00:00It may not be good, but it's definitely not going to be the same.
00:04Let's talk about it here in Below the Belt, which is sponsored by Window Nation.
00:09Talking about the Cowboys defense here in just a second, all the turnover that they've had there.
00:13Before we get into that, we do have the end of all the drama.
00:17There will be no more questions.
00:18I would imagine there's no more social media posts that will be interpreted or side comments.
00:24Or did you hear what this National Insider said on a podcast that sounds like something happened there?
00:30Because George Pickens has signed the tag.
00:33It's done.
00:34All behind us.
00:35Only not really, I would imagine.
00:36Yeah, I want to applaud.
00:37I'm trusting Bobby here.
00:39Of course, you always trust me.
00:40And I'll be forever bitter if we get a trade demand or George doesn't show up to training camp.
00:48Then I will take out my anger and vengeance on Roberto.
00:51But I'm betting and feeling right now that this is all kumbaya and we're moving forward with a season to
00:58play out.
00:58Now, I would still hold up one pause and that's, I assume he's going to be, but I don't know
01:06that he's good.
01:07I wouldn't say with certainty that he's going to be at the OTA stuff, the volunteer stuff.
01:10He may skip that.
01:11Yeah.
01:12But yeah, the training camp, the games, he's going to be there.
01:14And I'm not going to have a problem with him if he skips the OTAs and minicamp.
01:17And I don't think that, I don't think that the trade, again.
01:23By the way, man, NFLPA, they got to get rid of this tag.
01:27Oh, yeah.
01:28Got to get rid of the tag.
01:29Or at the very least, they've got to get rid of the, you can do it twice if you want.
01:33Or even, you know, three times.
01:34It gets super expensive, but you can do it three times.
01:36Like, you can.
01:37Maybe I'm Dallas scar, but it just feels like, yeah, it can benefit the, it feels like it's happening to
01:43too good of a player.
01:45Versus just like, well, that guy, we don't want to lose him, but he's not a superstar.
01:50So it will benefit him to make the average of the top five salaries in the league.
01:55But when it comes down to a George Pickens and other guys who are really being robbed of millions and
02:01millions of dollars
02:02with the potential for a second tag as well.
02:05Especially when, especially when it is so, this sport, and a lot of the sports, basketball hasn't gotten down this
02:13road yet,
02:14but baseball has for sure.
02:16Teams are much more apt to, oh, I'll just draft somebody instead.
02:21Instead of re-sign, how many guys get a second contract in the NFL that aren't first round picks?
02:28I mean, especially running back.
02:29Yeah, I mean, if you're not a first round pick, less than, it's like, less than 40% of non
02:35-first round picks get a second contract.
02:37So it has been suggested, I don't know, you can tell me if you think this is a palatable middle
02:42ground.
02:42I know that there's some who have suggested the idea that the franchise tag can stay,
02:49but it's going to have a very narrow application,
02:52which is you can only tag somebody one time at the expiration of their rookie deal
02:59and only if they were not a fifth-year option player.
03:02So like, if it's a four-year contract, only the first rounders get five years.
03:05Everybody else gets four.
03:06So the idea would be the second through seventh rounders are passed at the expiration of the deal.
03:10You can tag them one year to get them to five like you would a first rounder.
03:13And other than that, after that, it's over and you don't get to tag them.
03:15And you can't tag first rounders?
03:17You wouldn't be able to tag a first rounder.
03:18It would just be because they already have five years built into their contract.
03:20So this would just be leveling out five years across the board, potentially.
03:23Like, you get one tag you can throw on at the end of their rookie deal and that's it.
03:26Because then the idea is they get their earning potential into their future years after that.
03:29It's early in their careers and it's like an adjustment.
03:33All right, so George Pickens, yeah, I would expect he's going to be here.
03:37I think that George Pickens wants a long-term deal in Dallas.
03:41I think George Pickens, if he's not going to get a long-term deal in Dallas,
03:45wants to work for the long-term deal here in Dallas.
03:48Like, whether it's with another team in the future or whatever else,
03:50I think he wants to put it on display this year for the Cowboys.
03:52I think he likes being here.
03:53I think he likes the rhythm that he's found with the guys.
03:56I think he's close with CD, close with Dak.
03:59So I would be really surprised if even if they were resigned on his side or the Cowboys side,
04:05if they were both resigned to the fact that, like, this is it.
04:07This is the farewell tour.
04:08I don't think he would look to get out of here any earlier.
