Talkin’ Cowboys: Lull Before the Season Storm

Summary

Podcast Summary: Talkin’ Cowboys – “Lull Before the Season Storm”

Date: May 26, 2026
Hosts: Kyle Youmans, Patrik “No Ce” Walker, Isaiah Stanback, Josh Rodriguez
Theme: A lively “barbershop banter meets film room” roundtable as Cowboys Nation awaits the storm of training camp. The crew covers Cowboys news, schedule reactions, and depth chart debates, with frank player insight, laughs, and spirited analysis.

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I. Episode Overview

The hosts reunite after Memorial Day to catch up on Cowboys news and set the table for the quiet (but not-so-quiet) period before OTAs and minicamp. The episode blends offseason roster analysis, schedule breakdowns, and inside-the-locker-room perspective, with a focus on:

• George Pickens’ offseason attendance and player reactions
• The battle for WR4/WR5 on the depth chart
• A passionate, “disturbed” response to the early part of the Cowboys’ 2026 schedule
• What to expect as OTAs and mandatory minicamp begin

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II. Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Return of the Full Crew and Podcast Banter

• The episode opens with the excitement of everyone being back in-studio.
• Shoutout to Nick Eatman for his previous guest hosting and “beautiful mind” Cowboys recall skills.
  • Quote: “He can Super Bowl winner, runner up and MVP off the dome, like 1 through 60 now… A beautiful mind of sorting when it comes to football and Cowboys related information.” — Kyle Youmans, [04:29–04:54]

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2. Cowboys News: George Pickens’ Offseason Status

• Pickens (franchise tagged) is not at voluntary OTAs, which is discussed at length.
• The crew emphasizes this is normal for established players, and not cause for alarm.
  • Locker room perspective: Players only truly care about a voluntary absence if it’s the QB.
  • Quote: “I could tell you players aren’t tripping. That’s the point I’m trying to make…One position in the entire football team that players would have an issue if the person was not there during the voluntary portion: quarterback.” — Isaiah Stanback, [09:29]
  • All expect Pickens to attend mandatory minicamp in at least a limited fashion.
  • “If he steps on the field or he doesn’t—just headline.” — Josh Rodriguez, [07:53]
• The absence gives opportunity for bubble WRs to shine in OTAs.
  • “If there’s a silver lining… that’s it. You got three or four days if you’re these non Ryan Flournoy guys to kind of step up and say, ‘hey, I deserve to be on the plane to Oxnard.’” — Patrick Walker, [12:11]

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3. WR4/WR5 Competition: Who’s Next After Flournoy?

• Wide receiver depth is open behind CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Ryan Flournoy (who was praised for jumping to WR3 last year).
• The crew discusses the attributes needed at the WR4/5 spots—special teams ability, developing traits, and versatility.
• Notable names in the mix:
  • Jonathan Mingo—high ceiling, flashes with Dak but injury-prone (“Mingo mandatory” joke) [14:06]
  • Anthony Smith (7th round rookie)—traits, YAC, could be Turpin-type gadget [14:23]
  • Marquez Valdes-Scantling (MVS) and Parris Campbell—vets but “progress stoppers,” not moving the needle [14:59]
  • Treshawn Holden, Jordan Hudson (“some flashes”), Kevontae Turpin (specialist), Camden Brown
• “At WR4, I’m looking for talent, but developmental traits … I’d like to see a younger guy with potentially a high ceiling get those reps.” — Patrick Walker, [15:01]
• Consensus: No clear WR4 yet; next week’s OTAs are huge for sorting the depth chart.
  • MVS and Anthony Smith are favorites: “I would say Anthony Smith on one side…versus MVS. With the maverick being Jonathan Mingo.” — Patrick Walker, [21:44]

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4. 2026 Schedule Reactions: Brutal Start, Late Bye

A. The Disturbed Opening Stretch: “Absolutely brutal.”

• Walker expresses frustration (“disturbed,” “pissed off”) at the Cowboys’ schedule:
  • Giants (H) → Commanders (H) → Ravens (in Rio) → at Texans → Buccaneers (TNF), all in a tight 4+ week stretch [28:06–32:21].
  • “Player safety, am I right? … Player safety be damned, I suppose… That first quadrant of games… is absolutely brutal. And I’m not even talking about the opponents.” — Patrick Walker, [29:15, 31:35]
• Isaiah Stanback (former player) breaks down the difficulty of international travel and acclimation, echoing the concern:
  • “So you’re not only dealing with those two or three days … to adapt, but then you’re also doing that on the return. That’s what NoCe is referring to. … It takes time for your body to acclimate to that new time frame...” — Stanback, [35:16–36:25]
• Kyle and Isaiah both agree: at least the hardest part is early, and the late bye (Week 14) is a double-edged sword, but preferable for playoff push [32:17–33:20].

B. What Games are Circled?

• Kyle: Week 3 vs. Baltimore in Rio. Major early test vs. a likely contender and a physically brutal team [39:37–40:55].
  • “That’s your first real test… you’re going to get a tough fight, a rock fight, a dog fight, whatever kind of fight you want to call it…” — Yeomans, [40:55]
• Patrik: Week 11 (Nov 15) vs. 49ers. “The tail” that determines this team’s playoff mettle and psychological edge [40:55–43:07].
  • “It’s the devil you know and the devil you can’t seem to beat…The road to the playoffs and deep into the playoffs truly begins Sunday, November 15, against the 49ers.” — Walker, [41:55]
• Others: Thanksgiving vs Eagles, at Seahawks, home vs Packers, late-season tricky stretches.

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5. Offseason Dates & Practice Ramp-up

• Dates to know:
  • Voluntary OTAs: June 1–2, June 8–9, June 11.
  • Mandatory minicamp: June 16–18. All eyes on whether George Pickens is present and how much he practices [48:29–49:10].
• Stanback: OTAs are primarily about “mental sharpness;” coaches use the time to install, correct mental errors, and collect data on players (“really just like a big scientific data [gathering period],” [51:28]).
  • Physical demands ramp later in the summer.
• Training camp: Awaiting official Oxnard report dates.

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III. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Disturbed” by the Schedule

“I can’t sit here and tell you I was not absolutely disturbed. Okay, let me just call it what it was: I was pissed. Pissed off… This cannot be okay, and yet here we are. So my hope is the Cowboys can remain as healthy as possible…”
— Patrik Walker, [30:18–31:35]

The Locker Room’s Take on Voluntary Absences

“Players aren’t tripping…Not one position in the entire football team that players would have an issue if the person was not there during the voluntary portion… quarterback.”
— Isaiah Stanback, [09:29]

WR4/5 Reality Check

“At WR4, I’m looking for talent, but developmental traits… I’d like to see a younger guy with potentially a high ceiling get those reps…”
— Walker, [15:01]

Early-Season Gut Check

“You’re going to find out week three through seven who the heck you are as a football team. I like that…You can either pack it up and let’s try again, or you’re going to figure it out…”
— Yeomans, [37:44]

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IV. Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:26] – Pickens offseason status & voluntary/mandatory talk
• [12:46] – WR4/5: Who’s on the bubble, depth chart shake-up
• [28:06] – Initial 2026 schedule takes, Rio game, player safety outcry
• [32:17] – Perspectives on late-season bye week and its value
• [39:27] – “Games circled” discussion: Baltimore & SF
• [47:46] – Offseason calendar & minicamp preview
• [50:13] – Isaiah on what OTAs really mean for players

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V. Tone, Language & Banter

The tone throughout is energetic, conversational, and occasionally pointed—particularly when addressing player concerns and schedule frustrations. The hosts blend playful ribbing, personal stories, and honest, football-first analysis. Stanback’s ex-player insights ground the crew’s more “media” perspectives.

