DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are still balancing contract negotiations with their defensive cornerstone while managing a depleted secondary.
Cowboys COO isn’t particularly bothered with it, at least publicly.
According to recent reports, All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons is seeking a $200 million contract extension, which would make him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history.
\Jones has maintained a characteristically measured stance on the negotiations, telling reporters simply, “No different than anything else, I’ll let you know when it happens.”
Parsons’ sporadic attendance at voluntary OTAs has raised eyebrows, though head coach Brian Schottenheimer has maintained open lines of communication with the star defender.
“Micah and I talked a couple of days ago,” Schottenheimer revealed. “He’s doing a little bit of traveling, but again, everything that he and I talked about, I expect that he will be here.”
The contract discussions come at a pivotal moment for Dallas’s defense, which is undergoing a significant transformation under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
The former Bears head coach has already set a clear tone,.
“Pretty simpl,:2e will take the ball away,” Eberflus said. “That’s what we will do. We will stop the run, and we want to be the most physical defense in the National Football League.”
Meanwhile, the secondary faces its own challenges.
Sources indicate that cornerback Trevon Diggs likely won’t return to health until near the midway point of the 2025 season following his chondral tissue graft procedure.
Diggs has opted to rehabilitate his surgically repaired left knee in Miami, away from the team facility, a decision that has drawn mixed reactions from the organization.
The silver lining in the secondary situation has been the emergence of DaRon Bland, who set an NFL single-season record with five pick-sixes in 2023.
His continued development will be crucial as the Cowboys navigate through their defensive transition.
Jones expressed cautious optimism about the cornerback room’s depth, noting the promising performances of recent additions.
“Between guys like Diggs and Revel in particular, guys that can make a huge difference for us, we’ll know a lot more when we get to camp,” he said. “But we do like what [Andrew] Booth was doing, really like what [Kaiir] Elam’s doing, [Caelen] Carson’s really starting to get his legs again.”
The Cowboys’ defensive strategy for 2025 appears to be taking shape under Eberflus’s leadership. Traditional zone coverage schemes will likely feature prominently, with an emphasis on generating pressure up front to support the coverage concepts.
As mandatory minicamp approaches, the Cowboys face several crucial decisions that will shape their defensive identity.
The resolution of Parsons’ contract situation, Diggs’ recovery timeline, and the implementation of Eberflus’s system will all play pivotal roles in determining whether Dallas can build upon its recent defensive success.
For now, the Cowboys’ brain trust continues to navigate these challenges with their characteristic measured approach, knowing that their decisions in the coming months will have far-reaching implications for the franchise’s future.