Talkin’ Cowboys: Madness, Marist, & Moving Different

Summary

Talkin’ Cowboys: Madness, Marist, & Moving Different

Air Date: March 3, 2026
Hosts: Kyle Youmans, Patrik "No C" Walker, Isaiah Stanback, Josh Rodriguez
Podcast Description: The crew returns from the NFL Combine energized and ready to break down the latest off-season moves, the Cowboys’ changing philosophies, and which roster needs should be addressed first—while serving up classic banter, strong opinions, and a March Madness-themed segment.

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Main Theme

This episode dives deep into the Dallas Cowboys’ shifting approach entering the 2026 offseason. The hosts analyze contract restructures, free agency philosophy changes, lessons learned from 2025 letdowns, and roster priorities, all while mixing sharp insight with laid-back, barbershop-style laughs. Plus, a “March Madness” bracket determines the Cowboys’ top offseason needs.

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Key Discussions & Insights

1. Podcast Banter & “We’re Back!” Energy

• The hosts reconnect after trips to LA and the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
• Light teasing about the podcast desk, technical mishaps, and podcast studio artifacts set the tone for a loose, conversational style.
• Memorable quote:
  • Patrick Walker, on being “back”: “If you ever wonder who we are, Derek? Just look at the podcast that’s ranked above you. You know what I’m saying? Yeah. Shots fired early in the office.” (03:04)

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2. Cowboys Cap Space & Contract Maneuvers

Timestamps: 04:29–09:52

News & Notes Breakdown:

• Franchise Tag:
  • George Pickens is tagged, giving the team until July 15 to negotiate a long-term deal. Tag is worth $27.3M (fully guaranteed if he plays on it).
• Major Restructures:
  • Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Tyler Smith’s contracts restructured, freeing ~$66M in cap space.
  • The Cowboys, previously $56M over the cap, are now $10M in the green—with more moves available.
• Salary Cap Context:
  • The NFL’s 2026 cap jumps to a record $301M, the biggest increase ever.
• Misconceptions & Realities:
  • Patrick Walker explains the annual “kicking the can down the road” narrative is overblown:

    “The salary cap is real. But the salary cap can and has been finessed so many times... It all works itself out organically.” (08:06)

• Front Office Quotes:
  • Stephen Jones: “We can still do everything we need to do.”
  • Jerry Jones: “That’s not going to stop us from... busting the budget... Right now needs to be the time.”

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3. Franchise Philosophy Shift: Aggressive or the Same Old?

Timestamps: 09:52–22:30

• Jerry Jones’ New Tone:
  • Hosts observed Jerry taking “specific responsibility” for past letdowns, signaling a break from over-optimism and wishful thinking.
  • Quote highlight (Josh Rodriguez, on Jerry):

    “We can’t rely on the chance that these things are going to go our way. We can’t take a shot on redshirt players that are going to contribute... We need guys that are ready to go right now. My favorite quote from Jerry... ‘We got to go this year. Come on, man.’” (11:14)

• Alignment & Windows:
  • For the first time, the top-to-bottom messaging is universally about urgency, accountability, and not waiting for luck.
• Redshirt/Medically-Flagged Players:
  • The Cowboys leadership (in bus interviews) said they’re done chasing high-upside, delayed-payoff prospects in the draft or free agency.
  • They want contributors “ready to go now”—no more gambling on delayed returns.
• Skepticism Remains:
  • Multiple hosts remain in “show me, don’t tell me” mode until free agency actions match the rhetoric.
  • Isaiah: “I’d be shocked if we don’t see action as soon as free agency opens up. I genuinely believe there’s gonna be a heavy hitter Day One.”

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4. Free Agency: Predictions & Position Priorities

Timestamps: 15:44–22:30

• Anticipation of Aggressive Moves:
  • Expectation the Cowboys will be active “right out of the gate,” especially with recruiting power based on new staff and urgency.
  • Position Focus: Defense—specifically linebacker, nickel/safety, and edge rusher.
  • Don’t rule out big trades (using 1st-round picks) for the right player.
• New Staff as a Draw:
  • Christian Parker’s presence and connections, along with a revamped coaching staff, will attract free agents—unlike past years where additions were underwhelming.
  • “It’s recruiting season, baby.” (21:01)
• Host Energy:
  • It’s both a new vibe and a prove-it moment for the Cowboys, per the whole table.

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5. March Madness Bracket: Ranking Cowboys’ Top Needs

Timestamps: 34:10–51:10

• Format:

  • March Madness-style single-elimination bracket to rank the Cowboys’ greatest offseason needs.
  • Positions debated (QB, RB, K, and IDL taken off the table).
  • First Round Winners:
    • LB > TE
    • Safety > OT
    • Edge > WR
    • Corner > IOL

• Debates & Rationale:

  • Safety vs. Corner: Lengthy argument over which is the bigger need, with safety (“no reliable options at all”) narrowly beating corner (14–6 vote in chat).
  • Edge vs. LB: Edge ultimately wins as top need, despite team acknowledgment they’ll likely sign a linebacker first.

• Final Rankings (Most to Least Urgent):

  1. Edge rusher
  2. Linebacker
  3. Safety
  4. Cornerback
  5. Offensive Tackle
  6. Wide Receiver
  7. Interior Offensive Line
  8. Tight End
  • Quote highlight (Isaiah Standback):

    “No matter what safety you name, you’re going to have bubble guts about them. That’s my thing... There’s not one safety you can name that you say, I feel good about them.” (40:39)

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6. Marist Liufau's Position Change & Challenges

Timestamps: 27:13–33:44

• Update:
  • Marist Liufau (formerly ILB) is moving to outside linebacker/edge rusher to better fit the new 3-4 defense.
• Concerns:
  • Must add 15–20 pounds without losing speed (his top asset).
  • Challenges adapting hand technique/edge work at the NFL level.
  • “If it doesn’t work out, now you’re too big to go back to ILB, it sucks... it’s literally chips all in. If it doesn’t work out, now you gotta lose 20 pounds to get back to who you were.” — Isaiah Standback (29:56)
• Potential:
  • Coaches (esp. Uzo-Diribe, who developed top Georgia edge rushers) are confident the transition can work, but expectations are “just be serviceable” in year one.
  • “Genetically, he has an advantage—Polynesians can put on mass faster than other people do.” — Isaiah Standback (33:13)

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Patrick Walker, on restructuring and cap:

  “The selflessness. How dare you give me a bunch of cash. For those that don’t understand there’s a difference between reworking a contract, i.e. pay cut and... restructure... The players are never going to say no because it liquidates more of the contract up front. Cash in the pocket right now versus down the road.” (05:22)

• Josh Rodriguez, on 2025 lessons:

  “We can’t take a shot on redshirt players... We need guys that are ready to go right now. My favorite quote from Jerry... ‘We got to go this year. Come on, man.’” (11:14)

• Patrik Walker, on urgency:

  “It feels like more than anything, Jerry is... facing his own mortality. He doesn’t have time for a bad time, and he’s realizing it more and more... [He doesn’t] want a second franchise quarterback’s career wasted on his watch. No.” (18:05)

• Isaiah Standback, on safety need:

  “There’s not one safety that you can name that you say I feel good about them.” (40:39)

• Kyle Yeomans, on skepticism:

