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Moore: Hitchens isn't as big or as talented as McClain, but he does do this, which bodes well for Cowboys

David Moore recently joined SportsDay DFW's "Ballzy" podcast with Evan Grant and Barry Horn to talk all things Dallas Cowboys. Here are some of the highlights.

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Biggest story line ahead of training camp is...?

Evan Grant: David aside from the big stories, which will be who got in a fight with who...

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David Moore: Exactly. The first training camp fight is always a signature moment of any camp.

Evan Grant: Make sure you've got your phone out and are videoing that. What are you going to be looking for in Oxnard besides a fine pinot noir? What stands out for you to really pay attention to here in this camp?

David Moore: The first thing I'm going to pay attention to will be even before I leave for Oxnard and before the team leaves for Oxnard the day after. Will Rolando McClain be on the team charter flying to Southern California?

Barry Horn: And your best guess is?

David Moore: My belief is no. And I believe even if he happens to be on that charter, I'm not so sure he's on the roster once the season starts.

Barry Horn: They wouldn't make him fly out there and then tell him they don't want him?

David Moore: If you get through camp and you find out that you don't have injuries, I think that's unlikely. I think it's more likely that he wouldn't go rather than go and then they decide to cut ties with him. But it's all going to come down to the resolution of how much he's going to be charged on the cap. They did not a have a definitive answer on that at the end of last week. I know people say, "Well how in the world can they not know?" Well, front office personnel are on vacation or they're here and they're working things to move into The Star.

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Evan Grant: Yeah all that stuff is probably packed away in boxes, right? They don't have databases or anything.

David Moore: Coaches are out on vacation, came back today on Monday. A lot of officials in the league office this is their vacation time because this is just the block you do it. You do it leading up to when training camp starts. A lot of people are on vacation and the idea is like, 'Well how can you not know this?' I understand that. But when all sides are on vacation and everyone is going, 'You know what? Once we get back on Monday we have four days to decide what his status is before he gets on the plane. We can do it then and then we can meet with the coaches.' This week they're all going to determine just exactly what the cap charge would be on Rolando McClain if they decide to cut him before they go to training camp. And then they will sit down and discuss, 'Okay, this is what it is. Now let's discuss all the other factors and make our decision.'

Do the Cowboys want to cut Rolando McClain?

Nov 27, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain (55) on the...
Nov 27, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain (55) on the sidelines during the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports(Matthew Emmons / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)
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Evan Grant: Do they want to cut him? 

David Moore: I believe so. I believe the majority of the organization wants to cut him, yes.

Barry Horn: What does Jerry Jones want to do?

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David Moore: I believe Jerry Jones wants to see what the cap charge is going to be. Jerry Jones would not be averse to cutting him. If everyone in the organization tells him, 'Jerry, look. We should cut him, and this is why' and they list all of their reasons and there is a consensus, Jerry's going to say, 'Okay. That makes sense.' He doesn't want to sign off on it when he says all of it makes sense, but what the cap hit is going to be and they go, 'We don't know.'

Why McClain's suspension is really longer than 10 games

Evan Grant: Okay here's my one question. When we went through this during OTAs that he doesn't like OTAs. It doesn't really fit with his personality. But the Cowboys put up with that because he's a performer. Well, now he's going to miss the first 10 games.

David Moore: It's 10 games and then the 11th game is five days later on Thanksgiving. I would argue that it's an 11-game suspension. When you look at how it took him three weeks to get back to form after a four-game suspension last year. He's not going to be at the level that they expect him to perform, if you look at it historically, until the final one to two games.

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Barry Horn: So they'll have him for the playoff run?

David Moore: [Laughs] Yeah. It's not just you roll your eyes and you go, 'That's just McClain but he's not impacting anyone else.' He's not a leader of a revolt. It's not like other guys are saying, 'I'm going to do it the way McClain does.' He's isolated. Now you come back and it's [about] performance. How much do they really get out of him? Now remember this too. During the suspension, he can't be with the team. So he's gonna be away from the team for 10 weeks. Now he was away from the team in the offseason. He came back about 20-25 pounds overweight. So there is nothing in his discipline, or lack of discipline if you will, and his practice habits since he's been here to reinforce the fact that, 'You know what? Let's go ahead and bite the bullet and hold onto him to work him back in in late November, early December.'

There's no doubt of who should take his spot at MLB

Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens (59) breaks up a pass in the end zone...
Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker Anthony Hitchens (59) breaks up a pass in the end zone intended for Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Charles Sims (34) during the first half of play at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday, November 15, 2015. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 10-6. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)
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Barry Horn: It's a good thing he doesn't play an important position. Who will be the middle linebacker?

David Moore: Anthony Hitchens. I've been a little surprised at all this consternation of, 'Oh my gosh. What are they going to do?' You look at Anthony Hitchens. [He] started the five games at middle linebacker last year that McClain did not. Those were his five most productive games far and away. You look at tape, and I know you do Barry, and you break it down, he is at his best at the middle linebacker position or the weakside linebacker. Now he wound up starting most of his games at strongside linebacker because they wanted to get their three top linebackers on the field. He is not as talented as McClain or Sean Lee. So it's like, 'We're going to put you at strongside even though really none of the three of you are suited for strongside, but would rather have our three best out there.' So he was out of position in my mind. He plays the other two linebacker positions really well. I just think he's undersized and doesn't have the feel for the strongside. But you look at him in the middle. He's not as physical as Rolando McClain. He's not as talented. But he consistently puts himself in the position to make plays. He had a game of 18 tackles when he started at middle linebacker last year and a game of 17 tackles when he started at middle linebacker. He had two sacks from the middle linebacker position in those first four games last year when he was starting for McClain. I don't think there's any question at all. I think Anthony Hitchens is a very good linebacker and he's going to be the starting middle linebacker on this team.

Who's playing alongside Hitchens?

Barry Horn: And playing next to him on both sides will be?

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David Moore: Sean Lee on weakside. And then your question is what are you going to do on the strongside? [If] you're going to go with the same philosophy of the three best [Justin] Durant could work his way in there. [Mark] Nzeocha, who they brought in last year, [Damien] Wilson, who actually looked pretty good this offseason. And Kyle Wilber is still in consideration on the strongside as well.

Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN@bhorn55@Evan_P_Grant@BallzyPodcast

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