Here is our latest Dallas Cowboys mailbag.
Every week, we take questions on X (Twitter) and Facebook about Dallas Cowboys players and other issues surrounding the team. So let’s get right into it.
“Why’s everyone high on Mike Green from Marshall and should the Cowboys draft him at 12?”
(Ryan Jones on Facebook)
Mike: Some people will say to pick him at 12 is too rich, but post-combine people will soon change that tune. Picking a defensive end early isn’t a bad way to go for Dallas and pairing an elite pass rusher opposite Micah Parsons would make this defense lethal. Mike Green led all of the FBS in sacks (17) and earned All-American honors and the Sun Belt Player of the Year award after an insane final season at Marshall.
Green has an explosive first step, elite levels of bend around the edge, and a variety of pass-rush moves. His athletic profile, including his speed and agility, would add versatility to the Cowboys’ defensive line. His ability to set the edge and make tackles for loss would complement Micah Parsons, enhancing their defensive front’s effectiveness.
Green would give the Cowboys a formidable duo on the edge. Combining Green’s skills with Parsons could create a dynamic pass rush, potentially overwhelming offensive tackles and quarterbacks.
Dana: Mike Green had a stellar 2024 season at Marshall logging 84 total tackles (22 of which were tackles for loss), 17 sacks, 15 QB hits and 3 forced fumbles. It was a very impressive season for him and the buzz surrounding his draft potential only got louder after the Senior Bowl where he was able to show off his power and bend at the EDGE position.
Mike Green. SIR. pic.twitter.com/v1CZAAzn0H
— Jordan Dajani (@JordanDajani) January 29, 2025
Green is now being projected by some as a top-20 overall pick in this year’s draft. Should Dallas be the team to draft him? Well, there are a lot of holes to fill for many positions on this team and they may decide to go in another direction. Additionally, if the team does decide to pick an EDGE player with the 12th overall pick, there are some other really good players that may be a possibility; some players like James Pearce Jr., Mykel Williams, and Shemar Stewart just to name a few. However, Green would be a great fit for the Cowboys if they do decide to pick him at number 12. The future is still unclear for DeMarcus Lawrence and Green would make an excellent young paring along side Micah Parsons to make life very difficult for opposing QB’s.
“What are the new coaching staff members that has been selected so far?”
(Cornell Johnson on Facebook)
Mike: Officially, the Cowboys coaching hires were completed as of Friday. Klayton Adams took over the vacant offensive coordinator role left by the promotion of Brian Schottenheimer. This will be Adams first time as offensive coordinator and has a wealth of experience as an offensive line coach and was with the Arizona Cardinal last season.
Matt Eberflus was quickly brought on to be the defensive coordinator. He became the first Chicago Bears coach to ever be fired mid-season, but some guys are better coordinators than they are head coaches. Eberflus has been in Dallas before as linebacker coach from 2011 until 2017, but the highlight of his career was how he turned the Indianapolis Colts defense around while hired as the team’s defensive coordinator.
Nick Sorensen takes over from John Fassel as special teams coordinator. He’s mostly been employed as a defensive coach but almost had the special teams coordinator job in San Francisco to start this season.
The rest of the coaching hires and positions:
“What did Brian Schottenheimer bring to the table during the interview process to separate himself from other head coach candidates?”
(MrEd315 via Twitter/X)
Mike: In short, familiarity. He knows the offense and its shortcomings intimately and what the needs are. He also has chemistry with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb and the rest of the offense which will help motivate the offense that fell short last year. On top of that, he also knows the Jones’ and the operation of the franchise meaning he leads straight into organizing the team rather than trying to climatize to the monster that is the Dallas Cowboys.
Dana: Since the Cowboys were not able to retain Mike McCarthy as head coach, they interviewed a few coaches like Kellen Moore, Robert Saleh, Leslie Frazier, along with Brian Schottenheimer. After conducting these interviews, the things that make Schottenheimer stand out from the rest were familiarity, continuity, and long-standing experience. No other coach had all three. In an article from Todd Archer of ESPN, Schottenheimer was quoted:
“The continuity through change,” Schottenheimer said. “I know the players. I know the building. I know our strengths. I know our weaknesses. I know our issues. And the more and more we got into conversations, sitting around and just discussing different things, I wanted it even more.”
The Cowboys have Prescott and Lamb locked in for the next handful of years and it was likely a consideration when choosing Schottenheimer to keep some continuity with them to grow from rather than completely starting over.
