00:00Yeah, I got four Cowboys stories here for you.
00:01The C-Note, Bobby and Sean had an interesting conversation about Kenny Moore,
00:06the Colts nickel, a corner that they released.
00:09And Sean's point was that they should be trying to bring him in
00:12and plug downs in at one of the traditional safety spots.
00:16And, you know, Bobby said maybe they would have if they hadn't brought in downs.
00:21I think right now, though, you're pretty dang set at nickel, aren't you, right?
00:25Like, you have so many options that have played this spot,
00:28whether it's Jalen Thompson or Reddy Stewart or Duran Bland and now Caleb Downs.
00:35Even Kobe Durant has in years past, not this past season, but in his history he has.
00:40Yeah, so you got a lot of them.
00:42But I think the other point that Sean was making is it's kind of like Cooper Flagg,
00:47maybe not to the extreme of it,
00:49but believing that Caleb Downs is going to come in and play nickel corner well.
00:55You know, is that a stretch to you guys, or do you think it's a lock, and if so, why?
01:01Well, I think you guys feel like it's a lock.
01:02I mean, this is what you guys have been clamoring for.
01:04No?
01:05No.
01:06I mean, he's great at the safety role.
01:09Do we know he's going to be great at this role?
01:11You know, and we had on today on Trevor Sikama.
01:15Trevor Sikama came on.
01:18Used to be with BFF.
01:19With Crown?
01:20Topped on Crown?
01:21Yeah.
01:21A little stack action?
01:22Yeah, and we had him on, and it's funny.
01:24I asked him the question,
01:25if there was something that you worried about with Caleb Downs, what would it be?
01:32And his answer was, you can't ask him to go and play in the slot and be that every down
01:42slot player in cover,
01:44at least right now.
01:45He says the things you would worry about him is how he deals with, he was kind of talking about,
01:52he was comparing him a little bit to how your guy plays in Tampa Bay.
01:56Antoine Winfield.
01:57In Winfield.
01:57Yeah, where they've just now kind of started playing him more on some slot stuff,
02:03but they just didn't initially throw him because he was talking about the athletic ability,
02:11and can he deal with quicker inside players?
02:17In man coverage?
02:18In man coverage.
02:19That was his biggest, he says, listen, this is a great football player,
02:24and put him around the line, let him do things,
02:26but if you're going to see where things might get a little weird for him
02:32is having to deal with guys that are better athletes,
02:36and he was talking about our guy from the Chargers, the safety at the Chargers.
02:40Derwin James.
02:41Derwin James.
02:41And he was saying,
02:44James is a better athlete than what Downs is.
02:49This was his take.
02:51That he was a better athlete,
02:52and he says, that's why you would have more confidence in Derwin James covering in the slot.
02:59And he says, look, I'm not saying he can't do it,
03:02but if there's going to be something that you might notice initially is the slot coverage.
03:09That's interesting because quickness, in terms of short area quickness,
03:12in charge of direction, I think Downs is better than Derwin James is.
03:16Yeah, it was that, like I say, it's, we kind of see what we see.
03:22Yeah.
03:22But a different outside approach.
03:24But overall, in terms of who had the better athletic profile, he's right.
03:28The Derwin James did.
03:30Just that specific, and here's the thing.
03:32I think we get, we think of this is going to be man-to-man.
03:36He is in the slot, and now he is just guarding that individual player.
03:40I don't think that's what, he will show that, but then you're going into a zone.
03:45Right.
03:46Right.
03:46So I don't know how often he's going to actually be asked to now he's playing,
03:51let's just say his brother Josh Downs, he's now got to carry Josh Downs across the entire field here.
03:57It's going to probably be passing off of assignments, right?
04:00Still letting him use his instincts to flow wherever he needs to go with the football.
04:04See, that's where we're going to watch, and if he does get in situations,
04:09and all of a sudden that 13's trailing, and it's a catch, and everyone's like, what the hell?
04:17Right.
04:17You just know that this, you know, if there is, if there is something to just get ready for, potentially,
04:27is that if you do put him in a lot of these man-covered situations,
04:32it could be something that's a little bit of like, okay, maybe we shouldn't do that this much.
04:37There's some Tyler Smith to this discussion.
