COWBOYS SQUAD SHOW: The Cowboys will open their season on SNF @ the Giants.

Summary

Podcast Summary: Locked On Cowboys – Cowboys Squad Show: "Cowboys Open SNF at the Giants"

Date: May 12, 2026
Hosts: Marcus Mosher, Glenn "Stretch" Smith, Jeff Higgs
Network: Locked On Podcast Network

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Episode Overview

This lively episode focuses on the Dallas Cowboys’ recently leaked 2026 schedule highlights—including their Week 1 Sunday Night Football (SNF) opener on the road against the New York Giants, a Week 3 international clash with the Ravens in Brazil, and a Thanksgiving showdown against the rival Eagles. Expert analysts break down the significance of these games, early schedule rumors, roster concerns, and offer a candid look at position battles and off-season storylines. Spirited banter, memorable quotes, and insight into Cowboys culture—on and off the field—make this a must-listen for fans eager for the latest Dallas scoop.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cowboys Open 2026 on SNF at the Giants

[01:14–09:55]

• Opening Matchup Analysis:

  • The Cowboys will open their season in New York on Sunday Night Football, the fourth consecutive season starting on the road.
  • Marcus Mosher: “It’s also the new look Giants with John Harbaugh, with Jackson Dart in year two, the two first round picks that they have. Honestly, it’s a pretty fun game.” (03:09)
  • The Giants start a new chapter with a different head coach, QB, and significant roster reload.
  • Discussion on why Cowboys–Giants gets the SNF spotlight, despite both missing the playoffs last year: “But it’s the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. So I didn’t expect anything else.” – Marcus (03:28)

• Rivalry Debates and NFC East Culture:

  • Hosts debate: Who is Dallas's real NFC East rival—Giants, Eagles, or Commanders?
  • Jeff Higgs: “If you talk to the old timers…they’re going to say it’s the Commanders. You talk to… you know, 30ish, they’re going to say it’s the Giants.” (03:44)
  • Marcus favors the Eagles: “At least over the last 20 years, that’s the team they’ve been competing with the most consistently at the top of the division.” (04:43)
  • All hosts agree: NFC East rivalries run especially deep; each team has its anti-Cowboys history.

• Game Prep Insights:

  • Both teams face TBD injury/status updates (Kamren Scaboo for Dallas, potential key Giants on PUP).
  • Early September timing means good weather—a plus compared to late-season trips to New Jersey.

• Unique Scheduling Quirks:

  • Expect intrigue: new coaches/coordinators on both sides, several new faces, and murky schematic tendencies likely to produce “clunky football” in the season’s first month.
  • Dallas returns all 11 starters on offense—seen as a major edge.

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2. Early Schedule Highlights & Travel Challenges

[09:55–14:29]

• Thanksgiving Game: Dallas will host the Eagles; adds fuel to one of the NFL’s most heated rivalries.

• Week 3 in Brazil: Cowboys vs. Ravens—international travel creates early logistical challenges.

  • Hosts humorously miscalculate travel miles, joke about collecting frequent flyer rewards.

• Tough Schedule Outlook:

  • Based on projected win totals, the Cowboys reportedly face the NFL’s 4th-toughest schedule.
  • Marcus: “It’s really, really hard to tell…But I think first glance, they have a very tough schedule and I think getting to 10 wins…it’s going to be very difficult.” (14:29)

• Home & Away Games:

  • Home: Eagles, Commanders, Giants, Jags, Titans, Ravens (“home” in Brazil), Cardinals, 49ers, Buccaneers.
  • Away: Eagles, Commanders, Giants, Packers, Texans, Colts, Seahawks, Rams.
  • “There’s not a single one of those road games that you feel great about.” – Marcus (15:45)

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3. Schedule Release: Insider & Coaching Perspective

[18:50–24:21]

• Stretch’s Coaching Take:
  • Weather and late-season road trips (e.g., Green Bay in December) were key schedule factors for the staff.
  • Long flights are physically taxing, especially on linemen.
  • Bye week preference: “If I could…I want it kind of right there in the middle. If you can get it right there. Yeah. Eight, nine, seven, eight, nine.” – Stretch (22:27)
  • Players/coaches keep a one-day-at-a-time mindset, though logistics matter in planning.

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4. TB12 Trash Talk & Cowboys’ National Obsession

[24:21–26:26]

• Tom Brady Roasts Cowboys Fans:

  • Recap of Brady’s joke at Kevin Hart’s Netflix roast: “He says…‘We actually have a name for those people. They’re called Cowboys fans.’” (24:05)
  • Marcus fires back: “31-14. Do you know what that score is, Jeff?…That’s the last game Tom Brady ever played. He got crushed by the Cowboys…” (24:37)

• America’s Team in the Spotlight:

  • The hosts agree: the Cowboys’ visibility and “love-to-hate” status assures regular SNF exposure and top TV ratings.

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5. Free Agency Update: No Interest in Kenny Moore

[26:26–29:27]

• Kenny Moore Rumors Debunked:

  • Cowboys reportedly have “no interest” in veteran corner Kenny Moore, per Mike Fisher.
  • Team’s focus: keep infusing youth into the roster (notably first-round pick Caleb Downs at slot corner).
  • Marcus: “I think if they would have selected…differently at 12 or 11, maybe they would have been interested in Moore. But…they filled that need.” (27:47)

• Veterans like Jadeveon Clowney and Joey Bosa are likely to remain unsigned until late summer.

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6. Cowboys’ Biggest Roster Holes: Edge Rusher, RB Depth, Linebacker

[33:16–41:34]

• Edge Rusher Under Scrutiny:

  • ESPN’s Aaron Schatz identifies edge rusher as Dallas’s “biggest roster hole.”
  • Uncertainty surrounds Rashan Gary (no sacks in last 10 games), rookie Malachi Lawrence, the injured Donovan Ezraku, and former sack artists needing resurgence.

• Marcus: “I just don’t feel great right now that they have an edge rusher that can create consistent pressure. Now…I feel really optimistic about Ezraku. I like Malachi Lawrence. I think Gary can be a plus run defender…but I don’t know what it’s going to look like early.” (40:02)

• RB and LB Depth Concerns:

  • Backup RBs are largely unproven; team could look for a veteran late in preseason.
  • LB group lacks depth beyond starters—team may add insurance via trade or late free agent signings.
  • “You use your assets to address your issues. I could absolutely see that happening.” – Stretch on using TE depth to trade for need elsewhere (47:28)

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7. Training Camp & Roster Cuts—Coaching Insights

[41:34–44:17]

• Coaching Evaluations of Talent:
  • OTAs only offer limited view; real assessments come in training camp and live-action drills.
  • RBs must show pass protection to truly win backup roles.
  • Stretch: “From a physicality standpoint are either one of those guys [Mafa or Blue] physical enough to protect the quarterback…that’s a separation between a real NFL back and just guys.” (43:01)
  • Players rarely show up out of shape at the NFL level.

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8. Undrafted Free Agent Steals & Position Battle Nuggets

[51:16–53:36]

• Marcus on 2026 UDFA Class:

  • “Michael Trigg…is the most talented tight end on this roster…He should have been a second or third round pick if it weren’t for some off field and maturity issues.” (51:16)
  • Jordan Hudson (WR, SMU) also gets a mention as a player to watch.

• Tight end group is highlighted as a deep position—possible trade fodder for upgrading other areas.

