00:00He is Nick Eatman, DallasCowboys.com, who agreed to join us a few days ago before Stephen Jones dropped the
00:08George Pickens No More Negotiation news yesterday during the Bill Clinton press conference.
00:14Sounds like a typical Cowboy sentence, right, Nick?
00:17Oh, without a doubt. I mean, it's exactly what I expected to happen at that press conference, and then everything
00:22just kind of lined up, you know, just filling out the bingo card.
00:26These are the things I expected to happen.
00:27Did that just get your Arkansas blood flowing in there?
00:30Yeah, you know, I know he was the governor of Arkansas. I guess after that, I'm not sure kind of
00:35what happened with his career, but I knew, yeah, he was the governor of Arkansas.
00:38But when they were telling this story about the 1994 Arkansas National Championship season and naming all the players, you
00:46know, I was like, yeah, you know, I'm sitting here thinking, yeah, I can do that. I can do that.
00:51But that was – there was a lot happening, even in that, like, two minutes there of Jerry and, you
00:59know, Jerry with the best catch of the season, you know, catching himself.
01:03Yeah.
01:04All of that that's happening there, Tad, you know, and then just him just – no one knows what to
01:10do. You know what I mean? Like, is this really happening?
01:12Did you stand – did everyone stand up, all the media?
01:15They didn't stand up, but there wasn't one cell phone that wasn't out taking a video.
01:21You know, and of course, that's how it goes. But it was – you know, but you said it best.
01:27I mean, you know, you weren't expecting to get a lot of information based off draft stuff,
01:33but they certainly gave some, and Stephen did with the comment about Pickens.
01:39Your reaction to the Pickens story?
01:42Well, my first thought was I kind of looked around like, this is new, right?
01:48Like, you know, sometimes you think – you know, you can't ever catch up on all the stuff that's being
01:54reported and things like that.
01:55And so I'm like, wait, this isn't – this isn't something that has been said before, and I'm kind of
02:01looking around like, okay, just make sure I heard that, right?
02:04It was that part of the press conference, you know, where you're kind of – you're not tuning out, but
02:09you're just – you know, you're just kind of processing everything.
02:11When he said that, I was like, wait a second. And then why? Why would you do that?
02:17You know, you don't have to do this.
02:19You know, this is – it just – it just sounds like, you know, like when my kid doesn't want
02:25to eat, you know, doesn't want to eat this for dinner.
02:27He's like, I don't want to eat any dinner. I don't want to eat anything at all.
02:30You know, you're like, all right, you're just making a statement.
02:32And that's kind of what this is. It's like, well, no, we're not going to negotiate at all.
02:36I think that just shows how far off they are, but also just how committed they are to him playing
02:42on the tag
02:42and just wanting to see what he, you know, what he can do again, you know, do what he did
02:47last year and do it again.
02:48Are you worried about this having a really negative impact on the season?
02:53I mean, well, if there wasn't drama, then it wouldn't be normal.
02:58So, I mean, there's got to be something, right?
03:00So, you know, I – but I'm not saying it's a good thing.
03:04You know, I mean, you would love for – because I think that's what helped them last year,
03:07the fact that they had tickets and CDs there all offseason, all of training camp, competing, you know, and doing
03:15their thing.
03:15They were ready to go into the season and enroll.
03:17And I don't know if it'll be like that.
03:20So, it has to be concerning.
03:22And that's why you wonder, you know, how it all leads into tonight and the decisions that they're making.
03:30And, yes, I do know the draft is tonight, by the way.
03:34I heard that.
03:35I heard that Archer this morning.
03:37You know, no, Archer was great.
03:39You know, but I know he joked about that.
03:41Like, the draft is tonight?
03:42Yeah.
03:43I was told this morning it was.
03:45We'll get to the draft.
03:46One more thing.
03:48And I understand – this would have been my – like, if we're playing in Madden, there's no human emotions.
03:53This would have been my preference of let's see it one more time.
03:56All right?
03:56Let's just make sure he's worth, you know, giving another $30 million to at the receiver position.
04:03But that's from afar.
04:04You're in there every day.
04:05And what I find the most interesting, Nick, and correct this if it needs to be corrected,
04:09it doesn't seem like the front office is listening to their leadership because unless they're doing a masterful job of
04:17overselling it publicly,
04:18Brian Schottenheimer, Dak Prescott, and CeeDee Lamb could not come across as bigger fans of George Pickens than they have.
04:27And Jerry and Steven, right, they can only be around the locker room so much.
04:31If my three big dogs and leaders are saying, he's good to go, trust us, he's the right type of
04:38dude, and I'm not listening to it, I'm like, nah, we need –
04:42it doesn't seem like they're listening to what at least those three have said publicly.
