00:00Well, the Cowboys have a new player, and it's a cornerback.
00:04Kobe Durant got it late last night, reached his agreement one year,
00:08up to $5.5 million.
00:11I really enjoy this part of free agency because if you've got an eye for something,
00:15you can get a bargain.
00:17Yeah, this is a bargain.
00:19Projections were closer to 10 for this, Dave.
00:21Yeah, I don't know why, and I'll give you a full-on scouting report at the 340 mark,
00:26but, man, after watching him play, our pro personnel guy's missing something here.
00:33Our team's missing something here.
00:35You know, I just wonder.
00:36Maybe it's the 5'11", and maybe it's the 181,
00:40but I wonder when you watch the guy play, boy, he plays a lot bigger than that.
00:45And I could say I want to ask you guys a question here later on
00:48about seeing a shift in philosophy when it comes to maybe smaller players.
00:55The traits?
00:55Yeah, it's like the Cowboys, like, you know, what that conversation,
00:59how's that conversation with Will McClay going?
01:01Because Will McClay ain't a small trait guy.
01:04No, he likes the arm length and the measurables.
01:07Yeah, so, but anyway, I wonder if some pro personnel guys miss this one a little bit.
01:13And, man, maybe there's something I don't know,
01:15but you can go back and you can watch him play through the season.
01:18You can watch him play in the playoffs.
01:20You know, this guy's got to line up and get it done for you.
01:25He was outstanding in the playoffs.
01:26I mean, there's two massive interceptions in that game against the Rams.
01:29And you can watch this Carolina game, too.
01:31The guy's covering.
01:32I mean, there's a lot of good things about this guy.
01:35I mean, he's – PFF has him as the 38th best corner from 2025.
01:41That would make him, by their grades, the Cowboys' current best corner.
01:45Who kidding?
01:46I don't know.
01:47I think as this thing plays out, he's at least the second best.
01:51And, you know, we'll see if Revel has a big year.
01:54If Kobe Durant ended up being your third best corner, that would be awesome
01:57because it would mean Bland came back and Revel made a big jump.
02:01But to get $5.5 million starting corner, that is really nice.
02:05He allowed 58% completions and an 85.6 passer rating when targeted.
02:10He was ranked 120th on the Athletics' top 150 free agents.
02:15He was the 10th best available corner.
02:20So there's a lot to like in this Kobe Durant player.
02:23He did get discredited by PFF for three touchdowns allowed in the playoffs.
02:29I think that's the thing is he's kind of a boomer bust guy.
02:33But his coverage and his grades in tackling are around average.
02:38And then he gives you takeaways and big plays on top of that.
02:41I know that people were calling him a little bit of a gambler.
02:43I really didn't see that.
02:44I saw a guy that really plays well with his eyes.
02:47Cool.
02:48And, like, you can play him at press and he'll turn and bail and run.
02:52And he's really because he's so light but really quick-footed.
02:59His ability to turn and stay with you.
03:02There were a couple times they ran screens and stuff on him
03:05where he's flying downhill, goes up, makes the tackle.
03:08I'm like, okay, this will work.
03:10He fights through the trash, man.
03:11He's a pesky physical player.
03:13It's interesting he plays as a field corner, though, the way the Rams play him.
03:18Like, so when you're talking about field and boundary,
03:22like, he carries the big side of the field.
03:26You know, they have a boundary corner that, you know, that's –
03:30if you're a boundary corner, it's usually like, well, wait a minute now.
03:33You're using the sideline to help you, and there's not that much space.
03:37If you're a field corner, you're carrying a lot.
03:39Now, I did not see him – I did not see him play in the slot.
03:44And I watched five –
03:45No, he's a boundary guy.
03:46He was an outside guy.
03:47Yeah, I did not watch him play inside at all.
03:50That's probably where – you're probably going to want to keep him outside.
03:52I think that's still – at least today, I'd still envision Bland probably be –
03:57or Reddy Stewart, you know, whoever steps up and wins that job,
04:00unless maybe that's somebody that they draft.
04:02But it does seem like he's a guy that spent most of his time outside.
04:05But the write-up for him, he's got to flex, I suppose.
04:09He did play more inside early in his career, like three years ago.
04:13I think maybe he played a third of his snaps in the slot.
04:16I know all the tape that I watched.
04:17Everything was the outside.
04:18Everything was outside.