  “We may be fooled... we may be just too close to the fire and we’re feeling the heat a little bit. I don’t know. But what I do know is it does feel different.” (21:35)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:29 – News & Notes: Cap, contracts, & franchise tag
• 09:52 – Cowboys’ new front office tone & urgency
• 13:33 – Redshirt/medically flagged players discussion
• 15:44 – Predicting aggressive free agency, positions to watch
• 27:13 – Marist Liufau’s position change and implications
• 34:10 – March Madness Bracket for offseason needs
• 40:39 – Debate: Safety vs Corner as top need
• 47:23 & 48:28 – Free agency: strategy for safety/corner
• 51:01 – Final rankings, episode wrap-up

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Episode Flow

• Lively, light-hearted banter at the top
• Clear transitions between news segments, analysis, and the interactive bracket
• Deep dive into Cowboys philosophical changes, cap moves, and talent evaluation
• Engaging, unfiltered debate—especially on biggest roster needs
• Crowd participation in brackets (via live chat votes)

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Takeaway

The Cowboys’ offseason feels “different” to those closest to the team, with a palpable sense of accountability and urgency replacing old habits of patience and corner-cutting. Realignment in free agency and the draft is promised—but fans (and hosts) are putting the organization on “show me” alert until action backs up the rhetoric. Expect linebacker, edge, and safety to be top priorities when free agency opens.

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For fans seeking a comprehensive, nuanced, and entertaining look at the Cowboys’ 2026 offseason game plan—this is a must-listen (or must-read) episode.

Transcript

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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.

[Chris Beam]

CD Lamb. It's on Jake Ferguson. Prescott keeps it and he bangs it into the touchdown.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And now your hosts, Isaiah, stand back. Patrick Walker, Josh Rodriguez and Kyle Yeomans. I unplugged my microphone or unplugged my headset before we got in. Like, right as Chris was about to count us down. So this is great.

[Isaiah Standback]

Chris says, go, Kyle.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Just looking at me like, trying to find the headphone jack. It's an off season edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company live from the Star in Frisco, Texas

[Chris Beam]

and the SWBC studios.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Welcome in, everybody. I'm Kyle Yeomans. Patrick no see Walker, Josh Rodriguez. Isaiah, stand back. Chris Beam in the back. I'm Kyle Yeoman. So glad you're with us. Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company. The official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys.

[Isaiah Standback]

Had trouble finding the Jack hole.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, I gotta find it, but I got it.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I like this desk.

[Chris Beam]

Is this a desk?

[Kyle Yeomans]

The desk is bad.

[Chris Beam]

So bad.

[Isaiah Standback]

This whole thing, man, everybody's talking about the. The absence of a desk. I. I don't know what that experience is like.

[Chris Beam]

You don't know struggle of Isaiah.

[Josh Rodriguez]

You don't know the struggle. Isaiah, Stand back.

[Isaiah Standback]

I don't. I've been spoiled by this.

[Josh Rodriguez]

You didn't grow up on the mean streets of Little Texas like I did,

[Chris Beam]

but we were without a desk.

[Isaiah Standback]

I've been sitting at desk since the middle of 2020, buddy.

[Chris Beam]

Deskless.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's true.

[Isaiah Standback]

That is not the beginning of 2020. Beginning of 2020, Beamer was sending me freaking microphones and lava mics and all kinds of stuff to my house.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Like, who is this guy?

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah, he sent me a pair of Bulls headphones and I was like, you know what? I like this.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I like this.

[Chris Beam]

You know, I find it interesting.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I still use those headphones.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah, me too.

[Chris Beam]

Find it interesting that you reappear when the desk does. So you can't be in the trenches with your brothers.

[Isaiah Standback]

You wouldn't put me in the gym.

[Kyle Yeomans]

You.

[Chris Beam]

Were you shooting with me in the gym? You wouldn't fight in the crotch shots.

[Isaiah Standback]

I'm kind of mad that I missed that.

[Chris Beam]

Just saying.

[Isaiah Standback]

I'm mad that was a part. I wasn't a part of that. I wanted to be a part of that.

[Chris Beam]

What are you trying to show here, man?

[Kyle Yeomans]

I guess next week, if you're doing, Man, Derek is, like, not here, and he's gonna be looking at his phone, like, watching our show like he knows we're back.

[Chris Beam]

We're back.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's true.

[Isaiah Standback]

We are so.

[Josh Rodriguez]

We are so back.

[Isaiah Standback]

If you ever wonder who we are, de, Just look at the podcast that's ranked above you. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Saying shots fired early in the office.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I can't wait.

[Chris Beam]

Varsity. If you will select travel.

[Isaiah Standback]

Travel team.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's what it's felt like recently because you were in la, you were in Indy. I was in Indy.

[Chris Beam]

Like, everybody's traveling, holding it down for all of us.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Thank goodness.

[Chris Beam]

We would love.

[Isaiah Standback]

We would love to travel, you know, with it, with the team.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Just speak for yourself.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Throw that out. We're talking about for Brazil.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I'm good.

[Isaiah Standback]

Man,

[Kyle Yeomans]

oh, man. Welcome back in, everybody. Real glad everybody's back and safe. And after what was a tumultuous trip to the. To the Indianapolis. Com NFL scouting combine, Patrick there.

[Isaiah Standback]

That was awesome.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It was great, and we had a lot of fun. We saw you there quite often.

[Chris Beam]

What I say, Couldn't walk past the TV screen.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Every time we walked into Radio Row or any kind of media or any kind of hotel lobby or whatever it was, I would just hear Isaiah's voice like a ghost in the back of my head. And he was like, but what about Michael Pinx? What about. What about Romeo?

[Chris Beam]

Why.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Why are all these guys not the top of the league right now? It's like, because they went. The U Dub.

[Isaiah Standback]

That's good. See this face.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And he surrounded every time, so.

[Josh Rodriguez]

And then it reminds you who the super bowl champions are, and then you're

[Chris Beam]

like, all right, there you have it.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Let's get into some news and notes,

[Isaiah Standback]

Patrick, because do it.

[Kyle Yeomans]

The last time we were on this show was right before we went to Indy.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And my goodness, there's a lot happened between now and then.

[Chris Beam]

A little bit. All right, let's try to make this as concise as possible. So, you know. Yeah, yeah, no, don't do that.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah.

[Chris Beam]

First and foremost, George Pickens has officially been franchise. Tag. Tag. It's done now.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I like that.

[Chris Beam]

That is with the expectation Cowboys are looking to buy themselves some time. They now have until July 15th to get a long term deal done. If he, if a deal is not done by 15th, then George Pickens, assuming he signs the tag as is expected, if it were to come to that, he would be fully guaranteed $27.3 million. That's a lot for 20. Yeah, that is a lot for 20. 26. All of that is sitting against the cap as we speak.

[Isaiah Standback]

I don't like those words.

[Chris Beam]

Don't like them. However, the Cowboys have already begun pulling expected triggers. So if you follow the science on Dallas Cowboys.com you ain't been going that long. Come on with it on Dallas Cowboys.com

[Isaiah Standback]

you kind of blew through that, you know.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Isn't it so nice of the players to allow the Dallas Cowboys to restructure their own contracts?

[Chris Beam]

It's crazy. The selflessness is. The selflessness.

[Isaiah Standback]

How dare you give me a bunch of cash.

