PIVOT: Could Cowboys SURPRISE Us With Carnell Tate in Round 1? | Best Player Available?

Summary

Locked On Cowboys – March 27, 2026

Episode: PIVOT: Could Cowboys SURPRISE Us With Carnell Tate in Round 1? | Best Player Available?

Hosts: Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool
Podcast Network: Locked On Podcast Network

---

Overview

In this episode, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool tackle a wave of Dallas Cowboys questions from listeners, with a special focus on the philosophy behind drafting “Best Player Available” (BPA) versus positional need, especially in Round 1. They debate the merits (and risks) of the Cowboys using a high pick on a wide receiver like Carnell Tate, despite heavy investment in offensive assets in recent years. The hosts also discuss the state of the cornerback and linebacker positions, analyzing roster moves and potential post-draft strategies. The conversation is honest, detailed, and filled with nuanced insight on roster construction and prospect evaluation.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Should the Cowboys Consider Offense in Round 1? (00:41–09:55)

• Balancing the Draft Board:
  Both hosts acknowledge the team historically leans defense, especially after recent offensive investments (e.g., CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, high-value contracts on offense).
  • Marcus: "Spending two first-rounders on the defense is balancing out your base, right?" (02:16)
• Position-by-Position Analysis:
  • Quarterback: Ruled out; only one relevant prospect (Fernando Mendoza), expected to go No. 1 overall.
  • Running Back: Only Jeremiah Love is of high interest. If he’s available at 12, it’s a discussion:
    • Landon: "If he's at 12, we can have a conversation because he's a first or second best player in the draft." (03:09)
  • Offensive Line: No glaring need—Cowboys’ starting five are set and backup contracts make another first-round investment hard to justify.
  • Tight End: Kenyan Sadiq intrigues at 20 or in a trade-down, but not a glaring need at 12.
    • Landon: "He wouldn't be a blinking red light at pick 12." (06:04)
    • Marcus: "It's a conversation at 20, right? Depending on who's there... but I don't know if he's a blinking red light." (06:39)
  • Wide Receiver: The only position where BPA could prompt an offensive pick—especially if a target like Carnell Tate falls.
    • Landon: "You could theoretically draft a receiver at 12 or 20 that would instantly become the wide receiver three." (07:40)
    • They caution the cost and the depth already on the roster with Ryan Flournoy excelling as WR3 (08:49).
• Consensus: Unless a “blinking red light” player drops (e.g., Tate or Love), defense remains the priority due to need and current resource allocation.

Notable Quote

"Ryan Flournoy really, really showed you something last year and this is an actual situation where drafting a wide receiver in the first round is not saving you money, it's costing you money because you've got a guy who's a wide receiver three who is functioning extremely well ..."
— Marcus Mosher (08:49)

---

2. Carnell Tate: Worth the Surprise? (09:55–12:03)

• Debate on Carnell Tate's Value:
  • Landon’s View: Carnell Tate is clearly the No. 1 WR this year, possibly worth it at 12 due to talent and long-term value, though he’s "not advocating" for the pick—just that the argument exists.
    • Landon: "I'm a big Carnell Tate fan, and I think he's the clear number one receiver in this class...I could see a scenario where he's there at 12. You draft him, you play him as a Z receiver, and honestly, I think that's his best spot." (09:55)
  • Marcus’s View: Agrees Tate is the top WR, but doesn’t see him as a top-10-caliber WR every year; values him more as a high-end WR2.
    • Marcus: "I don't think he's a slam dunk top 10 every year. Wide receiver. Like, I don't view him like that." (10:55)
  • House ranking of Ohio State WRs: Landon has him behind Harrison Jr., JSN, Garrett Wilson; ahead of Olave and Egbuka; Marcus has him behind Egbuka.

