Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys have not yet made any decisions – at least not publicly – on their defensive coordinator position, but many fans believe Matt Eberflus will be one-and-done. They’ve also started lining up candidates to replace him – we’ve got 18 names across two lists, courtesy of yours truly – and the hottest name so far has been Brian Flores.
Currently the defensive coordinator with the Vikings, Flores has been one of the best defensive minds in the league for the last few years. But his contract is up after this season, and Mike Florio recently lent credence to the idea that Dallas may pursue him.
Few would be more thrilled than myself to see Flores on the sidelines in Dallas, especially after campaigning for him to be the head coach this past offseason, but the likelihood of that happening is exceedingly low when considering all of the variables. One of them is his lawsuit against the NFL, and how Jerry Jones may see that situation, and how Flores may view Jones. But beyond that, there are other pressing issues that could keep Flores from Dallas.
The reason Cowboys fans want Flores to run their defense is because his Vikings defenses are crushing it right now. In the three years he’s been in Minnesota, Flores’ Vikings are third in the league in EPA/play allowed. That’s in spite of him taking over a defense that was 20th in EPA/play the year before.
A big part of that has to do with being given the appropriate resources. Minnesota has spent big money on players that fit his scheme, investing heavily along the defensive line and winning free agency bidding wars for top players like Byron Murphy and Jonathan Greenard.
Flores has also built a strong bond with head coach Kevin O’Connell, and both coaches cited that relationship in recent comments that hint Flores wants to remain with the Vikings. O’Connell has empowered Flores to run his defense however he sees fit, as well as offering him a crash course in QB Coaching 101, a critical piece to any head coaching candidacy for Flores.
Not only does Flores have a perfect situation with the roster and his relationship with O’Connell, but the defensive coordinator is also close with Vikings assistant general manager Ryan Grigson. The former head man in Indianapolis, Grigson has been a confidant for Flores in the front office, and the two have been floated as a head coach/GM pair for any applicable openings around the league.
A lateral move to Dallas – or anywhere else, for that matter – would erase all of those factors. He has no relationship with Brian Schottenheimer, who may very well be on the hot seat if he can’t reach the postseason in 2026, and doesn’t really have the pieces to run his scheme in Dallas. He has no connections in the front office here, and his new GM is notoriously averse to spending money in...