[Chris Beam]

Oh my God. For those that don't understand there's a difference between reworking a contract, I. E. Pay cut and whatever the case may be versus Restructure. Restructures are baked into the negotiations. When the deal is signed. The team has that option. It is exclusive to the team. They don't need to players permission. And it's because the players are never going to say no because it liquidates more of the contract up front. Cash in the pocket right now versus down the road.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Oh, darn.

[Chris Beam]

Oh darn. So Dak Prescott, CD Lamb, Tyler Smith, they've now had their contracts restructured, freeing up roughly $66 million. And I tell you, Dag, Tyler and CD they're not exactly upset at that. Okay, so the Cowboys get salary cap space. The players get cash up front. That works. Cowboys have several more triggers that they can pull. Also, Diggy Zula comes to mind. Yes, sir.

[Isaiah Standback]

Help the people and myself understand what the salary cap position of the Dallas Cowboys was going.

[Chris Beam]

I'm glad, I'm glad you said that. Because the Cowboys now are aware of what the NFL salary cap is for 20, 26. It is a record setting $31.2 million.

[Isaiah Standback]

So does that mean that there's more space?

[Chris Beam]

There is more space. Historically more. This is also a historic jump. This is the biggest jump in the salary cap in NFL history. History. Literally history now at 3, 301. Let's just round it, make it an easy number. 301 million dollar salary cap space. The Cowboys before they structured any of these contracts, but including the franchise tag already in it, they were $55 million $56 million in the hole. They freed up $66 million. So now they're 10 million in the green with more triggers that they can pull. Kenny Clark and Quinny Williams, if you extend them now or rework their contract. One of those, you free up almost $30 million combined between those two guys alone. And I haven't even talked about guys like OSA Odiggy, Zoo and oh Duron Bland, any guys that they might want to rework or restructure.

[Isaiah Standback]

So Cowboys space, do you think that

[Chris Beam]

they can get to they as of the salary cap being announced before they pull the triggers on CD deck and Tyler for that 66, they can free up $131 million in salary cap space against a negative 55.

[Isaiah Standback]

And what is your response to those that are like they're just kicking the can?

[Chris Beam]

I'll kick your can. That's my response. Listen everybody. There's no secret Patrick, no see, Walker does not want to hear about damn pie. I don't want to hear about pie. This is not life. I don't know the other pie. Not, not the colored pie, the whites only pie. I want to hear about pop. Okay, if you know the reference, you know the reference shouts out to Mark Lawrence and Eddie Murphy. But no, seriously man, I, I rip. Two things are true. The salary cap is real. But the salary cap can and has been finessed so many times throughout the course of the salary cap's existence by teams. Talk about the New Orleans Saints in the Drew Brees era. Talk about St. Louis Rams in recent seasons, Philadelphia Eagles, they do it every year. And everyone says, oh well, the bill comes due. Well, yeah, theoretically the bill comes due, but it doesn't matter if the bill comes due when next year, the salary cap goes up exponentially again. And you have new TV contracts and things like that, sponsorship deals that are coming in. It all works itself out organically. Plus you have organic attrition in the roster. There are players who's who are on the cap right now who won't be on the team next year. Yeah. Be it expiration of contract or waving of that player. So many machinations that the average, even die hard fan, the fellow capologist also understand that this is not an issue as much as casual fans would believe. And that's why when you hear Jerry Jones speaking from the combine even before. So Stephen Jones, they're saying even if George Pickens was forced, forced, even if he chose to play under the $27.3 million franchise tag, and this is a direct quote, Stephen Jones, we can still do everything we need to do, end quote. Stephen Jones, Jerry Jones saying things like, that's not going to stop us from, quote, unquote, busting the budget, doing everything we can, because right now needs to be the time. And I agree.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And I think one of the things that people are not necessarily focusing on, that Jerry said on the bus with us the other day, and the quote that came out of that is like, I could see us being aggressive in free agency. Like, that was the quote that blew up and everybody kind of like hung their hat on that. The part of that conversation, I believe it was in the same answer. He said, I'm willing to wager my future.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

He said, I'm willing to dig into the future and the budget. This is paraphrasing, of course, but the fact that he's said that, that's the first time I've ever heard him say,

[Chris Beam]

how Brooklyn for some cheesecake?

[Isaiah Standback]

I was about to ask the question because you guys, you gentlemen, Strapp young men, have opportunity to speak with him and have been around him for a number of years now. There is, and obviously we have information that we can always, you know, put forward to the public. But what would you guys say or what would you guys convey to the general public about what you guys have seen from Double J from the past? You know, when he was just, you know, kind of throwing out headliner, you know, comments and quotes versus the vibes that you guys get now when he speaks. Like, can you guys, can you guys descriptively convey that?

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'm going to let you answer, but I've got something like cut and dry here that I've always. I've been really, like, chewing on Friday. Well, I want you to be able to.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Well, I just want to say that I think there's a lot of responsibility taken in the response that he's given so far this offseason. I think he acknowledged that things didn't go their way last season because of the things that they needed to go right for them, like the health of Rebel, the health of Overshone, the signing of certain linebackers that they thought were going to contribute, the signing of Eber Fluss, who they thought was going to turn things around on D defense for all intents and purposes. Now the rhetoric is that, you know, we can't rely on that anymore. We can't rely on the chance that these things are going to go our way. We can't take a shot on red shirt players that are going to contribute or guys that we have to wait until week 10. To start contributing, we need guys that are ready to go right now. My favorite quote from Jerry in that, that one hour bus conversation was, we got to go this year. Come on, man.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's the first time I've heard them take responsibility. Specific, Specific responsibility, but also specific examples and basically say they were wrong.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's the first time I've ever heard them do that in a consistent manner. So. And we've heard that conversation from Will McClay and Stephen Jones and Jerry Jones in the past where you talk about alignment, right. Top to bottom, you're aligned from the front office to the scouting department to the coaching staff to the players. And in the past, there's probably been one or two of those things aligned, but not all four. Every couple years you might see all four aligned. And that's when you get the 2016s, that's when you get the 2023. That's when you get the seasons that go really well and things are kind of rolling in the right direction. But then when one of those slips out of place, then you're not there. I feel like they're getting back to that same spot despite what season they had in 2025. Because you're hearing the same thing from Shoddy, you're hearing the same thing from the front office, you're hearing the same thing from Will McLay, top to bottom. They haven't been good enough. That's what they've been talking about. And they're changing ways that they've done things consistently over the last decade. The redshirt players was a big one. I asked that question on the bus for a reason. I was like, have you changed the way that you're, that you're looking at medically flagged players, whether it be in free agency or the draft. And he said, yeah, you're not going to see us take any red shirt players. And of course fans love that because

[Josh Rodriguez]

I jumped out of my tired of

[Kyle Yeomans]

seeing her type of thing. And that's nothing against the players they've taken in the past. I mean, Savone Rebel is one of the guys they've talked about glowingly as a possible second year jump, he was a medically red flag player. But this year, knowing the type of quarterback that you have, the type of offense you have, the type of overarching talent you have on defense, despite the lack of production as a whole last year, I think they see this as a window, but this window is going to close quickly.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yes.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And that's why they're saying, forget all the future. Forget what we're going to wager in the future. We've got to go now. And that's the first time I've really heard that I said this on this show a couple weeks back. I will believe it when I see it in free agency, and I still feel that way, of course, but this is. This does feel a little different. It really does.

