00:00It's the masterpiece right here on 105 Through the Fan right now, brought to you by your North Texas Ford
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00:12We bring you our Dallas Cowboys insider, Mickey Spagnola. Good morning, sir.
00:17Good morning. How's it going?
00:19It's going well, and I'm going to stop saying good morning because it's good afternoon here, but you get the
00:24point.
00:25Only by three minutes, right?
00:26Yeah, that's right. If we were just on the clock, it would have been fine.
00:29And it's morning for me.
00:30Indeed. Now, I always like giving people the opportunity to get a preview of some of the work that you
00:37have done on DallasCowboys.com.
00:40And one of the things you're addressing, although obviously I will turn it over to you to discuss a little
00:45bit more,
00:46is just all of the turnover in the defense.
00:50And something really stuck with me when we went back to the Welcome to Training Camp presser
00:55is the Cowboys talking about how nine of their 11 defensive coaches have been switched out.
01:01But you walk through kind of week by week and give the perspective for people to realize how staggeringly different
01:08the personnel is on this defense.
01:10Yeah, absolutely. Because, you know, I was sitting there, you know, kind of thinking about it.
01:15And Bill Jones and I were talking about, you know, well, Kenny Clark only got there the week of the
01:23first game of the season, right?
01:26Yep.
01:26And Quinnen Williams only played seven games.
01:30And we think that, you know, those guys have been there forever.
01:33The number of games that Deron Bland missed because of injury,
01:40DeMarvian Overshone didn't get there until, what, right at Thanksgiving or just after.
01:46So there was a lot of guys that, you know, from in-house that helped the personnel.
01:53But then I said, well, how many guys did the Cowboys retain that were playing full-time?
01:59So I go to game one, and it was like seven of the starters on defense were no longer here.
02:08And there were six guys active on that defense.
02:11They're no longer here.
02:13And the second game, seven starters.
02:16And when I was going through the first five games, at times, the starting three linebackers, not here.
02:24Not starting, not on the team.
02:26And at one point in the season, three of the starting four guys in the secondary, no longer here.
02:34So see what they were playing with.
02:37And some of these guys, guys like Reddy Stewart, you know, playing in his fifth NFL game.
02:46They had other guys that were, you know, playing their first game.
02:55Elijah Clark, and I got it right this time, right?
02:58He played in his first NFL game with the Cowboys as a starter.
03:03And on and on and on, and I'm going, my goodness, how did they ever win seven games with that
03:11much turnover with guys that you no longer wanted?
03:16It wasn't like they got in free agency and got better deals.
03:20They didn't want those guys.
03:23And even Siobhan Revell, seven games, started five.
03:28He didn't even have an offseason or training camp or preseason and didn't practice with them until around Thanksgiving.
03:38So these were the guys, that was another guy they were, you know, relying on.
03:42And now he's challenging to be a starter.
03:45So the turnover in personnel, I thought, was somewhat amazing, especially when you had that many starters no longer here.
03:55So that question of Kevin asked this morning about, do the rookies need to have a magnificent, you know, turnaround
04:02or special seasons?
04:04Yeah.
04:05That was kind of the pressure that the Cowboys put on Will McClay was to provide those rookies.
04:10And now they are in those potential roles for that, right?
04:13Yeah, they're in a second year, right?
04:16They're not just, you know, thrown in there and, you know, and look, I know how good Tyler Booker is
04:22and will be and continue to be.
04:25But he was a rookie last year and was one of their best offensive linemen.
04:31So, you know, and I remember when they drafted him, and I probably was one of them.
04:36I said, well, what are they doing drafting a guard, right?
04:39Well, this just wasn't any guard.
04:41This was Zach Martin's replacement, right?
04:45And, you know, and on and on, you know, reveled third round draft choice, and they didn't see anything from
04:51him.
04:53And by the way, if you guys ever get an opportunity, and I don't know if you might have had
04:59him already for an interview,
05:00his story is absolutely amazing what he's overcome from high school and injuries and not academically eligible to play D1
05:12and had to go to a small college before he got to East Carolina.
05:18And his story is amazing.
05:21And he was doing an interview in the evening, and I just happened to walk over there and see it.
05:29It was, is it okay if I say what station it is?
05:33I don't know what the restrictions are.
05:35Go for it!
05:36Whoever, whoever was doing the interview, he finished and shook hands with the sports director.
05:46Then he shook hands with the photographer that was, you know, shooting it.
05:52And I was just standing there watching.
05:54I had nothing to do with it, and he came and shook my hand, too.
05:58And it's like, this guy, he's a little different, but he, the character is there.
06:06The character, I told you the story about Caleb Downs and the water.
06:10And it's just like, it's great to have these guys that have talent, but there's a certain level of character
06:19there that I think is really sticking out.
06:21Now, is that going to help you win games?
06:23We'll see.
06:25But it doesn't hurt, let's put it that way, compared to some of the characters they had on this team
06:31previously.
06:31Well, and with Revel specifically, Christian Parker was talking about him a little bit yesterday.
06:37And do you kind of get the feeling that Parker feels like physically that dude has it down?
06:43We just have to work on what he sees before the play?
06:46Yeah, I think you're exactly right, and that was what he was pointing out.
06:50And the other thing that, you know, I want to say, and I want to double-check myself real quick,
06:56they've got him listed 6'2", 198, right?
07:00He looks like he's 6'5", I swear.
07:03He's just so tall and lanky, long arms.
07:08And, boy, if you were, you know, scripting out what your cornerback, you want him to look like, it's Savon
07:15Revel.
