Transcription
And we are back, ladies and gentlemen. As I turn around, look at all this yard work getting done out here. Just look at this miscellaneous yard work out here at the miscellaneous section of resort and casino at San Manuel section that I'm sitting in. Brian B. Um Brian down there on the tennis courts kicking it, doing his thing down there. What's good with you, Brian?
I am doing well, my friend. I appreciate you. Saw um saw pretty decent little practice today. Yeah. So, I mean, you're kind of always worried about coming off an an off day, how they're going to practice, but uh think we think we uh we saw some things that we could talk about today. So, always excited about doing that with you.
Before we get going with that, man, I just I just have to keep continuing to give Shotti and company credit with the intensity and the pace of practice. Like, that hasn't slowed down at all. Like, they're competitive all day. Like, the whole time they're competing, competing, competing. And um at the end they was doing twominute drills. Uh this seems to be one of the times where offense seemed to get them back at the end of the pract. Normally defense have been getting them back at the end of practice. It was it was good to see offense come back and get one. Brian, a lot of stuff to go over in practice. What you want to start with? What you what you what you want to kick this off with?
Well, let me let me let me let me kick this thing off if I could. And uh I want to say you are one of the one of the best I've been around here so far at developing relationships with people and uh I was hustling around like you were hustling around and I noticed that you and Tyler Gton were having a moment and I was curious uh if you could share what you and uh you and Tyler were talking about. It looked like to me you were doing some Oline coaching uh from what I could see. I again I was hustling around but uh some O line coaching going on. What what did you and you and Tyler what were you guys kicking it about?
Boy, Brian, the observations you make, you ain't wrong. We we uh we did talk some O line stuff. I feel like when you when you talk to people in a certain space, you have to qualify that you deserve to be in the conversation. You know what I mean? So you have to at least da da da. So I could be like, "Hey Tyler, good work. I see you get a little better." Da da da. And you know, that could be one thing, but if I specifically say, "Hey, that knee bend and what you're doing with your outside hand there, I can see the stride that you've, you know what I mean?" And he was like, "He probably appreciated that." He probably appreciated that. Very, very, very, very detailed with that. I'm going to skip a large portion of what we talked about, but but you guys talked a long time. You really did. We said me and Tyler got talked t talk for a good little bit. But what I will say is um he appreciates the work that I do. Um he respects the fact that uh film comes first. Okay. And um he understands the hassle that it could be working for this team and this type of thing that we do this this this this uh thing of ours. And uh we'll just say that he's a that he's a friend of the show. So shouts out to Tyler Ger. everything else between me and him and we'll cross that road later on in the studio at Crown Global Media or something. I don't know. But yeah, man. But no, it's good to see you. It's good to see you. Good to see you in your Yeah.
What I will say though, Brian, is that when I was talking about the improvements that he made, he did have this focus in his eyes when we switched to the convers like Yeah. Like when I first shook his hand, it was like, "Oh yeah, blah blah blah." Boom boom boom. But when I was like, "Hey man, let me tell you something. I see your improvements." and he kind of locked in to hear what I was saying. You know what I mean? Like he he took time to oh, what do you mean? So then when I specifically talked about this your movement, your knee bend, he was a little locked in on that. So I can tell that it's intentional some of the things that he's working on. So shouts out to Tyler Gay, man. I'll be uh you know tapping in with him when when uh time is appropriate, you know.
Good deal. Speaking of offensive line, speaking of offensive line, let me let me say the first thing I noticed off the rip there. Um, two observations. Let me say this. Uh, Teran Steel, it's probably going to be out for a little bit. Not nothing too crazy. Apparently, high ankle sprains are like a box of chocolate. Sometimes they uh last a whole year, sometimes they last a couple practices. Uh, we got a good luck of the draw with uh Terrence Steel's high ankle sprain on this one. But I will say, Brian, I have a little bit of faith in Hakee Menergy. You know what I'm saying? just uh watching him as like a backup right tackle. There's a lot of people that were asking who who who do we like what's the depth looking like? I think the Cowboys are one of the better depth having offensive lines that we can say in the league. You know, we we feel good about Hoffman as a a depth guy. Rob Jones is a guy that can be starting and he was a guy that got some reps with the first team today and I I'm not taking that as Booker did anything wrong. I took that as they just need to get Rob Jones going because they got faith in Rob Jones. I mean, Hoffman was getting some first team reps throughout this whole thing. So, I don't take that as any kind of Booker emergency. I just take that as they got a little bit of faith in Rob Jones. But then seeing Hakee Menjy, great size on him, some great aggression, great movement, uh, great technique on him. Uh, I don't see him fighting for Terence Steel's job or anything like that, but if anything were to happen when you need a right tackle, Hakee Menergy seems like he's good to go.
