Cowboys extend contract of most important front office member of last decade Todd Brock The man that most believe to be the most critically important contributor to any success the Cowboys organization has on the field is staying put, despite a vast sea of current offseason changes all around him. Will McClay, the team’s vice president of player personnel, has signed a multiyear extension to remain with the Cowboys, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer. The 58-year-old has been with the Cowboys since 2002, first as a pro scout, and he’s served in his current role since 2017. He signed his most recent contract in 2022, but that deal expired earlier in January along with the deals of the rest of the Cowboys coaching staff. McClay has been considered a potential general manager candidate for other clubs in the past. The Commanders, Panthers, and Chargers all requested permission from the Cowboys to interview him for their open GM positions just last year before McClay announced he “didn’t want to waste anybody’s time” and wouldn’t be fielding offers to leave Dallas. The Tennessee native’s son was also entering his senior year of high school, and McClay made it clear that helped influence his decision to stay in Dallas for the final year of his contract. With his son now set to graduate in the spring, the Cowboys staff undergoing massive turnover, and the Jerry/Stephen Jones power structure in Dallas firmly locked in place, some wondered if the writing was on the wall for McClay to finally take an official GM job somewhere else. But McClay has been evaluating college prospects this week at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, perhaps a sign that coming to terms on a new contract was simply a formality for both sides. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Before leaving for Mobile, however, McClay was included in the front office’s head coaching search and helped the Cowboys finally land on hiring Brian Schottenheimer. “I think the greatest part is being aligned from the top down,” McClay said of giving the longtime offensive coordinator his first head coaching job. “That’s one of the commitments we all made sitting in there about what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it. He’s got a plan, he’s got a vision. We’re going to support that. We’re going to add good players. I have a great feeling about what Schotty and what he’s looking for.” McClay certainly has a proven track record of identifying talented players for the Cowboys. He has found 15 Pro Bowlers and six All-Pros through the draft since taking over the club’s scouting efforts in 2014.

2025 Free Agency: Cowboys could give Schottenheimer $67 million in cap space with no regrets K.D. Drummond Now that the Dallas Cowboys have settled on a new head coach in Brian Schottenheimer, the attention has turned to filling out his coaching staff. But after that is completed, the process of finding veteran solutions to their roster deficiencies becomes front and center. The 2025 NFL salary cap hasn’t been announced yet, that will come in the first week of March. But the league has alerted its 32 teams the cap should come in between $270 million and $275 million. Working with the median of that range ($272.5 million), Dallas enters the offseason slightly over the cap, but with ways to get way under. According to the NFLPA, Dallas is carrying over $18.5 million of unused 2024 cap space that rolls over into 2025, and it’s needed because the Cowboys have $296 million in contract commitments, according to Over The Cap. Here’s a look at how the Cowboys can create the necessary cap space to re-sign their players, and what they likely won’t do in order to create room and sign some external free agents. 2025 Restructures that will create more space CLEVELAND, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 08: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys reacts prior to a game against the Cleveland Browns at Cleveland Browns Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) Dak Prescott’s deal calls for a 2025 base salary of $47.75 million. He’ll get that cash, but there’s an obvious reason why his four-year extension included another four void years that run through 2032. The Cowboys are going to pull the restructure lever and kick the majority of his base salary down the road in five-year installments. To keep the accounting neat, we’ll assume they drop his base salary down to $2.75 million for 2025, and turn $45 million into a restructure bonus. That’s allocated across each year, from 2025 through 2029, at $9 million per. Now his 2025 cap hit plummets from $89.9 million to $53.9 million, shaving $36 million in space. CeeDee Lamb’s deal is similar. Pare his $26.85 million base salary down to $1.85 million and spread that $25 million across five years, shaving $20 million off the 2025 cap. Together that’s another $56 million in space. Micah Parsons Fans concerned that the club still needs to sign Micah Parsons to a record-setting extension shouldn’t be. He’s going to get his money, and it’s actually going to help the 2025 cap situation. That’s because Parsons is already on the books for his fifth-year option salary at $21 million, when his extension hits, his 2025 cap hit will likely drop to $10 million or below, freeing up another $11 million worth of cap space for a total of $67 million. Questionable moves Those are the easy ones. Dallas doesn’t have to restructure Prescott’s or Lamb’s deal all at once. Those can be done as necessary to clear space to make acquisitions, piece by piece. Parsons’ extension won’t be rushed, as witnessed by the drawn-out process for the two deals from last summer. And, Dallas could create more room if the want, but these are more questionable. Moving cap hit from the current year to future years makes sense; $20 million takes up a higher percentage of cap space in 2025 than it would in future seasons with higher caps. It’s a bang-for-the-buck thing. But that only works when the player is likely to see those future years. Players who are on the decline, or with serious injuries aren’t wise restructures. In that vein, there’s another __ million of space Dallas could reap. Right tackle Terence Steele struggled for much of 2024, though he improvd down the stretch. But if Dallas doesn’t see him as their long-term right tackle, then it wouldn’t be wise to restructure him, though it could shave $9 million off the cap. Trevon Diggs suffered a significant knee injury towards the end of the season, and has missed the majority of the last two seasons after signing a huge deal in 2023. Restructuring him could add $6 million of space. That’s another $15 million, without even adding void years to either deal, for a total of $82 million. There’s also the potential that some players are released, which could reap even  more savings, but those wouldn’t have to be motivated by the need to add space, rather not seeing those players as worth the expense. Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Cowboys Wire, Longhorns Wire, Texans Wire, Rockets Wire and Aggies Wire!

