COWBOYS SQUAD SHOW: Did the Cowboys REALLY win the off-season?

Summary

Locked On Cowboys – COWBOYS SQUAD SHOW: Did the Cowboys REALLY win the off-season?

Date: May 8, 2026
Hosts: Landon McCool, Glenn Stretch Smith, Jeff (Moderator)
Podcast Network: Locked On Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Cowboys Squad Show tackles a pressing topic as national media praise the Dallas Cowboys for their 2026 offseason moves. The hosts debate whether this recognition is justified, break down roster improvements, and discuss if Dallas "won" the offseason. The episode also covers positional depth, the impact of first-round pick Caleb Downs, and looming questions about lingering roster needs. The show closes out with reflections on the upcoming schedule and the NFL's strategy around standalone games.

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Key Discussion Points

1. National Perception vs. Reality: Did the Cowboys Win the Offseason?

Timestamps: 01:10 – 07:28

• Jeff sets the stage: The Cowboys are receiving national "love" as one of the most improved teams, but he questions if that optimism is justified.
• Landon McCool notes:
  • The offense was top 5 last season; the clear priority was improving the defense.
  • The team’s goals were clear, and "they’ve done...an extremely admirable job at accomplishing that goal." (03:59)
  • He acknowledges improvement but notes it’s not a “complete job.”
• Glenn Stretch Smith brings realism:
  • "Personnel wise, this is a better football team...now than they were a year ago."
  • Cautions that “better roster” doesn’t necessarily mean a “substantially better” record—pegs them as a likely 9 or 10-win team if healthy and the schedule breaks right. (05:19)
  • Points out divisional advantages: Washington and New York lack Dallas' depth.

Memorable Quote:
"Everybody feels good right now... everybody this time of year, you know, feels good. I mean, everybody's eating good... personnel-wise, this is a better football team." – Stretch Smith (05:19)

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2. How Do You “Win” the Offseason?

Timestamps: 08:18 – 15:08

• Jeff asks what “winning the offseason” even means and if Dallas achieved it.
• Landon McCool highlights:
  • Cowboys exceeded expectations given limited draft resources.
  • Successfully addressed key needs: linebacker, defensive back depth, another pass rusher.
  • Offense could improve through health and continuity—only had the same starting O-line for three straight weeks last year (11:37).
  • The offseason isn't just about new acquisitions; it's also addressing weak spots and executing a clear plan.
• Stretch runs through a yes/no “batting average” exercise on key moves (defensive staff, running back, receiver franchise tag, moving up for safety), with the group agreeing they checked every important box (12:12 – 13:32).

Notable Exchange:
"They had a clear checklist of things and they checked all the boxes. That’s why... national media... point out, 'man, the Cowboys had a really good off season.'" – Landon McCool (13:32)

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3. Are the Cowboys Done Adding to the Roster?

Timestamps: 15:28 – 19:18

• Jeff wonders if Dallas is finished tinkering with the roster.
• Both hosts agree the process is never really finished. The Cowboys will continue to “tinker,” especially with veteran free agents for depth.
• Present focus is on evaluating young players in minicamps/OTAs before making moves, particularly at RB and LB (16:55 – 19:18).
• Stretch Smith: “It’s not over with and it’s never over with in football... It’s a physical sport... you got to hope that... that certain bug doesn’t hit you this year.” (21:18)

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4. The Running Back Depth Dilemma

Timestamps: 21:32 – 24:35

• Dallas needs to identify a reliable second RB and a passing-game weapon.
• Landon: “You need someone who's a little bit more dynamic to be a counterbalance”—whether that’s Blue, Mafa, or a veteran addition.
• Stretch worries about protection and physicality, not just CB/RB utility—emphasizes the importance of a RB who can block and pick up blitzes.

Key Quote:
"I'm not worried about car. I'm worried about a guy that can protect... that's got enough lead in his ass to stop somebody." – Stretch Smith (22:28)

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5. Spotlight: Caleb Downs and the Nickel Role

Timestamps: 27:39 – 41:19

• News: Caleb Downs is slated to play nickel—a move both hosts saw coming.
• Landon: The nickel in this defense is "part of the triangle of communication," key to pre- and post-snap adjustments (30:44).
  • Downs has the multifaceted skillset: tackles like a linebacker, covers like a corner, hits like a safety.
• Coach Smith: “You want your best athlete playing a guy that's in the slot... that doesn't have the boundary to help him out with support.” (28:50)
• They break down secondary depth chart possibilities, with flexibility for Downs to play inside and experienced veterans like Adoree’ Jackson potentially providing depth (37:31 – 39:31).

Memorable Quote:
"He needs a guy who can tackle like a linebacker, who can cover like a corner, can hit like a safety." – Landon McCool (30:44)

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6. Adoree’ Jackson Visit & Veteran DBs

Timestamps: 43:22 – 46:20

• Landon and Stretch assess the value of bringing in a proven vet like Adoree’ Jackson for depth, especially given familiarity with DB coach Christian Parker.
• Jackson isn’t a long-term solution but could bridge depth gaps and brings added value as a kick returner.

Quote:
"Just having another veteran cornerback of a certain quality is never a bad thing in this league." – Landon McCool (45:20)

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7. Revisiting the Micah Parsons Trade

Timestamps: 46:20 – 51:56

• National media continue to press Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones on the Parsons trade.
• Landon: Grades are incomplete, but Dallas has spread the acquired capital across the defense.
  • Cowboys may have gotten better results than expected; Packers worse.
  • No party “won” outright; everyone lost something, including Parsons.
• Coach: Only time will tell if the drafted players pan out; remains a sore spot due to pass rush needs.

Quote:
"All the parties involved kind of lost, including Micah, maybe not David Mugletta. He got. He got paid." – Landon McCool (48:16)

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8. NFL Standalone Game Expansion & Schedule Talk

Timestamps: 52:50 – 63:19

• The panel laments the NFL’s push to “own the calendar” with games across different nights and platforms.
• Landon criticizes the scheduling as “a terrible idea” for player safety and product quality (54:55).
• Coach Smith: The NFL "always seems to figure it out"—a business strategy compared to fishing: if a plan doesn’t work, they’ll reel it back in (57:15).
• On the Cowboys schedule, both agree it’s challenging (AFC South & NFC West) but that the adversity can "battle-test" Dallas before the playoffs.
  • “Give me the tougher schedule. Let me come into the playoffs battle tested.” – Landon (59:38)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On offseason moves:
  "They had a clear checklist… and they checked all the boxes. That’s why we’re able to hear national media guys… ‘man, the Cowboys had a really good off season.’" – Landon McCool (13:32)

• On roster construction:
  "They’re trying to strategically see where they’re at and go maybe plug and place or put some guys up there." – Glenn Stretch Smith (19:18)

• On NFL schedule expansion:
  "It’s a terrible idea... puts the players in a terrible position... It’s terrible for their health. It’s terrible for, frankly, the product." – Landon McCool (54:55)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:10 – 07:28: Are the Cowboys “winning” the offseason?
• 08:18 – 15:08: What “winning the offseason” means and did Dallas do it?
• 15:28 – 24:35: Are the Cowboys done tinkering? Ongoing roster needs.
• 27:39 – 41:19: Caleb Downs–role at nickel, secondary depth, communication on defense.
• 43:22 – 46:20: Adoree’ Jackson as a DB target.
• 46:20 – 51:56: Revisiting the Micah Parsons trade and edge rusher outlook.
• 52:50 – 63:19: NFL's expanded scheduling, Cowboys' upcoming slate.

