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.

The real reason why Jerry Jones hired Brian Schottenheimer instead of a big-name coach K.D. Drummond I started the conversation three or four years ago, returning each year since, in explaining why the Cowboys don’t sign external free agents. They conduct football operations like a Fortune 500 business that is too big to fail financially, but still doing things woefully incorrectly. This philosophy appears to have leaked into the process that led to Brian Schottenheimer being hired as the latest head coach. Follow the logic. Big player contracts are seen as rewards for prior performance to the company. Players earn big deals as thank yous for outperforming their previous contracts, kind of like 9-to-5 workers getting promotions. Despite his background as an oil guy, Jones has soured on speculation in his later years. Signing external free agents is all about what could be. Sure, a player could have proven his value for a different team, but there’s no guarantee he’ll be the same guy in a new organizational setting, under different coaching. Signing a guy to a huge amount of guaranteed salary when they’ve never done it in the fishbowl that is Dallas is a gamble the Jones family is no longer willing to take. This is why the club no longer plays the market in the first few waves of free agency. As time goes on, Jones has been less inclined to tread in those waters. That philosophy has now seeped into his coaching decisions and was on full display with everything that happened since Mike McCarthy’s contract expired at the end of the 2024 regular season. Jones did not envision a world where McCarthy wasn’t returning as the head coach, reportedly. He wasn’t dutifully prepared for a coaching search, assuming that after backing McCarthy into a corner as a lame-duck for 2024, the bad season on his resume would limit his external opportunities and convince him to return under Jones’ parameters. Those parameters allegedly included forcing a Jones “family member” (Jason Witten) onto McCarthy’s staff, and a shorter than normal contract length. The Jones ‘family’ photo, circa 2017. [image or embed] — KD Drummond (@kddrummondnfl.bsky.social) January 25, 2025 at 2:11 PM This was something Jones had done to Wade Phillips over a decade ago. Jones hired his guy, Jason Garrett, before Phillips was brought on board, letting the journeyman coach know his successor was already decided before working his first day on the job. Accusations exist regarding Garrett potentially purposefully contributing to the unraveling of the 2010 season. Jones also didn’t care how blocking McCarthy from interviewing with the Chicago Bears would come across to the outside world. When McCarthy balked at the offer, Jones was left scrambling for a solution. That included a quick conversation with Deion Sanders, a Jones favorite from the 1990 heydays who has shined in the CFB coaching circuit. Sanders was never brought in for an official interview, despite there being a compelling case, but word of their conversation “about the head coach position” was quickly run through the media’s tentacles in what seems to be an effort in distraction. It feels as if it was used as a cover while the brass formed an ad hoc process, while also attempting to give Sanders leverage in his discussions with his currently employer. In the end there were only four men interviewed for the head coach opening after McCarthy walked. The two true candidates were Schottenheimer and Kellen Moore, Schottenheimer’s predecessor as offensive coordinator. Moore is currently employed by the Philadelphia Eagles. He did a virtual interview last Friday, but the Eagles advancing to the NFCCG kept him from a follow up. The Jones family spent the week convincing themselves of Schottenheimer’s worthiness. The two other coaches Jones interviewed felt out of place. Both were ex-head coaches with horrible records who just so happened to be minorities, thus satisfying the NFL’s Rooney Rule (which is a whole separation serious conversation that needs to be had). Rober Saleh, 20-36, was fired midseason from the New York Jets and returned to San Francisco earlier Friday to be their defensive coordinator. That likely doesn’t happen if he feels he’s a serious candidate to be the Cowboys head coach. The other was Leslie Frazier, 21-32-1, currently an assistant head coach in Seattle currently. Were they seriously under consideration? A team with the prestige of the Dallas Cowboys only interviews two candidates who lacked prior ties to the organization and they both had miserable records? Jones never made a real effort to escape his comfort zone. Transitioning to Schottenheimer was literally the next-best thing to his original plan of keeping McCarthy on the cheap, furthering the idea that the coach’s exodus caught him off guard. The expected hiring of Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator supports the idea of Jones’ proclivity to favor those who have worked for him before, rather than outsiders. While it’s being walked back that he’s a sure thing to take over the DC job, most know what it is. There’s a lot of scuttlebutt the team believes they satisfied the Rooney Rule for coordinators by claiming that Saleh and Frazier were considerations for both HC and DC, as they classified Schottenheimer’s initial interview as being for both HC and OC. If one walked away from this as them looking to shirk the rules, it’d be tough to argue them down. All in all though, things seem fairly obvious from the outside looking in. The Jones don’t trust their ability to look outside the organization for help. When it comes to players, there’s nothing that will convince them the risk is worth the reward. When it comes to head coaches, they will trust former champions, but even they could have conditions attached. It’s all a stressful existence for fans who have tied their sports happiness (and sometimes overall joy) to a franchise that has shrunked into it’s turtle shell. Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Cowboys Wire, Longhorns Wire, Texans Wire, Rockets Wire and