04:47Well, maybe not, but I think they're also – and maybe they are listening, but they're also – what's louder
04:54than that is what Pickens and the agent are saying of what the number is.
04:58I mean, maybe that's – you can say all these nice things and like, hey, he's ready, he's good to
05:03go, but if he was really, really good to go,
05:08then they would sign the tag or they would be at a spot where it makes more sense.
05:15It just seems like it's a business and they're far off in what they think last year's season is worth
05:23and what he's going to do and what the Cowboys are like.
05:27Listen, we know what we saw, but also, you know, let's not forget he was making, I don't know, $3
05:33million, $4 million a year.
05:36And look at all the fines that he took and he was willing to take.
05:41Now you're going to give him $27 million, if not more, per year.
05:44Yeah.
05:44You know, what happens then?
05:46And so, obviously, it didn't keep him from being there on time and maybe missing an occasional bus meeting, whatever
05:54it was.
05:55And I'm not saying it hurt him so much on the field all the time, but you throw even more
06:02money out there,
06:02you wonder how things change.
06:04We've seen it.
06:04I mean, the Cowboys, they've been burned several times here in the last few years about guys that they've given
06:11big contracts to
06:12and the production has dropped off dramatically.
06:15I don't think you could say that about Dak and TD, but just about every other guy, it has happened.
06:22Nick, if you thought they had a 10% chance of drafting a wide receiver tonight before this news, after
06:30this, where would you put it at?
06:32Oh, you mean in the first round?
06:34Yeah.
06:3840%?
06:40Yeah.
06:40I mean, 35%, 40%.
06:43I think the guy that they like, I don't know, will even be there at 12.
06:51I mean, that would probably make things a lot easier.
06:53It's almost the opposite of last year when they wanted McMillan to be there and then he wasn't.
06:58And then I think if he is there...
07:01And who is that?
07:01And I'm talking about Tyson, I think.
07:04If he is there, I think that poses an interesting question.
07:08If you've got him there and then you've got some other defensive guys that can help you, maybe their grade
07:17isn't as high.
07:18And that's where it comes down to.
07:20And I always said, everyone likes to say, you know, best player available.
07:25And I've always thought it's more best available need.
07:27And this is going to really push that to the limit tonight if that happens because they're probably going to
07:34have, you know, stronger needs for a pass rusher or linebacker that aren't going to be graded as high as
07:41like maybe the receiver or an offensive tackle.
07:44And then you wonder, now, I'll say this.
07:46I think there is a need for an offensive tackle.
07:48So it wouldn't hurt my feelings if they go that route.
07:51But I just think there's...
07:52I think offensive players are more in play for the Cowboys than we thought going into this draft.
07:58Who do you know that they really like?
08:07Like guys that they won't get?
08:08Or guys that...
08:10Are you talking about...
08:11First-rounders.
08:12Like, who do you know that they love?
08:13I don't care how high up they are.
08:16I mean, I think the guy, if you're going to trade up for someone, I think the one that would
08:23make the most sense if it were to fall would be Reese.
08:26I mean, obviously, he's probably going to go number two, but I mean, I don't think they...
08:31I don't know if they would trade up for, you know, number six for anyone other than that.
08:36I could be wrong.
08:37I mean, it could be, you know, it could be smoke screens on a lot of this.
08:40Styles could be in play there.
08:42But I would think it would either be Reese or Styles that you would maybe trade.
08:46Like, oh, well, I'm surprised he's still there.
08:49You know, but I don't know.
08:51I mean, Downs and Delaney, I think they just hope that they fall.
08:54Now, you might trade a little bit.
08:55I know the Kansas City trade, that sounds awesome for the Cowboys.
09:01I don't know if it sounds so great for Kansas City.
09:04It just seems like it's contrasting opinions for Kansas City.
09:09At nine, they're okay moving back to 12 because there's still options there.
09:14But somehow at 29, they would just be happy to just jump up to 20.
09:18I mean, it seems like it doesn't really work for Kansas City as much.
09:23Maybe it does.
09:24You don't know what their board looks like.
09:26But I think that would be the perfect scenario for the Cowboys.
09:29That trade right there, to me, is perfect because at nine, you're going to get who you want, I believe.
09:36And at 29...
09:38What do you think their board, forget Reese and Bailey, at nine or at 12, with all the availables,
09:44what do you think their board looks like?
09:46I think you can get Delaney and Downs, or and or, not both.
09:52I think you get one or the other there.
09:54I think they're hoping at 12, it falls to them.
