel like we
need to do a podcast more than once a week, Bobby,
because the Cowboys have remained active. You know, as we've
talked about the Cowboys told us, one of my sources
(00:44):
had said that in the draft they had addressed a
lot of areas, so they weren't going to be in
this rush to sign anybody. In other words, they don't
have this glaring need right now. They also told me
that scouting is a seven three sixty five job and
went out and they scouted themselves a starting quarterback. It's
gonna pay back up here in Dallas, and I'm talking
(01:05):
about Andy Dalton. That your initial thoughts, Bobby, um, I
I like it. I think it's always good to have
you know a strong backup. I remember talking to James Washington,
the old Cowboys safety years ago, and he was on
the early nineties teams, and he talked about that at
the end of n when Troy Aikman got hurt, that
(01:26):
the Cowboys had decided internally that they were never going
to let that happen again, that they were never gonna
be caught with a poor backup behind them. And so
through that they had Steve Burline and that was crucial
for them in when he won a playoff game for
them as the backup. And then you know Bernie Kosar
and Rodney Pete and Wade Wilson. They always were stacking
(01:47):
up good veteran backup quarterbacks and so it was something
they did for a long time and then they kind
of moved away from it um and and we're I
think they've become a little comfortable with Dak Prescott's durability
and they were seeing some of the ridiculous figures that
go out there for for backup quarterbacks. But uh, in
the end, it makes too much sense. We we don't
know the exact escalation of the deal yet, but but
(02:08):
it can be up to seven million dollars is what's
been reported. It's three million guaranteed, uh, more than they've
spent on a backup quarterback in recent history. But a
guy who I think is definitely worth it, and a
guy who um is going to be a good partner
for Dak Prescott and a good study partner, and somebody
behind him that that can do good work during the week,
I think, and somebody by all accounts that is a
(02:31):
great locker room guy, and so it should be a
I think it's a positive signing. It's a good one.
I don't know that we should buy into the conspiracy
theories that this is an attempt to move Dak Prescott
in a certain direction, but maybe that's maybe that's a
small part of it. Maybe it gives them an ability
to say, hey, look, you know, yeah, we still want
(02:51):
to work out a deal, but if you're holding out,
you know, if you're still not happy by summer, we
just gotta have a contingency in place. And so maybe
there's a little bit of an added benefit to doing that.
But overall, I think a good signing, just a little
bit of a surprising one, given that's not the direction
they've gone in recent years. Is paying a good backup.
All signs continue to point to Mike McCarthy. I just
(03:13):
think of how active they've been in free agency and
the quality of the free agents that they've gone out
and acquired, Coy signing Don Terry Poe Alden's uh if,
and when he gets reinstated, and then of course a
guy like Andy Dalton. I'm I'm with you. This feels
very much like the what the Saints did with Teddy Bridgewater.
A lot of people were shocked that the Saints went
(03:34):
out there and paid him that type of money. I'd
reported at the time that the Miami Dolphins wanted him
to be a potential starter for them, even after uh,
you know, they picked up well, what's his face from
the Cardinals, Josh Rosen it. He wasn't going to be
the guy that that wanted to go and take that.
He wanted to flourish and sort of learn, uh from
(03:55):
the Saints because that was a locker room he was
familiar with it. In this case. You know, I've talked
to his old coach. It's see Gary Patterson. Gary Patterson said,
it is just that at a house here he you know,
he still lives in the Dallas area in the off
season and with this pandemic and not really knowing what
that's gonna look like. I think there's a level of
comfort that comes with being able UH to stick around
the Dallas area to play and then kind of do
(04:17):
what Tedny Bridgewater did, which was go and get yourself
a starting job with in his Panthers and so and again,
this also feels like the from More assigning when they
were going through the Ezekie Elliott deal. We all knew
that it wasn't a guy that was going to replace Zeke.
It was just an added insurance policy. And to me,
he feels like a more accomplished Mark Sanchez for Dat
Prescott in that room. I think we saw Dak Prescott
(04:39):
really flourish in his workie season. Having a guy like
that in there, a guy that was able to read
defense is a certain way he'd had some experience. And
now you've got a guy like that in Andy Dalton
UH in Dallas that can really, you know, push Dak.
And then we were so impressed with Ben d Nucci,
a guy that picked up in the seventh round UH
as another guy that gives them insurance. And of course
the Cowboys announcing on Monday that they at Cooper Rush. Go.
(05:01):
I liked Cooper, but you and I solid at training
camp the last two years, just was not a guy
that you wanted to step in in the event you
have a situation like again, the Saints had Drew Brees
going out and needing somebody that's gonna step in and
help sustain them until your starter comes back and then
help you make a playoff. Push. Yeah, absolutely, I think that.
You know, the Cowboys have been trying to replace Cooper
(05:24):
Rush for a little bit. You know, they drafted Mike
White and and that didn't work out. They wanted him
to be, uh the guy behind Doc and the developmental guy.
That just didn't you know, work out the way they
wanted it too. So so they've been working, i think,
trying to to push him and find a better person
for that spot. Um. But yeah, I mean the Cowboys
they clearly do. Uh they have a type. You know,
(05:46):
everybody's got their type, like you know that there you know,
I like a blonde girl, you know, with with a
pretty smile or whatever else. Uh, you know, the Cowboys
like their red headed backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush, Brandon Weed
and Jason Garret. It Andy Dalton. They are. They certainly
have a type and they go for it. That's really funny.
(06:07):
Actually the way that you put that that was I
didn't know where you're going with that, and I enjoyed
that analogy. There's got to be Jerry because those are
all Jerry or backups that are the Redheads. Let's also
talk about Jerry Jones and what he told us on
draft night. Uh. They went and picked up Ceedee Land,
a decadent pick that you and I discussed at seventeen,
(06:27):
a guy that hadn't even probably thought about what jersey
number he was gonna wear. And the owner of the
Dallas Cowboys says that his old college UH teammates had
passed away and his number was eight, and he wanted
Ceedee Land to wear eight. And we talked about there's
a romo beehive, Well there's also a brilliant beehive. And
(06:49):
it just set the world on fire. And while I
thought he was being a little tongue in cheek, I
don't think that I expected that he would necessarily uh
go through with it in the sense that Ceedee Lamb
picked eight. Eight. So now he joins the ad eight
club and we're gonna have Dren Pearson on here and
a little bit just to talk about what that ad
eight club means and his thoughts on Ceedee Lamb uh
(07:13):
now acquiring that Jersey. I will say this about Dez Does,
of course tweeting out to his support of Ceedee Lamb
and a lot of people of asby. So what does
this mean for Dees? My honest answer is I don't know.
Here's what I do know. Dez has been reaching out
to teams himself. He already admitted that when he reached
out to Stephen Jones last year, he reached out to
Sean Payton. Of course, he's still with Roughten Nation and
(07:35):
he has an agent, but Does is working for himself
right now, and I know there's at least one other
team in the league. Um, he was very intrigued by it.
And when things can open up again, they want to
bring dozen for a live workout. So there is a
good chance that Does might end up on a roster
come training camp. Whether he'll be on the roster when
the season starts still unclear, and whether he'll be with
(07:56):
the Cowboys still unclear as well. I mean, when you
consider that they've got Marii Cooper ceedee Lamb Michael Gallup.
It does feel like this would be a tough place
for Dez, even though Dez says he doesn't want to
be like Jason Witten and come back, in other words,
never not be on the football field. I think des
(08:16):
is such a competitor, and well, you know, I think
the Sean Payton plan when he went to the Saints
was a guy that you've got obviously Michael Thomas, and
you had, you know, some of the other young guys
like Trey Kuan Smith, and you had little Jordan Humphrey.
I think that I think there was this concern that
they would they would ask Dez to do a lot
and that wasn't the case. And maybe that if that's
(08:38):
not the case in Dallas, are still a possibility. But
I will concede that it looks like the road is
a little bit more narrow for him to come back.
All right, So let's talk about what comes with wearing
that number eight and what Mr ad eight himself, one
of the originals, Drew Pearson, has to say about all this.
In this new offense, we're now joined by a living legend.
(08:59):
I am talking about the original a D eight Drew Pearson.
You can find him on Twitter at eight Drew Pearson.
Drew was one of the first co hosts I had
in sports. I don't know if you realize that we
did the Trew Pierson Show a long time ago, and
I love seeing you continue to do media and thriving
your thoughts as it related to this draft Drew and
(09:20):
picking another eight eight in ceed Lamb. Yeah, well, first
of all, I keep sending those invoices and they keep returning,
returning to sender for that payment. You owe me for
giving you your big break. But anyway, Uh, I was,
you know, I was first of all surprised that Ceedee
(09:40):
Lamb fell to the Cowboys. Uh, And I'm thinking, man
after I think the reason is because Henry Ruggs went
to what Denver No, the Raiders, and I think everybody
expected Judy or c d to go ahead of Ruggs.
But once he went ahead, it started changing the order
little bit and people's thinking following that draft picks. So
(10:03):
he ended up falling to the Cowboys. And right away
what I did was pull up his highlights. Okay, whoa,
this is a bad man here, and he's he's got
the size and the speed, and the thing that's impressive
he runs good routes and he's in that system where
they have to run routes because they throw the ball
(10:24):
a lot. They have to run good routes. And he
gets uh in the man a man coverage a lot.
But the thing is, the action really starts after he
makes the catch. Okay, you see yards after the catch
of the reason why he averaged over twenty one yards
to catch at o U. So you bring that to
our offense, and man, that's gonna make a big difference
(10:47):
no matter who's a quarterback, doc and here who and whomever?
You know they were, Drew, you were somebody who when
we talk about the legacy of eight, I mean you
were the one who creates did it? You know, you
were the one who started that legacy. And and then
it of course went to Michael Irvin and then uh
does Bryant and now to Ceedee Lamb. So you know,
(11:09):
I don't think that you were kind of faced with
the same sort of question about the number anything that
Ceedee Lamb seemed to be where there's this discussion should
he take any eight or not? Talk about I guess
just the legacy of that number and how you feel
about c d be in the next to wear that. Yeah, well,
first of all, Bobby, nobody had it before I did.
The reason it was available is because Ron Seller has
(11:29):
had it the year before I had it, and he
got traded to the Miami Dolphins for Auto Stowe. Otto
Stowe had been playing behind Paul Warfield for four years
and he wanted to get at it there, so he
forced the trade to come to Dallas and he wore
eighty two. And thank god he came to Dallas because
I learned how to play wide receiver in the NFL
(11:49):
by watching Otto Stow. Okay, Mike Dick was my receiver coach,
wide receiver coach. Okay, Mike Dick and knew nothing about
wide receiver at my blocking assignments. He knew all that,
but he didn't know how to run routes or anything.
But anyway, the number was available. So after I made
the team, you couldn't have the single digit numbers. I
(12:11):
had number three in college. I wanted that, fifteen in
high school. Wanted that. Couldn't do that, so you had
to go in the eighties. Uh, And so there wasn't
that many numbers available. Billy Joe was the number one
draft that he took eighty nine. Golden Richard was number two.
He took a D eighty three, eighty five. Who wants
that eighty seven away? You know? So the only thing
(12:34):
that really sounds decent was a eight, and that's why
I took it. But then after I did what I
did in and I retired, you know, I started calling
myself the original AD eight, okay, and it just kind
of caught on and people had forgotten that somebody else
previously had wren AD eight. So I did what I
did and set a tone for the eight eight. But
(12:55):
what made it a legacy? Now Michael comes along, and
you know, I was working for Channel five, Scott Murray.
He sends me out to DFW Airport to greet Michael
as his plane comes in after he gets drafted. And uh,
you know, first thing Michael said, true, they want me
to wear number eighty eight? Is that? Okay? I said, well,
Michael is not my number, first of all. Second of all,
(13:16):
if you do wear it, don't do what I did
in it. Do more than I did. And man, he
did a lot more than I did, okay. Hall of
Fame career individually, three Super Bowl championships and all that.
