00:00But joining us now from DallasCowboys.com, it's Tommy Yarish here on The Fan.
00:04And a good afternoon, Tommy. How you doing?
00:06Good afternoon, guys. I'm doing great. How are y'all doing?
00:08We're doing outstanding.
00:10You know, it's a big day here for the Cowboys and the other NFL teams
00:13as they get to see what dates their known opponents will be coming into the stadium
00:18or they'll be going to theirs.
00:19But my question for you, Tommy, just to get this started,
00:22have you seen the schedule yet?
00:24Be honest, Tom.
00:25No. I'm being honest. No, I have not.
00:27Yeah. So you're not privy to something like that operating inside the building?
00:32Have you talked to anybody that has?
00:36Probably, but they haven't told me, like, hey, I've got it.
00:39I try to, you know, stay out of everybody's hair and I do my part
00:43when my part comes across the table, whenever that is.
00:46So maybe sometime here soon. But, yeah, I'm not privy to it yet.
00:50What do you think would happen?
00:52What's the punishment for an NFL employee that gets a hold of that thing
00:55and releases it early with this big TV show coming up tonight?
01:01Great question.
01:02I don't want to find out is my answer.
01:05So I like my job.
01:07I like covering this team.
01:09So I will do everything in my power not to find out.
01:11They haven't threatened you then, huh?
01:13They haven't said this is what's going to happen.
01:14They're just trusting that you're just such a professional
01:17and you're a little bit scared.
01:19Yeah. Well, yeah, I try.
01:21I don't. I definitely don't want to lose my job.
01:23No, you and me, Mo.
01:24I'm good with Wade and like everybody else.
01:27That's right.
01:28Okay, so how difficult do you think this schedule is
01:30with the NFC West and the AFC South teams in your best estimation?
01:36It's pretty tough.
01:37I think that, you know, obviously you play the reigning Super Bowl champions
01:41for the second straight year.
01:43That's never easy.
01:45And, you know, the Seahawks defense is really, really good
01:49and their offense, you know, bringing back Jackson Smith and Jigba,
01:51that's going to be a challenge.
01:53You go up against another great offense and the Rams,
01:56and those are two big tests in year one for Christian Parker.
01:59So, you know, my biggest question there is when in the season do those come?
02:04Is it the earlier part to where, you know,
02:06maybe this unit doesn't have everything clicking just yet
02:09and that could, you know, maybe not spell the best news
02:12for the Cowboys' defense.
02:14But, yeah, that's probably one of, if not the toughest division in all of football.
02:18I think they had three 12-win teams last season, if I'm not mistaken.
02:21So that's certainly not easy.
02:24And on the AFC side, too, it certainly doesn't get any easier.
02:27The Texans' defense is, I think, the best in football.
02:31Trevor Lawrence really started clicking towards the back half of the year last year.
02:35And then the Colts, you know, if they can get healthy,
02:38they can look really good and really promising, too.
02:41I know I'm leaving somebody off, but it's all right.
02:44So, yeah, it won't be easy, and it's going to be really interesting to see
02:48how these games are stacked up against one another,
02:51how much rest this team has in between games and so on and so forth
02:55to kind of get a gauge for how prepared they'll be going into each game.
03:00Is there any way the NFL puts the Packers game in a place
03:04that Micah Parsons wouldn't be there?
03:08I would highly doubt it because you're letting some serious TV value go there.
03:13You know, I don't know what exactly his injury timeline looks like
03:17to the point where you could say, you know,
03:19okay, this is going to be a late-season game.
03:22It has to be a late-season game.
03:25But I would expect that if I'm just thinking of, hey,
03:28we're trying to schedule this so we can get all the best players on the field,
03:32and, of course, Micah being the big storyline in that game,
03:35I would probably expect it to be around time that he's around
03:38and whenever that may be.
03:41Rashawn Gary's probably a little offended.
03:42You think that's the biggest storyline?
03:43I mean, he's making his return to Lambeau, dude.
03:45I mean, that's going to be fireworks.
03:48Well, that's another one.
03:49Sorry, Rashawn.
03:50I didn't mean to offend you there, pal.
03:51But, yeah, there's a couple there.
03:54How are you feeling week one about the Giants?
03:56And it especially looks like Malik Neighbors is going to be out.
03:59You've got to feel good about starting with a dub at this point, don't you?
04:02Oh, yeah.
04:03If you're the Cowboys, you're, you know,
04:04obviously you never want anybody to be injured,
04:06but you will certainly take them being without Malik Neighbors.
04:10It'll be John Harbaugh's first game as a head coach.
04:12So, you know, might not have everything clicking day one.
04:17So if you want to catch somebody, that's typically when you catch them.
04:20And I've always thought so much of Harbaugh as a coach.
04:24I think what he did with the Ravens was fantastic,
04:26just a mile of consistency and winning over his time there.
04:30And that's exactly what I feel like the Giants needed.
04:32Is it going to all set the table week one?
04:35That's the big question.
04:37I think right now Dallas is more prepared for that game.
04:40If the game was tomorrow, I would pick the Cowboys in it.
04:44But I think that that certainly is going to be interesting to see how that team
04:48kind of develops and grows.
04:49It wouldn't surprise me at all if the Giants are pushing for, you know,
04:53a top spot in the division or a wild card spot when we come to the end of the year.
04:57I think that much of not just John Harbaugh, but their defensive line,
05:02I think that, you know, to win in this league,
05:03you have to have a great pass rushing unit.
05:05And boy, do they have one.
05:07And so I'm excited to see how they kind of develop over the course of the year.
05:10But if you're Dallas, I think you're happy with that being the opener.
