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FRISCO, Texas — Minutes before kickoff of the\u00a0Dallas Cowboys’ season finale against the\u00a0New York Giants\u00a0at MetLife Stadium, owner and general manager Jerry Jones stood in a hallway in the press box answering questions.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He repeated that again before kickoff.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Two days after the loss to the Giants, Eberflus was fired.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Mazi Smith\u00a0in the first round in 2023, CB\u00a0Kelvin Joseph\u00a0in the second round in 2021, DE\u00a0Junior Fehoko Jr.\u00a0in the fourth round in 2023 and DT\u00a0Neville Gallimore\u00a0in the third round in 2020.<\/p>\n
They were also involved in the decisions to sign free agents such as S\u00a0Ha Ha Clinton-Dix\u00a0(2020), S\u00a0Keanu Neal\u00a0(2021), DE\u00a0Dante Fowler Jr.\u00a0(2022 and 2025) and LB\u00a0Jack Sanborn\u00a0(2025).<\/p>\n
From 2020 to 2024, the Cowboys drafted 25 defensive players. The Cowboys have two “hits” remaining on the roster: Cornerback\u00a0DaRon Bland, a fifth-rounder in 2022, and defensive tackle\u00a0Osa Odighizuwa, a third-rounder in 2021. And Bland is about to undergo his second surgery on his left foot in the past two seasons.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Green Bay Packers\u00a0a week before the 2025 season started.<\/p>\n
Cornerback\u00a0Trevon Diggs\u00a0was 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.<\/p>\n
Linebacker\u00a0DeMarvion Overshown\u00a0(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?<\/p>\n
Linebacker\u00a0Marist Liufau\u00a0was 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.<\/p>\n
Defensive end\u00a0Marshawn Kneeland, the Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2024, was tragically lost during the season to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.<\/p>\n
For a team that wants to build through the draft, their selections have not produced.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
That brings us to free agency, where the Cowboys have been reluctant to spend big money.<\/p>\n
Could their best two free-agent signings on defense last year have been defensive ends added in July and September:\u00a0James Houston\u00a0and\u00a0Jadeveon Clowney. They finished as the Cowboys’ leading sackers with Clowney coming in at 8.5 and Houston at 5.5.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The Cowboys’ trades for former first-round picks linebacker\u00a0Kenneth Murray Jr. and cornerback\u00a0Kaiir Elam\u00a0did not work. Another former first-round pick, defensive end\u00a0Payton Turner, was hurt in training camp and did not return to the active roster the entire season.<\/p>\n
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\u00a0Quinnen Williams,\u00a0Kenny Clark\u00a0and Odighizuwa.<\/p>\n
Of their top edge rushers, only\u00a0Donovan Ezeiruaku\u00a0and Houston are under contract. Clowney, Williams and Fowler are free agents.<\/p>\n
At linebacker, Murray and Sanborn are set to be free agents, and\u00a0Logan Wilson’s spot is uncertain with a $6 million base salary. In the secondary, safety\u00a0Donovan Wilson\u00a0is set to become a free agent and\u00a0Malik Hooker\u00a0is entering the final year of his contract. Bland,\u00a0Shavon Revel Jr.,\u00a0Caelen Carson,\u00a0Reddy Steward\u00a0and\u00a0Trikweze Bridges\u00a0are under contract, but there is room for a major upgrade.<\/p>\n
“We have to be efficient,” Stephen Jones said.<\/p>\n
They have to be more than efficient. They have to be effective. In the draft and free agency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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