Talkin’ Cowboys: No Splash Zone?

Summary

Talkin’ Cowboys: No Splash Zone?

Date: March 10, 2026
Hosts: Kyle Yeomans, Patrik “No-See” Walker, Isaiah Stanback, Josh Rodriguez

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the Dallas Cowboys’ approach to NFL free agency as the new “legal tampering” period opens. The crew breaks down the Cowboys’ latest moves, analyzes trade and free agent targets, and debates the wisdom of focusing on depth versus “splash” signings. Lively banter and sharp analysis drive a wide-ranging discussion about Dallas’ off-season strategy, player fit in the new system, and prospects around the NFC East.

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Key Topics and Insights

1. Early Free Agency Moves: Cowboys Activity (01:49–10:13)

• Sam Williams Re-Signed (01:54)

  • One-year, $3 million deal; special teams mainstay in need of defensive growth.
  • Isaiah Standback: “[Williams] did not fit a 4-3 type defensive end. He is a 3-4 outside linebacker. This system should bode well for him.” (03:19)
  • Concerns remain over maturity (9.5 career sacks, 9 personal fouls).

• Rashan Gary Trade (04:27–06:43)

  • Traded a 2027 fourth-round pick to Green Bay for Gary (current base: $18M, expects contract restructuring).
  • Not a “blue-chip” but an impactful starter who is durable and consistent.
  • Patrick Walker: “This is not the blue chip edge rusher that I think everybody wanted, but is he a good football player? Absolutely. Is he better than what you had on this roster last year? Absolutely.” (11:57)

• Jalen Thompson Signing (06:48–07:31)

  • Three-year, $36 million max; versatile strong safety from Arizona, former pupil of new Cowboys secondary coach Ryan Smith.
  • Relegates Donovan Wilson to likely leaving: “They did not give Jalen Thompson a $36 million contract for him to play in rotation or back up to anybody.” (07:24)

• Contract Restructuring (07:31–08:13)

  • Malik Hooker (saves $2M), Terrence Steele (saves $9M) restructured.
  • Steele now 16th highest-paid OT; restructures free up cap for further moves.

• Second-Round Tenders (08:13–10:14)

  • Brandin Aubrey (k, 2nd round tender) and TJ Bass (OL) get $5.6M tenders, offering Cowboys right to match or receive a pick if signed away.
  • Brock Hoffman not tendered, slight tension but open door for his return.

• Comp Picks & Other Misses (10:14–11:35)

  • Two compensatory fifth-round picks added for the 2026 Draft.
  • Cowboys nearly completed a Maxx Crosby trade but didn’t want to give two firsts—Baltimore did.
  • Still monitoring market for Trey Hendrickson; linebacker market “whiffed.”

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2. Rashan Gary Trade Reaction and Outlook (11:36–15:33)

• Cowboys’ Comfort with 4th Round Trades:
  • Recent pattern (Trey Lance, Jonathan Mingo, Rashan Gary).
• Gary’s Value:
  • 7.5 sacks, highly available (“The best ability is availability…” – Josh Rodriguez, 13:31), top run defender.
• Not Done Yet:
  • Hosts emphasize Gary can be a building block but expect further moves, especially at linebacker.
  • “It can't be [the end] … they were trying really hard to get a linebacker yesterday.” (14:18 – Josh Rodriguez)

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3. Missed Linebacker Opportunities & Free Agent Philosophy (15:33–21:59)

• Linebacker Market Run:

  • Cowboys pushed hard but lost out on key targets.
  • Patrick Walker (16:54): “Not for lack of effort…they went hard at linebacker yesterday. Just didn’t go.”
  • Lively exchange on why certain targets (presumably Georgia LB, Lloyd, Little, etc.) signed elsewhere despite coaching, system, and player familiarity advantages.

• Depth vs. Splash Debate:

  • Isaiah Stanback (19:53): “I think that they're really kind of have to...turn their attention to consistency versus one splash…have three or four guys that are able to come in and play…collectively as a defense, we could be one heck of a unit if we have consistency across the board.”
  • Josh laments missing on “depth pieces,” not just stars: “Yesterday was a really, really tough sit.” (21:59)

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4. Grading Day One & Defensive Build Philosophy (22:34–23:51)

• Grades for Day One (22:34):

  • Patrick: “If I give an A to Jalen Thompson…and B+ to Gary…an F on linebacker… I land right at C.” (23:20)
  • Kyle: “It’s also day one…They’re moving in the right direction.” (23:22)

• Roster Construction:

  • Emphasis on new DC Christian Parker’s system—adding versatility, depth, and fit over sheer star power.
  • Building a “goon squad” with multiple contributors rather than overpaying “one splash” player.

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5. Free Agents Still Available & Preferred Targets (29:49–33:43)

• Targets Left in Free Agency (29:49):

  • Isaiah Stanback: “I still want Bobby Wagner…still one of the top linebackers in the league.” (29:53)
  • Calebon Chaison (Edge), Caden Ellis (LB), Leo Chanel (LB), and cornerbacks like Tariq “Reek” Woolen discussed as good fits for Dallas’ evolving defense.
  • Patrick Walker (33:05): “When we talked about adding the sweetener to the Gary Deal, Chaison would be sweetener. You gotta address linebacker today.”

• Potential Defensive Additions via Trade/FA:

  • Discussion of cost and roster-building tradeoffs.
  • “I don’t care. … It ain’t my money.” (35:19 – Patrick) in reference to paying for Trey Hendrickson.

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6. Cap Management & Aggressiveness (35:09–41:27)

• Cap Flexibility:
  • Cap “can be finessed” if team wants to go all-in; Osa Odighizuwa contract identified as a potential restructure candidate for more room.
• Hesitation Hurts (35:51):
  • Kyle Yeomans: “In this day and age…hesitation gets you nothing…Make a move. Forget about the future. Let’s do this thing over the next two or three years and see what happens.”
• Trade vs. FA Bidding:
  • “Would you not be more comfortable…swooping in and offering up a pick [for a soon-to-be-released star] than fighting a bidding war?” – Patrick Walker (45:48). Consensus: Yes; use surplus comp picks for a shot at difference-makers if possible.

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7. Team Building Approaches & Locker Room Culture (48:19–51:36)

• Intangibles & Versatility:
  • “I’m thinking about guys that not only produce on the field, but have the versatility to be multiple defensively…What type of energy do they bring?” – Isaiah (48:19)
• Experience/Leadership on Defense:
  • Advocating for adding seasoned veterans (e.g., Campbell, Cam Jordan) as backup/rotational D-linemen to strengthen the locker room and provide depth.

