Mickey Spagnola

FRISCO, TexasThis might be the best trait new defensive coordinator Christian Parker exhibited in his opening press conference.

Bringing a voice of reason to this defense, the worst defense in the NFL last season.

The critique from outside the locker became tiring. The critique from the dark corners of inside the locker room got tiring.

The only one responsible enough to take the blame for the Cowboys yielding 511 points, most in the NFL in 2025 and also the most in franchise history, was defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. But that's what good coaches do. Don't point fingers. Don't make excuses. Doesn't sell out his players. It's me. Cost him his job.

And this reminded me of one day in the locker room early in Dak Prescott's career. Can't remember if it was because of a game, a play or the inefficiency of the passing game at that point, but Dak during his media scrum was absorbing the blame. Said he wasn't getting the ball out quick enough. His reads needed to be better. His passes needed sharpening.

Yeah, right. To the naked eye for those actually caring to watch, his blocking up front was shoddy. His receivers needed to get open quicker. Blitzes needed to be picked up, and receivers needed to recognize them, thus cutting off their routes to give the quarterback a viable chance to attempt a pass in time.

So as Dak was walking off, decided to follow him a bit. He turned to ask what I wanted. Told him I was looking for stab wounds. He gives me one of those "huh?" looks. Told him I know what you're doing. You're falling on your sword to protect your teammates.

Dak smiled knowingly. He said, "I'm the quarterback," inferring that's what quarterbacks do. He's the leader. Part of the job.

Far too many times, this Cowboys' talent-deprived defense was given excuses. Playing too much zone defense, a scheme used when trying to protect talent-challenged defensive backs from getting burned in man coverage. Then there's not blitzing enough, though too many times the blitzes weren't getting there. There also was this defense's inability to stop the run. Well, they must have been playing the wrong linebackers.

On and on.

Naturally, the first question Parker faced, nothing about thoughts on taking the job. Nothing about becoming an NFL defensive coordinator at jut 34 years old. Nothing about his analysis of the Cowboys' deplorable defense he's inheriting. Oh, no. Wanted to know what kind of defense he will install, the inference being are you 4-3 or 3-4?

As pointed out on Wednesday after the press conference, Parker seems a wise man, one step ahead of the posse, as if already anticipating the questions he was about to face.

"The first thing is, we're going to be multiple," Parker began. "Whenever you form a defensive structure, it's about the players you have. The core front we'll have will be 3-4 by nature. You know, 4-3 spacing will be appropriate, 4-2-5 in nickel. Different front structures and coverages behind it. But I would say being multiple behind it is the most important thing about it."

Good answer. No use giving Baltimore or Green Bay or Seattle a heads up on what sort of front the Cowboys might be installing. No sense telling the world what's on his mind before explaining to his players, the vast majority of them he's yet to meet.

You decide what "multiple" means.

Then it became man or zone, as if picking the right one is the panacea of playing good defense. And eventually, Do you like playing five down?

Parker's answer, to simplify for you:

Yeah, all of that.

But to me, the basic tenant of playing good defense is first stopping the run and figuring out what your players do best. You know, don't be fitting square pegs into round holes.

"You want to build around the players," Parker said. "You want to have core principles and foundational beliefs. But as you move forward in the process, what do your guys do well? How can you put good players in highlighted positions? How can you create one on ones for certain guys? How can you feature certain guys?

"If we can win on blitzes on a running back, then were' going to blitz a lot. If we've got good man-to-man corners, then we're going to play man. If we have guys better with zone vision, we're going to play zone. You want to build a package that has diversity and scheme, and then you want to tailor it to the players."

OK, good with that?

Now this, one of the biggest problems the Cowboys had this past season: Stopping the run, giving up more than 100 yards rushing in 12 of 17 games, five of those with at least 158 yards and a high of 216 in the loss to Carolina. And next, an inability to sack quarterbacks. Going into the final game of the season, a meaningless one against the Commanders they ended up losing, the Cowboys' sack leaders, Jadeveon Clowney and James Houston, were tied with 5 each. If not for Clowney's two sacks in that game, this would have become the first season the team's sack leader since sacks became an official NFL stat in 1982 finished with less than six.

"Definitely want to stop the run and affecting the quarterback," Parker said, only six teams last year with fewer than the Cowboys' 35 sacks. "I think those are two of the most important things you can do. You affect the quarterback by stopping the run. But I think those two things are where it starts. If you can stop teams against the run, you can get teams in predictable downs."

Well, this all is a good start. Love the sound of multiple, flexible and structuring the defense to the available talent. Now it's time to add some players to a core not totally deficient since trading for Quinnen Williams, acquiring Kenny Clark in a trade, having re-signed Osa Odighizuwa, bringing on Solomon Thomas last offseason, the drafting of Donovan Ezeiruaku, getting Bland back healthy, having DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel starting a season healthy, having Shemar James turn all of 22 this summer, having Caelen Carson stay healthy and possibly re-signing Clowney in time to go through an entire offseason and training camp to give Parker a fighting chance.

Oh, also possibly turning those two first-round draft choices into defenders, something I suggested earlier should have been a requirement requested by the new defensive coordinator.

Of course, tongue in cheek. I think.

And darn if someone in the press conference didn't ask Parker if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones promised him the first two draft choices would be on defense?

"No, he didn't," Parker said with a smile.

Did you or will campaign for that?

"Absolutely."

Told you this Christian was a voice of reason.