Memorable Moment

"We'll talk about Carnell Tate in a future episode. We'll do a scouting report on him because I cannot wait to talk about him as a player."
— Landon McCool (12:03)

---

3. Are the Cowboys Cornerback Moves a Statement on DaRon Bland? (14:05–19:56)

• Bland’s Status: Offseason additions (Kendrick, Kobe Durant) have sparked worries about Bland’s health after his second foot injury.
  • Marcus: "Yes. The answer, I think is yes because I think you should just be nervous because he has a...cornerback with a foot injury." (14:49)
• Roster Management: The signings aren’t a reflection on Bland so much as filling out depth with experienced vets; crucial for a long 18-game season (15:07–16:48).
  • Landon: "I think if anything they're just trying to find guys so they don't feel like they have to push Bland to be ready by training camp..."
• Role Flexibility: The hosts speculate whether these signings mean Bland could see more slot work, though Marcus notes scheme dictates assignments, especially against certain personnel (17:35–18:22).
• Injury Watch: They discuss the lack of positive updates on Bland versus some optimism over Donovan Aziraku’s rehab (19:07–19:37).
• Sentiment: Both are rooting for Bland, appreciating his underdog story and impact (19:37).

Notable Quote

"He deserves to kind of, you know, come back from this ride and be healthy again. I think I, I'd love to see him get back to full health again."
— Marcus Mosher (19:37)

---

4. Is Post-Draft Linebacker the Play? (22:35–28:13)

• Market Rationale: Waiting until after the draft to address LB could expose salary-dump targets, trades for solid veterans, or lingering free agents. The fifth-year option economics make LBs unusually available.
  • Marcus: "There may be an opportunity to go get some really quality guys that may be salary dumps for these teams because of the economics that we've talked about..." (22:35)
• Historic Trends: Only 5 of the last 29 off-ball LBs drafted in Round 1 (since 2009) have signed a second contract with their drafting team—meaning many become trade or FA targets.
• Draft Class Depth: 2026 is a strong LB class, increasing the likelihood of teams moving on from existing vets post-draft (24:18).
• Cowboys’ Approach: They could even dip into 2027 draft capital for the right immediate fit, depending on how their board falls (25:39).
• Fallback Plan: "There is going to be plenty of opportunity for the Cowboys" to fill the spot without overreaching (26:23).

Notable Exchange

Landon: "...Maybe you don’t need a superstar linebacker. Maybe you do make the trade for Patrick Queen. It cost you a sixth round pick and you like you grit your teeth knowing that he's not great, but at least he gives you another viable NFL linebacker..." (27:30)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Drafting Offense in Round 1: 00:41–09:55
• Carnell Tate Debate: 09:55–12:03
• Cornerback Depth and Bland's Injury: 14:05–19:56
• Post-Draft Linebacker Options: 22:35–28:13

---

Tone & Style

The tone is candid, analytical, but conversational. Both hosts offer strong, detailed opinions but always contextualize their arguments within the broader trends of NFL roster-building and the Cowboys’ specific situation. They involve listeners’ questions deeply in their thought process.

---

Summary Takeaways

• The Cowboys are unlikely to prioritize an offensive player in Round 1 unless a clear elite talent (e.g., Jeremiah Love, Carnell Tate) falls into their lap; defensive needs and previous offensive investments make this the sensible path.
• Carnell Tate is divisive — one host sees “special potential,” the other sees “high-end but not elite” — but both agree he’s not likely to be the consensus BPA at pick 12.
• The Cowboys’ recent cornerback signings are about depth, not a lack of faith in DaRon Bland, but his foot history is a valid concern.
• For linebacker, patience could pay off — the market is likely to present quality, affordable targets after the draft reshuffles veteran depth charts.
• The Cowboys’ roster strategy is flexible, opportunistic, and highly dependent on how the draft board falls.

---

For full scouting reports and more on the Cowboys’ draft board, stay tuned for future episodes!

Transcript

[Marcus Mosher]

It's the Locked On Podcast Network your team every day.

[Commercial Announcer]

America's best network just got bigger.

