Talkin’ Cowboys: Degree of Difficulty

Kyle Youmans, Patrik Walker, Isaiah Stanback, and Josh Rodriguez provide updates on the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator search before handing out letter grades to Brian Schottenheimer and the Dallas offense. Position by position, the crew evaluates the degree of difficulty each unit faced and how the offense performed across the 2025 season.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys dot Com
and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
Cowboys This He's Talking Cowboys, springing live.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
From the Dallas Cowboys World Head Bars at the Star
in fris Jille to take burners here.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Let's got tisent, Teddy Patdown.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
And now your hosts Isaiah Standback, Patrick Walker, Josh Rodriguez,
and Kyle Yeomans.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
It's sent off season edition of Talking Cowboys, presented by
Black Rifle Coffee Company, live from the Star in Frisco,
Texas in the s.

Speaker 3 (00:51):
W b SE studio.

Speaker 4 (00:53):
Welcome in, everybody.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
We've got the whole cast and crew ready for you
to rock today with Patrick Nocy, Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah Standback,
Crispy in the back of pile, Yeomans. Let's get into it.
Talk to Cowboys family. Hi, Isaiah, how are you?

Speaker 3 (01:06):
It's good.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
I don't get to talk to you every day.

Speaker 3 (01:09):
I saw you outside the building.

Speaker 4 (01:10):
Oh did you?

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Yeah? When was that you're working?

Speaker 5 (01:13):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:13):
Like you you.

Speaker 4 (01:14):
Just saw me like walking in the building.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
No, I saw you when you were working calling a
basketball game.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Oh yeah, you were at the Texas Legends game the other.

Speaker 4 (01:23):
Wise, how was it it was pretty good.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
It wasn't There's a lot going on on that building
outside of the basketball.

Speaker 6 (01:30):
I feel like that's like the platform for all the
marketing companies to try out their stuff. Oh yeah, like
all the game activation and stuff like. I'm pretty sure
that's where they try it first before it goes to
the NBA.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
Yeah, that's exactly right. Yeah, Yeah, that's the best way
that they do it. And it's nice because it helps
the legends out and it helps the fans out. Like
the fans, there's so much stuff to a lot, good food,
good drinks.

Speaker 4 (01:52):
I mean, it's all age groups. Can't beat it, Yeah,
can't beat it.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
That's great.

Speaker 4 (01:56):
But yeah, Isaiah was there.

Speaker 7 (01:57):
I tried to boarding your your fellow co hosts like it.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Yeah, he came in and supported for a little bit.
I tried to throw him a T shirt, didn't get
it there in time and she fell a little short.
Had to lack of velocity.

Speaker 7 (02:07):
Show him how it goes, Isaiah, him to spin it.

Speaker 6 (02:12):
His wife did throw me some popcorn though, Yeah, she
threw some popcorn that she has a cannon too.

Speaker 3 (02:16):
He must have run in the family.

Speaker 4 (02:17):
Really, Yeah, she a little different, but popcorn was just good.

Speaker 6 (02:21):
One dude in front of me, try snap and I said,
you pull your hand back, you ain't gonna eat.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
My favorite, my favorite part about it was Isaiah was
across the floor from us, about about halfway up, and
so I could see his whole family taking up the row.
And it was a really good game. The Legends were
down by three. Opposing team was at the free throw
line to push it to four. He missed the free

(02:48):
throw with four seconds left. Legends rebound, push it ahead
to the half court, and then Delano banned one of
those players that used to be in the NBA but
now is in the G League put up a half
court shot while the other team was trying to faul
him before on the floor. So that was two free throws.
They gave them all three free throws. He hit them
all tight at winning and won overtime. And as I

(03:08):
was watching all of this unfold, I would like peek
up at Isaiah's family and they.

Speaker 4 (03:12):
Were super in.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
My son was all yeah, he was.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
It's pumping and the hair up.

Speaker 3 (03:19):
It was cool.

Speaker 7 (03:21):
Love good Texas Legend the game, especially with Kyle.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
On the cost. But you guys, would you guys, would
you want to be seven six. No, dude, would you
rather would you rather be four foot.

Speaker 7 (03:31):
Five or put seven to six?

Speaker 6 (03:32):
And here, everybody you have the choice, would you rather
be four foot five or seven foot six?

Speaker 3 (03:36):
Seven foot six?

Speaker 8 (03:37):
All day for six, but I'd rather I'd rather be
just a normal height.

Speaker 3 (03:43):
Seven six. What are you driving? Oh? Something custom? You
find something you got a customize, if you got custom money,
what do you drive?

Speaker 7 (03:52):
Fine? You don't have to drive the Flintstones car with
the top off.

Speaker 3 (04:00):
This rose take, this train has taken.

Speaker 9 (04:02):
You can never fly anywhere though ever. Ever, Again, that sucks.
It's hard for even a regular human being. Granted, you know,
being five nine five ten, I'm a little more wider
than than the typical person, but like getting on a
plane is the worst.

Speaker 7 (04:18):
At seven, we.

Speaker 6 (04:20):
Were looking at they have a player down their team
that's seven foot six, and I'm looking at I'm watching
this dude stand up and his teammates like shoulders are
at his.

Speaker 2 (04:28):
Hips and these are guys that are like six foot
five and above. It was like, nobody is shorter than
six five and they're at his shoulders his legs.

Speaker 3 (04:35):
It's nuts. Go go get your legs, bro.

Speaker 7 (04:37):
But then imagine just being Wemby too, though. Imagine being
that bad to.

Speaker 3 (04:40):
Be in that agile.

Speaker 2 (04:41):
Yeah, yeah, Wemby's a free You're you're a Superimby.

Speaker 3 (04:44):
Is that tall?

Speaker 4 (04:45):
That's slender means a little bit shorter, but by a lot.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
I thought.

Speaker 4 (04:49):
Jamerian has them by like those reference.

Speaker 3 (04:52):
I thought.

Speaker 6 (04:52):
I thought Wemby went from seven two to seven six
is offseason this Yeah, they said he grew like four
inches A no way, I promise you. That's right, I
promise you. I'm not making this up.

Speaker 7 (05:01):
But he's a literal monster.

Speaker 3 (05:02):
I'm not making this up.

Speaker 7 (05:03):
That is slender Man. If you see him in the wood,
it's over.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Officially he is seven to four and Jamrian is officially
seven five.

Speaker 7 (05:11):
Go ahead, an any Mavericks fans, by the way, I'll
be at the MAVs. Given to Mark.

Speaker 4 (05:16):
Very nice at all. Right, let's get into news and notes, Patrick,
let's do it.

Speaker 3 (05:20):
We had because we don't have the podcast every day.
We have about to catch up on him.

Speaker 7 (05:26):
Yeah, just talking Cowboys starts at ten o five.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
We just catching up.

Speaker 8 (05:29):
So first and four mostly start with some transactions. Obviously,
everyone knows the headliners for free agency that are coming
up to George Pickens of the world, Williams. But before
you get to free agency officially, what you have to
do is decide on which players that are currently under contract,
your practice squad guys, some of your French players that
you would like to keep their rights to, and those

(05:51):
are called futures deals.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
The future not signing future.