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Episode Flow Summary

1. Offseason hype vs. Dallas reality: Acknowledgement of improved personnel but tempered expectations and reminders that on-paper upgrades must translate to the field.
2. Addressed needs: Systematic breakdown of key offseason moves—staff, player acquisitions, and freed-up cap usage.
3. Remaining holes: Consensus that RB and LB depth is not fully solved; eyes on camp for promoting young talent or adding vets.
4. Caleb Downs as nickel: Strategic fit, communication, and hopes for top-tier playmaking.
5. Veteran presence: Why circumspect depth signings like Adoree’ Jackson remain critical.
6. Parsons trade legacy: No clear “winner,” and Dallas still searching for a true edge-rushing presence.
7. Schedule/league context: Critique of league's drive for year-round attention, while embracing a tough schedule as a potential playoff advantage.

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For Non-Listeners

This episode provides a thoughtful, grounded take on the Cowboys' much-hyped offseason, blending optimism with experience-based realism. The hosts commend Dallas’ execution on key needs (especially on defense), but repeatedly stress that victory in May does not always lead to wins in January. Depth at running back, pass rush, and communication in the secondary are all ongoing themes. Perspective on league-wide issues—particularly with scheduling and player health—offer extra layers for NFL fans at large.

To dive deeper, check out the timestamps above for your topics of interest. For extended conversation and ad-free episodes, the hosts recommend joining the "Everydayer Club" via show links.

Transcript

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

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[Landon McCool]

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[Landon McCool]

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[Glenn Stretch Smith]

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[Jeff]

So the Cowboys are getting a lot of love nationally, talking about the off season and all the improvement that they've made. But is it legit? We're going to get into that coming up next.

[Landon McCool]

How about them Cowboys? It's the Cowboys Squad. Everything Dallas Cowboys every week covering all the big hits and game changing plays from America's team the way only the Locked on podcast network can get ready and squad up. It's the Cowboys Squad show starting now.

[Jeff]

Squad up. And here we go. Even if players switch numbers, we're not going to switch. We're going to be here. We're not changing. Right Landon? Right, coach. We're not.

[Landon McCool]

That's right.

[Jeff]

We got the same number, 867-5309 and we are bringing you another edition of the Cowboys Squad Show. As always, we start with a welcome to the co host of the daily Lockdown Cowboys podcast, Landon McCool. Marcus will be back on Monday and former Cowboys coach the one and only Glenn Stretch Smith. We got the very latest on the Cowboys coming up. We've got some comments from head coach Brian Schottenheimer and Stephen Jones. We're going to maybe even take a peek at the schedule because it is coming out soon. Also, a little bit of a bone to pick. I know we kind of hit on this maybe a month or two ago, but and the NFL is really, I mean you talk about coach, one of the phrases you like to say is we can cut this up in different ways. They are literally cutting up the season in a lot of different ways and I don't know if that's good or bad. Maybe it's just me, but we'll get into that. But, you know, it's been a few days, Landon, so we're going to start with you. Good to have you back on you. And Marcus, great work as always. So, you know, since it's been a couple weeks since the draft, right, and kind of quietly, it's not overboard, not over the top, but nationally, nationally, the Cowboys are starting to get kind of this, this love and this kind of feel good vibe about the off season that they've had, the draft, the moves that they've made, a lot of love for Caleb Downs, and rightfully so. And it's leading to a lot of they're going to be one of the most improved teams in the NFL next season conversations. So, you know, it's, I'm seeing this, I'm hearing this, and I thought, well, Landon and coach think about that whole topic. You know, we, we, we spend so much time deep, deep, deep in the weeds here with all the little moves and every little detail. But take a step back. You know, maybe, are they going to be better than we think? Are they going to be good? Are they going to be legit? What do you guys think?

[Landon McCool]

I think, I think better than the, you know, know, the kind of national consensus things, I think makes sense. I mean, I, I think, you know, this is an offense that was a top five in a lot of different categories last year and now, and most folks, you know, kind of agree that the defense needed to come up to snuff to make them into contenders. And, and I think, you know, having that very clear goal for this team and then having them, you know, go as far as they did or have so far in, you know, sort of accomplishing the goal of, of, of bettering the defense. I can, I can certainly see the argument for why they would be in the category of, of, you know, most improved or, or, or at least, you know, every year. What is it that there's like, I think seven teams that, that get. That weren't in the playoffs the previous year that get in between the two conferences. I certainly think the Cowboys could be one of those seven teams just because, again, like, they had a very clear goal that they had to meet. I think they've done maybe not a complete job, but an extremely admirable job at accomplishing that goal. And now it's about kind of going out there and playing out the season a little bit and seeing how it all plays out.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

I mean, everybody feels good right now. I mean, I, I saw Carson Beck talking. He's, he's bumping his gums about he should have been a first round pick. And you know, every, everybody, everybody this time of year is, you know, feels good. I mean, everybody's eating good and, you know, everybody's at home getting plenty of rest and, and things sound good. And hey, you know, I, I, I'm here to say that personnel wise, they, this is a better football team, personnel wise now than they were a year ago. Now it's a team that won what, eight, what they win last year? Seven and a half games. Seven and a half games. You know, are they, are they substantially better than a seven and a half win team? I wouldn't say substantially. I think they're a little better. I think they're, they're, they're in a good division because they got some teams that are not as good as they are. You know, Washington is not as good as the Cowboys from a, what I would say, what is a depth chart standpoint? I don't think that New York is as good as Dallas from a depth chart standpoint. And so what does that mean? Probably means we're looking at a nine or ten win team now if they stay healthy and things go the right direction and the schedule falls the right direction. I saw they have an away game at Green Bay. I got news for you that you, that's a, I think a 50, 50 game. Unless you play them there after Thanksgiving, it ain't 50, 50 no more. So I think there's a lot of things that are yet to be determined. But I, I, if you're just asking me, is this a better, is this a better roster? It's a better roster than it was a year ago.

[Landon McCool]

But to coach this point, that's, that's not the only thing that makes, you know, that's not the only factor that factors into wins and losses.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

No, I have no idea, I have no idea what this defensive coordinator is like. And guess what? Neither does anybody else. No, his, his stuff's not out there. They haven't been able, they haven't been able to study how he calls games, what, what he calls from a situational standpoint. They will about week three or four in the season and then, you know what we'll see what kind of, we'll see what kind of, you know, football savant he is then. But you know, right now, hey, everybody feels good. I mean, I don't know why you don't go out and get yourself a big old thing of sweet tarts and yuck it up and drink a Dr. Pepper and, you know, feel good about where you're at.

