Well, it took a few days, but the first domino of the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason finally dropped. The team has fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. The dismissal could be seen coming from a mile away. The Dallas defense was among the worst in the NFL and the worst in franchise history, surrendering over 500 points. The Dallas defense couldn’t do anything well. They struggled to rush the passer, didn’t tackle well, and most importantly, they didn’t create takeaways.
The unit has hit rock bottom,
and there is nowhere to go but up. With the decision to move on from Eberflus, the Cowboys have to act quickly in finding a suitable replacement, and they have to make a great decision. They will now have four defensive coordinators in as many seasons and have to develop some continuity by making the right hire. Before we analyze two realistic, yet ideal candidates, let’s first establish a few things.
Do not promote from within. The Cowboys haven’t yet decided on the status of Eberflus’ assistants and whether they also will be terminated. However, it doesn’t matter. The Cowboys were such a porous unit last year that everyone involved, especially the players, needs a fresh start and a new primary voice that has zero ties to last year’s debacle.
Aside from Eberflus, only three of his assistants have more than 10 years of coaching experience. Out of the three, Andre Curtis and Aaron Whitecotton have never been a defensive coordinator. Dave Borgonzi hasn’t either and has worked under Eberflus since 2018. The remaining staff have, on average, three years of NFL coaching experience. The Cowboys have championship aspirations, and their quarterback, Dak Prescott, had arguably one of the best years of his career. You cannot tether any more of his prime years to a defense led by inexperience.
The second thing, you cannot continue the philosophy of Eberflus in his replacement. You cannot have a coordinator so wedded to static defenses, and playing as much zone as he did last season. The Cowboys were middle of the road in blitz rate after ramping that part of their defense up after the results were poor early, but it resulted in an expected points of -210.14, the lowest in the NFL. The next coordinator the Cowboys hire has to be more creative with the blitz, among other things, and free guys up to cause havoc for the opposing quarterback. Also, you need a coordinator who will elevate the players on the roster and develop them, specifically along the defensive line. The edge rushers hit a wall, and some players that were being counted on to take jumps in their progression stagnated. You need somebody who will get the most out of them to make them successful.
Which also brings up the topic of the cornerbacks. The Cowboys are going to have to reset their cornerback room. DaRon Bland underwent yet another surgery on his foot, Trevon Diggs is now with the Green Bay Packers, and Shavon Revel had a rough rookie season. Kaiir Elam, who was cut before Thanksgiving, and Reddy Steward played more than 40 percent of the defensive snaps. The Cowboys need more talent at that position, and finding corners that can thrive on an island should be their priority.
Now, on to the two candidates that make sense, and should be attainable for Dallas
Don Martindale
Let’s start with Don Martindale. The first name that Dallas fans have been gravitating to is Brian Flores, currently with the Minnesota Vikings, and with good reason. He has a championship pedigree from his time with the New England Patriots and philosophically is the antithesis of Matt Eberflus. However, Flores will garner a lot of attention in the coaching carousel and is already being linked to the head coaching search of the Las Vegas Raiders, spearheaded by none other than Tom Brady, who has a previous relationship with Flores.
That said, Martindale has similar tendencies to Flores and should be attainable for Dallas. He’ll remedy the pass rush and create exotic ways to get to the quarterback with more regularity. Pre-snap, you’ll see a lot more varied looks to confuse opposing passers into making mistakes. He will also develop a relationship with his players. As we saw with the departed Diggs, Eberflus didn’t connect with his personnel, and that fissure showed up on the field as many players were unsure of their assignments in the secondary. Martindale will fix that and bridge the gap in communication with his talent to make them more cohesive on the field.
Jim Schwartz
Next, we have Jim Schwartz. What makes Schwartz an ideal choice is that he has the experience to lead a capable defense. Schwartz has held the title of defensive coordinator in the NFL for 17 seasons. Hiring him would also be a major boon for the development of Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Houston, who the Cowboys are counting on to take a leap next season. Myles Garrett just broke the NFL sack record with Schwartz as his coordinator. He should be able to help Houston and Ezeiruaku. He also has a prior relationship with Jadeveon Clowney, who has expressed interest in returning to Dallas in 2026. Schwartz will implement a Wide 9 to allow his edge rushers to keep containment and work downstream, and you’ll see more twists and games along the defensive line to create confusion to opposing offensive lines.
Schwartz is also known to be more varied with his defense depending on his opponent that week. This would contrast with Eberflus’ seemingly rigid approach to each week.