Here’s what changes Cowboys fans can expect from Schottenheimer’s offense reidhanson When the Dallas Cowboys announced the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as their next head coach, fans scrambled for answers. The long-time assistant coach didn’t have a head coaching history to reference, and his years as an offensive assistant were mixed in both style and substance. Even his time in Dallas was shrouded in mystery because despite holding the role of offensive coordinator, it wasn’t Schottenheimer calling the plays but rather head coach Mike McCarthy. The Schottenheimer name is synonymous with ground-and-pound football. It was the legacy of Schottenheimer’s father, and the defining trait at more than a few of the younger Schottenheimer’s coaching stops. But to simply call Schottenheimer a “run-first” offensive mind is being a little disingenuous. He’s really much more than that. The Cowboys new head coach opened up about his offense on Monday at the introductory press conference. He dropped some worthwhile nuggets that should be pleasing to most inquiring minds. “He and I see the game of football, offensively, very similar,” Schottenheimer said of Dak Prescott. “We’ll have tons of communication moving forward on some thoughts of things we want to do, whether that’s tempo or some of the different things we’re trying to do with our play action passing game, the run game, things like that.” To anyone nostalgic for the days of Norv Turner’s play-action rich offense, this should be music to the ears. McCarthy was generally averse to play-action passing, with both Prescott and Cooper Rush ranking near the bottom of the league in its usage. When Schottenheimer was offensive coordinator for Seattle, he had one of the deadliest play-action offenses in the league. Based off a strong ground game, Russell Wilson cooked up big plays when utilizing play action. It’s that same thing Schottenheimer hopes to do with Prescott in Dallas. To make it all work he’s going to want a stronger running game. The Cowboys ranked 26th in the NFL last season in EPA/rush so it’s safe to say significant attention will be paid to improving the running game for 2025. “I’m a big believer in cut splits,” Schottenheimer explained. “I’m a big believer in shifts and motions to distort things. We’re going to do a great job of marrying our runs and our passes and make those look the same. I’m proud to say that two different times in my career as a coordinator we led the league in rushing.” This could come off as a major red flag to some, and rightfully so. An outdated offense centered on the running game is an analytically minded person’s worst nightmare. Even with a recent resurgence of the ground game in 2024, the NFL is a passing league. Only three teams posted a higher EPA/play on the ground than through the air and those offenses all finished in the bottom 10 overall last season. But again, referencing Schottenheimer’s days with the Seahawks provides some clarity on his run-pass splits. Schottenheimer ran the Seattle offense from 2018 through 2020. During that time his pass rate over expected was -2%. It leaned towards the running game but not overwhelmingly. Year to year, Schottenheimer moved in the passing game’s direction, going from -11% to -2% and finally landing on +6% in 2020. To those happy at the love Schottenheimer paid to play action, they’re probably even happier hearing the new coach discuss shifts and motion as staples of his ideal offense. While he didn’t clarify whether the motion was pre-snap or at the snap, he gave the impression it was the more impactful latter category. Those comments, combined with his mention of cut splits spark visions of the 49ers offense under Kyle Shanahan. Shanahan is notorious for deploying versatile personnel groups in tight formations. He uses motion at the snap regularly and designs passing plays to look almost identical to running plays in both personnel and formation. He’s a big believer in the running game but he designs it to be productive and efficient. It all sets the stage for big chunk plays downfield and in today’s NFL, it’s all about those explosive chunk plays. It’s safe to say the Cowboys will not be passing the ball at the same rate they were under McCarthy, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. The new coach sounds as if he’s embracing the tricks of the trade that have made the Shanahan coaching tree so expansive. He’s not going to run the ball for the sake of it, but rather run the ball more efficiently and use it to set up a more efficient and more explosive passing game. Whether any of this comes to be is anyone’s guess but based on his recent history and what he said in the press conference, the Cowboys are going to have an efficient and deceptive offense in 2025. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