Schottenheimer hire essentially Cowboys’ version of Schrodinger’s Cat reidhanson When the Dallas Cowboys announced in their Friday night news dump that their next head coach would be former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, they probably knew what was coming. The hire most Cowboys fans feared for days had become a reality and the national media and NFL fans coast to coast were having a heyday with it. The hope that typically follows a new coaching hire was absent from this transaction. Schottenheimer had a rather spotty record as an offensive coordinator and despite being a lifelong coach, he’d never elevated to the position of head coach before. But it’s that level of unknown that inspires just the smallest nugget of optimism. The idea Schottenheimer has never had full control of the team before offers up a “superposition” of sorts. Given all the unknown, Schottenheimer is both a success and failure at the moment. He’s a mystery much like Schrodinger’s Cat in the famous thought experiment of an observer’s paradox. In a nutshell, Schrodinger’s Cat is a hypothetical situation in which a cat is locked in a box while being exposed to possibly deadly radiation. A person can assume the cat is dead given the circumstances, but until someone opens the box to confirm the status of the cat, the cat is both alive and dead. Schottenheimer’s inexperience as a head coach and years of working in the background make him an unknown, much like that cat. There’s plenty of reason to think he’ll be underwhelming but until someone actually observes him coach in 2025, he’s also a potential success. That’s the benefit of an unknown. The main criticisms of Schottenheimer stem from his brand of offense. The run-run-pass approach isn’t an appropriate formula this day and age, not even with the sport’s current running game resurgence. The coaching tree in which Schottenheimer has grown from is uninspiring, to say the least, and there has been little indication he’s going to stray from what he’s shown in the past. Even still, he worked in the background behind Mike McCarthy throughout his time with the Cowboys so it’s unclear what an off-leash Schottenheimer really looks like. There’s little reason to think this will be a great success but at the same time there’s no way to know for sure until the new season starts. The heavily scrutinized Schottenheimer hire is the Cowboys’ version of Schrodinger’s Cat and it will be roughly seven months before anyone gets to peek inside the box to confirm which way this situation falls. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.

Jerry Jones wants you to call his new hire this weird, long name K.D. Drummond We don’t make the rules, we just follow the breadcrumbs. Timing is everything. There isn’t a single person in all of professional sports who knows how to hog the spotlight like Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jones is well known for always looking to maximize his franchise’s reach in a news cycle, oftentimes making key strategic announcements when the world is watching.  He’ll do things when all sports eyes are focused on something else, to draw their attention to the $10 billion franchise he built out of ruin. But not this time. No, Jerry Jones wanted to sneak the announcement of Brian Schottenheimer being named the franchise’s 10th head coach under the radar, leaking the word just before 9:45 pm eastern on a Friday night. And then to add to the face-palm of it all, Jones issued one of his now patented awkward public statements, and inadvertently renamed Schottenheimer. It’s no longer Brian Schottenheimer; he is to forever be known as “Mr. The Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys Schottenheimer,” apparently. I’m sure Patricia Schottenheimer is ecstatic that her and Marty’s (RIP) son has ascended to the throne, but is disappointed he will no longer be known by the name that was given to him and is on his birth certificate. But hey, Jones is a multibillionaire who can circumcise a mosquito. Who are the fans to judge the sanity of his naming conventions or other decisions?