[Marcus Mosher]

Switch to T Mobile today and get

[Commercial Announcer]

built in benefits the other guys leave out. Plus our 5 year price guarantee and now T Mobile is available in US Cellular stores. Best mobile network based on analysis by Oogle of speed test intelligence data 2H 2025 bigger network the COM T mobile's and US cellular network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Landon McCool]

Edible arranges effortless joy all year with same day and next day delivery or local pickup. Edible makes gifting simple. Choose fresh arrangements, dessert boards and baked treats that arrive ready to gift. Perfect for birthdays, thank yous, anniversaries or just because moments. Let Edible arrange the details so you can focus on celebrating the people who order [e-mail] or visit your local store to learn more. The Dallas Cowboys could very well draft an offensive player in Round one. We'll tell you why next. You are Locked on Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network your team every day. Welcome back. I am your host Marcus Mosher. He is Lana McCool and on today's show we are answering your Twitter questions. We got a ton of them. We're going to talk about is it better for the Cowboys to wait on linebacker until after the draft? Are we worried about Duron Bland given how many cornerbacks the Cowboys have signed? But let's start with this Landon. We got a lot of people wondering could and should the Cowboys consider drafting an offensive player in round one? The idea being, hey, maybe it's the best player available at pick 12 or 20. And it's always a good idea to kind of balance out your assets. You know, this is a rare opportunity to get two first round picks. What are your thoughts on that?

[Marcus Mosher]

I mean spending two defensive two first rounders on the defense is balancing out your base, right?

[Landon McCool]

Correct?

[Marcus Mosher]

Yes, but. But yes. Let's just string this out. Know there's been a conversation about this like it feels like a lot in the last few days on on social media. You know, I tend to believe that outside of Jeremiah Love, I can't see too many players that are such like blinking red lights that would fall to the Cowboys that they have to take over what I think will still be available for a decent players. And maybe I'm wrong again. Like I think I stated this before, but I think in most of the scenarios that I've been presented like I am still more interested in giving a guy that I still think is on the equivalent talent level of defense. And you just have such a need. You've spent so much on that offensive side that really, truly, I mean, we joked but I mean seriously, balancing the, the table here is going. Is doubling up on your defense and adding talent There. There.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean they. I'm of that belief that they've spent so many assets on offense, including picks, trades with the George pick, one big contracts with CD Lamb and Dak Prescott and Jake Ferguson and Tyler Smith and now Terence Steel that it's time to start spreading those resources out a little bit. But I also don't think if there's a blinking red light for you when it comes to the draft that you should completely ignore it. Here's the issue I have. Let's go position by position and you tell me what spot needs a big upgrade. Quarterback. You're not drafting a quarterback in round one because there's only one quarterback here that really matters and that's Fernando Mendoza and he's going one right. Running back. There's only one running back in this class and it's Jeremiah Love. And we've talked about Love. Like if he's at 12, we can have a conversation because he's a first or second best player in the draft.

[Marcus Mosher]

He's the conversation.

[Landon McCool]

He's. He's the conversation.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yes.

[Landon McCool]

The offensive line one. I'll get back to receivers in a second. The offensive line one is tricky because in this class it's a lot of tackles that you feel better about at guard and the Cowboys have their guard situation figured out and I don't know that. I don't know that Spencer Fano is going to be a significant upgrade or over Terrence Steel, where you want to put Steel back on your bench and now you're paying. That guy was at $13 million a year fully guaranteed to be a swing tackle. Like, I mean, again, I, I like Fano. I just don't know how much you're really upgrading there. And I know there are people out there that think, hey, they should grab somebody to compete with Tyler Guyton because they haven't seen a ton from Guyton over the first two years. Okay, who is the left tackle in this class that you feel significantly better about? The Tyler Guyton going into 2026.

[Marcus Mosher]

Not. I can't name one. And I think that's your issue. And again, there's also a, I mean, look, offense. Yes. But specifically at offensive line, that is the Spot where you have borderline, you know, gone way off the rails at spending. So I mean, specifically at draft picks, right. So I think that offensive line needs to be ruled out simply for that. And because if you go guy by guy, like you're saying a lot of these guys are already being artificially pushed up so that they could be taken at the top because teams will feel better about it, right? So it's don't, don't double again, don't double count it. Like, if they're being artificially pushed up, don't then just turn around and say, oh, well, we got to take this guy because He's a top 10 offensive offensive lineman. No, he's in the top 10 because he's an offensive lineman and you don't have the needed offensive line that those teams. Teams do.

[Landon McCool]

All right, so let's go back to wide receiver and tight end. I want to start with tight end.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah.