So now we got something go. Now we got a legacy.
If Michael doesn't do anything in the number eighty eight,
then it is no legacy. So now we got something going.
(13:38):
And Dez comes along and me Uh and Michael got
together with Tess and we said, hey, Dees, you know
this is something that we want to carry on. And
you were designated and annoying it to do this because
of your abilities and what you bring to the table
and your similarities to us at that position. So Des
took it, and man, he took off with it and
(13:59):
had an nice career. He ended up uh the all
time touchdown leader and I don't know how many yards,
and he's heead of most of the got us in yardage.
I know he's ahead of me. So he took the
number and did something with it, and now it's looked
upon as a a prestigious number in Cowboy number history.
(14:20):
Number Lord. So now c D comes and I didn't think, well,
c D. You know, he's a different kind of receiver.
I'm thinking maybe more of Bob Hayes. You know Bob Hayes.
And it's his career twenty yards and catch his whole career. Okay,
c D twenty young yards of catch, game breakers, going deep,
you know, big plays and stuff like that. I'm thinking
maybe we'll Jerry's gonna start another legacy going with the
(14:44):
number twenty two. You know, Bob Hayes, Emmitt Smith, Ceedee Lamb.
But now he had other reasons to anoint CD with
the double aids and uh, you know from what I hear, uh,
he couldn't have gone wrong with passing it on to
Ceedee Land. What do you think about this new regime,
(15:06):
Mike McCarthy, because I know you've been following this team
as closely as I have, even more so because you're
so invested in it. Are you seeing things a little
differently with this new regime and Mike at the helm
as it relates to some of the decisions that the
Cowboys have made this offseason, Yeah, I guess you can
uh put some of the reasons why they had such
(15:26):
a good draft. You know, now you've got a different
voice in the room, different guy in the room looking
for different things. I understand once he got the job,
he got uh. He and Will McClay got real close
and they worked together. Will McClay found out what kind
of players Mike McCarthy's looking for to run his offense
(15:47):
and run his football team. And Will McClay, you know,
it's done a tremendous job, went out and got those
players and found those kind of players, and uh, you know,
so I think his voice in the meetings and the
way they did at things. Having Jerry had on his
boat out to see somewhere he couldn't mess with stuff.
And I'm wondering nobody said it was Bill will McClay
(16:08):
on that boat, I don't think. So he's probably back
at the headquarters speeding information right, So Jerry couldn't get
to him like he normally could get to him, you know,
pull him aside and all that kind of stuff. So
We'll probably had the final say along with Mike McCarthy
and and a lot of the picks that the Cowboys
made throughout the this draft. For sure, Jerry's gonna come
(16:30):
for you for saying just take me on the boat.
Jerry out now now, Drew. We we talked about the
the eighty eight legacy. There's another legacy of yours that
has been talked about for a long time, and that says,
you know, one of the great undrafted free agents, not
(16:50):
just in Cowboys history but in NFL history. Um, and
I want to find out if this is true because
this is something that I've heard, but I can't work
all if you've ever said this yourself, is it true?
Because when we talked about these guys that we talked
to Rondl. Carter earlier, who's an undrafted free agent out
of James Madison, he said it came down to the
forty Niners and the Cowboys, and he picked the Cowboys.
(17:11):
And maybe nobody thinks anything of that now, but when
you had your undrafted free agent decision, is it true
that it came down to the Cowboys and the Steelers
and we were this close to you being on the
other side of that war in the second day. Well,
actually it came down between Green Bay, Pittsburgh, and Dallas.
And uh, Pittsburgh was real close or the front and
runner pretty much so because they offered the most money,
(17:34):
all right, they offered me a signing bonus, a fill right.
But the Cowboy I know, but the Cowboys impressed me. Uh,
it had in my head after I met with the
Steelers because the Cowboys were there at the second day
of the draft. I'm in my college department at Tulsa University,
and they had a scout there at the Camelot Hotel
(17:58):
calling my house saying they couldn't believe I wouldn't draft
it nine and nine and knock, Can you come down
to the Camelot and uh, we got we want you
to sign a contract and that type of thing. So uh,
I said, well, I can come down there, but you
got to give me an hour because this is like
seventeen rounds of the draft, and after the twelfth round,
I'm drinking Boone's fong baby rounded my sorrows and so
(18:23):
I had to sober up before I went down there.
So anyway, they offered me a contract right there, based
salary of fourteen thousand, five hundred dollars and a signing
bonus of one hundred and fifty dollars. So I took
that over to steal the money, and I said to
the scout for the late Bob Griffin, I told him,
(18:45):
I said, sir, if you pay me that signing bonus
in cash, I signed right now. They paid me a
cash seven twenties and a ten and that's how I
got my signing bonus with the Dadas Cowboys hoo hoodo
it part laid hard, laid into a lot more. I
don't know if it would have been the same city.
I know I wouldn't go on a green Bay. I
(19:05):
thought seriously about Pittsburgh, but I don't think it would
have turned out as great as it did. Uh if
I ended up with the Dallas Cowboy's cause Pittsburgh would
have never had Lynn Swan. Therefore, when you play Pittsburgh
in those games, lynch Swan would have never made those sketches. Anyway,
Din't it wild when you think about some of those contracts.
I mean, I love, Uh, what was your teammate that
(19:27):
got the horse trailer which was one of my favorite
stories as part of the Wards. That was Charlie Waters
Charlie Warders. Yeah yeah, and uh, let's say, uh, somebody
they give us Grand Prix. I got a Grand Prix
and it was green and I tried to sell if
nobody wanted the green car. So funny when I think
(19:50):
about my first market, I mean, they didn't didn't pay
us to anything. In Tyler, Texas, sixteen five a year
is what I made, and our big deal was trade,
so you'd get like free hair or free tries. Jim,
remember Jip, and you took it because you're like, whatever,
you want to give me a sweeten, what this deal is,
I'd appreciate it before we let you go, Drew. One
of the toughest things that I've watched in the last
(20:12):
year was, I know a lot of people pushed for
you to go in the Hall of Fame. I knew
this was the year that you wanted it. You certainly
had the career that warrants it. What was it like
not getting that call and having cameras on you, Drew
in that moment? Well, it was very disappointing, and uh,
you know I was. I was felt, like I said,
heartbroke and let down and that type of thing. And
(20:34):
only reason is because I had so much confidence that
this was going to be the way I get in. Okay,
This was according to Rick Gosselin and h. Sharne Williams
and Jared Bell, this was the way for the Hall
of Fame voting Committee to make up for some of
the mistakes that they made along the line. And I
thought I was one of the most glaring mistakes that
(20:56):
they made, not so much because of my ego and
everything like that, but simply because I was all decade.
Come on, you know, you voted for me all decade.
And so then I see how a card micle go
in early, and I said, they must have made a
call for him, because he's there, you know, he's at
the studio and he's showing up like that. And I said,
(21:16):
I even got a phone call yet, So I keep
looking at my phone and all that. But the thing is, uh,
you know, this was the first time I've ever been
a finalist. I've never even been in the room and
to be considered. So this is the first time as
a finalist. And I didn't know how finalists act. I thought,
if you're a finalist, you'reposed to have everybody there, you know,
just in case you do go in. And uh so
(21:38):
I had all the TV stations there. I worked for
just about every TV station in the market, so I
knew everybody. One guy cause can I come the next guy?
I heard someone? So can I come next? You know,
all the TV stations are there, and you know this
is so early in the morning. But uh you know
when the car didn't come down the last pick, when
(21:58):
I was really really disappointment, and uh so I showed
that emotion that was real okay, And so what I
hope hope that comes out of that is not so
much people feel sorry for Drew Pearson and all that.
What I hope comes out of that is these sportswriters
that have this vote understand what this really means to us. Okay,
(22:19):
you break our hearts when you turn us down in
such a way that you do. You know, and I
got turned down. I'm at least at home around friends
and family, you know how about everything laws a couple
of years ago, when he's sitting in the room waiting
for that not to say yeah, you're in, and I
got to spend friends and family there with him. No
(22:39):
one showed the camera on him the disappointment he felt,
or anybody else that doesn't get in at disappointment day feeld.
So this showed that emotion. And that's what I explained
to uh Mr Baker, David Baker, who called me certainly
after this and it was disappointed I didn't get in.
He said I was on his list and he didn't
have a vote, but I was on his list thinking
(23:00):
I would be one of the guys that go in.
So you know what I told him, as I hope
the voting committee sees how we feel about this, how
important this is to us. So don't play no bias
games with us, don't play no political games with us.
You know, let this be a subjective vote based on
what we brought to the league, our teams in the
(23:20):
NFL and during the time we played. And don't compare
me with all these hows in yard catch receivers. You
know what did Michael Thomas had a hundred? Oh my god,
it took me five years ago. But anyway, so hopefully
it'll come around. I talked to Rick Goslin, Charlotte, Jared Bill,
(23:42):
Gary Myers. They all think that it will happen, and
you know, look at look how God works, guys. You know,
look at this situation. Now. We don't even know if
there's going to be a ceremony this year. At this point,
Baseball canceled their Hall of Fame ceremony. We don't know
what the season is going to be like or anything.
So I've been texting Cliff and finding out if he's
(24:03):
heard anything. You hadn't heard anything. It's about anything solid
about what they're gonna do moving forward. So God put
me in a position where sometimes the storms that come
in your life, don't come to disrupt your life. Sometimes
they clear a path, and this path was going to
be a little different for me to get to the
NFL Hall of Fame. So that's how I look at Well.
(24:23):
I know this, when you've got the sour, it makes
it's so much sweeter when the good thing happens for you,
and I know it's gonna I know it's gonna come
for you. Look at Charles Hayley, how long he had
to wait Terrell Owens. I remember how devastating he was,
and then of course he just didn't even show up
because he was so frustrating with it. I hope that's
not the case for you. I hope they don't put
you through this sort of eggs again. But we really
(24:43):
really appreciate you coming on the show. Always a pleasure.
D Well. Thanks for having me, guys, and great stuff
you guys are mid season four. Thank you joining us now.
Is a former James Madison defensive end and and new
Cowboys defensive end Ron del Carter. You can follow him
on Twitter at r C five with four underscores, don't
(25:06):
don't do one underscore two score three under scores. You're
gonna get different people. That's not Roundell Carter. Rondell Carter's
r C five with four underscores. Rondell, how you doing,
I'm doing great, man, Thanks for asking. How you guys
doing doing great? Excited to have you here. So is
there any consideration now, because I assume you're not gonna
be five at the next level. They don't really allow
that for defensemens, Is there any consideration for a Twitter
(25:28):
handle change? Now? Yeah, it's probably gonna change. I'm probably
gonna keep the r C pop. I don't just switch
the number whenever I get my nuther. Look, you know
what I mean. So the second I get it, y'all know,
because gonna be a five and will be all whatever
they the Cowboys gave me. So we'll see. What was
your conversations with the Cowboys, like leading up to the draft?
Did you have any? Yeah? So initially they are my
(25:48):
first team that I talked to when I was the
season ended, you know, like, so we went to Frisco
for the National Championship in Texas. UM we went to
that a championship and I got a text, you know,
like the day at the day as soon as the
natural championship ended, I got a text and it was
from the player personnel director if I'm not mistaken, and
I believe it was Stephanie, and UM, I got the
(26:12):
text from it and they basically was sent up a
meeting because I had the nflp A game in Los Angeles,
and um, so that was my first conversation there. The
first thing that I talked to the first team that
I firntly was like, show my dad. I was like, damn,
look the NFL team texted me or whatever. So um,
and then you know, moving forward, you know, I talked
to him when I got in l A. That's how
I got my Dallas Cowboys hat. You know, Um, the
day came and then UM, I talked to a few times,
(26:35):
like throughout the whole draft process, and then I finally
talked to him like you know, round fours, round five ish,
I talked to coach Thompson, coach, So you know, those
conversation is pretty cool, especially when I be the first
thing that actually trying to talk to you. Did you
know when if did you have an in your head
that Okay, if I go undrafted, Dallas is where I
want to go. Or did you have a few teams
that you were considering, and Dallas ultimately one out. Well, well,
(26:57):
it was a lot, It was definitely a lot of
You was like twenty five teams anestly, and that came
down to San Francisco and Dallas. That's what honestly came
down to. UM. But you know, as as we when
agent looked it over, we just felt like Dallas the
best chance for me to make a roster spot UM.