Speaker 8 (05:54):
So futures deals were signed effect of last week early
last week, and here are the aims for those players
who whose rights are being controlled by the Cowboys through
training camp, assuming that they are still in the roster
at that point. We got safety Julius Wood, obviously undrafted
guy out of Syracuse, showed some things on the practice squad.

(06:14):
Zion Childress whom we are fans of that in this program,
Isaiah Land. We would like to see more from Isaiah Land.
He's here to be developed. Some more offensive line in
Marcellus Johnson joined along with Nick Everett at different points
in the season. Paris Campbell, he gets another shot at
developing for him.

Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yep.

Speaker 8 (06:31):
Tray Shawn Holding, who we are fans of on this program,
showed some great things in training camp. Didn't necessarily parlay those.
He had a couple of plays in the preseason, but
as far as. Yeah, he's here all year.

Speaker 2 (06:43):
All of these names are like throwing me back to
summer and yeah camp and like watching from the sidelines
in the preseason games, like that's just what all.

Speaker 8 (06:51):
This Isah, except for this one. I'm about to.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
Say, where the heck is Zion Childress to see if
I can nail them?

Speaker 8 (07:00):
See if I ca nail this Israel, Abana, Kanda, A
band of Canada, the three what I always miss his
name up Yeah, Abandon Canadad. We had this this sodbar
upstairs where Kyle was telling this funny story each one
of these names, Like you have to commit to learning

(07:21):
these names, and he's not been hit long enough for
me to have committed to learning the name A Canada.

Speaker 7 (07:27):
A bandon Canda, Canada.

Speaker 3 (07:28):
I'll get it. Israel, I promise I'll get it.

Speaker 7 (07:30):
This here he kind of flews off the tongue. If
you don't really look at it, you're just like a
bit of.

Speaker 8 (07:34):
So proud that he had it nailed down ahead of
a broadcast that he made sure he said it like
ten times unnecessary.

Speaker 9 (07:41):
The thing, I'm surprised that I got it along with
I mean, I know Kyle would get it.

Speaker 4 (07:45):
Yeah, you got it.

Speaker 2 (07:46):
But that's the thing is like when you start studying
these names. And Abandon Canada was a guy in the
draft that I really out of Pittsburgh. So when I
was doing draft work, and usually right around Senior Bowl combine,
we get like a pronunciation guy or we go and
look it up from the colleges and as they go through,
we sift through it and kind of get the pronunciations
down for the tough names in the draft. So I

(08:07):
make a point to go in and study that so
that way when they are picked on draft day or
if they come up in conversation through the draft process, that.

Speaker 4 (08:14):
I'm able to hit it.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
But it's even more so imperative when I'm calling a game.
So like these random names that will pop up that
have fifteen syllables and they like have all nothing, no
valves in the entire name, and you got to find
a way to say it the right way, but say
it in the middle of a play. You have to
study those names. Isaiah can speak to this. That's been
one of the big things for you as you've gotten

(08:36):
higher and higher in this business, even crazier starting next week.

Speaker 9 (08:40):
Well, I mean when you get all the syllables that
are the same in a row, like a horror aura,
you know what.

Speaker 3 (08:44):
I mean, Like those names are a bend of candiacy.
I got it the Polynesia.

Speaker 6 (08:52):
Phil MafA follow drops, you see, I didn't.

Speaker 8 (09:00):
More.

Speaker 7 (09:01):
I was too watching the Bone Temple yesterday.

Speaker 8 (09:05):
That okay, So those guys are going to be your
futures and just turn it down really quickly again. Your
futures deals are a ban of Canada holding Campbell, Everett,
Marcellus Johnson, Isaiah lan Zion Childers, and Julius Wood. The
players that did not get four players did not get
futures deals. They are officially head of the free agency,
but they'll probably be in one way, shape or form.
Some of these will make their way back to training

(09:26):
camp because we've seen it happen. Princeton Fant, Will Greer,
Jalen Cropper, Ernest Brown not necessarily sure, but Jalen Cropper
tends to stick around, find his way back in training camp.

Speaker 3 (09:36):
Princeton fan for a while now.

Speaker 8 (09:37):
Yeah, Princeton Fant most certainly does and will Greer because
the Cowboys are still unsettled that backup quarterback. He could
have a shot at at coming back and trying to
do some things. So those are the transactions. Now on
a not positive note, cowboys had some issues with the law. Okay,
So rookie defensive end Donovan is Roku, unfortunately was arrested

(10:01):
by Plano police. And what we know is what I'm
going to read you right from Texas Department of Public Safety, Okay,
because in legal matters we only speak of what we know.
We don't speculate at all. At eleven fifty four PM,
a DPS trooper observed vehicle being operated recklessly on the
southbound lanes of the Dallas North Tollway in Plano, Josh

(10:21):
Modessness because Josh lives in Plano. The trooper initiated a
traffic stop to investigate, which ultimately led to the arrest
of the driver, and it lists Donovan Nezroku.

Speaker 3 (10:30):
So that's all we know.

Speaker 8 (10:31):
We don't know the determination or the reason for the
determination of reckless driving. We don't know, you know, So
we're not going to speculate. Yeah, that's what we know.
Cowboys have not issued a statement on it just yet.

Speaker 2 (10:42):
The actually said no comment, no comment via the public
relations department.

Speaker 8 (10:46):
It is a Class B misdemeanor and we'll let that
flesh itself out. My additional concern is an obvious one is,
of course, that opens the possibility of an NFL probe,
and whenever an NFL probe is opened, that opens the
possibility of a suspension for the next season. So keep
an eye on that going forward. For Donovan israkl and
I hate to see that.

Speaker 4 (11:04):
Yeah, and just stay safe out there, guys. I don't
know why.

Speaker 2 (11:08):
I mean, it might be fun to drive fast. I
love driving fast, I love racing, I love all that
kind of stuff, But.

Speaker 4 (11:12):
Like, you gotta be safe, man.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
Your life's in your hands at that point, and the
lives of other people are in your hands at that.

Speaker 8 (11:19):
Point too, So we'll see how that that holds. But
you know, the off season is here, and guys just
need to be smart.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
And I believe his agent released a statement you can
go see that online as well, where he basically talked
about how he's gonna learn from this experience. There's no
alcohol involved, so all of that is good, but you
still gotta, yeah.

Speaker 4 (11:36):
If you're gonna learn, learn from this experience and move forward.

Speaker 8 (11:39):
Yeah, young man, We've all been young, We've all made mistakes,
So there's a lot of things. Yeah, we're not gonna Yeah,
we're not gonna get on the holier than dial. The
good thing is is that no one was hurt. Yeah,
he can learn his lesson without him or someone else have,
you know, being hurt. Perfect, no alcohol was involved. So
he takes this lesson, he goes forward. We'll see what happens,
and we'll see how the NFL you just to handle.