• Stretch: “When you have a deep position like that…one of those guys is not going to make this football team. How do they look at jockeying this roster?” (52:30)

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9. How Cowboys Offense Can Improve in 2026

[55:47–60:36]

• Red Zone & Consistency Concerns:

  • Dallas was only 18th in red zone TD percentage and 22nd in scoring percentage in 2025—execution (not talent) is identified as the key focus.
  • Marcus: “If you just get a little bit better in the red zone, that’s going to add two or three wins to your total.” (56:30)
  • Becoming a more “consistent running team” and maintaining a healthy O-line are critical.

• Running Back Rotation:

  • Value in keeping Javonte fresh with a quality backup; importance of finishing runs and protection emphasized.

• Injuries Hampered 2025:

  • Despite injuries, offense still finished top five; better health could mean a leap in 2026.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On SNF Opener: “It’s not surprising at all...It's the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. So I didn’t expect anything else.” – Marcus (03:28)
• On Rivalries: “You look at the history of the NFC East, you could make a case for all three teams being a serious rivalry of the Dallas Cowboys.” – Jeff (03:44)
• On Edge Rusher Concerns: “I just don’t feel great right now that they have an edge rusher that can create consistent pressure.” – Marcus (40:02)
• On Brady's Roast: “31-14…That’s the last game Tom Brady ever played. He got crushed by the Cowboys…” – Marcus (24:37)
• On Schedule Difficulty: “Getting to 10 wins…it’s going to be very difficult.” – Marcus (14:29)
• On UDFAs: “Michael Trigg…is the most talented tight end on this roster.” – Marcus (51:16)
• On Offensive Needs: “If you just get a little bit better in the red zone, that’s going to add two or three wins to your total.” – Marcus (56:30)

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Key Timestamps

• [01:14] – Kickoff: Giants SNF Opener Announcement
• [03:09] – Mosher on the Giants’ New Look and NFL’s SNF Pick
• [04:43] – NFC East Rivalry Breakdown
• [07:13] – Early Season Injury/Personnel Questions for Both Teams
• [09:49] – Cowboys as Early Road Favorites; Betting Jokes
• [14:29] – Discussion of Schedule Strength and Necessity for Hot Start
• [18:50] – Stretch’s Insider-Coaching Take on Schedule Logistics
• [24:21] – Tom Brady’s Cowboys Fan Joke & Host Clapback
• [26:26] – Kenny Moore Free Agency Rumor Addressed
• [33:16] – ESPN’s Roster Holes Spotlight: Edge Rusher
• [41:34] – Evaluation of RB/TE/LB Battles Entering OTAs
• [51:16] – Deep Dive: Undrafted Free Agent Standouts
• [56:30] – Offense: How to Get Better This Year

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Tone, Energy, and Takeaways

• Conversational, candid, with a mix of humor and expert analysis.
• An insider view into coaching considerations and roster management (thanks to Stretch’s former experience).
• Emphasized urgency: Early wins are vital for playoff aspirations due to a loaded and unpredictable schedule.
• Realistic but optimistic about young player development—particularly at edge, linebacker, and running back.
• The show's enduring theme: The Cowboys' perennial national prominence, high expectations, and microscope—and how that shapes both locker room and league narratives.

Whether you’re a diehard Cowboys fan or a casual NFL observer, this episode offers a comprehensive and entertaining rundown on how the 2026 Dallas Cowboys’ season is taking shape, both on the field and behind the scenes.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign Podcast Network your team every day.

[B]

Hey everyone, this is Ross Jackson, one of the hosts of the Locked On Podcast Network. If your group chat's been a little quiet lately, I want to invite you to come and join ours. If you sign up for the Everydayer Club, you get access to the members only group chats for your favorite teams plus national chats for every sport. And personally I love watching folks talk a little smack in the NFC south trash talk chat. You also get an ad free version of your favorite Locked on show and a whole lot more. You can check it out by tapping the Everydayer Club link in the show notes.

[C]

I'm Jeff Higgs. We have a couple of schedule leaks. I'm happy about that. Happy for some Monday night squad show to kick off the week.

[D]

How about them Cowboys? It's the Cowboy 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 Cowboy Squad show starting now.

[C]

Squad up. And here we go. You know our schedule. We are blessed to be back with you again tonight every Monday and Thursday night and we bring you yet another edition of the Cowboys Squad Show. Thank you for hanging out with us. As always, we start with a welcome to the co host of the Daily Lockdown Cowboys podcast. That would be Marcus Mosher and former Cowboys coach the one, the only, Glenn Stretch Smith. Landon McCool will be back with us on Thursday and we know Aisha has been doing dealing with some things and we hope and pray that she'll be with us soon as well. But we got a lot to get to tonight. Over the next hour the very latest on the Cowboys including concern possibly and some trash talk but we'll get into that. Looking forward to that. Plus we want to hear from you in the comments section but we're going to start off tonight. Marcus we found out that the NFL schedule release is coming up on Thursday, but the Cowboys are the Cowboys. So you figure out if there's a team that's going to get leaked about or talked about, it's going to be America's team. And sure enough we got not one but two game weeks today and sure enough the Sunday Night Football opener for the Cowboys against the Giants. Week 1 Sunday Night Football 4th straight season the Cowboys will open up on the road, but who's counting? And they will start the season where they ended last season. We'll talk about that and then we also found out in the afternoon the Cowboys on Thanksgiving will Host the Eagles and that, that part of that rivalry. So lots to get to. Let's start though with the Giants. You know, this is a, I think a good, good little good statement opportunity for the Cowboys to start their season on the road.

[D]

I'm really glad the NFL decided to get an original Sunday Night Football game, you know, a matchup that we haven't seen in a long time. Oh wait, it's been this way like what, five of the last eight years. So not surprising at all. It's also the new look Giants with John Harbaugh, with Jackson Dart in year two, the two first round picks that they have. Honestly it's, it's, it's a pretty fun game. I think there's a lot of people around the league wondering why two teams that didn't make the playoffs are playing in the first Sunday Night football game of the year. But it's the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants. So I, I didn't expect anything else.

[A]

Yeah, you know, I think it's, it'll be interesting if Scatter Boo's back. I mean there's gonna be his neighbors going to be back. I mean I think there's a lot of already interesting questions to ask about the game. But you know, we were talking about this on the radio today. Is, is what, what is the Cowboys real rivalry in the East? Because if you talk to some of the old timers, some of the guys that are my age and older, they're going to say it's the commanders. You talk to some people today, they're going to today from the younger generation, they're going to say it's the Eagles. You're going to talk to some of those kind of mid age, you know, 30ish, they're going to say it's the Giants. I, I, I think there's, you know, at the end of the day it's the Dallas Cowboys and it's the NFC East. And I do think that when you look at the history of the NFC east, you could make a case for all three teams being a serious rivalry of the Dallas Cowboys.

[D]

Yeah. To answer your question for me, it's the Eagles. It just seems like at least over the last 20 years that's the team that they've been competing with the most consistently at the top of the division. Right. And the other part of it is they've played some awesome games. I mean the game that they had last year to open up the season was wildly entertaining. And then the game they played right before Thanksgiving last year, the game with the Cowboys fell behind by 21 points in the first quarter and ended up coming back and winning. Those are two awesome football games and I would expect nothing less this year.