And then not con mentioned obviously that I was in
Texas training for two months, so I got comfortable with
Texas and I got familiar with the area. And then
(27:17):
it was a lot of subliminals out there, a lot
of should be with Dallas. In Frisco at the Nather Championship,
they gave us cowboy hats like that, like the actual
cowboy hats. My dad was wearing it the day before
the draft all day. I don't know why he just
decided to wear uh cowboy hat. And then you know
the balloons that my family got in from my gathering,
it was shaped like stars. And then my family we
(27:39):
just read their living room and the living room is
maybe blue and white. So I don't know. It was
a lot of subliminal measures out there that eight, Dallas
might be the way, just like Neville Gallimore. Neville told
us that he went to the car wash and a
woman asked him here in the Dallas area, are you
Dallas cowboy? And he wasn't at the time, but he
said he was gonna go back and find her because
he doesn't want her to think that he that he
(27:59):
lied to her. But he also trained here. I gotta
ask you, so a guy like Neville Gallimore, but let's
talk about the guys already have on the line, uh,
DeMarcus Lawrence, the possibility of Alden Smith and Randy Gregory
coming back. When you look at that defensive line and
you look at playing with the guy like having a
coach like Jim tom Seulla, what does that mean to you?
(28:20):
It means a lot, you know what I mean, Because
it's one thing making into the NFL. But you know,
you have to maintain yourself. You have to stay there,
you know what I mean. And when you have good
people that you can learn from, always gives you an
opportunity to extend your career, you know. So learning from
under guys that were prove events, you know what I mean,
like Tank Lawrence and Alden Smith and Randy Gregory. These
guys know how to play the game, and then you
gotta who knows how to teach it, you know. So
(28:41):
when you get a guy like that coaching, you like
you have to be nothing more than excited because it's
I don't know, it's just like you know, you're gonna
go and learn something that you're gonna be able to
be able to develop as a football player, you know
what I mean. When you can do that, it just
makes your career going that much longer. And I just
can't wait to come in and learn under those players
and those coaches. We've heard the Cowboys that they're they're
(29:02):
likely to maintain their four three front, but that they're
gonna be multiple. That's one of the new buzzwords this offseason.
Multiple if they want to have some three four looks
and things like that. When you talked with the Cowboys
and and we're making the decision to come here, uh,
did they talk to you all about what they envisioned
for you. Did they talk about, you know, you're gonna
have your hand in the dirt or did they say, hey,
you're gonna do some flexible stuff for us too. You
(29:22):
might stand up something, you might be rushing off the edge.
Did you have any of those type of conversations with them? Yep,
So Coach Thompson told me, I'll be defensive and handed
the dirt kind of guy. Um, and that's basically what
I've been doing. I was in college, you know what
I mean. I was in hand and the dirt kind
of guy. But I have stood up before, you know
what I mean. I've had slid down to the three
technique and pass rush, you know what I mean. So
who knows. Hopefully I can be able to show up
(29:43):
versatility when I'm out there. Hopefully that gives me a
better chance of making it. And um, and I had,
like I said, I had stood up before when I
was at Rutgers, and I drive back into coverage up
at time. So you know, I mean, luckily, I've done
all three of those things. I've stood up, I've had
a handed dirt and I've actually moved inside the third
down and pass rush. So you know, hopefully I can
just show up a do all those things and hopefully
that gives me a shot of making the teams. You know,
(30:03):
I did notice this draft some of you guys are
coming in with people that you know, we talked about
Nevil Gallimore getting his teammates Ceedee Lamb in Dallas. You're
getting Bend Nucci, uh, the backup quarterback. What was the
text like? Was it just fire when you guys said,
Oh my gosh, we're both heading to Frisco. Actually I
called him, you know, we had a conversation. He had
his head on, Um I had my head on. We
(30:24):
were just talking, man. It was it was exciting. My
dad talked to him, you know what I mean. I've
seen his family on the FaceTime call. My my brother
actually recorded our FaceTime call, so you know, I think
my brother has it on his Twitter. If he maybe
I'll be able to get it from him. But um, yeah,
I'm had a great conversation. You know, it was really
fun just to be able to just talk to each other.
Actually we're going to be able to be playing with
each other. And that was made him at the same
(30:45):
kind of personality. He's a fun guy, so you know,
I mean, I'm looking forward to that. You were, of
course at James Madison, which is an FCS level school,
and there's always those questions from people about you know,
the level of competition and and you know, how prepared
as this person to step into the NFL after coming
from that level. But you know, you did have a
couple of games against some bigger schools West Virginia, I
(31:06):
know you. You You had a good game against them. You
played against SENC State, had good games against them. You
started out at Rutgers, which is a Power five school. Um,
so do you think that you're better prepared for for
this jump than it may look like at first glance
of just a guy coming from an FCS school. Yeah. Absolutely.
You know what's funny is, you know a lot of
people don't really get it, but you know, the FCS
(31:28):
level at the CIA, my conference is the toughest conference
you can play it, you know what I mean, Like
there's a lot of talent there. Me coming from the
big ten level and then coming down to the CIA.
I mean obviously you have your big ten six seven
thirty pound you know, tackles, but you'll get your fish
those in the c A as well, you know. So
it's not like I just went down to a level
(31:48):
in the conference and there's like no competition. You know.
The competition is then if anybody plays in it, they'll know.
And then not only that, like I said, we played
those FBS teams in those games and I've excelled. And
then luckily I had the chance to played the nfl
p A game and I went against all you know
so and I did well against them as well. So
I mean it really doesn't matter, because, like I do,
(32:09):
feel like I'm prepared because I've had the Ruis experience.
I played in the toughest conference in the FCS, and
then I had NFL p A game when I was
able to excel as well, So I'm prepared. We are
so excited to have you on this podcast and excited
to talk to you in the locker and when that
ever happens. Uh here we wait for sort of news
about this pandemic and how it relates to the football
(32:30):
season and training camp. But wish you the best of
luck and we'll see us soon. Thank you, guys, I
appreciate it. We're now joined by Ron Slaven, NFL agent
with Sports Stars. You might recognize him as latent Vander
Esh's agent. You've got quite a few guys with the Cowboys.
You had Orlando Scandrick as well. Ron, So we're excited
to get you in here because I feel like we've
got a lot to cover specifically latent vander esh. I
(32:53):
know a lot of people have been concerned about that injury,
the neck, the injury that he sustained last year. It's
the latest on him. Laden's great. I actually just got
a phone of him. He's flying back to Dallas now.
Because people have had surgery in the offseason can be
at the facility and get treatment and do the things
they need to do to get ready for the season.
So he was doing great. Diet plan was great, getting stronger,
(33:16):
all those things, and then when the whole quarantine and
they shut everything down. Um, he went back to Ido
for a little bit. But now he's coming back from
Pallas actually today, so you can get back with the
training staff and get back to deal what he does here.
And look, we know he's an avid hunter. He grew
up you know, he's his father is one of those
outfitters that takes you off to go find the big bears.
(33:37):
I saw he and his lovely wife Maddie have been
out doing that. So I would imagine if you're able
to hold a gun, that neck in that whole region
up top is probably okay. Right. He says he feels
better now, and he's felt in his life, and I
think it was always he had some tightness in there
that now that has been fixed, he's looser and range
of motion, all those things are better. I mean, he
(33:58):
played last year that season trying to attack with one arm.
I know there's a lot of talk about the mis tackles,
but he had a stinger early on and then once
he got landed on in that hilly game, which is
just the one in a million deal where somebody where
two people falling either way that they fell out. It's
just to set a certain stances. That was unfortunate. But
(34:19):
now he gets a fixed. Now he's coming into the
season ready to go, and I think you're going to
get an even better day in Vanderiesh and Iron in
terms of you know, we we talked about Layton vanderesh
and and he's obviously a Boisy guy, and and Jane
referenced you. You've had a few boys, you guys come through.
I feel like you were one of the you were
probably the agent ahead of that, the the Boise explosion
(34:42):
in the NFL. I know you've wrapped a lot of
guys there. Uh. And people talk about the Dallas Boise
connection that kind of make jokes about it. I don't know.
One of your guys, Curtis Weaver, told us when we
talked to him before the draft that that was what
he said to the Cowboys that you know, I know
where your pipeline and and things like that. What is
it do you think about the boys the pipeline that
Dallas like so much? And I mean just your experience
(35:03):
with that program with those players, what do you think
it is that brings Dallas to that well so often? Um? Well, so,
I've been getting guys out of boyses since two thousand
and eight. And the one thing that and the reason
once I got Orlando Orlando was you know, he's a
different personality than most because he's got the chip on
his shoulder and he's angry about everything all the time.
(35:24):
But it worked for Orlando, and it worked, you know
as a player, and the reason he lasted as long
as he did in the league because he always want
to prove everybody wrong. And I think that's the mentality
of all the boys, the guys that every you know,
I talked about this all the time with the two
thousand and eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve years and boys
they go to Virginia Tech and beat down in the opener.
(35:45):
They go to Georgia and Atlanta beat him in the opener.
Um they mean this year they beat Florida State Owners.
So they go to these big Power five conference teams
always to open the season to prove a point. They win,
and then the rest of your you're trying to just
keep credibility and keep your keep your ranking up because
you're playing in the Mountain West. So these players are
always like, we beat these guys, were better than these guys,
(36:07):
but they never get the respect again, and they feel
like that when they come to the NFL too. I mean,
for all the talent that they've had, very few of
them gone in the first round. I mean with Layton
going in the first round, it was they hadn't had
somebody since Shame with Flellen and Don Martin. But they
had all these really good players coming out that weren't
that we're going in the second to seventh round. And
(36:28):
Laden's scenario just worked out perfect because he he was
the braner Lacker two point Oh, Jane, and you and
I talked about is leading up to the draft that
you know, because Marionelli was there and Will McClay and
and Ben Bloom all had their eyes on Laden that
whole lead up to the draft, and Laden did everything
he needed to do when the combine and dominated. This
pro day was great, personal meetings and business were great.
(36:49):
So he was the perfect storm to get picked by
the Cowboys and nine team. But the rest of these
guys had their chip on the shoulders, so they want
to prove everybody wrong for the whole time they're in
the league. And I mean, I'm Charles Leno who was
a seven drone pick and he's been starting left tackle
in Chicago for six years now and had a forty
million dollar contract every year. Though Charles is always saying
I have to get better. I have to improve the
people that I belong So it doesn't matter even after
(37:11):
they get paid, they always have that chip on the
show because they're always told they're not good enough for Oh,
you wanted to Pack twelve or you are you know
sec What in reality is if you put boys in
the pack twell, I think they would allow more games
than they lose. Well, and and like you look at
Layton and a guy who was a walk on at
Boise and and had to fight to even make that
team and get the scholarship and and everything. Uh, I
(37:34):
think a lot of people of view Laton is just
kind of a quiet guy and and you know, down
to earth, small town guy. But I mean, he did
have that background of being a walk on. Do you
think he also has a little bit of that chip
on his shoulder because because I don't know, I don't
know that, I don't know that people look at him
that way. No. Yeah, he even though he went nineteen overall,
Laden still wants to prove everybody, proved to everybody that
(37:56):
he can be the best linebacker in the NFL. It's
just not I was the first to pick, I made
it and I'm done. He wants to prove it. Threw
every wrong and people forget too that Leyden was, you know,
the best basketball playing on the state of Idaho in
high school and he went and played in these AU
tournaments and he was playing against big time guys who
are now in the NBA, and Layton was duncan on
those guys. But Layton wasn't getting d one offers that
(38:18):
a lot of these guys were because he was playing
for an AU team out Idaho. But I believe that
if Layton would have gone to the basketball around the
name of Peop would have had a walk on and
boy they stayed for basketball. Laden probably would have played
in the NBA as a guy, you know, forty introvert,
six five, he can dunk on people, he can shoot
from five ft all day long. I mean his as
(38:41):
I mean this little families basket of players. All the
sisters played college basketball, as mine was a really good
basketball player. Um So the basketball background too is another
reason why he's so good at football because of the
lateral movement stuff from lot quickness. But I think no
matter what Laden would have done, he would have excel
at it and probably, like I don't know, people are
like all rounds. This is his agent. He's always gonna
pump up with guys. But I think Jane can attest
(39:02):
to this. I don't really be as much I tell
people what I'm really you know, what the truth is.