[Jeff]

So let me piggyback on that. When you hear the phrase winning off season or winning the off season, what does that mean to you? And, and should we say that the Cowboys have been able to achieve that?

[Landon McCool]

Look, I mean, again, I think everyone's playing, running their own race, you know, like, we're not competing right now. We're, I mean, we are because there's limited resources and we're trying to pull from them. But, you know, I think every team's kind of in a different spot than each other, so it's kind of hard to like, you know, judge it that way. I, I think that for what the Cowboys had to get done this off season, they hit all the major spots that they needed to hit. They, they accomplished all the, the acquisition of the, the most key players. Not all, not all the players. They still have, I think, some work to do, but I think they did a good job of problem solving the need for a starting running back. I'm sorry, a starting linebacker, more cornerback and defensive back depth, another pass rusher. And, and I think they, you know, they were able to get all of those things while also adding other couple, you know, key pieces where you feel like maybe you can at least be part of a rotation. And again, like, I think it's about, it's not about the percentage of, of completion that you were able to get done. It's, it's, you have to consider what they had, you know, available to them. They had two first round picks. They had no second round pick. They had a third and then some, some, a fourth and some fifths. Right. And they were able to kind of flip all that around into a guy who could be top five in his position potentially as a rookie. He's so good. A guy who could probably get, come in and give you, I don't know, like five to seven snaps a game. As a pass rusher, you hope, right? A linebacker who you think, you know, they traded for a linebacker who you think could be a starter and then two players on defense outside of that, that you feel like, you know, they'll, they'll give you some snaps as a rookie. Maybe not, you know, be elite starters or anything like that, but they could be quality depth for you. And I think that that's, and then outside of that, you know, able to sign some, some key depth pieces at defensive back as well at safety, you've kind of remade that room completely. So I think that they've gone a really long way to overhauling this defense from a personnel side. We've talked about the changes that they've made in the coaching staff. So they've made a lot of changes. Now it's time to see kind of whether, you know, how much positive it is, how good it is, because, again, like, if you were able to roll back in here and maybe even improve on the offense that you had last year, maybe have. Get a little bit more health, you grow a little bit on this offensive line, you thrive at the offensive line this year as opposed to just survive, which it felt like the Cowboys were doing. Do you realize that the Cowboys only had the same starting five offensive linemen out there for three weeks in the row? That was the most that they ever had any offensive line continuity throughout the season.

[Jeff]

I did not.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

I did not. That's wild.

[Landon McCool]

Like, you know what I'm saying? So there is areas of improvement here. If they're able to find a way to. To stay a little bit healthier because, you know, even without adding anything to the offense and then obviously, the additions they made on defense, we got to see how that all gets rolled out with this new coaching stuff.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

All right, so I'm going to ask. I'm going to ask it just as a yes or no to both of you. Jeff, don't stand around to scratching your ass. It's time. It's time to go to work on the show here. You know, F. First things first. We come out of the season, terrible defense. Made it. Made a change on the defensive staff. Did they do the right thing there?

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Landon.

[Landon McCool]

I'm sorry, What? I'm not exactly sure.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Made a change. Did they make. Did they do the right thing making a change on the defensive staff? Don't be scratching your ass either.

[Landon McCool]

Even if it's bad. Even if it's bad early? Is that what you're asking? Yes. I mean, they definitely made.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah. Did the right things. Okay. Did. Did they do the right thing? Sign signing the running back?

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Landon McCool]

Yes.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

They do the right thing. Franchise and the receiver.

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Landon McCool]

Yes.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Did they do the right thing moving up to address a need defensively at safety?

[Landon McCool]

Yes.

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Did it do the right thing, moving back to address a need and not reach for a defensive end?

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Landon McCool]

Especially when you consider what they got in return? Yes.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Okay. Did they. Did they then feel like they finished the draft strong and go at some priority free agents who absolutely improved the bottom end of the roster?

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

All right, so I'll tell you, Jeff, you just batted a thousand. Hell, you're a baseball guy. I mean, you can't do any better than that. Can you.

[Jeff]

No.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Okay. Well, sorry to bother you during that exercise.

[Landon McCool]

Well, I mean, I think it's fair. Like, they, you know, they had a clear checklist of things, and they checked all the boxes. That. That's why we're able to hear national media guys kind of come in here and. And very, you know, astutely point out, man, the Cowboys had a really good off season. Right? Like, yeah, it was very clear what the problem was, and they very clearly addressed it. So, you know, it doesn't really mean anything until we hit. Until the rubber hits the road and we see these guys in the field and we see it all kind of come together. But I think as we stand right now, all the information that we have across the NFL is basically who was acquired, what offseason moves were made, and everyone's trying to fit it together. And I think much like we saw with the offense, they had a very clear goal, had a very clear way of achieving what they wanted in their goal. And every step of the way, everything they did, it made sense. Everything fit together very nicely. I think the same thing happened this year with the defense. The. The people they hired made sense for the kind of defense they want to play, the players that they got made sense for, for the kind of new kind of system that they want to play. It all just. It doesn't take any kind of complicated thing to understand to see that A goes to B goes to C goes to D. And I think that that's a real change from what we've seen at certain points. And so, yeah, I think it's easier for people at the four letter network or more national organizations to look and recognize that the Cowboys accomplished what they were trying to do.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah. And doing all that. And they didn't reach. They didn't. They didn't get in a position. They didn't get in a position where they had to reach. And. And, you know, I. I see, you know, Carmine's on here again, and I'm glad to see he's not standing around scratching his ass. He answered yes to all of them, too. Way to go. Nice.

[Jeff]

Okay, so a little bonus question here. So we. We talk every episode about will the Cowboys make any more moves? Are they done? Will they make. Could they maybe sign this guy? They could. Well, they sign a linebacker, will they get another D or edge, whatever. Let me ask you guys. Let me put it to you a different way. Do you think if the Cowboys were truly set, like, if they believe in the building that. No, we're good.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

We.

[Jeff]

We've Got everything. We are good to go. We are set. Let's just line them up. You think they would come out and just say, we're done? And the fact that they. They won't say, you know, no, we're. We're. We're not definitively done, means that they, if they can, if it works out, they're not gonna. Like you just said, they're not gonna overreach or overpay or make a bad deal. But if they can still find a way to help the team, they'll do that.

[Landon McCool]

Let me ask, Let me ask you, Jeff. Do you think that they're mostly done on offense?

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Landon McCool]

Do you think that they're going to come out and say that they're mostly done on offense? I just don't think that. I just don't think that they're, like, ever gonna get to a point on either side of the ball where they're gonna come out and say they're done, you know, like, it's finished. I certainly. Look, I mean, and, and clearly they're not completely finished. I mean, they had a Dory Jackson in as for a visit.