[A]

And you talk to people that say, well before Jimmy Johnson and Buddy Ryan, it wasn't the Eagles. I mean, it was, it was George Allen. It was, you know, it was, I mean, again, you know, it was parcels the Giants. I mean, there's a lot of, a lot of varying flavors. But I mean, I don't think there's a right or wrong answer. No, I do think that, you know, all three of those games really matter. And it is, you can say, well, it's every division in football. But you know, you look at the, you know, I look around at the North, I mean, are there that many divisional rivalries in the North? The Vikings, the Bears, you know, packers. You just wonder, you know, you wonder if it's the same as it is in the NFC east because it does feel like all three of the teams in the east have a deep rooted dislike for the Cowboys. And it doesn't matter what year it is or what time of year they play or when they play.

[D]

Jeff, real quick on this Giants stretch mentioned it at the top. The Cowboys could get a little bit of an advantage here. First of all, you mentioned Cam Scaboo. He is expected to be ready for training camp. We'll see what kind of health he is. You know, early in the season does he have his explosiveness back? But we're already starting to hear from some of the Giants beat reporters like there's a chance that Malik opens the season on the PUP list. Like he is still a long way away. That major knee injury he had. And if they don't have neighbors or they have the neighbors who's compromised, they just don't really have the, the weapons in the passing game to really threaten you. On top of that, having this game in early September almost guarantees that you're going to have somewhat decent weather. It's no fun to go to New York or New Jersey in December or January. So getting a nice weather game to open the season, that's a win for Dallas.

[C]

Yeah, I agree.

[A]

I'd rather go there than I would Green Bay. That's the scary thing is, you know what, that Green Bay game now could fall late.

[D]

Yeah, that's true.

[C]

I think they, I, I think they want to see the Cowboys in the snow on tv.

[D]

I think they want to see Michael Parsons playing in that game.

[A]

Next time you have that thought, I want you to take your right pinky finger Jeff and go up to the top of the keyboard and just hit the delete button. I only see the damn snow.

[D]

Come on. It's not that bad. Stretch.

[C]

Well, you know, last season, of course, the Cowboys opened up in the season opener, right? Thursday night, the opener at Philadelphia, 21 points in the first half, zero points in the second half. And so you look at this, this time around with Sunday Night Football against the Giants, you got the, like you mentioned Marcus, you got John Harbaugh making his debut. Obviously, they're what they're going to want to come out and make a statement on their side. Like, hey, we're new team now. We got the new head coach. We want to be playoff contenders. This is where it starts. And then for the Cowboys, I think it's just again, Cowboys on the road. But number number two, hey, we wanted to fix the defense. We have the great offense. And so this is the first step to the journey back to the Super Bowl. So I think I like it. I think I give. I give. You know, like you said, some people may, on the surface, if they don't really follow things, may may have criticism of it. But I, I think it's a. I get where NBC is coming from and I like, I think it's a very, very intriguing storyline. Matchup to start the season.

[D]

A couple other things I wanted to mention really quickly about this matchup. Not only do you have a new head coach with the Giants, you've got a new defensive coordinator in Denard Wilson, who's never been a defensive coordinator, much like Christian Parker with the Cowboys. You also have Matt Nagy, who's now running the offense from the Giants. They also have Greg Roman as an offensive assistant. So there's going to be some of this, like, you know, you're not quite sure what to prepare for. But at the same time, the Giants are ushering new systems on both sides of the ball. They've had a ton of turnover in terms of the roster. That can be a really good thing for a team, but that often leads to kind of clunky football in the first month of the season. The Cowboys will have that as well, especially on the defensive side of the ball with all their adjustments and improvements. But I think for the fact that the Cowboys offense is bringing back all 11 starters and several key backups, I. They should have a big advantage in this game.

[A]

Yeah, I like it. You're already handicapping it. Get out there. Get out there and get out there and make you a wager.

[D]

Two and a Cowboys minus two and a Half over on Fanduel right now. I just checked it out this morning.

[A]

So take, take, take, take it and dump out Liam's college fund right there. Just telling you. You don't bet at all.

[D]

I may. I've learned my lessons about betting on the Cowboys. It's. It's not a wise investment.

[C]

All right, so we got Cowboys at Giants Sunday Night Football to open the season again. We got the full release coming out on Thursday. I'm sure we'll probably have some more leaks before then. We already knew that in Week 3, the Cowboys are going to play the Ravens in Brazil minus John Harbaugh. And then we found out today that they will host the Eagles on Thanksgiving. So that will be the Thanksgiving Day matchup for the Cowboys. What do you think of that? I like that. That's good. It'll make it better.

[D]

That Raven.

[A]

I'd like to have those frequent flyer miles from those first three weeks. I can tell you that I think

[D]

3, 600 miles are going to fly in the first three weeks of the season.

[A]

3,600 or 36,000?

[D]

It can't be 36,000. It's gotta be 3,600, right?

[A]

Yeah, 3,600.

[D]

I gotta be, right? I mean, I'm bad at math, but it can't be 36,000. It's like, you gotta go Brazil, bro. I. I'll.

[A]

To Brazil. Flying to Rio.

[D]

I'm googling it right now. Go ahead. You. You keep talking.

[A]

No, I'm asking. Flying to Brazil, it's. It's not more than 3,600 miles. Not more than one oil change and a tire rotation.

[D]

All right, so it's 5,300 miles one way. So that's. You're like 10.6, 10, 600 miles to where? To Brazil and back now.

[A]

Okay, now go to New York and back.

[D]

It's. I mean, it's a little. Okay, you're probably looking at what, like 1200, 1300. It's a lot of miles. Again, I'm with you. I. That's. I'd like those freaking frequent flyers.

[A]

I'll tell you what. When you said 3, 600. I don't know, a bunch. But I know it's a hell of a lot farther than that. At that point, you can go outside. You can go outside, and I live in the metroplex, and you. And you can point. Point east southeast towards Brazil. It's a hell of a lot farther than 3,600 miles.

[D]

All right, all right. I'm bad at math. Give me, give me.

[A]

Sorry to Bother you. Boy, that. It's good to get started for the show. Just bark getting that right out of the way. Didn't mean to bother you.

[D]

Yeah, I. I will say that Ravens matchup scares me a little bit because the Ravens have been a team that has started really hot now. Again, that's in the John Harbaugh era with Lamar Jackson. But generally the Ravens, their biggest problem is they. They get really beat up in the second half of the season. Lamar doesn't play. They've got an older roster. I have no idea what it's going to look like with Jesse Minter, but a healthy Lamar Jackson in week three scares the daylights out of me.

[C]

Yeah, I thought. I thought maybe the NFL would. Would want to have maybe the Cowboys and Seahawks in the opener, but they probably didn't want to let the Cowboys start the season opener two years in a row. They had to mix it up a little bit. So I get that.

[D]

And. And they know the Cowboy Seahawks, whenever that game is, is going to get huge ratings because it's a former super bowl champion. So maybe you don't need to use that in week one.

[A]

Feel like that's more of a Monday night matchup kind of.

[D]

Yeah. Is that the game I'm assuming is in Seattle, So. Yeah, that feels very much like a Monday Night Football matchup.

[C]

Yeah. They like Mondays.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Maybe a Sunday night game. I could see that being a Sunday night game as well.

[C]

So I would. I would think, though, right? I mean, with New York Sunday night and then Brazil on week three, they be home for week two. We'll find out, but I would think

[D]

that is the plan. Yes. We just don't know exactly who. By the way, shout out to Carmine, who just became a member of the everyday club. Thank you.

[C]

Oh, nice. Good job, Carmine.

[D]

Just got the email.