And I think that if Laton would have played in basketball,
would have been the NBA. If Laden would have been
an athlete, he would have been a Navy Seal and
probably killed those a been lying. So I mean that's
you know, that's the kind of stuff that Layton could
have done. This is why Ron is so good as
an agent. I don't you know my agent is pretty
awesome with William Morris, But I want him to speak
(39:23):
this highly of me when people inquire, I do want
to ask you. Obviously, hasn't not a lot of time
with Mike Nolan in this new defense, but Mike McCarthy
saying it's gonna be a four three defense with three
or four principles, how do you see Layton fitting into
this scheme? Now? I think Layton is going to have
two bigger bodies in front of them that they haven't
had with McCoy and Poe. So there's gonna be um
(39:44):
a lot more lanes for him to run through, not
just sidelines sideline in the past defense, but he's gonna
be able to shoot in those gaps and make a
bunch of plays. I think the game that would stick
out to me the most that would kind of the
way that they played that name was the Saints game
two years ago, but there's a Night game thirteen ten.
I think the flanal was was We're lay was shooting
(40:04):
the gaps and had fettle stops in fourth and one
on Kimara and Ingram and then also making play sideline sideline,
you know, sniffing out some of those screen passes that camera.
So I think if fans want to know what they're
gonna see from Laden And in this defense, I think
passed the game where I think they schemed up um
the Saints that way, and I think that's what you're
(40:25):
gonna see more of with this defense. Now you're not
just the agent for Layton vander esh Uh. I know
a lot of people are now familiar with you as
the agent for Alden Smith. A lot of Cowboys fans
are really excited about that. I think they kind of
saw that coming out of nowhere. Um, you I'm sure didn't.
You were probably working things, you know, behind the scenes
for for several weeks, several months leading up to it. Um,
(40:48):
what was it that that made you confident in Alden
Smith and that you wanted to represent him? I mean
you haven't rapped him his entire time in the league,
So so what drew you to Alton Smith and and
made you believe in him that that he's ready to go?
J blay there and called me in December and said
all in you know was and sob since June July
he wants to get back to football. He's been training
(41:08):
with me at my gym um. A bunch of coaches
have been through here. Mike McCarthy went through there because
his daughter trains there at the same gym um. You know,
a bunch of different people have seen him. And then
a few other people around the league that I know
had called and said that they've seen all that they
met with all, then he's in good place. So all
(41:29):
then came to Dallas, met with him here. Um decided
that we were gonna work together. And then when I
went to the combine had a letter that was showing
that the reinstatement was gonna happen or that we're working
on the reinstatement. So then a bunch of teams started
calling me. All the want to go somewhere where he
(41:49):
was comfortable. So Vick Fan, Joe's in Denver, Pete Carroll
and John Schneider had done a really nice job leading
up to the draft, and all of them came out.
You know, they didn't think almost gonna go. I don't know,
we're all they're gonna try to maybe move up and
grand Alden And then the four Nights took him earlier
than people even expected. And then Dallas because McCarthy and
all In had get it off pretty well when they
(42:10):
had met. And then Jim tom Sula was his coach
in San Francisco, so get a relationship there. Um so,
and then Jay and the Jones family is pretty tight.
So there's just a lot of different pieces that fit.
I didn't want to make the decision for all them
just because I live in Dallas. I didn't want you know,
him saying, O, Ron's just pushing the Cowboys, because Ron
has a bunch of guys in the Cowboys. I wanted
(42:31):
all them to make decision for himself. So as the
season went on, no matter what happened. Um, you know,
everything doesn't work out all the time, right, And I
mean there's a reason, guys when the Lastings leave for
three and a half years. So I wanted to make
sure that he felt comfortable with it. And then once
we went through the whole process and talked to the teams,
he called me and was like it was March thirtieth
(42:51):
thing and he's like he's like, I know that Dallas
is the place I want to be. So, um, we
worked out the contract and then I know j put
it put it out on a show on April one.
Some people like this April Pools all In Smith's really
gonna be a cowboy, but it was real and all
this is here in Dallas. He flew on on Friday,
and he's working out and just staying ready for hopefully
(43:12):
a reinstatement that happens sooner than later. Why should fans
and the cowboys feel comfortable with Allden coming back? Um,
I think there's probably a lot of fans out there
that have had either substance abuse problems or family members
that had substance abuse problems, and you just have to
have faith that the person is gonna, at some point
(43:35):
in their life figured out that do I want to,
you know, drink myself to death or you know, we
have a major opioid problem in this country. Do I
want to kill myself with those things? Or do we
want um to get our life in order and straight.
I think Alden's in a really good spot. And you know,
alcohol has been all Dan's problem, and he knows that
(43:55):
that's the problem. I think he recognizes that, you know,
he he's like I always was blaming everybody else, but
it was on me, and I can't always play the victim.
So once he's kind of once he said he figured
that out. He's been in a really good place. He
so he's happier thing he's ever been. And I mean
every time I'm around him, I'd see more and more
cool things about all In And um, I mean he's
(44:19):
an incredible shape And he got off to play another day.
I was like, oh my god, if he if he
is the player he was last time he's on the
field and he's this much bigger and stronger, I fear
for nful quarterbacks. You know, the Cowboys are are have
been known to take on players with you know, questionable
(44:40):
issues in their past or basically you know, they they're
willing to believe in guys and their redemption. As Jerry
told Jane near the end of last year that, uh,
he believes in redemption. He's a he's a comeback story guy. Um.
And because of that, when they've had some of these
guys come onto the team before there it's been typical
of the Cowboys that they'll set them up with some
(45:01):
sort of accountability system or accountability partner somebody's designated for
that is anything like that in place for all them
that Cows have talked about or are they just comfortable
with him coming in here and operating on his own.
I admire the Jones family for giving people's second chances.
You know, fans turn on players too quick. I feel
like people make mistakes. A lot of fans sit at
home have made mistakes. Nobody's perfect, and I admire the
(45:24):
Joneses for always for giving a lot of these guys
second chances that a lot of teams wouldn't. Um. I
think with all them, the reason we had so much
interest because everybody knew Alden was a good person. He wasn't.
He wasn't out there doing a lot of the things
that were set about him. It was just the alcohol
was killing him. And um, they recognize that and they
(45:46):
know that. You know is if he has the right
people around him, he's gonna be okay. The send to
answer the second part of your question, is we myself,
because I'm a control free is going to manage the situation? Um,
they haven't had They haven't been perfect here. No team
is perfect with the people they surround them. Went. Unfortunately,
(46:07):
when you have people with problems, there's other people that
come out of the woodwork that all of a sudden
are experts or they want to be they they think
they can solve those problems. Well, if you're not a
real expert, to stay away from my client. So I'm
gonna handle it. We have all in support system around him.
It's a very small circle and that's I think that's
(46:30):
the way we're gonna be successful. Speaking of being successful,
you have obviously done a couple of contracts the Cowboys
as an agent Dak Prescott, a contract I think a
lot of us thought we're gonna get done last summer,
still hasn't gotten done, and then the signing of Andy Dalton.
Talk to me about the art of the deal as
it pertains to the Cowboys. Obviously, this is like me
(46:50):
asking you to diagnose a patient that you haven't seen
the X rays and actually gone in there and done
the blood work. But as somebody on the outside, do
you think this deal gets done and what's it going
to take for it to get done? Well, first, I
don't think the sign of Andy Dalton has any effect
on Dak Prescott. I mean, how many times do we
(47:11):
see teams their starting quarterback gets hurt and then the
season is over because they don't have somebody capable backing up. No,
disrespect to Cooper Rush, but Andy Dalton is a proven
NFL quarterback. They got him on a very low number. Um,
his family's here in Dallas. I think it makes a
lot of sense because of the quarantine and because the
things that are going on, he spends time with his family.
(47:32):
He's in Dallas the minute the training camp opens up,
whether it's them July, middle of Bae, whenever things start
back up, he can drive over to the Star and
get to work. Um, So that part makes a lot
of sense for Andy. I don't think it has any
effect on that because Dax the starting quarterback and das
number should be Dax number. Looking back at it, just
circling back to Layton, and I'm curious because I don't
(47:52):
know that people ever know this sort of aspect of
Layton and who he is as a player and as
a person. Um. I know the Cowboys there were some
talk last year at the end of last year that
some people were like, did the Cowboys get the leadership
that they needed on defense? Was there somebody there that was,
you know, the driving force? And with Layton being out
there for that last half of the season when that
stuff started turning up, Um, do you think Late is
(48:13):
somebody that can step in the season and supply some
of that and kind of step into that role definitely.
I mean Laton always talked about year three being the
year where you know, it was where he was comfortable
enough in the locker room, being around the people long
enough where that leadership role can take a fact. I
think that Layton is in a good place now. He's
(48:35):
earning the respect of his teammates, the way he works,
the way he handles himself. I think this is a
year where Laden, should you know, step up and become
the leader that I'm sure that cowboys would love him.
He reminds me so much of Shawn Lee Bobby Ron
when every time I see the way that he approaches
film trip, the way that he carries himself. So that's
(48:57):
good news. And the fact that you've got Shawn Lee
back yet another here, especially if we're looking at seeing
more of these three four sets just needing some extra lineback,
it certainly looks like they started to improve the team,
something that I didn't feel was necessarily addressed. Ron. Thank
you so much for your time. I love that you're
a no BS guy. Uh So we'll definitely get you
back here on this show. Since this was your inaugural
(49:19):
voyage here on the Boys and Girl Podcast, thank you
so much for joining the show. We'll talk to you soon.
Thank you. All Right, Well, what an informative show. I've
really enjoyed this offseason getting to know not only some
of these prospects leading up to the draft, but now
the guys that are on this cowboy's roster. Have been
really impressed with them so far, and just love some
of those nuggets from Drew Pearson. And we're on slave
and so again, those of you that are continuing to
(49:40):
follow us here on our podcast on the Herd, don't forget.
We're now up on YouTube. Yeah, you can follow us
there and you can see all these video interactions we
have and and some of the uh fun extra aspects
that come with that in these conversations and and like
James said, we've had some really great conversation. This is
a good batch of rookies. I feel I I think
(50:00):
we I think Dallas lucked out this year in terms
of from the media perspective that I think we've got
a lot of good guys this year. We like to
call him good ambassadors. I think these guys are gonna
be good ambassadors um of the Cowboys and of the league.
And let's hope that we don't have hot takes exposed.
And we're revisiting this at the end. I'm but again
to our fans that continue to tune in, thank you
(50:22):
so much. We'll see you on the next one.