[Landon McCool]

I'm a fan of Kenyan Sadiq. He wouldn't be a blinking red light at pick 12, right? Again, I don't want to be a slave to the consensus board, but he's 15th on the consensus board. Now, if he was there at 20, I do think that's a little bit of a different conversation. And I can, I can understand the argument of like, hey, you can get out of Jake Ferguson's deal after 20, 26. He adds a vertical element. He's way better after the catch. He's younger. But I don't know if it's such a significant upgrade that it's worth spending a first round pick on it either.

[Marcus Mosher]

I could easily. I, I think it's a conversation at 20, right? It. Depending on who's there. Because, because the truth is, is that like I, you could play all these guys at once. That's, that's not going to be a problem playing, playing them in 12 personnel a lot. But honestly, if you just wanted to, you know, run some 11 personnel plays with him playing in the slot or him motioning out wide is the Z, you know, because he's that kind of athlete, you could get away with that too, honestly, because you have so many slot players. However, I will say that the one of the guys you're trying to target the most is CD Lamb. And where he operates is kind of interfering with, kind of in the same spot. So, so it's not that I wouldn't do it, but it's just maybe you don't have the same value for that guy that other, other guys do. And I also think that like, we've Talked about at 20 there's just going to be a lot of choice for the Cowboys. So they are going to have their and I agreed like he would be a value pick but I don't know if he's a blinking red light.

[Landon McCool]

No. And I think if you were to trade down, let's say from 20 to 25 and he's still there and you picked up a third round pick, that becomes way more feasible. Like I absolutely. I and honestly I would be happy about that because I'm a big Kenyan Sadiq fan. At 20 with no additional picks until 92, it means you had you added one defensive starter probably the entire draft. It's a little, little bit too much for me. Now back to receiver because that's the one position we skipped over. You could theoretically draft a receiver at 12 or 20 that would instantly become the wide receiver three just like CD Lamb was for the Cowboys during the 2020 season and just roll out a lineup with CD Lamb, George Pickens and then your new receiver on 75% of your snaps. But is it again, is it worth burning the asset on offense and not defense? And I think it would have to be a player that you feel like is such a significant value. And I don't know how you feel about this receiver class. I don't know if you're going to feel that way at 12. Maybe you feel that way at 20, but we can talk about it.

[Marcus Mosher]

I also think, look, I mean not to poo poo this, but Ryan Flournoy really, really showed you something last year and this is an actual situation where drafting a wide receiver in the first round is not saving you money, it's costing you money because you've got a guy who's a wide receiver three who is functioning extremely well I think so far from what we've seen in that role being paid a 5th round pick salary. So you're actually like increasing the cost instead of saving money here. So yeah, there's like, look, we should talk a little bit about like some of the other options. Like we're talking at 20 maybe if you want to. Again that scenario where you talked about trading back from 20 to 25 if one of those. Yeah, if one of those guys fell then man, I would certainly be interested in at least having that conversation. But I think where we are right now with all the other things, I just don't see any of these wide receivers so tiered above the guys that I'm looking at a defense that I can't ignore it. And, and Just draft what I'm looking for, you know, Like, I, I wouldn't

[Landon McCool]

be able to do that either. However, I'm going to admit for something, I like Carnell Tate, I think a lot more than you do. Like, a lot, lot more. I'm a big Carnell Tate fan, and I think he's the clear number one receiver in this class. And I could. Again, I'm not advocating for this just to be clear, but I could see a scenario where he's there at 12. You draft him, you play him as a Z receiver, and honestly, I think that's his best spot. CD Lamb's in the slot, Pickens is on the X, and you've got these guys for 20, 26, and then you figure it out next off season. I mean, we, we would like to see the Cowboys keep Pickens, but if you think he's a top five player in this draft, he plays an important position. Like, we've seen how valuable receivers are across the NFL. If Pickens had another monster year, you could probably trade Cardinal Tate next year and get just as much back. Right? I know, I, I know you don't really want to do that, but I, I am of the belief that Tate is an awesome prospect. I wouldn't hate it, but I wouldn't advocate for it either.

[Marcus Mosher]

I think Tate's a very good prospect. I, I do. And I, I think he is. Wide receiver one, without a doubt. I don't think he's a slam dunk top 10 every year. Wide receiver. Like, I don't view him like that.

[Landon McCool]

No.