[Jeff]

Yeah, that was coming.

[Landon McCool]

So. Yeah, I do think that there's something to the idea that, like. Yeah, like, like, thank you, Carmine. Saying Stephen Jones is always talking about 365, 24 hours a day, you know, So I think they're going to continue to tinker on the roster. Are they done taking big swings? Like, I think that's more the answer that people are. Are asking when or question that people are asking when they ask those kind of things. I think for right now, they probably are like. But I wouldn't say completely. I would say usually the rhythm of these kind of things is now's the time that you start lining up veterans to kind of be your. Your. Your potential, you know, training camp, bodies, depth, maybe a guy that you plan on potentially, you know, eventually sneaking onto a practice squad just to, like, stash a body somewhere. And then you want to kind of get through minicamps and OTAs and see what you got in your young guys. Right. And then once you kind of get through all of that, you have a good idea. Okay, well, we were way wrong about this kid. He can't do squat. We need. We gotta go get ourselves a. A linebacker, you know, whatever it is. Right. So I just think where it stands right now, you're kicking tires on, you know, not high priority veterans, more like guys that you feel like you could probably get at any point during the season just to have Some familiarity with those guys in case you want to sign them really quickly because of an injury. And then you're waiting until training camp and, you know, maybe even beyond to see how things kind of suss out with your young players. And then if you feel like you need to go out there and sign somebody who gets cut off the waiver wire, especially like a second running back, like that's, you know, positions like running back and linebacker, you could go out and get another guy just, just because those guys are kind of readily available at all points. But even if you needed to go out and get another kind of high quality position, you're probably not doing it until either right before training camp because you, you've got a deal in place and you want to bring them in to get them used to it, or until after training camp when you've seen what you've got on your, on your roster and maybe you feel like you need one more move to kind of put you over the top.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, I think it's more, I think it's more of a health issue. Hey, where are we at with Bland? Where, where are we at with Ezraku? What, what does he look like moving around? Is he still 238, 40 pounds, lightning ass? Do we need to address maybe another guy and then who made that other guy be. Is, is it, are they looking back at some, maybe some film of Clowney when he played in a 34 defense or some things from Bosa? Are they, you know, are they really feeling strong about whether Ravel is, is, is, is going to be in great shape and ready to go and if he's not that we better, we better bring Adore Jackson in here and look at him and just see what he looks like on the hook. So I think there's a lot of things that they're talking about. Is it over with? I don't believe it's over with. I think absolutely you could see them go sign another running back. I don't know that they feel confident in who the two would be right now. And certainly you never want to wish anything on anybody. But the depth is strong in the way that Javante held up last year was pretty impressive. Now is he going to hold up that way or do we feel like we're going to need to, you know, where they, where they did, they ran him down at the end of the year. He was beat up at the end of the year because he took the lion share of the carries. So I don't, I don't think, I don't I don't think they're done. I, I think they're trying to strategically see where they're at and then go maybe plug and place or put some guys up there that they feel like they, you know, I wouldn't be surprised if they've already made a call to clowning and just gauged where he's at. So I, it's not over with and it's never over with in, in football because again, it's a, it's a physical sport and you know it. You, you got to hope that maybe that, that, that certain bug doesn't hit you this year.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. To the running back point real quick, it feels like you still have, you have to fill two positions pretty, that pretty, pretty serious and pretty important at this position. You need to have a second kind of every down back, right. I mean you need, what you really need is Phil Moffin Jaden Blue to each take the step that they need to be taught to be tolerable in, in this, in this coming season. Because you need another guy like Mafa who can be kind of a bigger body back, who can take the kind of the load if you want to just give Williams a break and just need him to do anything. And then you need someone who's a little bit more dynamic to kind of be a counterbalance, you know, philosophically and it's in and strategically. So, so, you know, I think that finding a running back to a guy who can come in and just give you carries that position should be pretty easy to find. Like you could get that guy.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

I'm not, I'm not worried about car. I'm worried about a guy that can protect. I'm worried about a guy that understands protection and I'm worried about a guy that's got enough lead in his ass to stop somebody because I don't think the guys they have right now, number one, are confident that they know they can do that and number two are physical enough to be able to handle that.

[Landon McCool]

I, I think you can go get those guys just because I'm talking like veterans on the street that you go get. Now where I worry is, can you get a guy who is a plus player in the pass game? That's where I, I, I mean, because you need that player still, like I said, whether it's blue or, you know, finding a guy like that, I think that's the more difficult of the two roles just to find because it's a rarer athlete. I think, you know, with the running back market, you can find a, you know, A running back to quality veteran on the street at almost.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

There'll be one. There'll be one cut. There'll be one cut or to cut who. Who are experienced and have played. And I think that's. I think that's what you're looking for. Not. Not just some guy that's out there working, running through tires down at the ymca.

[Jeff]

All right, well, Carmine brings up a great point. He says, do you. You guys think they like blue now? I guess we'll find out, but I would think that this has been a. A big monster motivational off season for him, and I'm curious to see what training camp looks like for him.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

I don't know that they ever didn't like him. I. I just don't know that they. I just don't know that they're confident in his, you know, his maturation and his ability to. To, you know, be smart. I mean, hell, the first time they put him out there, wasn't he in some kind of. In some kind of different shoes? Remember that? He hurt his feet. He was kind of.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and that's. That's, you know, again, like that. That's not a commentary on how they feel about the guy.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, no, no, that's what I' I think. I think they liked him or they wouldn't have drafted him. Right. But they want him to. They want him to take the next step. Go ahead and, you know, show us that you can. That you can do.

[Landon McCool]

It's a. It's a lot of responsibility. Right. It's a lot of responsibility that he's got to take on. So. Yeah, it's. It's about trusting him, which is a different thing. And I think if he took the step. That's the thing about the blue situation, is that if he took the step to the. To be responsible, which is certainly achievable in an off season. Yeah, I mean, he's got the skill set, the ability to. To be a dynamic player. But. But, you know, we need to see him taking on the onus of being ready to be a difference maker on the offense.

