The latest news surrounding the Cowboys is here.
Mailbag: Mazi affected by 3rd different DC? – Nick Eatman & Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
Mazi Smith has dealt with a lot of change when it comes to defensive coordinators.
My biggest question/concern is that Mazi Smith is being written off as a Day 1 bust, but he will now be dealing with his third defensive coordinator in three years with each having a different concept on the 1-tech position. Stopping the run and applying pressure to force turnovers seem right up Mazi’s alley. Am I not seeing the big picture? Is another year under another coach too much to ask of Mazi? – Bruce Holden/Bowie, MD
Patrik: ’Tis an excellent point that I myself have pointed out a time or one hundred: the fact Mazi Smith is, yet again, being asked to quickly learn and improve under a different defensive coordinator and a different defensive line coaching staff. That’s not an excuse. That’s an objective fact. To his credit, Smith has still taking steps forward over a very challenging and forgettable rookie season, and I also subscribe annually to the thought process that defensive linemen in the NFL don’t usually break out until Year 3. Wouldn’t you know it, Smith is entering his third year and he’s doing so with a heralded defensive line coach in Aaron Whitecotton, and a heralded defensive mind coordinating the defense, namely Matt Eberflus. Calling a player a bust when he’s progressing and started every game in Year 2 is disingenuous to me — adding in the fact his previous coordinator was a rental.
Could he stand to improve more? Yes, of course. Now let’s see if this latest staff can fully unlock his potential and prove him worthy of being a Day 1 pick before rendering final judgment on a career that’s just truly getting started. After all, not everyone can be Micah Parsons and devour souls right out of the gate.
Strengths, weaknesses and wildcards at Cowboys’ $24 million CB position in 2025 – Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire
The cornerback room in Dallas has many layers to it.
Cowboys’ CB strengths: DaRon Bland
Not many will argue with the premise that Bland is the best healthy player on the roster. In fact, such a statement might not even require the “healthy” caveat. The fourth-year vet is just one year removed from his All-Pro campaign and just one year away from unrestricted free agency.
Bland is a fundamentally sound player with inside-outside versatility, a nose for the football and an eye for the endzone. He’s playing for his payday and there’s a good chance that payday will be in Dallas if things go according to plan.
Cowboys’ CB weaknesses: The timeline
This weakness doubles as a wild card in many ways. Veteran Trevon Diggs and rookie Shavon Revel are both recovering from injuries. They’re both expected back this season, but the exact date is unclear. In the unlikely event both are back and 100% go by training camp, the Cowboys are set at the CB position. But nobody thinks that level of fortune is likely, so the timeline becomes the biggest obstacle to overcome in 2025.
Without these two starting caliber players the Cowboys are in contingency mode early. They need some down-roster players to step up and allow the Cowboys defense to survive the early slate of games. Schedule makers did Dallas no favors matching some of the NFL’s best receiver corps with the Cowboys right out of the gate.
16) Who replaces Jourdan Lewis in the slot? – DallasCowboys.com
More on the cornerback room.
Tommy: As it stands right now, I’ll say DaRon Bland. With the injuries that the Cowboys have in the cornerback room, they might not have a choice. Bland wants to play on the outside, and his 2023 All-Pro season shows you why, but the fact of the matter is he’s their best option as things currently stand. If he does move inside, like he has been during many of the team’s OTA practices, things get a bit tricky at outside corner with the amount of unknowns there. The question for me will be what the Cowboys will do when Trevon Diggs and Shavon Revel Jr. are healthy. Is Revel Jr. good enough to start on the outside from day one, and would that keep Bland in the slot? Can someone like Israel Mukuamu, Juanyeh Thomas or Kemon Hall prove in training camp that they can play there at a high level? It’s a tough situation, but Bland gives the Cowboys a safety blanket for the time being.
Mickey: Great question, and one likely not answered until going through training camp and those three preseason games. First, the Cowboys must discover who is available for the season opener. Will Trevon Diggs be ready to start the season? Will rookie Shavon Revel be ready to start the season? What about Josh Butler? All undetermined at this point. And the other unanswered question that won’t be answered until the end of training camp and preseason will be does veteran corner Kaiir Elam prove capable of stepping into a starting role on the outside, having been acquired in an offseason trade and heading into the final year of his original buffalo contract. In the meantime, the Cowboys will continue working Pro Bowl corner DaRon Bland outside in their two cornerback sets, then in the slot as they have been during the offseason when gong to the nickel. Some of that also depends on if the guy working in the slot on the second team, Juanyeh Thomas, proves capable of handling that chore when the season starts, allowing Bland to remain outside at right cornerback.
We may see more of Micah Parsons as a standing free rusher in 2025 – Mario Herrera Jr., Inside The Star
Could this result in more production from Micah Parsons?
The Dallas Cowboys are undergoing a philosophical shift on defense under new coordinator Matt Eberflus, and one intriguing wrinkle could be how superstar EDGE Micah Parsons is deployed.
While Parsons has largely played off the edge in recent seasons, there is growing speculation that Eberflus might allow him more snaps as a standing free rusher; a role that would allow him to attack from multiple angles and create confusion for opposing offenses.
Two key reasons support this potential shift. Let’s break it down.
This Looks Familiar
Parsons was already dominant lining up off the edge, but when he was unleashed through the middle, particularly in the double A-gap blitz look, he was borderline unblockable.
Mike Zimmer used the formation sparingly during his brief time in Dallas, but when he did, it was devastating.
Lining up both A-gaps with threats and keeping the offense guessing which gap (or both) the pressure was coming from suited Parsons’ elite quickness, anticipation, and ability to beat offensive linemen one-on-one or split double teams.
In those sets, Parsons often stood in a two-point stance, disguising whether he’d rush or drop, and it forced quarterbacks to rush throws or make pre-snap protection adjustments that often backfired.
Eberflus, who prefers a multiple-front defense, has used similar tactics during his time in Indianapolis and Chicago, and could integrate those exotic pressure looks into his Dallas playbook.
Especially with a chess piece like Parsons at his disposal.
Invisible draft pick already fighting for Cowboys future in Year 2 – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat
This could be the last shot for Ryan Flournoy in Dallas.
Cowboys WR Ryan Flournoy risks becoming an afterthought in crowded WR room
The Cowboys have already proved they aren’t afraid to part with late-round picks. Just last week, they sent defensive tackle Justin Rogers packing for the second time. Rogers was selected just 28 picks before Flournoy in the 2024 draft.
What is so surprising about Flournoy’s invisible offseason is that he was among the biggest standouts from last preseason. In the three exhibitions, he caught nine passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns with a 125.3 passer rating when targeted, per PFF.
That said, Flournoy also dropped two passes and lost a fumble. He is still learning the nuances of the position and adapting to the speed of the NFL. That will take time, but time is of the essence for Flournoy, who will already turn 26 during his second season.
Much to the chagrin of Cowboys fans, Flournoy was a healthy scratch for the first month of the season. He ended up playing 11 games and catching 10 passes for 102 yards. The fact he couldn’t carve out a role in an underwhelming WR room does not bode well for him in 2025.
