The Hardline- Cowboys get a Safety

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1:25I'm Adam Devine, Chief Fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network. We'll fund it up. It'd better be fun! Have you ever wondered how our network actually works? Oh, wonder, no more! With the support of partnering businesses and individual donors, we help raise crucial funds for 170 children's hospitals across the United States and Canada. Hospitals that provide life-changing care for all kids. Visit us online at cmm.org. So let's get this thing cranked up. It's a big Monday. We're happy to be here. As all the NFL action is going down, I believe this entire week will kind of be this way. Even though Wednesday is the official day, you can... What do they call today, legal tampering? Yeah, it's literally 75% of the free agent signings happen today. Even though they can't happen till Wednesday.

2:27But they are happening. And the Cowboys are making moves. And, you know, we have had a couple of years where nothing has been done. And we just kind of sat here and like, all right, well... So I guess it's the very least. And, you know, I think it probably started with Max Crosby at the effort. They are doing things. Oh, yeah. They are active. Yeah. And so... They have intent. Yes. Yeah. So I don't know where you want to start. If you want to start with Jalen Thompson. If you want to start, we're Sean Gary. Well, first of all, I'd like to apologize to all my fans. And Greg goes words. Because my brain during why it today isn't suck wasn't functioning. Oh, you thought Jalen Thompson was a sooner? I thought he was Tony Jefferson for a second. Oh, my God. And I had all my... Tony Jefferson's been in the league like 14 years. I know, but they played safety together for a couple seasons in Arizona.

3:27And I have no good explanation except this is what happens when you try to follow the UFC and... Yeah. Soccer and F1. And all the names. There's a lot of names, guys. I'm just trying to sort them out on the fly and sometimes I mess up. So I'm sorry. The safety from Arizona is not the same as the other safety from Arizona. Nor is he boot a baker, the other safety from Arizona. So you have a lot of safety. Well, Tony Jefferson's a charger now. Well, yeah. Well, via the Ravens. Yeah. But anyway, so we'll start there. He's clearly not a sooner. So he was... He was in the supplemental draft in 2019. Because at Washington State, he got into a little bit of trouble. And I believe the trouble was PED at Washington State. So his eligibility for the draft was in question. He ended up being the only player in the supplemental draft. Something that is really only for weird cases that they can't get cleared by April. So I think in July, they end up where you can re-enter the supplemental draft.

4:32And then you give up your pick in the next draft to use one there. And I forget how it's like for like. Well, you pledge the team says, we'll spend a fourth rounder on him. Yes. And if nobody bids higher than that, then you get him. Right. And so he was the only guy in the supplemental draft. And so, you know, what rounded the Cardinals drafted him, right? Yes. The Cardinals did draft him. And he's been there ever since. And I'm trying to fifth round of the supplemental draft in 2019. So that's how he got there. And his first few seasons was a little bit of a let's see if you can play in the sleep. But really from season three till now, he's been a regular for the Cardinals defense. And that means he has played about 5,000 snaps in five seasons. So this dude's played a lot of football. And for the most part, his grades are quite good.

5:34Like he is a guy that I won't pretend to tell you that I have examined the Arizona secondary very closely, except for the occasional time where Troy would have a game with them. And that wasn't very often. And then when the Cowboys play them. And not very often as well. So I haven't seen a ton of him in person and kind of going by notes that don't make a lot of sense as I reread them from three years ago. But from what I can tell and what we've looked at here in the break just trying to get a feel for the type of player he is. First of all, he was 56th on the consensus 100 for available free agents and the sixth safety overall. If you're curious how that relates to somebody like read blank and ship. A name who was mentioned here. He's about 15 slots in front of read blank and ship on the on the rankings of consensus safeties, which of course that means we're not going by one person's opinion.

6:35They're putting about 10 different rankings together and trying to mold them into the average. So very, very solid credentials there and very good grades and a guy who plays a lot of football. And so in looking at the film again briefly certainly haven't done four games here. But they line them up all over the place. And what I like the most is while he is a little bit smallish. He kind of built like a running back and he's he's ready to hit guys. He's got good speed. He's got good physicality. He's got good play that jumped out at me was a actual play against the cowboys on that Monday night. I guess the night before Marshawn Neeland died, right? Because that was his block punt game, as I recall, as he scored that touchdown. So this is that same game. Cowboys played quite poorly, but in this game there's a play where Jalen Thompson is kind of the deep third cover three on the left side.

7:39And and Kavante Turpin is doing a wide run play to the right side. And he comes all the way across the field like a heat seeking missile and kind of blows it up. And it's it's very impressive. Another play like the next week. He blinds sides Trevor Lawrence on a third down blitz off the edge and knocks a ball free. And the Cardinals scoop and score there. Don't you think too that the fact that the cowboys secondary coach, their new one. Right Smith. The quarterback coach. Yes. Yeah. So he was there in Arizona. Yep. And not so much that, okay. So he recommended Jalen Thompson. 100%. Yeah. I think it's like kind of eye opening that you're seeing these guys, these coaches, whoever they may be, they make a recommendation and push hard for a guy. And it's allowed. Yeah. Right. Yeah. No. Absolutely. I think I think that's what they want. And that's why we were all on blank and ship is, is well, Christian Parker.