07:15Now, he's got to be, and he's challenging, and they're giving him the opportunity because he's getting first-team reps
07:22at cornerback.
07:25But, boy, he's got the makeup, he's got the character, and now we'll see a lot more of you guys
07:33this coming Tuesday when they scrimmage with the Rams, right?
07:37And I feel like we're all kind of, no disrespect to whatever's going to happen today or this weekend, but
07:43I do kind of feel like we're all sort of counting down to Tuesday, right?
07:47Yeah, yeah.
07:48Especially since Aaron Donald had a quote-unquote tryout with the Rams yesterday.
07:53Do you think that's, like, I know nothing is officially official, but do you feel like that's a done deal,
08:00more or less?
08:00Oh, I think so.
08:02I mean, they gave him a helmet, they had his jersey.
08:06The only thing he didn't have on was pads, is my understanding for, and I think McVeigh said this tongue
08:14-in-cheek.
08:14He said it was the greatest tryout I've ever seen.
08:18Yeah, I like that.
08:20I don't know, because obviously from practice to practice it can be difficult to just spotlight certain people,
08:26but do you have any observations or thoughts thus far about Sam Williams and Curtis Robinson,
08:33both of which could be, you know, fighting for a spot on the roster, or could be fighting to just
08:39elevate their spot on the roster?
08:41Yeah, and I think that Sam has shown some things and how they're using him, right?
08:50They're not going to put him in situations where that he has to, you know, play the run two out
08:57of three plays.
08:58You know, I look at him as a designated pass rusher and able to use his speed.
09:05And the other thing we've got to remember about Sam, he was pretty good on special teams last year, right?
09:10Block kicks or whatever, able to run down the field and cover.
09:16Just don't cost you 15 yards is all we're asking.
09:20Yeah, right.
09:20And they talked about when Sorensen did his, the coordinators did interviews and he did his,
09:28and he was talking about, yeah, one of the things that really hurt us was the penalties on special teams.
09:33But, yeah, and then Robinson, right?
09:39That's who you asked about.
09:40Yeah, and that's a veteran guy who's played in the league.
09:44Now, think about if he's just a backup guy, if he's just a special teams guy,
09:51to put that much experience on the field or on your roster, that's invaluable if you can afford to carry
10:00that, right?
10:01Yeah.
10:01And so, yeah, that's a good ask there because he does show up.
10:08And another guy with some experience at cornerback is Darian Kendrick.
10:14And, you know, this is his fifth year.
10:16And I see them using him in the slot at times.
10:21Obviously, Caleb Downs in there.
10:24Kobe Durant is in there.
10:26But then he gets in there also.
10:28So they've got guys that are very versatile, and Parker can move those guys around.
10:35And just the upgrading of the personnel on defense has to make a difference from what they were playing with
10:46last year.
10:47Have we discussed Ogbania that much at all?
10:50No, but we probably need to because he keeps – he's made enough plays for me to know he's number
10:5630, right?
10:58No, I'm sorry, the defensive – the new defensive –
11:00Oh, I thought you were talking about –
11:02But Abani Konda, that's my guy.
11:04I like him.
11:05We have talked about him.
11:06Yeah, yeah.
11:08Otito Ogbania, the offseason.
11:10So he's another guy that they've added that no one looks at.
11:15But when they're in their base defense with three down –
11:19He's your third DT, yeah.
11:21Yeah, he's the other guy on the other side of Quinton Williams with Kenny Clark at nose tackle.
11:28And so I think Parker – I think it was either Parker or Clayton Adams talking about –
11:36I was – Clayton Adams talking about his three inside guys going up against those three guys.
11:42And he goes, boy, let me tell you, the sparks fly.
11:45Nice.
11:46Right?
11:46When those guys are going up against each other.
11:49So, again, it'll be – you know, I understand it's practice.
11:52They're not tackling.
11:53But we'll get a better idea on Tuesday and then when they play that first preseason game at –
12:00Oh, by the way, it's Seattle, right?
12:02Mm-hmm.
12:03Mm-hmm.
12:04Tough place to play.
12:05Well, not tough place to play, tough team to play against.
12:09Yeah, I mean, we've seen what can happen in Seattle in the preseason before for sure.
12:14Oh, I forgot about that.
12:15Well, I think it was Zeke ran through Cam Chancellor and stirred the pot up and everything.
12:21Yeah, yeah.
12:21The other thing, though, Mickey, I think is – I know you got practice today,
12:26but how much of that Hall of Fame game are you going to be sitting down and tracking tonight?
12:31Well, we sort of have our department dinner tonight.
12:37Oh!
12:37But even if you didn't, you would want to watch none of that garbage football, right?
12:44I don't know if there's a TV in our little room that we normally have at this restaurant.
12:49Although last – okay, this will make you funny.
12:52Last year, we had some stuff going on in our little town of Double Oak,
12:58and it was a city council meeting that there was going to be some voting going on.
13:02And I watched the whole thing online on my phone while I was supposed to be participating in this dinner.
13:09And they asked me – somebody asked me today, they go,
13:12well, are you going to be able to watch the – join us for dinner,
13:16or are you going to be on your phone the whole time, right?
13:18Oh, man.
13:19But I don't think I'll be on the phone watching that game.
13:22Let's put it that way.
13:23Yeah.
13:24No, I'm with you.
13:24We have had a consistent argument slash discussion about that throughout the day.
13:29Thank you for being on my side.
13:31All right, there you go.
13:33Mickey Spagnola from DallasCowboys.com.
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