- 12 minutes ago
Mickey Spagnola joined The K&C Masterpiece to discuss the Joey Porter Jr. trade. Spagnola broke down the financial logistics of the trade, Porter Jr.'s contract situation, readiness to play, and more.
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00:00It is our Dallas Cowboys insider, but also, perhaps today, more importantly,
00:05Chicago White Sox superfan, Mickey Spagnola.
00:09How the heck are you today?
00:11I'm glad you got your priorities right.
00:15So, obviously, we were rooting for your team because you took out the dreaded
00:21Houston Astros, but please also tell me that you saw that post-game
00:27celebratory interview from Murakami.
00:31I did not.
00:32All right, Alec, if we play the audio, will it go through to Mickey as well?
00:38It will.
00:40Okay, Mickey, I know we're supposed to.
00:42All right, all right.
00:43Here is Murakami after the White Sox win the wild card series.
00:49Hey, guys, how are you feeling right now?
00:51100.
00:52100, not 1,000 this time?
00:54Yeah, 100.
00:55Oh!
00:56I'm jumping in.
00:57Oh!
01:00Hey, it's early in Japan.
01:01They're celebrating with you.
01:02Anything you want to say to them?
01:03Same, hi.
01:04Same, same.
01:05Same.
01:06Yeah, he's drunk.
01:07He's drunk.
01:08Ah!
01:09I'm trying to translate, but he's drunk.
01:12Yeah.
01:13You told me you didn't need him.
01:14I'm drunk.
01:15Yeah, yesterday, maybe hangover.
01:18You know?
01:19Yeah.
01:20Tomorrow, hangover.
01:21Yes!
01:22No, no, yesterday, tomorrow.
01:23Yeah, sorry.
01:24I don't speak English.
01:26You don't need the translator.
01:28Congratulations.
01:28Thank you so much.
01:29Ah!
01:30Mickey, your thoughts on that interview?
01:33Did they provide subtitles?
01:35Uh, so, the key thing that he said, maybe hangover yesterday, and then she goes, I think
01:42you mean tomorrow, and he goes, yes, tomorrow, not yesterday.
01:46I'm sorry, I don't speak English.
01:48Well, I wonder if she knew before she tried to do the interview.
01:53I think so.
01:53He always has an interpreter.
01:55Yeah, I think so.
01:57Interpreter was drunk, too.
01:58In that moment, I just thought the jubilation of it all made it worthwhile.
02:03That's pretty good.
02:05No, I did not catch it, but I did.
02:10Oh, we were doing the show last night when the game ended.
02:14Cross talk.
02:16You had to miss the White Sox triumphant moment?
02:19I was watching on my phone as the scroll was going by with each pitch and each out.
02:27Yes.
02:27What's crazy, and it just shows how much sports evolves and changes, is that this is
02:32the Chicago White Sox' first playoff series victory since they beat the Astros in the
02:38World Series, and I know people are like,
02:40Well, you need to know I was at that game.
02:42Oh, yes!
02:44How about that?
02:45That is very cool.
02:46Now, what is also very cool, the news of the day last night is the Cowboys make the trade
02:55for Joey Porter Jr., a conditional sixth in 2027, and probably most importantly for the
03:03Cowboys' next year draft, the 2028 second-round pick.
03:08So not having to give up the premium second-round pick for 2027, where you're already pretty
03:14limited, and picking up a cornerback at a position that, unfortunately, cornerback and safety have
03:20been hit pretty hard with injury.
03:22Yeah, and it's a matter of just how quickly do they think he can be ready to play.
03:27Can I get him out there noon Sunday?
03:30That would be preferable, and I assume, you know, he's gone through somewhat of a ramp-up
03:39phase.
03:40I saw where they listed back on Wednesday.
03:43Yeah, it was a back, because they didn't want to put him out on the field to screw up
03:48any potential trade that was in the works, right?
03:51Yeah.
03:52So you're not going to practice him.
03:54You're, you're, yeah, go, go sit down.
03:57You've got him back, or whatever he has, and I'm sure the Cowboys...