Hello, Boys and girls, Welcome in to the Boys and
Girl Podcast with Cowboys NFL Network reporter Jane Slater and
NFL Network producer Bobby Bell. Cowboys Community with the inside
scoop on the Dallas Cowboys now coming straight to you
(00:22):
from the Lone Star State. Here's Jane and Bobby. All Right, Well,
just when we thought that the offseason, this pandemic was
going to slow down Cowboys news or everything that we
could talk to the fans about. I feel like we
need to do a podcast more than once a week, Bobby,
because the Cowboys have remained active. You know, as we've
talked about the Cowboys told us, one of my sources
(00:44):
had said that in the draft they had addressed a
lot of areas, so they weren't going to be in
this rush to sign anybody. In other words, they don't
have this glaring need right now. They also told me
that scouting is a seven three sixty five job and
went out and they scouted themselves a starting quarterback. It's
gonna pay back up here in Dallas, and I'm talking
(01:05):
about Andy Dalton. That your initial thoughts, Bobby, um, I
I like it. I think it's always good to have
you know a strong backup. I remember talking to James Washington,
the old Cowboys safety years ago, and he was on
the early nineties teams, and he talked about that at
the end of n when Troy Aikman got hurt, that
(01:26):
the Cowboys had decided internally that they were never going
to let that happen again, that they were never gonna
be caught with a poor backup behind them. And so
through that they had Steve Burline and that was crucial
for them in when he won a playoff game for
them as the backup. And then you know Bernie Kosar
and Rodney Pete and Wade Wilson. They always were stacking
(01:47):
up good veteran backup quarterbacks and so it was something
they did for a long time and then they kind
of moved away from it um and and we're I
think they've become a little comfortable with Dak Prescott's durability
and they were seeing some of the ridiculous figures that
go out there for for backup quarterbacks. But uh, in
the end, it makes too much sense. We we don't
know the exact escalation of the deal yet, but but
(02:08):
it can be up to seven million dollars is what's
been reported. It's three million guaranteed, uh, more than they've
spent on a backup quarterback in recent history. But a
guy who I think is definitely worth it, and a
guy who um is going to be a good partner
for Dak Prescott and a good study partner, and somebody
behind him that that can do good work during the week,
I think, and somebody by all accounts that is a
(02:31):
great locker room guy, and so it should be a
I think it's a positive signing. It's a good one.
I don't know that we should buy into the conspiracy
theories that this is an attempt to move Dak Prescott
in a certain direction, but maybe that's maybe that's a
small part of it. Maybe it gives them an ability
to say, hey, look, you know, yeah, we still want
(02:51):
to work out a deal, but if you're holding out,
you know, if you're still not happy by summer, we
just gotta have a contingency in place. And so maybe
there's a little bit of an added benefit to doing that.
But overall, I think a good signing, just a little
bit of a surprising one, given that's not the direction
they've gone in recent years. Is paying a good backup.
All signs continue to point to Mike McCarthy. I just
(03:13):
think of how active they've been in free agency and
the quality of the free agents that they've gone out
and acquired, Coy signing Don Terry Poe Alden's uh if,
and when he gets reinstated, and then of course a
guy like Andy Dalton. I'm I'm with you. This feels
very much like the what the Saints did with Teddy Bridgewater.
A lot of people were shocked that the Saints went
(03:34):
out there and paid him that type of money. I'd
reported at the time that the Miami Dolphins wanted him
to be a potential starter for them, even after uh,
you know, they picked up well, what's his face from
the Cardinals, Josh Rosen it. He wasn't going to be
the guy that that wanted to go and take that.
He wanted to flourish and sort of learn, uh from
(03:55):
the Saints because that was a locker room he was
familiar with it. In this case. You know, I've talked
to his old coach. It's see Gary Patterson. Gary Patterson said,
it is just that at a house here he you know,
he still lives in the Dallas area in the off
season and with this pandemic and not really knowing what
that's gonna look like. I think there's a level of
comfort that comes with being able UH to stick around
the Dallas area to play and then kind of do
(04:17):
what Tedny Bridgewater did, which was go and get yourself
a starting job with in his Panthers and so and again,
this also feels like the from More assigning when they
were going through the Ezekie Elliott deal. We all knew
that it wasn't a guy that was going to replace Zeke.
It was just an added insurance policy. And to me,
he feels like a more accomplished Mark Sanchez for Dat
Prescott in that room. I think we saw Dak Prescott
(04:39):
really flourish in his workie season. Having a guy like
that in there, a guy that was able to read
defense is a certain way he'd had some experience. And
now you've got a guy like that in Andy Dalton
UH in Dallas that can really, you know, push Dak.
And then we were so impressed with Ben d Nucci,
a guy that picked up in the seventh round UH
as another guy that gives them insurance. And of course
the Cowboys announcing on Monday that they at Cooper Rush. Go.
(05:01):
I liked Cooper, but you and I solid at training
camp the last two years, just was not a guy
that you wanted to step in in the event you
have a situation like again, the Saints had Drew Brees
going out and needing somebody that's gonna step in and
help sustain them until your starter comes back and then
help you make a playoff. Push. Yeah, absolutely, I think that.
You know, the Cowboys have been trying to replace Cooper
(05:24):
Rush for a little bit. You know, they drafted Mike
White and and that didn't work out. They wanted him
to be, uh the guy behind Doc and the developmental guy.
That just didn't you know, work out the way they
wanted it too. So so they've been working, i think,
trying to to push him and find a better person
for that spot. Um. But yeah, I mean the Cowboys
they clearly do. Uh they have a type. You know,
(05:46):
everybody's got their type, like you know that there you know,
I like a blonde girl, you know, with with a
pretty smile or whatever else. Uh, you know, the Cowboys
like their red headed backup quarterbacks Cooper Rush, Brandon Weed
and Jason Garret. It Andy Dalton. They are. They certainly
have a type and they go for it. That's really funny.
(06:07):
Actually the way that you put that that was I
didn't know where you're going with that, and I enjoyed
that analogy. There's got to be Jerry because those are
all Jerry or backups that are the Redheads. Let's also
talk about Jerry Jones and what he told us on
draft night. Uh. They went and picked up Ceedee Land,
a decadent pick that you and I discussed at seventeen,
(06:27):
a guy that hadn't even probably thought about what jersey
number he was gonna wear. And the owner of the
Dallas Cowboys says that his old college UH teammates had
passed away and his number was eight, and he wanted
Ceedee Land to wear eight. And we talked about there's
a romo beehive, Well there's also a brilliant beehive. And
(06:49):
it just set the world on fire. And while I
thought he was being a little tongue in cheek, I
don't think that I expected that he would necessarily uh
go through with it in the sense that Ceedee Lamb
picked eight. Eight. So now he joins the ad eight
club and we're gonna have Dren Pearson on here and
a little bit just to talk about what that ad
eight club means and his thoughts on Ceedee Lamb uh
(07:13):
now acquiring that Jersey. I will say this about Dez Does,
of course tweeting out to his support of Ceedee Lamb
and a lot of people of asby. So what does
this mean for Dees? My honest answer is I don't know.
Here's what I do know. Dez has been reaching out
to teams himself. He already admitted that when he reached
out to Stephen Jones last year, he reached out to
Sean Payton. Of course, he's still with Roughten Nation and
(07:35):
he has an agent, but Does is working for himself
right now, and I know there's at least one other
team in the league. Um, he was very intrigued by it.
And when things can open up again, they want to
bring dozen for a live workout. So there is a
good chance that Does might end up on a roster
come training camp. Whether he'll be on the roster when
the season starts still unclear, and whether he'll be with
(07:56):
the Cowboys still unclear as well. I mean, when you
consider that they've got Marii Cooper ceedee Lamb Michael Gallup.
It does feel like this would be a tough place
for Dez, even though Dez says he doesn't want to
be like Jason Witten and come back, in other words,
never not be on the football field. I think des
(08:16):
is such a competitor, and well, you know, I think
the Sean Payton plan when he went to the Saints
was a guy that you've got obviously Michael Thomas, and
you had, you know, some of the other young guys
like Trey Kuan Smith, and you had little Jordan Humphrey.
I think that I think there was this concern that
they would they would ask Dez to do a lot
and that wasn't the case. And maybe that if that's
(08:38):
not the case in Dallas, are still a possibility. But
I will concede that it looks like the road is
a little bit more narrow for him to come back.
All right, So let's talk about what comes with wearing
that number eight and what Mr ad eight himself, one
of the originals, Drew Pearson, has to say about all this.
In this new offense, we're now joined by a living legend.
(08:59):
I am talking about the original a D eight Drew Pearson.
You can find him on Twitter at eight Drew Pearson.
Drew was one of the first co hosts I had
in sports. I don't know if you realize that we
did the Trew Pierson Show a long time ago, and
I love seeing you continue to do media and thriving
your thoughts as it related to this draft Drew and
(09:20):
picking another eight eight in ceed Lamb. Yeah, well, first
of all, I keep sending those invoices and they keep returning,
returning to sender for that payment. You owe me for
giving you your big break. But anyway, Uh, I was,
you know, I was first of all surprised that Ceedee
(09:40):
Lamb fell to the Cowboys. Uh, And I'm thinking, man
after I think the reason is because Henry Ruggs went
to what Denver No, the Raiders, and I think everybody
expected Judy or c d to go ahead of Ruggs.
But once he went ahead, it started changing the order
little bit and people's thinking following that draft picks. So
(10:03):
he ended up falling to the Cowboys. And right away
what I did was pull up his highlights. Okay, whoa,
this is a bad man here, and he's he's got
the size and the speed, and the thing that's impressive
he runs good routes and he's in that system where
they have to run routes because they throw the ball
(10:24):
a lot. They have to run good routes. And he
gets uh in the man a man coverage a lot.
But the thing is, the action really starts after he
makes the catch. Okay, you see yards after the catch
of the reason why he averaged over twenty one yards
to catch at o U. So you bring that to
our offense, and man, that's gonna make a big difference
(10:47):
no matter who's a quarterback, doc and here who and whomever?
You know they were, Drew, you were somebody who when
we talk about the legacy of eight, I mean you
were the one who creates did it? You know, you
were the one who started that legacy. And and then
it of course went to Michael Irvin and then uh
does Bryant and now to Ceedee Lamb. So you know,
(11:09):
I don't think that you were kind of faced with
the same sort of question about the number anything that
Ceedee Lamb seemed to be where there's this discussion should
he take any eight or not? Talk about I guess
just the legacy of that number and how you feel
about c d be in the next to wear that. Yeah, well,
first of all, Bobby, nobody had it before I did.
The reason it was available is because Ron Seller has
(11:29):
had it the year before I had it, and he
got traded to the Miami Dolphins for Auto Stowe. Otto
Stowe had been playing behind Paul Warfield for four years
and he wanted to get at it there, so he
forced the trade to come to Dallas and he wore
eighty two. And thank god he came to Dallas because
I learned how to play wide receiver in the NFL
(11:49):
by watching Otto Stow. Okay, Mike Dick was my receiver coach,
wide receiver coach. Okay, Mike Dick and knew nothing about
wide receiver at my blocking assignments. He knew all that,
but he didn't know how to run routes or anything.
But anyway, the number was available. So after I made
the team, you couldn't have the single digit numbers. I
(12:11):
had number three in college. I wanted that, fifteen in
high school. Wanted that. Couldn't do that, so you had
to go in the eighties. Uh, And so there wasn't
that many numbers available. Billy Joe was the number one
draft that he took eighty nine. Golden Richard was number two.
He took a D eighty three, eighty five. Who wants
that eighty seven away? You know? So the only thing
(12:34):
that really sounds decent was a eight, and that's why
I took it. But then after I did what I
did in and I retired, you know, I started calling
myself the original AD eight, okay, and it just kind
of caught on and people had forgotten that somebody else
previously had wren AD eight. So I did what I
did and set a tone for the eight eight. But
(12:55):
what made it a legacy? Now Michael comes along, and
you know, I was working for Channel five, Scott Murray.