[C]

Beautiful. That's outstanding. Way to go, Carmine. What's up, Stephen? Very nice. We're gonna plug that, by the way, later on, so. All right. So I think I saw the project. Well, a couple things. Number one, with the schedule, the. Based on projected win totals, not. Not records from last season, but based on the current projected win totals for the upcoming season, the Cowboys have the fourth toughest schedule in the NFL.

[D]

I have very mixed feelings on this because that matters because generally the teams that were good last year are going to be the teams that are good this year. However, so many fluky things happen in the NFL. Guys get injured. You're going to play some of these games without teams starting quarterbacks. Inevitably, a couple of these teams are Going to completely fall off. You might get into a situation like you got last year where, you know, a team that was scheduled to play the Cowboys, you know, at the, by the end of the year, they were wanting to lose some of these games for draft positioning. So it's really, really hard to tell. But I think first glance they have a very tough schedule and I think getting to 10 wins, which is probably the number they're going to need to get to to at least have a chance of making the playoffs, it's going to be very difficult.

[C]

Yeah, that's fair. I, I'm with you. Yeah. Look, home schedule, Eagles, Commanders, Giants, obviously, Jags, Titans, Ravens. So that Brazil game is a home game. Arizona, the 49ers and the Bucks. And then on the road, Eagles commander, Giants at Green Bay, as coaches mentioned, at Houston, at Indy, at Seattle and in LA for the Rams. Those are, those are tough road games.

[D]

There's not a single one of those road games that you feel great about. Like, I don't know, once the schedule officially comes out, I don't know if they're going to be favored at any of those games. It's going to be a grind. Now again, don't want people to panic because you just don't know what these teams are going to look like five months from now. But this is a team that's going to have to start hot. They cannot afford to do what they did last year. You know, go start two and three, start two and four. You're going to have to start stacking wins early in the year. And it really starts with this Giants game. They've got to win this Giants game to get off to a good start.

[A]

I mean, and they got it. They, quite frankly, they need to, they need to win both against the Giants, they need to win both against the Commanders and they need to try to split with the Eagles because you look at the non conference schedule, it is rough.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

I have a question I want to ask coach about scheduling, but we can do that when we get back from break.

[C]

Okay, let's do that. By the way, I did not mention, but I wanted to wait until now to mention it, that today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel because right now new customers can bet just $5 and get $150 in bonus bets. If your first bet Wins, head to FanDuel.com to get started. All right, we'll talk more about the schedule. Also, we have some TB12 trash talk. We have a potential free agent update and some questions about Marcus about some recent shows with him and Landon on the daily Lock on Cowboys podcast. All that coming up. This is the Cowboys Squad show. All right, got to talk to you, though, about what's going on with Indeed because you know about it. Workplace chaos. You got deadlines stacking up, the inbox overflowing, and the one position you have to fill is still sitting open. And when the pressure's on and you need the right hire, this is a job for sponsored jobs. Indeed Sponsored Jobs helps you reach the people who actually fit what you're looking for. Skills, experience, location. So you're not just hoping the right candidate stumbles across your post. And if you're hiring, you want to spend less time searching, more time interviewing candidates who check all your boxes with Indeed Sponsored jobs. So right now, listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help you get the premium status. Your job get the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com podcast just go to Indeed.com podcast right now. Support our show by saying you heard about it Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Need to hire. This is a job for Indeed Sponsored jobs. All right, we're back. Cowboy Squad show. Great to be with you on this Monday night. Got a lot of good comments going on. So, Marcus, you had some more thoughts on the schedule?

[D]

Yeah, I wanted to ask Stretch about. I mean, I know when you were coaching that they there wasn't this big schedule release phenomenon. You just got the your either the schedule on a sheet of paper in the mail. When you looked at the schedule, how much did you care about where you were going and when you were playing these teams?

[A]

Well, certainly you care. I mean, when you start, when you start thinking about the weather, you know, Aikman hated a wet ball. I mean, he made it known he hated a wet football. So certainly you're looking at, you're looking at not so much those early season games. You're looking at that late season stuff and you're thinking, I mean, you know, we went to Green Bay once, December, it was cold as crap. I mean, you know, it's just, you're looking at it because you are, you're strategically trying to kind of plot out what you think is. Is the best way to go about it. I was just saying this earlier. I mean, like, if the Cowboys have to go on the road after that week three in Brazil, I mean, wouldn't it make sense just to send them to Houston?

[C]

Yeah, possible.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. And again, I'm just, I'm just thinking out loud here, that, you know, does matter. And when you have to travel that far, I don't care what anybody says. I don't care what anybody says when you have to go. That. I mean, even flying to Seattle is a hall. It's a hall. It's four and a half hours up there. So I, I, you know, I hated when. I hated that stuff. I mean, and big guys, hey, I'm just telling you, they do, they do not like it. The offensive lineman, defensive lineman. I mean, you, it's not some kind of special plane now. You got a whole row of seats. But it's not like you're, you're on something that the NBA players are on. I mean, you're on the, you're on the big American Airlines, whatever it is, 747. And I mean, it's, it's still tight quarters is the point I'm making. And you fly that far, it, it takes its toll on you.

[D]

Yeah. And you're speaking as somebody who is very tall, so, I mean, it, obviously it makes sense. I, I totally get it now. Are, are there certain games that you're circling, like Thanksgiving or even the team that you're playing before Thanksgiving to see if you've got like a home and home, you know, rather than, yeah, you're

[A]

trying to, you're just trying to give a little forethought to what is going on. And you already got, I mean, you, you'll already start getting people asking you for tickets. You're already going to start getting those requests. Hey, I see you guys going to be up here in New York, game one, you know, and any way I can get four? No, we, we don't get any, we don't get tickets on the road, you know, so it's just. That's part of that, that's part of jockeying, the whole process.

[C]

That's one thing, though, Coach. I mean, you guys may, may talk about it amongst coaches, right? But with the players, right? I mean, the players, it's one day at a time, one game at a time. You can't, you can't look ahead, Right. Or at least you should.

[A]

I mean. Yeah, yeah. You're not, you're not. You're not. Again, you're not putting it out there that way. You're just looking at it and you're knowing what's coming up. You're knowing when your short weeks are. You're knowing when you, you know, you got some mayhap. You know, when is your off week, you know, because you're you're wanting to get away. I mean, that.

[D]

Can I ask you that? Would you prefer, or did you prefer having early bye weeks or later bye

[A]

weeks in the middle? If I could. I mean, realistically, I want it kind of right there in the middle. If you can get it right there.

[D]

But we gate week nine.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. Eight, nine, seven, eight, nine. Something like that. Yeah, yeah. That's when you want it. And then, you know, and then you're. Again, you're adjusting to that, right? Because you're probably going to be. Your practice that week's probably going to be, you know, you're going to practice until Thursday. You're going to get Friday, Saturday, Sunday off. Monday, you got to be back in the office. So, you know, people, people start making plans and families start doing things. And the same, Same thing with Thanksgiving. Thanks. Same thing with Christmas. I mean, you know, you have, you have a lot of. There's a lot to, There's a lot to work through.