[Marcus Mosher]

Right.

[Landon McCool]

No.

[Marcus Mosher]

Where would you, where would you put him on the pantheon of Ohio State wide receivers for the last few years?

[Landon McCool]

Really good question, because I actually did this today. He's behind for me as a prospect. He's behind Marvin Harrison, JSN and Garrett Wilson. But he's ahead of A Lave and Buka for me.

[Marcus Mosher]

See, I have him behind Buka. Like, I, I think he's. I think. Yeah, we just disagree on the value here because I just think he's. He's a very high wide receiver too. To me. Like, that's, that's what I see there. I don't see a guy that's a wide receiver. 1.

[Landon McCool]

I like him more than Tedro McMillan last year. Just. Again, that's just my opinion. I have him really, really high. But again, I'm not advocating for the Cowboys to draft him at 12, but I, I could, could see the logic behind it if you didn't feel like you wanted to draft safety two in this class or whatever.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, then let me just say if, if I viewed him with that level of value, I could. I can understand what your argument is here for sure.

[Landon McCool]

We'll, we'll talk about Carnell Tate in a future episode. We'll do a scouting report on him because I I cannot wait to talk about him as a player. But let's talk about Duron Bland. The Cowboys have signed a lot of outside cornerbacks this offseason. Should we be worried or concerned about drawn Bland? We'll get to that next. This episode is brought to you by indeed. Workplace Chaos. Deadline stacking up, inbox overflowing and the one position that you have to fill is still sitting open when the pressure's on and you need the right hire. This is a job for indeed. Sponsored Jobs Indeed Sponsored jobs help you reach the people who who actually fit what you're looking for. Skills, Experience. Location. So you're not just hoping that the right candidate stumbles across your posts. And here is a stat that says it all in the minute that I've been talking to you. Companies like yours made 27 hires on Indeed according to Indeed Data Worldwide. So spend less time searching and more time interviewing candidates who check all of your boxes with less stress, less time and more results when you need the right person to cut through the chaos. This is a job for indeed. Sponsored Jobs. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your job the premium status that it deserves@ Indeed.com podcast that is Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Need to hire. This is a job for indeed. Sponsored Jobs.

[Commercial Announcer]

America's best network just got bigger.

[Marcus Mosher]

Switch to T Mobile today and get built in benefits. The Internet the other guys leave out

[Commercial Announcer]

plus our five year price guarantee.

[Marcus Mosher]

And now T Mobile is available in US Cellular stores.

[Commercial Announcer]

Best Mobile Network based on analysis by Oogle of speed test intelligence data 2H 2025 bigger network the combination of T mobiles and US cellular network footprints will enhance the T Mobile network's coverage price guarantee on talk, text and data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. See t mobile.com for details.

[Landon McCool]

Welcome back. This is the Locked on Cowboys Podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Make sure you guys are checking out the Everydayer Club for ad free episodes and access to a group chat with Landon and I so you can talk Cowboys all day long. Tap the link in the show notes or go to locked on cowboys.supercast.com all right Landon, let's talk about the Ron Bland, we've got a couple different questions with people concerned that the Cowboys have signed now two outside cornerbacks in Kendrick and Kobe Durant. They also have Savon Ravel. They've got Kaylin Carson. Should we be nervous about the long term outlook for Duron Bland given that he's coming off yet another foot injury?

[Marcus Mosher]

I, I think that. Yes. The answer, I think is yes because I think you should just be nervous because he has a, he's a cornerback with a foot. Foot injury. I don't think I'm ready to jump off a cliff or anything yet. But I, I think, you know, generally speaking that is something to, to worry about. I wouldn't necessarily be tea leave reading the signing of the cornerbacks as like some kind of setback or, or anything like that. I think this is necessary spending for the Cowboys. They didn't have the, the number of corner quality cornerbacks that they needed last year and there. And I think if anything they're churning the bottom in the middle of the roster just to get a variety of serviceable veteran corners because you need them in this league. Right. As. Because even if Dron Bland ends up fine and oh great, he shows up, he's at training camp and he's, and he's working out Week one. Yay. He's healthy, you're still going to need four and five guys who you can put out there and play football because it's a long season and these guys run a lot and they'll, there'll be rotations. So I think it's just a change in the approach here a little bit. Instead of kind of going with just exclusively young players, they're, they're mixing up the group. But I, I think it's a smart strategy and I don't, I think you should be nervous about Bland in general, but I don't think we should quite read into what they're doing so much. We knew that they needed to get cornerbacks and I think that's what they're doing.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I think if anything they're just trying to find guys so they don't feel like they have to push Bland to be ready by training camp or you know, because the last thing you want to do is if he's feeling any kind of soreness or he's not ready, feel like you've got to get him out there. And we saw last year like there was just weeks where it flared up on him and he couldn't go.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, think about, think about Diggs, like how we had to handle Diggs. Right. Like because we had to push him back onto the field because we didn't have any other solutions. Solutions. Right. You don't want to do that again.

