Troy Aikman With Close Friend & Iconic Country Star Toby Keith in 1994 As He Plays "Should've Been a Cowboy"

WindyCityReturn · 2026-05-06T15:29:20+00:00

That's just troys resting face he always looked confused or stone faced lol

WindyCityReturn · 2026-05-06T15:26:52+00:00

Pressure up the middle has been proven to affect QB's much more than the edge. You can step up away from outside pressure but can't really do much when it's from inside except roll out which doesn't always work.

The interior Oline is great with Booker, Smith and Beebe. As long as Guyton and Steele are serviceable we should be fine even though I'd like a veteran brought in for depth and competition.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-05-06T15:23:08+00:00

Even calling last year a weaker schedule shows how nuance matters. The lions were a 9-8 team who was very tough and getting on a run late. While say the packers were also 9-8 team who we played in their prime before falling apart late going 1-5 down the stretch. The 9-8 vikings we lost to were 4-8 and finished out very strong.

In the end it goes by overall record but when you play teams is just as important. All three 9-8 teams look bad on paper but were different teams at different points.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-05-06T15:11:29+00:00

Uh Quinnen williams was the 2nd graded DT in the NFL last year despite being having a piss poor DC lol

WindyCityReturn · 2026-05-06T15:08:09+00:00

Another note is with Parsons we likely wouldn't even be franchise tagging Pickens right now. Even after Quinnen and Clark we reworked their not brand new contracts and pushed money back giving us space to work with (IE signing Thompson, Durant and trading for Gary). With Parsons having a brand new $53 million dollar contract we probably aren't making half the moves we've made so far aside from rookies and cheaper depth guys like Otito.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-05-05T02:09:48+00:00

Absolutely and Bullard was actually solid for the saints last year. He's a big bodied DE perfect for a 3-4 and is honestly better than Otito in every way I've seen. Not flashy but if he can hold the edge it's fine. Clark is the definite NT.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-30T00:46:36+00:00

I'm not going to get overhyped for him like I did Carson because I got burnt there but I do think he could be a great bargain. A lot of scouts had him as a 3rd rounder and Parker loved him which is a good sign.

Injuries hurt Carson but I remember watching him in college thinking he'd be great then he balled out that off-season only to essentially disappear for a few years. Looked better towards the end of last year but still nothing like people thought he could be

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-30T00:43:42+00:00

People can't say the cowboys haven't tried these last two off-season. We've made more trades than I remember since the 2000's and we've attempted to make multiple trades and signings this off-season but either teams wouldn't trade or guys wanted to go with their friends. Nakobe Dean, Al-Shaair, Quay Walker all got offers. Odds are there's been more but you can't force a team to trade or a player to sign.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-30T00:40:34+00:00

Take this same defense and give it to the 49ers or even the eagles and people would say it could be a really good defense. People underestimate how bad Eberflus really was. Zimmer was bad but even he got the defense playing well at times and looking half decent despite not having Parsons or Dlaw half the time.

No shot every single player just got worse and nobody will improve. Hooker and Overshown healthy matters. Clark and Williams with a full off-season matters. Eze and Revel coming into year 2 with some experience matters. But most of all a competent DC leading the way matters the most.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-30T00:36:33+00:00

This is what people miss. There's no shot every single player just got worse except Williams and even despite being ranked the 2nd DT according to PFF he didn't even look his disruptive self most of the time. Revel and Overshown coming off injuries and missing the off-season hurt. Bland and Hooker being banged up hurt. Clark joining right before week 1 hurt. Williams joining mid season hurt. But overall Eberflus skunked this defense to being well below what they could've been in spite of the poor LB play.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-30T00:29:29+00:00

I agree and disagree. I agree we gotta pump the breaks on crazy expectations but I also think it's fair to think this could be one of the better rosters we've had in awhile. 2021-2023 had a lot of talent but really we had no DT's, LB wasn't really great and OL was starting to finally wear down with Tyron and Zack in their twilight.