04:01Mickey, did you see his progression throughout the practice week?
04:04Uh, yeah.
04:06So it was interesting.
04:08It went down, didn't it?
04:09Yeah, so he practiced Monday and Tuesday, and then they said he couldn't get through Wednesday's
04:14practice and ruled him out because the Steelers were, I mean, and still are, going to play
04:18tonight.
04:19And I just thought that was really interesting.
04:21Yeah, and what kind of practice did they have yesterday?
04:24Right.
04:24It's a walkthrough.
04:26Yeah, and, and what kind of practices did they have on Monday and Tuesday?
04:31Because they played Sunday, right?
04:33Yep.
04:34So they would, they didn't put pads on or anything like that.
04:38So I wonder if he's able to put pads on, because this will be the Cowboys' only padded practice
04:46today, if they, you know, work him out and see just where he's at and how prepared he is
04:53to play.
04:54Because he all, he missed all the preseason, right?
04:56Yep.
04:57And he missed training camp.
04:58So, so I'm wondering if who wore out the welcome, like they got tired of it, or he got tired
05:08of them and wasn't going to sign for anything less.
05:11I was reading, they thought the going rate was $30 million a year.
05:17Yeah.
05:17Yeah.
05:18And that ain't happening here, by the way.
05:21And, and so the way I looked at it from a financial standpoint, and I think his base
05:26salary is like $3 million, something like that.
05:29Correct.
05:29But there was a guarantee in there, too, on the base salary for $1.44 million that I'm
05:35assuming Pittsburgh had to pay.
05:38And, and they're, they've got that much in dead money on this deal.
05:42But the way I look at it, he's in the same boat as George Pickens, right?
05:47Sure.
05:47You come in, can you play?
05:49And then, okay, if, if we can't agree on a, on a long-term deal, you're going to get
05:56franchised.
05:57And I looked up what the franchise tag was for cornerbacks this year, and it was right
06:03at $21 million.
06:06So that would be a bargain for what he's looking for.
06:11Yeah.
06:11Um, so, uh, you know, you, you hope it's not a rental player and that he follows in
06:18the same suit as, um, as, as George Pickens, because next year, probably the franchise tag
06:25goes up a couple million dollars.
06:27Uh, and I bet, uh, Mulaga looked at it as, well, we're guaranteed 23 if he gets franchised.
06:33So that's a pretty good deal, uh, compared to what he was making on his first, um, contract
06:39as a second round draft choice.
06:42Do you think there's any chance that what has really been ailing Joey Porter Jr. is contract-itis?
06:49Oh, absolutely.
06:50Okay.
06:50Yeah.
06:51Yeah.
06:52I, I, I, I mean, look, the Cowboys aren't, I, I, I don't think they're stupid, you know,
06:57to draft or trade for a guy and say, Oh, his back's bad.
07:00He can't play.
07:01Right.
07:02Uh, yeah, I think that was a, a bunch of malarkey.
07:06Yeah.
07:07I like that word.
07:08Have the conversation with the agent and say, Hey man, will he come in here and play?
07:12And he was like, yes, he will come in and play for you guys.
07:15And he will be, uh, and we, we just want an opportunity to try and get a
07:18good contract.
07:19Yeah.
07:19I think I thought somebody posts something about Dallas here, here I come or here we
07:24come something like that.
07:26So yeah, they're not trading for, uh, you know, uh, busted up guy.
07:31Uh, it sounds like he's pretty good, right?
07:34Yeah.
07:35Uh, probably better than what they're going to put out there with all the injuries they
07:39have.
07:39I think he's better even without the injuries.
07:44Well, okay.
07:45That sounds good.
07:46So yeah.
07:47Uh, and you know, with, with the experience he has, uh, yeah, that should, uh, make a
07:53difference.
07:53You know, I know people are going to look at and go, well, he's only got three interceptions.
07:58Uh, but, uh, uh, you know, okay.
08:03But can you cover it?