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VI. What’s Next

• Voluntary OTAs ramp up the following week.
• All eyes on George Pickens’ attendance and WR depth chart competitions.
• More schedule predictions, training camp date confirmations, and positional reviews expected in upcoming shows.

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Summary prepared for Cowboys fans wanting the inside scoop on the depth chart, the impact of a tough 2026 schedule, and what lies ahead this summer in Frisco and Oxnard!

Transcript

[Isaiah Stanback]

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[Kyle Yeomans]

The following is a production of Dallas Cowboys.com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club. This is Talking Cowboys streaming live from the Dallas Cowboys world headquarters at the Star in Frisco.

[Patrick No See Walker]

CD Lamb.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's on.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Jake Ferguson.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Prescott keeps it and he bangs it

[Patrick No See Walker]

in for the touchdown.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And now your hosts, Isaiah Stanbach, Patrick Walker, Josh Rodriguez and Kyle Yeomans. It's an off season edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee company live from the Star in Frisco, Texas

[Patrick No See Walker]

and the SWBC studio.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It feels so right because we've got the whole cast and crew ready for you to rock today. We are back in the building with Patrick no see Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah Stambach, Chris Beam is in the back. I'm Kyle Yeoman. So glad you're with us. And we are in the building. It's been a minute. Hope everybody's doing all right. Hope everybody had a safe, happy and overall restful Memorial Day weekend again. Salute to our troops who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom for now 250 years. So we appreciate all those that have served in our armed forces. I know black rifle coffee is very big in the military game and so we really do appreciate all our armed forces and hope everybody had a safe Memorial Day weekend.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

What's going on?

[Josh Rodriguez]

It's the full crew back together once again.

[Patrick No See Walker]

It just feels right.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Isaiah was in Vegas like 30 seconds ago. I just saw you.

[Josh Rodriguez]

He didn't miss a show.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah, funny how that works. Funny how that works a show when Ky and I are. But. Oh, okay. Okay.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yes. What does that say? Isaiah, how do you really feel?

[Isaiah Stanback]

You tap out on all your dates? They're not calling me no more. Oh, no. Ms. Cleo here, buddy.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Well, But Josh did a great job of hosting the each of the last two episodes. Phenomenal job. I thought last week's episode was really fun with Nick Eatman. You guys went through the. Went through the schedule and we'll do a little bit of that today just to get Patrick and I's reaction on what the schedule looks like. And. And Josh is going to host that segment for a little bit just as he did last week as well, but I thought it was fun because Nick comes in and he's got his own solo show now. He kind of does his own thing.

[Isaiah Stanback]

I'm not sure if he was ready for us.

[Kyle Yeomans]

No, he was definitely not ready for the energy. Yeah, not at all.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Things are a little bit different, this podcast.

[Kyle Yeomans]

A little different in that regard.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Which he admitted to himself.

[Isaiah Stanback]

He did.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I wouldn't have it any other way. Yeah, I wouldn't change about it. And Nick, he comes in and Josh has this like regimented rundown where he's trying to piece it all together and he's got step by step points and then. Yeah, Nick just takes everything that you just did. I think Mick shots. Wait, what was the last podcast? Beamer? Was it Mick shots that just went or are they going later? It doesn't matter. Nick took me later. Josh has run down and just like, yeah, forget everything that he just said.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Right.

[Kyle Yeomans]

We're going to use that. We're going to go by whatever's going to happen. And so he starts talking about Isaiah's like, what reminded him of Isaiah during his training camp time. And I thought it was really fun.

[Josh Rodriguez]

It's great.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I thought it was great. I listened all the way from Phoenix, Arizona.

[Josh Rodriguez]

You want to be prepared over. Prepared to where? Even if you don't get to those points or anything like that, at least you have the material there. You're prepared to go over wherever it takes you. Right. But especially having Nick on, he's just. So he's ready to just improvise and

[Isaiah Stanback]

do his encyclopedia of Cowboys.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Absolutely. He's improving on here.

[Patrick No See Walker]

It's crazy.

[Kyle Yeomans]

His. My favorite party trick that Nick Eamon does is he. He takes the Super Bowls. I don't know if I haven't tried him in a minute on this.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Oh, my goodness.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I need to try and catch him. But he, he can. Super bowl winner, runner up, and MVP off the dome, like 1 through 60 now he can do all of them. Or at least he did at one point in time. We were sitting in a barbecue joint in the middle of Mobile, Alabama for the Senior bowl and he told me this. I was like, I don't think whatever, 23. And he was bang, bang. He gets winner, runner up, mvp. It's really impressive.

[Josh Rodriguez]

He could tell you just about any Cowboys score in the last 30 years. It's pretty impressive. And then he's a beautiful mind of sorting when it comes to football and Cowboys related information.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'm gonna get him like a custom name plate for its desk that just says Nick Eatman Quotes Beautiful Mind.

[Josh Rodriguez]

A Beautiful Mind. He loves that movie, by the way.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Oh, interesting. All right, Patrick, let's get into some news and notes. Not a ton going on, but there's pat. But there's pads on the field. Patrick.

[Patrick No See Walker]

There are pads on the field. So the Cowboys OTAs are coming up here next week. The Cowboys will have veterans and rookies on the same field at the same time. Y. Yeah. So that begins next week. So that is definitely something to look forward to. And then, of course, mandatory minicamp occurs the week.

[Isaiah Stanback]

What was the term? What kind of minicamp?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Mandatory. So I guess if you want to. If you want to do is a note, you know, which. Really. So as the. At the moment, George Pickens has still not reported to voluntary. Got you. That's voluntary. But again, he and Dak Prescott, CD Lamb, those guys have been working out all off season together. And I've always been of the mindset, once he got hit with the franchise tag, that it would be mandatory many. Any camp that we would see George Pickens, as far as that's concerned.

[Isaiah Stanback]

So the V. Yeah, he's not here.

[Patrick No See Walker]

He's not here. Here comes the.

[Isaiah Stanback]

And you put them upside down, right?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Making an M. Making them M. And

[Patrick No See Walker]

then turn that M back up. Turn it back. And that's a W. There you go.

[Josh Rodriguez]

But that M is not necessarily for everybody, you know what I'm saying?

[Isaiah Stanback]

Oh, so the mandatory doesn't apply.

[Josh Rodriguez]

That's like a Mingo mandatory. You know what I'm saying?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Oh, you talk about voluntary.

[Isaiah Stanback]

You talk about the mandatory. He's talking about picking.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I think he'll be there.