[Chris Beam]

Listen, this is the moment that. And it's still very much show me. Right? It's very. It's very much show me.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Chris Beam]

Hear you. We hear you. We hear you. Show me.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I would be more disappointed this year if they don't get aggressive based on the buildup and based on the way that they're saying things here, than I was even in the all in year and kind of 20, 23, and they're trying to push the chips to the middle of the table. We're going to spin a lot. And then they don't. If they do that this year and it's a dud and free agency, I would be more disappointed.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah. And I agree because the. The vernacular that they're using this year is different than that year. That year it was all in, and then it was Jerry kind of walking back. Well, what's your definition of all in? Yeah, Webster's Def lines All in as now, it's. It's much different. And everybody's in lockstep. And when you see them being willing to again, move on from Eber Flutes after one season, when you see them early, get Javante Williams done. And now comes the bigger question. Okay, are you going to wait until training camp for this George Pickens thing to be resolved, or are you not? Brandon Aubrey, There's a great likelihood that at some point today they're going to put a second round tender on him, possibly TJ Bass as well. Does. Does that mean those things need to continue to roll along into the summer? No. Get those deals done. Get them out the way. Free up your salary cap, in addition to the other triggers that you have so that when legal tampering starts on March 9, you're one of the first ones out the gate.

[Isaiah Standback]

I. I foresee. And I'm. I asked that question because it, like, like most people.

[Chris Beam]

Right.

[Isaiah Standback]

Kind of show me.

[Chris Beam]

Right.

[Isaiah Standback]

I don't. But then when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys, like, I hear what you're saying. All right. All in between, between the information that we get on the back end and how I see people move around here now in terms of executives, I would be shocked if we don't see Action as soon as free agency opens up. I genuinely believe that there's going to be a heavy hitter day one, soon as it opens up day one. And I think that is going to be the trigger that kind of sends a bat signal in the air to the remainder of the free agents that would potentially be great additions for the Dallas Cowboys that might get a little bit more money somewhere else. But if they see that player or players come and sign with Dallas, they're gonna be like, oh yeah, I need. Yeah, it's a recruiting tool, right?

[Josh Rodriguez]

To get in on that.

[Isaiah Standback]

It's a recruiting tool. So the moves that they make on day one of free agency, I think are going to literally send out morse code to the remainder of the free agents that would. There are in a financial position to take a little bit of a hit there to come join something. And I'm talking about defense. I'm not talking about office.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, we're all, we're all talking about. Right?

[Isaiah Standback]

So I think think there's gonna be one heck of a linebacker that gets signed. I think it's gonna be one heck of a nickel that gets one heck of a safety that gets signed. And I think there's gonna be one heck of a outside backer slash pass.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Right?

[Chris Beam]

Well, to that last point you just said one heck of an outside linebacker slash pass rusher. Don't take trades off the table in this, in this process as well. Because free agency is one thing and they're looking at that. But they've continuously said they're not unwilling to come up off one of those first round picks in free agency if it meant for the right person. So if you want to max out in doing so, then you know, by all means. But my point being, and I love that you brought this up because we were talking about this last week. Options. You have options now in safety realm. Safety doesn't look great in free agency right now. Linebackers. Linebacker. Linebacker looks spectacular.

[Isaiah Standback]

Oh, there's two. Oh, there's two guys.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, I know, I know. And I speak on those two guys on open market series on Dallas Cowboys.com

[Josh Rodriguez]

gonna pour water on himself.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Chill out, dude.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, bro, ain't no fences here.

[Isaiah Standback]

If you add. Just imagine two dread headed linebackers.

[Chris Beam]

Oh my God.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Oh, biased. That's all.

[Isaiah Standback]

Oh my God.

[Chris Beam]

You're a Harris, bro.

[Isaiah Standback]

I. And I know they're getting, getting both of the gentlemen that I would love to see on this defense would be too expensive, I'm pretty sure at that position. But if you were able to get both of those Gentlemen, at the second level. Yeah.

[UberEats Announcer]

Whole.

[Chris Beam]

They are, I will say, the energy to Isaiah's point. And this is why we have to. We have to balance what we're saying. Because Isaiah, Kyle, Josh and myself, we are all of the same ilk in that show us. We heard it all before. That is true. It is also true, though, that the air feels different. It feels like more than anything, Jerry is. He's facing his own mortality. He doesn't have time for a bad time, and he's realizing it more and more. Dak Prescott, he's in his prime. How many more prime years have Dak Prescot Are you willing to waste one of Jerry's biggest regrets in his career has to do with wasting Tony Romo career. Does he now want a second franchise quarterback's career wasted on his watch? No. So it feels as if they're moving different. They're definitely talking different now. It's time to put the rubber to the road.

[Josh Rodriguez]

My thing is, as far as free agency goes, I don't want another situation where it's like we're talking this big game and then it comes free agency, and then it's, you know, we start signing guys, but it's those guys that you don't really know their names. And then it's like, oh, well, he could maybe and no know. Yeah, we're gonna get some really?

[Chris Beam]

Some dudes.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Familiar names.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah, I foresee that being the case.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Maybe some former enemies. I don't know.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, but probably at least one of those.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yes, you're gonna start hearing those names. That's like, oh, that's a. That's a player that is a certified player that has the pedigree that can contribute to a defense right now. Not the hope that this guy can contribute. The. The proof is in the pudding.

[Isaiah Standback]

And I'm telling you, I believe there's going to be two or three of those guys immediately. And I think that.

[Chris Beam]

That.

[Isaiah Standback]

I believe that they're going to use that and the timing of day one to grab those guys, to let everybody know this ain't what it's been. Even better to go along with, you know, with the. With the whole, you know, whatever you want to call it.

[Chris Beam]

Better still is going to be the fact that I, Christian Parker, will have growing pains. We know this first year as a defense. But what's also true is his connections in this. In this league is ridiculous.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Oh, my God.

[Chris Beam]

Coaches and players. And then look at the staff he's built. There will be players in free agency that. Look at Christian Parker and that staff and say, you know what? I want in. They've got.

[Isaiah Standback]

They've got Marcus Dixon, the X D line coach for the Minnesota Vikings.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, look at where these guys are coming from. Whether it be around the league from Philadelphia, for example, the defense that they had in Arizona, Scott Simons is coming from there. You have guys coming from the collegiate ranks, Uzo in Georgia.

[Isaiah Standback]

And why does it matter where these coaches were? No, see, what do you mean?

[Chris Beam]

Why does it matter?

[Isaiah Standback]

What does it matter when it comes to free agency?

[Chris Beam]

What do you mean? Because. Because then you get to reach back and get those guys.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's cruden season, baby.

[Isaiah Standback]

You mean. You mean coaches like the coach players that they've already coached before from previous teams kind of. I mean, I mean just. It happens, right?

[Chris Beam]

I mean, it just happened last year. The difference being is that where these guys are coming from now, there are players there you actually want on this roster.

[Isaiah Standback]

It's interesting.

[Chris Beam]

Okay.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'm looking at the chat right?

[Chris Beam]

Ye.

[Kyle Yeomans]

There's. There's a lot of skepticism on and deserve. I get it.

[Chris Beam]

Show us.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Completely understand. Jack is like it. It doesn't feel different. I guarantee you in this building.

