Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have Jess Haynie, Sean Martin, Brian Martin, and RJ Ochoa.
How big of a deal is it that George Pickens is back in training, and how much do we expect him to do at this stage?
Mike: It’s a good deal that George Pickens is back in training, but it’s not time to pretend he’s suddenly going full throttle. The important part is he’s in the building, he’s engaged, and the holdout noise has quieted. That matters for Dak Prescott, for the timing of the offense,
and for a receiver room that needs clarity opposite CeeDee Lamb. At this stage, though, expectations should be calm. Pickens being present gives Dallas a much better chance to build chemistry now instead of playing catch-up in camp.
Jess: It’s probably not as big a deal internally as the media portrays, but it’s still great to see good news and some reduced drama. A lot can happen between now and camp, so the fire could be stoked if he makes a different decision at that point. But hopefully, this positive step is a sign that he’s accepted playing on the tag and will be shenanigan-free going forward.
Sean: It’s a medium-sized deal, I suppose. For a team going into year two with a head coach that’s all about culture, and a big part of the offensive continuity they’re relying on to be great, having Pickens around as much as possible is a plus in both areas.
Brian: I’m not the least bit concerned about the goings on of George Pickens. He needs to be at his best both on and off the field to earn the long-term contract he’s seeking from either the Cowboys or another team around the league. Every little thing he does and says will be heavily scrutinized and he and his reps know it. Because of all that, he should be fully involved in practice and meetings.
During the early OTA’s what’s impressed you most about the defense?
Mike: What’s impressed me most about the defense during early OTAs isn’t one player flashing, it’s the balance of the whole operation. The offense is already talking like this group is harder to solve. Dak Prescott pointed to the communication, saying when the offense motions or makes calls, the defense is “as loud as we are,” which is exactly what you want to hear after last year’s breakdowns. CeeDee Lamb went even further, calling the defense “annoying” and “very tricky” to prepare against. That’s a good step up from last year’s unit.
Jess: Easy answer: Christian Parker. It’s not like there’s much to see or know yet from the players, so have to go with what we saw of Parker’s teaching and influence on both sides of the ball. His antagonizing of the offense will only draw out more motivation and energy to elevate practices. After years of grizzled old guys as defensive coordinators, the youthful presence is a nice shift and feels more aligned with Brian Schottenheimer’s personality.
Sean: Parker is an obvious and great answer from Jess, and I won’t let the apple fall too far from the tree by going with Parker’s first draft pick in Caleb Downs. Like Jess said as well, it’s not like we saw Downs or any player on either side of the ball for that matter do a whole lot to get excited about, but just seeing Downs in the uniform is the next step to climb in realizing the Cowboys actually got to draft the best secondary prospect in this class after leading the known universe in big plays allowed a year ago. That is a good and very cool thing.
Brian: LEADERSHIP. This is something that has been lacking for the Cowboys defense over the past few seasons, but may not be an issue this year. We’ve been hearing good things about Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, and Quinnen Williams and the leadership role they’ve taken upon themselves. I believe this could be another aspect that helps Dallas’ defense improve this year.
If there’s one player out on the free agent market you want Dallas to add right now who would it be?
Mike: If there’s one free agent I’d want Dallas to add right now, it’s Taylor Decker. It isn’t the flashiest answer, but it’s the most practical one. The Cowboys’ biggest offensive worry is still tackle stability. Terence Steele has been inconsistent, Tyler Guyton still has volatility in his game, and one injury on the edge can shrink the entire playbook. Decker gives them a real veteran swing option with the ability to start instead of hoping the depth chart sorts itself out.
Jess: Bobby Wagner is such an obvious answer, but that probably means it’s the right one. The idea of him mentoring Overshown and Barham is tantalizing, negating the “progress stopper” notion. Plus, he could still bring a lot as a field general and insurance for a group that’s still kind of thin. We could get to camp and find out that Year 15 was finally too much for the 36-year-old, but I’d rather it be proven than assumed.
Sean: I’m doing too much agreeing with Jess in general here, so I’ll go a bit off the wall with my pick for a free agent and say tight end Jonnu Smith. The league appears to be trending towards heavy, heavy tight end usage as the “it” factor this season. We’ve already heard from Klayon Adams that the Cowboys doing so would limit the opportunities to have both CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens on the field together, and we still want to see Ryan Flournoy in that receiver mix as well. That said, the more un-scouted looks this offense can develop with all of their experience and continuity the better, and even a small package for a versatile TE like Smith would fit this bill. If a best case scenario where Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker, and/or Brevyn Spann-Ford all outplay Smith in training camp and create an excess at the position, that is a fine result of healthy roster competition as well.
Brian: Since Jess already mentioned Bobby Wagner, I’ll go a different direction here and say Jonah Williams. The last two seasons with the Cardinals he’s had some injury issues, but he has the talent/position flex to potentially upgrade either tackle spot for the Cowboys. He would be a cost-effective signing that would at the very least upgrade Dallas’ depth at the position. Plus, he would reunite with Klayton Adams, who was his former OL coach in Arizona.
Which would you prefer to happen, Cowboys win the Super Bowl, or USA win the World Cup?
Mike: Always give me the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl. Other than Wales winning the rugby World Cup, this answer is easy here.
Jess: I have been waiting 30 years for my next Cowboys Super Bowl. And I haven’t cared about soccer for 30 minutes.
Sean: As amazing and cool as it would be to see a US World Cup win, especially on US soil and more specifically in my home state of New Jersey with MetLife Stadium set to host the final, I’ll take the team that will play their first game later on in September at that stadium winning a championship over it. It’s America’s Team anyway.
Brian: Why not both? I’m not the biggest soccer fan, but I am rooting for USA to win the World Cup. But, I would 100% prefer the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl between the two.
RJ: With all due respect to my country, I would easily prefer for the Cowboys to win the Super Bowl. I’ve thought a lot about this obviously, but lately it has been top of mind with the New York Knicks winning the NBA title. The scenes, the long-lasting ones, if the Cowboys finally broke through would be unreal.
Plus, they are the real America’s Team.