[Landon McCool]

Right? You don't want to do that again. And I think at least signing Kendrick and Durant, these are two guys that have played in the NFL that have played in the playoffs, it get at least it gives you young experienced players. I, I'm not worried about the signings when it comes to Duron Blade and I'm actually more nervous about what Jerry Jones said where you know, he kind of hemmed and hot about it a little bit. Like, you know, we'll see what it looks like. Anytime you get in there and you're doing foot surgeries, it's always risky. That's the part that has me nervous. But my other question for you is, do you think with all the outside cornerbacks that the Cowboys have signed, maybe they're thinking that Bland could potentially play more in the slot than he has in previous years? Maybe, but I also too small for that job?

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, it's not that he's too small. I, I, I just think that they are going to have a preference to try to play with more, more with slot bigger slots. I don't think it's like, you know, again, like, well, we may make too much of this, right? Like because he may have to come inside when he's playing man coverage and he's lining up in the slot.

[Landon McCool]

Well, that's what I was gonna say. If it's third and nine, you're probably not going to be Marquis Bell in the slot. Right. So that's, that's my thing is hey, when we're into these obvious passing situations and it's nickel, who is the guy in the slot? They don't really have anybody outside of was it ready Stewart right now and Duron Bland. Maybe you are just better off having Durant, Kendrick, Ravel, Carson on the, on the outside than moving Bland inside of the slot.

[Marcus Mosher]

Again, I, I think it depends on the coverage, right? If you're talking about like a guy that you want to man up with somebody in the, in the slot, yeah, you, you probably have some limited selection there. But I mean for a lot of the coverages that they're going to be running, a lot of times where it's kind of more of a quarters based bridge or, or quarters to one side and, and, and, and cloud like cover two to the other side. Like I think that that can be handled by a larger variety of, of, of of corners if you're looking for. Yeah, but I agree if they need, if they feel like they need a more shutdown man coverage, nickel guy or slot corner rather, then yeah, I wouldn't be shocked if, if they still continue to add that skill set at some other point.

[Landon McCool]

We really haven't got any kind of update on Duron Bland. We did get one on Donovan as a raku on Wednesday. I believe it was Nick Harris showed an Instagram video of Donovan Aziraku working out in the Cowboys training room. And honestly, I'm not a doctor, but he looked pretty good. It seems like he's going to be on track for training camp. Just seeing that video alone made me feel a lot better about what this year might look like from Ezraku. I'm hoping we get one of those from Duron Bland pretty soon.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, I mean, look, it's, it's too bad because Bland is just, I love Bland the way he's been able to overcome like, you know, being a lower round pick and he's just always been a hard worker, never made any problems. He deserves to kind of, you know, come back from this ride and be healthy again. I think I, I'd love to see him get back to full health again.

[Landon McCool]