04:19This last year, yeah, there was maybe a couple of snaps per game on the inside.
04:24But they've continued to raise their floor and add quality players.
04:30So now, obviously, the biggest need is middle linebacker.
04:33And how they approach that is still a mystery.
04:37I mean, this one kind of dropped out of nowhere.
04:39There were no hints that the Cowboys were working on a corner yesterday,
04:41but they certainly were.
04:42Maybe they're working on a middle linebacker right now.
04:44I think the need at linebacker is so significant,
04:47they should probably sign one and draft one.
04:51And at that point, you'd be good.
04:53But if you would go sign one now, Wagner or O'Kara K.,
04:57you've got a choice of two bobbies.
04:59You could legitimately say they put themselves in a draft BPA situation.
05:04And that's got to be the goal.
05:05If you go in butt-naked without a linebacker right now,
05:09then you're hoping Sonny Stiles falls to you at 12.
05:12And if he doesn't, then you need to take a linebacker at 20.
05:16Maybe you could trade back a little bit and still get a Hill or a Rodriguez
05:19or a C.J. Allen.
05:20But I don't think you could make it out of the first round without a linebacker.
05:24Maybe they're comfortable with that because there's –
05:25is there four first-round linebackers or four linebackers that could go in the first round?
05:30Sorry, Brian, go ahead.
05:31No, no, no, man.
05:32As you were walking us through that, I was just sitting there,
05:35and I said the word man.
05:38I'll tell you what.
05:39I'm going to stand on the table again for Jonathan Grenard.
05:42I think that opens you up so much to really go and not have to –
05:49focusing on an end or anything like that, you could really –
05:52you could make your board a lot better if you go out and get a guy that I know –
05:56I worry about the pass rush myself.
05:59For sure.
06:00But the linebacker play, yeah.
06:03When you're talking about – on my board, my stack,
06:07you know, Stiles and Hill from Texas and Allen from Georgia
06:11and Rodriguez from Texas Tech,
06:13and then you get down to the Galladays from –
06:16Josiah Trotter.
06:17Yeah, the Trotters, and I know we talked about you
06:20and I have a little bit of a difference about Elliott.
06:21Oh, Keyshawn Elliott at Arizona State.
06:23Elliott from Arizona State.
06:23He's a tough one for me.
06:25But there are some inside linebackers in this draft.
06:29And he's a true one, I will say that.
06:30But the thing about it is, you might have to be taking one at 20.
06:34And you might be taking one that might not be a first-round graded player on your stack.
06:40Yeah, I mean, to your point, I think Sonny Stiles is really the only true first-round linebacker.
06:45Unless Arvel Reese is an off-ball linebacker for you.
06:47But, I mean, like, to me, I've got Rodriguez at the top of the second round.
06:50I've got Allen and Anthony Hill Jr. at the second round.
06:52But I guess when you're picking at 20,
06:54that's where you're kind of starting to look at your second-round grades anyway.
06:57But that's when the tradeback scenario, you kind of fall in love with that idea.
07:02Could I slide back?
07:04Is there a team that maybe they want Ty Simpson from Alabama?
07:07Like, somebody wants to jump ahead of Pittsburgh.
07:09Maybe they're nervous they're going to take him.
07:11Can you go ahead and slide on back and go ahead and take Jacob Rodriguez from Tech,
07:16if that's the guy later, and pick up an extra pick?
07:18That's the dream.
07:19But I think you're 100% right.
07:20To me, the glaring need is 100% inside linebacker right now.
07:25Yeah, and I'd love to bolster the edge as well.
07:28But right now, you've got nothing to meet a linebacker.
07:31And all this stuff works together.
07:33You've got to have better coverage if you want your pass rushers to be able to get home.
07:40And over the middle was just easy feasting, easy killings.
07:44And so I don't know.
07:47I don't know how much just one veteran can fix it.
07:50But I think they've got to throw multiple resources at it and find a way to improve their pass rush
07:54at the same time.
07:55Are you guys hearing that they're still active today?
07:58Are we on watch for another signing?
08:01I have not.
08:02As this morning, I have not heard anything.
08:06All righty.
08:06They did sign Princeton Fant.
08:08They brought him back, the tight end.
08:10And they also brought in offensive lineman Matt Hennessey.
08:14Yeah, we'll have a scouting report on him as well.
Comments