Malik Hooker ‘excited’ for Matt Eberflus take Cowboys’ D to next level - Randy Gurzi, Cowboys on SI
Malik Hooker reunites with his former defensive coordinator, who drafted him with the Indianapolis Colts
Eberflus, who spent several years as an assistant in Dallas, went on to become a well-respected defensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts. He parlayed his success there into a head coaching job with the Chicago Bears.
Now back in a coordinator role, Eberflus is not only returning to Dallas, but he’s also being reunited with safety Malik Hooker. The two worked together in Indianapolis, and Hooker is excited to work with Eberflus again, saying he can take them to the next level.
“Man, I’m excited, I’m excited,” Hooker told Law Thomas of Law Nation Sports. “Obviously, when I first got drafted in Indianapolis, that was my D coordinator there, and we already got a strong relationship. And I know the type of coach he is. He knows the type of player I am.” He later added, “This defense that we got and the talent we got, he’s capable of taking us to the next level.”
Hooker also said that while Eberflus had talent in Indianapolis, the Cowboys have “talent at every level.”
Thomas echoed that belief, saying he spoke with Eberflus earlier in the offseason and the coach was “smiling from ear to ear” while claiming this was one of the most talented teams that he’s ever coached.
14) What does Eberflus’ defense look like? - Staff Writers, DallasCowboys.com
Will Matt Eberflus have the Dallas Cowboys defense looking like it did under Dan Quinn or Mike Zimmer?
Tommy: The one thing that you’ll know you’re getting out of a Matt Eberflus defense is takeaways. In the seven years he’s been a defensive playcaller, only one time in his career has a defensive unit he’s coached finished outside the top 10 in takeaways, and the one time they didn’t, the still finished in the top half of the league at 14th. It’ll also be a unit that, if all things are going right, will be able to stop the run. Eberflus’ defenses have been top 10 units in five of his seven seasons as a defensive play caller, but they finished 31st and 28th in 2022 and 2024 respectively. They finished 1st in 2023, so Eberflus has shown he can make the leap from worst to first in the category but has a new team to work with in Dallas.
One thing I think we’ll see that’s a bit more uncharacteristic of Eberflus’ defenses in the past is an increase in getting after the quarterback. The Cowboys pass rush unit is incredibly deep, and bringing the heat on opposing quarterbacks is a great way to force even more turnovers for your team, something that Eberflus will be sure to contribute to this unit.
Kyle: For Cowboys fans who miss the Dan Quinn defenses of the past, Matt Eberflus will demand similar results and display similar effort. His defenses have always embodied superb effort and intensity, much like Quinn’s defenses from 2021-23. There will also be some key differences.
Where Quinn’s defenses focused on turnovers and pressure off the edge, Eberflus’ unit will rely on sure tackling and interior pressure from the three-technique and linebackers to speed up the quarterback. This doesn’t mean there won’t be help from Micah Parsons and other edge rushers. Just expect some more flair from guys like Osa Odighizuwa and Solomon Thomas. This should allow the linebackers to run free and swarm the football, focusing on the tackling elements to avoid the big play.
MMQB: Cowboys in the playoff mix? - Albert Breer, SI.com
Breer offers one offseason thought for each team, and his take on the Cowboys includes some postseason optimism.
Another year, another simmering contract situation for the Cowboys. The Micah Parsons negotiation will be front and center when the team lands in Oxnard, Calif., for training camp. That said, I think their new head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, is a good fit to handle it, given the culture he’s started to build and will be a better fit in the role than people might expect. If young linemen Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe and Tyler Booker come along, Dallas should be in the playoff mix.
How Cowboys offensive linemen are maximizing their potential with NFL’s top OL guru in their own backyard - Garrett Podell, CBSSports
Podell takes a long, close look at the offseason work Duke Manyweather has been doing with the Cowboys O-line. It is an excellent read and well worth your time. Here’s a look at the offseason regimen Manyweather and Tyler Guyton are going through:
Area of focus: Posture, strength and balance in his stance
Manyweather has worked with Guyton to reconfigure his posture and stance in order to provide the 6-foot-7, 322-pound behemoth with much more balance going forward. Increased balance could help Guyton cut down on the penalties because then he wouldn’t feel the need to get off the line of scrimmage in the rushed manner that he did as a rookie.