[Josh Rodriguez]

You'll figure. You know, they'll figure it. They'll figure it.

[Isaiah Stanback]

I don't.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I don't think he signed his tag to get. Hold on.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Voluntary is Mingo mandatory?

[Kyle Yeomans]

That is. You're right.

[Josh Rodriguez]

You know what I'm saying?

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's what I thought you were saying.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Mandatory presence, not mandatory practice.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Oh, we split.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Well, that was.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That was the case last year with Micah because he was trying to avoid fines.

[Josh Rodriguez]

But his back. Kyle.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay, his back.

[Patrick No See Walker]

All right.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Green Bay somehow figured it out. Kyle immediately ready to go. He's fine.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Stretch it out on that table.

[Patrick No See Walker]

He reports to mandatory minicamp, and I am confident he will report to mandatory minicamp, and I will be shocked if he doesn't, because, again, if that were the. If that's the plan, why sign the tag and sub? You know, some answer this. So, yeah, I think he was extended

[Isaiah Stanback]

just to extend the news and notes. If you believe that he will Attend mandatory minicamp.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I believe in Joe Hendry.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Do you.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Do you believe that he will practice mandatory mini camp?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yes.

[Kyle Yeomans]

No.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Training camp? Yes.

[Kyle Yeomans]

In a. In a limited fashion? Yes. I don't think he'll be going.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah, he won't.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Full tilt individual joggers. Yeah, he'll do some of that stuff.

[Patrick No See Walker]

We'll see him on the field. Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

He'll be in a jersey. He'll clean there.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Either way, it'll be headline worthy.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I'm sure. No matter whether he's here or not is headline worthy if he steps on the field or he doesn't just headline.

[Josh Rodriguez]

If he's fully participating in every single drill, there will be a headline here.

[Patrick No See Walker]

You'll be full go for training camp.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Here's my question. And there's going to be a point proven no matter what the answer is here. Did CD Lamb report for voluntary stuff? Voluntary workouts? Did he report.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Do you know?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay, that proves the point.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Like here this year.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah, this year.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Did he.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I've seen him.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Have you saw him today? Okay.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Has it been reported?

[Patrick No See Walker]

There's nothing happening.

[Isaiah Stanback]

It's not been reported. So that's not official, I guess, but

[Kyle Yeomans]

that's what I'm saying.

[Josh Rodriguez]

But his contract's already done, Kyle.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's what I'm saying, though, like, yeah, you know, it's a storyline because it's picket.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah, exactly.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's not a storyline. Anywhere else CD Lam could have not shown up for any voluntary portion of the. The, the off season program. And it's not a storyline because the contract's done because it's in the. In the rearview mirror. I get it and I understand how the media game works, but fans out there that are freaking out that George Pickens is not here. So we're talking about voluntary workout V

[Isaiah Stanback]

and A W. It's not a big M. Yeah.

[Patrick No See Walker]

And OTA is a volunteer.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's a big deal because there are some people that want it to be a big deal.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

No, but from a. From a team standpoint, it's voluntary for

[Patrick No See Walker]

a reason I had to project. He will likely not be here for voluntary OTAs. Voluntary. He'll be in the building cleats on doing maybe some individual work in mandatory minicamp. They being the coaching staff and George Pickens in the front office. They'll describe it as he's ramping up for training camp and then he'll be in Oxnard and he'll be a full goal when all of this will be behind us until next.

[Isaiah Stanback]

From off season, from the locker Room perspective.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I could tell you players aren't tripping players.

[Isaiah Stanback]

That's.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's the point I'm trying to make.

[Isaiah Stanback]

One position. So not one position in the entire football team. That players would have an issue if the person was not there during the voluntary kicker portion.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Then it's a quarterback.

[Patrick No See Walker]

He's got a new country. It's just.

[Isaiah Stanback]

It's merely a quarterback. I mean, so that's why, you know, we're talking Cowboys, but, like, talking Pittsburgh. That's why that was such a big deal because. Oh, yeah, not having your quarterback matters. It matters during this time.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Right.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Knowing the situation, the. The gray area of it all, they

[Isaiah Stanback]

are literally running the offense. So, like, you have to have that person in the room. Right. So every. Every other position or guys in the locker room be like, okay, yeah, all right.

[Patrick No See Walker]

He's taking care of business.

[Isaiah Stanback]

But quarterback is like, hey, bro, like, we. We need you.

[Patrick No See Walker]

And also considering the fact that if you look at how George Pickens has been moving this entire time, I mean, let's just fast forward through last season and go right to the off season. He didn't, once the off season arrived, kind of seclude himself and. And kind of go off on his own. Like he's been glued to CDs, Hip and Dax Hip this entire time and some of these other guys. So it goes to what Isaiah is saying as far as locker room is concerned. When you add that intuit speaking, there's nothing for the most part for his teammates to worry about. They all see George is still being locked in, still being, you know, open up teammates and having fun with his brothers and, you know, so forth and so on.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Probably still on the sticks together. What time is practice over? I'll see y' all when y' all get back to the house.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Still on the five. So. Yeah, it's not a thing. It's not a thing.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And of course, just to be clear, I think we talked about this a lot last year with Micah. I would love for George Pickens to be involved as much as possible in the off season. I think Brian Schottenheimer would echo that sentiment. I think Clayton Adams would echo the Dak Prescott. Anybody could echo the fact that they would love George Pickens to be a part of the mandatory mandatory minicamp. My. My point and my thought process here is don't freak out that he's not here.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Agree.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Even if he's not here for the mandatory minicamp stuff, there have been franchise tags in the past that have not shown up for mandatory minicamp then they're there for training camp and all as well and you figure it out and you go for from there. So it's a part of the process. It's a part of the game that's played off the field. I just hope it can translate on the field in a positive manner. I tell you what, in all of that we're saying right now, I think could still do that.

[Patrick No See Walker]

It's a perfect opportunity when we talk about voluntary OTAs mandatory minicamp, assuming that George shows up for mandatory but he's not doing full team drills. I mean it's a perfect opportunity for guys like Ryan Floy to get more reps to kind of set up for another breakout season. Better than last year. But even more so than Ryan Floy, the Cowboys need need to figure out something at the position behind Ryan Flournoy. So yeah, absent George Pickens in team drills, you know Ryan Flanoy is going to get his. But what does it look like behind him? That's what they need to figure out. So if there's a silver lining to be had by George Pickens having a limited capacity practice in mandatory minicamp, that's it. You got three or four days if you're these non Ryan Floy guys to kind of step up and say, hey, I, I deserve to be on the plane to Oxner first of all because there's no guarantee some of these guys are going to be on the plane. But there's an opportunity for you make sure that you have a seat on that charter.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Can I ask a question?

[Patrick No See Walker]

You sure can.

[Kyle Yeomans]

What is going on behind Ryan? What, what is the, the depth chart currently a wide receiver outside of your top three guys and give a lot of credit to Ryan Flournoy and for those that were riding for Ryan Flournoy at the beginning, Mr. Patrick N.C. walker, one of them.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Go flow.