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8. NFC East Free Agency Recap (51:36–53:14)

• Eagles: No outside signings; lost 3–4 significant contributors. Extended DT Jordan Davis.
• Giants: Very active—added Isaiah Likely (TE), Tremaine Edmunds (LB), Ar’Darius Washington (S), new punter. Lost Wandale Robinson (cashed out), CB Cordale Flott, and Daniel Bellinger.
• Commanders: Added Oweh (Edge), Amik Robertson (CB), Tim Settle (DT), and re-signed Mariota. Lost Alec Pierce.
• Cowboys: Only team in division not to lose a free agent to NFC East rivals. Noted success in developing offensive linemen (Biadasz, McGovern).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Cowboys’ Approach to Big Moves:
  • “They're stuck between old times and the new wave…should we go back to that [star] move? … Let's go with depth and consistency.” – Isaiah (19:53)
• On Hesitation in Free Agency:
  • “Hesitation gets you nothing…Make a move. Forget about the future.” – Kyle (35:51)
• On Rashan Gary:
  • “He’s the definition of consistency…if combined with another move, ideally Trey Hendrickson, you’d feel great.” – Patrick (15:53)
• Locker Room Energy:
  • “Are they go hit you in the face type? … I need my outside linebackers to be straight goons…menaces—even if not dominant.” – Isaiah (50:20)
• Cap Philosophy:
  • “You can finesse the salary cap however you need to. Teams do it all the time…It ain’t my money.” – Patrick (35:19)
• On Missing Out at LB:
  • “As far as linebacker goes, yesterday was a really, really tough sit.” – Josh (21:59)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Early Free Agency Moves Recap: 01:49–10:13
• Rashan Gary Trade & Analysis: 11:36–15:33
• Linebacker Misses & Depth Strategy: 15:33–21:59
• Grading Day One: 22:34–23:51
• Available Free Agents Discussion: 29:49–33:43
• Salary Cap Finessing & Aggressive Moves: 35:09–41:27
• NFC East Free Agency Recap: 51:36–53:14

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Tone & Banter

• Signature barbershop-style banter, especially in the opening (“tamper, pamper, damper, hamper…” 02:03–02:27).
• Emphasis on realism: “We’re going to tell you what the real is.” – Patrick (04:27)
• Balance between optimism about “directionally correct” moves and frustration about missed linebacker targets;
• Recurring theme: “Depth over splash” vs “go all-in.”

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Summary Takeaways

• Cowboys are more active than previous offseasons but still not “emptying the bag.” Most moves have focused on depth, versatility, and system fit rather than headliner signings.
• Rashan Gary and Jalen Thompson are key upgrades, especially on defense. However, linebacker remains a critical unaddressed need—hosts are vocal in wanting at least one more significant move.
• Salary cap flexibility remains, and there is consensus that Dallas can get creative to land “one more piece”—either via trade or FA—if they’re willing to stop hesitating.
• Locker room and coach fit matter as much as stats.
• NFC East is active and changing, with rivals taking big swings.
• The panel is frustrated but hopeful that Cowboys management will finally “pull the trigger” for a real difference-maker before the window closes.

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For die-hard Cowboys fans or NFL free agency junkies, this episode is a front-row seat to the team’s real-time recalibration—with all the laughs, gripes, and sharp takes you’d expect from Talkin’ Cowboys.

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.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

It's on Jake Ferguson.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Prescott keeps it and he bangs it

[Isaiah Standback]

in for the touchdown.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And now your hosts, Isaiah Standback, Patrick Walker, Josh Rodriguez and Kyle Yeomans. It's a free agency edition of Talking Cowboys presented by Black Rifle coffee company live from the Star in Frisco, Texas and the SWP BC Studios. Welcome in, everybody. We've got the whole cast and crew ready for you to rock today with Patrick no See Walker, Josh Rodriguez, Isaiah, stand back. Chris Beam in the back. I'm Kyle Yeoman. So glad you're with us. Yes, Free agency is upon us. The legal tamper, tampering period is here and the Cowboys more active than they have been in the past, but still probably left a lot to be desired over the last 24 hours or so.

[Isaiah Standback]

Not enough.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And we're going to break it all down. They have made some moves. You're going to talk about those moves, but we're also going to talk about what could be next, if anything. For the Cowboys, tampering is over. It's time to pamper tampering. No pampering.

[Isaiah Standback]

No pamper, no tamper, pamper, no tamper.

[Kyle Yeomans]

No tamper, no tamper, pamper.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

There you go. No tamper, no.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That comes on March 11th. We got a. We got another 24 hours.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

No powder.

[Kyle Yeomans]

But cowboys make a couple moves.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I don't want to damper your pamper.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Don't damper my pamper on the tamper

[Josh Rodriguez]

on the tamper or.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Or hamper the pamper that you're attempting to tamper.

[Kyle Yeomans]

All of our audio listeners. Our audio listeners just turned us off. If you're still around. Thank you. I appreciate it. They're like, okay, this, this is what type of day it's going to be.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Okay.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

What we do.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Patrick. No, see, Walker, you've had your finger on the pulse of Cowboys tampering, period. Who have they decided to pamper going into this 2026 season?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Well, let's start with literally who they decided to pamper. They agreed to turn to a one year deal with Sam Williams. So Sam Williams is remaining in the building on a. Yeah, you just call. Yeah, it's a bar. Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I don't know where you were headed with that, but now I get.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

We got there, we got there, we got there. Sam Williams back on a one year deal for $3 million. Key special teams guy for the Cowboys. But we're not going to pretend that he doesn't need to show something on the defensive side of the ball. He absolutely.

[Isaiah Standback]

This new system fits him though. It does. I mean, well, yeah. The type of player that he. Yes, I'll say that right. If, if there was a choice between a 43 and a 34, this is the system that he will want to be in. So I know we've been hard in regards to, you know, analytically, you know, going after, you know, Sam Williams. But that's because he in my opinion did not fit a 4, 3 type defensive end. He is a 3, 4 outside linebacker. This system should bode well for him.

[Josh Rodriguez]

He was asked. He was thrown into the Mike Zimmer defense. He was thrown into, my gosh, Eber flu's defense. So yeah, maybe it might not have suited him as well, but I think there's a lot of concerns there as far as just personal fouls. I think that's one of the things that you have to consider. I mean he has 9.5 sacks in his career, but nine personal fouls.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

And that's the big thing.

[Josh Rodriguez]

And that's the big thing. He's got to be able to mature. I mean granted they're giving him another shot. It's a, you know, three, I'm sorry, one year deal, $3 million. That's interesting. But I'd say there are better moves that were made yesterday.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