“Posture all throughout the rep: stance, start and finish. Posture all throughout the rep: the way that you stand, the way that your weight is transitioned on your feet, where your lean is, things like that,” Guyton said. “Knee bend, ankle flexion. A bowed back, not being too relaxed and being somewhere in the middle where you’re comfortable, you can move and be quick and efficient.”
Working to build a new feeling for Guyton on the left side has been a focal point for Manyweather in his work with the 24-year-old.
“The big thing that I always told him and then also anybody changing to the opposite side: Don’t try to make this side feel like the side that you got all these reps on,” Manyweather said. “It’s going to feel different because it’s a different movement pattern. Like TG said, it’s really been the stance, the weight distribution and the posture. Being able to maintain the posture under load on that side. That’s really what we’ve been focusing on. Then, getting him to really understand that we got to reset the feet in order for the hands to be efficient and effective.”
Who Are the 10 Best QBs Heading Into the 2025 NFL season? - Staff, Foxports
Your quarterback makes the top 10.
10. Dak Prescott
Prescott has a lot to prove coming into the 2024 season after a torn hamstring cut his 2024 campaign short. But the numbers he posted in 2023 were enough to show the caliber of quarterback he is. During that season, he completed 69.5% of his passes for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns. Prescott will also benefit from one of the strongest groups of surrounding talent he’s had in his career as the Cowboys traded for wide receiver George Pickens to go alongside Ceedee Lamb.
Cowboys Depth Chart: Which cornerbacks will be healthy when the season begins? - Nick Harris, Star Telegram.
Harris calls it a “healthy assumption” that DaRon Bland and Kaiir Elam will be the starters in week 1 and gives this update on the rehabbing Trevon Diggs and Josh Butler.
While there is still a realistic chance that Trevon Diggs is fully cleared from his offseason knee surgery in time to play in week one, the expectation remains that he will most likely miss the first four games after a brief stint on the injured reserve (IR) list. Once he is cleared, he will be put back on the 53-man roster, taking the place of a player who barely made the cut to begin the season.
The story of Josh Butler in 2024 was an inspiring one, but it was unfortunately cut short after he tore his ACL on Thanksgiving. His recovery remains on track, but he is not expected to be cleared until sometime near the midway point of the season. When he does return, it could be in a practice squad role for the rest of the year in a “break glass in case of emergency” role similar to the one that got him on the field last season.
10 biggest storylines Cowboys fans can expect to see in upcoming Netflix docuseries - R.J. Coyle, Dallas Morning News
The upcoming Netflix series should be a trip down memory lane, for better or worse.
Netflix on Monday released the trailer for its upcoming documentary “America’s Team: The Gambler and his Cowboys” detailing Jerry Jones’ acquisition of the Dallas Cowboys franchise and the team’s run of Super Bowl success in the 1990s.
The series is set for release Aug. 19, and viewers were given a snippet of what’s to come in Monday’s trailer.
Below is a list of the 10 biggest storylines teased in the trailer, from the obvious plotlines to the snippets and flashes from the doc that will likely get a good bit of time amid the eight-episode series.
Herschel Walker trade
Of course, you can’t talk about the success of the ‘90s Cowboys without telling the story of how they were built.
You’ll likely hear both Jones and Johnson talking about the Hershel Walker trade that laid the foundation for the ‘90s Cowboys, along with the crown jewel of the draft pick haul they got from that deal: legendary running back Emmitt Smith.
Super Bowl parade runs amok
After the Cowboys won the 1993 Super Bowl, an estimated 400,000 people gathered in downtown Dallas for the team’s victory parade. The delirium of the oversized crowd combined with an underwhelming police presence resulted in mass chaos and even violence, leading to 14 arrests and two dozen sent to the hospital.
That’s sure to be one of the darker segments of the series.
Michael Irvin and the White House drama
The main conflict in the docuseries appears to revolve around how the fame, stardom and success of those ‘90s teams started to spin out of control. What goes up must come down.
In one clip star wide receiver Michael Irvin appears to be discussing the “White House” scandal, or something similar to it, detailing the infamous spot where players hosted wild parties that often housed illegal activities. Irvin mimics a police officer pointing a gun and yelling “Open the door!” in the clip.