[C]

All right, well, cool. We will wait and see what, what other releases come out. We'll talk more about the schedule. And the good news is we are going to be with you live on Thursday night when the, when the full schedule is released. So we'll be able to get into that and dive into it and break it down with you. So we look forward to doing that again coming up on Thursday night. So over the weekend, there was a Kevin Hart roast on Netflix. They like to do these, these different roasts. Remember they did a Tom Brady roast. Well, this time Tom Brady got to be on the speaking end, not the receiving end. And he went from goat to gloat. He called Kevin Hart kind of a fake Eagles fan. Again, this is a row. So they're having fun. But then he went on to say, he says, this is Tom Brady. TB12. It looks like we really, we, we've actually got some real Eagle fans here. Not like Kevin, who only shows up at the big games when the Eagles play. Well, you know, Kev, we actually have a name for those people. They're called Cowboys fans. So TB12, who was, I think he was 70 in his career against the Cowboys, Little shot at Cowboys fans. I, I'm, I'm assuming that somebody wrote that for him, but I could be wrong.

[D]

I mean, 100. You really think Tom Brady's down and thinking about, between all the different jobs he has, thinking about jokes that he's gonna get off at a roast? I just want to say, I just want to point this out. 31:14. Do you know what that what that score is, Jeff?

[C]

I do not.

[D]

That's the last game that Tom Brady ever played. He got crushed by the Cowboys, and in the postseason, during the 2022 playoffs, he threw the ball 66 times, and they scored 14 points as the Cowboys went on for a huge victory. So just settle down there tomorrow there, Marcus.

[C]

Well done. Well played.

[D]

I mean, I don't want to see all those super bowl rings. Those are all on the back of Bill Belichick. So come on, let's. Let's relax a little bit. It's not that big of a deal.

[C]

What do you think of roasts? Do you. Are you a big roast?

[A]

Oh, I mean, I'm. I mean, I think. I think they're entertaining. I mean, I think some of this stuff's funny. I think it. It. You know, the. The. The old ones, when Dean Martin used to do it, I thought. I thought those were great. I mean, now it's.

[D]

Can we get you to do one, Coach?

[A]

It's loaded with fff. What's that?

[D]

Can we get you to do a. A roast? A roast to stretch?

[A]

Yeah, I'll do one.

[D]

That'd be fun. I think we. Let me call the execs at Locked on and see if we can get it done.

[A]

Yeah, once you. Once you see. Once you see if you can get that boat that Locked on was sending us out there on, see if we can get. See if we can get a. See if we can get a party cruise out there.

[D]

There you go. That'd be fun, wouldn't it?

[A]

Oh, I'm sitting on the edge of my chair in anticipation.

[C]

That's good, though. I mean, it just shows you, you know, Cowboys are top of mind. I mean, they are.

[D]

Well, that's the thing. That's. I mean, everybody loves to hate the Cowboys, and that's why you get them on Sunday Night Football every single year. The opening. It's because everybody want. Wants to watch this team, whether they like them or they hate them. You're going to be tuning in.

[A]

That's it. They're gonna get, you know, and, you know, they're gonna get a huge number. It'll. It'll be. It'll get a huge number.

[C]

Yeah, no doubt. That's going to be fun. I'm looking forward to that. So we talked about. I want to get back to free agency and potential signings, and one of the names we brought up a while back, we didn't really go far with it because I don't. It didn't really. I think you guys didn't Seem like it was a fit, but. Former Colts corner Kenny Moore, according to Mike Fisher, the Cowboys are not interested in signing him at all. He was able to get free and get cut loose, but according to Mike, no interest from the Cowboys. Surprise you at all? Not really.

[D]

It doesn't surprise me. I, I really like Kenny Moore. He is a really good player. Was a really good player. But the Cowboys drafted their, their slot defender in the first round in Caleb Downs. Kenny Moore turns 31 in August, and that's, that's not a position that a lot of young players play. He doesn't really have the flexibility to play outside. I do think he's going to catch on somewhere and play for another year or two. But the Cowboys wanted a younger, longer, more athletic player, and that's why they went with Kayla Downs. I think if they would have selected, let's say, Ruben Bane or somebody different at 12 or at 11, I guess maybe they would have been interested in more. But no, they filled that need.

[A]

Yeah, I'm with you. They're gonna, they're, I mean, you look at this team right now, they're gonna, they're gonna, they're gonna push those, these young guys into every single position. I don't care if you're talking about safety, end, defensive end, edge rusher, linebacker, they're going to get, I mean, I don't see where we sit around here and think this team may need a veteran, this, a veteran, that they're going to push those young guys in there and let them take all those reps. And then if they show that they can't get it done, that's when somebody like Clowney comes back in. That's when maybe they look for, you know, maybe they look for a veteran running back. But right now it sounds like they're going to, you know, they're going to give all of the reps and all the teaching opportunity these young kids and

[D]

they should like, this is the time of the year when those guys need reps. I can promise you Jadevian Clowney is perfectly fine not signing with the team in May and having to go to off season workouts like Jadevian Clowney, Joey Bosa, these guys are going to be available when we get into July and August. You want to give Malachi Lawrence and Donovan as a raku every snap possible before you have to go out and make that decision. And the same thing at nickel corner. Like, you want Caleb Downs taking every single snap because he's going to be the guy that's playing in the slot. A majority of the time this season, if he struggles or you feel like it's not a fit or if you get an injury and you need to move him to free safety, maybe that's when you go out and consider a guy like Kenny Moore. I just don't think you need to do that move right now.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, and that's. I mean, you go. You go into OTAs, you go into all of this knowing that, I mean, those are teaching opportunities that you got to get these guys brought up to speed.

[C]

Yeah, and I was thinking about it, too. I mean, to be fair, we talk about, will the Cowboys sign this guy? Are they interested in that guy? But I mean, to their defense, I mean, none of these guys are signing with anybody. It's not just the Cowboys. We're not seeing this continuous wave of veteran players signing with different teams. I mean, nobody's signing anybody right now for the most part. Right.

[A]

Well, Joku signed today. I mean, you had Jennings. You want Jennings sign. Know what you're saying? I mean, it's not like a big number of guys, but there's still guys selectively signing players.

[D]

Yeah, there are. And there are a couple guys that I think want to get on teams now before camp starts for that exact reason. They don't want to be left, you know, in the dust. I just think for guys like Clowney and Kenny Moore, like these guys who are proven veterans that can come in and help. Yeah, Bosa, they know that there's going to be a market available. They're just going to be picky about it. And if they don't have to show up to offseason workouts and they can, you know, stay on the beach a couple more weeks, it's not a bad thing to do.

[C]

All right, so you mentioned Jadevion Clowney. What if I told you no? What if I. What if I did tell you that somebody wrote a piece that talked about that position and how it might affect the Cowboys? I'll get into that when we come back. But before we do that, Marcus, please, we got to give it up to Carmine and the Everyday Club and its newest member.

[D]

Yeah, don't forget to check out the Everyday Club for ad free episodes and access to a group chat with Landon and I and other listeners of the show. Just tap the link in the show notes or go to lockedon cowboys.supercast.com There it is.

[C]

The Everyday Air Club. Check it out. Gotta get coach in there, too. We'll be right back. This is the Cowboys. Gotta talk to you, though, about fanduel. Because the NBA playoffs are here and every possession matters. And if you're looking to get even closer to the action, FanDuel has a great offer to get you started right now. New customers can bet $5 and get 150 in bonus bets. If your first bet wins, that's it. Turn five bucks into 150 in bonus bets just for getting started. And the cool thing is you can check the stats, you can check the trends, the matchup before making your picks, and that makes the whole experience feel a lot more informed. And whether you're looking at player props or just following your favorite stars, it adds another level of excitement to every game. It's really easy, the app is easy to navigate, and it really makes playoff basketball even more engaging from start to finish. So head to FanDuel.com to get started. FanDuel play your game.