Speaker 6 (12:00):
I was going to say that underneath reckless driving, and
that's what he got arrested for.

Speaker 3 (12:04):
Correct.

Speaker 8 (12:05):
Yeah, there's excessive speedingcess thirty to forty miles over the
speed limit. So if you're in a seventy you maybe
going one hundred, you're going excessive driving.

Speaker 3 (12:14):
I just had driving under the influence.

Speaker 6 (12:17):
We just say that he was not under the influence, tailgating,
disregarding traffic senters or stops, and he's on a freeway,
so none of that racing other vehicles, potentially swerving erratically
or making dangerous U turners. Well we're not doing any
U turns on the toll way, so and.

Speaker 8 (12:31):
Swerving and I'm not his So basically he was just
driving fast fast, yeah, yeah, and swerving radically. Could I
mean that's that's the changing ternament that could be determined
by the trooper.

Speaker 3 (12:39):
That's subjective.

Speaker 8 (12:40):
Correct trooper determined that if he was fine or cited
for reckless driving because of that lane change. You know,
we aggressive lane changes happen depending on what city you're from.

Speaker 3 (12:52):
Absolutely they happened.

Speaker 8 (12:53):
I desire and if if you're doing aggressive lane change, I.

Speaker 4 (12:56):
Saw I saw Patrick do it one this morning.

Speaker 3 (12:58):
Whenever he see what I mean when I say, oh, sorry,
I just talk that was quick.

Speaker 8 (13:06):
Just talk about stitches, frist co plice. It be your guys,
all right, but now we will see all jokes aside. Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully,
can't stress this, stress this enough. No one was hurt,
no alcohol was involved. Lesson to be learned here by
the young man. He's, you know, twenty twenty one. He'll
learn from it. And let's see how the NFL handles
handles it.

Speaker 2 (13:27):
Yeah, all right, we've got some grades to hand out
to Oh it's the end of the year. We've now
had a kind of a week to kind of settle
in on what the twenty twenty five season was for Dallas.
Today we're gonna give out our report card grades across
the board. We're gonna just fill out the report card,
each subject, each position group. But I want to start

(13:47):
in this segment. We got about five minutes here. I'm
gonna start with Brian Schottenheimer. You're one as head coach
in the NFL.

Speaker 3 (13:56):
This is a numbered scale or is this is a
through F letter grades.

Speaker 4 (14:05):
That's a terrible nickname.

Speaker 3 (14:09):
I don't know. It was pretty badass, so it might be.

Speaker 9 (14:12):
Eight years later, baby, all right, let me give Shaddy
a B minus. I feel like, uh, not only did
he have a lot of I mean that the whole
team had a lot of.

Speaker 7 (14:23):
Struggles throughout the season.

Speaker 9 (14:24):
I mean, of course on the defensive side, but like
the personal side and uh personnel, I mean, if you
I mean look at it, Marshall Neelan. Of course, like
that happening in the middle of the season was a
big hurdle to to get through, and you know it
motivated your team obviously through a three game win streak,
which I think is the encapsulation of what you expect.

Speaker 7 (14:41):
From Broughton, Brian schein Humber moving forward.

Speaker 9 (14:44):
I think that three game stretch told you what you
needed to know, and I think right after that, when
you know you go up to Detroit and you lose
that game. That kind of it brought you back to
earth a little bit, you know, because that they're riding
high on that three game win streak. The second you
lose that game, it kind of it's indicative of where
the team was really at. You know, you look really

(15:06):
strong in those three games, and then to lose a
must win game in Detroit that kind of showed all
of the bruising and the the true identity of the
personnel that you guys that you had. To me, that
was that was sort of the nail in the coffin
for the season. However, that three game win streak, Please

(15:27):
reference that going forward in terms of Broughton shut Brant.
That's where you got a build because that felt like
the culture, the personnel, everyone coming together, and that's how
I think the identity of the team will be moving
forward once we have better personnel, better coaching, all those things.
But I think that was the the antithesis of that.

Speaker 6 (15:45):
I too, am going to go be minus reasons being
a big portion of that obviously is because the playoffs
were not getting hit right, so you're definitely not getting
a I think that he handled and he handled a
number of storms year obviously, Marsha n Neeland. Obviously, the trade
of your best defensive player, the disgruntleness of another one

(16:08):
of your your other supposed best defensive player, and then
dismissal of him at the end of the season.

Speaker 7 (16:13):
And he had a good game against the.

Speaker 6 (16:15):
Losing yeah, yeah, one player. Losing two guys. Losing two
guys who are supposed to be huge contributors for your
defense is a lot to bear culturally for your team,
especially for a new coach coming in trying to.

Speaker 4 (16:32):
Especially with the brash personalities that they both had.

Speaker 6 (16:35):
Absolutely right, So there's a lot of resistance there, right.
So Shotty came out and did his thing on offense,
But when you're the head coach, you're responsible for more
than one third of the game. He I don't believe
that he fully had his imprint on the defense.

Speaker 3 (16:49):
As a whole. No, not talking to calling plays.

Speaker 6 (16:52):
I'm talking about to the character and identity that he
is trying to embody within this team. I don't think
that was represented defensively consistently, and I definitely don't think
that what he is, what he stands for, was his
imprint was definitely not there on the special teams unit.

Speaker 3 (17:06):
So we started talking about one third of the game.

Speaker 6 (17:10):
Was what he envisions this team to be, from the character,
from the competitiveness, from the will and determination.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
I is it to be minus minus?

Speaker 6 (17:20):
Maybe you know what I'm saying from that regard, because
I believe that as his responsibility to ensure that these
coaches are getting the most out of their players, regardless
of who you have on your roster, that identity should
still be there, that ethos should still show up in
all aspects of the game. You might not be as successful,
but you should know that. Okay, that's still a shoddy team,
right or that's still a whatever type of team. So

(17:43):
I'm probably gonna be minus minus in that regard. He
handled the Storms, did not make the playoffs, and did
not show the character of the team through two thirds
of the phase of the game.

Speaker 8 (17:53):
So I'm be minus minus. I was close to be minus.
I'm just gonna land right on a sea. I'm gonna
land on this.

Speaker 3 (18:00):
See.

Speaker 4 (18:00):
I don't even like sees get degrees.

Speaker 8 (18:04):
The reason I say that is because, like you guys
are talking about their levels too great and shotty. Because
he's not only the head coach, he is the offensive
play caller as well, So then you have to kind
of parse and parcel those things. So when you when
you extrapolate the offensive play calling side of it, for me,
that's a B minus because it's it's impossible to give

(18:27):
him a failing grade or anything near it. When you
have a four thousand yard passer, a thousand yard rusher
to thousand yard receivers, that that matters, had a historic season,
that means something. But what I don't like from the
offensive play calling standpoint is I saw too much inconsistency. Yes, okay,
even if we look at just the back half of
the season and shrink it to this one micro they

(18:49):
went from having fast starts, excuse me, slow starts and
fast finishes, and the question was can you figure out
the fast starts. Well, they figured that out and then
they started having fast starts and cold finishes finishes. So
there has to be consistency through full quarters there of
his offensive play calling, and yes it goes to the
players in execution as well, But when it becomes a trend,
then you have to look at the coach. Okay, so

(19:10):
offensive play caller, we talked about it. He does have
room to grow. He does have room to evolve. He's
conciding to know that he had a record setting offense
and still has room to grow. But the fact is
the inconsistency drops the grade to be minus from offensive
play caller, and then head coach will get to in
a second.