8:41But here Ryan Smith, one of the first guys he hired. Once, you know, and they, they talk about being multiple. And this is again, we're flying blind here a little bit. But from what you can tell. When you hear multiple, you want a lot of guys can do a lot of things. And safety has been pretty bare. And they decided earlier today that they were keeping Malik Hooker around. But I don't know that Donovan William Wilson, excuse me, is still in the mix as a, as a UFA. And then behind that, it's, it's very light. It's like Juan Ye Thomas and Marquis Bell, not a ton back there. And so what you have here. Is a safety who can play deep, but also play in the box. He can play in the slot. He has a good range. He ran a 452. So he's got excellent speed for a safety. And it does seem like in just about every report on him, you see the same thing. High football IQ. Seize things well.

9:42And it helps you run a defense. And you can even see on the film. He's, he's doing some traffic cop stuff. So what does he do? Well, he is undersized. And so, you know, that makes you concerned at times about matchups, but also about durability, which I'll reference back that in five years, he's played 5,000 snaps. So it doesn't appear durability is, has caught up to him at all. A limited number of splash plays. Now, that could be for a number of reasons, but I think if you play with Buddha Baker, there's a really good chance they let Buddha kind of be the rover. And you kind of play the safe, safety spot. You play the position. Yes. And, you know, other than that, there's, there's not a ton that I don't like about this. It looks like a dependable safety that you can play, you know, here and there and everywhere as, as the situation dictates. And that's what they need. They need guys with a little bit of flex. So all over the field.

10:42So that when somebody gets hurt, you don't have to necessarily go right to the practice squad to find somebody who can actually do that job. You like safeties who have overlap. And, you know, I might have to play you down here, which, which kind of is his 2025. As I can see, again, in 10 minutes, I can surmise this. That it looked like in the first half of the season, they played him way closer to the line of scrimmage. And then in the second half, they played more of a deeper safety. The other thing that pops quickly to mind is not just Ryan Smith, but also Jonathan Ganon. So the Eagles DNA, you know, under Nick Seriani gets the job out in Arizona and runs kind of a zone heavy shell type defense back there that does use defense of backs to do a lot of their heavy lifting. And it does seem to a certain extent that the Eagles kind of had that same thing with Parker and Fangio

11:44and now bring that here. So it does look like a fit. It's three for 33 with a chance for being three for 36. So the price is pretty good. So you talk about a 27 year old who's been a starter in Arizona for five years and comes with the recommendation of the new cornerback coach. So I think I like it a lot. I'm just not super familiar with him. Yeah. And you mentioned five years as a starter in his past his defense, seven, eight, nine, three, and six last year. So he's not making huge spat splash plays, but he is breaking up plays. And you mentioned the sack and force fumble. He doesn't blitz a lot, only two sacks in his career, but he can make plays. I think that's like you said a schematic thing. Yeah. And strong tackling skills. He has a couple 100 yard tackle seasons. And then on film, you can see that he's not he's not a drag down tackler. He is a hit and drop tackler.

12:44And I like I like that for my safety. I want guys who bring the thumb a little bit in the run game. Yeah. And just ask yourself the question is we'll do this with all these guys. And you can do it with whatever team you follow if you're upset about something or you think they didn't go after the best safety and all that stuff. Does this guy make your team better? Now it may just be as easy as no matter who you sign off the free agent out of the free agent pot. It makes the cowboys defense better. But yes, this guy makes your defense better. And that's the key. Now you need through the draft and through whoever else they get in here. And we'll talk about the other guy that they got here in a second. But there's a lot of bodies that need to be in here to make the whole unit better. But I think it's a great start. It's a very solid piece. Yeah. Well, as I looked at today and we'll get to Rishan Gary here in a second.

13:45But as I looked at the depth chart this morning on defense, I kind of tried to rank the players one to five with three being a solid NFL starter. And then five being a top five player at his position. Four is kind of an above average starter. So a top 15 starter in the league. And then one and two are guys you're trying to upgrade from. And I say all that to say if you have 11 defensive starters at the start of the day, I had you at least at three or better with Quinnon, Kenny Clark, and Odigg Yuzawa. And then Daran Blan, Malik Hooker, and a maybe on Demarbian overshown. So three or better is what you want to be at 11 spots. And you kind of were at five and a half. So in my opinion with Jalen Thompson and Rishan Gary, you've added two to that spot

14:48to get you to seven and a half or eight if overshowns fully healthy. So you still have at least three glaring holes and then some sub package multiple spots, nickel back, all these things. But that's good progress here a couple hours into the opening of free agents. And as far as the safety position, the four guys that they have under contract, Jalen Thompson, Malik Hooker, you mentioned Marquis Bell and Elijah Clark are the backups at this point. Is Juan Ye on that list? Well, he is a restricted free agent, but they haven't resigned him, but he is restricted. Okay, so you can't go anywhere unless they relinquishes rights, which I think they did with Brock Hoffman a couple days ago. Yeah, they did. That's interesting. I didn't think they would just let him walk, but that's offensive line. We can save that for another day.