[D]

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[C]

all right. We are playing our game. We are with you here on the Cowboys squad show. That is the co host of the daily Lockdown Cowboys podcast, Marcus Mosher, along with former Cowboys coach Glenn Stretch Smith. We know that the Cowboys are going to open up their season on the road Sunday night football Week 1 against the Giants. Week 3 against the Ravens in Brazil. Thanksgiving, they're going to host the Eagles on their their half of the rivalry, so ESPN put out a piece. Marcus, I know you saw it. I'm sure you did coach as well because you're a prep fiend for your radio show, but maybe some people missed it. They didn't go overboard pushing it. But Aaron Schatz wrote that the biggest roster hole for the Cowboys is edge rusher, and it goes on to say the Cowboys have a surprisingly solid two deep across their depth chart. Edge rusher is a position that isn't a hole per se, but definitely has questions. Rashawn Gary, acquired from Green Bay, didn't have a sack in the final 10 games of last season. Donovan Ezraku, coming off hip surgery. Sam Williams had just one sack last season. James Houston had five and a half but couldn't play against the run. Maris liefow moving to the edge but hasn't played the position before. And first rounder Malachi Lawrence is a first rounder. He's a rookie. What are your thoughts on that? And I thought, we thought linebacker might be the biggest hole, but what, what do you guys think?

[D]

Stretch? You want to go first? You want me to hit it?

[A]

No, I, I mean I, I think what you said, Marcus, is this is an ever evolving situation. I mean I think it literally where we sit today don't know if Ezraku is, is fully ready to go. And I get it why they drafted the Barham kid. Maybe he, maybe he goes out to that edge position. We know what they did with the other first round pick and Lawrence. So I think there's, you know, people point to that. But I, I can also tell you that, I mean, what if you go week one of training camp and, and, and you know, another. I hate to say it, but what if, what if, what if, what if the back goes down? I mean, are you really comfortable going into that, that schedule that you talked about, that rough first three weeks? Let's say I, and I, I don't like giving the what if scenarios, but I, I'm concerned about, I'm concerned about edge rusher, I'm concerned about backup running back and I'm, and I'm concerned and I'm concerned about depth at linebacker.

[D]

Can we go over those three positions? Because I, I totally agree.

[C]

Please. We got time.

[D]

I think what's interesting is when Aaron shots, who does a lot of really good work, was looking at the roster, I think he at least feels good about your starting running backs. And when you start getting into like backups, you can kind of do that for every single team. So I feel good about the starter. But coach, you're right. Like the, your backup running backs are two guys that really didn't play at all last year and Phil Moff and Jaden Blue, both of them got on the field in week 18 and kind of a throwaway game. You do have Malik Davis, but I think we kind of know what he is at this point. I think the only thing about that position is, is that you can find guys throughout the summer. Like if you just need somebody that can give you 8 to 10 carries and be a viable backup. Like I think guys like James Connor are going to be available this offseason. Like I think you can find that spot linebacker. I think with the D. Winters trade between overshown and Winners. You feel like you've got two guys there. You could certainly use another guy to give you some depth at that position. But I'm kind of with Aaron on the edge rusher spot, like you're, you're hoping that a guy in Donovan Azaraku takes a step in year two coming off a torn labrum in his hip. You're hoping that a Rashawn Gary gets back to being the player that he was like in 2023 when he was actually getting, you know, rushing the passer. You're hoping that Malachi Lawrence can be a really productive first round edge despite coming from ucf. Sam Williams, I don't know if it's going to be on this team. Maris Leefow, I don't think is going to be on this team. And James Houston, who's kind of part time player. There's a lot of question marks now you've got some depth and you're hoping that one of those guys breaks out. But I don't think there's a guy on the roster that you feel great about. Like, hey, it's third and eight against Andrew Thomas and the Giants. Is that guy gonna get a pressure? I don't know. I don't know.

[C]

That's good. I like that. I like that breakdown. Well, I think with Leofal, I mean I know he, he plays a pretty big role on special teams and I think they're at least going to give him a look to see how he does there. Right. I mean, they're trying to find a spot for him.

[D]

Yeah. Lethal is going to be in some trouble. He's going to really need to show that he can, he can cut his teeth on special teams because he's not going to be one of the top four or five edge rushers on this team and they clearly don't trust him as an off ball linebacker. So the only way that he's going to make the roster is on special teams. But once you kind of get to that spot on the depth chart, you're not just competing against like Justin Baron on the, the other linebackers. You're competing against the last wide receiver on the, the roster, the last safety. It's going to be really tough for Leo to make this team.

[A]

I mean, you know, I, and I don't know this, I'm just putting two and two together. But on a 34 scheme, you're, you're, you're really, you're in nickel 70% of the time. In my mind it's going to look like more of a nickel 33 scheme. Correct. Where you might have Winters overshone Barham. Right. Might, might be your three guys and, and then one of those guys either Overshone or Barham then becomes the, becomes the weak side end. And so I think you got a lot of different things to look at here. But I still believe that I keep coming back to Clowney because he's done it in a 34 front before and I, I get it, you want to give all the reps to those other guys, but I mean, to me he's a real fallback guy for them. If, if, you know, if one of those guys doesn't really make a, what you would consider to be a quantum leap, whether that's Lawrence or Ezraku, I

[D]

just, I just don't feel great right now that they have an edge rusher that can create consistent pressure. Now. I feel really optimistic about Ezraku. I like Malachi Lawrence. I think Gary can be a plus run defender even if he's not giving you pressure. But I don't know what it's going to look like early in the season. Their pass rush is going to have to come up front with Quinn and Williams and Kenny Clark. And more importantly, Christian Parker is going to have to scheme it. Like, he's going to have to figure out ways to confuse offenses until these young kids grow up. We'll see how long that takes.

[C]

Let me ask you this. I mean, I know we talked about it a little bit at the time, but do you think that Christian Parker and the staff were consulted and they talked about getting Gary before they made that deal and that they, they believe that they can probably find a way to get or they hope that they can get them going again?

[D]

Yeah, I think BT Jordan, who is their pass rush coach, worked with him in Green Bay before. So obviously this is a guy that they have some experience with. I think they know what he can do and what he can't do. If you're, if you're expecting him to replace Michael Parsons, that's, that's not going to happen. But what he can be is a really good run defender that's athletic and can give you like chase down plays. They can get you some of these sacks that come after three, four seconds. He's just not going to be the like the Von Miller type that's winning with the bend around the edge in two and a half seconds. Like that's just, just not his game.

[C]

Okay, that's fair. Coach, I was going to ask you this with, with the running back situation. Realistically, like we Got OTAS coming up in June. Right. So Blue Mafa, they're going to be there for sure, right? I mean, everybody should be there, hopefully.

[D]

But we'll see if Blue's wearing the right shoes, I guess. But yes, he will be there. He's supposed to.

[C]

I mean, sincerely though, I mean, can, can, if you're, if you're a coach, if you're on the staff, can you get an early impression pretty soon about wow, this guy, this guy looks better, this guy looks good, this guy looks different or the other way or oh man, this guy looks kind of slow and out of shape. Can you make any kind of assessment realistically from just getting the guys out there on the field for those, for those drills?

