After struggling on defense in 2025, the Dallas Cowboys went into the offseason determined to make a change.
They fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hired Christian Parker. His selection was praised, especially since it was a different approach than Jerry Jones had taken in the past. Parker is a young up-and-comer, which is a welcome change following years of Jones hiring former head coaches looking to rehab their image.
After hiring Parker, they added pass-rusher Rashan Gary in a trade with Green Bay. In free agency, they signed safeties Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke, as well as cornerback Cobie Durant. Dallas also signed Otito Ogbonnia, giving them a massive nose tackle to anchor their 3-4.
Despite these moves, Gilberto Manzano says the Cowboys are one of the teams that should be panicking ahead of the season. On the MMQB, Manzano stated that he’s confused by the moves Dallas is making.
“I have no clue what the Cowboys are doing, especially on defense. With all the trades they’ve made since the start of last season, they essentially swapped Micah Parsons and Osa Odighizuwa for Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary. I don’t think you can call that a win for the organization, and they still have holes in the secondary and at linebacker,” Manzano wrote.
“On offense, it seems Jerry Jones will take his time working out a long-term extension with George Pickens, sticking to the familiar theme of overpaying his star players. Or maybe Jones trades Pickens before the season, just like he did with Parsons last year. Again, no clue on what this team is doing.”
There’s one flaw in this skepticism
It’s fair of Manzano to question the hesitation to pay George Pickens, especially since they’ve hurt themselves in the past by dragging their feet. That said, it’s also understandable why Dallas isn’t in a hurry to extend Pickens, given the questions surrounding him before he was traded to the Cowboys in 2025.
That said, the claim that Dallas essentially traded Micah Parsons and Osa Odighizuwa for Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Rashan Gary isn’t completely accurate. Dallas still has a first-round pick to use from the Parsons trade and a third round selection they got from the San Francisco 49ers for Odighizuwa.
If they hit on those picks, the trades look much different, meaning it’s far too early to judge these moves. It’s also not taking into account the money they saved, which allowed them to extend Tyler Smith, DaRon Bland and to afford the franchise tag for Pickens.
That said, the only way Dallas silences any doubters is by putting together a winning season. If they don’t, they will continue to be questioned for their moves.