04:39I think, like, you'd be an all-pro left guard, how good would you be a left tackle?
04:43Yeah.
04:43Like, would you be Hall of Fame as one of the two traditional safeties,
04:47or would you be Pro Bowl at nickel corner?
04:49How long will it take you to be great at nickel corner?
04:52And then, you know, the other thing, Brian, I think you broke it down maybe a month or so ago
04:56before the draft was just how many different guys an NFL team uses, you know,
05:02whether it was M and Worry or Hamilton or James.
05:05It's not like that's their permanent spot.
05:07Right, right.
05:07You know, so you do need multiple guys.
05:09You need multiple guys because, to me, I understand.
05:13I don't know if I want to 100% put him, even Nick Amanda Worry, we talk about him.
05:19You watch, and then you watch what they do on third down.
05:23They don't always put Nick Amanda Worry on the slot player.
05:28They'll put somebody else.
05:29Witherspoon.
05:30Witherspoon will go play in there.
05:31Yeah, so you might have to have another guy that could be a little bit of a change-up guy.
05:41More of a traditional corner.
05:43Yeah.
05:44That's covering dudes man-to-man.
05:46Yeah, I think it would be a Kobe Duran.
05:48It would be Reddy Stewart.
05:49It would be those other guys.
05:50Yeah, see, I don't, I don't, the thing that I'm going to find interesting is,
05:55what if he turns into, instead of a, this great player, Hall of Fame type player,
06:03what if he's just a, if he's just a good player?
06:07I mean, he's a good, like, everyday type of a player.
06:12You know, that's where.
06:13He'll still be the best Cowboy safety in 20 years.
06:15I think, I think we all think he's going to be a Hall of Fame player, you know what I
06:18mean?
06:18He's got that ability.
06:19He's got that kind of ability, but what if he is just a. . .
06:22The sport of me is just good.
06:23Yeah, yeah.
06:24See, I'm trying to think of other players around the league that we, that we kind of thought of this,
06:29but they're really just good players.
06:31I mean, Clowney was probably one of those guys where expectations were super high.
06:34It wasn't like he sucked his whole career.
06:37He's just a good player.
06:38He's just been good.
06:39But not number one overall pick good.
06:40Yeah, like, that's just kind of the first guy off the top of my head.
06:46I mean, I kind of look at these, I kind of look, remember, well, back in the day when the
06:51commanders had those defensive tackles with Payne and those guys.
06:55Payne, Allen.
06:55Jonathan Allen.
06:56They were like, boy, they're really good players, but they never were what we think.
07:01Aaron Donald.
07:01It's still amongst the best of their position.
07:03Yeah.
07:03Right?
07:04Yeah.
07:04Yeah.
07:04And I think. . .
07:05I mean, are we going to be. . .
07:06I'm okay with it, yeah.
07:07See, that's what I'm saying.
07:08Are you okay with that?
07:09Yeah.
07:10Well, yes.
07:10I think he's going to be all pro level.
07:13If he doesn't achieve it, and he's still really good, and he's making some pro bowls, and I get the
07:17pro bowl's not what it once was, I still think we're going to be very satisfied.
07:20Right.
07:21He's still the best the Cowboys have had at the position, like Dawson said.
07:23Do you think expectations are too high for him?
07:26I don't, because I believe in the player.
07:27I know you do.
07:28And I'm guilty of putting the expectations out there on him.
07:31I believe he's going to rise to the occasion, and there's no limitation to what this individual is.
07:36If he is going to get there, he's going to be damn good as a rookie.
07:38All pro, maybe not, but at least pro bowler and all rookie team.
07:43You know, the concern would be for me, like, how long is it going to take, and how much patience
07:48would you have, you know, for him to make the big plays that you're expecting him to make, or to
07:54tie your defense together in the way that we expect him to do that.
07:57I just don't know if the expectation can be that he does it year one.
08:01You know, like, this is a lot of studying, a lot of mental that goes into it, and he is
08:05great at that.
08:06And that's why I will bet on him to eventually get there.
08:09Whatever his problems might be his rookie year, I think he'll work his way around it.
08:14But, I mean, especially from that position, like, if you were a great edge rusher coming into the NFL, you're
08:20going to go get the quarterback.
