FRISCO, Texas — Minutes before kickoff of the Dallas Cowboys’ season finale against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium, owner and general manager Jerry Jones stood in a hallway in the press box answering questions.
Much of it had to do with the future of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. For a portion of the season, Jones was not reluctant to express his disappointment in the defensive showing, but in the final couple of weeks he was quick to say the collapse was not entirely on Eberflus.
He repeated that again before kickoff.
“This took five or six years to get here,” Jones said. “This is a product of several years of combinations of philosophies. A lot of people, in that sense, and you can broaden out to who has influenced where we are the most. I can make a case for you that we haven’t had satisfactory defense for five or six years. Really.”
Two days after the loss to the Giants, Eberflus was fired.
As the Cowboys look for their fourth defensive coordinator in as many years, those who have overseen the change from Mike Nolan (2020) to Dan Quinn (2021-23) to Mike Zimmer (2024) to Eberflus (2025) at defensive coordinator have to do more to help whomever the Cowboys name as their next coordinator.
This does not absolve the coordinators for the blame, including “misses” on draft picks and free agents. They were every bit in favor of selecting DT Mazi Smith in the first round in 2023, CB Kelvin Joseph in the second round in 2021, DE Junior Fehoko Jr. in the fourth round in 2023 and DT Neville Gallimore in the third round in 2020.
They were also involved in the decisions to sign free agents such as S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (2020), S Keanu Neal (2021), DE Dante Fowler Jr. (2022 and 2025) and LB Jack Sanborn (2025).
From 2020 to 2024, the Cowboys drafted 25 defensive players. The Cowboys have two “hits” remaining on the roster: Cornerback DaRon Bland, a fifth-rounder in 2022, and defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, a third-rounder in 2021. And Bland is about to undergo his second surgery on his left foot in the past two seasons.
Micah Parsons, their No. 1 pick in 2021, was a four-time Pro Bowl pick, a Defensive Player of the Year finalist each of his four seasons and one of the best edge rushers in football. He was traded to the Green Bay Packers a week before the 2025 season started.
Cornerback Trevon Diggs was once a Pro Bowl cornerback, tying a team record with 11 interceptions in 2021. After signing a $97 million extension in 2023, injuries derailed his success. He was waived by the Cowboys and joined Parsons and the Packers on waivers last week.
Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (third round, 2023) has all the attributes to be a playmaker, but he missed his rookie season with a torn left ACL and suffered three torn ligaments in his right knee in 2024. He returned to play six games in 2025. Can he remain healthy?
Linebacker Marist Liufau was a third-round pick in 2024. He went from starting nine games and playing 47.2% of the snaps as a rookie to starting five games and playing 18.2% of the snaps in his second year. He enters his third year with the Cowboys not knowing what they have in one of their premium picks.
Defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, the Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2024, was tragically lost during the season to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
For a team that wants to build through the draft, their selections have not produced.
“I don’t know that I can put a finger on why [they have not drafted better on defense],” executive vice president Stephen Jones said. “It’s certainly something we want to change, starting with this draft. We want to go out there and find really good football players, like Osa, like Overshown, guys like that, like a Bland.
“We’ve got to be better. We’ve just got to see what our vision is. We’ve got to start by getting our defensive coordinator and what our vision is for how we’re going to play defense. Then we’ve got to meld that vision with how we select talent to play in that scheme.”
That brings us to free agency, where the Cowboys have been reluctant to spend big money.
Could their best two free-agent signings on defense last year have been defensive ends added in July and September: James Houston and Jadeveon Clowney. They finished as the Cowboys’ leading sackers with Clowney coming in at 8.5 and Houston at 5.5.
Clowney is set to be an unrestricted free agent. While he has said he wants to be back and would like to sign early to get a full offseason of work, his play in 2025 might price him out of what the Cowboys want to pay.
The Cowboys’ trades for former first-round picks linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. and cornerback Kaiir Elam did not work. Another former first-round pick, defensive end Payton Turner, was hurt in training camp and did not return to the active roster the entire season.
There is a need for a massive makeover that cannot be handled only through the draft. The only position that is set is defensive tackle with Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Odighizuwa.
Of their top edge rushers, only Donovan Ezeiruaku and Houston are under contract. Clowney, Williams and Fowler are free agents.
At linebacker, Murray and Sanborn are set to be free agents, and Logan Wilson’s spot is uncertain with a $6 million base salary. In the secondary, safety Donovan Wilson is set to become a free agent and Malik Hooker is entering the final year of his contract. Bland, Shavon Revel Jr., Caelen Carson, Reddy Steward and Trikweze Bridges are under contract, but there is room for a major upgrade.
“We have to be efficient,” Stephen Jones said.
They have to be more than efficient. They have to be effective. In the draft and free agency.