Yeah, I tell you what, a veteran tackle, uh, you know, maybe a little bit surprising, uh, with him going in first after what we had kind of seen at OTAAS and many camps. I'm going to ask you this, my offensive line coach buddy, they're playing left and right, aren't they? They're not going to they're not going to have a swing tackle, are they? They're not. That seems to be the case. They're going to and I think I think we maybe we we touched on this yesterday, but I think that to me they're going to they're going to keep guys right and left and and try and and make the numbers work on that. At least initially they're going to try and do that. I think Hakee Menjy has a firm lock on backup right tackle, not swing tackle, but backup right tackle. And I think right now Nathan Thomas and Awesome Richards are competing for backup uh left tackle. Mind you, another day where Nathan Thomas is the is the first backup out there like with the second team guys, right? This is another day of Nathan Thomas being second team guy. Awesome was first. Then it was Nathan. Then it was Nathan again and practice four is Nathan again. So at first I was like, "Okay, cool. They taking turns." But you can only see something back to back to back before you start to make a decision. So maybe I need to keep some more eyes on Awesome Richards just to like see.
Um, Brian, you know, um, help me with this, Brian. You said that uh Awesome, they needed Awesome to play tackle, but didn't he prefer to play guard? Like like what was that that you heard?
Yeah. Yeah. Last year, you know, when we had the opportunity to visit with him, you know, players will always say the right thing. Players will always say, "Hey, wherever they need me, I'll play." But I got the sense of being in that circle that he preferred to play guard over tackle. And and there was there was times last year where he was pretty good playing guard. Yeah. And but but then some some things out of necessity that where he had to to get to get outside and you know they were having some struggles with Gton and they were trying to kind of figure some things out. But I think he would prefer to play one of the guard positions as opposed to playing tackle right now.
That's interesting, Brian. That's interesting because I don't really know if you got a whole bunch of flexibility to be talking about I don't want to do XYZ. This seems like a a like a offensive line room where you kind of got to get in where you fit in. And if you want to do something, you kind of got to do what we say you need to be doing. So, I hope Austin Richards isn't losing the I don't want to say lose it because I just haven't been see but I I'm hoping Austin Richards isn't getting less team to work because he's deciding not to want to play tackle. Like, if anything, I want him to want to play tackle and beat Nathan out organically or Nathan to be him organically. But if we're seeing more Nathan because maybe there's an issue with Austin Riches want to play tackle, that'll be discouraging. I would be I would be pretty upset with that. Uh but I just did want to let people know that uh Rob Jones and Hakee Adeny are doing just fine as the the the the backup right side guys. It seems to be a little more conversation to be had about the backup uh left side guys. I don't even know who the backup left guard is. Is that like Bass or would that just be Hoffman or something?
It's Bass. It's Bass and and and occasionally Hoffman does get in there and uh on that. Uh but it it has been Bass has been the guy that primarily and then Hoffman has been the center is what they've been doing.
Hey, let me ask you something and maybe my eyes caught me wrong and I don't know the very first play that they ran on team. Did they run a trap? Did I see I don't know if I I don't know if I was up, you know, I was up in the stands and it looked like it looked like they got Rob Jones on a pull and they got a down they got a down block. Everybody down blocked and they got a pull on from Rob Jones and it was kind of a kick out and then Williams was able not Williams uh but Sanders was able to run up inside. That's the first time I think I've seen that you know because I was thinking down I mean you thought pin and pull. Yeah. Kind of a thing and it was it was it was just a straight trap is what it was. So inside game once again I don't think my eyes deceive me but I saw it the one time like it was the first play of team and because I was thinking well who was the trapper on that one because I thought it was Booker. Yeah. Yeah. But that's when I kind of noticed that that Jones was playing the guard spot. But it's just kind of something another little wrinkle that they're you know different little wrinkles that they're trying to do.
