- 6 months ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00NFL insider Jordan Schultz, host of the Schultz Report with Jordan Schultz, joins us now here on The Fan.
00:06Good afternoon, sir. How are you?
00:09Fellas, doing well. Doing well, thank you.
00:11Man, are the Cowboys sniffing around, doing anything else here as we go into this weekend?
00:17I haven't heard much yet. I think the big move with Osa was pretty interesting.
00:23You know, it's one of those deals where it's really hard, it's frankly impossible to pay two DTs or three
00:31DTs 20-plus.
00:32You just can't do it. And Osa's a terrific player, 27 years old.
00:36That deal came together pretty quickly in the span of two or three days.
00:40The Niners identified him as the guy they really wanted.
00:43And the reason that they were sort of waiting and slow playing for agency, the Niners, was because they wanted
00:49that deal done.
00:50And obviously Dallas got back a really healthy pick and return, and perhaps it can be a win-win.
00:55But overall, if I'm a Cowboys fan, I think I feel pretty good about things, all things considered.
01:01Where do you think they helped themselves the most?
01:04Is it with Rashawn Gary? Is it Jalen Thompson?
01:08The corner last night, Kobe Durant. What do you like about this class?
01:13The Durant move was solid.
01:14I thought early on that he might even get a multi-year. I like that move.
01:20I thought the Jalen Thompson move was terrific.
01:22You know, he's a guy that is about as consistent as it gets from a safety perspective.
01:29He's just a really good football player.
01:31And that's, you know, the reason the Cowboys, among others, one of the reasons they've struggled,
01:37is because, you know, giving up big plays in the back end.
01:41And the addition of someone like Thompson, who's played a lot of football, who's super smart, high-character football guy,
01:49that's going to make a big difference.
01:50It's not like, you know, the biggest splashy move, but sometimes that's okay.
01:55And if you're the Cowboys, you're thinking about what did we need to do when it came to this free
02:02agency.
02:02It was secondary.
02:03That was a huge factor for them.
02:06So they get Thompson, they get Durant, obviously bring back Sam.
02:10I thought the P.J. Locke move was another one.
02:12You know, coming from Denver, played some great football.
02:14I mean, that's a pretty cool story.
02:15He almost had to retire with a very, very rare back surgery two years ago.
02:21Comes back and played great for Denver last year.
02:23So none of these moves super splashy, but I think all of them pretty productive.
02:29Javante Williams was a guy, obviously, you had on your show during the season.
02:33He got re-signed pretty early on.
02:35But when you look at kind of the way the running back market's gone, how much of a value is
02:39that re-signing now for the Cowboys?
02:42That was a really, first of all, you know, when that deal came out and we heard 24 over 3
02:49with some guarantees,
02:51I think the first thought process was, you know, why would he take that deal?
02:57But the more you asked around, the more it made sense that the running back market, despite a lot of
03:02the big names,
03:04was not going to have the same type of maybe numbers that we had anticipated coming out of the combine.
03:11And that deal happened, I think it was right before the combine.
03:14So I liked that deal a lot for Javante.
03:17I also felt like Dallas had to do it.
03:20You know, Dallas had him last year, and he had a massive rejuvenation for them.
03:27You know, he came from Denver where he had a major knee surgery about two years ago,
03:31and he played great football for them.
03:33And a lot of it, too, was he wanted to stay.
03:35He felt like he had found a home.
03:37The Cowboys felt like he was a guy they needed to retain.
03:41And it's one of those things, too, where, like, Javante, from a synergy standpoint with Dak in the backfield,
03:48it's just not something that I can overstate the value of it.
03:52And then you saw, like I said, you saw the running backs come off the board.
03:57Some guys got some nice numbers, but by and large, coming out of the combine,
04:01we had heard bigger numbers that didn't quite materialize.
04:04So I like the move for both sides.
04:06Jordan, one name that we've been throwing around that we'd love the Cowboys to get involved in,
04:11and I don't know how much info you've got.
04:13But what's the buzz around Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Grenard right now?
04:18Yeah, so Grenard is tricky because he's a very good player, a probable caliber player.
04:24I think he's 27, 28, I want to say.
04:27They're trying to trade him.
04:29They've got multiple suitors.
04:31But the issue with him is he's going to want a new deal.
04:35And any time you have a guy that you're trading for, you have to give up draft capital.
04:40That's one part.
04:41But it becomes a lot more complicated when that player is going to want a new contract.
04:47And he's got a lot of stuff to him.
04:51He's a very good player, and I think has a lot of really good football left.
04:55To me, that's the type of player that Dallas should go after.
04:59You mentioned the Rashawn Gary trade.
05:01I still think they need more juice coming off the edge.
05:04He can rush.
05:06He's a really good tackler.
05:10I would be surprised if he wasn't moved.
