00:03It was the first day of mandatory minicamp and Mickey Spagnola as a columnist for the Cowboys.
00:09What are things that you've been writing about in this offseason that you think really we should be aware of
00:15as things are getting closer to Oxnard?
00:17You know, we're just a little over a month out from that.
00:19Well, I think some of the things is you're kind of looking back to last year and showing areas they
00:26need to improve on, right?
00:27I think the last two times I did that, one time was they needed to improve their turnover differential, which
00:37was minus nine.
00:38And if anybody's been paying attention, I think any time Brian Schottenheimer has an opportunity to talk about turnovers, he
00:46keeps bringing that up.
00:47And it wasn't so much just the Cowboys' inability to create turnovers, but it was the ones they made that
00:56they would like to see those eliminated.
00:59I think the other thing was, from a defensive standpoint, they need to improve against the run.
01:08And I think it helps out that they've got some bigger guys in the middle now with Quinnen Williams, Kenny
01:16Clark.
01:17If you look at their second first-round pick, Malachi Lawrence, pretty big dude to put there on the line
01:25of scrimmage along with Rashawn Gary.
01:27So I think that helps.
01:29That will help the linebackers.
01:31But they do need – I think everybody gets focused on pass rush, but they've got to do a better
01:38job of stopping the run, I think, off the top of my head.
01:43In 10 of 17 games, they gave up more than 100 yards rushing.
01:47Too many.
01:48And it was, what, 200 and some in the one game against Carolina, I think it was – no, it
01:55was in Carolina, maybe it was Buffalo.
01:57But anyway, too many rushing yards.
01:59So just pointing things out like that and the inability to intercept passes, by the way.
02:08They only had six.
02:09I think only once in their history they had less than that, and it was five.
02:14So that tells you, you know, what the deficits were and why they had one of the worst defenses in
02:22the league.
02:23George Pickens in the building for the first time this offseason.
02:26Did you expect him to be here at mandatory minicamp?
02:30I know mandatory is in the name, but –
02:32I expected him to be here at the voluntary OTAs, right?
02:37I saw no reason whatsoever why he would miss any opportunity he had to catch passes from Dak Prescott.
02:46And even if it was voluntary, it wasn't going to prove a point, right?
02:53They told him they want him to play on the franchise tag, right?
02:58And they weren't going to negotiate a long-term deal.
03:02So not being here wasn't like, oh, okay, they're going to buckle down and give me my money.
03:08It was always going to be the franchise tag.
03:10So when you know that if he's not here for the mandatory stuff and each day the fine goes from
03:18$15,000 to $30-some-thousand to $45-some-thousand
03:24and it's getting closer to $100,000, there ain't no red-blooded American that's going to pass up or cause
03:31them to lose that kind of money.
03:33So, yes, I knew he'd be here.
03:35And you know what?
03:35If you looked in the locker room, the energy, the vibe of him and Lamb together, it was almost just
03:43like old times.
03:44When you're watching practice today, what stood out to you?
03:48I try to keep an eye on where guys are lining up more than anything else.
03:54Who's in a 3-4 defense?
03:56Who are the two inside linebackers?
03:58And it's been consistently D winners and DeMarvian Overshoen.
04:04And they've been interchangeable.
04:06So there's two different spots there that have different responsibilities, and they're each learning that.
04:13And if you look at how they're relaying the play in from Christian Parker, it's called the green dot.
04:20One day it's Overshoen.
04:22One day it's winners.
04:23So they're going to train multiple guys in that situation.
04:28I know Overshoen last week said that's what I want to do or that's what they want me to do.
04:34But they want both of those guys to be capable of doing that.
04:39So just looking at that, and then the wide receiver position, I thought it was interesting today.
04:45Because Pickens just did individual drills, so they went in the team, three starting wide receivers.
04:52It was CeeDee Lamb, Flulnoy, and Marquez Scantling, however you say.
05:03It's Marquez Valdez Scantling.
05:06I got it.
05:07Three names.
05:07Why do they got to have three names?
05:09But anyway, those were the first three guys out there.
05:12So it was interesting the way they were with Marquez Scantling working with the first group.
05:19So that tells you something going into training camp, sort of what they're thinking of him as a potential role
05:26on this team.
05:26Too early, but I'm going to ask, is there a game you have circled on the schedule for this fall?
05:32Well, I think off the top of my head, it's sort of a proving game because they haven't got over
05:45this hump.
05:46But the game at Green Bay, it's like, okay, this has been the Cowboys' kind of downfall in playoff games
05:55and everything.
05:56So it's like, okay, Green Bay, they've got back-to-back games against Philadelphia and Green Bay on the road.
06:03So that's going to be a tough schedule from an opponent's standpoint on top of all the travel they have
06:11to do at the beginning of the season.
06:13And unfortunately, the NFL doesn't hand out advantage miles when all the miles they're going to be flying,
06:21going to play the Giants on the road in the first game, and then two games later having to go
06:27to Rio de Janeiro.
06:29All righty.
06:30Everybody, from Mickey Spagnola, I'm Sydney Staples.
06:32This has been D210 Sports covering the Dallas Cowboys, and you have just been credentialed.
06:40D210 Sports.
06:42Yeah.
06:42Beautiful.
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