Mike McCarthy on Brian Schottenheimer, reflects on Cowboys tenure – Tommy Yarish, DallasCowboys.com
Mike McCarthy speaks about Brian Schottenheimer.
FRISCO, Texas – Before Brian Schottenheimer was hired as the Cowboys’ head coach, his time in Dallas began in 2022 as an analyst under now former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy hired Schottenheimer in a role to help defensive coordinator Dan Quinn plan for opposing offenses. The additional goal was to give Schottenheimer a reset after one season as the Jaguars’ passing game coordinator in 2021. Evidently, the hire worked out well for all
parties involved.
“He just needed a reset for his family, frankly I had just went through the same thing in ’19,” McCarthy said of Schottenheimer at NFL Owners Meetings. “I thought it was really good for him, personally, really good for his family, and look what it did. It springboarded him right back in as an offensive coordinator, I thought he did a great job for us, and so well deserving of his opportunity in Dalals. If there’s ever been a guy that’s ready, it’s definitely Brian Schottenheimer.”
The analyst role may not be the most glamorous, but it was one that McCarthy knew Schottenheimer could handle, and he delivered.
“I thought he was a tremendous asset for us,” McCarthy said. “We got Ben McAdoo to do it the year before. To have that level of coach in that position was a true benefit, and I think he really enjoyed it. He enjoyed being on the defensive side of the ball. It was an opportunity for him to look through that lens for a year, and he gave Dan Quinn great input and was awesome doing it.”
Schottenheimer credited McCarthy for the major impact he’s had on his coaching career, beginning all the way back in 1998. Schottenheimer was an assistant for the Chiefs while McCarthy was the QBs coach, both working under McCarthy’s mentor and Brian’s father Marty Schottenheimer.
7-round mock draft gives the Dallas Cowboys a defensive star, and a Day 2 prospect they held a three-day visit with – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports
We are just weeks away from the 2026 NFL draft!
Round 1, Pick 12: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
The Cowboys get one of their big defensive targets by staying put at No. 12 overall, which should be considered a major win.
Adding someone as sticky in coverage as Delane is would be a game-changer for Christian Parker’s defense. He’s good in zone and man coverage and will make a Day 1 impact.Round 1, Pick 30: EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami (Trade down with Miami Dolphins)
At No. 20 overall, the Cowboys don’t have a clear-cut target to pick. A call from the Dolphins leads to a trade down: Dallas gets No. 30 and No. 87 in the third round.
In Mesidor, the Cowboys get a productive edge rusher with a high floor. The age concern (Mesidor will turn 25 years old before the draft) shouldn’t be something to worry about for a team trying to win now.Round 3, Pick 87: CB Malik Muhammad, Texas
Here’s a little something from draft insider Ryan Fowler: The Cowboys hosted Muhammad on a three-day pre-draft visit. Talk about interest in a Day 2 prospect.
He’s a high-IQ cornerback with good play in zone coverage. I’d consider him a fit for Parker’s scheme.
Cowboys’ $13 million All-Pro return specialist named among Dallas’ most tradable assets – Caleb Hightower, Sporting News
How much value does Turpin have in a trade?
The Dallas Cowboys have been involved in trade rumors for weeks now, and that likely won’t change anytime soon.
If the Cowboys complete a deal this offseason, the Cowboys Wire’s Reid D Hanson believes that the franchise’s 29-year-old All-Pro return specialist should be included.
“The Cowboys tried to expand Turpin’s role in 2025 and in some ways it worked and in other ways it failed,” Hanson wrote Monday. “Turpin posted career numbers on offense, but miscues and drops were littered throughout.”
“His return ability also suffered with Turpin collecting uncharacteristic penalties and a perceived loss of confidence along the way. Even coming off a down year, Turpin is highly valued around the NFL.”
“His game-breaking speed is unmistakable, and with a contract that runs through 2027, he should garner a pretty decent return from a team looking for juice. The Cowboys may not want to lose him in their return game, but offensively, they can take the hit.”
Turpin isn’t a terrible wide receiver, but he’s far more dangerous as a kick returner. The TCU product’s exceptional acceleration, commitment to allowing his blockers to create clear creases, and situational awareness allow him to thrive during kickoffs.
Turpin finished the 2025-26 season with 1,814 yards and one touchdown, earning him second-team All-Pro honors.
How an all-offense draft for the Cowboys might look – Mike Poland, Blogging the Boys
Highly unlikely, but fun to imagine.
We presented Cowboys Nation with an all-defense mock draft previously in this series, and have now returned to flip everything over and see what an all-offense draft would look like, even if it really wouldn’t make sense. But look at things this way, the offensive questions are there for Dallas. There’s real uncertainty at left tackle with fan frustration at right tackle, the club has acknowledged it needs more wide receiver depth along questions on the future of George Pickens. And only Jake Ferguson is signed beyond 2026 among the top tight ends, with bags of uncertainty on Luke Schoonmaker playing for Dallas this season. That’s one way to justify an offense-only swing in the draft. So let’s get to it.
Pick 12: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Fano measured 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, then ran a 4.91s forty yard time with a 1.72s 10-yard split, a 32-inch vertical, a 9-foot-3 broad jump, a 7.34s three-cone, and a 4.67s shuttle. On the consensus he’s ranked 12th overall, and he was one of the combine’s top offensive line movers, which is exactly why he makes sense here. Dallas still needs a long-term answer on Dak Prescott’s blindside, and Fano gives them a player with legitimate tackle experience plus inside flexibility if that is where his NFL future ultimately lands.
Pick 20: Chris Brazzell II, WR, Tennessee
Brazzell checked in at 6-foot-4 and 198 pounds and ripped off a 4.37s forty time with a 1.52s 10-yard split. Brazzell has pushed himself into the first-round conversation, and expect more buzz with his name as we head closer to draft day. The Cowboys clearly like Pickens, but after Seattle made a blockbuster signing with their rookie receiver, it makes things extremely tough to expect Pickens to be around long term in Dallas. The Cowboys coaches have also said the room needs more than just Lamb and Flournoy to throw to, and Brazzell would give them another size-speed weapon on a cost-controlled deal in what is becoming one of the league’s most expensive positions.
Cowboys Should Have Browns in Sights After Latest Draft Trade Rumor – Mike Moraitis, SI.com
Could a Cowboys trade up be on the horizon?
When it comes to their first-round selections, the Dallas Cowboys need to do all it takes to land at least one blue-chip prospect.
With pick Nos. 12 and 20, the Cowboys are in range to do that, and while that player could come from sticking and picking at No. 12, the chances will be increased if Dallas trades up from that spot.
Of course, trade ups in the first half of the first round are never easy, but Dallas is better equipped than any team to do so.
As far as which teams might offer an opportunity to trade up, the Cowboys should be eyeing the Cleveland Browns at pick No. 6.
That’s because, according to Essentially Sports’ Tony Pauline, the Browns are interested in trading back. Pauline notes Cleveland is looking for a left tackle.
“With the top of the NFL Draft board dominated by quarterback talk, league sources indicate the Cleveland Browns are quietly open for business, potentially trading down to target a foundational offensive tackle,” Pauline reported.
While the Browns have done a good job addressing an offensive line that saw all five of its 2025 starters hit free agency, Cleveland still has a major question mark at left tackle, so it makes sense to target one early.
