Fair or unfair, the Dallas Cowboys new defensive coordinator already has a lot of pressure on him to succeed early. Despite being just 34 years old and a first-time DC, he’s expected to help turn around what was arguably the worst defense in the league last season. He definitely has his work cut out for him and will need all the help he can get succeed.
First on his agenda is filling out the remainder of his defensive coaching staff. Fortunately, it looks as if Jerry Jones and Company are allowing
their new DC to put together the coaching staff of his choosing, instead of inheriting what was already in place. That’s a positive sign things are changing for the better and hopefully carries over to other aspects of the offseason.
Hopefully Christian Parker will put together the coaching staff he believes will help aid him in turning the Cowboys defense around, but that’s only part of the equation to help him succeed. Free agency will also be a big part of his success or not, something the Cowboys have had mixed success with over the past several years. This year though needs to be different.
Just about every position on the Cowboys defense could stand to be upgraded. They will need to be much more active in free agency to accomplish this goal, because they simply can’t fill all their roster “needs” in the draft. This hopefully means Christian Parker will have more of an active say exactly which free agents he’d like them to sign and it could start with former Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship.
Blankenship has gone from an undrafted free agent to a three-year starter and captain with the Eagles in a short amount of time. He’s a film junkie and has been lauded by his teammates and coaches for his attention to detail and willingness to mentor his teammates. In him, it’s almost as if there’s another coach on the field to turn to if/when needed.
Blankenship knows all of the ins and outs of Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme, which is expected to be really similar to what Christian Parker will utilize as the Cowboys new DC. The familiarity with the defensive scheme and with Parker, could make Blankenship the ideal free agent to help Dallas’ defense transition go smoothly from Matt Eberflus.
As a mentor, Blankenship could help Dallas’ young secondary quickly adapt to what Parker wants from his defensive backs. And as a player, he could be an upgrade over with the Cowboys played with at the safety position a year ago. Both could prove invaluable in helping the Cowboys turning things around quickly on the defensive side of the ball.
According to Spotrac, Blankenship’s market value is projected to be roughly $7.2 million per year. That’s similar to what the Cowboys were paying Donovan Wilson, now a free agent, and close to what they could save by parting ways with Malik Hooker. Cutting Hooker can save approximately $6.8 million with only $2 million in dead money. Sounds like a pretty even swap for a player who could be an upgrade in several areas.
This of course is all speculation and we won’t know Parker’s interest, or lack thereof, in Blankenship until free agency gets underway March 11. However, it does make a lot of sense Parker would want someone to help aid him in installing his new defensive scheme. And considering Blankenship’s familiarity with Parker and his willingness to be a mentor to his teammates, all of the dots seem to connect.