There were. That price tag's a bit high for special teams player that needs to show himself on defense and show that you can either impact it positively on def. Defense or at least at minimum not impacted negatively on defense. But that's the Sam Williams equation. Hopefully he shows up this year in a big way. We obviously hope that these guys do. But we're also going to tell you what the real is. Bigger news to what Josh is saying. First of all, Cowboys started off legal, temporary, not with a free agency signing, but with a trade. Cowboys traded for packers former packers edge rusher Rashawn Gary. The Cowboys were able to get him for a fourth round pick from the 2027 NF draft lot. So the Cowboys are at the moment absorbing that contract with a base salary of $18 million this year. But the expectation is that will be reworked. So I need you to open your eyes slow. There you go. There you go. It is not the expectation that he will play this season under the Pack packers contract that the Cowboys are inheriting. So there's a handshake agreement there but it is only 24 hours after that trade was agreed to. But it can't be finalized until Wednesday anyways. So you're not going to see a reworked contract until the can be finalized. So keep that in mind, ladies and gentlemen, legal tampering is yesterday and today. Tomorrow when the league year opens at 4pm Eastern time, everything becomes final and then you can start reworking contracts like that. So Rashan Gary in the building splash play for the Cowboys to get him for Christian Parker in this new system. And then they went and made another splash splash play. They jumped all the way to safety. We talked about Isaiah and Joshua of the ilk that safety is is slightly more important than linebacker. Kyle and I are on the other side of that. But they went to Jalen Thompson. So they signed Jalen Thompson, former Arizona Cardinal, spent several seasons with guess who. Ryan Smith, the secondary coach now here in Dallas. So obviously you knew who stood on that table for Ryan for Jalen Thompson. Love Jalen Thompson's versatility. He's played free safety in his past with the with the Cardinals. But he is now a strong safety with the versatility to be able to cover. Someone posted some clips yesterday of his his range. Insane. Yeah, his range is absolutely insane. They got him on a three year $36 million max deal. So he's here that many. They also restructured Malik hook Hooker which saves them $2 million against the cap. But in restructuring Malik Hooker, anyone who was asking if Malik Hooker will be in the building this year, that means he will be in the building. They're not restructuring a player that they're going trade or any of those things. So as it stands, your starting safety unit is Malik Hooker at free and Jalen Thompson coming in at strong. What does that mean for Donovan Wilson? Likely means that Donovan Wilson is going to be playing elsewhere going forward because they did not give Jalen Thompson a $36 million contract for him to play in rotation or back up to anybody. So there you go.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Writing is on the wall there.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Writing is on the wall There they also restructured the deal on Terrence Steel. So anyone? No one on this panel. Because we knew they. They're going to keep Terrence steel. They saved $9 million toward the salary cap by restructuring Terrence Steele. So he's going to be. Yeah, he's going to be your starting right tackle going forward.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And it's a cheaper deal and it is much cheaper deal for Dallas. It makes him the 16th highest paid offensive tackle in football. Which if you're looking at his production and the pay that he's going to have, it's about right.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

It's commensurate.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Are those.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's about right.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Are those details finalized or does that have to wait till Wednesday as well? No, can be.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Finally restructures can be done.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Okay.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Because he's under contract.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

That's freedom camp.

[Josh Rodriguez]

So he got you. But it's not a pay cut necessary.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

No, it is not a pay cut.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It's just reorganized from a source.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Reorganizing. It's giving, it's liquidating more funds for him up front but allowing the Cowboys to get cap relief. Same as what we talked about last week with Dak Prescott, CD Lamb, Tyler Smith. So. And they still have some that they could restructure. Oh, so Diggy Zoo is a big one that's staring you right in the face. If you need to make that move and pull that trigger and restructure and get cap savings without his permission. Since we last spok, the Cowboys have issued a second round tender. This is a lot of news and notes, but we're flying through it. Second round tender on both branded Aubrey and TJ Bass at $5.6 million per point of clarity for those that may not know, with the second round tender, Cowboys have the right to first refusal. If a team makes an offer to one of those two guys, Aubrey or Brett or Bass, the Cowboys can look at that offer, choose to match it. If they choose to match it, they have the right to retain the player. If they choose to not match it and the player leaves, whatever team they go to, Cowboys get a second round pick as compensation for that loss. So again, that's Aubrey and Bass, crown tender or any tender on one YE Thomas or Brock Hoffman. Kind of surprising on Brock Hoffman. But I from a logistics standpoint, while I don't like it, I understand it because then you're paying $5.6 million for what they determined to be the seventh offensive lineman. I think TJ Bass is the seventh offensive lineman. So that's where they and I disagree but for the sake of explaining why they didn't tender both, that's why they didn't tender both.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I think there's a little bit more league wide interest in TJ Bass.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I can agree with that.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Then for Brock Hoffman.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

We're hearing.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And you can still resign Brock Hoffman, you still work a deal and bring him back.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

He's a little upset at the moment though.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, he's a little upset. But we'll talk about that later. When it comes to, when it comes to TJ Bass though, that's why I think it came down to those two guys and they had to put a second round tender on one, not both. And they said let's go with TJ Bass because we feel like there's a better opportunity to bring Hoffman back in the building than it might be for TJ Bastin turn and. And you're going to do it to Aubry to protect your, your, your rights there and make sure that you have one of the best kickers in the league. That's facts under contract.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Now to wrap up news and notes as as well I can considering what all we got going. Cowboys also were awarded two compensatory picks for the 2026 NFL Draft, both in the fifth round. 1 77th overall and 1 80th overall. Those picks can be traded. Okay. So the Cowboys can use those as sweeteners for whatever package they might have that maybe gets them back into the second or third round or whatever trade they might want to do on trade day or prior to. So that's the news and notes Cowboys. I'm not even gonna say they missed out on Max Crosby because I agree not giving two first round of Crosby, but they definitely went all the way to the finish line with that. And then Baltimore was like, yeah, we're just, we're willing to do it. And I agree with the Cowboys not being willing to do it, which led to Rashawn Gary. Questions are being asked to me. Well, no, see with the Rashawn Gary acquisition, are they out on Trey Hendrickson? As we have this conversation, they are not out on Trey Hendrickson. They are out on $30 million for Trey Hendrickson. But if that price can come down kind of commensurate to some concerns about if he's ready to go, if he will be ready to go medically after that injury, I think which apparently he is, yeah, I think a deal can be struck. They're still working the Trey Hendrickson angle. So you, if all things work out how the Cowboys would love them to, you might End up with both Gary and Hendrickson and then you still. They whiffed on the, the linebacker.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Oh, man. Yeah, that was a tough day.

[Kyle Yeomans]

All right, so before we get too far into this, before we get freaking homies, before we get too far into this, I want to talk about the Rashawn Gary trade. I want to talk about that. When it comes to Rashad Gary, you. You trade a fourth round pick. And I put this out there yesterday. Dallas has been very recently willing to trade fourth round picks for players.

[Josh Rodriguez]

They're pretty loose with them.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Arguably, yeah, three times in the last four years. Trey Lance, Jonathan Mingo. Now you got Rashawn Gary. This is, out of those three, the best chance for the, for the player to end up being an impact player for your team. I see a lot of pushback though on, on Twitter and on, on the social media side of things from Cowboys fans about Rashawn Gary. Remember, this is not the blue chip edge rusher that I think everybody wanted, but is he a good football player? Absolutely. Is he better than what you had on this roster last year? Absolutely. I think he is your best pass rusher outside of maybe Donovan Aziraku. And we'll talk about Jadavian Clowney at some point down the line. Either one of those guys I think is better. I mean, you got a really solid starting caliber edge rusher slash defensive lineman because he's probably going to play a lot of that four eye spot in Christian Parker's defense. So I don't want to hit knock on that. The knock, I think is where people are assuming Dallas is done now. They oh, they missed out on all these guys. They missed out on these players. They missed out on free agency in general. That's where the frustration lies, Josh. And I feel like it might be fair in some, some elements. Linebacker, I think it's fair. They've missed out on linebacker.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yes.

[Kyle Yeomans]

But with the edge rusher possibilities that are still on the table and some of these other secondary players, I don't think they're done yet and I still get the feeling that they're going to work something out in a couple of those areas. It may have to be trades now as opposed to free agency. But I just don't think Rashawn Gary is your number one move. But right now people are thinking that's going to be the number one.

