Talkin’ Cowboys: Okay with the Offseason?

Dallas Cowboys Podcast • March 31, 2026

Hosts: Kyle Youmans, Patrik Walker, Anthony Dorsett (guest), with production support from Paul Bastidis
Main Theme: Where do things stand at the end of March as the Cowboys’ offseason unfolds? The crew debates free agency moves, draft needs, front office signals, and grades the current roster like it’s Madden.

Episode Overview

In this off-season barbershop-meets-film-room session, Kyle, Patrik (“No C”) Walker, and special guest Anthony Dorsett (NFL vet, son of Cowboys legend Tony Dorsett) discuss all things Dallas Cowboys as April’s NFL Draft approaches. They react to recent transactions, analyze the cornerback and linebacker rooms, scrutinize Stephen Jones’ “word spaghetti,” debate ideal draft targets, and give candid “Madden” grades for the offense and defense as currently constructed.

Key Discussion Points

1. Welcoming Anthony Dorsett & Family Ties

• Anthony Dorsett Details: 8-year NFL vet (Titans, Raiders, two Super Bowls), deep family football roots, recently featured in Cowboys media.
• Family Legacy: Shares stories of being “born the day of my dad’s first college game”, his father Tony Dorsett’s health and spirit, and recent work on a “Deep Blue” documentary segment.
  • Notable quote:
    “Physically, the dude is a freak still to this day…unfortunately…the thing that CTE does the most and is taken away from him is his short term memory…But as far as everything else goes, man, he's in great health, great spirits.” – Anthony (05:00)
• Tony Dorsett Praise:
  • “That’s one of the heroes you would love to come in contact with.” – Patrik (05:37)

2. Cowboys News and Transactions (07:33)

• Darion Kendrick Signed: Cornerback joins to bolster depth.
• Jonathan Bullard Signed: Veteran DL (11th NFL season), experience in multiple fronts—seen as a versatile depth piece for new defensive schemes.
• Cornerback Room Approach:
  • Multiple bodies being brought in (Kendrick, Kobe Durant) but no clear “shutdown” corner yet.
  • Kobe Durant likely to play significant snaps at nickel.
  • Injury red flags noted across the current cornerback corps (Daron Bland, Savone Revel).

3. State of the Secondary & Draft Options (11:13–18:47)

• Positional Debates: Is Dallas done at safety/corner? Walker thinks corner at pick 12 is likely; safety (Caleb Downs, Dylan Thienaman) only in specific scenarios.
  • “I don’t see them going high to go get a safety… but if a Caleb Downs is there at 12, yeah… But…he’s picking to go anywhere between five and nine.” – Dorsett (16:08)
• Biggest Defensive Hole:
  • “You gotta get somebody in the middle right there that's going to command that defense, too, as well.” – Dorsett on need for linebacker (17:02)
• Mock Draft Scenario:
  • Mansour Delane (CB, LSU) as possible pick at 12
  • C.J. Allen (LB, Georgia) possible at 20

4. Draft & Front Office Philosophy: “Are We Done Yet?” (24:05)

• Owners’ Meetings Soundbites: Stephen Jones and Brian Schottenheimer both say “we’re not done yet,” but with different implied meanings.
  • Walker clarifies:
    “That is actually a straight talk coming from Stephen Jones…they are in search of a linebacker. So keep an eye out for a possible trade either before the draft or during the draft.” (25:07)
• Linebacker Moves Recap: Cowboys tried to sign Nakobe Dean; he chose Vegas due to locker room fit.
• Trade Watch: Dallas is actively seeking a starting LB, possibly via trade, as free agency options dry up.

5. Veteran Leadership: Bobby Wagner & the Linebacker Room (29:37)

• Dorsett advocates a Bobby Wagner signing:
  • “Of course he's up in years, but the leadership that he brings and what he could teach…bring a young guy in…Now you got a dude like Bobby Wagner who's been a consistent all Pro, Pro Bowler, Walter Payton man of the year, great for the locker room... All right? And so that being said, like, I've looked at a guy like that, and that's the type of dude that if the Cowboys are actually going to do this…you need a guy like that to come in here and solidify that middle.” (29:52)
• Draft Plan: Ideal is pairing a rookie LB (Styles, Allen) with Wagner.