[Kyle Yeomans]

He, he took the, the wide receiver three spot last year and solidified it. And I think it's great that you have a draft pick that overplayed his spot that has stepped into that role and really took it over when. Because they needed him at certain points last year for the offense to go the way that it did. They needed him and they're going to need him again in the future. So I hope he continues to step up. But wide receiver four in my eyes is wide open. Wide receiver five even more so. And those are the, those are like you said, not only charter spots to Oxnard, that's charter spots to week one against New York. I mean those that you are on the 53, you are on the field and expected to contribute, whether it be from an offensive or a special team standpoint. Who are those guys for you right now?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Oh, man. Well, first, I will kind of piggyback off of that and say that it literally begins next week for the guys that we're about to mention right now. Okay. So for guys like Jonathan Mingo, it begins next week. Treshawn Holden, next week. Paris Campbell, next week. And he's. He's one of the older veterans in the group, so he's going to have to.

[Kyle Yeomans]

People forget he's even on the roster.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Exactly. And then you have, you know, the. The incoming guys. Right. So like a Jordan Hudson, Tyler Johnson, the undrafted guy. So. And then of course, Kevonte Turpin. Now the question being, is there anyone. Anthony Smith is another guy. And I, I've circled Anthony Smith.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I've been very outside.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I've circled Anthony Smith, seventh round pick, rookie. I think that he has a chance to absolutely be on offense. What they would like Kevante Turpin to be on offense, but for whatever reason, just can't figure out what or how to get him in that niche. Cavante, I mean, so Anthony Smith's one. Camden Brown, I mean, and then of course, Marquez Van der Scantlen. For me, I don't know that MVS moves my needle. Now, that's not to say he can't play football at this level. I believe he can play football at this level. But if you're asking me, does he move my needle at WR4, the answer is respectfully, no. He doesn't move money to at WR4.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Sure.

[Patrick No See Walker]

You know what I mean?

[Isaiah Stanback]

What are you looking for at WR?

[Patrick No See Walker]

First of all, at WR4, I'm looking for talent, but developmental traits. Right. So MVS is in the same vein as Paris to me.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Right?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Patrick No See Walker]

You at this point in their career, you know what you have with mvs, you know what you have with Paris and mvs. Let's be honest, he's not had a past great couple of seasons these last couple of seasons. So you don't really know which version of Marquez you're going to get. Right. But when you look at a guy like Anthony Smith, he's coming in Tron Holden, we saw some flashes from him in training camp last year. Didn't pan out into, you know, being activated at any point last year, but another offseason of development. I'd like to see a younger guy with potentially a high ceiling get that those reps to develop as opposed to an mvs. You know what he is and he's kind of on the downturn based statistically on what his numbers say. Well, Harris Campbell, kind of on the dusk of his career. At what point are you looking at those two guys and you're saying are they progress stoppers? So that's my point. I don't, I don't want to risk the progress stop.

[Isaiah Stanback]

So typically I asked this question because typically at the WR4 and 5, special teams, more so. Yeah, special teams for sure. Special teams contributors and usually a special list on something regarding offense. Not typically your holistic receiver.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Right.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Typically they block really well or typically they're really fast or they're really sudden. Right. Like there's something. There's certain attributes that they possess that can be utilized within an offensive scheme, but they're typically not a, a well rounded receiver. I put it that way. So when I say what are you looking for out of WR4 and 5? We have one of those guys already in Terp. He's going to be one of those guys.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Specialist.

[Isaiah Stanback]

He's a specialist that has. Possesses special abilities on offense. Right. That you can utilize based upon scheme. He's not a holistic receiver. Okay. You have one of those guys. So that's one of your four or five or whatever spot you want to put him at your, your next guy up. What do you want that trait to be? If you cannot be a holistic receiver, what attribute would you like him to possess?

[Josh Rodriguez]

I'm looking for a guy that's able to slide into the offense that in the case. And God forbid you're faced with a decision where you know you're out a lamb or you're out of pickings and now you have to change. Like I don't want you to have to change your offense in that way. That's why I feel like, at least for me, a giant. A guy like Jonathan Mingo, if he does make that next step and be able to contribute and know this offense in and out. That's why I was saying it's voluntary. Is a Mingo mandatory? He has to be here because he's fighting for that spot right now. Granted you have the, the draft capital which can go by the wayside now. You just traded for four, two fourth round picks. I'm just, I'm saying like in the grand scheme of things, I want someone that is able to contribute to the offense at the same, not the same level, but at the same consistency as those players do. If you're, you find yourself out one of those receivers Whereas we're talking about, you know, Anthony Smith or Cavante Turpin, like guys with traits that don't necessarily fit into that box. You have flow, thankfully. But who else do you have that can complement that in the regular offense that you're running?

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's well said, because my thought when you were outlining that you need a guy that's not well rounded at 4 and 5, or you most likely you're going to have a player that's not well rounded at your fourth and fifth spots.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Not fully developed guys.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'll say it, that any position of the depth chart, not just wide receiver, any position on the team.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Correct.

[Kyle Yeomans]

The thought process there though, is, and Will McClay says this all the time about the draft. The further you go in the draft, the more those guys have warts, the more there's something that's not fully developed, there's something that's missing. There's a tweak here, a tweak there, whether it's an injury thing, availability, it's a skill set element that he doesn't have. Whatever it is, that's why they go later in the draft. It's the same thing on a depth chart. You've got your complete guy as one, your next complete guy at two, probably a pretty complete guy at three, and then it drops off from there. If you're looking at me and you're telling me Kevonte Turpin is a specialist, I couldn't tell you right now. He's a well rounded receiver. The hands, the route running, the miscues, there's a lot of things there with Kevonte Turpin that I wish we would have seen to make him wide receiver 3 to make him a solidified wide receiver on offense. That's why I think the door is open. Jonathan Mingo, we haven't seen it either.

[Josh Rodriguez]

No.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And so with Anthony Smith coming in, one thing I said about him in the draft, he's a traits guy. He's going to bring in traits. He's yards after the catch, contested catch ability, which you get from George Pickens, you get a little bit from CD Lamb. Even though that's not his game, you get it from Anthony Smith as well. So maybe that's an element that can help him into that wide receiver four spot. And then outside of that, you're picking and choosing. What do you like from Treshawn Holden? What do you like from Marquez Valdez? Cantling, who. Who finished 10th in receiving last year? I thought that was a pretty good number on the Steelers roster.

[Patrick No See Walker]

He finished particularly on the Steelers roster. I will. I will grant him that. But it's certainly not. And what I mean, what I what I mean when I say guys like Marquez and Paris in the dusk of their careers just simply they're not peak like they're not what they once were. No Paris in Indy. No, that's not what we've got here. Do we have Marquez in Green Bay? No, that's not what we've got here. So again, and that's why I preface to it as I'm not saying MVS can't play quality football in going in 2026 at the NFL level, I believe he absolutely can. I just wonder example. Anthony Smith is one. But I love that you bring up Jonathan Mingle. We've seen Jonathan Mingle flash with Dak Prescott at quarterback. The, the biggest problem he had after the trade was the Cooper rush connection or lack thereof. But then you saw him, you wanted to see him with, with dad. Mango flashed in training camp last season with Dak throwing some of the reps, but then it just didn't.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Well, he got that injury just before the.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Now we're talking. He. That's not his first injury that he's battled with since he's gotten here.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's availability.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Right?