[Isaiah Standback]

I get it. It feels. It does in here.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And it might fool us. It might. We may be fooled by that. We may be just too close to the fire and we're feeling the heat a little bit. I don't know. But what I do know is it does feel different. The LA we've been here since. Or I've been here since 2019, I've seen the ups and the downs and mostly downs in the off season. The Cowboys, this one feels a little different. It does. And that's just how it is as we stand here on March 3rd. By the time we get here on March 10th next week and we've got a Tuesday show one day after the legal tampering period opens, we may not feel the same, but right now, today, it does feel a little bit different. I just want to lay that out.

[Chris Beam]

I don't know how many times they want us to say show us.

[Isaiah Standback]

No, no, Respectfully, with all of them. Respectfully.

[Chris Beam]

I get it.

[Isaiah Standback]

Which is why I'm bringing this up and I wanted you guys to give insight.

[Chris Beam]

Right.

[Isaiah Standback]

But like, for myself, speaking for myself, this is the first time where I feel like they're not going into an offseason trying to get guys for discount double check. Yeah.

[Chris Beam]

Agree now, like, this is the first

[Isaiah Standback]

year I've ever felt that. I'm like, I don't think that They're. I know. I always knew day one. They're not doing nothing so far.

[Josh Rodriguez]

They're moving differently, and they have time to prove it.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah.

[Chris Beam]

They just need to look at those other GMS and free agencies.

[Kyle Yeomans]

We're gonna get there. We're gonna get here on Tuesday, and we're gonna open the show, and we're just gonna be like, hey, guys, I don't know.

[Chris Beam]

Like I said, they might get in front of those other GMS and free agencies. So you gonna eat your cornbread?

[Kyle Yeomans]

There's gonna be a lot of stuff then. All right. You guys know what month it is?

[Chris Beam]

It's March.

[Josh Rodriguez]

March.

[Chris Beam]

It's March.

[Kyle Yeomans]

You know what happens in March?

[Chris Beam]

March Madness.

[Isaiah Standback]

Not a birthday.

[Chris Beam]

You know what else happens in March?

[Kyle Yeomans]

What's that?

[Chris Beam]

Well, you know, you got the job. House Grand Prix in Arlington.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Oh, okay. Yeah, that's. That's going to be incredible. Not what I'm talking about.

[Chris Beam]

Okay.

[Kyle Yeomans]

You got to write the first song. March Madness. Was that.

[Isaiah Standback]

I can't believe that it wasn't the first thing that came out of your mouth.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Well, because I'm trying to tease a segment that's coming up next. We've got brackets to fill out. I'll explain the rules when we come back with more talking cowboys right after this.

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[Chris Beam]

How's it going? You see that Cowboys game? Oh, I watched. Been seeing some good things. Totally. They have some talent.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yup.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Some great talent.

[Chris Beam]

And they got some fight. Hoping this is the year. Me too. Oh, I'm Cody, by the way.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'm Travis.

[Chris Beam]

Nice to meet you, Travis. Go Cowboys.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Go Cowboys.

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Make a new friend based solely on their shirt choice. What would you like the power to do? Bank of America, the official bank of the Dallas Cowboys. Copyright 2025 bank of America Corporation.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Cowboys fans, we've got big news. Black Rifle Energy is now available at Texas 711 stores. And for a limited time, you can sc two cans for just $6 at participating locations. These cans pack a serious punch. 200 milligrams of caffeine. Veteran crafted flavor and the clean energy you need to power through those long days. So the next time you roll into your neighborhood, 711 here in Texas, grab that two for six dollar black rifle energy deal and fuel up the American way. Black Rifle Coffee. America's coffee.

[Isaiah Standback]

Every day begins with a promise. A promise to work hard and to build a future. That's why we're here providing the tools, expertise and John Deere equipment you have relied on for generations to help you get the job done right.

[Chris Beam]

We're with you.

[Isaiah Standback]

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

[AT&T Announcer]

We're united at, AT and T. We guarantee our network. So you can talk college football with your BFF Chef while taking Buster to the vet.

[Chris Beam]

Hey, yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I can't believe he ate the whole

[Chris Beam]

thing of chicken wings.

[Isaiah Standback]

And I can't believe we're staging a comeback.

[Chris Beam]

Touchdown. Yes.

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[Kyle Yeomans]

back to Talking Cowboys. Back here on Talking Cowboys, presented by Black Rifle Coffee Company, the official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys. This segment is also brought to you by Invisalign. The official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. Patrick no See Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah Stamback in the back. Real quickly, Pat. I know we kind of like upended news and notes. There's a couple more just bullet points we probably need to hit, starting with Donovan as a rock who.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So over the course of the combine, we were told that Donovan Ezraku underwent labrum surgery on his hip several weeks ago. The expectation is that he will miss OTAs in minicamp, but that he will be a full goal for training camp. So as long as he recovers as they expect, he will effectively escape the PUP list to start training camp, which is going to be huge because he's going to be looked at to be a young guy who takes a huge step forward as an outside linebacker in this new 34 for Christian Parker. Also, who am I forgetting here is Roku Ameris, Maris Leopold. Yes. So Ryan Schottenheimer made it official the day prior. Kyle and I were speaking to the new inside linebackers coach, Scott Simons, and he dropped this nugget, which, like I said, was confirmed by Shoddy. 24 hours later, Maris Leofi out is no longer an inside linebacker for the Cowboys. He is now an edge rusher, outside linebacker. He's going to be working with Chidero Uzo Deribe exclusively. I'm not going to be sending any work with Scott Simon. Simon's going to focus on Shamar James demarvianovichon. And he said Justin Baron. I believe Sam said Justin Baron was an option there as well. But they're. They're going to look to add an inside linebacker, be it in the free agency or the draft. But Mayor Sleepow is now an edge rusher. He is going to have to bulk up. He's going to have to put on weight. That's one of the transition things. I talked to Christian Parker on Friday. I believe Nicole and I did. One of the questions I asked him directly and shoddy as well. I said, tell me the challenges and the transition plan for Marisley. Afoul bulking up. And as far as hand placement, learning how to rush the passer, the guys have resources. Guys like DeMarcus Ware who rush as a 34 guy. I asked if that was going to be an option. So both of them pretty much were in lockstep in that.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That sucks.

[Chris Beam]

Ramirez, he needs to bulk up. But. But one thing Christian Parker said.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

[Isaiah Standback]

Oh, wait.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Sorry.

[Chris Beam]

I was gonna say one thing Christian Parker said that stood out is that this isn't new to Marist. He pointed out how he was Sam at Notre Dame and that he's rushed off the edge before as a standup guy.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Not against the NFL.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, not at the NFL level.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Little bit different.

[Chris Beam]

The challenges, the ability is there, the length is there, the burst is there. The mass is not there yet. The hand technique is not there yet. And that is more concerning to me than the ma. Because you can put on the muscle. Muscle, right.

[Kyle Yeomans]

But learning, nice training table.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, but learning how to defeat offensive tackles in a phone booth, so to speak, versus having a five yard running start, that's going to be different.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I think that on top of everything that he's going to be required to do on special teams, I, I don't know. I think it's gonna be really tough off season for Maris, but I have.

[Chris Beam]

Oh, he's gonna have a off season to.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah, I, I have concerns for Maris,

[Isaiah Standback]

but, but me too.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Ultimately, I want it to go our way. Of course.