08:04Can you, you know, can you, uh, defer the quarterback, not throwing over there, go somewhere
08:10else where I may have, uh, some extra help.
08:13So, uh, yeah, no, I, you know, Jerry said that, uh, they, they were keeping an eye on
08:19everything.
08:20And evidently they were trying to take advantage of a, uh, of a situation.
08:25Um, and it must've been really bad for Pittsburgh because I mean, you just don't, they traded
08:32away.
08:32They, I'm trying to remember what I read.
08:35They're trading basically away the asset asset they get for trading, uh, chase Claypool.
08:43Right.
08:43That was the pick they got for, they used, uh, to draft him.
08:48And, and so now they got nothing for, for that guy.
08:52Uh, so yeah, they must've been really fed up with him.
08:56You know, I love when, when teams say our, our, uh, philosophy is not to negotiate contracts
09:02during the season.
09:03Well, there's always an exception, right?
09:06Yes.
09:07Tell me if it was a quarterback, you wouldn't negotiate a contract during the season.
09:11Right.
09:12Uh, so yeah, if they wanted to play hard line, well, okay, fine.
09:17Um, they kind of did the same thing with George Pickens, you know, if we use an example, uh,
09:23so yeah, we'll see what happens, how quickly they can get them ready to go.
09:26Now, will you indulge me for just a second?
09:31The salary is only, like you said, $3 million.
09:35The asset, the primary asset given up was a premium draft pick for 2028.
09:42Does this not, at least in theory, still position the Cowboys if they wanted to make another
09:48possibly sizable move at some point this season?
09:52Yeah.
09:52It looks like, um, you know, if you can believe the charts and everything, they still have 15
09:58million, uh, uh, available in the salary cap, right?
10:02So, uh, yeah, if you would, you know, and, and, you know, whatever the base salary is this
10:08year, you absorb whatever's prorated, right?
10:11How many games the guy's already been paid.
10:14So you don't have to pay the whole salary.
10:17Uh, so yeah, uh, uh, that doesn't preclude anything.
10:22If there's something else, uh, you, that, you know, kind of falls in your lap, like this
10:27one just kind of fell in their lap.
10:29It wasn't like they went and tried to get somebody off another team.
10:33It was a guy that, you know, there was discord and, uh, you could hopefully they're thinking
10:38they're taking advantage of that.
10:40Now, uh, you know, we'll see as how it turns out, but, uh, at least you feel pretty good
10:46about the expenditure and 20, 28, I don't know, we're going to worry about a second round
10:53pick two years from now.
10:54Agreed.
10:55Mickey, I'm kind of curious.
10:57Have you started looking at the Texans or is this consumed all your time now?
11:01Like, uh, this is a pretty big deal.
11:04I agree.
11:04I, you know, I, I, I just think they're better than Owen three.
11:08Uh, I think their defense is better.
11:11They've struggled offensively.
11:13Uh, other than that, uh, the, the opening game, they're struggling running the ball.
11:18Does that sound familiar?
11:19Yes.
11:20Uh, and they're struggling protecting their quarterback.
11:22He's already been sacked 10 times.
11:26Um, so, you know, they're calling cards, their defense, and that'll be, I think what the
11:31Cowboys, you know, uh, you know, I mean, we've got this theory.
11:36Now the Cowboys got to score 30 some points to win and, and 31 is not even enough sometimes.
11:43So, um, yeah, uh, I, I, I think there's talent, you know, I hate Owen three teams.
11:50Okay.
11:51I'd rather them coming in here three and Oh, um, because in the NFL, the more you lose,
11:57the closer you're out of winning because you don't lose them all.
12:00Right.
12:01How many times, you know, unless you're really, really bad, right?
12:05Like the dolphins.
12:06I gotcha.
12:07Yeah.
12:07At some point, you know, one's going to land in your lap and I can take you back to 1989.
12:13Might've been the worst team ever.
12:15Right.
12:16And one eventually landed in their lap after going, I believe it was 0 and 9 to start the
12:23season.
12:24Is Kevin and I were discussing this yesterday is which one of these two teams do you think
12:28is the more, uh, the more hungry team, the more desperate team?