[Patrick No See Walker]

It's availability. So I Flo took that job, love. I mean, if you follow me during training camp, you've seen me praise Jonathan Mango. I want to see him take the next step. And if he does, that's my answer. Then my answer. WR4 is Jonathan Mingo. But I haven't seen enough yet to be able to say I'm gonna plant my flag there. There's nowhere behind Ryan Flanoy that I'm ready to plant my, my proverbial flag and say, that's your WR4 not going into voluntary OTAs. I got to see something in Oxnard from somebody.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Show me something.

[Patrick No See Walker]

You got. Show me soap.

[Josh Rodriguez]

If you had to choose two right now for that spot that, that you think are going to be competing highest for that spot, who is it?

[Patrick No See Walker]

I think MVS is going to be up there, honestly, for four. For four. I think he's going to be up there because he brings the veteran presence that I know Schottenheimer and Clayton are for now. Outside of that, I think you go to the opposite side of the spectrum and you go young. And I think they're going to give a guy like Anthony Smith picks. They're going to give them their shot.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Those are my two.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah. So I would say Anthony Smith on one side of the spectrum battling for WR4 versus MVs.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I think it's either.

[Patrick No See Walker]

With the Maverick being Jonathan Mingle.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I think it's either MVS or Mingo. Whoever shows out more. And then give me Anthony Smith. I think he's on the roster.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Holden is not higher for you guys.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I like Trayshawn Holden, but he's not as quick as Anthony.

[Josh Rodriguez]

That's another guy from last year at camp that flashed.

[Patrick No See Walker]

And preseason.

[Josh Rodriguez]

And preseason. Yeah, absolutely.

[Patrick No See Walker]

But then it, you know, it well,

[Josh Rodriguez]

I mean, how much development can he really get during the, you know, during the season. Yeah, in the middle of the year.

[Patrick No See Walker]

But that also means that. And it's not a knock to him. This is just actual facts. That also means that the coaches aren't seeing anything, whether it be scouting team, practice squad reps, whatever that are forcing the coach's hands to say, okay, well let's try to activate you this game. Because that's exactly what Flournoy did to to Tolbert and pushing him out. Tolbert was just. Yep, right. And everybody was like, well, why are they. Why do they keep giving Tolbert a chance? It was because no one had stepped up. All of a sudden Floy starts stepping up in year two. Stepping up, stepping up. And then tobert consist this game and that game, in this game and that game. And now he plays for the Dolphins.

[Kyle Yeomans]

As much as I love having a wide receiver four conversation on May 26, we've got to take a break. Oh, we got to take a break. When we come back, we're going to shift the focus to the schedule a little bit. Patrick and I didn't get a chance to react to the schedule reveal and really a great job by the social media department.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Oh, man.

[Kyle Yeomans]

In one of the coolest schedule reveal videos we've ever seen for the Cowboys. We're going to talk about that and what's going to happen from a game by game standpoint when we return with more talking Cowboys right after this.

[Isaiah Stanback]

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[Commercial Narrator]

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[Isaiah Stanback]

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[Patrick No See Walker]

We're with you.

[Isaiah Stanback]

That's our promise to you. Because no matter the project or the challenge you're facing, we're with you.

[Patrick No See Walker]

We're united.

[Kyle Yeomans]

If you're looking for fresh American roasted coffee that gives back, you need to head to your local grocery store and pick up a bag of Black Rifle Coffee. That's right, America's Coffee is now available in the coffee aisle of a grocery store near you. Black Rifle Coffee Company is veteran founded with a mission to give back to those brave men and women who have served our nation. Every bag, box or can you purchase helps support that mission. Head to your local grocery store and roast yourself some Black Rifle Coffee today.

[Josh Rodriguez]

If you shout how bout them cowboys. You have that undeniable passion that's the heart of Cowboys Nation. And if you like to drink Dr. Pepper, you love the unique blend of its 23 flavors together. Your one of a kind fandom paired with the one of a kind taste of a delicious ice cold Dr. Pepper is the game day lineup that can't be beat. Better yet, gather Your Cowboys and Dr. Pepper fan friends to watch the next game and crack open a delicious ice cold Dr. Pepper for everyone. The winds will be bee even tastier. It's a pepper thing.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I'm home.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Hey mom, before you ask, I've done my homework and the dishwasher's unloaded.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Nice. Hey, can you. Hey hon.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yes, I've got the finale ready to play.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Here's your wine.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Wow.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Isn't it nice not having to ask?

[Kyle Yeomans]

We think so. That's why if there's A network interruption @&t will proactively credit you for a full day of service. Guaranteed credit for fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or for wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Restrictions and exclusions apply.

[Kyle Yeomans]

See att.com guarantee for details. Back to Talking Cowboys this summer train where the stars are made at Dallas Cowboys Youth Football Camps. Athletes of all Skill levels ages 6 to 16 are invited to learn more from NFL players, step onto the field and practice like the pros. Register now@dallas cowboys.com camps. Welcome back in to Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. Ready for this one, Patrick? No. See Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah, stand back. Chris Beam in the back. I'm Kyle Yeomans. All right, Josh, you guys talked about it last week. The schedule is out. It is.

[Josh Rodriguez]

It is out. It is live on Dallas Cowboys. Go check it out.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Dallas Cowboys.com Energy I missed in this building. Just immediate yelling about the schedule at the New York Giants. Then it's versus Washington.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Then.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Then it's on the road in Rio against the Baltimore Ravens. Technically a home game, but it is in Rio. So you've got those three to start it. But we'll go and break down the schedule a little bit more. You had some questions though, Josh?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah, we talked about it last week, so apologies if this is a repeat for our listeners.

[Kyle Yeomans]

But you listen again.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Kyle wasn't here, Patrick wasn't here. So I want to ask you guys, get your takes. This is a cowboy talking Cowboys, after all. We need your.

[Patrick No See Walker]

We need your take.

[Commercial Narrator]

So.

[Josh Rodriguez]

So for you guys, what was the biggest surprise on the 2026 Cowboy schedule?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Honestly, I'm just going to go right to this. This cluster of games to start the regular season.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Cluster?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah, this cluster of games. It's the time frame in which these games are scheduled. It jumps right out at me and it was troubling. The moment it trouble. Troubling. Disturbing. I was just not. I was quite disturbed.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Disturbing is hilarious.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah, I was quite.

[Josh Rodriguez]

You thought the schedule was creepypasta. Yeah.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Creepy.

[Kyle Yeomans]

What does that even mean?

[Josh Rodriguez]

It's like a scary story. Okay, on the Internet you never heard

[Isaiah Stanback]

of creepy circle of trust? Kyle.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Sorry.