Speaker 7 (19:26):
Yeah, just just on that.

Speaker 9 (19:27):
It's like you could almost split up those things into
their own categories too, Like you're giving Shoddy an overall grade,
but if you could give Shoddy a grade for offensive
play calling versus like culture, you know what I mean?

Speaker 7 (19:37):
Those are all different.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
Squad At the end of the day, you're the head
coach's all of it falls under your own.

Speaker 3 (19:41):
Band as absolutely, and as head coach it's a D. Right.

Speaker 8 (19:45):
So if I'm going to give him the B minus
full an offensive play caller, I'm going to give him
a D for a head coach. The reason I'm not
going to fail him as a head coach is because
he really did whether a lot of storms, none bigger
than the loss of Marshawn near no right. So he
was able to pull the team together, be that leader
that the team needed, and there was accountability that was
held to. When you talk about players like Jaydon Blue

(20:07):
and players on the offensive side of the ball. The
accountability was there. That's the key, jayaln tobert the ball.
That's why I said it that way. On the offensive
side of the ball, the accountability was one hundred percent there.
So from that capacity as a head coach, you're looking good.
Here's where you're almost failed the defensive side of the ball.
He wasn't involved in nearly as early enough when the

(20:27):
defensive side of the ball started failing. From a coaching standpoint,
coordinated with Matt ebra Fluss, didn't get involved early enough,
didn't have as heavy of a hand as he needed
to once he did get involved. Okay, the accountability that
existed within for the players on the offensive side of
the ball seems to have been deleted on the defensive
side of the ball.

Speaker 3 (20:45):
And we can throw names subjectively.

Speaker 8 (20:46):
You could say Jack sam Bourne was on the field
too long prior to getting injured. You could say Kenneth
Murray got too many snaps when Marris lea file should
have been getting developed. All of these things and more. Okay,
defensive side of the ball was a complete and utter failure.
That is an f offensive side of the ball was successful.
So when you mix all these grades together, and this
is including I pose the question because I think Eberflus,

(21:10):
if once the writing was on the wall, should have
been let go in December and you should have test
driven Whitecotton so that when you're interviewing Whitecotton amongst these
other candidates which we'll get to, you would have had
that real time data to say, this is what the
bay in might be.

Speaker 3 (21:23):
So all told see.

Speaker 9 (21:26):
And I don't know if it was confirmed or not,
but they were saying because of the move from Eberflus
to the booth, that kind of led them to determine
if white Cotton was a suitable voice for the sideline
defense as that the fact of coordinator on the.

Speaker 7 (21:41):
Field that ain't enough.

Speaker 3 (21:42):
Yeah, I know they were like, make it enough, but
it didn't.

Speaker 7 (21:44):
Look any better. It looked exactly the same as you
used to.

Speaker 9 (21:47):
But again to your point, there was no accountability on
the defensive side of the.

Speaker 3 (21:50):
Ball exactly, and Whitecotton.

Speaker 8 (21:52):
When Eberflus moved to the booth, Yes, Whitecotton was then
tasked with doing a bit more on the sideline, but
really he was still just communicating the h Yeah, he
wasn't calling the place. So the test drift still did
not exist.

Speaker 2 (22:04):
And we've seen some of the behind the scenes footage
from this, from the the sounds of the sideline. If
one guy was keeping people accountable, it would have.

Speaker 4 (22:13):
Been Aaron White Cotton in my opinion.

Speaker 2 (22:16):
Regardless, there is proof that he was an accountability for
that defense part of it, not all of it, but
just pieces of the accountability as a whole. Now, we
got to move on or else we're not going to
get to any other grades. But I do want to
say my grade C minus. I'm a big believer in
Bill park Sells quote that you are who your record

(22:37):
says you are, which you're seven nine and one. So
for me, even five hundred, it's C. Being below five
hundred means you're probably a D plus C minus. I'm
gonna give him the upper edge of a C minus
because he did weather some things, and as you guys
already outlined and talked about, all of that is the case.
So I'm gonna say a C minus for Brian Schottenheimer.
Why are you looking at me like that such a

(22:59):
harsh father. You are what you're at says you are.
You were seven nine and one and you're below five hundred.

Speaker 7 (23:06):
Yeah, with that line of thinking Dak's gonna be a
C minus too like everybody.

Speaker 4 (23:10):
Doctor Prescott was not below five hundred.

Speaker 2 (23:14):
But with that being said, we do have to talk
about the offense when we come back. We're gonna give
our offensive grades for the twenty twenty five season. More
talking Cowboys right after this.

Speaker 3 (23:23):
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Speaker 4 (23:30):
You have some great talent, and.

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They got some fight hoping this is the year me too. Oh,
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Copyright twenty twenty five.

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Speaker 4 (25:22):
To Talking Cowboys.

Speaker 2 (25:28):
Back here on Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company,
the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. Moving on to
our official grade of the season. On the offensive side
of the football, let's start with the quarterback position. Josh,
you mentioned in a moment ago, where would you go
with Dak Prescott?

Speaker 9 (25:47):
I mean, if this is Kyle's grade, it's going to
be cus because your record is what you said, head coach,
this is what I'm saying. Dak Prescott earned an A
grade for the season. I think that there were some
games that's where obviously when protection was was kind of
collapsing on him. He wasn't as successful, obviously, because you
need your team around.

Speaker 7 (26:06):
You to be successful.

Speaker 9 (26:08):
But at least for Dak Prescott, for my money, he
was the best player on the field on both sides
of the ball, absolutely and just genuinely a reason why
he's the highest paid player on your team. I don't
think there's any doubt about it. If you think the
failure of your season is on Deck's shoulders. I vehemently
disagree with you. Dak Prescott is is the guy like

(26:28):
you were being nice there, No, genuinely, I mean, come on, man,
like you're just not watching the same thing that we're watching.
That here, he was the best player that you had,
so h and you want to build on that. He's
at an elite level and please, please, please do everything
you can front office to put the best players around
Dak Prescott right now in the prime.

Speaker 3 (26:50):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (26:51):
I feel like we're going to piss off the deck
caters today within the fanily.

Speaker 3 (26:54):
But it is what it is. It's an A for me.

Speaker 8 (26:56):
It's not an A plus because it leaves some meat
on the bone, Believe it or not. Four thousand plus
yard passer overtook Tony Romo for the franchise leader in
that category as far as single season goes, so or
all the time, I should say, but what I saw
from Dak Prescott was more decisiveness. I saw throws that
looked better all over the field, no matter if you

(27:17):
because we all know he's seen God, but you saw
him making throws consistently outside of that that proved that
he's an elite quarterback. What I also saw, which I
can't stress enough is more often than not in the
past several years. This season, when Dak Prescott saw green,
he took green.