[Josh Rodriguez]

No. And of course it was the first thing that you did. It was one of the first stories to come out of day one of free agency or legal tampering. So I understand that. Respect I understand people being frustrated. I was frustrated at the end of the day because of the linebacker situation. I think that the trade for Rashawn Gary, granted, if you ask any packers fan, they're like, oh, we fleece the Cowboys, okay? Paying Micah Parsons 40. Oh, never mind. But the best ability. Availability is ability is availability, at least for Rashawn Gary, who started 16 of 17 games, played 616 snaps without missing a tackle, the second most in a season since 2018. He had 7.5 sacks, which paired with a Jadevian clowney from last year, would have been a savior. That would have been amazing to have a guy like that on your team last year.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Huge.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Granted, you think that he obviously benefited from a Micah Parsons playing alongside Micah Parsons throughout the year last year. I think it's a. Not just a rotational guy. I think he's a starting caliber, outside linebacker, defensive end, whatever you want to call it in the scheme. But they're using him primarily on the left side. And I think more than anything, they're looking at his run defense abilities. And paired with Jalen Thompson, who is also very versatile and is able to play at the line of scrimmage and is great against the run, I think it's just a. It's more of a philosophy that they're trying to improve that side of the ball and be sure tacklers, both of these guys are that. I don't think this is saying that we're done with free agency. It can't be that way because they were trying really hard to get a linebacker yesterday. It just didn't swing our way. Not that I'm making excuses for it, because I think if you want a guy desperately enough, you do what you can to go get him. That's why Trey Hendrickson is still on the board. I'm like, okay, guys, go get him. I almost don't care what it takes. I don't want to go 30 million. And he's not coming off of that number right now. But seriously, I think if you want a total facelift of your defense, that's. That's what you need to do.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I think when it. And I agree with you saying. And I feel like when it comes to the. The Rashawn Gary move, I think what the Rashawn Gary move does for you is a few things. First of all, this is a guy who has, what, 24 sacks? If. If you're. If you're one of those people who only use sex as a measurement for success, as an edge rusher, you also shouldn't do that.

[Kyle Yeomans]

No, but.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Okay, let me just give you a crumb today. He had 24 sacks through the past three seasons. He averaged seven and a half over the past two seasons. He's the definition of consistency in that category as well as durability. He played in 17 full regular season games in 2024, 15 starts out of 16 games that he was active in 2025. So you're getting that as well. I do agree with Kyle. Do I look at Rashan Gary as the whale? No, I don't look at him as the whale. I look at him as a very good football player who is good at rushing the pastor passer and at stopping the run. Who if combined with another move. Trey Hendrickson. Ideally. But if you don't get Trey Hendrickson, then, you know, there's a guy in Miami I would like to tandem him with in addition to Donovan. Ezra Rocco. I just feel like. And I agree with both your points. Rashan Gary isn't the end all be all to resolve the issue at the edge, but he can be with a plus one. The question is, who's the plus one? My bigger concern with the Cowboys is, and again, not for lack of effort, because we're here in the building, we know for a fact they went hard at linebacker yesterday. Oh, they went making calls.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah. It crazy.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Just didn't. It just didn't go.

[Kyle Yeomans]

What happened to your dog, man?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

We need to talk.

[Kyle Yeomans]

What happened to your dog?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Nicole?

[Kyle Yeomans]

What are you doing?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

All right. What are you doing?

[Kyle Yeomans]

He chose a two win team.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

What are you. What are you doing?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, let's talk about it.

[Isaiah Standback]

Why couldn't you get your dog here?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

What are you.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Roof. Roof.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

What are we doing? What are we doing? Listen, I did all I could. I did all I could. You know, you put some feelers out there. Listen, maybe. Promise you I did all I could.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Maybe Pat's tweets were. Were what sent him away.

[Josh Rodriguez]

No voice of the star guy.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I mean, we possibly got.

[Isaiah Standback]

No.

[Josh Rodriguez]

He argues with everybody.

[Isaiah Standback]

You got no seed. That's here, right? Former. Former bulldog.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

You have his former coach.

[Josh Rodriguez]

You can't say it today.

[Isaiah Standback]

Who's calling the plays on that side of the ball?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, that's.

[Isaiah Standback]

And neither of those was good enough to get him here. What the heck?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I'm gonna tell you what happened. Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

What happened?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Like, no dogs.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

All jokes aside, I was like, nicole, what are you doing? So, you know, kind of called around, texted around, you know. Cause George is a family, baby. Us dogs. Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

Let's find out what the family got.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

So I was just like. So word is because of how the Raiders set the table with keeping Eric Stokes and getting Quay Walker his teammate. Yeah. Former teammates from Georgia championship, you know, Natty winners. So.

[Isaiah Standback]

So you went with his friends instead of.

[Kyle Yeomans]

He went with you. I'll draft C.J.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

allen.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'll do whatever you need to. Come on.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I know they're not. That's a maybe and then. But all jokes aside, man, I wish Nicole beat nothing but the best. And he did not. You know, he left arrival. He didn't go to another rival, so. Okay, cool. But, you know, it did. It did sting because it was right there. The money was. Was comparable Chidera. Uzo deribe is here. Robert Muschamp's here. George Pickens is still in the building. Ah, Nicole, what are you doing?

[Isaiah Standback]

You know, I. I honestly wasn't sad about it. Yeah. I mean, you're just. Just playing around. But I. I was sad about missing out on Lloyd.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

Sad about missing out on. On Little. I mean, those. Both of those guys.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

How'd you feel about Quincy? Quincy Williams, Quinn's brother.

[Isaiah Standback]

Oh, that didn't bother me. No, that didn't bother me. I. I like Anzalone.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He flew off. What, man, what's that? Running linebacker started. It was those three.

[Isaiah Standback]

Really? In particular, it was really Lloyd Little and then as alone.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And I think the league looks at it that way, too, which is why they flew off the board as quickly as they did.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yep.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I mean, there was really no room for error on one side or the other. Not just one team, not just the Cowboys. I mean, teams were hunting linebacker and you could see that.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

What did you think about the Gary side or trade, though?

[Isaiah Standback]

I thought it was a good trade. I thought it was a good trade. As you guys mentioned, you know, nothing that's jumping off the board. But what I think the angle that the Cowboys are taking, I think they're. They're stuck between old times and the new wave right now. I think that they're. They're still trying to be on the Stephen Jones.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Let's.

[Isaiah Standback]

Let's save a couple dollars in our pocket. You know, not necessarily bargain shopping, but it's like. It's like a pool. It's like, hey, I know I need to do more than what I've done, but I still don't want to empty the bag so much. I think that they're going to have more depth than they've ever had. I'm just not sure that they're going to have the star players that Everybody is hoping to see, especially now that free agent has passed. I foresee them making one more depth move at the. I would say probably two more moves. I think they're going to add a linebacker.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I do think they're.