[A]

No, probably not. I mean, not to get the training camp, not till they look at real live blitz looks, not until they start practicing against somebody and not until they, you know, he has to go up there and thud it up versus a really good linebacker. And you're not going to do that. No tas. And you're not going to do that in those situations. You're going to, you're going to get him ready mentally. You're going to get him where he knows who to go to or where, where all of them know who to go to or who they have. But to me the question becomes from a physicality standpoint or either one of those guys physical enough to go, you know, to go do what Javante does, which is protect the quarterback. I mean, I, I think, I think Blue showed you he can run the ball. I think he's shown you, you know, he, he runs with his eyes and he can do some things that are good and I, I think Matt's probably got some of that too. He's got some of that little, you know, some of that little jump and go. But there's a lot of guys that have that. In my mind you got to be able to protect the quarterback because that's, that's where all your money is. You gotta, you gotta be realistic here. A 60 million dollar quarterback and I mean, you better protect him. I mean, Buffalo, same thing. And I mean with all of these guys, you better, you better be able to protect the quarterback. And if you're not physical enough and you're not and you don't show that you have enough in your neck to go get it done, then I mean, that, that, that, that's a separation between, you know, a, a real NFL back and you know, just guys that are just guys.

[D]

Did you ever have a, a player come into like OTAs or off season workouts. And you just could tell they just didn't do anything like during the whole off season besides sit on a beach and drink like is there. It was never a case where a guy was so out of shape that it was noticeable in these workouts.

[A]

No, not really. I mean, you know, this level, they're professionals. I mean, there were some guys that were, there's some guys that were heavy. I mean, you know, and, and, and they got them, you know, they, they knew how to, I mean, Nate Newton, you know, for all the, for all the shortcomings, and Nate, Nate knew how to get himself in shape. And, and, and you know what? He, he, he got it figured out. And, and then when he was in shape, I'm telling you, for 12 to 15 yards, Nate Newton would get after your ass. And he was fast. I mean, people don't realize how big and fast he was from a short area quickness standpoint, fast. So, I mean, you know, those guys know how to get themselves in shape. Now. You don't see many guys that just come in that are, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just, you know, to me, that. That ship has sailed a long time ago.

[C]

Well, I mean, a couple of things. I mean, I would think, number one, that for, for Blue and Mafa, I would think that after the end of last season, they, I think if I, if I went. I went back and looked, I think they both scored in that final game against the Giants, but I think they would have been given hopefully maybe some input, some guidance, some feedback on, okay, hey, rookie year is done. This is what we need you to do better or do more of here in season number two. And hopefully those seeds were planted and they'll come into training camp with that kind of a mindset of, okay, got to do this better, got to do that and really have some realistic goals. Because I'm sure the Cowboys are thinking in a perfect world, they wouldn't have to sign anybody else. They would use the guys that they already have. But, but again, you're stuck. You don't, like you guys said, you don't want to get burned if something happens to Javante. I mean, that's, that's a huge loss. So you want, you need to be able to have somebody that can step in.

[D]

It's a big option.

[A]

I think it's interesting, the depth, they got it tied in. I mean, now you talk about a position that's got depth and, and, and, and somebody that, you know, you got, you got, you got three Guys you got, and I mean, three guys that you're comfortable with. They brought trig in here. I mean, I, I think that's going to be, you know, that, that, that's the other thing is, man, you got. Got a few positions that got real depth.

[D]

Yeah. And we should mention D.J. rogers, a tight end from TCU that they signed this offseason. $250,000 as an undrafted free agent. That is a ton of money. He's another one of these, you know, big tight ends that can block a little bit, that can move. I think tight end is a spot where you're going to see a lot of competition during camp.

[A]

And then, and then, and then the one, you know, the ones that can't get it done, I mean, they're, they're going to be valued, right? Somebody's going to, somebody's going to probably want to, you know, if you're, if you're, if one of your teams that you're scouting is Cowboys, you are. You are watching big time and, you know, you're. You're looking at that depth and you're going, man, this team's got a lot of depth. How can we get one of these guys?

[C]

There you go. That's maybe. That's when the moves are made. That's when the deals go down, right?

[D]

Yeah, it's possible. I wouldn't be surprised if they flip, like, a Luke Skoodmaker for a more viable backup running back. I think that's very possible.

[A]

Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. I mean, you, you use your, you use your assets to address your issues. I could absolutely see that happening.

[C]

All right, when we come back, our final segment. I want to ask Marcus a question about the. Just about his shows, but a couple specific episodes that I wanted to ask Marcus about. We'll do that and we'll have some final thoughts. Get to your comments as well. Great to be with you on this Monday night, this is the Cowboys Squad show. Got to talk to you, though, about rocket money, because if you've ever opened your bank account and thought, where did all my money go? Well, you're not alone. Keeping track of subscriptions. Spending bills can get overwhelming fast. That's where rocket money comes in. It helps you take control of your finances all in one place. Now, here's how it works, okay. Tracks all your subscriptions in one spot and can help you cancel the ones that, that you don't need. With just a few taps, it automatically categorizes your spending so you can actually see where your money is going and you can actually set budgets, get alerts, and stay on top of your upcoming bills. It really just makes everything feel more organized and gives you a clear picture of your finances day to day. So right now, Rocket Money, it's a personal finance app that helps find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps you lower your bills so you can grow your savings. So let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. [e-mail] LockedOn that's RocketMoney.com LockedOn. Okay, here we go. Final segment of the show. This show has flown by and we are excited. Getting ready for the NFL schedule release. Full release coming up on Thursday night. In the meantime, Marcus before then, and I'm going to get to my questions for you, but what do you and Landon have planned this week on the daily Lockdown Cowboys podcast?

[D]

Yeah, we're going to continue to talk about the schedule. Some of our favorite matchups that could be happening. We'll talk about that prime time game against the Giants. What the Cowboys knew need to do to get a win where I know we're still however many months out, what, four months away, but we'll start to kind of look ahead to this season because it's going to be here before you know it.

[C]

Time to break it all down, right?

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Get into it.

[D]

Do it.

[C]

That's right. Okay, so you and Landon have really done a great job. Marcus, of. Of, I think, bringing story lines to the table. And the reason I say that is because sometimes when you try to force a storyline, right, it's bad and everybody knows it and they can see right through it. But I don't think that's what you guys have done at all. You guys, right, you're actually, you're actually bringing to the table what the fans want to hear. That's a gift. Not. Not everybody can do that. That's why you guys appreciate this.

[D]

This is our, I believe, our eighth year together doing this show. So it's taken us a while, but we, we kind of know what to hit during these dead months of the. The off season schedule.

[C]

And coach, no disrespect to you and me, but I got to tell it like it is. There's a reason why Marcus and Landon like their shows individually, like quadruple ours, because they. They know. The fans, they know. They. They love those. They love those guys. So two, two episodes. I wanted to ask you about, number one, you did a show today on undrafted free agent steals. Who do we need to know about?

[D]

Yes, we met yeah. Michael Trigg, who coach already mentioned this, is a ridiculous athlete at the tight end position. He should have been a second or third round pick if it weren't for some off field and maturity issues. He goes into undrafted free agency. The Cowboys give him a ton of money, but he is, at least in my opinion, he's the most talented tight end on this roster.

[C]

Wow.