[Isaiah Standback]

This sucks, bro. Listen, I'm not saying it sucks because it's an opportunity, right? So you're blessed to have opportunities to play in this league, but it sucks from the standpoint of putting on weight. When your number one asset is your speed, it sucks. Right? He's going to have to put on £20 and I don't know how many people have put on £20. It's, it's, it's a lot.

[Josh Rodriguez]

And you haven't seen me on vacation.

[Isaiah Standback]

15, 20 pounds is a lot because your calling card has always been your quickness and has always been your speed and your explosiveness, right? Like that's his thing, right? When you have to put on that weight, not only are you naturally taking away from all those things that have been assets from you, you have to work to try to maintain that speed, maintain that explosiveness, but now you're adding extra stress on your body's ligaments that your body has not become accustomed to, to.

[Chris Beam]

Right?

[Isaiah Standback]

You also, if it doesn't work out for you, if it does not work out for you here now, you're out of size, out of position for any other opportunity that might, might have presented itself, right? So it sucks in that regard. That's when I say it sucks. That's what I mean. Like, it's a, it's literally chips all in, hopefully you don't get hurt type of situation here in Dallas. And if it doesn't work out for you in Dallas, now you're in a position where I have to now lose 20 pounds, lose 15, 20 pounds to get back to who I was before. It's just, it's this ring around the rosy situation that people don't necessarily think of. I know he's not going to complain about it. He's going to take it and say, hey, this is my challenge, I accept it. But Understand what it is when, when systems change and you don't necessarily fit that system's personnel. We talked about it here for guys like him is going to have a tremendous impact on the effectiveness that they can have and may have here in Dallas. And you bring up special teams. Well, what does he do on special teams? He's a freaking lightning bottle. Right. So now all of a sudden he puts on 15, 20 pounds. Is he the same effectiveness on all special teams? Probably not.

[Chris Beam]

Right.

[Isaiah Standback]

So I mean, so it affects not only just his position, but it affects everything that he does.

[Chris Beam]

I tell you, it's, it's going to be the, the first major test for outside linebackers. Coach Uzo deribe, of course at Georgia. This is a guy who coached a guy like Mikel into being a first round pick last year. So I mean he has the ability to absolutely get Marist at least in year one, maybe serviceable. That that would be my expectation is try to get him serviceable in year one based on where his starting point is coming from. A true inside linebacker who needs to put on, you know, 20 plus pounds and needs to get hand technique and things down. I just need him to be at least serviceable. But it's a huge first test for Uzo and you know, in speaking with Uzo, he's up to the task and I know for a fact that he's up to the task. We're not yet. Can I say it?

[Josh Rodriguez]

No.

[Chris Beam]

Okay, but go dogs. But I'm not, but I'm not going to objectively sit here and say that Isaiah is wrong at any of his points. There is a lot that is going to go into this transition and a lot has to go right. What we do know is Marist is high football iq. His work ethic is through the roof. He's going to give it his all and just have to see where it lands. Now if it does work out for him, which we all hope it does, then it also works out for him him in the bank as well because edge rushers get paid more than.

[Isaiah Standback]

Absolutely. But I also say, I mean and people might take this the wrong way, but it's the reality. Genetically he has an advantage. Talking about just, just build muscle. Yeah, well, I'm saying yeah. I mean being a Polynesian, he has the ability to put on mass faster than other people do. I would say Polynesians, I would say Nigerians or certain people. Based upon your and some of the German cats that I play with. Right. Genetically you're more opt to be able to put that weight on without the struggle.

[Chris Beam]

That's just facts. Yeah. That's fact.

[Isaiah Standback]

So that he does have that to his advantage.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I don't. I didn't know that was a thing.

[Chris Beam]

Oh, heck, yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Oh, I have to look up some science.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

All right.

[Chris Beam]

They're typically some big boy, yo.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I know.

[Chris Beam]

I've seen it.

[Lowe's Announcer]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I've called you list Trinity games. It's happened in Baltimore.

[Isaiah Standback]

Ravens games.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, Baltimore has been in a couple areas. All right, I've got a bracket for everybody. It's March. It's March Madness. We're going to rank the number one need for the Dallas Cowboys, but we got to go single elimination all the way down. And then when we get to the semifinals, we have to all agree we're gonna have a double elimination. We have to be unanimous.

[Chris Beam]

Wow.

[Kyle Yeomans]

So there's a debate that will rage on and we will fill out this bracket. It's got to be unanimous. Some of these early ones will be unanimous.

[Isaiah Standback]

All right.

[Kyle Yeomans]

But then I think when we get to the semifinals, things are going to get a little crazy.

[Chris Beam]

Okay.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay. That's off the table. Here are the positions that are off the table. Kicker is one. You're sticking around, but you're gonn quarterback, running back and interior defensive line. And the reason why I do that is because you've got Dak Prescott. You just resigned Javante Williams. We believe in Giovanni. It's the most recent acquisition, so let's just take it off the table for now. And then. So is interior defensive line. I think they've made the acquisition.

[Isaiah Standback]

Okay. There.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Traded for Kenny Clark. Traded for Quinn and Williams.

[Isaiah Standback]

Add one more.

[Kyle Yeomans]

You could totally add one more. That's not the point. The point is number one need, and we're going to try and get there. These are eight seated positions. Game one, linebacker and tight end. Go. Linebacker, linebacker, linebacker. That's a pretty good one. Moving on. Tackle versus safety.

[Chris Beam]

Sure.

[Isaiah Standback]

Oh, wait.

[Chris Beam]

Do you.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Do you.

[Chris Beam]

Do you disagree for the number one?

[Josh Rodriguez]

No. No, that's just the first.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's the first.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Between the two.

[Chris Beam]

Agree.

[Kyle Yeomans]

So you agree. So tight ends.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

Okay.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Tackle and safety is game two.

[Chris Beam]

Safety. Safety. Safe.

[Isaiah Standback]

Three on one, Kyle.

[Chris Beam]

Safety.

[Isaiah Standback]

You lost, Kyle.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I will say safety, but I don't think it's that cut and dry.

[Chris Beam]

I don't think it's cut. They have some options at tackle.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's probably the hardest.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah, they don't have the options at safety to move around. They just. They have.

[Kyle Yeomans]

You've got some options at tackle.

[Chris Beam]

That's what I'm saying. Like Oh, I see what you're.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay. I thought you meant, like, to grab.

[Chris Beam]

That's why I said safety in the off defeats tackle.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And I. I agree. You don't have the guys there. You need a safety, especially for this defense and what you're trying to build with Christian Parker. Completely understand. And I'm okay with putting them in through to the next round. Wide receiver and edge rusher. This is the 3.

[Chris Beam]

6.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's not even close.

[Chris Beam]

And really quick to the chat. We're not saying Marist is the. The guy opposite Israel. We're saying he's a guy they're putting in the depth chart. So, yeah, you still need to add a guy.

[Isaiah Standback]

They're just telling him so he has time. Right now they're telling him where you're not going to be.

[UberEats Announcer]

Right.

[Isaiah Standback]

Like, we know where you're not going to be, so we're not going to waste your time with this. This is going to be your position. Do what you need to do to be prepared to play that position.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

All right. The two versus the seven seed corner and interior defensive or interior offensive line?