[Jeff]

All right, well, we need to see him and I need to take a quick time out. When we come back, though, I want to shift gears and guys, I want to. I want to bring the Caleb Downs lowdown. We'll get into that. I'll explain when we return. This is the Cowboys squad show. Got to talk to you, though, about what they're doing over at Better Help, and it's a. It's an important discussion to be had and you know this episode is brought to you and sponsored by Better Help. You know, May is Mental Health awareness Month, and it's an important reminder that whatever you're carrying right now, you don't have to go through it alone. Life can feel overwhelming sometimes, whether it's stress, uncertainty, anxiety, or just trying to manage everything on your plate. And it's easy to feel like you need to figure it out by yourself. Well, therapy can be a place to get support, gain perspective, and talk through things with someone who's there to listen and help. BetterHelp connects people with licensed therapists and makes it easier to get matched with someone who, who fits your needs and goals. And again, BetterHelp has helped millions of people connect. And if you your first match isn't right, right, you don't have a good feeling, it just doesn't go well. You can switch therapists at any time and having someone with you, someone to listen and support you can really make a difference. And again, Mental Health Awareness month here in May is a good time to check in with yourself and really ask, how are you doing? So you don't have to be on this journey alone. Find support and have someone with you in therapy. Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] LockedOn that's BetterHelp. BetterHelp.com LockedOn

[Landon McCool]

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[Jeff]

Okay, we're back. Cowboy squad show Co host of the daily Locked on Cowboys podcast, Landon McCool and former Cowboys coach Glenn Stretchmith. Great to be with you on this Thursday night and we got the schedule coming out. We're going to have OTAs here before you know, It's a beautiful thing. All right, so I want to run this by you. So Colts wide receiver Josh Downs. Okay. He is the older brother of Cowboys rookie pick Caleb Downs. They're actually going to play each other in Indy this season. Look forward to that. So not as not only is he looking forward to facing younger little bro at Lucas Oil Stadium, but he Also revealed that Caleb told him that the Cowboys told Caleb that he is going to play the nickel this season. What do you guys think of that? And not, not really surprising, right? I don't know, what do you think? Landing coach?

[Landon McCool]

No, I mean that's what we talked about him doing since before he was drafted. So yeah, that's, that's what I expected.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, I mean you, you want your best athlete playing a guy that's in the slot that's got a two way go that doesn't have the boundary to help him out with support. So I mean I, you know, I mean I, to me that, that's a little flair for the obvious. We, I mean he's, he's going to be the guy that's going to I believe drive the defense from the back end. You, you already hear how smart he is, how he's picked up on the defense. He understands. You hear the defensive coordinator come out and say he wants high IQ guys. You know, I've never, the one thing I've never heard is a football coach come out and go, you know what man, I'm looking for a dumb ass. I mean a real mutt, somebody who thinks the Kentucky Derby is a hat would absolutely fit in my defense.

[Landon McCool]

But you know, maybe the implication is that by not saying if that is what they want. Right. I don't want, I'm just not going to tell you I want dumb players. But man, it'd be great if they didn't talk back to me when I gave him a battle.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Like it's like an offensive coach coming out and going man, you know what? We want a slow start. I mean I want to start this game in low four wheel drive. I'm talking about, I want it to be absolutely baby steps. I want you to lock the hubs in and I want us to not be able to run out of sight in a leap year. I want to just say crawling slow start.

[Jeff]

Wow.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Maybe you guys need to kick me off here tonight.

[Jeff]

That's okay. We got time, we got time. We got, we got shows and we got, we got. Again, we're not even OTAs yet. So, so in, in layman's terms. So playing the nickel, what, what, what does that do for him? What does that do for the team? What will that look like? How can that be a real plus? How can that maximize his skill set?

[Landon McCool]

Well, again like he's the nickel position in that defense is, is part of what they call the triangle of communication where they, they focus the most communication. They make sure that information gets disseminated to the other players. So I mean, I don't think he will be the green dot, but he will be as important as the green dot in, in making sure that calls and adjustments are made, you know, as the play goes on or as pre snap, as the play develops. I, I, I think, you know, as a coverage guy, as a run defender, I mean, I think you heard Parker talk about it. He needs a guy who can tackle like a linebacker, who can cover like a corner, can hit like a safety. And, and I think that that kind of shows you the skill set that's required. He's gonna, he's gonna be a blitzer, he's gonna be a key force player in run defense. He's gonna be a, a top down coverage defender. Yeah, I think he's gonna have, he's gonna wear a lot of different hats from that nickel roll and it's gonna be, it's gonna allow them to, you know, play more nickel more often than they probably could before because you feel more comfortable with having him out there and being able to kind of function as a, an extra linebacker. You know, that, that was kind of the advantage you saw with Seattle last year, right? Is that they had an enormous nickel guy who could come out and basically function as a linebacker. And I was just looking at the numbers today. Like even with one wide receiver on the field, they were running nickel at something like 68 of the time, which was, it's just ridiculously high. So I think when you have a solid player at the nickel, I mean sometimes it's a big player or in, in you know, Down's case, he's just exceptional as a tackler. And, and in the run game it allows you to play nickel more often, which means that you can't, that offenses can't get you into a bad mismatch situation by, by putting players on the field that you can't.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, I'm gonna, I was thinking about this, you know, after we did the show the other night, because I got, I, I got a little fired up when I was, or maybe it was last Thursday when we were talking about how this particular defense is run or how they want to call, you know, a trail technique or whatever the scenario is. And I'm, and I've tried to write this down to where I can make it as simple as I can. You know, just, just talking in terms of a defense when they say a triangle of communication. So in, in, in my estimation here, let's just think about a two by two formation which is just A simple two receivers to one side and two receivers to the other. If one, if he releases, if it's a three look, that means the middle of the field's closed and they're playing a three shell. If one releases vertical, then, then that corner has him. He's got him in a trail technique, even though he's got over the top help from the, from the safety in the middle of the field.

[Landon McCool]

I'm assuming the batter's on the call.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Hold on a minute. I'll give you a damn chance to talk. If the guy goes, if the guy runs shallow or goes underneath, the immediate call is you're making an under call. Under, under. Okay, so now they know, hey, he's shallow. And here he comes again. The triangle of communication. If two in turn either goes out or out and up in a wheel, then that safety or that nickel, whoever that is, whoever you determine to be the strength of the formation is going to go with him. He's going to run with him from a vertical or go standpoint. So all it is is understanding that the coverage, even though you have a called coverage in the huddle or coming out with the green dot or however they're. How maybe they're waggling it, whatever the called coverage is, you don't have to so much concern yourself about checking it other than you're making adjustments to how guys release into the route. And so that's, that's when you hear all this terminology of, well, Vic Fangio is playing some sort of trail bull crap that's been going on forever. They're just checking the coverage and they're going to play a coverage to a release or how you release when you come off of the football.

[Jeff]

Yep, like that.

[Landon McCool]

I agree with that. It's like a lot of it too is, is nowadays when you think about like modern offense is. It's, it's. It's also sorting release like in bunches and that sort of thing, like, you know, kind of sorting through would be no different.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Right. If it's no different, if they're in a two by two or a three by one, it's still going to be no different. Because if in a three by one, if, if, if again, you've got the point and then you got the two guys stacked behind him. If one who is just behind the point releases vertical, it's no different. You're still making the same, you're still making the same call or if he wants to come underneath that point guy, we're still making the under call. And then they're going vertical. Strong safety is going with a point in a vertical release. It's just about playing in the secondary is about being able to read a release to understand where to be and then to be able to communicate it to everybody else. So everybody else is on the same

[Jeff]

page, which we didn't see. We didn't see a lot of that, it seemed last season for sure, right? No, no.