12:33Yeah.
12:33I don't know that, that, that factors like, Oh, we're 0 and 3.
12:38We're going to practice harder than we did last week when we were 0 and 2.
12:42Right.
12:42Or, or I'm going to play harder.
12:44I don't know that that factors in, uh, the Cowboys are pretty desperate themselves at one
12:50and two if, if you look at their schedule of what's coming up with a short week next.
12:56And then after that, uh, two, uh, night road games, uh, yeah, there's, there's nothing luxury
13:04out there.
13:05You know, I always said, uh, when I saw this first seven games in the travel schedule, if
13:11they could emerge at four and three, uh, that would be a victory.
13:15Uh, so they got to start winning to get to that, but, uh, it's a tough road with all
13:20these road games, night games, travel, uh, at some point and now injuries, uh, that takes
13:27a toll on you.
13:28That's not the same team that started the season.
13:31You know, I, we discussed this earlier in the week and I realized in the aftermath of
13:36a loss, not, uh, not really a good time to be like, Hey, here's what I thought looked
13:41better for the defense.
13:42But I wanted to go back with you to that Ravens game one more time.
13:46And that first two and a half quarters, especially against the law, against the run, I thought
13:52they looked really good.
13:54And then you had multiple, multiple stuffs on Derrick Henry.
13:57I know it fell apart for about a quarter, but I believe like the first half and maybe
14:02the first part of the third quarter, the run defense looked significantly better.
14:06I thought it was encouraging.
14:08Yeah.
14:08Yeah.
14:09And, you know, and that's the way I looked at this team.
14:12Uh, you know, rarely do you ever see a game that you did so many things right that got
14:18countered by so many things you did wrong.
14:21Right.
14:22Cause there was, they, they played the run better.
14:25Uh, and, and, you know, like I was saying yesterday, if I told you that Derrick Henry was
14:31going to need 26 carries to gain 89 yards, you'd have said, Oh yeah, I got that.
14:36I'll take that right now.
14:38What you can't handle is six carries for 50 yards by the quarterback.
14:43And then that distorts what you thought you accomplished, uh, with the, uh, run defense.
14:49And so, yeah, uh, I, I thought there were signs of things that were better.
14:54Um, but again, you know, the bottom line is, well, what was the score?
14:59You know, what was the score at the, uh, at the, at the very end?
15:0334-31, yeah.
15:05Because if you, if you look at what the run defense did, uh, you know, six carries for
15:1250 yards, the quarterbacks have almost run, uh, I had it in my mind, the three quarterbacks,
15:19if you'd include Jaden Daniels, just for a half, it's getting close to 200 yards in three
15:26games, uh, and, and, and Lamar was 8.3, uh, uh, uh, uh, carry that's what you can't have.
15:34Uh, and then you add that end around the flowers.
15:37I think it was like 11 or so.
15:40No, it was 20.
15:42Sorry.
15:42It was 20.
15:43Yeah.
15:44So there's, there's 70 yards right there rushing that it wasn't the running back when they got
15:50to 192.
15:52Uh, so yeah, it did.
15:54And, and I saw, you know, Quinn and Williams had his best game.
15:58Uh, Jay Sean Barham continues to grow, uh, and, and maybe even taking over that starting
16:04job, uh, as the middle linebacker.
16:07Um, so yeah, they did a better job, but just, uh, you know, a play here and a play there.
16:14And all of a sudden, you know, you've given up 34 points.
16:16I appreciate it as always good, sir.
16:19We'll catch you again tomorrow.
16:20We didn't get to the wings, did we?
16:22No, we will.
16:24And we are trying to see if their head coach will pop on the show with us today.
16:29And I think he just might.
16:31All right.
16:31Well, that's good.
16:32Maybe he's celebrating like McCommie.
16:34Yeah.
16:35You know what?
16:36Don't want to rule that out.
16:37That's a good point.
16:38All right.
16:39Thank you very much, sir.
16:40All right.
16:40See you guys.