08:20But at his spot, he's got to study and know it better than guys on offense.
08:26Maybe some of these quarterbacks have been in the NFL 8, 10, 12 years.
08:29You're in a chess match against that?
08:31There's no way that can happen in your rookie year.
08:33If you do, then you are that savant.
08:34Yeah, which, every one that you talk to, he is.
08:38That's his superpower.
08:39He is.
08:39He is that guy.
08:41He is that rare mental star.
08:43I don't think it's the, do you think it might be the athletic ability that holds him back?
08:50If that's, it's, the mental stuff, I don't think is going to be a problem.
08:54It would be the athletic ability stuff.
08:56He lacks, he lacks speed.
08:58He lacks his, I don't disagree with you about the foot quickness and stuff, by the way.
09:02He's quick and short, like, he covers around in a hurry.
09:04And he's really aware, and he sees it, and he's able to react.
09:08Yeah.
09:09But if it turns into, physically, you have to run and go with, that might be the one.
09:16So you're telling me a rookie is going to be intellectually on par with the top offensive
09:22minds in the game going, move for move?
09:25I think this guy, I think this guy has some Luke Keekly in his brain.
09:29Yes.
09:30Like that.
09:30Born to be a football player.
09:31Born to be a football player.
09:33When you watched him at Ohio State, that's why I asked him, and I wasn't trying to, like,
09:35get him in trouble, you know, like, were you bored?
09:38And he admitted, yes.
09:40Because he was not tested in the Big Ten.
09:44He wasn't.
09:44But, I mean, his confidence is very high, and a lot of people's confidence is very high.
09:49But most young players that have not experienced failure assume they're going to go up a massive
09:54jump forward and still crush.
09:56You know?
09:56It's going to be no problem.
09:58Yeah.
09:58Yeah.
09:58And I do think, I mean, you did just see a guy like Imanwari do some of this stuff, right?
10:03Imanwari was a third-round pick, too.
10:05Right.
10:05Exactly.
10:06And he wasn't known for being some football savant kind of guy.
10:09But also, it's probably a huge credit to Mike McDonald, the defensive coordinator,
10:14who is understanding his strengths.
10:17I don't think you're going to see Imanwari have to carry a super shifty slot receiver
10:22all over the field in man coverage.
10:24Like, you can still be successful playing in that role, playing in zone, being an awesome run defender.
10:28And then Christian Parker understands, okay, when I want to do some type of man coverage
10:33with a certain personnel grouping that's on the field, hey, Downs, you're going to slide over
10:37and be more of a traditional safety.
10:38I totally agree with you, but I think Cowboy fan, Joe and Flower Mound, I think Joe and
10:44Flower Mound thinks he can play in the slot and cover the way.
10:47Yeah, and that's a little unfair.
10:49See, that's, I think that to me.
10:51That's not, I don't think, what he's going to be asked to do.
10:54But I'm just saying, I'm glad we're putting that out there now.
10:58You're right, you're right.
10:58Because I think Joe and Flower Mound thinks that you just got Darren Woodson.
11:03Right.
11:04Like you're clarifying the expectations.
11:06Yeah.
11:07Like Darren Woodson.
11:08Right, but Darren Woodson also, was he asked to play as a slot corner?
11:11No, no, and that's what made, right?
11:12But I'm saying, that's what, that's, I think Joe and Flower Mound thinks this is an all-do-everything
11:17guy.
11:18Yeah, which he is.
11:19But he's not a, every single down, he's got to play slot corner and be, I mean, name the
11:24best slot corner.
11:25He's not Jordan Lewis, right?
11:26He's not going to have to be Jordan Lewis every single snap.
11:29He's going to have a different role.
11:30He might line up that way.
11:31But that's what this Christian Parker defense is all about.
11:34Sure.
11:34I'm giving you one look right, and then post-snap, oh crap, now these guys are in a different
11:38spot.
11:39Right.
11:39I'm just trying to say, I think expectations of this player, this is a Hall of Fame player.
11:45I'm just pointing out, and I think he's got the capability of being that guy.
11:49I'm just saying, be careful about, if you, all of a sudden you see some like, man, the
11:55coverage looks a little off here, just know that that's something that's part of his game.
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