All right, let's talk about the linebacker position. Would the Cowboys be better off waiting until after the draft to solve their linebacker need? Would get to that next this episode is brought to you by Home Chef. As the new year gets going, a lot of people are trying to simplify their routines and dinner is a big one. Between busy work days, cold winter nights and packed schedules, having an easy and reliable dinner plan makes a huge difference. And that's where Home Chef comes in. Home Chef takes the stress out of cooking by deliver delivering fresh pre portioned ingredients right to your door with easy to follow recipes that actually taste great. They're rated number one by users of other meal kits for quality, convenience, value, taste and recipe ease. And it's easy to see why. Meals come ready to fit your schedule. 30 minute recipes, oven ready trays or quick lunches. And with over 30 weekly options including family size meals and different dietary choices, there's something for everyone. And for a limited time only, Home Chef is offering our listeners 50% off your first box with free shipping and free dessert for life. Just go to homechef.com loton that's homechef.com laton for 50% off your first box with free shipping and free dessert for life. You must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert this Episode is brought to you by Five Hour Energy. Welcome to the Five Hour Energy flavor draft. With 18 different flavors to choose from, including new options like Confetti Craze, fruity rainbow or cotton Candy. There's something for everyone. The board is set, the flavors are ready, and I've got my number one pick for the five Hour Energy Flavor Draft. And it's an easy choice for me. It's cherry. It's got a bold cherry candy style flavor. It's sweet with a tart edge. But the best part, it's got this tangy finish that you're absolutely gonna love. Five Hour Energy Shots give you a boost with zero sugar and they've got some really cool innovations coming up, so make sure you check them out. Find your new favorite flavor of five hour energy shots available online at 5hourenergy.com or on Amazon. Welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. All right, Landon, this last question is from Justin. He wants to know, would the Cowboys be better off waiting to solve their linebacker need until after the draft, much like they did George Pickens last year?

[Marcus Mosher]

It's a good thought. I like it. You know, and honestly, I think maybe not even in the same way, but, but in the sense that the linebackers, the market is going to change just like all these positions after the draft. Right? Because teams will be reactive to what they did in the draft and if they, if they want to get rid of players and especially at linebacker, there may be an opportunity to go get some really quality guys that may be salary dumps for, for these teams because of the economics that we've talked about on this show. Right. The fifth year option is prohibitively expensive for linebackers in the first round because of the fact that they get lumped in with the edge rushers. And a lot of these teams like you mentioned, well, I can't remember what the numbers were, but it was an insanely high number that only like five of the last 10 years linebackers, five

[Landon McCool]

of the last 29 linebackers, off ball linebackers drafted in round one since 2009 have signed a second contract with their previous team.

[Marcus Mosher]

So that means that 24 of those first round linebackers have become available at some point, at some point or another, whether it's free agency or not. And teams could be looking to get something for that asset as opposed to just allowing their, their contract to run out. Right. So Dallas would be willing to trade for that. And I think, you know, you could Get a really good quality player at not an expensive price. You would still have to probably sign a deal with them or something like you figure that out. But again, I think the selection that you might get might, might be you might have an opportunity to get a player or two that, that you hadn't had tapped into previous to now because of these opportunities created by what happens in the draft.

[Landon McCool]

And it's an awesome linebacker class. Like there's so many guys and like I think on round two, like I could see a situation where you know, Jacob Rodriguez gets drafted into a team and the veteran wants out because they kind of know it's coming and all of a sudden you've got a, let's say it's like a 28, 29 year old veteran that's available for a six round pick. Like I do think there's going to be things like mobile now. You might not be able to be super picky about the names. And that's, that's the only thing here. And I think some of these teams, like let's say Miami with like Jordan Brooks, if they don't draft the linebacker, they probably aren't going to trade him for, you know, pennies on the dollar at that point because they don't want to have an awful linebacker core going into the regular season. Fair point, fair. They might want to. But I do think there are going to be, I'll say two veteran linebackers who we aren't, we don't think are available now. Yeah, that will be by May.

[Marcus Mosher]

Yeah, I think that's very, that's very plausible. So if anything, it's just waiting until after the, the draft. If you get through the draft and they don't get a linebacker you like, it's not quite over yet. There's going to be more than just the opportunities that were available to you before the draft in the free agent market and on the trade market because of opportunities created in the draft itself.

[Landon McCool]

And I just wonder, I wonder if the Cowboys would be willing to deal out a higher pick for next year's draft if they didn't have to draft the linebacker. Because honestly, if we did like a mini mock right now, let's say you win, I don't know, defensive back at 12, edge rusher at 20, and then you grabbed a, let's say another cornerback at 92. All of a sudden you feel really good about your defense. You just added three guys that are high quality starters and now you're adding a fourth linebacker. You know, I mean a fourth player in a linebacker you still have all your day three picks. I just wonder if they're more willing to trade 20, 27 picks for guys that could come in and make an impact right now.