He sends me out to DFW Airport to greet Michael
as his plane comes in after he gets drafted. And uh,
you know, first thing Michael said, true, they want me
to wear number eighty eight? Is that? Okay? I said, well,
Michael is not my number, first of all. Second of all,
(13:16):
if you do wear it, don't do what I did
in it. Do more than I did. And man, he
did a lot more than I did, okay. Hall of
Fame career individually, three Super Bowl championships and all that.
So now we got something go. Now we got a legacy.
If Michael doesn't do anything in the number eighty eight,
then it is no legacy. So now we got something going.
(13:38):
And Dez comes along and me Uh and Michael got
together with Tess and we said, hey, Dees, you know
this is something that we want to carry on. And
you were designated and annoying it to do this because
of your abilities and what you bring to the table
and your similarities to us at that position. So Des
took it, and man, he took off with it and
(13:59):
had an nice career. He ended up uh the all
time touchdown leader and I don't know how many yards,
and he's heead of most of the got us in yardage.
I know he's ahead of me. So he took the
number and did something with it, and now it's looked
upon as a a prestigious number in Cowboy number history.
(14:20):
Number Lord. So now c D comes and I didn't think, well,
c D. You know, he's a different kind of receiver.
I'm thinking maybe more of Bob Hayes. You know Bob Hayes.
And it's his career twenty yards and catch his whole career. Okay,
c D twenty young yards of catch, game breakers, going deep,
you know, big plays and stuff like that. I'm thinking
maybe we'll Jerry's gonna start another legacy going with the
(14:44):
number twenty two. You know, Bob Hayes, Emmitt Smith, Ceedee Lamb.
But now he had other reasons to anoint CD with
the double aids and uh, you know from what I hear, uh,
he couldn't have gone wrong with passing it on to
Ceedee Land. What do you think about this new regime,
(15:06):
Mike McCarthy, because I know you've been following this team
as closely as I have, even more so because you're
so invested in it. Are you seeing things a little
differently with this new regime and Mike at the helm
as it relates to some of the decisions that the
Cowboys have made this offseason, Yeah, I guess you can
uh put some of the reasons why they had such
(15:26):
a good draft. You know, now you've got a different
voice in the room, different guy in the room looking
for different things. I understand once he got the job,
he got uh. He and Will McClay got real close
and they worked together. Will McClay found out what kind
of players Mike McCarthy's looking for to run his offense
(15:47):
and run his football team. And Will McClay, you know,
it's done a tremendous job, went out and got those
players and found those kind of players, and uh, you know,
so I think his voice in the meetings and the
way they did at things. Having Jerry had on his
boat out to see somewhere he couldn't mess with stuff.
And I'm wondering nobody said it was Bill will McClay
(16:08):
on that boat, I don't think. So he's probably back
at the headquarters speeding information right, So Jerry couldn't get
to him like he normally could get to him, you know,
pull him aside and all that kind of stuff. So
We'll probably had the final say along with Mike McCarthy
and and a lot of the picks that the Cowboys
made throughout the this draft. For sure, Jerry's gonna come
(16:30):
for you for saying just take me on the boat.
Jerry out now now, Drew. We we talked about the
the eighty eight legacy. There's another legacy of yours that
has been talked about for a long time, and that says,
you know, one of the great undrafted free agents, not
(16:50):
just in Cowboys history but in NFL history. Um, and
I want to find out if this is true because
this is something that I've heard, but I can't work
all if you've ever said this yourself, is it true?
Because when we talked about these guys that we talked
to Rondl. Carter earlier, who's an undrafted free agent out
of James Madison, he said it came down to the
forty Niners and the Cowboys, and he picked the Cowboys.
(17:11):
And maybe nobody thinks anything of that now, but when
you had your undrafted free agent decision, is it true
that it came down to the Cowboys and the Steelers
and we were this close to you being on the
other side of that war in the second day. Well,
actually it came down between Green Bay, Pittsburgh, and Dallas.
And uh, Pittsburgh was real close or the front and
runner pretty much so because they offered the most money,
(17:34):
all right, they offered me a signing bonus, a fill right.
But the Cowboy I know, but the Cowboys impressed me. Uh,
it had in my head after I met with the
Steelers because the Cowboys were there at the second day
of the draft. I'm in my college department at Tulsa University,
and they had a scout there at the Camelot Hotel
(17:58):
calling my house saying they couldn't believe I wouldn't draft
it nine and nine and knock, Can you come down
to the Camelot and uh, we got we want you
to sign a contract and that type of thing. So uh,
I said, well, I can come down there, but you
got to give me an hour because this is like
seventeen rounds of the draft, and after the twelfth round,
I'm drinking Boone's fong baby rounded my sorrows and so
(18:23):
I had to sober up before I went down there.
So anyway, they offered me a contract right there, based
salary of fourteen thousand, five hundred dollars and a signing
bonus of one hundred and fifty dollars. So I took
that over to steal the money, and I said to
the scout for the late Bob Griffin, I told him,
(18:45):
I said, sir, if you pay me that signing bonus
in cash, I signed right now. They paid me a
cash seven twenties and a ten and that's how I
got my signing bonus with the Dadas Cowboys hoo hoodo
it part laid hard, laid into a lot more. I
don't know if it would have been the same city.
I know I wouldn't go on a green Bay. I
(19:05):
thought seriously about Pittsburgh, but I don't think it would
have turned out as great as it did. Uh if
I ended up with the Dallas Cowboy's cause Pittsburgh would
have never had Lynn Swan. Therefore, when you play Pittsburgh
in those games, lynch Swan would have never made those sketches. Anyway,
Din't it wild when you think about some of those contracts.
I mean, I love, Uh, what was your teammate that
(19:27):
got the horse trailer which was one of my favorite
stories as part of the Wards. That was Charlie Waters
Charlie Warders. Yeah yeah, and uh, let's say, uh, somebody
they give us Grand Prix. I got a Grand Prix
and it was green and I tried to sell if
nobody wanted the green car. So funny when I think
(19:50):
about my first market, I mean, they didn't didn't pay
us to anything. In Tyler, Texas, sixteen five a year
is what I made, and our big deal was trade,
so you'd get like free hair or free tries. Jim,
remember Jip, and you took it because you're like, whatever,
you want to give me a sweeten, what this deal is,
I'd appreciate it before we let you go, Drew. One
of the toughest things that I've watched in the last
(20:12):
year was, I know a lot of people pushed for
you to go in the Hall of Fame. I knew
this was the year that you wanted it. You certainly
had the career that warrants it. What was it like
not getting that call and having cameras on you, Drew
in that moment? Well, it was very disappointing, and uh,
you know I was. I was felt, like I said,
heartbroke and let down and that type of thing. And
(20:34):
only reason is because I had so much confidence that
this was going to be the way I get in. Okay,
This was according to Rick Gosselin and h. Sharne Williams
and Jared Bell, this was the way for the Hall
of Fame voting Committee to make up for some of
the mistakes that they made along the line. And I
thought I was one of the most glaring mistakes that
(20:56):
they made, not so much because of my ego and
everything like that, but simply because I was all decade.
Come on, you know, you voted for me all decade.
And so then I see how a card micle go
in early, and I said, they must have made a
call for him, because he's there, you know, he's at
the studio and he's showing up like that. And I said,
(21:16):
I even got a phone call yet, So I keep
looking at my phone and all that. But the thing is, uh,
you know, this was the first time I've ever been
a finalist. I've never even been in the room and
to be considered. So this is the first time as
a finalist. And I didn't know how finalists act. I thought,
if you're a finalist, you'reposed to have everybody there, you know,
just in case you do go in. And uh so
(21:38):
I had all the TV stations there. I worked for
just about every TV station in the market, so I
knew everybody. One guy cause can I come the next guy?
I heard someone? So can I come next? You know,
all the TV stations are there, and you know this
is so early in the morning. But uh you know
when the car didn't come down the last pick, when
(21:58):
I was really really disappointment, and uh so I showed
that emotion that was real okay, And so what I
hope hope that comes out of that is not so
much people feel sorry for Drew Pearson and all that.
What I hope comes out of that is these sportswriters
that have this vote understand what this really means to us. Okay,
(22:19):
you break our hearts when you turn us down in
such a way that you do. You know, and I
got turned down. I'm at least at home around friends
and family, you know how about everything laws a couple
of years ago, when he's sitting in the room waiting
for that not to say yeah, you're in, and I
got to spend friends and family there with him. No
(22:39):
one showed the camera on him the disappointment he felt,
or anybody else that doesn't get in at disappointment day feeld.
So this showed that emotion. And that's what I explained
to uh Mr Baker, David Baker, who called me certainly
after this and it was disappointed I didn't get in.
He said I was on his list and he didn't
have a vote, but I was on his list thinking
(23:00):
I would be one of the guys that go in.
So you know what I told him, as I hope
the voting committee sees how we feel about this, how
important this is to us. So don't play no bias
games with us, don't play no political games with us.
You know, let this be a subjective vote based on
what we brought to the league, our teams in the
(23:20):
NFL and during the time we played. And don't compare
me with all these hows in yard catch receivers. You
know what did Michael Thomas had a hundred? Oh my god,
it took me five years ago. But anyway, so hopefully
it'll come around. I talked to Rick Goslin, Charlotte, Jared Bill,
(23:42):
Gary Myers. They all think that it will happen, and
you know, look at look how God works, guys. You know,
look at this situation. Now. We don't even know if
there's going to be a ceremony this year. At this point,
Baseball canceled their Hall of Fame ceremony. We don't know
what the season is going to be like or anything.
So I've been texting Cliff and finding out if he's
(24:03):
heard anything. You hadn't heard anything. It's about anything solid
about what they're gonna do moving forward. So God put
me in a position where sometimes the storms that come
in your life, don't come to disrupt your life. Sometimes
they clear a path, and this path was going to
be a little different for me to get to the
NFL Hall of Fame. So that's how I look at Well.
(24:23):
I know this, when you've got the sour, it makes
it's so much sweeter when the good thing happens for you,
and I know it's gonna I know it's gonna come
for you. Look at Charles Hayley, how long he had
to wait Terrell Owens. I remember how devastating he was,
and then of course he just didn't even show up
because he was so frustrating with it. I hope that's
not the case for you. I hope they don't put
you through this sort of eggs again. But we really
(24:43):
really appreciate you coming on the show. Always a pleasure.
D Well. Thanks for having me, guys, and great stuff
you guys are mid season four. Thank you joining us now.
Is a former James Madison defensive end and and new
Cowboys defensive end Ron del Carter. You can follow him
on Twitter at r C five with four underscores, don't
(25:06):
don't do one underscore two score three under scores. You're
gonna get different people. That's not Roundell Carter. Rondell Carter's
r C five with four underscores. Rondell, how you doing,
I'm doing great, man, Thanks for asking. How you guys
doing doing great? Excited to have you here. So is
there any consideration now, because I assume you're not gonna
be five at the next level. They don't really allow
that for defensemens, Is there any consideration for a Twitter
(25:28):
handle change? Now? Yeah, it's probably gonna change. I'm probably
gonna keep the r C pop. I don't just switch
the number whenever I get my nuther. Look, you know
what I mean. So the second I get it, y'all know,
because gonna be a five and will be all whatever
they the Cowboys gave me. So we'll see. What was
your conversations with the Cowboys, like leading up to the draft?