[Patrick No See Walker]

We are so bad. It's the. It's the timeline of the scheduling, when it was announced, and when we discovered that the Cowboys would be going to Rio de Janeiro to take on the Baltimore Ravens. We as analysts, we were under the. The thought process that, okay, maybe there's a mini buy Coming after that or going into that, because gosh darn it, player safety, am I right?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Which team? This is Patrick.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah. So player safety be damned, I suppose, because the Cowboys have a game on September 13 and then seven days later against the Commanders and then seven days later in Rio, which, by the way, I don't. I don't think it's down the street. Street. I didn't major in geography, but I'm pretty sure it's a long flight there and back to South America and then you immediately turn around and have another game on October 4th, and that game is also not even at home.

[Isaiah Stanback]

I spoke with it. I spoke with the gentleman who was in charge of all the travel for the Cowboys and getting things laid out today and Mr. Craig, and he said, I just got back, you know, from Rio last week, getting things set up.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I was like, oh, yeah, well, you

[Isaiah Stanback]

know, how long is that flight anyways? 12 hours.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah, one way. So I'm going to say this again. The Cowboys have a game half a day, seven days after the opener, seven days after week two. That game is against the Ravens in Rio de Janeiro in South America. And then seven days after that at Houston on October 4th.

[Isaiah Stanback]

And then what?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Oh, there's no buy after that because then you got Thursday Night Football.

[Isaiah Stanback]

How many days?

[Patrick No See Walker]

That's four days later.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Oh, oh, four days after.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Four days later. The Cowboys don't actually get a mini buy until after week five when they have a 10 day wait to play the Green Bay Packers. And then of course, that's at Green Bay. So that first quadrant of games, that first four games, before we even talk about, and you know, Kyle and I will get into, you know, who they're playing in the opponents in the arrangement, but I can't. I can't sit here and. And tell you that I was not absolutely disturbed. Okay, let me just call it what it was. I was pissed. Pissed off. I was really pissed off. Yeah, I was. I was like, let me be a chad for a minute. I was PO'd. I really was. I. I literally, I saw the schedule and I turned to my wife, I said. I turned to my wife and I said, what the hell is this? And. And literally speaking from a player safety standpoint like this, this cannot be. Okay, the same. And yet here we are. So my hope is that the Cowboys can remain as healthy as possible coming out of that stretch, because that stretch of games is absolutely brutal. And I'm not even talking about the opponents. Yeah, I really worried about the Giants. Commanders are going to be something to deal with. The Ravens are going to be something to deal with. The Texas defense is going to be something to deal with. And then four days later you got Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who you know, by the way, they're a playoff team.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Not much risk.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I don't feel as strongly about how

[Patrick No See Walker]

tough, but I do.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It is tough, don't get me wrong. Going from Rio to Houston, then you get the Thursday Night Football and then you go back to back against the packers and the Eagles. That is a tough stretch.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Tough stretch.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Stretch.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Here's my thing. I'm glad it's early in the year.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yep.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Oh, I'm glad it's.

[Isaiah Stanback]

I'm there.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I'm right there with you.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Because if it's at the end of the year and you go through that, you may not make it out a lot.

[Josh Rodriguez]

That's December.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Oh. Oh. What are you.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I think you're gonna be in a tough spot. At least it's early. And you get the. The late buy to kind of break it up a little bit, too. Your buy is in week 14. You were talking about it last week. Isaiah, as a player, you prefer the late buy. Yes, it's a really late.

[Patrick No See Walker]

If it's that late.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yes, it's really late late. But I think you would certainly like it.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Break intention. Everybody's intentions to make a playoff, Right?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Sure.

[Isaiah Stanback]

But specifically, if you're actually in a good position Right. During the season to make a playoff push, you want that late by. Because you need a refresh. As close to the playoffs as possible. As close to the end of the season as possible. Because you want to feel rejuvenated. If you have that in. In week four, bro, you're talking about what, 12, you know, 12, 13 straight games before the playoffs. Hit that, bro. That's rough on your body. There's. There's no. You look out there ain't nothing. Ain't nothing coming back. There's no lifeboat. Right. So at least when you're in the midst of all this stuff and we talk about that, that onslaught of games, those are some of the best defenses

[Patrick No See Walker]

in the league, bro.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Yeah. Like, call it what it is. That's four. And then you take it maybe. And then you. Because you hit some more defenses that are going to punch you in the face. Right? So, like, this is going to be some physicality. Right. And you need to be able to look forward and be like, okay, that's. Sure. Right there. That's the shore. Okay. I gotta get to the shore. Once I get to the shore. Sure. I know. At least I got a breather, right?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Land ho.

[Isaiah Stanback]

It doesn't mean that you ease up. It doesn't matter. I'm not saying all those things, but fans, trust me, when your body. I don't know how many people been on a hike before.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Right.

[Isaiah Stanback]

But if you ever been hiking. When I did Kilimanjaro, I was hurting, right? I was hurting and I was talking to our, I was talking to our dude, who's our leader. And I was like, hey bro, when are we taking a break? Like that was. That was my only question. Like, I can keep going, but I need to know when we're taking a break. And don't you lie to me. Right? Don't you lie to me.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I mean, try to get you a little extra.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Yeah, bro. But like once you, once you know that I have a break coming up, it's like, okay, cool, I can push through to this. Right? And then I knew I could woo saw when I get there. But I much rather have that later

[Patrick No See Walker]

than I want to say something and address the chat because I see a couple of comments and I know that you're taking what I'm saying wrong. So let me make sure that I qualify this again the right way. It's not about the traveling. This is football. You travel, you have away games. We understand the, that that's elementary. Okay. What we're talking about is the lack of rest versus where they're heading. Sure, that's what we're talking about. So it's a quicker turnaround unless you've actually. And Isaiah is the only one at this table at the NFL level who's actually put his body on the line, play in, play out, knows what that wear and tear looks like. And then they have to be able to be in Rio.

[Isaiah Stanback]

That's a.

[Patrick No See Walker]

For a game seven days later and then have another game seven days after that. Had 12 hour flights both ways and then four days later, Thursday night.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Let me, let me, let me.

[Patrick No See Walker]

That's. That's brutal on the bunny.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's the three day or three games and 12 day stretch with a 12 hour flight to and from.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

So 24 hours, whole day to begin that stretch.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah. That's not making excuses, that's objective facts. That's just not easy.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Let me just, just to add this. I know we gotta keep going through

[Patrick No See Walker]

this, but sure, make it happen.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Anybody who's traveled international, definitely. Right. Primarily very long sustained flights. What is the most difficult portion about flying to a foreign country that's a 10, 12 hour flight away? Jet lag, right? Adapting to the time, your body acclimating to that new time frame. Right? Your, your, your. What do you call it? Your body.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Body clock.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Your body clock. That's what's difficult. Right. And to give you guys an example, when I was playing with New England, we practice, I don't remember what day it was, right. But we practiced, got on a bus, flew from New England, from Boston, all the way to, To England. Okay. We got there, we checked in to our hotel, right. Went straight from the airport, straight to the hotel, checked our bags in. Coach said, come downstairs, we're going straight to practice again. Right. So there was no rest like our rest was the flight. Because when you got there, he wanted to try to get us acclimated to that time is get our body clocks reset as fast as possible. That's the challenging portion. So you're not only dealing with that, that two or three days that it takes your body to adapt, really. Right. Your body to fully adapt going there, but then you're also doing that on the return. That's what no C is referring to. It's not just the travel. Everybody's hopped on a plane before, but it takes time for your body to acclimate to that new time frame, to that new environment and then to do that there and back and not be given that grace.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Exactly.