[Isaiah Standback]

I think they're going to add another outside linebacker slash dn But I don't think that is going to be a big splash player. I think it's going to be a consistent player, somebody who makes contributions. And I think that they're really kind of have to. They're going to be forced to turn their attention to consistency versus one splash. And I think that they're really torn between, well, we had a Micah in the building who was the big splash and we've seen what that did for our overall defense. Okay, a heck of a player. But they made a hard line decision to go away from that, right? To go away from dumping the money into one player so that they can have the money to have depth right in rotation and have consistency. So I think that they're really torn between. Should we go back to that? We find ourselves going back towards the mica stuff. No, we can't do that. We already had that guy in the building. So let's go ahead and let's add the depth and add consistency so we can have three or four guys that are able to come in and play. And no, they might not all individually be splash players and be, you know, absolutely dominant. But collectively as a defense, we could be one heck of a unit if we have consistency across the board. So I think they really keep getting in that tug of war. Right. It's like, you know, you mentioned that they try to go after some of these linebackers. You know, I don't think they're going to overpay at the defensive end slash sidelinebacker position. Gary, as you guys mentioned, they're going to rework that contract. So I think that they're really going to add two or three more pieces for depth and consistency and then go hard with their first round picks for on the defensive side. So I think that you're still going to see a completely different defense. It's just not going to be, oh, you better watch that player, he can kill us.

[Josh Rodriguez]

But I would argue that the depth pieces that you would want to add to your defense currently have been eliminated in day one. There's still, you know, it wasn't necessarily the big splash players. I mean, we're talking about Lloyd and Little who didn't necessarily command like giant contracts. I think like very doable contracts. For what the Cowboys are trying to do to still be able to pay George Pickens and, you know, a lot of your franchise players in the future. But to have those guys go off day one and not make the hard enough push to make it happen to me is disappointing. I think that as far as linebacker goes, yesterday was a really, really tough sit.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah, I do think. I mean, if we had to offer up a grade, I think yesterday was. It was a C. They got off to the races with.

[Isaiah Standback]

Really?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah, they got off to the races.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'll give it like a B, B minus. B, B minus. I mean, you got a starting safety starting.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Thompson is an A.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Like those are two guys that are

[Patrick No-see Walker]

better than Thompson is an A. Rashawn Gary is a B plus. But I can't give Gary an 8 because I literally just sat here and said you need a plus one to complete that package.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Which I agree.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

So if you need a plus one, if this is Jalen Thompson, I don't think you need the plus one to complete the Jalen Thompson move. Yeah. So it's an A. But if you need any type of sweetener for the move, then it can't be an A. So that will be, let's say a B plus. So if I give an A to Jalen Thompson, the Jalen Thompson signing and you give B plus to Gary and I got to give you an F on linebacker because you sure. Nothing was addressed there.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Totally get.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

So I land right at C. But

[Kyle Yeomans]

it's also day one.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

No, I agree.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I said it is day one.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

There's a lot of names. If I'm grading yesterday. If I'm grading yesterday. I didn't say if I'm grading free agency.

[Isaiah Standback]

Sure.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Agency is not over. But if I'm grading yesterday, yesterday's a C. Let's see what the moves are today. But I will also admit Josh has has a great point some of the depth, especially at linebacker. There was such a run on linebackers that. And I think everyone who follows me on Twitter saw when I said Sonny or C.J. also Rodriguez, I meant to that as well. Come on down. Because now there's been such a run at linebacker and free agency which like now anyone you sign outside of some type of blockbuster linebacker trade now you start looking at the draft and you start looking at 12 or 20 at that position.

[Kyle Yeomans]

And maybe other teams don't necessarily need linebackers in front of you and you have.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Because they. Because there was a run on linebackers in free agency. Maybe so.

[Kyle Yeomans]

All right, when we come back, I want to talk about what could be next for Dallas. What are the other moves that they can get to make this feel better than what it has been? I still think they're moving in the right direction, but as Isaiah talked about, and I completely agree with, haven't necessarily emptied the bag quite yet. Let's talk about what they can do in order to do so. Plus, we're going to take a look around the NFC east as well. More talking Cowboys right after this.

[Uber Eats Announcer]

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[Josh Rodriguez]

No.

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[Isaiah Standback]

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[Patrick No-see Walker]

How's it going? You see that Cowboys game?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Oh, I watched.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Been seeing some good things. Totally. They have some talent.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yup. Some great talent.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

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

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'm Travis.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Nice to meet you, Travis. Go Cowboys. Go Cowboys.

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[Kyle Yeomans]

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[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

[Patrick No-see Walker]

relied on for generations to help you

[Isaiah Standback]

get the job done right.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

We're with you.

[Isaiah Standback]

That's our promise to you.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Because no matter the project or the

[Isaiah Standback]

challenge you're facing, we're with you.

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[Kyle Yeomans]

Hey, yeah. I can't believe he ate the whole

[Patrick No-see Walker]

thing of chicken wings.

[Isaiah Standback]

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

[Commercial Voiceover]

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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 this segment is brought to you by Invisalign, the official smile of the Dallas Cowboys. Welcome in, everybody. All right, continuing to talk about free agency. Right now, The Cowboys are 22nd out of 32 teams in terms of free agent spending. Would anybody like to take a guess on who is number one on that list?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Carolina.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Carolina Panthers.

[Kyle Yeomans]

It is not Carolina Panthers. They are third.

[Isaiah Standback]

Tennessee.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

The Raiders.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Tennessee Titans are number one. $283 million on day one.

[Isaiah Standback]

What are Raiders number two?

[Kyle Yeomans]

They are number two. 281.5 million. So only one Linderbaum. So those two teams hit. 280. The Panthers are in third at 172.

[Isaiah Standback]

Tyler Smith is like, doggone it, Dag.

[Kyle Yeomans]

The amount of additions the Raiders made, man, was just wild. It's crazy to see how much they spent. Now, there is something in common for a lot of these teams. You take a look at the Raiders, the Titans, the Commanders, the Saints, the Colts, the Giants, all in the top. What is that? Seven teams of spending. All of those teams are picking in the top 10 of the NFL draft. So you've got all of those teams because the Raiders, the Titans, Giants, the Commanders, the Saints. I don't believe one of those teams I named the Colts are not picking in the top 10, but you know what I mean. So lots of spending from the bottom level teams in the draft. And we're going to take a look at what the NFC east did here in a couple of moments as well. But I want to talk, take a look at some of the top 100 free agents according to NFL.com and who is still out there that could be a fit for Dallas?

[Isaiah Standback]

Oh, I got some guys.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Got some guys. Tell me one who you got?

[Isaiah Standback]

I mean, people are going to look at me like I'm crazy. But anyways, I don't really care. I still, I still want Bobby Wag.

[Commercial Voiceover]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

Still want Bobby Wagner. Caleb on Chase, 48 years old.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Absolutely.

[Isaiah Standback]

Still one of the top linebackers in the league.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Bobby Wagner, a coach on the field.

[Isaiah Standback]

A coach on the field. Consistent, great person, great locker room guy, leader. Just all those things. He still, he still got some tread on the tires. So I think you can get him for a very affordable number. I think that.

[Josh Rodriguez]

And especially if you're drafting linebackers.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah.

[Josh Rodriguez]

What better pairing would it be to have a Bobby Wagner coaching these guys up? Like we said had literally a coach on the field to help these guys improve? I mean like, even for a guy like Shemar James, how crucial would that be? Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

If you're going to have a rotational veteran. That's, that's one Kayla, Kayla Monchaison out of.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I agree.