Did you have any? Yeah? So initially they are my
(25:48):
first team that I talked to when I was the
season ended, you know, like, so we went to Frisco
for the National Championship in Texas. UM we went to
that a championship and I got a text, you know,
like the day at the day as soon as the
natural championship ended, I got a text and it was
from the player personnel director if I'm not mistaken, and
I believe it was Stephanie, and UM, I got the
(26:12):
text from it and they basically was sent up a
meeting because I had the nflp A game in Los Angeles,
and um, so that was my first conversation there. The
first thing that I talked to the first team that
I firntly was like, show my dad. I was like, damn,
look the NFL team texted me or whatever. So um,
and then you know, moving forward, you know, I talked
to him when I got in l A. That's how
I got my Dallas Cowboys hat. You know, Um, the
day came and then UM, I talked to a few times,
(26:35):
like throughout the whole draft process, and then I finally
talked to him like you know, round fours, round five ish,
I talked to coach Thompson, coach, So you know, those
conversation is pretty cool, especially when I be the first
thing that actually trying to talk to you. Did you
know when if did you have an in your head
that Okay, if I go undrafted, Dallas is where I
want to go. Or did you have a few teams
that you were considering, and Dallas ultimately one out. Well, well,
(26:57):
it was a lot, It was definitely a lot of
You was like twenty five teams anestly, and that came
down to San Francisco and Dallas. That's what honestly came
down to. UM. But you know, as as we when
agent looked it over, we just felt like Dallas the
best chance for me to make a roster spot UM.
And then not con mentioned obviously that I was in
Texas training for two months, so I got comfortable with
Texas and I got familiar with the area. And then
(27:17):
it was a lot of subliminals out there, a lot
of should be with Dallas. In Frisco at the Nather Championship,
they gave us cowboy hats like that, like the actual
cowboy hats. My dad was wearing it the day before
the draft all day. I don't know why he just
decided to wear uh cowboy hat. And then you know
the balloons that my family got in from my gathering,
it was shaped like stars. And then my family we
(27:39):
just read their living room and the living room is
maybe blue and white. So I don't know. It was
a lot of subliminal measures out there that eight, Dallas
might be the way, just like Neville Gallimore. Neville told
us that he went to the car wash and a
woman asked him here in the Dallas area, are you
Dallas cowboy? And he wasn't at the time, but he
said he was gonna go back and find her because
he doesn't want her to think that he that he
(27:59):
lied to her. But he also trained here. I gotta
ask you, so a guy like Neville Gallimore, but let's
talk about the guys already have on the line, uh,
DeMarcus Lawrence, the possibility of Alden Smith and Randy Gregory
coming back. When you look at that defensive line and
you look at playing with the guy like having a
coach like Jim tom Seulla, what does that mean to you?
(28:20):
It means a lot, you know what I mean, Because
it's one thing making into the NFL. But you know,
you have to maintain yourself. You have to stay there,
you know what I mean. And when you have good
people that you can learn from, always gives you an
opportunity to extend your career, you know. So learning from
under guys that were prove events, you know what I mean,
like Tank Lawrence and Alden Smith and Randy Gregory. These
guys know how to play the game, and then you
gotta who knows how to teach it, you know. So
(28:41):
when you get a guy like that coaching, you like
you have to be nothing more than excited because it's
I don't know, it's just like you know, you're gonna
go and learn something that you're gonna be able to
be able to develop as a football player, you know
what I mean. When you can do that, it just
makes your career going that much longer. And I just
can't wait to come in and learn under those players
and those coaches. We've heard the Cowboys that they're they're
(29:02):
likely to maintain their four three front, but that they're
gonna be multiple. That's one of the new buzzwords this offseason.
Multiple if they want to have some three four looks
and things like that. When you talked with the Cowboys
and and we're making the decision to come here, uh,
did they talk to you all about what they envisioned
for you. Did they talk about, you know, you're gonna
have your hand in the dirt or did they say, hey,
you're gonna do some flexible stuff for us too. You
(29:22):
might stand up something, you might be rushing off the edge.
Did you have any of those type of conversations with them? Yep,
So Coach Thompson told me, I'll be defensive and handed
the dirt kind of guy. Um, and that's basically what
I've been doing. I was in college, you know what
I mean. I was in hand and the dirt kind
of guy. But I have stood up before, you know
what I mean. I've had slid down to the three
technique and pass rush, you know what I mean. So
who knows. Hopefully I can be able to show up
(29:43):
versatility when I'm out there. Hopefully that gives me a
better chance of making it. And um, and I had,
like I said, I had stood up before when I
was at Rutgers, and I drive back into coverage up
at time. So you know, I mean, luckily, I've done
all three of those things. I've stood up, I've had
a handed dirt and I've actually moved inside the third
down and pass rush. So you know, hopefully I can
just show up a do all those things and hopefully
that gives me a shot of making the teams. You know,
(30:03):
I did notice this draft some of you guys are
coming in with people that you know, we talked about
Nevil Gallimore getting his teammates Ceedee Lamb in Dallas. You're
getting Bend Nucci, uh, the backup quarterback. What was the
text like? Was it just fire when you guys said,
Oh my gosh, we're both heading to Frisco. Actually I
called him, you know, we had a conversation. He had
his head on, Um I had my head on. We
(30:24):
were just talking, man. It was it was exciting. My
dad talked to him, you know what I mean. I've
seen his family on the FaceTime call. My my brother
actually recorded our FaceTime call, so you know, I think
my brother has it on his Twitter. If he maybe
I'll be able to get it from him. But um, yeah,
I'm had a great conversation. You know, it was really
fun just to be able to just talk to each other.
Actually we're going to be able to be playing with
each other. And that was made him at the same
(30:45):
kind of personality. He's a fun guy, so you know,
I mean, I'm looking forward to that. You were, of
course at James Madison, which is an FCS level school,
and there's always those questions from people about you know,
the level of competition and and you know, how prepared
as this person to step into the NFL after coming
from that level. But you know, you did have a
couple of games against some bigger schools West Virginia, I
(31:06):
know you. You You had a good game against them. You
played against SENC State, had good games against them. You
started out at Rutgers, which is a Power five school. Um,
so do you think that you're better prepared for for
this jump than it may look like at first glance
of just a guy coming from an FCS school. Yeah. Absolutely.
You know what's funny is, you know a lot of
people don't really get it, but you know, the FCS
(31:28):
level at the CIA, my conference is the toughest conference
you can play it, you know what I mean, Like
there's a lot of talent there. Me coming from the
big ten level and then coming down to the CIA.
I mean obviously you have your big ten six seven
thirty pound you know, tackles, but you'll get your fish
those in the c A as well, you know. So
it's not like I just went down to a level
(31:48):
in the conference and there's like no competition. You know.
The competition is then if anybody plays in it, they'll know.
And then not only that, like I said, we played
those FBS teams in those games and I've excelled. And
then luckily I had the chance to played the nfl
p A game and I went against all you know
so and I did well against them as well. So
I mean it really doesn't matter, because, like I do,
(32:09):
feel like I'm prepared because I've had the Ruis experience.
I played in the toughest conference in the FCS, and
then I had NFL p A game when I was
able to excel as well, So I'm prepared. We are
so excited to have you on this podcast and excited
to talk to you in the locker and when that
ever happens. Uh here we wait for sort of news
about this pandemic and how it relates to the football
(32:30):
season and training camp. But wish you the best of
luck and we'll see us soon. Thank you, guys, I
appreciate it. We're now joined by Ron Slaven, NFL agent
with Sports Stars. You might recognize him as latent Vander
Esh's agent. You've got quite a few guys with the Cowboys.
You had Orlando Scandrick as well. Ron, So we're excited
to get you in here because I feel like we've
got a lot to cover specifically latent vander esh. I
(32:53):
know a lot of people have been concerned about that injury,
the neck, the injury that he sustained last year. It's
the latest on him. Laden's great. I actually just got
a phone of him. He's flying back to Dallas now.
Because people have had surgery in the offseason can be
at the facility and get treatment and do the things
they need to do to get ready for the season.
So he was doing great. Diet plan was great, getting stronger,
(33:16):
all those things, and then when the whole quarantine and
they shut everything down. Um, he went back to Ido
for a little bit. But now he's coming back from
Pallas actually today, so you can get back with the
training staff and get back to deal what he does here.
And look, we know he's an avid hunter. He grew
up you know, he's his father is one of those
outfitters that takes you off to go find the big bears.
(33:37):
I saw he and his lovely wife Maddie have been
out doing that. So I would imagine if you're able
to hold a gun, that neck in that whole region
up top is probably okay. Right. He says he feels
better now, and he's felt in his life, and I
think it was always he had some tightness in there
that now that has been fixed, he's looser and range
of motion, all those things are better. I mean, he
(33:58):
played last year that season trying to attack with one arm.
I know there's a lot of talk about the mis tackles,
but he had a stinger early on and then once
he got landed on in that hilly game, which is
just the one in a million deal where somebody where
two people falling either way that they fell out. It's
just to set a certain stances. That was unfortunate. But
(34:19):
now he gets a fixed. Now he's coming into the
season ready to go, and I think you're going to
get an even better day in Vanderiesh and Iron in
terms of you know, we we talked about Layton vanderesh
and and he's obviously a Boisy guy, and and Jane
referenced you. You've had a few boys, you guys come through.
I feel like you were one of the you were
probably the agent ahead of that, the the Boise explosion
(34:42):
in the NFL. I know you've wrapped a lot of
guys there. Uh. And people talk about the Dallas Boise
connection that kind of make jokes about it. I don't know.
One of your guys, Curtis Weaver, told us when we
talked to him before the draft that that was what
he said to the Cowboys that you know, I know
where your pipeline and and things like that. What is
it do you think about the boys the pipeline that
Dallas like so much? And I mean just your experience
(35:03):
with that program with those players, what do you think
it is that brings Dallas to that well so often? Um? Well, so,
I've been getting guys out of boyses since two thousand
and eight. And the one thing that and the reason
once I got Orlando Orlando was you know, he's a
different personality than most because he's got the chip on
his shoulder and he's angry about everything all the time.
(35:24):
But it worked for Orlando, and it worked, you know
as a player, and the reason he lasted as long
as he did in the league because he always want
to prove everybody wrong. And I think that's the mentality
of all the boys, the guys that every you know,
I talked about this all the time with the two
thousand and eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve years and boys
they go to Virginia Tech and beat down in the opener.
(35:45):
They go to Georgia and Atlanta beat him in the opener.
Um they mean this year they beat Florida State Owners.
So they go to these big Power five conference teams
always to open the season to prove a point. They win,
and then the rest of your you're trying to just
keep credibility and keep your keep your ranking up because
you're playing in the Mountain West. So these players are
always like, we beat these guys, were better than these guys,
(36:07):
but they never get the respect again, and they feel
like that when they come to the NFL too. I mean,
for all the talent that they've had, very few of
them gone in the first round. I mean with Layton
going in the first round, it was they hadn't had
somebody since Shame with Flellen and Don Martin. But they
had all these really good players coming out that weren't
that we're going in the second to seventh round. And
(36:28):
Laden's scenario just worked out perfect because he he was
the braner Lacker two point Oh, Jane, and you and
I talked about is leading up to the draft that
you know, because Marionelli was there and Will McClay and
and Ben Bloom all had their eyes on Laden that
whole lead up to the draft, and Laden did everything
he needed to do when the combine and dominated. This
pro day was great, personal meetings and business were great.