[Isaiah Stanback]

That's what he's.

[Patrick No See Walker]

That's what we're saying. And we're analysts and we're analyzing this. We're not making excuses for them. They still got to go out there and play. I don't have to go out there and play.

[Isaiah Stanback]

I.

[Patrick No See Walker]

So I get to analyze and say what I like about the schedule, what I don't like about it. And there are things I like about it. There are things I don't like about it. This thing I don't like about it. But if you'd like me to sit here and say they're going to go 17 and oh, and there are no challenges, I'm still not going to do it.

[Josh Rodriguez]

They're on a billion dollar plane.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Come on, man.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Well, Rio is only two hours ahead, so it's a little. It's like going to the west coast, but the opposite direction. Or from the West Coast.

[Josh Rodriguez]

12 hours, but it's the.

[Patrick No See Walker]

It's along the coast of California, which is like how many miles away?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Real. It's just straight south is. Is what it is. So it's a little bit different, but it's not as big. I don't think it's going to London or going to Germany and some of these other Australia game. Whoever does. I mean, what was it, the Ravens or, I mean, it's the 49ers and the, the Rams. Is that who's doing that game? Oh, my.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Now that I do feel badly for them. Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

So I, I think the schedule itself, I don't know where they're going. Is it equidistant the, the schedule there? You're going to find out week three through seven, who the heck you are, who you are as a football team. I like that. I think that's good because you can either pack it up and let's try

[Josh Rodriguez]

it again at least, you know, early

[Kyle Yeomans]

and you know, or you're going to turn around and you're going to figure it out in the middle of the stretch and then you get a second one, two punch. Really? One, two, three punch on the bookends of the buy because you go to. Or you have Philly on Thanksgiving. Then you face Seattle a week later on the road in front of the twelves up there in the Pacific Northwest. Then you get the buy and then you get LA on the road at Sofi. So you turn around, you got three games in that cluster right there around

[Isaiah Stanback]

the bye and throw Jacksonville in your playoff team.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Jacksonville was decent last year, too, and you get them at home. So I think you've got two real stretches. You got an early one that's going to test the moxie of this football team team. Then you're going to have a second one to see if they've either fixed it or if they're sitting right where they are. If you get through those two stretches, let's say, let's say worst case scenario, Dallas goes 2 and 5 in that crazy stretch 1 through 7. 2 and 5. That sounds bad, right?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah, it doesn't sound great.

[Isaiah Stanback]

It's terrible.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's the worst case scenario, in my opinion. Yeah, I think you go two and five worst case. But more likely than not, you're going to be 3 and 4 or 4 and 3 in that strike stretch and you can make it happen from there. Yeah, you can find a way. You said, hey, we survived by going 4 and 3 or 3 and 4, whatever it ends up being. Now let's attack the rest of the schedule. So I, I, I know it's tough. I agree. It's a, it's a slew of games, but it's the NFL. There's no week off in this league.

[Patrick No See Walker]

You got to go get it done.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And I think that was one cluster of games that you're going to circle, but if you can make it out alive, my goodness, this football team could do something.

[Josh Rodriguez]

And speaking of circling games, the next question was, on the schedule, considering all those things, considering the travel, considering the time, considering the week that we're playing these opponents, which game did you circle as soon as you saw the schedule?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Can I get two?

[Isaiah Stanback]

No, get one.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Kyle.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Kyle, if you get.

[Isaiah Stanback]

No, no, no, no.

[Kyle Yeomans]

We don't have time to the end of the show for you to do two.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Pat, we got one. Pick one.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay. We just talked about it a little bit. It's the Baltimore game in Rio, Week three. Are you kidding me? Against a team like that? That, of course, is coming off of the year that they had, where they were quite literally inches away from making the playoffs. They were probably the most feared team in the playoffs that first week in the wild card round. If they make a field goal to beat Pittsburgh in week 18, they make that field goal. Tyler Lou puts it through the upright talent. They have the talent they had, and they were so banged up. They had a rough start to the year. Speaking of a team that. That turned it around, midway through a year, they were in a bad spot. They turned it around. They were playing their best football, and they just missed the field goal at the end. The Pittsburgh gave them everything they had to win that game at home in the final week of the regular season. I think if Baltimore wins that game, they make maybe a run back to an AFC title game. They're certainly talented enough to do it again this year. And you're going to get. That's your first test. Not to say that the two division games before that are not important, because they certainly are, and you're going to get tested by New York and Washington both. But if you go up against Baltimore, you know, you're getting a tough fight, a rock fight, a dog fight, whatever you want to. What type of fight you want to call. You're going to get that from the Baltimore Ravens in week three. So that's been circled on my calendar from the jump. I know that's boring because it's the one game that kind of was happening, but you. You gotta. You gotta show something in that game.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I wish I could have two. I'm gonna go with until further notice. Man, It's. It's the 49ers. It's. It's. It's the devil you know and the devil you can't seem to beat. It's the 49ers for me. And also, not only is it because it's the devil you can't. Can't seem to beat. And the San Francisco 49ers. But it's also the fact that, yeah, a couple of November games preceding that one. So you got the Arizona Cardinals on the 1st and you got the coats at Indianapolis on the 8th. I think that's going to be a little bit more challenging than people that get credit for, but. Yeah, absolutely. But I'm looking at the Sunday, November 15, against the 49ers as the beginning of the tail. What's the tail? No, see, the tail is from that point forward. Is this a playoff team? Is this a Super bowl caliber team? Because I believe. And we'll get into schedule predictions like documentary, the road. Okay. But I believe they can escape three and two from the first five games, maybe four and one if. If Christian Parker's defense can jail quickly. Right. You can get four and one out of that. But realistically, let's say three and two, I think that's the second quadrant. You got the Packers, I think they can take the packers at Green Bay, the Eagles at Philadelphia. That plays well in Philly, you know, but November 15th, forward, if you can take down the 49, then I have ultimate confidence that you can handle the Titans at home, because it's the Titans, they're struggling. Then you can handle the Eagles on Thanksgiving. You've done it before at Seattle is going to be another super bowl champ. My number two, but I can't get to. I think the road to the playoffs and deep into the playoffs truly begins Sunday, November 15, against the 49ers. Especially if you look at everything that comes after that. You need the momentum from that game, you need the confidence from that game to help carry you forward. Because if you lose to the 49ers, what's going to happen is I believe some of the players who've already been here, not the newer guys in life, same old Cowboys, some of the guys who've been here and have lost at least once or twice to the 49ers gonna be. Oh, man. Then you get kind of that defeatist mindset and it trickles into the Titans. And all of a sudden Titans come in here and do something weird. At 18 now, it's like, oh, man,

[Josh Rodriguez]

I'm speaking of weird, you got the Cardinals on the schedule too, so.