Cowboys add demoted 49ers coach to Schottenheimer’s staff as ST Coordinator angeltorres The Cowboys are wasting little time assembling a staff for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, hiring Nick Sorensen as their special teams coordinator. Sorensen is replacing John Fassel, who held the position for the past five seasons. After spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons as a defensive assistant in Santa Clara, Sorensen was promoted to the 49ers defensive coordinator position in 2024. The results weren’t great, leading the 49ers to relieve him of those duties, though they didn’t fire him. Sorensen was still under contract with the 49ers for the 2025 season but San Francisco publicly stated that he would not be the defensive coordinator. The team did want him to return in a different capacity. The demotion allowed Sorensen to seek employment elsewhere finding refuge with a former colleague. Sorensen broke into the league as an assistant special teams coach with the Seahawks in 2013 and held the position before adding assistant defensive back to his resume in 2016. He was then promoted to DB coach for the 2017 season. The following year, he would help welcome Brian Schottenheimer to the Seattle staff as offensive coordinator where the two would spend the next three seasons battling each other in practice daily. The connection would continue in 2021 as both coaches would find roles on the Jaguars staff under then-head coach Urban Meyer; Schottenheimer as Jacksonville’s quarterbacks coach and Sorensen as special teams coordinator. Sorensen played 10 seasons in the NFL as a defensive back, appearing in 131 games before turning to coaching.

Cowboys’ Jones claims he’s constantly rolling dice, hiring Schottenheimer ‘as big a risk as you can take’ K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys held their introductory press conference of the 10th head coach in franchise history on Monday, bringing Brian Schottenheimer to the people. After Schottenheimer gave his opening statement, thanking the Jones family for the opportunity and giving his regards for his family’s support, the Q&A session began. The first question lobbed to the panel, as expected, was of Jerry Jones and why he decided to hire Schottenheimer. Why him? Jones took a deep pause of about 10 seconds before entering into a diatribe about how the decision was made. Jones cited how every Senior Bowl and scouting combine, he’d arrive early just so he can engage with potential coaches who might cross his path some time in the future. He spoke of his familiarity with the Schottenheimer family, Brian’s dad Marty and his mother Pat, from prior times on competition committees and basically saying Schottenheimer came from good stock. He spoke of how Schottenheimer showed deference to coaches with more experience, like Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer, “biting his lip” when he disagreed with some of their decisions. And then he dropped the money quote. Jones spoke on the accusations that he only operates within confines of people who have crossed his path. He believes the opposite, despite the evidence to the contrary. “I get my proverbial a– kicked over needing people in my comfort zone. Without this thing being about me in any way, ifyou don’t think I can’t operate out of my comfort zone, you’re so wrong it’s unbelievable. This is as big a risk as you can take… as big a risk as you can take. No head coaching experience.” Jones somehow believes that Schottenheimer’s 25 years of experience in the coaching profession is unique, angling that it’s not normal for someone only 51 years old. He then spoke about several of the coaches he’s had in the past, how it wasn’t only about Xs and Os, but more about life experiences in bringing in Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer and Chan Gailey. Jones has an unbelievable blind spot to the criticisms levied against his process. “I’ve read where I don’t have a penchant for risk taking. If you really knew my score sheet, you’d see that I have taken more risks in the last five years than the rest of my life put together.” In football terms, that’s a ridiculous statement to try to pass off on the general public. Jones’ team has signed no external risks in free agency. Taking risks is signing outside players to large amount of guaranteed money, something Jones has proven allergic to for over a decade. He’s taken really one noteworthy risk in the draft, gambling on the red flags attached to CB Kelvin Joseph in the 2021 draft, but that’s about it. It’s been eons since Jones gambled in the draft, trading up to snare a top prospect. Does he consider keeping Mike McCarthy to play out the final year of his five-year contract some sort of leap of faith? Waiting until the final year of CeeDee Lamb’s contract to offer him a near market-setting deal? Perhaps he’s speaking about the first extension for Dak Prescott, where he allowed Prescott to reach free agency, twice, and having to give him both a no-trade and a no-third-franchise-tag clause. Granted, Prescott was coming off a gruesome leg injury when he signed that deal in 2021, so Jones does get credit for that, but he had backed himself into a corner where the only viable free agent QBs were Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston, Regardless, these are normal risks that every owner takes, and pretending like these decisions make him some sort of maverick is a confusing spin on the situation. But yes, hiring Schottenheimer is a big risk due to his lack of head coaching experience, but this is the exception to the rule, not the norm, and it’s still a move that checks all of the boxes of an owner who doesn’t want to stray from what’s familiar. This is hardly a knock on what Schottenheimer might do, he could be a fabulous coach and Jones knocked it out of the park. But pretending that in all of those casual interviews he bragged about hosting at the beginning of his soliloquy and there were only four coaches who interested him, and two of those had woefully bad records, is cap. Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Cowboys Wire, Longhorns Wire, Texans Wire, Rockets Wire and Aggies Wire!

Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches warm up before the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. The Cowboys indecision with McCarthy following the end of the regular season cost them a window to interview the Lions’ coordinators. As the No. 1 seed with a bye, their assistants were available the first week of the playoffs, but Jones wanting to low-ball and extend McCarthy meant they didn’t look elsewhere. The Bears cast a wide net, interviewing Johnson among a dozen other candidates, and soon after Detroit was eliminated in the divisional round, he agreed to terms with Chicago before ever meeting with Jones. The Cowboys face the entire NFC North in 2025, so this matchup is sure to draw attention. Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles Aug 17, 2022; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore reacts during joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers at Jack Hammett Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The Cowboys seemed to only have two genuine candidates under consideration, Schottenheimer and Kellen Moore, who was Schotty’s predecessor as Cowboys OC. Let go when McCarthy wanted to call plays, Moore was unavailable for in-person interviews as the Eagles have played the last three weeks leading to their Super Bowl appearance. Reports are that Moore, who had a virtual interview, was really keen on coaching Dallas, so them making a decision before getting their chance to talk to him in person is going to likely light a rage. If he stays in Philly (only the Saints still have an opening), he’ll be able to extract his revenge twice. Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 22: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders looks on prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images) An oldy but goody, but there’s an alternate universe out there somewhere that the Cowboys decided that they’d seen enough of McCarthy following the 2023 season and promoted Quinn instead of letting him walk to Washington. There’s also a world where the club saw what Kingsbury did with the Washington offense, and considered that after his failed stint as HC in Arizona, he looks to be the next “got it right the second time around” candidate. Aaron Glenn, New York Jets Jan 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn looks on during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports Along with Johnson, Glenn was also available to be interviewed during wild-card week, but Dallas was busy. Now the former Cowboys DB is headed to New York to take over that reclamation project. Glenn led a resurgent Lions defense that went from league worst before his arrival to one of the league’s best in 2024 before a ridiculous avalanche of injuries ruined them down the stretch and into their playoff failure. Still, if he can figure out a way to revive the Jets, that 2025 matchup will have a bunch of would’ve should’ve could’ve’s. The Jets are the Cowboys’ 17th game opponent in 2025. Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders Jun 11, 2019; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll answers questions during a press conference following a minicamp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Jones spoke to Carroll about the Cowboys’ opening, though no formal interview was made before he decided to take the Raiders job. The Super Bowl and CFB National Champion is 73, so it wouldn’t have been a long-term match, but the fact he was considered means there’s a storyline to be told when the two teams meet in 2025. The AFC West is the Cowboys’ cross-conference matchup this coming season. Other coaches of note: 2024 As mentioned with Quinn, the Cowboys could’ve chosen to go in another direction than McCarthy after being booted out the 2023 playoffs, but decided to bring him back in a lame-duck year that fizzled out early. After years of flirting with the idea, Jim Harbaugh ran out of dodge ahead of NCAA sanctions after finally getting the Michigan Wolverines to the promise land. If Jones was looking for a big name replacement for McCarthy, Harbaugh would’ve been a huge splash and he could’ve walked into an even better situation than the one he turned around with the Los Angeles Chargers. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh looks on during the national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Another one to keep an eye on will be the progress of Dave Canales in Carolina.  Canales was an interesting hire in Carolina and if the progress the Panthers showed down the back end of the season continues to trend the franchise early, he’ll be another opponent that can be thrown in Jones’ face. Carolina is the Cowboys’ NFC South opponent for next season.