[Isaiah Standback]

New England. I like him a lot as well.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That would be such a full circle moment. It would be so full. Why is that coming from 2020? Because he was almost CD Lamb. Caleb Chase on that. Was this the decision at 17 they go with CD Lamb best player available. Not over the need of edge rusher, which they needed. And then for him to just come on back after CD Lamb's been an all pro. They get it right and then Kayla Von Chase song gets a circle all the way up. That would be wild.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I would love you like that move.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I.

[Kyle Yeomans]

You know what? I would. I think it'd be fun because it would go into what you talked about a couple of weeks ago when we're talking about this 34 scheme and switching from a 43 to a 3 4. Even though they're going to run multiple. I know there's that conversation too. You need versatile edge rushers. You need big bodied edge rushers and that's what Caleb on Chase on can bring. So I think it would add to that room of edge rushers. You need to compile You've added it with Rashawn Gary Caleb on Chase on would be another depth piece. Is he your starter? No. Is he a rotational player? Absolutely. He's probably going to play a lot of snaps for you.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Of those listed word is Caden Ellis.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I love Caden Ellis. Phenomenal player. And I mean you talk about him as one of the And I know NFL.com wrote about this, I completely agree. The most underrated players of his generation and he's 31 years old. He's established himself as a pass rushing linebacker. You can play him off ball, you can play him on ball. You can play him kind of in a number of different areas. Played a ton of snaps. I think it was what, a thousand snaps over the last three seasons or so. Give me Caden Ellis at the second level. I would love something like that. Two year, three year deal. Let's make it happen.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Is he top of your list as far as linebackers go?

[Kyle Yeomans]

As far as linebackers, probably.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

He'd probably be number one remaining out of the free agent list. I know there's the rumors of what they would do and for possible trade scenarios, I would like those. That would be fun. But we can't talk about the specific players. Kate Nellis we can talk about since he's a free agent. Yeah, he would probably be my number one remaining.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

What about Leo out of Chanel City?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, he'd probably be right there. Yeah, I would get, I would give the edge to Ellis though. I think he fits the system.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Similarly, on, on NFL.com they were talking about his availability and you know, playing more than 500 snaps in a year. Is he capable of doing something like that? Chanel? Yeah.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah. For me, I and this is some of these guys that we're talking about that are still available. Made it to my open market series on Dallas Cowboys.com

[Isaiah Standback]

so I'm still mad at you. I'm still mad at you, sir.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Jason is one of those guys. So when we talked about adding the sweetener to the Gary Deal, chase on would be sweetener. An example of that sweetener, you got to address linebacker today. So whether it be Ellis, whether it be Chanel, you got to address linebacker. I'm going to go to cornerback because they didn't address that yesterday either. I want to wreak woolen.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I like those words.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, I'm, I've always been a reek woolen fan since he was at utsa. So found in the Alamo Dome. They call freak the freak baby. Bring him back to the Lone Star State.

[Isaiah Standback]

What's it's going to cost you.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

You. I don't care.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Shut up. You shut saying that. Cuz he went to Seattle. He was a backup.

[Josh Rodriguez]

He's the Bugs Bunny.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yes.

[Josh Rodriguez]

The Mil.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Blunt.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Good. Only Hard Bugs fans know why we're cracking.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yes.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

That is fat.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That was really.

[Isaiah Standback]

That was really fun, man.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I don't.

[Isaiah Standback]

I don't think that you can get.

[Kyle Yeomans]

No, he's. He's gonna get.

[Isaiah Standback]

I don't think you can get Reek and, and, and the pass rusher that you want. I don't think I don't need to get both.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I agree with you. I agree with you.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I just don't. I just don't like your Seattle super bowl champion. Mine negating our dreams of getting a. A tall, lengthy, speedy corner.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I, I disagree that you can't do both things.

[Uber Eats Announcer]

Really.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

You can do both things. An example, being at the top of the show, I said, you know, they restructured five guys to this point, right? No burgers. They. There's one, at least one sitting right in front of you that you haven't put a trigger on yet. Why haven't you put the trigger on restructuring OSA yet? Because you don't need to yet. But in the event you need to, you're going to pull that. So let's say they get Trey Hendrickson. Let's say they can talk him down to, I don't know, let's say 28, whatever. Just for the sake of math, I wouldn't do 30, but let's say they get a math.

[Isaiah Standback]

Would you be happy with. Honestly, would you guys be happy paying Trey Henderson 28?

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Kyle Yeomans]

As he's on your team, I'm fine.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Because you find a way to make it work, baby.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Two things are true, which is to what I'm saying, you can finesse the salary cap however you need to finesse it. Teams do it all the time. In addition to it ain't my money.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's where my.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

It ain't my money.

[Kyle Yeomans]

That's where my mindset. So I sat up here last week and told Cowboys fans and was very adamant about it. And I still believe this, by the way, that I think this year is different from a spending standpoint. I think it is different from what I've heard from the front office and from what we've heard all the way around. And I still think they are willing to do something big. But at that point, it might be 30 million for Trey Hendrickson.

[Isaiah Standback]

He's not going below that.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Do what you got to do to make this team better and do exactly what Jerry said on the bus to us in Indianapolis. Wager the future. And that's the nice way of putting it. Listen, wager the future and get. Get a badass football player on your team and spend the money to do so. I still think they are. They are tinkering on doing that, but they're just hesitant at the moment. But in this day and age of NFL free agency and the legal tampering period, hesitation gets you nothing. You cannot wait for this. Make a move. Forget about the future. Let's do this thing over the next two or three years and see what happens.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Because here's what you don't want them to do do.

[Isaiah Standback]

Right?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

And this is not a shot, a shot at either of these two guys, especially today, because we on this show, we love us some Genevion Clowney, but if you can get Trey Hendrickson, in lieu of breaking that money apart and saying, okay, I'm going to bring back Fowler and Clowney and. And a third person. And then here's Jerry now spinning it and selling it how he has in the past and saying, well, instead of us paying Micah, we were able to get five different people could. He could. I don't want that to happen here. I say you go and get Trey. I already said I don't want to pay Trey 30. I don't. But if they paid trade 30, am I personally going to be upset?

[Isaiah Standback]

No.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Because he's on the roster, which was my goal, and it ain't my money. And I know that you can pull more triggers to free up more cash to also get Tariq Woolen and bring Reek to Dallas. So, yes, you can do all of those things.

[Isaiah Standback]

Let me ask you this question. Ask if you can wait until tomorrow and grab somebody from Miami for 20. Who's somebody?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I don't think.

[Isaiah Standback]

I'm not sure yet. Grab somebody out of Miami.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Just like Go Dogs. Can't say it today.

[Isaiah Standback]

Okay, so grab that person for 20 and you go get a wreak and you get a line, a contributing line.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Back up one of the guys. Like you get an Ellis or a Chanel or something.

[Isaiah Standback]

Exactly. You're saying that you would prefer.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Wait, the person you're talking about in Miami, are they on an expiring contract?

[Isaiah Standback]

They are going to get. Most likely be.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

If there's no deal done by tomorrow, will their contract expire?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Well, they would already be.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I'm trying to figure out what he's talking about without saying it on the air. And listen, man, I'll figure it out. Text it to me.

[Kyle Yeomans]

But let's just say edge rusher, $20 million. A blue chip guy.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah.