[Patrick No See Walker]

But not the desert. Yeah, thankfully not.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Got plenty of demons to exercise this season for sure.

[Patrick No See Walker]

So for me, it's the 49ers because that's the beginning, the true beginning of what can happen in the playoffs.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I like it. All right, we got to take our second break. When we come back on Talking Cow. By the way, my second game was at Seattle just so I could sneak it in there. All right, when we talking Cowboys, we're going to take a look at the offseason schedule. We got to be quick getting out of here, but what's to come over the next couple of weeks and what you can anticipate from the Cowboys as they get back? Get back on the practice field. More to come right after this.

[Patrick No See Walker]

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See att.com guarantee for details. Back to talking cowboys. The 2026 schedule is here. Don't miss your chance to see the Cowboys live at AT&T Stadium with matchups against the NFC East, Eagles, Gian Commanders plus the Jags, the Titans, the Cardinals, the 49ers and the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. Limited game tickets are available [e-mail] the official primary ticketing partner of your Dallas Cowboys. Wrapping things up here on Talking Cowboys. There are pads on the practice field. There are players in the building. We are seeing the off season program continue. But Patrick, as we get closer, what are some of the dates that Cowboys fans need to take a look at as we get get the closer to OTAs, mandatory minute camp and all of the fun stuff throughout the year. I mean the off season, I mean

[Patrick No See Walker]

really, when you look at where we are in the regular, on the off season, this is kind of the first lull, right? So you're post draft and you're post, you know, rookie mini camp and your post schedule release and. But you're ahead of voluntary OTAs where the veterans and the rookies come together. So that's the next thing to look forward to is veterans, Cameron and rookies, they come together for OTAs. That's going to be for the Cowboys at June 4th. No, hold on a second. I got it here.

[Kyle Yeomans]

First through the fourth, right?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And then they've got a second one, right?

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yep. Then they got a second one. So then you got mandatory OT starts next week, voluntary OTAs. That is. Give me a second because Kyle didn't tell me he was.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I said it in the tease.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Did you?

[Kyle Yeomans]

He did, he did.

[Patrick No See Walker]

He did. I said I was reading Melvin's comments because. Melvin, you're great.

[Kyle Yeomans]

No, man. All right, so June 1st and 2nd is when it. When it really gets underway. The mandatory OTAs. Then they have one the 8th and the 9th, and then June 11th and then mandatory mandatory minicamp.

[Patrick No See Walker]

16th, 18th.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Correct. Thank you, Patrick. Good job, dude. Way to hop on it.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Don't do me like that.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's like the Braves. It took a little bit of time to get ready, but now they're rolling.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Yeah. Yeah. I was trying not to go to the baseball, but I mean, you know, Braves are, you know, doing their thing. They are doing, but no. So there you are. So the key thing to certain circle is again, June 16 through June 18, three day mandatory mini camp. Because the headline there is obvious. It's George Pickens. Will he be here and what will he do once he reports? And I believe that he will report after that. It's the. It's the. It's the quiet period. And we hope it stays quiet. And I hope it stays quiet because after that it's the long wait until Cowboys depart for Oxnard. And we're still waiting for the official dates for that. There's some rumblings upstairs as far as when that might begin, but nothing solidified right now. So we're not going to say it on the air. We'll just wait to see what those dates be.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Nice to know is all I'm saying. Would be nice to know.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Definitely would be.

[Patrick No See Walker]

It'll. It'll come up in a couple of weeks.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

My question to. To the former player in the room, what Just how Patrick outlined it. It's a lull of the off season now. You're working out, you're doing things on the field, you're training, you're conditioning all of these different elements that go into an NFL off season. But what's it like and how long does it take to ramp back up into OTAs? Does it not take long at all from. From a player standpoint and a body OTAs? Yeah. Just to get back into practice scenarios,

[Isaiah Stanback]

or is it a breeze this time of the year? Right.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Time of the year going from a lull, it's.

[Isaiah Stanback]

I mean it doesn't take much. I mean the thing is the coaches aren't expecting you to be at 100% either. Sure.

[Patrick No See Walker]

They're.

[Isaiah Stanback]

I mean the re. The expectation. I don't know what the this coaching staff expectation is, but the reality is you're going to be rough. They mostly want to get you mentally sharp. So mentally this is the time for you to be sharp in terms of knowing your system, understanding their schemes. Right. They want to try to get as many mental errors out the way as possible. They're going to run you through the all the installs so that when you come to training camp you can pick right up. Right. And when they run through the install again, that there's no grace given for you to be adapting it right. And, and really instilling it in. Onto the field.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Field.

[Isaiah Stanback]

That's your second time through right when you hit the training camp. So everything that they're doing in training camp, they're really practicing it right now. The coaches are right in terms of the install, in terms of coaching techniques, the philosophies, making sure they're speaking our same language. All those things are happening now. The physicality portion. Okay, yeah, we're going through it and. But nobody's like on you about like

[Patrick No See Walker]

oh my God, you need.

[Isaiah Stanback]

No, they're going to go through the particulars, right. And they're gonna. This is their time to understand how can I coach this individual? How does he respond? You know, all those things. So this is really just like a big scientific data.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Science. Yeah, just science. Yeah.

[Josh Rodriguez]

They're just gathering, gathering data.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Gathering data. You know what I'm saying? They're, they're putting the, the tracking systems on guys, seeing how fast they're moving the recovery. Like they're getting their strategy down. So say hey, in the off season when you're going off on vacation, the coaches are like, okay, this is how we need to address this. So when we get training camp, this is the best plan that we could put forth to set our guys up for success.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Really quick question. I'm not going to go into it because I know we got a to go. Did you guys do your schedule predictions?

[Josh Rodriguez]

No.

[Patrick No See Walker]

Record wise? No.

[Josh Rodriguez]

No, no. Cool. Wait.

[Patrick No See Walker]

I love that.

[Isaiah Stanback]

We'll wait for that without you. We'll get there.

[Josh Rodriguez]

There's another episode.

[Patrick No See Walker]

No, I was, I was hoping they didn't do it with us. Not here. And they didn't because they held us.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Of course not.

[Isaiah Stanback]

Cuz we're brothers. Yeah.

[Patrick No See Walker]

We're singing and we're.

[Kyle Yeomans]

At least it was at the end of the episode.

[Patrick No See Walker]

That's.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's good. All right, that does it for us here on Talking Cowboys. Hope you had some fun with us over the last 50 minutes. We'll be back next week, Tuesday, 10am Central. Time to get everything under control. And we'll have a day of practice to watch beforehand. We'll have some good stuff to watch. And everything is talking about all the foot for Patrick Wilson, walker for Josh Rodriguez. Isaiah, stand back. Who's waving to the tour group that's going beside us? Chris Beam. I'm Kyle Yeoman saying so long from Talking Cowboys. We'll see you time next next week. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys.com and the Dallas Cowboys Football club.

[Patrick No See Walker]

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[Patrick No See Walker]

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