[Marcus Mosher]

Well, I guess it depends, Marcus. Are we talking like we were yesterday? We gave away all these picks from Myles Garrett because maybe we won't have those picks. I think, Look, I think there's the point being that, I mean, honestly through all these exercises is that there are lots of ways to solve this jigsaw. Right? There are lots of ways to solve this problem and more opportunities are going to come up as we get along in the process. Right. And the draft is going to create opportunities, obviously, because you're going to draft players, but it's also going to create new opportunities on the back end because of the changes in the angles and coaching staffs and draft classes. All of that's going to have an effect as well. It's going to change people's motivations. So there is going to be plenty of opportunity for the Cowboys to. And again, especially at linebacker because of some of the prohibitive economics of the position and because of the fact that it's a car crash, it's a car collision position, there's just, there's a lot of movement at this position. So the Cowboys will be able to get probably a quality player for, for not an expensive draft pick necessarily because teams will just be looking to offload them for something.

[Landon McCool]

And I also wonder if it opens up YouTube trading for players that maybe we didn't love as much like again, let's say they, they hit the dream scenario. It's Reuben Bain at 12 and it's Avion Terrell at 20. Okay, maybe, maybe you don't need a superstar linebacker. Maybe you do make the trade for Patrick Queen. It cost you a six round pick and you like you grit your teeth knowing that he's not great, but at least he gives you another viable NFL linebacker. I think it's easier to solve after the draft once you kind of know what your situation looks like or the

[Marcus Mosher]

easiest path, the path of the least resistance. You find a guy that you like in the third round, Anthony Hills falls to you, you feel good about him, you pull the trigger, bingo, we're done.

[Landon McCool]

A lot of Texas fans aren't going to like that you said third round, but oh well. All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. If you never miss an episode, the everyday club is built for you. Get locked on Cowboys ad free members only, discord access and so much more. Head over to locon cowboys.supercast.com to join the club. And for those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24.7national NBA YouTube channel and on audio, make your second listen the lockdown NFL Draft podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter acoolbcb. I'm arcusmozier and we will see you right back here on Monday.

[Commercial Announcer]

Snoring, Gasping during sleep? Feeling fatigued? Wake up to Zepbound Tirzepatide, the first and only FDA approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with a obesity zepbound is an injectable prescription medicine that may help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity to improve their osa. Zebound should be used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Zeb Bound is Approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 or 15mg injection. Zetbound contains tirzepatide and should not be used with other Tirzepatide containing products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children. Do not share needles or pins or reuse needles. Don't take Zepbound if allergic to it or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia Syndrome Type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes, depression or suicidal thought thoughts before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing pregnant, plan to be or taking birth control pills. Taking Zepbound with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor, call 1-800-545-5979 or visit zepbound.lilly.com Zepbound and its delivery device, Base and QuickPen are registered trademarks owned or licensed by eli Lilly Company, its subsidiary subsidiaries or affiliates. There's a reason Chevy trucks are known for their dependability. It's because they show up no matter the weather, push forward no matter the terrain and deliver. That's why Chevrolet has earned more dependability awards for trucks than any other brand in 2025 according to J.D. power, because in every Chevy truck, like every Chevy driver, dependability comes standard. Visit Chevy.com to learn more. Chevrolet received the highest total number of awards among all trucks in the J.D. power 2025 U.S. vehicle Dependability Study Awards based on 2022 models. Newer models may be shown. Visit J.D. power.com awards for more details. Chevrolet Together Let's Drive Stitch Fix Shopping is hard.

[Landon McCool]

Let's talk about it.

[Marcus Mosher]

I don't have time to shop, so I buy all my clothes, where I buy my seafood.

[Landon McCool]

I just want someone to tell me what shirt goes with what pants. I just want jeans that fit. Stitch Fix makes shopping easy. Just show your size, style and budget and your stylist sends personalized looks right to your door. No subscription required, plus free shipping and returns.

[Marcus Mosher]

Man, that was easy. That looked good.

[Landon McCool]

Stitch Fix Online Personal styling for everyone. Take your style quiz today at stitchfix. Com.