[Chris Beam]

Corner.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Corner.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's an easy one. So there's the first round. Okay, so your five need is offensive tackle, your six need is wide receiver, your seven need is interior offensive line, and your eight need is tight end. You feel pretty good about those.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Chris, if you could put the bracket on screen.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, can you just throw that up there for us, Beamer? Appreciate you. Dude, I made this in the middle of the last.

[Chris Beam]

What the hell is going on?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Beamer's like, what? Graphic Game five. This is the first semifinal, and this is where things are going to get dicey. Linebacker and safety.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Linebacker.

[Isaiah Standback]

Linebacker.

[Chris Beam]

Linebacker.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Still think linebacker is number one in that need? Yes, I think I'm there, too. So maybe not as dicey as I thought, but I am going to move safety into a consolation bracket for, like, the third place game, like they do in soccer. So it's going to be down there, and we'll talk about safety here in a second. Edge and corner.

[Isaiah Standback]

Edge.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay, so this isn't really a super debatable topic at this point, but I'm also going to throw corner and safety into the consolation bracket, which is where we are now. So you got safety versus corner. Who's the number three need?

[Isaiah Standback]

Safety.

[Chris Beam]

Safe.

[Kyle Yeomans]

No, number three. Over corner.

[Chris Beam]

Corner.

[Isaiah Standback]

Safety.

[Chris Beam]

Corner. Safety.

[Isaiah Standback]

Corner. Safety.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I think we went corner.

[Chris Beam]

Well, here's. Here's the debate you were looking for.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, there's. There's the debate. Why do you say safety?

[Isaiah Standback]

I Say safety because you need to. You need a captain back there. You need a commander.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay.

[Isaiah Standback]

I think you versatility of being able to play back and play up.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I think I'm going to change to safety. Yeah. Because. No, genuinely because I think you have some pieces there at corner that you can rely on and hopefully a year two jump improves that whole scenario for you. I. I think you don't have any answers currently at safety. You don't have a lot of. You don't have the same bodies that you had now as you did last year because of free agency and how that's going to turn out. We don't know how that's going to turn out. But at least right now I don't think there's an identity there at safety that you can really rely on that needs to be completely. There's overhaul.

[Isaiah Standback]

There's not a safety that you can save without a shadow of a doubt. That's my guy.

[Chris Beam]

Nope, I don't think there's not a. There's a corner that you can look at without a shadow of a doubt.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah, there are two of them.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, they're hurt.

[Chris Beam]

Okay.

[Kyle Yeomans]

So you talked about reliable. You said there's not a reliable option safety. I don't know if there's a reliable viable option at corner.

[Chris Beam]

I would love to say that Daron Bland get back to prime form. I would love to say he'll be durable. He might have had consistent issues with that foot. That is trouble. Don't disagree now. So as we have this conversation because Kyle rightfully so. He likes to point out the date that we're having this conversation. So March 3, 2026. Duron Bland has durability issues with that foot as a cornerback. Agree that is concerning. It is. Siobhan Revel has yet to have a full off season that we've seen the potential especially under Christian Parker and Ryan Smith and Derek Ansley. The potential is there, but hope is not a strategy.

[Isaiah Standback]

No, it is.

[Chris Beam]

Okay. So we're hoping Revel can get a year or two jump. We're hoping to Ron Bland can stay durable ready Stewards exclusive rights. So let's say they keep ready in the building. But at corner, what else are you really working with at safety?

[Isaiah Standback]

Who's your cover safety? Thank you.

[Chris Beam]

No, no, no, I'm not. No, I'm.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Who's your number one corner?

[Chris Beam]

I'm trying to figure out if pick anybody could try. I'm trying to figure out zone up safeties.

[Isaiah Standback]

I need somebody to walk up and

[Chris Beam]

put their hands on the Tight end Elijah Clark. I don't know. He'll hit you. Well, see you gotta. I have concerns about one get Thomas that safety as well because the migraines. We need to know that the migraines are behind him, you know and he's a restricted free agent so he'll be able to negotiate with other teams as well. And the Cowboys can match that offer. But we're not saying safety is not a top need. Oh, I know you put. That's. That's the part in the bracket when you put safety versus cornerback back.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I also don't think go wrong.

[Chris Beam]

But what's making it harder on the safeties is that your cornerbacks have been struggling. Right. So the guys are getting past your cornerbacks and now your safeties are.

[Josh Rodriguez]

That's also don't have a pass rush crap.

[Chris Beam]

What's going on. And now it's too late because now it's like ah, no matter.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That hurts.

[Isaiah Standback]

But my thing is like no matter what safety you name, you're. You're not. You're going to have bubble guts about them. That's. That's my thing.

[Chris Beam]

Not.

[Isaiah Standback]

There's not one safe that you can name game that you say I feel good about them.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I feel the same about corner.

[Chris Beam]

That's. That's what I'm saying.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And that's what. That's where there's a sport.

[Isaiah Standback]

Even when healthy. As I'm looking at it, I'm not sure you guys are looking at the injury.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

When healthy position group versus position group.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

I have bubble guts about the safeties.

[Kyle Yeomans]

You know what I. I see what you're saying here and I agree with that factor. But in my head I'm thinking I would rather have healthy bodies. Thank you. I would rather have.

[Chris Beam]

Can your safety cover and also shouts

[Isaiah Standback]

out designers, can they play man, can they play zone?

[Kyle Yeomans]

No, probably not.

[Chris Beam]

We agree.

[Isaiah Standback]

So I'm saying. So what are your safeties doing that you guys feel good about not selecting them? Number one.

[Chris Beam]

As. As it stands right now you have your two starting corners, two starting boundary corners. As we speak in this conversation right now, can your backup guys availability.

[Isaiah Standback]

Can your backup guys play his own

[Chris Beam]

defense person name your backup corners.

[Isaiah Standback]

But I'm saying I can put ready Stewart out there. I mean you got Elijah out there, you got Kellen Carson. All those guys can play zone. I can, I could teach those guys to play zone.

[AT&T Announcer]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

Can you teach these safety so to play zone.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Didn't you want to move Stewart to.

[Chris Beam]

To safety. To safety? Absolutely.

[Isaiah Standback]

But right now, as of right now he's a corner.

[Kyle Yeomans]

As we sit on March right now.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah. On March 3, 2026.

[Isaiah Standback]

You understand what I'm saying? There is no safety that you feel confident. Confident putting on the field and saying play ball and or zone.

[Kyle Yeomans]

All right, so here's how we're going to settle this. Since we're split in the table. Two. Two in the chat. Give us your vote. Safety. Corner. Which is the biggest need? Safety or corner? I'll decide that on the other side of the break. We'll count up the votes when we come back. The championship. Who is the biggest need linebacker or edge rusher? And are they kind of one in the same? When we come back on Talking Cat Cowboys.

[Isaiah Standback]

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[Chris Beam]

Hey, yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I can't believe he ate the whole

[Chris Beam]

thing of chicken wings.

[Isaiah Standback]

And I can't believe we're staging a comeback.

[Chris Beam]

Touchdown. Yes.