By the way, I thought the I thought the defense had a good day today. Sure. You know, when I and I know that we'll get into it. I know you'll you'll have some observations and stuff like that, but uh but I I was surprised to see just right off the like, wow, okay, here's trap play. You know, it's not often you see a old school down in a trap the end and then run the ball behind it, but uh looked like today it was the first one on the play sheet. On that note, I did see Booker pull a bunch. I'm not quite positive if I remember Rob pulling, but they did some pulling today. Um, and and I wasn't quite positive if it was counter or if it was power. You like to watch from up high and counter that couple of counters. Yeah, the counters. They they ran counters. The Booker pulls were counters and and I don't know, I don't know if the, you know, and I say it's a trap and I don't know if they were running counter. They might have been running counter and just that that that Sanders hit it inside. Sure. Instead of taking it to the edge. Yeah, he just went ahead and he saw the hole because they got the they got the two down blocks. Sure. And then they got the pull and maybe he just decided to to take it inside. Looked like an old school trap and I was like going, "All right, Shotty, I appreciate what you're trying to do here." That's that's uh definitely something I'm going to keep my eyes on moving forward.
As far as um the rest of the offense goes, you know. Yeah. And look, man, this the problem, man. This just happens to be the fight. Luke Scone Maker made some good plays today. He did. Rean Ford just made bigger plays today. He did. He did that. Especially the last one. Especially the last one. The last one that didn't Yeah. It just is what it is. And if you can harness that frame and that size and that 270 lbs, it's going to be hard for anybody. Luke ain't doing bad. He just needs Brevin to make some mistakes. Brevin ain't making mistakes besides that one fumble like in in the on the first practice or something and then Luke had and then Luke came and had like two fumbles or something so it didn't matter like yeah it just evened out. Brevin ain't making mistakes and he's not letting this thing go. So if anything I think it's nice that Dak is trusting him because you know Dak gota like trust you to do tight window stuff with you. You know Dak normally throws to guys it's like wide open. Brevin was a little covered in the back of the end zone, but Brevin got catch radius, you know what I mean? So, you know.
Yeah, he sure was. So, that's the thing about Brevin and even like GP Dak has to understand your catch radius in particular and then he'll like he'll like get it to you. But it's hard to beat Brevin when he making plays like that, man. Man, that was I I think that was a pretty one that happened down I was up in the stands as you mentioned down on my end and that ball Milton throwing over the top and I'm I'm like when I saw it go up and I saw who was extending that you know when Span Forward has got some he's got some extension he he's it's it's night and day him catching the football right now and the confidence that he's showing doing it. uh had a play too where the one thing he could do we know he could do is block and they ran a play to his side where it was uh you know where they were going they were coming to the right side over there and Adenji and and Span Ford were over there and I mean Span Ford got into Sam Williams and Sam Williams was fighting for his life to get off the block and then the ball comes in behind him uh on the play. I think it was blue that ran it. But you know, Span Ford is and you said it. I think you said it very well, VC. It's not that makers messing things up, right? It's it's not at all. It's it's just that span forward. You know, Ferguson had a play today. This tight end group as a whole, and I'm saying the three that are your primary guys, they are they're making plays on a daily basis during these practices.
Brian, let me ask you something. We always talk about when you're building rosters, you want to limit the redundancies, right? That's that was one of our catchphrases of the situation there. I understand Luke isn't playing terribly. But Luke is in that similar tight end group as Brevin Span forward is, right? This may come down to how many tight ends you think that they'll carry for real. For real. Right. So, let's just say that they that they carry four. I got a feeling that Hunter Lipkkey is going to be one of them. Jake's gonna be one of them. Uh Brevin's going to be one of them because he's winning his own matchup. So now it's like, do you carry Luke Scoo Maker who's like Brevin or what happens with John Stevens or Farweather or you know those guys, right?
Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead. Yeah. Well, it's interesting you you you bring that up though, Vosch, but I was watching I was watching individual drills and I was watching what what tight ends go and work with the offensive line when it turns into running the football when they practice actually running the football with in their individual drills. And what I noticed what I noticed is that you get a situation where Farweather Neville and John and John Stevens don't go over to the drills. They and I noticed this a couple of days ago. They weren't going over and running. So it was maker, it was Span Ford, it was Ferguson. those young guys stay over with, I believe, the assistant tight end coach and they work on their own drills. So, they're not going over, at least the one time, and I I shouldn't say this as it being every time. Sure. But I was surprised. I was going, "Wait a minute. Why do not all the tight ends go over and work with the offensive line when it comes to the schemes?" Mhm. need to ask that question. Is there something I'm missing here, but those young tight ends, I'll say them again, Farweather, Neville, Stevens stay with the assistant tight end coach and do their own their own program.
Well, you know, those are the guys to keep an eye on. Yeah. Yeah. Th those are the guys that are more pass catchers, right? So, you think that they view them as like I think so. Yeah. Maybe that's maybe that's the whole thing. Maybe it's like, listen, we we're not going to use these guys, but I have a feeling they're going to play preseason games and they're going to have to block. Sure. You know, they're going to have to run block and stuff like that. But I I've just I've never seen it where there's a separation where okay, all the tight ends usually go over and then are part of working with the offensive line, whether it's the the twos, threes, and fours. They're all working together. Yeah. But those young guys are over there. So something something I need to ask about. Something I need to ask about. For sure. for sure.
Um, on the defensive side, uh, I will say, boy, two two good interceptions today, by the way. Defense keeps turning the ball over the offense. Two really nice interceptions. Yeah, they they made the adjustment with holding the ball a little tighter. I noticed that. I was watching some of those guys. They were playing tight all day, every day. Exactly. They learned they'll learn their lesson with that. But Brian, that is not stopping the defense from getting takeaways up in here. I'm continuing to be impressed with those guys, bro. It's like they're going to find a way and and it's like tight window tight window intercepts those ways, man. It's like they're really keying in and fighting to get them. What did you see, Brian?
Yeah. I tell you what, Thomas playing some center field and Wany Thomas was in the mix today with the ones. Yeah, with the ones. Yeah, they took it was Hooker and it was Wany Thomas and and and and Donovan Wilson was out of the picture on this one, but they tried to throw the ball down the middle of the field and I'll tell you what, Wan Thomas did a super job of tracking the ball, getting over ball was the ball had a chance play had a chance and and Wier read it all the way able to flip his hips then break and then go get the football and then bring it back up the field. Nice job by Juan Thomas continues to make plays. Him and Bell, those backup guys are really doing a nice job that way. And then the guy who continually makes plays, uh, they continue toh challenge Elim and every time every time you watch a practice, Elum is getting, you know, he's had a couple of interceptions in these, uh, in these in these practices. You four practices, he has two interceptions. One of them Dak didn't see him and the other one they try Dak tried to throw the ball along the sidelines. Uh it was a a route where Tolbert really didn't separate. He's going to try and get up the sidelines. Elim has turned bodied him up running with him and then you know as the ball's coming down he's able to find it makes a play makes an interception and you know that's a that's a turnover. You know it's a Dak trying to throw the ball. No separation. Tolbert didn't get it, but Elim did really good job two times there. Interceptions, guys playing the ball, tracking the ball, and then coming down with it. Maris Bale had a really heads up play uh where Joe Milild was kind of scrambling around. He ran and he to the sideline and Maris Bale didn't give him an inch. He tracked him down. and and and Brian, I'm I'm just Man, I'm just I'm just wondering, man, I know, you know, we we talk about safety every single year, you know, with the veteran guys, the young guys. The young guys