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.

The Dallas Cowboys took a step in the right direction this offseason when it comes to their defense.

After sporting the league’s worst defense in 2025 and missing the playoffs as a result of it, Dallas made significant moves at every level of the defense.

Perhaps the most important change was the team firing Matt Eberflus and hiring Christian Parker, who will oversee the revamped unit as a first-year defensive coordinator.

Speaking of Parker, he’s the source of the biggest question nobody is asking ahead of training camp.

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.

How Cowboys can answer the question

Parker is yet another wild card for Dallas’ defense, which already has no shortage of them in the slew of new faces the unit will be sporting in 2026.

Taking a more general view, we simply don’t know how all of these new pieces will fit together.

And, truth be told, we really won’t know how things will shake out until the Cowboys take the field in the regular season, and it could be several weeks until we can confidently determine if Parker is doing a good job and if the Cowboys’ defense is fixed.

Until then, all Cowboys fans can do is hope.

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The Dallas Cowboys are heading into training camp with a tight end competition that deserves more attention than it’s getting. While it’s already identified as a meaningful camp battle, I don’t think we’re talking about the implications enough. After all, how it turns out will say a lot about the past and present of the team.

You see, tight end Luke Schoonmaker, the Cowboys’ 2023 second-round pick, is fighting for the No. 2 spot at tight end behind Jake Ferguson and potentially for his 53-man roster spot entirely. The outcome of this battle will reveal a lot about the harsh reality of the 2023 draft class and potentially, of a new way of doing things in Dallas. Let’s break it all down.

Schoonmaker’s production speaks for itself

It’s hard to believe, but Schoonmaker is entering his fourth year with the Cowboys. Over 51 games, he has 49 receptions. That’s under one catch per game for a player Dallas drafted believing he could compete with Ferguson for the starting job back in 2023. No bueno.

Schoonmaker was always a traits-based prospect who never fully developed. As of today, the best way to describe his play is that he doesn’t do one thing at an above-average level. He’s a decent blocker (I’d even say below average) and a decent pass catcher (again, below average). He doesn’t stand out in any phase of the game, and that’s a problem when the competition is gaining ground.

Brevyn Spann-Ford and Michael Trigg are coming for those snaps

Take Brevyn Spann-Ford, who is competing for the No. 2 tight end role. We still need to see more from him as a pass catcher, but Spann-Ford can flat-out block in the run game. He consistently shows up on film, and the Cowboys were comfortable enough to let him take on defensive tackles in their blocking scheme rather than just sealing backside defensive ends. That’s unusual for a tight end and speaks to his physicality. Right now, I’d say Spann-Ford is the clear frontrunner for the No. 2 spot behind Ferguson.

That pushes Schoonmaker into a battle for the No. 3 tight end spot, which may be the last roster spot available at the position. Dallas began the 2025 season with only three tight ends on its 53-man roster, and I have no reason to believe 2026 will be different.

The name to watch there is undrafted rookie Michael Trigg. Trigg has his own battle to fight. He needs to prove that the off-the-field concerns that followed him through multiple college programs and suspensions are behind him. If he does that, the Cowboys will have something different in Trigg: a big-bodied target who can develop as a pass catcher without needing to be attached to the offensive line. He has the physicality and the tools to evolve as a blocker, too, as long as he’s willing to get his hands dirty.

If Trigg has a strong training camp, Schoonmaker could end up without a roster spot.