Speaker 3 (27:31):
Okay, he has his.

Speaker 8 (27:31):
Mobility, he got active with his legs. Is he the
fastest guy out there? Absolutely not, but he tried to
make some things happen and he moved the chain several
times with his legs as well. Keep that going, Dak Prescott.
That'll help alleviate whatever issues with the offensive line that
the Cowboys might have. To Josh's point, fix the offensive
line and fix it this year however you need to
do it, fix it, free agency, draft, whatever you need

(27:52):
to do, fix it. But for Dak Prescott, it's an A.

Speaker 3 (27:54):
For me, that's a for everything that you guys said.

Speaker 4 (27:58):
I want to add just a stat to and I'm
right there with you.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
I'm going to say a across the board Isay and I
cancel each other out a lot, which is really fun
because he's got the quarterback vision and the film study.
I watch film, but I was never a quarterback, so
it's still not to the same level. So I tend
to rely on stats quite a bit to back up
what I'm seeing on the film. I looked at this
stat the other day and I said, this is the
microcosm of what Dak Prescott has been as the quarterback

(28:24):
in twenty twenty five. Dak Prescott targeted a tight window
on nearly twenty percent twenty percent of his attempts this season.
That's the second highest rate in the league. His targets
average three point three yards of separation. It's the seventh
fewest in the NFL. So you're telling me the targets

(28:46):
that he's throwing to have the seventh worst separation in
the NFL. He's targeted them more than anybody else except
for one person in the NFL on tight window throws,
and he finished as the number three passer in the
n Also, not to mention, he has a top five
highest tight window rate in each of the last four seasons.

(29:06):
So this is not an anomaly with Dak Prescott. That
means that dude's balling oh out. That's all that is.
That is you're in a situation that is not favorable
for you as a quarterback, and you still ended up
as a league leader, as one of the best players
on the field, and continued to be a franchise quarterback
a for Dak not an A plus because you need

(29:29):
to have a little jewelry, I think, in my opinion,
to have an A plus, or at least get close
to the jewelry to get an A plus. He didn't
get there, but as far as he could control in
twenty twenty five, it was about as good of a
season as you could ask for from Dak Prescott.

Speaker 8 (29:44):
So I'm gonna give him and a real quick start
to add to that, and we'll move on. Is the
Cowboys receivers led the league in potential yards lost due
to drops?

Speaker 7 (29:53):
Wow?

Speaker 8 (29:55):
So yeah, half almost forty six hundred yards passing thirty
touchdo down to only ten interceptions and everything that Kyle
just said. But Cowboys receivers left the most yardage on
the field via drops than any of the thirty two
NFL tain.

Speaker 4 (30:09):
I don't like those words running back.

Speaker 3 (30:12):
What you're great for?

Speaker 4 (30:13):
Running back, pack for the room, room for the room,
not just.

Speaker 8 (30:17):
One, not just Javonte, because I believe in Javonte. Javonte
gets to a plush Javonte William Let's se Javonte gets
to a plus. I'm gonna give him Alik an a
because nobody expected, few expected Malite to do what he
did in the backup role, uh and staving off Jay
and Blue. But behind those two guys, ooh, things did

(30:40):
not look good. You didn't get to see Phil Maffa
until week eighteen, and then you saw, you know, only
a handful of carries. They didn't really use them. Love
what I saw for Jay and Blue, but not until
that game.

Speaker 3 (30:52):
By Miles Sanders.

Speaker 8 (30:53):
Miles Sanders, that experiment did not work out. Whatsoever, body
your he was.

Speaker 7 (31:00):
He had a few good carriers, he had a few
good carry He got hurt.

Speaker 3 (31:02):
He got hurt early on. Yes, ended his season. Yep.
Did the experiment work out?

Speaker 7 (31:07):
It was fine?

Speaker 8 (31:07):
No, No, this is not me throwing shade. It didn't work out.
It either worked or it didn't work. Did it work?

Speaker 2 (31:13):
I don't know if it's over yet, So I don't
know if I'm okay it's work, but it hasn't worked.

Speaker 4 (31:17):
I guess that's fine.

Speaker 8 (31:18):
Did it work in twenty five forle Sanders, No, just
let it go, let it out.

Speaker 3 (31:25):
No, Sanders.

Speaker 8 (31:27):
The fact of the matter is he got hey, man,
he showed some things to training camp, showed some things
you know, preseason early.

Speaker 3 (31:33):
Got to hold onto the ball, got to hold onto
the ball. Yeah, that was big.

Speaker 8 (31:38):
That was big, but ultimately it didn't work out in
twenty five. Maybe he gets another shot here in twenty six.
But bottom line is the sciences, the science. It didn't
work out. A plus for Javonte A from Elie Davis,
but then you start getting into the d's and the
failing grades, but they carry so.

Speaker 7 (31:56):
C plus care I'm going to be I think.

Speaker 9 (32:00):
I think mainly because of course, Javontay Williams is not
someone that we expected really to have the season that
he did. Going into training camp, I think we were
all sort of like, all right, what are we doing
with running back situation? It's been two years now that
we haven't had a solidified number one running back. Javonte
obviously made an impact this season. He's a guy that

(32:21):
you want to inter team moving forward. I hope you
resign him, But then again, I don't think there was
enough behind Javante.

Speaker 7 (32:26):
I really don't. Mollie Davis was definitely a great spell back.

Speaker 4 (32:31):
But even that was unexpected.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
It was totally even the team didn't know that they
had that because they cut him and then they brought
him back, and then they were like, Okay, maybe this
guy's got something and that was a surprise.

Speaker 9 (32:42):
Absolutely, And I think what you were expecting to get
out of Jaydon Blue and film Off obviously did not
come to fruition during the season. And whenever you did
have Jaydon Blue, obviously there were some characteristics or just
the culture things that he wasn't necessarily getting right to
get him on the field.

Speaker 7 (32:55):
And you know, he was inactive basically the season.

Speaker 9 (32:58):
A guy that you would expect to carry some of
the load with Javante, but he used Javonte and ran
him into the ground obviously. I mean he had a
lot of health issues towards the end of the season
and playing through a lot of injuries. To B plus
for the group, I think if your offensive line would
have been better, might have gotten a A. I, sir,
have to stand on this table and say that at

(33:21):
the training camp talking Cowboys, I was perfectly fine with
the running back room.

Speaker 7 (33:25):
Yeah you were, Yeah, yep, I give you credit.

Speaker 3 (33:28):
I felt pretty good about it.

Speaker 6 (33:30):
Everybody didn't want to give Javonte any any love, and
I was like, Hey, that man could play some ball. Yeah,
you know, so I give the whole room B plus,
I give the whole room A B plus mainly because
of the stamps that I don't believe that they were
ever a threat in the passing game. That's one aspect
that I would have liked to have seen. And I
also think that we were not as explosive. We didn't

(33:52):
have the explosive plays out of that particular position group
the way in which you would have hoped because the
you know, we had the one punch, you didn't have
one the two portion of the one too.