[Landon McCool]

I mean, I think the problem was a lot of it was communicating what, what they were supposed to be doing.

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Landon McCool]

And, and, you know, who, who had assignments and, and then it felt like maybe they tried to simplify things at the end of the year, but it didn't really help, you know, so. Yeah, it. Offenses are complicated. They'll put you in conflict. That's what they do. They'll. They'll motion. They'll, you know, they'll change things late. They'll motion quick late to try to change, you know, your, your run fits, to try to, to change the angles. Right. So you just need, you just need guys who, who can communicate all that and make sure everyone's on the same page as it's happening in real time.

[Jeff]

All right, so is it, is it too early? Do, do we, do we have kind of a, a secondary depth chart yet? Like, do you. Do you have a vision of what it would kind of look like right now?

[Landon McCool]

I mean, I have it in my head a little bit. I mean, I think, you know, it also depends on what we've got from Bland, like, where Bland is obviously, like Coach. Coach says, but if Bland is, is healthy, then. Then he's one of the corners on the outside. I think Downs is your inside corner. And then you've got Colby Durant and, and Savon Revel kind of working, working out who's going to play more on the outside initially. I'm sure that you're going to get the rookie and mix mixed in there as well. And, you know, I think Durant and Ravel could probably play on either side. So you've got four guys there that are competing for two spots potentially. And then the backups, they'll probably bring in another veteran just to kind of have another body out there. That's why we've seen them kicking the tires on a guys like a Dory Jackson. Right. So. And then what's going to be interesting is to see, like, who else is going to end up playing the nickel besides Caleb Downs, like, who's the backup? Or are they going to mix it up with, you know, a different safety, or will they? I Mean, I mean, obviously you, you see, sometimes we make too much of the whole inside outside corners thing because some, you know, corners will be inside anyways. And, and like, that's, you know, not like as, as a defined role, as a Nickelback role is, but it's just a corner who's lined up inside because his guy is motioned inside. So it'll be interesting to see, like, if they have other nickel and dime looks in which Caleb Downs is not the down nickel corner, if they added just a regular third guy in there and he's playing back or something like that. So I think what, what, what you've got with these guys, and especially with the safeties as well, is kind of an interesting blend of. Of players and styles. So you can kind of use personnel packages to deploy them in different ways and get different groups of guys in the field to kind of help solve problems based on the personnel you're facing that week.

[Jeff]

Nice. Like that. Okay.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

All right.

[Jeff]

By the way, Caleb Downs, its official, is going to wear the number 13, not the number 18 that we saw.

[Landon McCool]

I, I wouldn't, I would hold on because I, I did hear today that, that the coaches or his dad was interviewed today and his dad was saying that they are still making attempts to

[Jeff]

try to get that number two.

[Landon McCool]

So, so I think, I think you're. You are 100 correct that, that he has changed his number to 13 temporarily. And I think if, if, if things don't go through that that will be his number, but it's not. I wouldn't quite put it in ink yet. Let's, let's keep it in pencil for now.

[Jeff]

So you could get, like, if you're a die hard fan, you could get the trifecta. You could get 3, 2, 13 and 18 all framed together and you could just do the whole thing. Be beautiful. All right, before we get a break, Landon, can we give a little plug for the everydayer club? Because I know you and Marcus are all over it. You guys are on every day, so it's a beautiful.

[Landon McCool]

It's great. I mean, again, like, obviously, besides the fact that you get, you get, you know, ad free versions of our shows, which, you know, if you don't have to hear Marcus talk about Mazda or whatever, that's always a huge win for everybody. And then, you know, obviously outside of that, we've got the discord where we can interact with fans, which is really a lot of fun. We had a lot of fun, especially during the draft, kind of going back and forth with folks. It's just a really kind of a fun way to have like a private chat with, with with with, you know, Cowboys fans and with with lockdown Cowboys fans. So yeah, it's a lot of fun. Certainly worth worth the cost. And again, just to kind of get these shows ad free is worth the price of admission. And then on top of that you get the chat, which I think is a lot of fun.

[Jeff]

All right, so again, don't forget, check out the Everyday Air Club for ad free episodes and access to a group chat with Landon and Marcus and maybe coach too. Again, just tap the link in the show notes and you will be good to go. When we come back, Keeping up with Stephen Jones. And we've got to ask Landon about that visit by Adore Jackson. We'll get into that when we return. Great to be with you. This is the Cowboys squad show. All right, I want to talk to you though about NFL Rougier because the playoffs are here for the NHL, right? And as you know, every shift matters. Every moment is intense and the pressure is at its highest. And just like the performance matters on the ice, it really matters off the ice too. And that's where Rougiet comes in. Rougiette offers treatments designed to help get you ready and stay ready when it matters. Their top option, Rougiette Ready combines clinically proven ingredients in a simple mint that dissolves under your tongue. It works fast, often in about 15 minutes, and can last up to 36 hours. And they also offer Go Long, designed to help with both performance and control. It's all about confidence and feeling like yourself again. So head to rougiet.com lockedonnhl and get 15% off your ED treatment. That's rougier. U G I E-T.com locked on NHL for 15% off rougy performance medicine for

[Landon McCool]

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[Jeff]

Okay, we're back. Cowboy squad show Landon McCool, former Cowboys coach Glenn Stretch Smith. So really quickly, Landon, you and Marcus, some really good episodes this week. One of them though, talking about Dory Jackson, the Eagles vet that met with the Cowboys. We also found out this week Dante Fowler signed with the Seahawks, so he's not coming back. But tell us about that episode. And then I wanted to let you give a real plug about the show. You guys did today, which I think without a doubt is a must watch. Talking specifically about the Cowboys offense and can they, can they be better this season? Can they be even more improved?

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. So, I mean, a Dory Jackson, honestly, not a huge surprise on that. He came in for a visit. I mean, all things considered, obviously has a lot of experience with Christian Parker. I thought, you know, I've kind of, I've. I've never really been a fan of a Dory Jackson and like. And thought that he was necessarily a great player and, and didn't really think much of him when he played for the Eagles, except for last year where I felt like he played some of his best football. So I do think that Christian Parker has worked well with him at points. I, I don't know that I want him, you know, starting for long stretches of the time. But, but at the same time, I mean, it certainly is better than what the Cowboys had starting at certain points last year. So I think again, just like kind of keeping tabs on these veteran guys who fit what you do or know what you do well enough, they can kind of come in and, and get to work right away. I think that's a, that's a smart strategy. And, and even if you don't, you know, bring them in before training camp, if they're still available and on the street, you know, early in the, the regular season, you can sign them and maybe know, stash them on your practice squad or just have them on the roster. And just having another veteran cornerback of a certain quality is never a bad thing in this league.

[Jeff]

Okay. Coach, any thoughts from you?