never stop making plays, but we get to the season, they tend to roll with the veterans, and it is what it is. Like, is there a world where we see one Maris Bell kind of stepping in there and pushing for real? For real, man? I I don't see why not. It would be nice. It would be nice and and I'd like to believe that Flucis, you know, when we have the opportunity to talk to coordinators this week, it'd be nice to ask him that question about what do you think about these safety? I know last year when I had the chance to talk to Mike Zimmer about the safeties, he really loved Booker and he loved Wilson and all that and so Bell and and Wany Thomas really didn't get much burn. This might be a different situation is not typically what flu goes for you know flu flu likes likes guys with a little more range Brian so wouldn't that that I tell you one day Thomas you talk about a range play that was a range play so got some range yeah so we'll see
Let me focus in on something I was noticing something with the defensive line today with that uh Pton Turner Pton Turner normally plays the left in. Normally plays as a left end, normally plays as run. They went to Nickel and they put him in at defensive tackle. Okay. And he was go and he was going against Booker. Booker was running with the twos. I was surprised with Turner how well inside he played with some quickness. He went arm over. He went arm over on Booker and Booker was beat. I mean, he he he went Booker Booker tried to set him, missed him, went arm over, and then Turner's in the back field. I know there was some times where with the Saints that he played a little bit of nickel defensive tackle. Sure. But for a big long guy like that to be able to show some quickness, arm over, you know, Booker Booker just didn't handle it all that well. And there was a pressure uh by by Pton Turner. And I'll tell you another one I was watching too is this is this Perion Winfrey. The Peron Winfrey Winfrey has been very difficult to block arms and that shock that that hand shock with his the shock the shock and I watched him today because I was watching inside. I was watching I I purposely was watching, you know, Mazi and Osa and I was trying to kind of get a gauge of how things were going on uh with you know JT in there as well. Uh, you know they used him on a twist stunt. We've seen him being able like I'm like whoa big fella twist stunt you know him coming all the way around. Usually they try and make those big guys the penetrators and somebody else is the you know he's usually the post and then the the looper is somebody like you know with the other tackle maybe the three. Yeah. But JT was the looper and I I'll tell you what man there was there was a time where he was able to win up field and get a pressure uh ball went out and he chased the ball back. The guy's got some pretty darn good movement skills there. He he really really does when you when you watch him play and uh will they use the traditional nose? I don't know. But man, I was impressed with Payton Turner playing in nickel three or playing as that nickel inside for a big tall guy and then and then Winfrey being super active, super hard to block uh when he was when he got the the opportunities as well to play.
I feel like Peyton Turner might be in there, Brian, because the I think they consider like the second wave of guys as a part of the first team, like the eight guys rotation as a part of the first team. Cuz with that second team, right, I noticed, give me a second. I noticed uh Tyler Booker having to deal with James Houston a lot. He was beating the hell out of James Houston. You know what I'm saying? Like it wasn't even a like like it wasn't even a thing. And I was like, I wonder if they're just running out of guys to represent BGAP for the for the second wave of pass rushes out. Yeah, I you might be right about that. I just was I just when when I was thinking, okay, who did Turner who did Turner defeat and I was like, oh, it was Booker, you know. So to me it was, you know, make a note in the sheet about, you know, maybe this is something where they might be I even saw Ernest Brown and I know people out there are going, "Well, who the hell is Ernest Brown?" Well, he was number 51. Uh, and he and he Well, he was actually he was pretty active in it. This is a veteran guy. He's a list is a defensive end. He's 6'5. He's 308. He's got four years in the league. I saw him in Bap. I saw him in BAP a lot. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. they and and you might be absolutely right that they're running out of uh or just trying to keep as many guys fresh as possible in there, but uh yeah, it's it's quite a rotation that they're trying to trying to work on right now uh at that defensive tackle spot.