Speaker 10 (34:01):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (34:01):
You guys just mentioned some of the reasons why, right.

Speaker 7 (34:04):
Molie Davis had quite a few of those two though.

Speaker 2 (34:06):
Yeah, like he had more explosive plays than anybody for sure,
for sure.

Speaker 4 (34:09):
Yeah, absolutely, but it was mostly late in the year.
It was exactly that game.

Speaker 3 (34:13):
So had we had that earlier in the year, and
that might you know, second think they.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
Were hoping that to be Sanders he gets hurt, then
they were hoping it to blue Blue. He doesn't show
out the way that he wanted to. Then they find
Malik Davis and they're like, oh, wow, he can do that.

Speaker 3 (34:27):
Which he's been around for the last fourteen years whatever.

Speaker 7 (34:30):
It's been a long time.

Speaker 3 (34:32):
Yeah, he's been around, bro, it feels like forever. He's
had a good camp. That's crazy. Yeah, so no, so
I'll give a B plus.

Speaker 2 (34:39):
I'm right there with you. And they were top ten
in yards per game. They were ninth in that category,
ninth I think in yards per play as well.

Speaker 4 (34:46):
That means you're a top ten rushing attack.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
And we're talking about the guys that get the c's
and the apps.

Speaker 4 (34:51):
Kind of the way that Patrick outlined it a moment ago.

Speaker 2 (34:54):
The majority of the carries went to the guys that
I'm going to great highly. That's Williams Davis of course,
so I'm gonna I'm gonna give him a bee. I
think it was a solid running game. Is better than
I anticipated it because I was very negative toward that early.
I like Javonte Williams as a signing, but I thought
it was because it was a value.

Speaker 4 (35:10):
I didn't think he.

Speaker 2 (35:11):
Would be a twelve hundred yard pressure with ten touchdowns.
That's different. Uh, that's where he exceeded my expectations. Malie Davis,
of course exceeded my expectations. Everybody else that was my expectation.
Jayden Blue, I didn't expect much from film. Afo didn't
even get on the team until the final week of
the regular season. So they're still worry in the running
back room, especially if you don't bring back Javante. But

(35:32):
Javonte exceeded expectations, so I got to give it a.

Speaker 7 (35:35):
Be quick yes.

Speaker 9 (35:36):
No on this for you guys, Do you change the
running back room at all from what it is right now?

Speaker 10 (35:41):
No?

Speaker 4 (35:42):
If like at all, like bring everybody back? No, I'm good.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
No, I can do it.

Speaker 7 (35:47):
You're cool with this?

Speaker 3 (35:47):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (35:48):
Because as is?

Speaker 3 (35:48):
Yeah, because I need no extra juice. I need to
see more from Jason.

Speaker 6 (35:51):
I stay the same with development.

Speaker 4 (35:55):
Yeah, I would personnel guys to grow.

Speaker 7 (35:59):
In week eight. You did see Jay and Blue. You
did see film MafA.

Speaker 9 (36:01):
I think they showed you good things that you're like, Man,
where was this during the season, dude? But if you
keep that personnel, obviously some maturing needs to happen.

Speaker 4 (36:09):
Question.

Speaker 6 (36:09):
I think you have personality personnel wise, you have everything
that you want. Javonte Williams gives you the most versatile
of everything. Then you have Blue if he can come along,
that's your explosive back, and then you got Phil MafA,
who's your power back. Those are that's you have the
aspects that you want right the holes that you need
to feel. Now, are they where they need to be at? No,
but that falls on the responsibility of the coaches.

Speaker 3 (36:31):
I forget about keep those four and then Bankanda, all.

Speaker 2 (36:34):
Right, we're gonna go rapid fire here. Everybody. You get
thirty seconds to give your point. Wide receiver go.

Speaker 4 (36:42):
Your time's already started.

Speaker 7 (36:43):
I know thing, so let me go. Let me go
wide receiver. A.

Speaker 9 (36:47):
Of course ceedlam George Pickens two one thousand yard receivers,
and of course you're s Souf Illinois step up be
the third receiver.

Speaker 7 (36:55):
Halfway through?

Speaker 4 (36:55):
All right, man, I'm talking like damn plus five seconds.
You got it.

Speaker 9 (37:00):
Yeah, Flinoy finally stepped up halfway through the season. You
gave him a shot when obviously everyone was ready for
that to happen. And I think now you have three
wide receivers as long as you resign. George Pickens, please
do that. A.

Speaker 8 (37:12):
Now talk over me for five seconds so we can
balance it.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
I wouldn't do that to you, may I know we
can't do like the other show. I'm going B plus.

Speaker 8 (37:19):
And the reason I say B plus is because obviously
you talk about two thousand yard receivers in CD and
George and then the you know ryf Leinoyd showing out
like he needed to show out, see you flow, but
at the same time ceedee lamb. He did suffer some injury,
he missed some games. He had some critical drops that
kind of cost. I mean it cost first game Eagles game.
In the opener, Cavante Turpin, he was inconsistent. He contributed,

(37:43):
but then he didn't contribute. Jalen Tobert moved backwards. So
all told B plus, give me a minus?

Speaker 4 (37:53):
Why is that?

Speaker 6 (37:54):
I mean everything you guys already said it. Solid group,
definitely a threatening group. I think probably the most dangerous
outside of the Rams in terms of combos this year. Yeah,
they were successful and then you had you know, you
had an actual number three receiver step up.

Speaker 3 (38:11):
So I mean they're they're a dangerous unit.

Speaker 6 (38:15):
When you for any defensive coordinator, you know, if you
keep that three, if you keep that three.

Speaker 2 (38:20):
Yeah, if you keep that three, I'm good with whatever
else else happens in that room.

Speaker 4 (38:25):
Rule that's fine where he's at.

Speaker 6 (38:27):
That group gets more dangerous with better play from Jake Ferguson.

Speaker 2 (38:31):
Okay, with that being said, I'm gonna say a minus
for wide receivers.

Speaker 4 (38:35):
Tight ends get us started tight ends.

Speaker 3 (38:37):
I'm gonna go be minus this year.

Speaker 4 (38:40):
Interesting.

Speaker 3 (38:40):
I'm surprised you gave it a B be minus.

Speaker 6 (38:43):
Okay, I just I mean they were subjected to the
calls that were being They're there, they were they were
being had right, so they were doing a lot of
helping the offensive line. The offensive line really affected their
ability this year to be able to push things down
the field. I think we saw early on a disconnection
between Dak and the tight end group, and it came

(39:04):
on later on and became great red zone threats and
nice five yard options, but they were not what you
would hope to them to have been collectively as a
union in term of being a threat in the seams
and alleviating pressure from the outside receivers.

