Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys are staying patient in their DC search for several reasons.
Cowboys may not even get the chance to interview Jeff Ulbrich for DC job
“I think they’re waiting on that Ulbrich from Atlanta,” Broaddus said on the Doin’ Alright podcast. “I think they’re waiting to see who Atlanta hires. I think they want Jeff Ulbrich as their defensive coordinator.”
Broaddus even believes that Dallas would hire Ulbrich over Jim Leonhard, who is many fans’ top choice to replace Matt Eberflus.
“I’m not saying it with my chest out. But I’m saying it that I think they’re hopeful that Atlanta knocks out this head coaching search for them, and it determines if they want to keep Ulbrich or not. If we had Schotty on set right now and asked him, he probably wouldn’t say it on camera when the red light’s on.”
Regardless of where Ulbrich stands in the pecking order, it’s clear the Cowboys would give him a serious look if he managed to shake free from Atlanta.
It was speculated that Stefanski could bring Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz with him to Atlanta. The one roadblock there, though, is that Schwartz is getting a second interview with Cleveland for its head coaching vacancy, so he might not even leave the Dawg Pound.
Dallas may not have to wait for the playoffs to end to get their guy.
The Brian Flores Connection Matters
Another piece I can’t overlook is Daronte Jones’ time working with Brian Flores.
Flores is respected across the league for his attention to detail and aggressive mindset. You can see that influence in how Minnesota disguises coverage and times pressure. That style of defense is what Dallas lacked all season.
If you can’t get Brian Flores. Why not get a Flores disciple?
Why I’d Lean Daronte Jones over Jim Leonhard
I respect Jim Leonhard a lot. He’s organized, disciplined, and sharp. But when I stack the two side by side, Jones’ recent NFL results against high-volume passing attacks carry a little more weight.
That doesn’t make Leonhard a bad option. I would be ecstatic with him as the defensive coordinator. It just highlights a choice: the Vikings Flores style structure could prove to be more disruptive with what the Cowboys offer personnel wise.
Each of these coaches have experience as a defensive coordinator at the college level, but Daronte Jones has a larger body of work.
Dallas has a lot of options this offseason, trading Pickens is one of them.
Next, a look at comparable...