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Yeah, yeah, it's what we talked about earlier. I mean, a guy that understands the system, he obviously understands and is played in, in the system, knows the calls. I mean, understands the checks. I think all that's good. I mean, I like the Jordy Jackson. When he was at sc, I thought he played and I thought he played well. I thought he played well early when he was with, when he was with Tennessee.

[Landon McCool]

So he was better with Tennessee that

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

I studied him, you know, with the Eagles. But again, familiarity is a big part of the process.

[Landon McCool]

He's also a kick returner. You know, he's. So he gives you options as a backup kick returner if you want to sign him that way. So, yeah, you know, just, just another feather in his cap. And you want a lot of these guys that can do multiple things for you. So just another guy the Cowboys can sign maybe after last cut down. So he doesn't, you know, doesn't get A guaranteed contract. This is the kind of guy that you usually sign.

[Jeff]

All right, so we were talking about the. The national media, right? And just the love and. And the comments about the off season. But another one that has come up has been with Stephen Jones and talking about the Micah Parsons trade almost a year later and Steven Jones to his defense. It's not something he's going out campaigning on. He's literally answering questions that are asked to him, but he has said a couple of different times, hey, you know, we feel really good about the trade. We feel like it helped us. And so I was just curious, as we. We kind of get closer to OTAs and into training camp as time has gone on and now that this draft is through, have your thoughts changed at all? Do you still feel the same way? Does it mean anything? Is it something you still think about at all?

[Landon McCool]

I think for me, like, first of all, there's just this. Still this kind of constant rehashing of, like, who won, you know, and it's like, I. I mean, now. I mean, I think I understand why we're revisiting it now because, like, the. The. At least the results are in. We know who are the players that the Cowboys ultimately traded for here. But I also think that, you know, the. The grades aren't in because we. We don't know how good a lot of these players are. We certainly don't know how good, you know, Malachi Lawrence is. Is and that sort of thing. I. I think that I can generally say, though, that it certainly worked out better for the Cowboys than I imagined it would when it happened, and it certainly has not worked out for the packers as well as I imagined it would. So I. I kind of am of. Of the mind right now that

[Jeff]

all

[Landon McCool]

the parties involved kind of lost, including Micah, maybe not David Mugletta. He got. He got paid. We'll get up. Right. But I think for. For Micah, I. I mean, you know, you watch some of these interviews, and you kind of get the sense that he wishes he was back in Dallas. Absolutely. And. And you kind of get the sense that Jerry. I mean, look, this whole time, Jerry has been acting like he has maybe not regrets on what he did, but he regrets the way things went down in the situation. And. And I. I don't think he feels like he's in the wrong, but that doesn't mean that you don't feel regret over, you know, if. At the very least, I mean, a relationship that he had with Micah Parsons that he felt like trust was violated. Right. And so I Yeah, I think it's hard to know exactly, you know, who won the trade or any of that. I, I think I, I do feel confident in saying that the Cowboys were able to use what they got from Micah Parsons and, And spread out the talent in several different parts of the defense. We'll see how effective that is in the coming years. But I, I think on the flip side, Micah Parsons, you know, tearing his ACL and then them unable to beat the Cowboys. You know, you're speaking about half a win, right? Them being unable to beat the Cowboys despite the Cowboys missing four, if you remember, Jeff, four of their starting offensive linemen in that game.

[Jeff]

That's right.

[Landon McCool]

And, and, you know, the Cowboys still kind of coming away with the tie for a team that was supposed to be, you know, thrust into a Super bowl window by this trade. You know, it feels like, especially going through that 20, 26 draft and the packers not hearing their name called at any point for long, long stretches of time in that draft, I, I think it's been tough on them a little bit, too. So, yeah, I think the Cowboys came out a little bit better than they thought, and I think the packers came out a little bit worse than they thought. Okay, what do you think, Coach?

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

I mean, I, you know, I, I think it. You gotta, you gotta kind of give it more than I think a year. I mean, I think you're gonna have to. Well, you know, look at this a little bit down the road and see how these guys turn out. See how these guys, excuse me, that they've drafted turn out, and then, you know, it'll be something. Either they'll make a 30 for 30 on, or, or, or, or, or it won't be worth somebody fooling with.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, yeah, it's, you know, I understand why people are, are, are going back to, to this again because of, you know, it's news.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

They still haven't addressed the me. They still still don't have a pass rusher. Right. We're a year later down the road, and I mean, I'm, you know, I don't have, I don't have confidence in Ezraku, who's had hip surgery. He desperately needed an off season in the weight room where he could, you know, put. Put some lead in his ass. He didn't get that. And then they draft the guy from ucf who. I'm sure he's got immense upside to him, but he's, he's at the same place in my mind as Rocky was a year ago. Same. Same kind of guy. So that they as far as the Cowboys, they still haven't addressed, you know, what looks like a, you know, a threat coming off the edge. A real threat.

[Jeff]

Okay.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

All right.

[Jeff]

We'll leave it there for now. When we come back, our final segment. We got to get into the schedule. It's going to be really east at some point. The NFL this year being kind of quiet. We're starting to get some leaks of some of the games and or more importantly, I guess for the league where they're going to be aired on. But NFL's been kind of quiet about when the big date is going to be. But we'll get into that. We'll talk about the Cowboys schedule and have some final thoughts when we return. It's going to be a really, really quick timeout. This is the Cowboys squad show.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

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[Landon McCool]

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[Jeff]

So really quickly, guys, before we get going, I want to give it up. We have our Die hard regulars that are here. Stephen, Carmine, Marvel. Jesus isn't in here tonight, but some of the, the die hards that show up every week but got to give it up. My man alf, he is a regular on the Rangers postcast little, little cross promotion plug. I do the Texas Rangers baseball post cast after their games. And so Alf is one of our diehards. And so Alf, good to see you here. Joining us here in the Cowboy squad show, that's Landon McCool, co host of the daily Lockdown Cowboys podcast and former Cowboys head coach. Former Cowboys coach, not head coach. Glenn Stretch Smith would have been nice. I, I wish you were the former Cowboys head coach.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

Not me.

[Jeff]

No. All right, so we're, we're waiting for the official release of the schedule and

[Landon McCool]

just wonder what that.

[Jeff]

Before we talk about the Cowboys, I just, I understand the NFL wants to make money and they want to maximize but they, they're splitting up and trying to make so many games standalone because I think they feel like sports really in NFL games have really become. When you think about it, we all record everything now, right. So we just kind of zoom over commercials. Whereas football, I mean it's really one of the few standalone things live that people will watch live no matter what. And you had all the other outside things. But as well, I get it. I totally understand. I'm not, I'm not criticizing the, the thought process behind it, but man, it Just every, you know, next thing you're going to have one half on one network and one half, I mean, you're gonna start selling quarters to different, different streaming channels. I, I don't know. Maybe it's just. Maybe I'm kind of old school, but I'm just worried that they're diluting it so much and just trying to spread it out so much. And I just don't know if we need games every single day of the week. You know, just. Let's keep, keep the routine.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I think it's a terrible idea. You know, it's, It's. They need to kind of. There's too many buyers. You know, there's. And I understand that it's a business and they're trying to sell to a bunch of different groups. And, and because of that, every individual group that's buying these games, they want to make their, you know, version.