Speaker 9 (39:19):
I am at a c right now for tight ends.
I think Jake Ferguson alone is not enough of a target,
is a not I think he needs help on the
other side, on his opposite side, And I'm kind of tired,
I'm a little I don't think he has it. No
not that I don't think he has it, I think
he needs help. I think he needs a tight end
on the other side of him that is more of

(39:41):
a threat in the receiving game because you've relied so
much on tight ends blocking for you, because the offensive
line has not been where it needs to be. That
I feel like without a true threat at tight end
on the opposit side of Jake Ferguson, you don't have
the most efficient offense.

Speaker 7 (39:57):
Because everyone knows, like, all right, as long as we
got Jake covered, we have CD covered, we're pretty much okay.

Speaker 9 (40:03):
For me, you would only improve Jake Ferguson's production by
having a receiving tight end on the other side. That's
going to give you some athleticism, some run after catch ability.
To me, that was Brevin span Ford. They didn't rely
on him that I would argue he's on that, he's there,
but they don't rely on him as a receiving threat.

Speaker 3 (40:24):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (40:24):
I mean he whenever he did have the ball in
his hands, whenever he didn't make a catch, he was
a electric.

Speaker 6 (40:28):
That's why I asked you a question, do they have
the guy or do you need to go get the guy?

Speaker 7 (40:32):
They have the guy.

Speaker 9 (40:33):
I know their thought is like, well, he needs to
be a great run blocker, Please stop with that, just
because his size make the offensive line better.

Speaker 8 (40:41):
Yeah, minus really quickly, so C minus overall, Jake Ferguson
had a career best start. He had a cold finish.
He also suffered fumbles this season. Didn't see I mean
he saw a player two from Schoolmaker, But over the
course of the entire season, it was a forgettable season
for Schoolmaker. We just talked about Brevon span Is on
the roster, however they've yet to unleash him as a

(41:03):
receiving threat. And behind Breven span Ford, you have more
of your special teams guys like a Princeton fan right,
So as a whole Sea minus.

Speaker 2 (41:13):
Minus, I just don't think it was the you saw
the fast start to the season to Jake Ferguson, you
saw exactly what their vision of him was. We're gonna
get the five yards and a cloud of dust and
just get him reception after reception after reception. He finished
second on the team in receptions, but he finished fifth
on the team and yards. I believe behind Pickens, Lamb
Flinoy is fourth on the team in yards.

Speaker 6 (41:35):
So my only pushback to you guys's rankings. You guys
are entitled to your rankings. Obviously, I think the room
got better. Jake took a step back.

Speaker 3 (41:43):
The room got better.

Speaker 4 (41:44):
You're saying spam Ford.

Speaker 6 (41:47):
Schoomaker did get better. Goo Maker made strides. Breven span
Ford made strides. Both of those guys are substantially better
tight ends this year than they were last year. It's
not even close.

Speaker 4 (41:56):
Part of that is because my expectation was going to
be higher for them.

Speaker 2 (42:00):
Okay, so I thought they were a D like I
think I do think they got better.

Speaker 3 (42:05):
They were not very good.

Speaker 6 (42:06):
Those guys made a heck of a leap in a bound.
I think Jake took a step back right, So I
think obviously a lot is on his shoulders, you know,
bearing the weight of the tight end room, which he does,
but you have to take it. Okay, Jake's over here.
What did the rest of the room do. Jake went
down a notch, The rest of the room went up
one and a half, not just to me. So I
think the room collectively is more dangerous as a unit.

(42:27):
Jake was not as dangerous as an individual outside of
his routes that he was running.

Speaker 2 (42:31):
I like that, but it's all perspective because last year
I thought they were a D or a D plus.

Speaker 4 (42:36):
Now I'm giving them a C or a C minus.
I like they are better. I just don't think they're there.

Speaker 8 (42:40):
Right, And I can't rightfully give the wide receivers a
B plus, which is what I'm standing on, and then
give the tight ends a B or C plus because
the gap is noticeable from wide receiver.

Speaker 3 (42:51):
To tight end. So you said it yourself, he said,
this is a noticeable The.

Speaker 6 (42:53):
Wide receivers could have benefited from Jake Ribers and step
running down the field. Yes, just get up there, get
on the.

Speaker 4 (43:01):
Tight end all right, quickly, offensive line go C minus
for me.

Speaker 8 (43:04):
Okay, d your offensive tackles.

Speaker 4 (43:09):
I would say, I'll say C minus.

Speaker 3 (43:11):
Yeah, I'm gonna say. I'm gonna say a C.

Speaker 8 (43:13):
Tyler Booker carries Tyler Smith carries Cooper b B had injury,
missed some time, but he helps carry your your off
that's fair, but your offen and that's a discussion.

Speaker 3 (43:23):
But your offensive tackles were wreck Yeah, it was you failed.

Speaker 8 (43:27):
Do you have Cherry still had a good stretch like
during that three game win Street what you talked about
and right, but again, but you got to factor that
in lack of availability. And then Nate Thomas when he played,
he didn't play well, but then he suffered from availability
issues to the point where you had to pop Tyler
Smith out created this whole storm of is he a guard?
Is he your offensive tackle position failed you? That's an F.

(43:51):
So with me overall, it's a D because some carry
but not enough to get it to a C.

Speaker 7 (43:55):
Smith and Booker are the only dogs Hunt.

Speaker 8 (43:57):
A plus for Booker, A plus for Tyler Smith, Tyler BB,
I'd say a C. Right, Cooper, then Hooper BB. I'm sorry,
it's Tyler babe. But then he goes right off of
a cliff when you get to the outside.

Speaker 4 (44:11):
So all right, we're gonna take our second break.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
We're not going to do defensive grades in this show
because I don't want to rush it. Yeah, we'll do
it in the next show next week. Hey, because we
have another one next week. I want to talk about
the defense a little bit. But when we come back,
let's talk about some of the names that have popped up.

Speaker 3 (44:26):
In terms of coordinators.

Speaker 2 (44:27):
Coordinators that are requested for interviews. That's something we can
talk about on this.

Speaker 4 (44:33):
Show because they've accepted the request. And it's great. All right,
more talking cowboys right after.

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Speaker 4 (46:49):
Of the Dallas Cowboys.

Speaker 2 (46:50):
This segment is brought to you by in Visilino with
the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. Patrick Nosey Walker,
Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah Stanback, Chris being the back in.

Speaker 4 (47:00):
Kyle Yellman, you guys are goofy all right? Patrick?

Speaker 3 (47:08):
Yes?

Speaker 4 (47:08):
Indeed, Kyle, there are six names.

Speaker 2 (47:10):
There are six that have been reported to be requested
and or interviewed for the open defensive coordinator position.

Speaker 4 (47:19):
Who are those six names?

Speaker 8 (47:20):
And each of these have either been interviewed already or
will be interviewed today. Okay, they're in the building and
at least one is expected to be in the building
today or the zoom depends. That would be Jonathan Gannon.
So Jonathan Gannon, who was one of the names that
I threw out there as a possible from runner and
we talked about it last talked aout him because he
is a free agent, haven't been moved a part of

(47:42):
ways would leave leave his duties from the Arizona Car News,
So he's expected to be interviewed today.