05:14I think that sets up pretty well for you to start the year off.
05:16It's Tommy Arish, DallasCowboys.com with us here in the Gbag Nation.
05:19You talk about that Giants front defensively and how impressive it is.
05:24Where do you think the Cowboys have improved the most?
05:26What portion of the Cowboys defense are you most confident in?
05:30I would say, well, so I'll split that into two.
05:35The part they've improved the most, I think, is their secondary.
05:37Yeah.
05:38I think the bar was zero when you started the offseason.
05:42But when you add Caleb Downs, Jalen Thompson, Kobe Durant,
05:46you hopefully get Durant, Bland, and Savon Rebel back.
05:49I think that's a significantly better unit than you threw out there last year.
05:53And then what I'm most confident in, I think, is their defensive tackle room.
05:58I mean, I'm good with Kenny Clark and Quentin Williams all the time.
06:01I feel like Otito Obonia might have a pretty solid role in this defense.
06:04And, you know, we'll see where this group wants to use L.T. Overton
06:09and how much he'll be used if it is that, you know,
06:11four-eye spot that Christian Parker has said can be pretty important in his scheme at times.
06:16So those would be how I would split those two.
06:18But really, the secondary is going to be fascinating to watch, especially at corner.
06:22Just because there are so many question marks injury-wise with, you know, the Blands
06:26and probably not so much at Rebel.
06:29Now, I think he's trending in a good direction to be able to go for you.
06:34But, you know, we all remember what Jerry said about Bland with the foot last year.
06:38You know, it was worrisome.
06:39You know, he's got a ton of time to recover now.
06:42So you would hope that certainly he's coming out feeling good.
06:45We were just talking about Donovan Ezeraku and what he did his final year of Boston College
06:50and how much, you know, it underproduced his rookie year.
06:54Do you think he could have the breakout year two performance that could, you know,
06:59sort of stir the drink here for the Cowboys coming off the edge?
07:03He could.
07:04Yeah.
07:04I don't know if I would necessarily know if I would bank on him doing that.
07:08But, you know, I don't necessarily need – if I'm thinking of it of, you know,
07:12this Cowboys defense and the staff that is being built here,
07:16I don't know if I necessarily look at it as, like, we need you to have a breakout year.
07:20I think you just want to see gradual improvement.
07:23I think that, you know, just little by little,
07:26it doesn't mean he has to have a 10-sack season.
07:28No.
07:29But, you know, if you're hitting around the 6-8 mark where you're seeing him grow as a pass rusher
07:34and still do what he did last year, which was play the run pretty well,
07:38I think that's a successful season for Donovan Azaraco.
07:41And you just hope that the supporting cast around him, like Rashawn Gary and Malachi Lawrence
07:46and James Houston, everybody else that they've got in that arsenal, does their job too
07:52because, you know, this team was not that great at getting to the quarterback last year.
07:55So they don't need to just get pressure.
07:57They need to get sacks this time around.
07:58So I'm just looking for growth for Azaraco in that department.
08:02I mean, I don't know if, you know, you necessarily need a 12-15 sacks season.
08:06I mean, if you get that, sure, that's great.
08:08You never say no.
08:10But if he's improving in that department, then I think he's pretty satisfied.
08:15Who are you more year one excited for?
08:17Is it Jayshon Barham or Malachi Lawrence in terms of impact?
08:24Ooh, that's a great question.
08:28I think what that's going to be today, just because of how the rooms are both shaped,
08:34probably Barham, just because, you know, I kind of feel like if the season started today,
08:39he's probably your Mike linebacker.
08:41I don't know if he would wear the green dot, but he could.
08:44And just because I don't know if there is another one on the roster at the moment,
08:48Christian Parker has said that he's going to take reps at Mike this offseason.
08:52So if that's the case, then, you know, if the season started today,
08:56then I would think Barham just because, you know, they need somebody in the middle of the defense.
09:01They don't have one right now.
09:02Can they go out and get a veteran tomorrow?
09:04Sure.
09:06But as of right now, it seems like he's, you know, he would be the leader in the clubhouse
09:10or one of them in that department.
09:12So I would expect him to have more of a prominent role if that's the case versus Malachi Lawrence,
09:17who will still get plenty of snaps and plenty of playing time.
09:20But it may not be as much as you would see from Barham if he's the man in the middle
09:25of this defense.
09:27Tommy Yarish here with you at DallasCowboys.com.
09:29How smooth of a ride do you expect this summer to be with George Pickens?
09:34Based on, you know, everything I've heard, which is not a lot,
09:38I would expect this summer to be smooth.
09:41Whether that means he shows up for voluntary stuff,
09:44which I don't think he has up to this point,
09:46or mandatory minicamp or even just training camp,
09:50I don't foresee there being any major drama.
09:54I think it's just, you know, both sides understand where they're at.
09:58I think, you know, George Pickens wants to be in Dallas.
10:01He wants to keep playing with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
10:05It's beneficial for him to, you know, go to training camp and get that time on task.
10:10I know they've been, you know, he's been training with Dak at personal fields
10:13or personal training sessions, whatever it may be.
10:17But, you know, whenever it is that Pickens shows up,
10:20I feel pretty good about the fact that there won't be, you know,
10:24too much negative noise or anything like that surrounding it.
10:27And you'll see a lot of the same kind of wow plays that you saw from him a year ago.
10:33Love it, Tommy.
10:34Thanks for your insights.
10:35Enjoy the schedule release show tonight.
10:38And we'll try to catch up with you real soon.
10:41All right, gentlemen.
10:42Appreciate you guys.
10:42Have a good one.
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