04:12I think he wants to just, all right, then we would just wrap this up
04:15and then we'll look to the future after that.
04:17And I think that's honestly his best play.
04:18You know you fit here.
04:20You know you're able to operate within these walls because you just did it last year.
04:23Well, he doesn't fit here if what your guess is, if it's true,
04:29that no matter what happens this year, they're not signing him.
04:33Right.
04:33No, I'm saying –
04:34I'm going to make a list.
04:35I'm not going to do it right now.
04:36You can check twice.
04:37I'm going to make a list of the personalities they have put up with here.
04:43And then I'm going to compare that to what George Pickens has done
04:48and try to figure out how they can make such a 100% determination
04:55that this is so bad compared to some of the other crap that they allow around here.
04:59Yeah, no, I'm not –
05:00If this is the case, I'm going to choose not to believe it's the case.
05:03I'm going to choose to believe that George Pickens can have a fantastic year,
05:08be a good soldier, the Dallas Cowboys make it an NFC championship game,
05:11and that they re-sign him.
05:12Yeah, and I'm not –
05:13I wouldn't say that it's necessarily the right way to view it.
05:17Like, I'm not saying that that's even the right way to do it.
05:20But I think that for George, when I say he knows he can fit in here,
05:24if there's whatever consternation or whatever that exists between them, fine.
05:29But I think for Pickens, he knows I can perform.
05:31I can put up numbers here.
05:32I play well within the scheme.
05:34I've got good chemistry with the guys.
05:36And even if they get a little annoyed with me,
05:38like, I can operate here easier than I can in Pittsburgh
05:40or some of the places that are a little more strict.
05:42Yeah, I get my hands slapped every now and then,
05:43but I can put up my numbers here this year and do that.
05:46So I do think that he's ultimately here,
05:48and I would be surprised if he were to get dealt.
05:52If he were to get dealt at any point,
05:53I don't know that it would be his demand.
05:55And the Cowboys internally are saying the same thing they're saying publicly,
05:58which is he's going to be here this year.
05:59I think the only thing I could tolerate –
06:03well, you've got to have –
06:04like, if something happened –
06:11I don't want to sip too much of this Kool-Aid.
06:13I think I'd have to have it for veterans back in a deal.
06:18Instead of draft picks.
06:20I think I'd have to have it for play now, dudes,
06:24after the draft has passed.
06:26So you want to talk Crosby?
06:28You want to talk something else?
06:29You want to talk another receiver?
06:31I don't –
06:32if they traded him for a second-round pick this offseason,
06:36heading into this year,
06:37I'll lose my freaking mind.
06:41I'll blow my damn top.
06:42If they traded him for a second-round pick, I –
06:45and I'm not just talking about just because of the value.
06:47I'm talking about because of my hope for this upcoming year.
06:50Well, then what if –
06:52would you –
06:53is Crosby alone going to be good enough for you,
06:55or would you say you would take a lesser player than Crosby
06:58if it meant getting back a receiver and somebody?
07:01So that it's a receiver to replace what George was doing.
07:03I don't –
07:04if they don't have –
07:05I'm hoping you would not follow up with that.
07:05If they don't have George,
07:07I don't think the offense is good enough for it to matter
07:09if they get maxed or not.
07:10I think they need two top-flight wide receivers.
07:14I think I agree with you.
07:15So if they're going to –
07:16Good thing they got Flanoi.
07:17Go get Tyreek.
07:19Oh, there you go.
07:20There you go.
07:20Yeah, so like –
07:21but what happens first?
07:22He reports to a –
07:26whatever.
07:26Yeah.
07:27Or he follows the team back on Instagram.
07:29I don't know if he ever followed them.
07:32Is that true that he unfollowed?
07:34Well, I went and looked.
07:35He doesn't follow them currently,
07:36but he may never have.
07:37I don't think he ever did.
07:39Because he doesn't follow –
07:40if you go to his Instagram,
07:41which, by the way,
07:42bad job on –
07:44it's very difficult to find out
07:45which Instagram is actually his.
07:46Oh, his Twitter's impossible.
07:47That's on purpose.
07:48It's probably on purpose.
07:49He doesn't follow a ton of people.
07:51No, he doesn't.
07:52I don't think he ever followed the Cowboys on there.
07:53That's just the way that he does things.
07:55Okay, over at Blogging the Boys,
07:57they were talking about the Cowboys' defensive makeover,
07:59and this is a good one.
08:01I like this.
