The Dallas Cowboys did their first round of interviews for their next defensive coordinator over the weekend. While the front office said they would cast a wide net during the search, there is a rumor
the team could already have its eye on who will replace Matt Eberflus.
Cowboys insider Bobby Belt for Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan had an update Monday morning on where things stand with the team and their vacancy at the coordinator position
. Here is what he texted Shan:“I texted Bobby last night and I said is there any update, any movement? And he said ‘Nope. They wrapped those three interviews. Will probably submit more today or tomorrow. Would not be surprised if they request Jonathan Cooley from the Panthers, but I think [Jim] Leonhard will be their guy. So they have to wait for Denver to get bounced before they can hire him.’”
Leonhard completed his virtual interview with Dallas on Saturday. With the Denver Broncos set to host the Buffalo Bills this week, the Cowboys will have to wait at least one week to move forward with Leonhard if he’s their guy, assuming the Broncos lose Saturday. Until then, that doesn’t mean the team can’t continue interviewing other candidates to make sure there’s no one else who could impress them more than Leonhard.
Belt also mentioned Carolina Panthers pass game coordinator Jonathan Cooley as a potential name the team could request to interview. While nothing has been confirmed, Cooley fits the criteria Dallas appears to be looking for in its next defensive coordinator.
Leonhard, Daronte Jones, and now Cooley are all involved in the passing game. Ephraim Banda, the Cleveland Browns’ safeties coach, also has experience working with the secondary. By the end of the season, Jerry Jones was open about how much he was disappointed in the secondary play this year.
The hope was that the team would be able to mitigate the loss of Jourdan Lewis (which Jones said they underestimated) by having DaRon Bland kick back inside to the slot, along with a healthy Trevon Diggs on the outside, and a mix of Kaiir Elam and Caelen Carson opposite him. Outside of Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas’ dream scenario never came together.
With Bland having a second surgery on his foot, Diggs being shown the door, and Shavon Revel having a down year as a rookie, the Cowboys could end up overhauling their entire secondary. Having a defensive coordinator with a wealth of experience in that area could be the first step in solving those issues, along with two first-round picks in the upcoming draft.