05:13But I also know that you're going to have to pay him a big salary on a multi-year deal.
05:19And that's probably why it hasn't happened just yet.
05:22NFL insider Jordan Schultz with us.
05:24Is there any chance in Pittsburgh that they would want a deal?
05:28Nick Herbig, who's a popular name for Cowboys fans to dream about trading for, or Alex Highsmith?
05:34Yeah.
05:35Who do Cowboys fans want more?
05:36I'm curious.
05:37Probably Herbig because of the age, maybe.
05:39I don't know.
05:40Yeah, probably.
05:41Salary's even lower.
05:43Yeah, he's 24.
05:44I'm looking at it right now.
05:45I'm looking at what he's making.
05:46Yeah.
05:47I haven't heard that.
05:48The one name I had heard coming out of Dallas was Cameron Hayward, and then they ended up working on
05:55a deal with him.
05:57I haven't heard anything about Highsmith or Herbig.
05:59I mean, if they wanted to move either one of those guys, there would be a massive market.
06:06I would be surprised at this point if they did move him.
06:11I know Dallas likes him, but everyone likes Nick Herbig.
06:14But no, I haven't heard that just yet.
06:16Can the Cowboys go into the draft with this situation inside linebacker being what it is right now, or do
06:22they need to add some depth?
06:26So, this draft is one of those deals where it's not – first of all, there's probably 12 to 14,
06:3615 true first-rounders, which makes it complicated because if you want to move up, you have to get really
06:44inside the top, I'd say, 8 to 10, 12.
06:48And if you don't want to move up, you have to wait and then try to stockpile second and thirds
06:55because there's a big drop-off after that third round going into the fourth round.
07:00Linebacker has been and continues to be a big issue for the Cowboys, and it's kind of the one position
07:07I thought they might address in free agency.
07:10Obviously, it hasn't happened just yet.
07:12But I'd have to look at my sheet in terms of what bargain type of backers are available.
07:19Other than Oversone, who's tremendous, I think Shamar James could be interesting for them, obviously.
07:27I love Ezraku, but no, I mean, they need another backer.
07:31I would be surprised if they found it in anything but the draft.
07:34I'm just looking at who's available.
07:35No, this is probably something that they need to address in the draft, yes.
07:38What do you think the chances are that Sonny Stiles does make it to 12?
07:42Is that a long shot?
07:44I would say that would be stunning.
07:48Stunning.
07:49Yeah, I don't even know.
07:51I mean, I have to look at the draft in front of me, but the performance he put on at
07:56the Combine is, frankly, one of the more impressive things I've ever seen.
08:01And I'm just getting word that the Panthers are signing Rasheed Walker, who, by the way, was one of the
08:06big, big ticket items in this free agency class.
08:13Why do you ask so much about backers?
08:15I'm just curious.
08:16Well, the Cowboys are in desperate need right now.
08:18They don't have, I mean, outside of Oversone, I mean, you mentioned Shamar James and it's Justin Barron who has
08:23not started.
08:24They were trying to go after, as you know, N'Kobe Dean, Quay Walker.
08:27They struck out, so inside linebacker is just the biggest glaring need right now for the Cowboys.
08:33Yeah, yeah.
08:34I think so, too.
08:35Guys, I've got to take this.
08:36Give me one minute, okay?
08:37Okay, there he goes.
08:39Jordan Schultz has some news.
08:40Breaking news on his hands.
08:42He's got to take his cell phone and pick up mid-interview with us here in the G-Bag Nation.
08:47But, yeah, I'm not hallucinating on that one, right?
08:50Middle linebacker, inside linebacker, biggest need going right now, Chief?
08:53Yeah, yeah, it is.
08:54I mean, they have other needs, but you have guys and bodies at those positions, for the most part, linebackers,
09:01where you're really dry right now.
09:03And especially with Oversone being the guy, it's like he's still a guy that you can't totally depend on from
09:10a health standpoint.
09:10Like, I would argue I would like to get two in here.
09:13I was hoping to get, like, a veteran free agent guy that could come in, plug and play, and then
09:16still draft a guy in what is a pretty strong linebacker class.
09:19So, Jesse Hawley on DLS today has a pitch out for Bobby Wagner.
09:27And he talks about he's one of the premier run defenders in the history of the league.
09:32He loves the veteran leadership that he could possibly bring.
09:36I mean, I know we've been kicking the tires on who else is out there, and, Gavin, you brought up
09:40Bobby Wagner.
09:40But among all defenders, you know, first in snaps, first in tackles, third in stops, tied for fifth in solo
09:48tackles, fifth in tackle rate.
09:49I mean, I don't think there's any doubt in terms of leadership, the football IQ, the run fits.
09:56All that's there.
09:56I think the weakness now is in coverage.
09:59I mean, I thought that was when we were getting ready for Washington both times last year.
10:02It was like, ooh, he's susceptible now.
