Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator. After interviewing several candidates, the team hired former Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator, Christian Parker. The 34-year-old coach is rising up the ranks as his preparation and intellect have many people talking about him. The Cowboys are hoping he can be the answer to fixing their defensive problems, but what types of changes should we expect? Here are four things to expect with the hiring of Parker.
The young defensive coach has a well-known reputation for developing young defensive backs everywhere he has gone. Many know about the bigger names like Jaire Alexander, Patrick Surtain II, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. All four of those corners turned into All-Pros in their second season under Parker.
But the list extends beyond those guys. In Green Bay, he also got career-best seasons out of other defensive backs Darnell Savage Jr., Adrian Amos, and Kevin King. In Denver, Justin Simmons turned in All-Pro seasons in all three years Parker was with the Broncos. And during their Super Bowl-winning season in Philadelphia, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship combined for 10 interceptions on the year. Whether they had a high draft pedigree or were undrafted free agents, the young defensive back coach managed to get the most out of his players.
The Cowboys are hoping Parker can work similar magic with the young defensive backs they have on the roster. DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel Jr., Caelen Carson, Josh Butler, Alijah Clark, Zion Childress, and Twikweze Bridges are all in a perfect position to develop their skills and maximize their potential. Some of these guys won’t turn into anything at all, but others might, and if there’s untapped talent lurking with these young players, there’s a good chance Parker will find it.
When it comes to acquiring talent, the Cowboys’ player personnel department has been known to stubbornly have a type. For example, tall, lengthy defensive backs have been their preference for years, which has led to a long list of draft picks like Revel Jr., Eric Scott Jr., Nahshon Wright, and Israel Mukuamu. The team’s player personnel department has a prototype they look for.
But for Parker he’s not as concerned about the body type of his defensive backs. Other factors play a more important role. How they communicate, where their eyes are, how disciplined they stay, and even what they are doing in meetings all matter immensely. The cerebral part of their game hugely affects the performance on the field, and that is ultimately what matters to Parker. These elements are evaluated daily, and constant feedback is given so players understand where they need to improve.
Parker is an effective teacher. The schemes he’s employed are not as simple as they require a lot of processing from his players, but his ability to convey what is needed in a manner that they more easily understand is why his guys deliver stronger performances. This will be a stark...