08:01This is from OCC,
08:02and yes, I know you always –
08:04yes, you know me.
08:06I know you always dislike the reference to an internet name
08:09instead of an actual name.
08:11Just don't know his name.
08:12He goes by one cool customer on there.
08:14That's how his handle is.
08:15So, OCC, as we call him,
08:17he is writing about how the Cowboys' defensive makeover
08:20is more extreme than you might even realize.
08:23And so, he went back and looked at
08:25how the team compiled the roster out of training camp last year,
08:28who were the week one starters,
08:29and various things like that.
08:30And listen to these names really quickly.
08:34Osa Odigizua, Dante Fowler, Jack Sanborn,
08:37Kenneth Murray, Damone Clark, Donovan Wilson,
08:39Kyrie Elam.
08:39That's seven players that were in your starting lineup
08:41that are not here anymore.
08:44Mozzie Smith, Solomon Thomas,
08:46Marshawn Neyland, Buddy Johnson,
08:47Wanya Thomas, CJ Goodwin,
08:49Trayvon Diggs, and then Perrion Winfrey.
08:51That's eight other people that are not on the roster anymore.
08:53Now, obviously, the Neyland one was something,
08:55a tragedy that occurred during the season.
08:56But you're talking about they've got essentially they're bringing back
09:00Sam Williams, Kenny Clark, Malik Hooker, Bland, Marquise Bell,
09:06Marist Leofaus, Shamar James, and Donovan Azaraku.
09:08And then they've got some back third string guys that are in rotation
09:12but may not be on the active roster at the end.
09:14But this turnover has been super aggressive.
09:17Typically, most teams will churn over about 30% both sides of the ball
09:22of their active roster players.
09:24Dallas' number this year is 56% on defense that they've already overturned.
09:28And that's before they go through training camp and switch things up.
09:31It's 64% on the starters list.
09:35And of the 11 starters listed, only two, Kenny Clark and Deron Bland,
09:39are likely to return as starters that are going to be in here actively
09:42playing as starters.
09:43And you've got to remember, they got Quinn and Williams midseason.
09:45That has changed.
09:46So you're adjusting it from the start of last year to now.
09:50But this is what we were talking about when they got Christian Parker,
09:54which was the idea that this was going to be so much like, hey,
10:00not here's a blank check, but basically give us the shopping list
10:03and we'll go do it for you.
10:04We'll churn this over because they've done it in the past for various guys
10:07like Dan Quinn or Mike Nolan.
10:09They've done a lot of heavy turnover.
10:11Yeah.
10:11And everything that Parker's particular about,
10:13it looks like they've gone out there and got.
10:15Yeah, I feel strongly that I will be able to get an early good read,
10:20we will, on Christian Parker's talent evaluation based upon what they have
10:25allowed him to do.
10:26Yeah.
10:27So you think Rashawn Gary can play like Green Bay couldn't?
10:32Okay.
10:33Revel, you have that belief?
10:34Okay.
10:36You want to overdraft Malachi?
10:38I'm coming across here as critical and judgmental.
10:42No.
10:42Yeah, you're doing that perspective.
10:44Malachi, you want to reach for him a little bit?
10:47Okay.
10:48Caleb Downs is Luka Doncic, Magic Johnson, LeBron reading the floor?
10:54Okay.
10:55These are Christian Parker sign-offs.
10:58Yeah, and Southeast Air scout Eric L. Inworth,
11:00when we talked to him on Saturday, you mentioned Caleb Downs.
11:02This is a really quick clip.
11:03This is him talking about their prayer for Caleb Downs to fall on draft day.
11:06I went into it going, all right, there's no way he's coming at 12,
11:10but I'm praying hard for it.
11:12But, you know, I was drooling at every pick.
11:15And kind of how those first five, six played out, I'm like, there's a chance here.
11:19And then I got to thinking, I was like, there's no way Harbaugh passes on a guy like this twice.
11:24Same thing I said.
11:25He took Kyle Hamilton.
11:26He's going to take down.
11:27Yes, exactly.
11:29And then, shoot, it got closer and closer.
11:32And I'm like, no way this is happening.
11:34And then just, you start like, I got chills.
11:36I think a lot of people did, like, even with the picks leading up to it,
11:40when we saw the Saints didn't take him to, like, it was like everybody just erupted.
11:45Like, we're going to get Caleb Downs.
11:47Amazing.
11:47It was pretty cool.
11:48That's awesome.
11:49Go watch the replay if you can.
11:51DallasCowboys.com.
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