Biggest Question Nobody Is Asking About Dallas Cowboys & How They Answer It – Mike Moraitis, SI.com
What is the biggest question on the Cowboys roster as they prepare to head to Oxnard?
How will Christian Parker perform in first season as defensive coordinator?
The early reviews for Parker have been very promising and show that he no doubt has the dedication necessary to turn things around in Dallas.
Based on what we have heard from players and coaches and what we’ve seen at spring practices, Parker is clearly a hard worker and is hands on with his players, something the Cowboys’ defenders appreciate.
“I feel like that’s when you learn fully what the coach means,” Caleb Downs said. “To be able to get hands on and be able to do the drill with you, I feel like that’s a real positive.”
“I can’t get the guy to leave the building,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Parker. “I kind of see myself as a grinder… I’m always out before he is and I’m like, ‘Dude.’ He just loves it, man.
Parker is also very popular with his players, as Schottenheimer noted when he told reporters that Parker “literally has a line of guys” waiting outside his office to talk to him on a daily basis. That’s important to note because it means guys are willing to go the extra mile for their coach and that will only help Dallas’ defense improve.
While these are all great signs that the Cowboys have the right man for the job, none of them guarantee Parker will be a successful defensive coordinator, especially in Year 1.
After all, we’ve seen promising coaches fail at a bigger role time and time again over the years. At the very least, first-time play-callers like Parker can struggle as they adjust to the new job.
The good news is, Parker has learned from some of the best in the business during his coaching career and few first-year coaches are better prepared than he will be.
Dallas Cowboys Player Profile: Jaishawn Barham clearly has a bigger role waiting for him than expected – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
Jaishawn Barham will play a much bigger role than expected in year one.
The Cowboys picked Barham in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the pick they acquired in the Osa Odighizuwa trade via the San Francisco 49ers. His role going into the preseason is expected to be linebacker, but the line is a little blurry.
Throughout the draft process, many listed Barham as an edge rusher. Reasonably so, as that’s where he played his last year in Michigan. However, the Cowboys immediately made it clear they view him as an inside linebacker first, which is where he started his collegiate career. His versatility should earn him a role on Christian Parker’s defense right away (more on that later).
The Cowboys said after the draft they viewed Barham as a prospect worthy of going in the top two rounds, so getting him in the third had to be a big win in the war room. During the offseason program, Barham trained with the inside linebackers.
Putting Cowboys players in first-round pick value form – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys
An interesting look at the value of some of the players on the Cowboys roster.
ESPN placed first-round pick value on certain Cowboys players
The great Bill Barnwell took it upon himself recently to identify how many players on each NFL team carry the value of a first-round pick. The idea here is if said players were to ever be made available in some sort of trade, but obviously a lot of them listed (he did this for every team as noted) would never even reach that point. This is for fun.
In Barnwell’s estimation there are five players on the Cowboys who could fetch a first-round pick and more.
One first-round pick and more: G Tyler Booker, WR CeeDee Lamb, QB Dak Prescott, G Tyler Smith, DT Quinnen Williams. The Cowboys just sent this sort of haul to acquire Williams, and between Booker and Smith, they have the NFL’s best 1-2 punch at guard. Lamb’s contract, which pays the 2020 first-round pick like one of the highest-paid wideouts in the game, might begin to look worrisome if he’s unable to reach the heights we saw in 2023 again sometime soon.
Prescott’s value would be a fascinating discussion in its own right if the Cowboys star ever chose to waive his no-trade clause. His four-year, $240 million extension is the most player-friendly contract in the league, and it’s a product of owner Jerry Jones mishandling Prescott’s initial run toward free agency in 2019 and 2020. I’m not sure other teams see Prescott as that caliber of quarterback, although his consistency on the field would appeal to franchises that haven’t been able to find a steady hand under center.
Dallas Cowboys Training Camp Battles to Watch & Who is Most Likely to Be Cut – Randy Gurzi, SI.com
Will there be any surprise cuts this offseason?
RB2: Jaydon Blue, Malik Davis, Phil Mafah
Javonte Williams has the RB1 job on lockdown after a breakout season in 2025, but the Cowboys still need to find someone who could be a reliable backup. Rookie Jaydon Blue was supposed to fill that role last year, but he never earned the trust of the coaching staff.
Malik Davis ended up stepping in and played well, but this offseason he’s going to have to fend off Blue, who comes in with a new focus. There’s also fellow second-year back Phil Mafah, who was a fan-favorite during the preseason last year, but spent most of his rookie campaign on the IR. Dallas will give the younger backs every opportunity to win the battle, which makes Davis most likely to be cut. Even if he is, however, the Cowboys would be thrilled to have him back on the practice squad for added depth.
Most likely to be cut: Malik Davis
Dak Prescott: Every season with Cowboys is ‘Super Bowl or bust’ – Tommy Yarish, DallasCowboys.com
It’s Super Bowl or bust for Dak Prescott.
FRISCO, Texas – Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has never shied away from the fact that each season, he and his teammates have one goal: Win the Super Bowl.
When Super Bowl LXI comes around on February 14, 2027, it’ll be over 31 years since Dallas last hoisted the Lombardi trophy. Regardless of the results of years past, the expectation to be at the top of the NFL remains the same for Prescott, who will play his 11th season with the Cowboys in 2026.
“That’s the one thing I love about the Cowboys nation and being a player of the Cowboys is, it’s Super Bowl or bust,” Prescott said while speaking to fans during a virtual meet and greet alongside Cowboys rookie DB Caleb Downs. “And truthfully, that’s the only reason you play this game. And so if that’s not your mindset, if that’s not your mindset as a fan, then to me, you don’t have the right passion. You’re not a true winner. So absolutely, we’re working every day for it…”
Daily discussion question: What could make you label training camp as a failure?