Report: Cowboys interview Schottenheimer’s former right hand to tutor Dak Prescott angeltorres The Dallas Cowboys are off and running in looking to form their staff for 2025. While Jerry Jones likes his staffs small in nature, there will have to be some hires. Bringing Matt Eberflus aboard as defensive coordinator seems to have hit a compliance snag, and while waiting for that, Brian Schottenheimer is looking for other candidates. Dallas has interviewed former CFL standout Kerry Joseph for the team’s open quarterback coach opening. Joseph spent last season in Chicago developing rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The Bears hired Joseph almost a year to the day, but a change in their coaching staff made him available. Before his lone year in Chicago, Joseph spent four seasons in Seattle serving as an offensive assistantm including in 2020 under then-offensive coordinator Schottenheimer. He would be Seattle’s assistant receivers coach in 2021, then an assistant quarterbacks coach from 2022 through the 2023 season. His potential addition would replace former quarterback Scott Tolzien who served as the Cowboys QB coach from 2022 through 2024 and spent the last four seasons as an offensive assistant in some capacity. Joseph was a dual-threat quarterback at McNeese State before latching on with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He also spent time with Washington before making the jump to defense for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe. The switch to defensive back landed him with Seattle and played four seasons for the Seahawks appearing in 56 games including 14 starts. The Ottowa Renegades from the Canadian Football League (CFL) came calling in 2003 asking him to play quarterback. In 2007 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Joseph led his team to the Grey Cup Championship and was named the CFL’s Most Valuable Player.

The Dallas Cowboys’ direction will soon be known. After hiring Brian Schottenheimer as the 10th head coach in team history, the picture for 2025 will soon become clear. Jerry Jones seeks continuity, handing over the reigns of the team to Mike McCarthy’s offensive coordinator, with the apparent intention of keeping things relatively similar for his starting quarterback Dak Prescott. While a defensive coordinator hasn’t been named, and free agency still needs to take place, it allows a bit of framework to mock drafts. Schottenheimer is seen as a coach who will lean into the running game, potentially opening the door for a top-100 pick to go to the backfield. The problem is that without a fourth-round pick, taking a back high means ignoring other needs until the back half of the draft, which isn’t ideal. To counter that, in this five-round mock draft conducted on Pro Football Focus, trading around in the first two days of the draft nets the Cowboys more selections and allows them to address every need in solid fashion. Trade: Moving back from No. 12 ARLINGTON, TX – FEBRUARY 06: A Pittsburgh Steelers helmet sit in the endzone before the Steelers take on the Green Bay Packers during Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium on February 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) Trade 1.12, 5.175 to Pittsburgh Steelers for 1.21, 2.53, 4.121 With the short list of blue-chip talent taken off the board (Tetairoa McMillion No. 2, Travis Hunter No. 3, Luther Burden III No. 4, Ashton Jeanty No. 6, Abdul Carter No. 7, Mykel Williams No. 11) Dallas decides to trade out of No. 12 and collect more ammunition. Dallas throws in one of their fifth-round comp picks and brings back 2.53 and 4.121 for moving back nine spots. 1.21: OL Kelvin Banks, Jr., Texas Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Detailed view of the jersey of Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. (78) against the Clemson Tigers during the CFP National playoff first round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Scouting Report Banks is a top prospect on the edge, but here we’re going to use him to solve the departure of Zack Martin and move him inside to right guard. Giving another Pro Bowl caliber interior protector to mirror Tyler Smith is a key element in the return of the Dallas run game prowess, not to mention providing an interior shell of protection for QB Dak Prescott. Trade: Move up in 2nd Round Oct 2, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Detail view of Cleveland Browns helmet against the Washington Redskins during the second half at FedEx Field. Washington Redskins wins 31 – 20. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports Trade: 2.44, 2.53 to Browns for 2.33, 3.67 Looking to acquire a specific target, the Cowboys use their newly-acquired second rounder to move up without losing the number of prospects they’d be bringing into the fold. 2.33 DT Walter Nolen, Mississippi Nov 23, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive tackle Walter Nolen (2) sacks Florida Gators quarterback DJ Lagway (2) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Scouting Report The Cowboys are likely going to need to replace Osa Odighizuwa in the middle of their defensive line, and Nolen looks to be a perfect successor. The 6-foot-4, 290-pound terror is a middle clogger with the skillset to set up an array of pass-rush moves. 3.67: RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) scores a touchdown on a 75-yard touchdown catch and run against Texas Longhorns in the second quarter of the Cotton Bowl Classic during the College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on January, 10, 2025. Scouting Report The Cowboys haven’t had a breakaway running threat for the last several seasons, with that not being Rico Dowdle’s game and Tony Pollard dealing with injuries and expectations in 2023. Henderson would immediately bring that back to the offense as the Ohio State product is a big play waiting to happen whenever he touches the rock. Whether or not Dowdle (FA) returns, the Cowboys need to add juice to the position. 3.76: WR Isaiah Bond, Texas Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns wide receiver Isaiah Bond (7) makes a catch past Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Raylen Wilson (5) during the first half in the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Scouting Report Bond is a track-speed receiver, and while his route running can use some refining, grabbing a player with this type of skillset can open up an offense simply by forcing the safeties to respect his ability to blow by them. He can easily slide into the Brandin Cooks role. 4.121: LB Barrett Carter, Clemson Nov 23, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers linebacker Barrett Carter (0) scores a touchdown against The Citadel Bulldogs during the fourth quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images Scouting Report With DeMarvion Overshown set to miss at least most of the 2025 season and Erik Kendricks a free agent, Dallas is going to need to add linebackers who can see the field. Free agency will be the move here, but adding a mid-round linebacker with the traits to contribute as a rookie is imperative. Carter is a multi-tool athlete who can pressure the QB and adeptly drop into coverage, while being a sure tackler. 5th Round Picks Aug 31, 2024; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes tight end Luke Lachey (85) catches a pass as Illinois State Redbirds quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse (16) pursues during the second quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports 5.150: Edge David Walker, Central Arkansas | Scouting Report5.170: TE Luke Lachey, Iowa | Scouting Report 5.172: WR Kaden Prather, Maryland | Scouting Report The Cowboys have an interesting dilemma with the edge position. They do have high-draft pedigree youth in Sam Williams

Report: Former Cowboys assistant to return to Dallas as Schottenheimer’s coordinator angeltorres Dallas’s hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as their next head coach was quickly followed by a report of who will be in charge of the defense. It appears Dallas will also bring back former assistant coach Matt Eberflus as the team’s defensive coordinator. The former linebackers coach spent seven seasons in Dallas, from 2011 through 2017. The Cowboys front office reportedly wanted Eberflus to take over as defensive coordinator after the 2017 season for an aging Rod Marinelli but he refused to undercut his mentor. Instead, the rising defensive coach took the Indianapolis defensive coordinator job under then-head coach Josh McDaniels. In the 2020 and 2021 seasons, Eberflus helped the Colts defense become the only team in the league to have his squad rank in the top ten in scoring, run defense, and takeaways.  In four seasons, his turnovers and run defense in Indy never fell out of the league’s top 10 rankings. Eberflus spent the last three seasons as Chicago’s head coach, accumulating a 14-32 record in his Bears tenure. Eberflus set Chicago’s franchise record with a 14-game losing streak and was fired midway through the 2024 season after an embarrassing clock management blunder on Thanksgiving against the Lions. He now becomes the third defensive coordinator in the past three seasons for Dallas and has the task of creating mismatches for defensive end Micah Parsons, among others. Dallas signed Mike Zimmer to a one-year contract to be the team’s defensive coordinator before the 2024 season and appears to be a one-and-done situation. Terms of the Eberflus deal have not been disclosed.