[Kyle Yeomans]

If you, if you get him along with a starting caliber linebacker and a starting caliber corner, would you feel okay with that as opposed to Trey Hendrix? Yes.

[Josh Rodriguez]

If you get Trey Hendrickson, I think you are much less worried about getting cleaned out at linebacker.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Okay.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Because then you can focus on the draft at that point.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Okay.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Because you have those, those high picks. You have two first round picks. I think you're able to make it work if you draft or if you sign Trey at this and make it work with linebacker at this point.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Okay.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Isaiah Standback]

I like Henderson. I love his. I love him and I. And I hate that what's happened to him in terms of his career and being screwed contractually. I wish the best for man. And maybe he'll be here. I personally, I.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Okay.

[Isaiah Standback]

Would much rather have our. One of these. The gentlemen out of Miami that I like. Go get your corner. Right. And get you a starting linebacker and then use your first two picks in the draft to go get two more goons on defense that are young guns that can contribute. That's what I would like. Because now at that point you're in higher defense. It's a holistic. That you have no weaknesses at that point.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Okay. Okay.

[Isaiah Standback]

Right.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

No glaring to. To answer your question. Cuz brain funk now. I know so. Cuz I. I thought the move had already been executed tomorrow. If the move is executed for the player that we're.

[Kyle Yeomans]

We're just being safe by the way. For everybody. I see everybody in the chat. You got it. You guys know what that's the name we're talking about.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

So if that's my mistake because I thought it had already been executed. But if that move is executed tomorrow when the new league year opens. To answer your question, yes. I am much more. More comfortable and I'm completely fine with in lieu of Trey Hendricks saying you bring me this guy as long as something else. If you add Tariq Woolen or.

[Isaiah Standback]

That's what I'm saying.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Or a Chanel or Ellis if you add.

[Isaiah Standback]

That's what I'm saying.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah. But not by that.

[Kyle Yeomans]

By themselves.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah, yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

What I'm saying. We said this at the beginning of the show. I believe that Dallas is halfway in, halfway out of trying to go back to paying so much money for one player.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yes.

[Isaiah Standback]

I, I really think that they're torn between what they've done and I think and what they're unwilling to do. And so I, I'm. I truly believe that they're waiting on this potential move to happen, and if they can't get that done, then they'll go do.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I don't. I don't know. Okay, so as we have this conversation, I could see their thought process starting to maybe shift toward that, but it wasn't that effective last Friday or Saturday when they were ready to go hard. They did go hard at Max Crosby. And then when that didn't pan out, because I agree in not giving up two first rounds, they said, okay, well, let's pivot it to still talking to Trey Hendrickson, but let's go ahead and make this Rashan Gary move in the event we also don't get Hendrickson knowing that Gary needs a sweetener. So if the sweetener is the guy from Miami, if that move is executed tomorrow and you address linebacker and. Or corner with not just a budget bin guy, but an actual starter.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah, that's. That's how I'm strong. Yeah, Strong. That's exactly how I'm looking at this. And I. And I can see that playing out.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yeah, I can see that. I can see that gentleman looking at what just happened yesterday with the trade with Dallas for Gary looking at there and saying, oh, he's over there. Bet I'll come play on the opposite side. And, oh, and you guys are going to grab a linebacker, a starting linebacker. Oh, bet and. Oh, and you're going to go get a corner. Let's go.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I got a question.

[Josh Rodriguez]

And two first round pick.

[Isaiah Standback]

Two first round pick. Let's go.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I got a question for the panel because I'm curious.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Well, we got to take a break, so.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Okay, we got to come back.

[Kyle Yeomans]

We're going to talk about Patrick's question here in a second. We're going to take a look at the NFC east when we come back, more talking Cowboys ride after this.

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[Isaiah Standback]

Bill

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[Kyle Yeomans]

Hey yeah, I can't believe he ate the whole thing of chicken wings.

[Isaiah Standback]

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

[Kyle Yeomans]

Touchdown.

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[Kyle Yeomans]

Cowboys fans, we've got big news. Black Rifle Energy is now available at Texas Seven Eleven stores and for a limited time you can score 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 $6 Black Rifle Energy deal and fuel up the American way. Black Rifle Coffee America's Coffee.

[Josh Rodriguez]

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[Kyle Yeomans]

It's the official men's skin care 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 and a full sized intense therapy lip balm. Make a play for the playmaker at getjackblack.com cowboy boys 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 Co. The official coffee of the Dallas Cowboys with Patrick, Josh, Isaiah, Chris Beam in the back of Kyle Yomitz for the first time in history. Melvin has made two back to back back funny comments in the in the chat section. I liked this one. He said it's legal tampering, guys. You can say it.

[Isaiah Standback]

No, we can't.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Which we cannot.

[Isaiah Standback]

We cannot.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Until he's especially.

[Isaiah Standback]

It's called protecting the team, guys.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah. Especially since he's still technically under contract even though the news is out that he will be released. We can't talk about it. And then he said what future? Don't y' all watch the news with the laughing emoji? Oh yeah, that's fair. All right, let's wager the future, right?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah, let's wager the future.

[Josh Rodriguez]

All right.

[Kyle Yeomans]

What was your question, Pat?

[Patrick No-see Walker]

So question. We're sitting here, we're talking about this particular individual which I think we all know who we're talking about. Now in a scenario where not unlike Rashawn Gary, when teams know that this player is going to be released, there are obviously teams who are so willing to bust a budget they're like we're not going to trade for them because we're willing to throw whatever bag at them that's typically not the Cowboys. So as the Cowboys front office, would you not be more comfortable in the the waning moments before he's officially released, swooping in and offering up a pick to get. Yes.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yep.

[Isaiah Standback]

Yes.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

What would that pick look like for you? A fifth, A fifth next year?

[Kyle Yeomans]

One of those three fifths this year or next year? This year you got three this year. You might as well use one.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah. You got a comp.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Got two right next to each other. You might as well use it.

[Josh Rodriguez]

You got two comps.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah. Now I will say this because you

[Josh Rodriguez]

don't have any dates, Hoopix, but this

[Patrick No-see Walker]

is a great point that Isaiah makes though. Okay. He made this between during the break. Break. That's a 30 plus million dollar hit for 2026 that this particular gentleman has on that that roster. It has to be a rework, right?

[Isaiah Standback]

Has to be.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

So yeah, I agree. I'd give up a fifth and maybe

[Kyle Yeomans]

they take some of the contract. So fifth's probably expensive.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

They got to eat the proration anyway. Yeah. So there's a little bit of that.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Are you worried about his injury history? He's got some.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

I. I can't. No. Because I can't in good conscience sit here and say that I'm in on Trey Hendrickson or that I was in on Max Crosby, but then look at this particular guy and say, oh, well, in on him from like. No, it's. It's apples. Apples. Apples. Right. It's literally apples to apples to apples when you comparing those three guys. So, yeah, I'm completely not worried about it from that capacity any more than I would be with Hendrickson or Max Crosby. So, yeah, I mean, I was just curious if you guys were of the same mindset with me, was like, don't let him hit free agency because knowing how the Cowboys typically spend and even if they're looking, they're not going to get into that bidding war for that guy. So go in and, and take them.