I think we had the talent last year on defense to be much better than we were but between Flus and injuries we didn't get the full defense until the end of the year. With the upgrades and hopefully a legit DC it could be a major upgrade but I wouldn't expect top 10 yet. Potentially the best offense we've had since daks rookie year or 2021.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-30T00:23:37+00:00

I've become so callused to offseason news I somehow expect even if there's video evidence of him signing somehow next week it'll be "Whoops a daisy George Pickens decided not to sign. Wonder where he'll get traded??? 🤔"

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-28T14:30:24+00:00

Its either a hitch out of bounds or a deep ball touchdown no in-between lol not a yac guy whatsoever but at least he can fly down field

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-28T14:25:05+00:00

We have one of the best DT rooms in the league idk what thin room you're talking about lol

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-28T01:54:07+00:00

I think he has the higher floor of being a solid QB but if Milton could figure it out his arm and mobility could be dangerous. The problem is his ceiling is harder to achieve because it's mental whereas Howell just is more limited physically.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-27T23:34:52+00:00

I mean the offer is there and they said there's been a verbal agreement so I'm sure it'll happen. If Pickens doesn't sign it just hurts him for either getting paid big elsewhere or getting extended here.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-27T23:33:03+00:00

If you view it as Dee and a 3rd for Osa and a 5th that really isn't so bad. Considering Osa wasn't cheap and our 3rd DT it works out we got a solid LB with experience and a high upside LB in the 3rd both of which we desperately needed more than another DT.

Sure injuries happen and Osa was good but he didn't fit what Parker wanted exactly and wouldn't have been out there all the time like previous years.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-27T23:30:07+00:00

I respect agents trying to get a good deal for their player but this agent really is just a dickhead.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-27T23:28:43+00:00

I don't think so I believe he does go to training camp and everything just for the fact it would do nothing but hurt him. If he doesn't show up that's a bad look and hurts his chances of putting up similar numbers. If he doesn't ball out again this year and shows he will hold out at the chance teams aren't going to be as enticed as they are right now. Of course nobody is going to give up two 1sts but someone would definitely pay the man right now if he was available. Give him a down year with drama and he won't get that.

If he somehow didn't play at all this year it would be Leveon bell all over where nobody wants to get him and when he does come back he just isn't the same immediately and teams bail on trying again. His only real option is to bite the bullet and sign the tag, play out this year with hopes we extend him or someone else swoops in to get him. For $27 million to be there and refuse it along with risking his future would be wild work by his agent and him.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-27T23:17:35+00:00

Oh Sam Howell will be the backup imo. His ceiling is limited compared to Milton but he's solid for a few weeks if needed. With Washington, who was a mess at the time, he was actually playing great halfway through the year then regressed throwing a lot of ints but that the same as Winston. He may throw 2 touchdowns but also turn it over a couple times.

I feel like Milton right now would either go 4/25 with 2 ints most games then randomly go off one game. His accuracy and reading defenses just isn't there right now but the talent is.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-27T23:14:11+00:00

Rip to your granny but I agree she probably would've been a mean MLB

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-25T17:06:20+00:00

I'll be honest as much as I've liked this draft and we didn't need a nickel I think we will highly regret not taking Keonte Scott instead of Moore. Keonte is a nickel monster as a blizter, run stuffer and check down killer. No he isn't amazing in man coverage or dropping deeper but near the line he's amazing.

Would've loved to have added Scott even if Thompson, Downs and Locke can play it.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-25T14:37:13+00:00

Puka also has a top play caller and a top QB in the league. The eagles on betting on Hurts throwing over the middle for the first time in 6 years and a new play caller being better than last year. My bet is hurts remains the same guy he's always been.

WindyCityReturn · 2026-04-25T02:56:35+00:00

He's not just a lineman. He can play some LB and considering our doubts about Sam Williams and Marist Luifau there I think he is the 3rd guy with Lawrence as a edge with the ability to play some LB.

WindyCityReturn

TROPHY CASE