CALEAB LOOSE
VICTORVILLE, CA
I know you guys are fielding a lot of questions about Irving's suspension, but can you guys explain why the Cowboys lead the league in suspensions? From 2014-2017, 17 Cowboys have missed a total of 108 games due to suspensions. Is Garret's message of the "right kind of guy" not working, or are the Cowboys just unlucky in this area?
Bryan: The one thing I've learned over my years in the NFL is when you have the players in the building -- there never appear to be any problems. It's once they leave that building that the struggles of every day life take over. Some players make good decisions, some make poor ones. These players are no different than you or I. For the most part, Garrett and the front office have selected a pretty good group of players that function well in the community. You can only hold these players' hands for so long before you have to trust them as adults.
David: No two players are the same, and the circumstances are different for each of those suspensions. Sometimes, the Cowboys have gambled on guys they probably shouldn't have – Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory come to mind. Other times, a player with an otherwise good track record has made a mistake – think Orlando Scandrick and DeMarcus Lawrence. No team in the league is going to employ a full roster of boy scouts, so it's all about mitigating your risks and not making decisions that are going to hamstring your team. The Cowboys have been bad at that in the past and it has come back to bite them. But they've been smart about how they've dealt with Irving to this point, which is why you didn't see much of an effort to sign him long-term this offseason.
JAMES RUNNELS IV
DESOTO, TX
I am a hopeful Cowboys fan, but my gut tells me that we don't have a receiver capable of having a 1,000 yard season. Do you feel that this team can have no receivers over 1,000 yards and still make it to the postseason?
Bryan: Their playoff hopes will rely on their ability to run the ball, be efficient in the red zone and play well as a scoring defense. If they don't do those things well, quite honestly, it won't matter.
David: Honestly, I think it can help them. This offense needs to flow through its running game and Dak Prescott's ability to spread the ball around, rather than fixating on a single receiver. The Eagles just won a Super Bowl without a 1,000-yard receiver, so yes I do think it's possible.