[D]

And you're pairing him with London Wells, who is widely regarded as one of the best tight end coaches in the league. He needs a lot of work, like there's no question. But if he hits his ceiling, you're talking about a real difference maker coach. I compared him to Julius Thomas, who played with the Broncos during, you know, their, their super bowl run there with Peyton Manning, a former basketball player, really, really long arms, massive wingspan, moves like a slot receiver. He's somebody that I'm keeping an eye on. And then Jordan Hudson, a receiver from smu, didn't have a ton of production the first couple years of his career. Played really well this year against Miami. Can play on the outside, can play in the slot. 6 foot 1, 199 pounds. Keep an eye on him because at the back end of this roster, I think you're going to see a lot of competition for that. Wide receiver five, Wide receiver six.

[A]

Spot. Yeah. And I keep saying the tight ends because when you have a deep position like that, I mean, you're going to be somebody is not going one of those guys not going to make his football team. And then what, what can you do with that? And you can say, well, Trigg's probably going to be a practice squad guy. I got news for you. If he shows anything like his size and his length, you're not going to be able to move him to the practice squad. Somebody, somebody will take him. So, you know, the question becomes, how do they look at, you know, jockey in this roster? And I agree. I mean, I think tight end is the, is. Is one of the big positions here. You talked about soon makers about span forward. I mean, you know, they, they've done a good job of putting those guys in position to have success in the NFL, whether it's with the Cowboys or another team.

[C]

Completely off topic. Coach, have you ever been a part of a agonizing roster decision?

[A]

No. Yeah, a lot of times. Yeah, a lot. And you don't always agree with them. And, and a lot of times it's another position that you're not being asked about that you don't have input in. And you're sitting there going, oh God, they're thinking about cutting that guy and, you know, you know, and you, you, you, you had, you see certain value in him. I mean, the beauty's in the eyes of the beholder, so. Yeah, yeah, all the time. All the time. There's, you know, there's disputes about how guys feel about guys. I mean, you just, you just went through it in the draft. I mean, there's a lot of, there's a lot of guys that will tell you that, you know, man, I like this guy or I like this guy. And you know, you, you, you, you, you just have to stay in your lane and, and, you know, even though you're looking at, you know, I mean, again, I'm looking at the tight ends, but if I see some, you know, if I see some defensive end that none of the tight ends can block, and there's a, there's a reoccurring theme here, but maybe the defensive line coach doesn't like him because of this. You're just like, you know, it's just this part of the, part of that, part of that evaluation and breakdown process. And certainly when it comes time to cut players and move on from guys, that's that there'll be a lot of tough discussions.

[D]

That sounds like, when you guys cut my guy, you caught my guy. Tony Banks. Was that in 2002?

[A]

I didn't, I, I thought that was the craziest thing ever.

[D]

But that's back to my childhood Cowboys when we were relying on Tony Banks and Anthony Wright and Clint Sterner and Chad Hutchinson and Drew Henson. The list goes on and on.

[A]

Stumbling in the quarterback wilderness.

[D]

Yeah, I got really excited about Quincy there for a couple years, though, Coach. So I told you my story about how I, I, you know, like 12 year old me. When the Cowboys drafted Quincy Carter in round two, I was jumping up and down around my house because I thought we got our next franchise quarterback. So. Look at that face.

[C]

A picture says a thousand words, right? So does a photo. All right, Marcus, my other question, my other episode was actually from last week. You and Landon threw out a great question. How can the Cowboys offense be even better this season? And I, I think there's a lot of ways to go with it, but I think another part of it too is just that I think we, we just kind of, kind of as, we just have taken away, as time has gone by that, oh, yeah, offense was fine, everything was great. Last season was just the defense. But there were some key moments where, you know, the offense didn't come through when they needed to. And didn't do their part. That's why they had seven wins.

[D]

Yeah, and a good example of that would be like Philadelphia in week one. 21 points in the first half, zero in the second half. And there were some of those games against Detroit and Minnesota where they just weren't good enough in the second half of these games. A couple ways they can get better. First of all, they didn't add a ton of talent on offense, so the execution has got to be better. They were 18th in the NFL in red zone touchdown percentage. I believe they are 22nd and scoring percentage. If you just get a little bit better in the red zone, that's going to add two or three wins to your total. They had several scoring opportunities last year, and coach is going to say this is gambling on a credit card, but where they decided to go for it on like 4th and 5, 4th and 6 in scoring position, you either need to capitalize on those opportunities or kick the field goal to try to get some more points on the board. But I think more than anything, it's becoming a more consistent running team. They were very good with Javante last year, but that's the next step of the offensive line can stay healthier than they did last year. Really start to gel because that way, when you go on the road in green or playing Lambeau and you need to get those two yards on third and one, you feel confident in your offensive line that they're going to open up the hole to get you those yards. So that's a couple. Just a couple little ways that they can improve on that side of the ball.

[C]

All right, Coach, any. Any flashbacks come to you on that?

[A]

I mean, you know, it's just. It's always more difficult to play offense than it is defense. It's just, it just. It's more. It's takes more coordination. And it will be interesting to see how Schottenheimer takes this offense from year one to year two, because you got a full year, you got a full year's worth of film out there. Everybody, everybody in your division has been studying the hell out of what you do. So now how do you. How do you make adjustments and how do you get better off of that? And that's, you know, that's the. That'll be the gambling side of it.

[C]

Go ahead, Marcus.

[D]

No, go ahead, Jeff.

[C]

I was going to say, too, you already. You guys already kind of hit on it, too. But I felt like Javante, because as coaches pointed out and he was blocking his tail off, was not quite the same. Javante towards the end of the season. So needing a good backup to kind of keep him fresh, I think is going to be important for sure.

[A]

Not just that. I mean, he's a guy that finishes runs. Yeah, he finishes runs. He very seldom should go out of bounds. He finishes runs. And when you have that style of player, you got to make sure that you got somebody behind him. Yeah. I'm just telling you, I'm not wishing any kind of bad, you know, any kind of bad whatever on anybody. He finishes run and he should, that's what he should do. Because I've always thought when you get hurts, when, you know, when you're, when you're taking the blow instead of giving the blow. So, you know, I, I, he, he not only did he protect, he finishes runs and he runs hard and, and you know, I, he, he earned every dime he got from that, that, that, that extension he got with you.

[C]

Yeah, and I'd like to see too, I'd like to see some, some time consuming, clock chewing drives in the second half of games where they just rip your heart out with their offense. Where they rip, where they, you just know that you're not going to get the ball back. You're not going to stop us and you're not going to win.

[D]

It would also be nice just to see them stay healthier than what they did last year because you had. Jake Ferguson was dealing with a calf injury. CD Lamb missed time with a high ankle injury. Guyton missed a lot of the season. Tyler Smith had a knee issue. Tyler Booker had a high ankle injury. Cooper BB had a high ankle injury. They were really just decimated on that side of the ball and yet they still found a way to be a top five offense. If they can have a little bit better luck on that side of the ball injury wise, I think they'll be even better in year two.

[C]

Right. And I think Captain Obvious here. But every season, as we get closer to the end, every season is a big season for Dak, period. There's just no way around it. It's just that's, that's part of the position. That's where it is.

[A]

And he put himself in that position with, with being the highest paid quarterback.

[C]

Yep. There you go. All right, gentlemen. Well, great show tonight. Great way to start off the week. Love getting to hang with you. Love all of our listeners and viewers and all the great comments. Appreciate you guys. Don't forget you got Marcus and Landon on the daily Lockdown Cowboys podcast all week long and of course Thursday, the full NFL schedule release. But already leaking stuff for the Cowboys, so probably know even more by them. All right guys, have a great week. We'll do it again. Check out Marcus and Landon Coach Listen to coach on the radio. Until Thursday, this has been the Cowboys squad show.

[B]

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