(36:49):
So he was the perfect storm to get picked by
the Cowboys and nine team. But the rest of these
guys had their chip on the shoulders, so they want
to prove everybody wrong for the whole time they're in
the league. And I mean, I'm Charles Leno who was
a seven drone pick and he's been starting left tackle
in Chicago for six years now and had a forty
million dollar contract every year. Though Charles is always saying
I have to get better. I have to improve the
people that I belong So it doesn't matter even after
(37:11):
they get paid, they always have that chip on the
show because they're always told they're not good enough for Oh,
you wanted to Pack twelve or you are you know
sec What in reality is if you put boys in
the pack twell, I think they would allow more games
than they lose. Well, and and like you look at
Layton and a guy who was a walk on at
Boise and and had to fight to even make that
team and get the scholarship and and everything. Uh, I
(37:34):
think a lot of people of view Laton is just
kind of a quiet guy and and you know, down
to earth, small town guy. But I mean, he did
have that background of being a walk on. Do you
think he also has a little bit of that chip
on his shoulder because because I don't know, I don't
know that, I don't know that people look at him
that way. No. Yeah, he even though he went nineteen overall,
Laden still wants to prove everybody, proved to everybody that
(37:56):
he can be the best linebacker in the NFL. It's
just not I was the first to pick, I made
it and I'm done. He wants to prove it. Threw
every wrong and people forget too that Leyden was, you know,
the best basketball playing on the state of Idaho in
high school and he went and played in these AU
tournaments and he was playing against big time guys who
are now in the NBA, and Layton was duncan on
those guys. But Layton wasn't getting d one offers that
(38:18):
a lot of these guys were because he was playing
for an AU team out Idaho. But I believe that
if Layton would have gone to the basketball around the
name of Peop would have had a walk on and
boy they stayed for basketball. Laden probably would have played
in the NBA as a guy, you know, forty introvert,
six five, he can dunk on people, he can shoot
from five ft all day long. I mean his as
(38:41):
I mean this little families basket of players. All the
sisters played college basketball, as mine was a really good
basketball player. Um So the basketball background too is another
reason why he's so good at football because of the
lateral movement stuff from lot quickness. But I think no
matter what Laden would have done, he would have excel
at it and probably, like I don't know, people are
like all rounds. This is his agent. He's always gonna
pump up with guys. But I think Jane can attest
(39:02):
to this. I don't really be as much I tell
people what I'm really you know, what the truth is.
And I think that if Laton would have played in basketball,
would have been the NBA. If Laden would have been
an athlete, he would have been a Navy Seal and
probably killed those a been lying. So I mean that's
you know, that's the kind of stuff that Layton could
have done. This is why Ron is so good as
an agent. I don't you know my agent is pretty
awesome with William Morris, But I want him to speak
(39:23):
this highly of me when people inquire, I do want
to ask you. Obviously, hasn't not a lot of time
with Mike Nolan in this new defense, but Mike McCarthy
saying it's gonna be a four three defense with three
or four principles, how do you see Layton fitting into
this scheme? Now? I think Layton is going to have
two bigger bodies in front of them that they haven't
had with McCoy and Poe. So there's gonna be um
(39:44):
a lot more lanes for him to run through, not
just sidelines sideline in the past defense, but he's gonna
be able to shoot in those gaps and make a
bunch of plays. I think the game that would stick
out to me the most that would kind of the
way that they played that name was the Saints game
two years ago, but there's a Night game thirteen ten.
I think the flanal was was We're lay was shooting
(40:04):
the gaps and had fettle stops in fourth and one
on Kimara and Ingram and then also making play sideline sideline,
you know, sniffing out some of those screen passes that camera.
So I think if fans want to know what they're
gonna see from Laden And in this defense, I think
passed the game where I think they schemed up um
the Saints that way, and I think that's what you're
(40:25):
gonna see more of with this defense. Now you're not
just the agent for Layton vander esh Uh. I know
a lot of people are now familiar with you as
the agent for Alden Smith. A lot of Cowboys fans
are really excited about that. I think they kind of
saw that coming out of nowhere. Um, you I'm sure didn't.
You were probably working things, you know, behind the scenes
for for several weeks, several months leading up to it. Um,
(40:48):
what was it that that made you confident in Alden
Smith and that you wanted to represent him? I mean
you haven't rapped him his entire time in the league,
So so what drew you to Alton Smith and and
made you believe in him that that he's ready to go?
J blay there and called me in December and said
all in you know was and sob since June July
he wants to get back to football. He's been training
(41:08):
with me at my gym um. A bunch of coaches
have been through here. Mike McCarthy went through there because
his daughter trains there at the same gym um. You know,
a bunch of different people have seen him. And then
a few other people around the league that I know
had called and said that they've seen all that they
met with all, then he's in good place. So all
(41:29):
then came to Dallas, met with him here. Um decided
that we were gonna work together. And then when I
went to the combine had a letter that was showing
that the reinstatement was gonna happen or that we're working
on the reinstatement. So then a bunch of teams started
calling me. All the want to go somewhere where he
(41:49):
was comfortable. So Vick Fan, Joe's in Denver, Pete Carroll
and John Schneider had done a really nice job leading
up to the draft, and all of them came out.
You know, they didn't think almost gonna go. I don't know,
we're all they're gonna try to maybe move up and
grand Alden And then the four Nights took him earlier
than people even expected. And then Dallas because McCarthy and
all In had get it off pretty well when they
(42:10):
had met. And then Jim tom Sula was his coach
in San Francisco, so get a relationship there. Um so,
and then Jay and the Jones family is pretty tight.
So there's just a lot of different pieces that fit.
I didn't want to make the decision for all them
just because I live in Dallas. I didn't want you know,
him saying, O, Ron's just pushing the Cowboys, because Ron
has a bunch of guys in the Cowboys. I wanted
(42:31):
all them to make decision for himself. So as the
season went on, no matter what happened. Um, you know,
everything doesn't work out all the time, right, And I
mean there's a reason, guys when the Lastings leave for
three and a half years. So I wanted to make
sure that he felt comfortable with it. And then once
we went through the whole process and talked to the teams,
he called me and was like it was March thirtieth
(42:51):
thing and he's like he's like, I know that Dallas
is the place I want to be. So, um, we
worked out the contract and then I know j put
it put it out on a show on April one.
Some people like this April Pools all In Smith's really
gonna be a cowboy, but it was real and all
this is here in Dallas. He flew on on Friday,
and he's working out and just staying ready for hopefully
(43:12):
a reinstatement that happens sooner than later. Why should fans
and the cowboys feel comfortable with Allden coming back? Um,
I think there's probably a lot of fans out there
that have had either substance abuse problems or family members
that had substance abuse problems, and you just have to
have faith that the person is gonna, at some point
(43:35):
in their life figured out that do I want to,
you know, drink myself to death or you know, we
have a major opioid problem in this country. Do I
want to kill myself with those things? Or do we
want um to get our life in order and straight.
I think Alden's in a really good spot. And you know,
alcohol has been all Dan's problem, and he knows that
(43:55):
that's the problem. I think he recognizes that, you know,
he he's like I always was blaming everybody else, but
it was on me, and I can't always play the victim.
So once he's kind of once he said he figured
that out. He's been in a really good place. He
so he's happier thing he's ever been. And I mean
every time I'm around him, I'd see more and more
cool things about all In And um, I mean he's
(44:19):
an incredible shape And he got off to play another day.
I was like, oh my god, if he if he
is the player he was last time he's on the
field and he's this much bigger and stronger, I fear
for nful quarterbacks. You know, the Cowboys are are have
been known to take on players with you know, questionable
(44:40):
issues in their past or basically you know, they they're
willing to believe in guys and their redemption. As Jerry
told Jane near the end of last year that, uh,
he believes in redemption. He's a he's a comeback story guy. Um.
And because of that, when they've had some of these
guys come onto the team before there it's been typical
of the Cowboys that they'll set them up with some
(45:01):
sort of accountability system or accountability partner somebody's designated for
that is anything like that in place for all them
that Cows have talked about or are they just comfortable
with him coming in here and operating on his own.
I admire the Jones family for giving people's second chances.
You know, fans turn on players too quick. I feel
like people make mistakes. A lot of fans sit at
home have made mistakes. Nobody's perfect, and I admire the
(45:24):
Joneses for always for giving a lot of these guys
second chances that a lot of teams wouldn't. Um. I
think with all them, the reason we had so much
interest because everybody knew Alden was a good person. He wasn't.
He wasn't out there doing a lot of the things
that were set about him. It was just the alcohol
was killing him. And um, they recognize that and they
(45:46):
know that. You know is if he has the right
people around him, he's gonna be okay. The send to
answer the second part of your question, is we myself,
because I'm a control free is going to manage the situation? Um,
they haven't had They haven't been perfect here. No team
is perfect with the people they surround them. Went. Unfortunately,
(46:07):
when you have people with problems, there's other people that
come out of the woodwork that all of a sudden
are experts or they want to be they they think
they can solve those problems. Well, if you're not a
real expert, to stay away from my client. So I'm
gonna handle it. We have all in support system around him.
It's a very small circle and that's I think that's
(46:30):
the way we're gonna be successful. Speaking of being successful,
you have obviously done a couple of contracts the Cowboys
as an agent Dak Prescott, a contract I think a
lot of us thought we're gonna get done last summer,
still hasn't gotten done, and then the signing of Andy Dalton.
Talk to me about the art of the deal as
it pertains to the Cowboys. Obviously, this is like me
(46:50):
asking you to diagnose a patient that you haven't seen
the X rays and actually gone in there and done
the blood work. But as somebody on the outside, do
you think this deal gets done and what's it going
to take for it to get done? Well, first, I
don't think the sign of Andy Dalton has any effect
on Dak Prescott. I mean, how many times do we
(47:11):
see teams their starting quarterback gets hurt and then the
season is over because they don't have somebody capable backing up. No,
disrespect to Cooper Rush, but Andy Dalton is a proven
NFL quarterback. They got him on a very low number. Um,
his family's here in Dallas. I think it makes a
lot of sense because of the quarantine and because the
things that are going on, he spends time with his family.
(47:32):
He's in Dallas the minute the training camp opens up,
whether it's them July, middle of Bae, whenever things start
back up, he can drive over to the Star and
get to work. Um, So that part makes a lot
of sense for Andy. I don't think it has any
effect on that because Dax the starting quarterback and das
number should be Dax number. Looking back at it, just
circling back to Layton, and I'm curious because I don't
(47:52):
know that people ever know this sort of aspect of
Layton and who he is as a player and as
a person. Um. I know the Cowboys there were some
talk last year at the end of last year that
some people were like, did the Cowboys get the leadership
that they needed on defense? Was there somebody there that was,
you know, the driving force? And with Layton being out
there for that last half of the season when that
stuff started turning up, Um, do you think Late is
(48:13):
somebody that can step in the season and supply some
of that and kind of step into that role definitely.
I mean Laton always talked about year three being the
year where you know, it was where he was comfortable
enough in the locker room, being around the people long
enough where that leadership role can take a fact. I
think that Layton is in a good place now. He's
(48:35):
earning the respect of his teammates, the way he works,
the way he handles himself. I think this is a
year where Laden, should you know, step up and become
the leader that I'm sure that cowboys would love him.
He reminds me so much of Shawn Lee Bobby Ron
when every time I see the way that he approaches
film trip, the way that he carries himself. So that's
(48:57):
good news. And the fact that you've got Shawn Lee
back yet another here, especially if we're looking at seeing
more of these three four sets just needing some extra lineback,
it certainly looks like they started to improve the team,
something that I didn't feel was necessarily addressed. Ron. Thank
you so much for your time. I love that you're
a no BS guy. Uh So we'll definitely get you
back here on this show. Since this was your inaugural
(49:19):
voyage here on the Boys and Girl Podcast, thank you
so much for joining the show. We'll talk to you soon.
Thank you. All Right, Well, what an informative show. I've
really enjoyed this offseason getting to know not only some
of these prospects leading up to the draft, but now
the guys that are on this cowboy's roster. Have been
really impressed with them so far, and just love some
of those nuggets from Drew Pearson. And we're on slave
and so again, those of you that are continuing to
(49:40):
follow us here on our podcast on the Herd, don't forget.
We're now up on YouTube. Yeah, you can follow us
there and you can see all these video interactions we
have and and some of the uh fun extra aspects
that come with that in these conversations and and like
James said, we've had some really great conversation. This is
a good batch of rookies. I feel I I think
(50:00):
we I think Dallas lucked out this year in terms
of from the media perspective that I think we've got
a lot of good guys this year. We like to
call him good ambassadors. I think these guys are gonna
be good ambassadors um of the Cowboys and of the league.
And let's hope that we don't have hot takes exposed.
And we're revisiting this at the end. I'm but again
to our fans that continue to tune in, thank you
(50:22):
so much. We'll see you on the next one.
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