Winning the Super Bowl with Dak Prescott depends on this key Cowboys decision Mike Crum Dallas has named Brian Schottenheimer as the new head coach, but fans will have to wait for his introductory press conference on Monday to learn whether he will call plays. Whoever calls them, will have to knock it out of the park to maximize Dak Prescott’s skillset as his career has ebbed and flowed over his nine seasons. The Cowboys have not been to an NFC Championship game since 1995, the longest streak of futility for any team by 15 years. Just since 2018, seven teams have made the Super Bowl, and all either have an elite quarterback who can carry a less-talented squad, a great play-caller who makes an offense outperform its parts, a roster-stacking wizard GM, or a combination. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL, and Andy Reid is one of the best coaches ever. The Chiefs have followed the New England Patriots’ blueprint with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. Brady also led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory to end the 2020 season. Joe Burrow has carried the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl, even winning in Arrowhead Stadium against the Chiefs to get there. Sean McVay might be the best offensive play-caller in the NFL. He helped Jared Goff get to a Super Bowl and then won it with Matt Stafford, who had zero playoff success before having McVay as his coach. Kyle Shanahan is one of the best offensive minds in the league, and the 49ers have made two Super Bowl appearances in the last five years with him running their offense, but he isn’t the only reason. San Francisco’s general manager, John Lynch, always creates an incredible roster. He has a top-of-the-league defense and surrounds his quarterback with weapons like Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey. Even when he had a contender, he wasn’t content, trading for McCaffrey and letting Jimmy Garoppolo leave to draft Trey Lance and Brock Purdy. Another team that has mastered the team-building route to winning is the Philadelphia Eagles. Howie Roseman built a team so stacked they were able to win a Super Bowl with their backup QB in 2017. He then revamped the team and returned to the big game five seasons later with Jalen Hurts as his quarterback. They are once again in the NFC title game this year with top-of-the-league offensive linemen, wide receivers, tight end, running back, and defensive unit. They have an MVP candidate in Saquon Barkley, a defensive player of the year candidate in Zack Baun, two defensive rookie of the year possibilities, and Vic Fangio is an assistant coach of the year finalist. Roseman could be executive of the year. Jerry Jones isn’t going to go all in on Dallas’ roster like the Eagles or the 49ers will. The team is a playoff contender when healthy, but they won’t push contracts back enough to load up the roster. Prescott is an All-Pro, MVP-capable quarterback, but not one that can carry a lesser team past a great one in the postseason. Only Mahomes, Burrow, and possibly Josh Allen can put a team on their back to overcome a roster that isn’t as good as their opponent. The general manager and quarterback are locked in for the next few seasons, so the only way the Cowboys can get the team to the next level is by upgrading the head coach to someone who can elevate the team through their scheme and play calling. This is why the coaching hire is key for the next four seasons Prescott is under contract. If the front office can’t build a team the QB can win with, the coach must be great, or the chances of getting to the next level in Dallas are slim. Can Schottenheimer shock the world and be that guy, or hire the playcaller who can? You can find Mike Crum on Twitter @cdpiglet or Bluesky @mike-crum-cdpiglet.bsky.social

Potential Schottenheimer hire puts most pressure on the future OC reidhanson Brian Schottenheimer, a favorite for the Dallas Cowboys head coaching position, is a lifelong offensive mind. Throughout his various stops around the NFL, Schottenheimer has worked on the offensive side of the ball. His entire time in Dallas, first as an analyst then as the offensive coordinator, he was singularly focused on offense. Based on that, it’s understandable if his potential elevation to head coach makes people more worried about the new defensive coordinator than the new offensive one. After all, Schottenheimer would likely be more involved on the offensive side of the ball, so his defensive coordinator would have to be extremely capable to run things alone. But it’s that precise imbalance that really places added pressure on the offensive coordinator and smooths things out for whoever takes over as the defensive coordinator. Schottenheimer may be an offensive mind, but that doesn’t mean he’s a successful offensive mind. This isn’t to say he’s a proven failure by any means, just that he operated in the background during the Mike McCarthy regime and has had various hiccups at previous stops when he was in charge of offensive play-calling. Having a strong No. 2, in the form of an offensive coordinator, would relieve the pressure and ease his transition to the first head coaching job of his career. Schottenheimer has worked in some extremely conservative and outdated offenses in the past, so he comes with a fair amount of risk as a play-caller. It’s important the Cowboys add an innovative mind on staff to work as the coordinator/play-caller in order to counterbalance Schottenheimer’s more dated approach to the game. Defensive coordinator, on the other hand, would likely be more autonomous. Much like how Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer operated behind McCarthy, whoever would come in to be defensive coordinator under Schottenheimer would likely enjoy the same freedoms over his unit. With so many experienced defensive coordinator names on the market, the Cowboys should have little problem attracting someone capable of picking up where Zimmer left off. Offensive coordinator won’t be so simple. Most of the top offensive minds have been gobbled up and the remaining few probably won’t be eager to sign on under a conservative coach like Schottenheimer. Regardless, that’s exactly what this Cowboys franchise needs. They need the coordinator to come in and make the offense less Schottenheimer-y. At time of this writing, Schottenheimer still hasn’t been hired but there are reports that say it’s only a matter of time. If Schottenheimer is made head coach and also decides to author the offense and call the plays, the Cowboys could be in for a long disappointing ride. But if they can add someone on offense to balance Schottenheimer out and take play-calling off his plate, the Cowboys have a chance at making this highly unpopular head coach hire work. Nothing to do now but sit and wait. Related article [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]