10:04Like, you can find mismatches of him in coverage, but at this point, when you're looking at who else is
10:09available,
10:10I mean, we've linked Bobby Wagner to Dallas before because of the Dan Quinn connection.
10:15Maybe, I know he's 35 years old, but if you're looking for a bridge just to go into the draft
10:19and know, okay, at least I've got somebody,
10:21maybe Jesse's on to something with Bobby Wagner.
10:23And with how much you are looking at your defensive line and saying, we are going to stop the run
10:28with these guys,
10:29making that a priority with Rashawn Gary and, you know, what Quentin Williams and Kenny Clark can do.
10:35And as a rock, who is already really good at stopping the run, you know, maybe you're looking at your
10:41linebackers like,
10:43we don't need you to help that much stopping the run, and we really need a coverage guy.
10:48We need a linebacker that is going to be balanced and help us stop in the pass as well.
10:53And if that's the case, then I don't think you want Bobby Wagner.
10:57And that's why I would say you have Okereke.
10:59But Okereke has started missing tackles in the run game at the highest rate.
11:05It's like the opposite.
11:05You got one or the other.
11:07Yeah.
11:07You know, but I think it is remarkable that that's possible for the Cowboys to pick which one they want
11:14to help the most.
11:15And, you know, with $8 to $10 million, you could get either one of those players right now.
11:20Is that too much money for them?
11:22I would hope not, because you got nothing going on here at middle linebacker.
11:27Exactly.
11:28Like, beggars can't really be choosers at this point, and you need somebody who can come in and at least
11:32bring something to the table.
11:34At this point in free agency, you're not finding perfect players, just super well-rounded dudes.
11:38But you will get them on the cheap.
11:39He was just on a one-year $8 million deal with the Commanders, so he'd probably take the same thing,
11:44maybe even a little bit less.
11:46Yeah.
11:46And that's a guy who can at least, when it comes to run defense, you know you've got a guy
11:53there in coverage.
11:54As y'all mentioned, I mean, he allowed the most yards after catch in coverage this past season.
11:58Like, you don't want him on the field when it comes to coverage situations.
12:03But you could manipulate that.
12:05You got 159 tackles from the guy last year.
12:08Like, I don't even know if it's recognized or appreciated how he's kind of an ageless wonder with his ability
12:15to do that one thing.
12:16It's such a high level that PFF actually had him as a top 10 linebacker overall last year.
12:22Right.
12:22I don't think he'd be a top 10 guy in consideration if you could start picking and choosing from all
12:27the linebackers across the NFL.
12:29But at least in a grading sense, that's how amazing that he is.
12:35And, you know, now you're in a situation where are you sure that the 20th pick is going to be
12:41good enough?
12:42Or is there this massive learning curve?
12:44That's entirely possible.
12:46As much as you might like Rodriguez and his football IQ or C.J. Allen calling plays on the field
12:52for two years in a row,
12:53there's just a difference in the speed of the game.
12:56And it might take a significant portion of the year, multiple years, to make that adjustment.
13:02And that's a big enough thing.
13:04And then you talk about the communication and the recognition that you need from your green dot guy.
13:09That's going to take a real special guy to be able to do that as a rookie.
13:13A hundred percent it is.
13:14And I do think having a veteran to kind of bridge that and maybe ease in.
13:19Because I think C.J. Allen and Jacob Rodriguez, the football instincts, the mental IQ, the processing,
13:24both those guys, to me, are two elite linebackers when it comes to that.
13:29I think Rodriguez makes more plays.
13:31That's why I like him over C.J. Allen personally.
13:34I think when you watch him, the difference-making plays, the ability to turn over the football,
13:39I get why some project out C.J. Allen maybe to be the better player.
13:42And you have the connection on staff with his former Georgia coach.
13:46But there's things that Jacob Rodriguez does to me, why I love him so much, that they're not coachable.
13:52He's just got an innate feel to get to the football and punch it out.
13:56And I think that does translate.
13:58I've gotten in some back-and-forth on Twitter with others.
14:01They're like, nah, you can't go ahead and bank on those turnovers.
14:04I'm like, Peanut Tillman made a career on this.
14:06If you're somebody that just has a nose for being able to get to the football and punch it out,
14:10that is a skill set.
14:11It's not just luck that somebody's able to do that.
14:13I think Avion Terrell is one of those guys that has that, too, from Clemson.
14:17Yeah, yeah.
14:18And I'm with you.
14:20I'd be happy with either Rodriguez or Allen.
14:22But from a team-building perspective, I need more certainty in here.
14:26I need a bridge player.
14:27And even if it's not a bridge player, like if the rookie absolutely hits,
14:32you need two, three, four quality linebackers.
14:35And right now the Cowboys are still stuck on one.
14:37Thanks to Jordan Schultz for joining us.
Comments