09:58I think at nine, it pretty much locks it in that you would get one of those two guys and
10:05improve your secondary just like that.
10:07And the good thing about the Downs, I mean, I think he's, you know, somebody showed me this the other
10:15day.
10:15It was probably just, I'm not sure, this is going around the league.
10:19Everyone's got this crumpled up piece of paper, you know, but I saw the Caleb Downs, no matter what, you
10:25know, as a meme or whatever,
10:28obviously referring to the draft day clip.
10:33But I think it's Downs because when you think about what he gives you, I was like, I was doing
10:38my seven-round mock,
10:40and I'm like, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah.
10:44That's about where it ends, okay?
10:46It ends right there.
10:46If I could get one tonight, I'll be, or not tonight, but if I get one in the whole weekend,
10:52I'll be excited.
10:55But the thing is, is I was going through it, and I was like, all right, I'm going to put
10:59Downs here at 12.
11:00And that probably will be more like, you know, nine or 10 if they have to trade.
11:04But, you know, and then I'm looking, I'm like, I don't really have a corner.
11:08But then when you stop and think about it, the reason why he is who he is is because he
11:13is going to come in there and play slot corner for you.
11:15And so that's why he is so valuable.
11:19He can return kicks if he needs to.
11:22But, I mean, he's just so dynamic.
11:24And I hate to compare a guy like that, but, I mean, it just seems like there's some Ed Reed
11:29to him.
11:30And if everybody in the league thought that, he wouldn't fall to 12.
11:34I understand that.
11:35But it just seems like he's got that.
11:38And, you know, I was looking at it, and I was like, I got Georgia guys, I got Ohio State
11:43guys.
11:44And I'm thinking, well, if there's any teams that have dominated college football the last two years, it's been, you
11:50know, those teams and Alabama.
11:51And here's Downs, who's played for two of them, and a lot of Georgia guys in there as well.
11:56So can't go wrong, I think, with those players.
11:59Nick Eatman with us here on The Fan.
12:00Nick, we've obviously talked about delaying down styles, a lot of those guys.
12:05Keldrick Falk has been mentioned at 20.
12:07What's the scenario or the player that you've heard around there at some point that you're like,
12:13this hasn't been talked about as much, but this person or this player should be on the radar for fans
12:18tonight at 12 or 20?
12:23Well, I was surprised to hear about some Oregon players.
12:29Players.
12:30Ooh.
12:31Yeah.
12:31Yeah.
12:32And so, but I don't know.
12:34Honestly, their wipeout scenarios, I think, can get fun.
12:38I think when they sit around and do the mock draft in there, I think sometimes, like, this time we're
12:43going to have some fun with it.
12:44You know, we're going to do it a little spicy this time.
12:46I think that, you know, the Feederman is interesting just because he's, you know, he's a guy that's so smart,
12:57really fast.
12:58He's going to be kind of that quarterback of your defense.
13:01I mean, he's one.
13:02I know he's been mentioned a lot there, too.
13:05I'm intrigued about Hood, you know, because, and I know, RJ, I'm sure you've seen him a lot, but it's
13:14one of those things where usually when they've been mentioned for so long, it's like it's probably not going to
13:20happen.
13:21You know, I feel like Colton Hood's been on the radar for a long, long time.
13:24And so I kind of wonder about him and the roller coaster ride, it seems like, has been C.J.
13:33Allen.
13:34That one, I mean, it depends on who you talk to.
13:37Sometimes it's, yeah, he's, you know, he'd be great right there at 20.
13:42Nah, a little worried about, you know, injury.
13:45Some people are like, nah, if we could get him, you know, even before 20.
13:50So, I would look at C.J. Allen, too.
13:55I think that's interesting.
13:57But, I mean, Georgia and Oregon, those two right there, I think you've got a couple of players each from
14:05each school that I think the Cowboys are looking at.
14:089.31 on the fan cam.
14:10Good job.
14:12Yes.
14:12Look at you.
14:13Look at that.
14:14I almost, what did I text you?
14:16I was going to, I don't know why I was feeling cocky, and I was like, I'll get you a
14:20thousand.
14:22I'm like, no, I can't.
14:239 o'clock hours less people, though.
14:25They're at work.
14:26They're at work.
14:26If you were at seven, you would have gotten a thousand.
14:29Okay.
14:30All right.
14:30It's not, not bad, not bad.
14:33I was just thinking, like, I'm setting myself up for disaster, because then you guys are going to be like,
14:37good job, 200.
14:39Thank you, brother.
14:40Great stuff.
14:41Appreciate you.
14:41All right, guys.
14:42See you.
Comments