6. George Pickens Contract Situation (32:08–38:31)

• Media Silence = Progress: Kyle’s inside knowledge is that public quiet from Cowboys FO on Pickens suggests ongoing, possibly fruitful negotiations.
  • “Just because they don't want to talk about about it doesn't mean that they aren't close or they aren't working on.” – Kyle (34:09)
• Lessons Learned:
  • “I think that a valuable lesson was learned last year…in the beginning, it never felt right to me…this is not looking like he's going to be here. But everybody kept saying, oh, no, this is just part of the process. And I think that a valuable lesson was learned last year, and these guys got the same agent anyway.” – Dorsett (36:17)
  • Walker adds:
    “Pick your struggle, folks. You got to pick your struggle. Because so often fans pose the question, why does Jerry and Steven have to speak on every single thing?...Now they're not.” (37:19)
• Off-the-Field Rapport: Pickens photographed hanging out with CeeDee Lamb—team chemistry looks strong.

7. Rating the Cowboys “Madden-Style” (42:57–53:44)

Offense (43:39)

• 81 Overall as a team (per online ratings); offense is the strength.
• Offensive Grades:
  • Walker: 85 (modest, with QB, RB, WR/TE strengths offset by OL questions)
    • “They're capable of being in the 90s…but every week we didn't see them…” (44:41)
  • Dorsett: 86 — Good, steady units; main question is OL health/depth.
    • “My son turned the game off…he quit.” (43:07, light-hearted)
  • Kyle: 87 — “You’ve got two of the best wide receivers…Pro bowl caliber tight end…your quarterback could be argued to be a top five quarterback in the NFL…you’ve got a shot.” (46:26)
  • Offensive moves: net neutral (no big change from last year).

Defense (47:34)

• Defense the Weak Link: Stats and film backed up—multiple issues.
• Defensive Grades:
  • Walker: 69
    • “All I've seen is the guys come in. I've seen them who, who's been hired, I've seen who's been signed…I see and compare that against what I know from film from last year, which is all I have…So based on the data in front of me, it's a 69.” (48:36)
  • Dorsett: 65 — Cites lack of elite pass rush, linebacker gaps, and secondary struggles.
  • Kyle: Settles around 68 to 71 — sees improvement from trade deadline additions, likes some depth, but no “big splash.”
• Consensus: On paper, still a C-level defense. “Show us.”
  • “Can they be? Absolutely they can be. But show us.” – Walker (51:06)

8. Notable Quotes & Moments

• Patrik’s No-C Return:
  • “I'm day seven post op and I've been sitting here for 48 minutes with this brace and it's killing me. So we are going to wrap this up. I do it for the people. I do it for my co hosts and I do it for the family. So happy to be back…” – Walker (54:03)
• On Cornerback Competition:
  • “I'm still. I don't want to take anything away from Bland and Revel, but I still think the Cowboys need to go out and find a shutdown corner.” – Dorsett (14:01)
• On Media & Front Office Dynamics:
  • “Just because you didn't hear it doesn't mean the tree didn't fall.” – Walker on Pickens/FO silence (34:09)

Noteworthy Timestamps

• [03:46] Anthony Dorsett’s background and media role
• [05:00] Tony Dorsett’s health and spirit (CTE, memory)
• [07:33] Cowboys transactions: Kendrick, Bullard
• [11:13] Nickel/CB draft conversation (Kobe Durant role)
• [14:01] Cowboys must find a shutdown CB in draft
• [16:39] Emphasis on linebacker need in draft/free agency
• [25:07] “Straight talk” from Stephen Jones on not being done yet/possible trades
• [29:52] Bobby Wagner as LB target for leadership/development
• [32:08] George Pickens contract discussion — media silence as signal
• [42:57] Start of Madden-style offense/defense grading
• [51:06] “Can they be? Absolutely they can be. But show us.” – Defense skepticism

Tone & Takeaways

• Informed, informal, conversational — “barbershop banter meets film room.”
• Panel is cautiously optimistic about the offense, guarded/viewing with skepticism about the defense.
• Strong theme: “activity does not equal answers” — until the front office fills certain holes, the team is stuck in neutral on defense.
• Shared wisdom: don’t read too much (or too little) into front office silence; past lessons learned, the Cowboys are adapting with media strategy.
• Draft priorities: linebacker and shutdown corner top the wish list, safety only if a blue-chip prospect falls.

For Next Time

• Will Dallas land a premium linebacker before/during the draft?
• Can the secondary withstand another season of “medical red flags”?
• Will George Pickens get his deal or play on the tag—and will that impact roster chemistry?
• How will the defense’s retooling fare by Week 5? (Hosts promise to revisit roster grades after games are played.)

Talkin’ Cowboys returns next week. For daily Cowboys news and bold takes, keep it locked to DallasCowboys.com and the podcast feed.