[Kyle Yeomans]

One other. One other linebacker name we threw out Chanel, we threw out Ellis. One other linebacker name that I think. And Nick Harris, friend of the show, former talking Cowboys member, threw this out there yesterday. But Patrick Queen from Pittsburgh, he might be another move.

[Isaiah Standback]

Great for me.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, he's. Well, he's always been kind of slow.

[Josh Rodriguez]

I think the reports are saying that they might be out on that.

[Isaiah Standback]

Okay.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Yeah, they might pursuing it as.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

As hard as yesterday in Baltimore. Completely out of sorts. In Pittsburgh, you could say different team, different system and that's viable.

[Kyle Yeomans]

I would rather have the other two guys, but.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah, yeah, you would.

[Isaiah Standback]

I'm trying to look at the identity of what the direction of this defense. And I'm, I'm thinking about guys that not only can produce on the field, but also have. Give you the versatility to be able to be multiple defensively, which we know coach Parker wants to do. And then also, what type of attitude do these guys have have. What type of. What type of aggression do they have on the field that is going to determine the type of personnel that you're going to bring into this locker room as well. I think that's something that's lost when people are putting together rosters around this time of the year. People just look at what they do on the. What type of production do they have? What are their stats look like, what type of player are they.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah, what type.

[Isaiah Standback]

What type of, you know, energy do they bring? Right? Are they a high energy guy? Are they a rah rah guy are they go hit you in the face type dude. Like what do they bring in that relationship regard? So that's what I think about some of these personnel. That's why I bring these names.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Are they willing to do whatever it is or it's like, oh, I'm just a passenger.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Exactly.

[Kyle Yeomans]

One of the, I mean out of the two guys they signed yesterday or made the moves for yesterday. Mixed reports on Rashawn Gary, but for Jalen Thompson. I texted some of our friends over with the Arizona Cardinals, said I love with seven do seven O's in love. I love Jalen Thompson. Nicest, most respectful and humble person. And then he said he's so great. Played this entire year on a contract with no guaranteed money. He's smart, he's tough and he deserves every bit of that money that is, that is coming.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

So have football like you and that's

[Kyle Yeomans]

even without him stepping foot in the building.

[Josh Rodriguez]

Versatile, assured tackler. I mean he finishes plays and his solo tackle numbers are proof of that. Over his entire career, he split almost

[Kyle Yeomans]

evenly three different areas in the, in his alignment as safety. He has free strong and nickel. He played a lot of nickel, 230 plus snaps and nickel back. And so you're going to use him a lot in a couple different areas for that.

[Isaiah Standback]

If I'm building this defense, I know we got to get out of here. I'm looking at my interior D lineman being dogs, right? My three down. Those guys, all three of them have to be dogs. I'm looking for my outside linebackers now. Okay. I need those guys to be straight goons.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Just.

[Isaiah Standback]

I need both sides to be goons, just menaces. Just even if they're not, not dominant players, I need them to be, you know, you know, cojones to the wall type people. Every single play just pests. Right. I need my interior linebackers to be intellectual guys.

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[Isaiah Standback]

Tacklers that are smart as all get out and I need my secondary to be versatile.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

That's.

[Isaiah Standback]

That's how I would build this team. Right. So that, that's exactly how I would look at this. Now if you can't go get and we seem to have possibly missed out on some of those jettison, game changing type players. But now I think you can still formulate your team in this way. Right. You have your three down guys already. I think you can still add to that. There's some veteran guys that maybe towards the end of their career that can

[Patrick No-see Walker]

add to that depth. Right.

[Isaiah Standback]

There's some big boys out there. Kales Kales Campbell's out there, you got Cameron Jordan out there. You got some guys, they're like, oh, those guys are old. Yeah. But if they're going to be the second wave of your D line, that's a hell of a second line to bring in. And what do they bring to your locker room? What do they bring to that defense? That's what I'm talking about. When you start adding these debt pieces, have your starters, but then behind them have some consistent, smart, intellectual guys that can get their job done. Maybe not to the way they used to because they were big time star players, but they can still make huge contributions.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Just because I teased it, I want to go through the NFC east real quick and kind of talk about what happened yesterday. Of course we talked about the Cowboys. They were the only team that did not lose a free agent to another team in the NFC east. And I believe in the NFL take that either way, good or bad, whatever that ends up being. The Eagles, however, lost. Oh, my goodness. They did not sign anybody. Them. And the packers are the only two teams that did not sign any free agents yesterday or at least agreed to terms. They did extend Jordan Davis, the defensive tackle, but they lost Jalen Phillips, Nicobi Dean, Reed Blankenship and Johan Dotson. So those are three of four really good players that they are no longer going to have. The Giants were very busy. They signed Isaiah Likely, the top tight end, signed linebacker Tremaine Edmonds. They signed safety AR Darius Washington. They signed a new punter and Jordan Stout. And they resigned a couple of their guys, offensive lineman and a wide receiver. They lost Wandell Robinson, Cordell Flat and Daniel Bellinger. Of course they have new, new leadership with John Harbaugh and company. What was that?

[Isaiah Standback]

Robinson got cashed out.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yes, he did. Yeah.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Good.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Good for him. And then the commanders signed Adafe Oway. They signed corner Amik Robertson. They signed defensive tackle Tim Settle from the Texans. And then they resigned Marcus Mariota and they extended one of their offensive linemen.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

At least they lost on Alec Pierce.

[Kyle Yeomans]

They did lose out on.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Because now you don't have to worry about Pierce. Opposite scary Terry.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yes, the one guy they did lose was a guy they cut and a former Cowboy, Tyler Biatish. He goes to the Chargers for three years and good for him, by the way.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

He got a little big.

[Isaiah Standback]

Have you noticed that our former centers have gotten paid?

[Kyle Yeomans]

Yeah. Who are you talking about? Beat us?

[Isaiah Standback]

Interior lineman Biotish McGovern. McGovern.

[Kyle Yeomans]

McGovern.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Yeah, the look you have.

[Isaiah Standback]

I literally said in your watching yesterday. I'm like our, our scouting department.

[Kyle Yeomans]

They know how to pick lineback or lineman. Pick offensive lineman. They got that one down. All right, that does it for us here on talking Cowboys. Being back next Tuesday with more. Can't wait to have it. Isaiah, I love you, buddy. I just don't love the Seahawks. That's all right, we'll be back Tuesday. Plenty more to break down. I'm sure it'll be a whole another week of craziness between now and then for Patrick Noi Walker, Josh Rodriguez. Isaiah, stand back. Chris Beam in the back. I'm Kyle Y saying so long from talking Cowboys. We'll see you next week. This has been a production of Dallas Cowboys.com and the Dallas Cowboys Football Club.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

How about this, Cowboys?

[Kyle Yeomans]

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The sound of a seatbelt.

[Josh Rodriguez]

It's one of the most important sounds in our car. It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

The more our kids see us put

[Kyle Yeomans]

on our seatbelts, the more natural it

[Josh Rodriguez]

is for them to put theirs on, too.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Make it a priority.

[Kyle Yeomans]

Buckle up every time. Hear the sound.

[Patrick No-see Walker]

Make it a habit.

[Josh Rodriguez]

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