Darren Woodson talks Cowboys future what to do with Mike McCarthy Dak Prescott Ezekiel Elliott and more

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Darren Woodson is one of the greatest players in Dallas Cowboys history and continues to spread his football knowledge since his retirement. Woodson is one of the longest-tenured NFL analysts at ESPN, being with the network for 14 years as an expert on the Cowboys and the NFC East.Woodson is one of the best safeties of his era, earning three First Team All-Pro and five Pro Bowl selections as a defensive legend on a Cowboys dynasty that won three Super Bowl titles in the 1990s. He finished his 12-year career with 967 tackles, 23 interceptions, and 11 sacks -- earning a spot on the Cowboys Ring of Honor as he helped reinvent the safety position.While Woodson waits for his long-awaited induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he sat down for a one-on-one interview with CBSSports.com on the state of the Cowboys franchise -- including the futures of Mike McCarthy, Dak Prescott, and Ezekiel Elliott. He also dove into the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback situation and the future of the NFC East.Should Mike McCarthy be back for another go around as the head coach?Woodson: "I'm not one of those 'football is not fair' people, but I will say this. COVID has brought out a ton of obstacles and for a new head coach to come in -- for all the obstacles that have been in place, as far is implementing his offense when he came in -- getting to know the players and putting together a new staff with all the obstacles that COVID has presented, I don't know if I can fairly a se s him. The one thing you always have in the offseason is minicamps, whether it would be with your rookies, and you have OTAs with your veteran players -- but you're implementing things and getting to know (your players) and their reaction on the football field. Mike McCarthy and his staff did not have the luxury of that type of offseason. "They were implementing their game plans over Zoom. They were getting to know their players over Zoom calls. It' Zion Williamson Jersey s hard to a se s a coach. It's almost like you have to give them a mulligan the first year. If I was the head coach, I don't know how I would react to that. I need to see players move and react physically. How can I coach you? Can I yell at you? Bill Parcells said 'I can't treat everyone the same and I won't treat everyone the same.' So he didn't have the luxury of going through that time stamp so he had to learn on the run what his personnel was and what they could and couldn't digest. They started off the season with the injuries: came into camp overweight and out of shape and started out being hurt. It's just hard to really a se s him for this season."We're a suming Mike McCarthy comes back. Is this thing just as simple as coming back healthy and trying it all again and seeing if it works?Woodson: "Before Mike McCarthy got here they paid , and . They have allocated a lot of funds to certain a sets outside of Mike McCarthy. Do they give McCarthy control of getting rid of some of those a sets, trading those a sets, and bringing (other) guys in? The one thing you can look at this offense -- if you can get Collins and Smith back -- that's great. coming back, awesome. Now you have , who has played at a high level the last three years -- you have a veteran offensive line. You know what you have at the skill positions. You know what you have offensively if Dak Prescott comes back healthy. "Here's the problem. The same question marks coming into this season. There are holes that you have to fill defensively. Can Mike McCarthy take responsibility and see what's going on the defensive side of the ball and find a way to get rid or trade some of those a sets and bring in guys on the defensive side of the ball. That's where the help is needed."You mentioned Zeke Elliott. He's got four years left on that deal. Can Dallas get out of this?Woodson: "I don't know if they can, honestly. I don't know what you get in return because everyone else is watching as well and they know that's a big contract. Who actually wants to take that on? You're going to have to find the right trade partner to do so. These are some of the things that (Cowboys Vice President of Player Personnel) Will McClay and (Executive Vice President) Stephen Jones and Coach McCarthy are all going to have to get together and make some tough decisions. "Don't be surprised if you see some of the bigger names get traded this offseason. If you have a sets and you have a commodity, you have to trade them to get more a sets and fill holes." is another one who has a big contract. Do you think Dallas could flip him for a defensive player?Woodson: "All options are on the table. They played hardball with Dak Prescott on his contract and put themselves in a situation there. They played busine s with Dak, they might as well play it acro s the board with all the a sets. I Willy Hernangomez Jersey don't care if it's Zack Martin, Amari Cooper, Tyron Smith -- it does not matter. Put them all out there and see if you can accumulate as many a sets as you can." Dak Prescott is a Elfrid Payton Jersey major a set. Should they bring him back next year -- franchise him, long-term deal -- or should they pa s because they need to fix the defense that much?Woodson: "There's part of this where you got to take care of busine s. You basically franchised him this year then didn't pay him when you had ample time to do so. Now you have to find out if he's all-the-way healthy. He's an investment now. You made these investments on DeMarcus Lawrence and Amari Cooper -- so what type of return are you getting? As much as I love Dak Prescott, you got to look at him the same way as far as if he's healthy enough to make a financial commitment to him."I firmly believe that Dak Prescott is the future of his organization. You know what you're getting with Dak. You're getting a tremendous leader. You're seeing the lo s of not having him on the field. Every time they roll out , I look at Dak every time and say -- man you're getting paid more money. They can't play without this guy. He makes this offense go. "I'm tired of hearing those believers that say Zeke makes the offense go. No, this is Dak's offense. This is the guy you have to build around. I wouldn't mind paying Dak and taking care of him and then getting rid of some of the other a sets that you have."I wanted to go to the opposite side of the NFC East to a quarterback who has regre sed, and that's . Do you think he's fixable?Woodson: "I have always been enamored by Carson Wentz. I was the amba sador for the bowl game he played in Dallas when he went to North Dakota State and thought the world of him as a quarterback. The ball came out of his hands great and he had the athletic ability to do anything he wanted to do. He was lights out those first couple years. I mean he was the MVP before he got hurt. "I've seen him play at a high level. It amazes me the fall that he's had -- and all he's been through -- the last couple years. He seems to be rattled within the pocket. He's not showing the same athleticism consistently that he showed early on. There's so many surrounding obstacles. The offensive line is the worst it's ever been and he doesn't have real weapons on the outside. There's a lot of excuses for Carson Wentz that are still out there."I'm not a guy that's going to give up because I know the foundation of who he is. If you're Philadelphia (and) you want to make this switch and you're ready to give Carson Wentz up, who's the team that is going to pick him up. If that team picks him up and he plays at an All-Pro level again, you're going to be kicking yourself in the butt. It's just a hard a se sment to make and that's the reason I'm not a GM (laughing)."What do you expect to see from now that he's the starting quarterback? Woodson: "Athleticism. I was watching the Green Bay game the other day and you saw his athleticism shine. When things break down, he relies on his strength -- his legs. He plays to his strengths, but what makes him hard to defend is his legs allow him to buy time behind an offensive line that is historically bad. He finds ways to buy time and make a wide receiver crew that I'm looking at and saying 'there isn't one guy that really scares me' -- they get open and make plays down the field because he buys time for them."There's energy around him. There's a confidence around him. I heard stories in that locker room that basically said if they didn't start him -- they'd revolt in that locker room. They firmly believe in Jalen Hurts and they want to play behind Wenyen Gabriel Jersey him. Look, Doug Pederson has already made the decision of playing Jalen Hurts. He can't go back. Just play him out the next four weeks and see what you got."What team is set up the best in the NFC East for the next five years?Woodson: "The Washington Football Team and what Ron Rivera has done with that organization has been unbelievable. I never thought Washington and the would be playing for a NFC East title this year. When you look at what Coach Rivera has brought to the Washington Football Team is remarkable. He's brought confidence, stability. The personnel that they have doesn't match the Eagles or the Cowboys. They're playing well because he has instilled something in them. "The Giants are another one because of the quarterback play of and what they have now on defense, they have an opportunity as well. It's going to be flip in the next year or two where Washington and New York will be playing for NFC East championships."
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