You know, Brian, this whole time we haven't said anything about the linebackers, but I'm not particularly looking for them. Have you seen anything about the linebackers? It's just certain certain people hitting me. Clark. Yeah. Clark. Yeah, Clark continues to get work in there. Uh, Maris Leafoul continues to get a lot of work in there. Sanborn. Tomorrow when the pads come on, I think this is when you'll start to notice, you know, 18 and and, you know, and the others, you know, the the third, you know, 35. You'll start to see these you'll start to see these linebackers uh take a little bit more of a a more of an active role because of, like I say, when the pads come on, you know, linebackers will kind of thump off or get in position to make tackles. But we'll we'll we'll we'll we'll talk about that tomorrow uh when we get through that that padded practice. But I I have noticed Clark uh like I say I think that I think that Matt Eflu so far through four practices. The fact that Clark I say was a crossroads player, you know, at least I think he's heading on the right path at least early in this in this particular camp.
Me and Brian Broad is breaking down training camp practice number four. He's down on the tennis court. I'm up here on the miscellaneous place resort and casino at San Manuel up in their section uh where I can get the visual of the field there. Brian pass come on tomorrow. I ain't even got to ask you what we looking for. I know that it's going to be O line intensive, Dline intensive. What I really want to see Brian, you know, Maris said something interesting when he was doing the pressers and stuff. He says uh that he's able to play all four spots, you know, and I know it's three linebacker spots, but you know, I'm wondering if pass come on tomorrow, will we see Mayors do some pass rushy stuff like we get some of those individual edge competition drills?
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Walking down there on edge. So, u it's a lot of little lot of little miscellaneous things I'm looking for. You know, I want to see uh can these smaller guys that we're putting in a gap like can they hold up for real when pass? Um I like what you're saying there. Yeah, I'm really interested in Perry Winry in particular, bro. I'm ready to see him like full speed kind of hit somebody. I think that's gonna be that's going to be a developing story because we got three three tech guys that's just like him. So, uh it'll be interesting. Yeah, I think also too keep an eye on, you know, can u and I I mentioned this earlier and and you did as well. uh Luke Skoomaker not having a bad camp, but could Luke Skoonmaker make up any ground as a blocker when the pads come on? Will we see a guy that is has improved uh you know, he's slimmed down a little bit? Looks like he's a little bit more with more agility to his game. Uh little more wiggly if you want to say, but you know, where can can he help this team as a run blocker? That's something you mentioned at Michigan when you watched him play. that was kind of his calling card him play inline Y or play move guy. Uh will he be able to get some ground or make up some ground as a blocker? So anybody that has a role where it turns into where they have to be physical where the pads are going to make a difference that like the game will be tomorrow the inside three for the Dallas Cowboys offensive line. I anticipate that Booker will be back at right guard as a starter. Can Booker, BB, Smith, let's see who the defense throws inside there? And will Jack Samborn and others be able to to handle them coming off the football? A lot of a lot of what we've seen here the last few days has been Cowboy quarterbacks playing under center. I anticipate some more of that tomorrow when the pads come on as well.
And uh one other thing that I want to talk about, speaking of defensive tackles, please I I ran into some folks on the field post practice and I asked about Christian Wilkins, the uh the defensive tackle that the Raiders let go. And what I got was I said, "Hey, do I need to do any work on Christian Wilkins?" And my guy said, "No, not at all. He's still hurt. Don't worry about that one. You don't need to do anything." And I'm like, "Okay." So, it doesn't appear to me the attitude that the Cowboys currently have in their front office is Christian Wilkins is a hurt player and they probably would not do anything with him.
Sounds good, Brian BR. We going to go ahead and wrap on that note. That's a uh that's that's a fantastic note because I know a lot of people are asking about Christian Wilson. So, yeah. Uh hey, don't even watch the film. Get on out of there. All right. Um me and Bra, that's what I said. I said I asked them. I said, "Do I need to watch this film?" And they're like, "No, man. Don't worry about it. He's hurt. Don't Don't worry about it. Y me and uh Brian Bros are going to get two more shows on location. Those are going to be pad practice recaps. It gonna be fun as hell. I'm Vash Lombardi. Y'all be sure to follow me. I got a lot of film and pictures and videos up. Uh so y'all go over there to my Twitter and uh have fun with that. And that's BR Yen Broaders. Y'all tap in with him. We gonna get you some updates on Crown Global. All right, y'all. Hold it down. Until next time, crown.