ESPN’s Mel Kiper mocks PFF’s ‘perfect 2024 draft prospect’ to Cowboys K.D. Drummond It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys’ offense took a turn for the worse in 2024. With both QB Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb stuck in negotiations all offseason, the passing game was not firing on all cylinders to start the year. WR Brandin Cooks struggled through the start of the season dealing with a knee injury, and with third-year WR Jalen Tolbert failing to step up, things never gelled before Prescott was lost for the year with a hamstring injury. Cooks is now a free agent, and the offense will look a lot different with head coach Mike McCarthy not returning. The Cowboys will need some help to augment their passing game, and based on picking No. 12, wideout is going to be a position often assigned to them in mock drafts. ESPN’s Mel Kiper feels similarly. In his first mock exercise of 2025, he wedded Dallas to Missouri WR Luther Burden III. 12. Dallas Cowboys – Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri Yes, it’s a mock draft without Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty going to Dallas! I think it’s possible the Cowboys will take Jeanty, and there’s no arguing that they need a boost to the run game. But I imagine they’d first try to fix that hole in free agency. And regardless, this team has to find playmakers all over, period. Putting Burden’s valuable after-the-catch ability opposite CeeDee Lamb would open things up for Dak Prescott. Dallas has been looking for a reliable one-two receiver punch in the offense for a while; it hasn’t had two WRs over 700 receiving yards since 2021, when Amari Cooper was still in town. Burden has the explosive traits to change that. Kiper isn’t the only one who feels strongly about the pairing. On Thursday, Pro Football Focus went to work identifying the perfect 2024 draft prospect for each of the NFL’s 32 teams. Burden was the match for Dallas there as well. The Cowboys definitively have needs along their defensive roster, but Jerry Jones is as concerned with the Cowboys brand as much as he is winning and wants that brand to be exciting and on our television screens as much as possible, so adding an explosive offensive weapon to pair with CeeDee Lamb would do just that. While CeeDee Lamb played about half of his snaps out wide and half in the slot, Burden has played over 80% of his snaps out of the slot over the past two seasons. Burden is dangerous with the ball in his hands. He can be used on jet sweeps and screens to quickly get the ball to him and allow him to use his incredible acceleration to generate big plays. Burden has 25 touchdowns over the last three seasons, including four rushing touchdowns.

Wasted Free Agency: Cowboys projected to have just 5th-most comp pick value in 2025 K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys let a lot of talent walk out the door in 2024. Not only dd defensive coordinator Dan Quinn leave to become the head coach of the Washington Commanders, but the team lost significant free agents as well. Dallas didn’t try to replace them with much either, meaning that they will likely receive the maximum number of compensatory picks in April’s draft. But just because they maxed out on picks, doesn’t mean they made the right decision. Dallas didn’t seem to get a ton of value, compared to the holes that were left on their roster. In exchange for allowing OT Tyron Smith, DE Dorance Armstrong, DE Dante Fowler, center Tyler Biadasz and RB Tony Pollard walk in free agency, OverTheCap is predicting Dallas will receive four compensatory draft picks in 2025. And while Dallas is tied with Baltimore for the most projected picks, they only rank fifth among 14 teams in terms of comp pick value. They are set to receive just three fifth-round picks and one sixth-round pick. Those picks, projected to be No. 171, No. 173, No. 175 and No. 212, total 73.2 points on the trade value chart. That’s less than half the value of league-leading Miami (147), and trailing Minnesota (112), Baltimore (83.5) and San Francisco (73.5). 73.2 is almost the exact value of the Cowboys’ missing fourth rounder, sent to Carolina in exchange for WR Jonathan Mingo. Pick No. 112 is worth 70 points on the value chart. Comp picks are awarded based on a formula centered around how many qualifying free agents a team loses, cancelled by ones they sign, and adjusted for contract value. The Cowboys, like the Ravens, pay special attention to their comp-pick ledger each season, so it’s more than likely they knew what the value of their incoming picks would look like when they traded for Mingo.