Speaker 7 (47:48):
John, you dropped last week, by the way, give you
credit for that.

Speaker 3 (47:50):
Thank you so much. I'm going to start with some
of these others and we're going to end on the
more interesting ones. Right.

Speaker 8 (47:55):
So, Jonathan Gannon is one we talked about. Aaron White Kahan,
He's being interviewed for the position as well as cast
Deronte Jones Vikings defensive pass game coordinator.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
Okay, so of the product of tree of but Brian
Floor is Brian Floor is his tree.

Speaker 2 (48:14):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (48:14):
From Banda, the Browns safeties coach a Jim Schwartz coaching
tree guy.

Speaker 3 (48:20):
And this is what really get gets interesting for me.

Speaker 8 (48:22):
Okay, so you got Jim Leonard, Broncos defensive pass game coordinator,
quickly moved the ranks listen who had an excellent call
it an interview by man handling the Cowboys offense in
Denver earlier this season.

Speaker 3 (48:38):
Zach Orr.

Speaker 8 (48:41):
Ravens defensive coordinator, North Texas guy, mean green guy. Okay,
he's he's being interviewed as well, and I think that's
what So let's see it. From Banda, brown safety's coach,
Deronte Jones Vikings defensive pass game coordinator, Jim Leonard, Broncos
defensive pass game coordinator Jonathan Gannon current free agent, former

(49:05):
Eagles defensive coordinator. And there is when Cardinals head coach
Aaron White Cotton incumbent defensive line coach here in Dallas,
and Zach Orr of the u n T mean Green.
He's a De Soto, Texas native. He was with the
Ravens as they're the Ravens as their defensive coordinator.

Speaker 3 (49:19):
Those are your six candidates.

Speaker 8 (49:20):
And there was one denied request which came by way
of the Atlanta Falcons who said, no, you cannot talk
to Jeff Ubrick.

Speaker 7 (49:28):
But they just fired their head coach man.

Speaker 3 (49:30):
They still said no soup for you. Wow, rude, it
is still possible that but what.

Speaker 7 (49:35):
If the new coach doesn't want to keep him a round, Well,
that's possible.

Speaker 3 (49:39):
The possibility the Cowboys can revisit.

Speaker 9 (49:40):
But as you got to wait and tell them to
hire one and they go by that point, I mean
they're putting them.

Speaker 7 (49:46):
At a digise.

Speaker 3 (49:47):
So family, family discuss.

Speaker 2 (49:50):
Where I'm interested because remember when we were breaking down
the Cardinals tape and QB vision, you talked about the
Cardinals don't run anything over the top, but they're going
to do it in a discipline manner, and they were
going to do it better than what you would anticipate
from their personnel. So with the way Jonathan Gannon's name

(50:12):
has been thrown around, that's an intriguing one for me
because of the success that he's had in the building,
or not in the building, but in the division, and
the way.

Speaker 3 (50:20):
That he's against the building had some success.

Speaker 4 (50:23):
Against the building before.

Speaker 2 (50:25):
I think if I had to rank them out of
those six names, number one would be mister Lennard Okay
from Denver. I just love the possibility there, I love
the fit. I love that there's a connection with Brian
Schottenheimer from their time with the New York Jets. What's
his identity, Kyle, aggressive defense across the board and a

(50:46):
little bit more of that.

Speaker 3 (50:47):
What was the way you put it?

Speaker 4 (50:49):
You sent me something the other day, Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 (50:52):
Yeah, it's a way that he when shot in the
teacher he teaches. When Schottenheimer outlined what they wanted a
defensive coordinator, he named five or six elements, and Leonard
had all of those elements. And then there's even Bobby Belt,
a fan of the or a friend of the Show
and Friend of the Draft Show as well, posted a
video where he clipped interviews from Leonard matching up exactly

(51:15):
with what Brian Schottenheimer had. I think all of that's
a great fit from an aggressive standpoint on defense and
from a game plan standpoint comes from the right places.
And he's young and he can grow into the position.
It's not a one stop shop, one year guy. He
can kind of get better as time goes on.

Speaker 7 (51:31):
But he hasn't been a head coach before.

Speaker 2 (51:32):
Kyle, I'm okay with that hasn't worked for you in
the last couple tries, exactly.

Speaker 6 (51:38):
I just have a top two of those guys that
you listed. I would go with Leonard and then I
went straight to Ganon. Yeah, those were my I think
that of those two, believe, I'm not sure which direction
shot he would go if those were the two remaining options, right.
I think Leonyard obviously is a young, aggressive teacher. He's
touted as a really good teacher of the game connect

(52:00):
with guys connected this demographic.

Speaker 7 (52:02):
Played the game Undersize for ten years.

Speaker 3 (52:04):
Absolutely right, I had a lot of success as a player.

Speaker 6 (52:06):
I think that he can communicate and demand a certain
response from guys and guys would listen as well as
coaching them up through it.

Speaker 3 (52:15):
So he has a record of that. I like that,
and I like young energy right coming from that regard.

Speaker 4 (52:20):
Like Jones too.

Speaker 2 (52:21):
I like Deronte Jones as a as another option there.
That would probably be my third name, by the way.

Speaker 6 (52:27):
And then Gannon, Gannon has a been but don't break
guy right. So as an offensive minded, hey coach, you
have to figure out what type was style of defense
complementary ball do you want to be played? Do you
want somebody that's going to play it safe and you know,
allow sustained drives and then you know they have to
kick field goals, or do you want somebody that's gonna, Hey,
we're gonna get some turnovers, baross will and give up

(52:48):
some big plays along the way as well because of
our aggressive style. So I think that Shoty has to
figure out what style he's okay and comfortable with opposite
of him, because those two have to kind of be
They got to be intent him as well. Outside of
his just offensive coordinator or offensive play calling duties. He
has to be comfortable with the defensive defensive coordinator playing

(53:08):
that way.

Speaker 4 (53:09):
We got to get out of here because we're over time.

Speaker 3 (53:12):
You're good, said Jim Leonard. Is my number one?

Speaker 4 (53:14):
That's your number one.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
I'm not surprised Isaiah has him as number one either,
because guess who he played for.

Speaker 3 (53:19):
Back in the day. He's the Rex Ryan Cochein Tree.
Guess who he.

Speaker 2 (53:21):
Played for, vatch Rex Ryan. Yeah about your show starts
in eight minutes, dude, Yeah, you're good. Yeah, I'll see
you here in a minute. That's gonna do it for
us here on Talking Cowboys. Hope you had fun with
us today. For Patrick nose Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah stand back,
Chris Beam in the back of Kyle Yewmans saying so long.

Speaker 4 (53:40):
We'll see you next week with more Talking Cowboys.

Speaker 1 (53:44):
This has been a production of Dallascowboys dot Com and
the Dallas Cowboys Football club

Speaker 7 (54:00):
S.