[Jeff]

Yes.

[Landon McCool]

The, the, the, the highlight of the day or, or the standalone game. Right. Yeah, because they're all competing with each other, so. But yeah, it puts the players in a terrible position, puts the coaches in a terrible position. I mean, it's, it's terrible for their health. It's terrible for, frankly, the product. You know, like, I mean, the football isn't as good, like when it's played. Played on Tuesday or Wednesday because of an offer. Weird schedule. It become, it makes scheduling a total nightmare. I mean, especially now that you're thinking about all these teams that are playing, you know, international games and, and sometimes they're playing them on, on weird days in order to facilitate international games. Like, what are we doing, man? Like, you know, I, I'm all for spreading the game, the, the sport, but find a way to do this. That's the logical. It makes some sense. And, and, you know, you probably can't logically ham fist both things, right, where you're like, getting Thursday football and whatever. And then on top of that, also, like, half the teams are playing international games as well this year or whatever it is. Right. So I just, I, I agree. Like, the, There is a certain point when, you know, the, the NFL is testing, like, its audience, I feel like, to a large degree to see how much of this BS they can get away with. And it's frustrating to watch because, like, they don't have any problem with taking the product all the way to the edge and, you know, in a complete disregard for player safety and for the quality of the product and the sanctity of the NFL, like, that all just goes to the wayside. Like they need to be better stewards of the NFL. And maybe it would help if they, you know, didn't have a puppet of a. Of a commissioner up there who basically just is like, you know, he's got the billionaire's hand up his butt as he's operating the mouth, so.

[Jeff]

Well said. Well said.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

What was it Mark Cuban said about, I don't know, about seven, eight years ago, that the NFL was heading towards a steep decline? How's that gamble worked out so far? I mean, you know, and maybe. Maybe he was referring to the NFL wanting to own the calendar. And I, I think that's what he was referring to, if I remember the comment right. But, hey, you know, they always, The NFL always seems to kind of figure it out. That's the one thing I will say is, you know, like, with the officials and how they handled the negotiation in the CBA with the officials, where they were out there, you know, supposedly jockeying junior college officials for the game, and then all of a sudden, now it looks like they've got this deal figured out. They. They kind of figure it out. They kind of, you know, they're, they're, they're kind of. I would consider, you know, what they do almost fishing, because they, they throw lures in separate directions, and then they don't, you know, if it doesn't work out, they just, they just kind of reel it in. And, and yeah, they're, they're, they're. They're the big dog on the block, but at the end of the day, they're pretty smart with how they put out their product. And they've gotten to where they own this. You know, they own that. They own it year round. I mean, whether they're playing games or not. They figured it out.

[Jeff]

Yeah. Yeah. With all due respect to Mark, I mean, I think you could make a case, I don't know how many years ago, six, seven years ago, like, the NBA was a really strong number two. I mean, they had a lot of momentum. Their off season was really a big deal. And now I, I'd say the gap is completely huge. Like, they've, They've slipped almost, almost behind baseball at this point. So, anyway, that's another topic for another time. Well, I don't want to rush through this schedule release or the. Not the release, but just talking, taking our first kind of look at the opponents. I know this has been out for a while, but anything you guys want it. We will do a deeper dive in other episodes, but anything come to mind as you take your first look at Like I said, I know this has already been out, but home and away opponents and

[Landon McCool]

you know, I think the, when you are playing a lot of these, these teams is going to be a huge thing, right? Because I mean, you're playing the NFC west, you're playing the AFC south, right? And, and I think, you know, playing the Colts early before they've got Daniel Jones back would be nice, right? Not that they are necessarily scary, but they certainly are a better football team when Daniel Jones is around, playing the packers before Parsons and Tucker Kraft is, is healthy. And like coach said, maybe before Halloween when, when you can actually, you know, get in and out of the stadium without a show. A show. Snowplow. I, I, I think, you know, it's, it's a tough schedule in the sense that the NFC west and AFC south are two tough conferences, right? So, you know, it's, it's, it's gonna be, it's gonna be a proving ground to be sure. But I listen, I've always believed that you need to, you need to find a way to toughen up before you get into the playoffs, right? You, you, you need to be tested going into the playoffs and, and playing a tough schedule, even though it decreases your odds of having a good record to get you in the playoffs, I think prepares you for the, for the tenor and the tone of the football that happens once the playoffs happen, which is a different level than the regular season. So I'm always for, you know, hey, if you're good enough to win the super bowl, you're good enough to win the super bowl. And, and tough schedule be damned. Obviously it gives you an easier path to get to the play playoffs. But I've seen this team have really easy paths to the playoff. You know, get the number one seed, get home field advantage, and then get absolutely crushed in the first round against a young team that got played a tougher schedule throughout the year and just seemed more battle tested and ready to play in the playoffs. So give me the tougher schedule. Let me come into that game, let me overcome the tough schedule and come into the playoffs battle tested. And I think this team will be tough to be in December and January.

[Glenn Stretch Smith]

You mentioned them having to play the West. I mean, other than Arizona, that's arguably, and even with Arizona, it's arguably the best division in football. You got San Francisco coming in here, so you got to go to Seattle is a very tough place to play so far. There'll be as many Cowboy fans as there will be Rams fans at that game. So, you know, at the end of the day, if you stay healthy and you kind of handle your business. Would I like to see him play Green Bay before Thanksgiving? Absolutely I would, but I like to, you know, see, you know, see him catch some of these other teams early. Yeah, but I mean, hell, you got it. You got to win division games and you know, you start with that, they need to be Washington twice, they need to beat the Giants twice. You know what, you split with Philadelphia and then you, you, you, you know, you roll the dice on the rest of it because it, it is, it's, it's, you know, there's some really, I mean, San Francisco and here will be an absolute dog fight. Seattle, there will be a dog fight. I mean, and, and you know, you're playing to arguably two of the best teams in, in, in the nfc. So I think good for the Cowboys with, with where it is and now we'll see where it falls when they, when they, when they actually drop the actual schedule.

[Jeff]

All right, well, until Monday maybe we'll have some game leaks and weak leaks and all that coming up before our next show. But until then, we'll leave it there for now. Landon, really quick, what do you guys got coming up, you and Marcus on the daily Lockdown Cowboys podcast.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that we're doing some coverage on some of the other teams speaking of the nfc, some other teams in the NFC east and what their drafts look like and just kind of breaking down, down what the competition looks like as well.

[Jeff]

Nice. I love it. Okay, Landon, thank you. Appreciate you. Have a great weekend. Coach you as well. Hope you get out and hit the links and we will do it again on Monday. Thank you to everybody for joining us. This has been the Cowboys squad show. Foreign.

[Landon McCool]

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