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[Kyle Yeomans]

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[Kyle Yeomans]

It's the official men's skincare brand of the Dallas Cowboys Jack Black. And right now Cowboys fans can get 15% off their $75 order. Plus because every deal needs a playmaker. Your order will include a free five piece skin care set and free shipping. The Jack Black playmaker is four of Jack's favorites in a full sized intense therapy lip balm. Make a play for the [e-mail] Cowboys with the code Cowboys VIP that's getjackblack.com Cowboys with the Code Cowboys VIP. Back to talking cowboys back here on Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle coffee company. Back with Patrick Nosi Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah Stamback, Chris Beam in the back. I'm Kyle Yeomans. All right, we have our official count. I am stopping the votes by a score of 14 to 6. Safety moves on. I don't disagree.

[Chris Beam]

I really, you're nothing, Jon Snow.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I, I, I think safety is a massive need and I agree with every point that you made. I think just for myself, I think corner is such a question mark. Injury.

[Chris Beam]

I'm 5149 cor. I mean it's close.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah. You know how I feel about corners. You got to have some corners but you at least have some guys that you can say okay, go out there, play zone. Right? Like at the very least, play zone like I know you can't cut. I know you can't get out the break. All this got play zone. Just sit there in your little five yard box. Safeties aren't. Don't. They don't have that. They don't have a five yard box. They got to cover a lot more than that.

[Chris Beam]

Right.

[Isaiah Standback]

So these guys that you saw this

[Chris Beam]

past year told me on Friday he was like cornerback though. He was like, there's no wi fi.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah.

[Chris Beam]

He's like, you're on an island. So. Yeah.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Question though, and this kind of alludes to what you said earlier about safety is not being a big asset in free agency currently.

[Chris Beam]

Like there's not. It's.

[Josh Rodriguez]

So is it something to where you can.

[Chris Beam]

A lot of middle of the page,

[Josh Rodriguez]

a corner in free agency and then wait for the draft for safety?

[Chris Beam]

Yes. Yeah, absolutely.

[Josh Rodriguez]

It's kind of a blanket statement because we don't know who's going to be available at the pick.

[Isaiah Standback]

I don't think they're going to wait for the draft for safety.

[Kyle Yeomans]

They're going to have to get some. Somebody.

[Isaiah Standback]

I think they'll grab a safety.

[Chris Beam]

No, they, they're.

[Isaiah Standback]

I think they'll grab their safety.

[Chris Beam]

Before that dot com. Yesterday, literally my open market series focused on safeties. I have several safeties that you guys and gals and want to take a look at. What I'm saying is this crop of free agency safeties, there's maybe one that's above and beyond two tops. The rest are all kind of conglomerated into the middle.

[Isaiah Standback]

Right.

[Chris Beam]

I think they grabbed or amalgamated, if you will, kind of like in the seven million dollar range.

[Isaiah Standback]

I think they grabbed one in free agency.

[Chris Beam]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

I think we all know the one that they're most likely going to go. We feel like there's a grab and then I think they're going to draft one.

[Chris Beam]

I'm trying to read between your lines. What are you, what are you saying?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Is there a one that's gonna be.

[Isaiah Standback]

I don't know, but I think they'll, I think they'll grab one and they'll draft one.

[UberEats Announcer]

All right.

[Kyle Yeomans]

We got a championship game.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

We gotta go back.

[Josh Rodriguez]

It.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Linebacker and edge.

[Chris Beam]

Edge. Well, what do you say? Outsider in background.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's. That's my question.

[Chris Beam]

Linebacker.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Linebacker.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Linebacker.

[Isaiah Standback]

Linebacker.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Is that kind of counts? Both now, right?

[Chris Beam]

Outside line?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah, it's kind of both.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It kind of. Now that you're.

[Josh Rodriguez]

It's kind of one.

[Chris Beam]

No, I'm pulling inside linebacker.

[Isaiah Standback]

Outside, inside now.

[Chris Beam]

It's like Bugs and Daffy Duck season, Rabbit season. Outside linebacker. If you don't. You. You could not.

[Isaiah Standback]

Who's your commander in chief?

[Chris Beam]

Who's your commander Chief on the edge.

[Isaiah Standback]

I understand that, but listen into that point.

[Chris Beam]

Is it more you?

[Isaiah Standback]

Who's your green dot?

[Chris Beam]

Who. Who's. Who's your guy that they're scheming against on the edge as we have this conversation March 3, 2026, rushing the passer, getting home, not just pressuring pressures are great. But also getting home against the passer, which is something the Cowboys struggle might lead to do. That is going to dictate how your linebackers can play, how your corners can play, how your safeties can play. And right now you have a high upside guy in Donovan Israel who's coming off a labrum surgery. You have a guy emeritus Leophil that you need to transition to a whole new position. And then what else you got?

[Isaiah Standback]

I agree. I agree with the personnel, the lack of personnel.

[Chris Beam]

At least that inside linebacker. You got a promising guy. Shemar James Demarian over shown. If he remains available. Kaboom. And then you can mix in a guy like Justin Baron and then you can still address the position.

[Josh Rodriguez]

But you were just talking about after the quarter, you were just talking about health issues on the cornerbacks and how that would make it a bigger need. You don't have a solidified Demarvin Overshone

[Chris Beam]

as far as you know that's fair. Okay. So using that logic, let's pluck him out. And I still see Edge and Demarvin

[Kyle Yeomans]

Overshone is coming off of hip surgery.

[Chris Beam]

Demarvon overshot.

[Josh Rodriguez]

All right, so Donovan,

[Kyle Yeomans]

no breaking news.

[Chris Beam]

That's going to be brutal.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I promise that's not the case. I meant Donovan.

[Chris Beam]

There you go. I can get to my point. The Marvian over shown out, but then that's a wash by the fact that his rock was coming off of labrum surgery. So

[Isaiah Standback]

I know we gotta get out. I. I will get on board with edge, but I believe wholeheartedly that the first person that we sign will be a middle linebacker.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'm okay with that.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yes. I was literally just about to say that. Like I think the priority is going to be linebacker and free agency and

[Chris Beam]

not edge and then take a trip to Miami for your edge rusher. Now we're cooking.

[Kyle Yeomans]

We're Vegas. All right, that does it for us here on talking not happening. Lots of fun. Our bracket is filled out. So is it Edge? Is that the winner?

[Chris Beam]

Yep. Edge.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Edge wins. Did you have linebacker look at just come on over?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Sure.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay, so Edge wins. So it's edge, linebacker, safety, corner offensive tackle, wide receiver, interior offensive line, tight end. That's how it filled out. Hope you had fun with it. It's March Madness. We'll be back next week. It'll be one day after the legal tampering period opens, so we'll have some news for you.

[Chris Beam]

Tamper with me, baby.

[Kyle Yeomans]

All right, let's call me Philip Rivers. All right. For Patrick, no See Walker. For Josh Rodriguez. For Isaiah, stand back. I'm Kyle Yomuth. For Chris Beam in the back. We'll talk to you next week in the legal tampering period. So long. From talking Cowboys, you eat your co has been a production of Dallas Cowboys.com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.

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Get almost anything you need delivered with UberEats. What do we mean by almost? Well, you can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get a chicken parm delivered. A Little Escape? No. A delicious bowl of grapes? Yes. Yes, that. An afternoon stroll? Sorry, no. A burrito bowl? Happily, yes. A day of sunshine? No. A box of fine wines? Yes. Uber Eats can definitely get you that. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol and select markets. Product availability may vary by region. See app for details. Get almost almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now.