3 ELITE Defensive Coordinator Candidates The Dallas Cowboys MUST Consider To Fix Defense!

Summary

Locked On Cowboys Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: 3 ELITE Defensive Coordinator Candidates The Dallas Cowboys MUST Consider To Fix Defense!
Date: January 8, 2026
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool dissect the top three defensive coordinator candidates they believe the Dallas Cowboys must consider to revitalize their defense for the 2026 season. With the defensive coordinator spot officially open, the hosts analyze Brian Flores, Jim Schwartz, and Raheem Morris—breaking down each candidate’s background, coaching philosophy, track record, and how their schemes and personalities might fit in Dallas. The discussion is rich with Xs and Os, honest appraisals, and anecdotes from league insiders—essential listening for any Cowboys fan eager for a new defensive direction.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brian Flores: The Aggressive Innovator

• Background & Scheme:
  • Comes from the Bill Belichick coaching tree, originally a scout in New England ([02:36]).
  • Has six years as a defensive play-caller (three as DC, three as head coach/play-caller).
  • Known for innovative, aggressive schemes—disguised coverages, heavy blitzes, “amoeba” fronts.
  • Marcus: “He’s very aggressive and runs these kind of attacking schemes behind open-field coverage... it’s hard to prepare for because it’s kind of unlike a lot of defenses that get run.” ([02:36])
• Performance & Appeal:
  • 2025 marked the first time Flores’ defense finished top 15 in yards allowed, but he reliably keeps points down—top 7 in points allowed multiple times ([03:57]).
  • Marcus highlights fit with a high-scoring offense: “You have a high-flying, high-scoring offense... you want somebody on defense that’s going to be aggressive, either getting turnovers, getting sacks, or—hey, if you’re going to give up points, give them up fast so your offense can get back on the field.” ([03:57])
• Pros & Cons:
  • Pros: Can maximize “smart” players over supreme athletes, ideal for a defense in rebuild, long-term potential ([05:09]).
  • Cons: Steep learning curve, slow installation; noted abrasiveness and strained relationships in past (including a lawsuit involving NFL management) ([06:36]; [07:40]).
  • Still, even Jerry Jones is reportedly willing to look past previous issues due to Flores’ defensive acumen: “It just shows you how good a defensive coordinator he is that Jerry Jones, of all people, would be willing to look past something like that.” – Landon ([07:40])
• Roster Fit:
  • Flores requires stout, versatile defensive tackles, which the Cowboys’ current roster can provide ([08:29]).
  • Marcus jokes about Jerry mispronouncing Quinnen Williams as “Quentin Williams” several times ([08:29]).
• Development Timeline:
  • Not a quick fix—may require patience for scheme installation and roster adaptation ([09:24]).

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2. Jim Schwartz: The Proven Technician

• Background & Scheme:
  • Over 30 years of experience; DC for the Browns, Eagles, Titans, and former Lions HC ([13:22]).
  • Renowned for the “Wide 9” front and adapting defenses to talent on hand.
  • Landon: “He has a ton of different experience... When he’s had talent on his defense, he’s been really, really good.” ([13:22])
• Track Record & Toughness:
  • Known for bringing a toughness and attitude the Cowboys’ defense has lacked ([14:57]).
  • Non-superstar players thrive under Schwartz; e.g., Devin Bush and Malik Collins had arguably their best seasons in 2025 ([14:57]).
  • “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that a lot of these guys go to Jim Schwartz and suddenly they get a whole lot better.” – Marcus ([14:57])
• Scheme Fit & Adaptability:
  • Puts players, especially DEs, in positions to succeed. History of getting the most from “undersized” DEs, evidenced by Philadelphia’s rotations.
  • Dominates Shanahan/McVay/Kubiak-style offenses: “His track record against the Shanahans and the McVeighs... is unbelievable.” – Marcus ([17:56]).
  • Even Kevin Stefanski selected Schwartz for his mastery against this offensive tree ([18:33]).
• Potential Availability:
  • Could become available if Browns hire a new HC; Schwartz reportedly interviewing for that job but may seek new challenges ([18:57]; [19:26]).
  • Landon: “If you ended up, if you came out of this with Jim Schwartz, that’s a standing triple in my mind... Maybe it’s not the home run, but you’re gonna really improve defense.” ([20:22])
• Roster Fit:
  • Cowboys’ current defensive tackle group fits Schwartz’s requirements for playing wide ends ([19:45]).

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3. Raheem Morris: The CEO Coach

• Background & Experience:
  • Twice an NFL head coach, most recently DC and acting HC for Atlanta, DC for Rams, interim gigs ([23:42]).
  • “He had kind of an interesting rise... it’s only after having been head coach from Tampa I think he started play-calling... He’s had a lot of movement, right?” – Landon ([23:42])
• Coaching Strengths:
  • Respected leader, connector with players, brings established network for assembling strong staff.
  • Not seen as a scheme innovator or shutdown specialist, but consistently fields competent defenses even with average talent ([26:17]).
  • “He’s a smart ball coach who I think inspired a lot of thoughts in the people beneath him... not a ton of experience as a defensive coordinator, which is obviously what you’re hiring him to be.” – Landon ([23:42])
• Track Record:
  • Only one top-14 finish in scoring defense as a play-caller/head coach (2010, Tampa Bay) ([26:17]).
  • Potentially quickest path to league-average defense—gets teams to “competent” status rapidly rather than elite ([26:17]; [27:22]).
• Scheme Modernization:
  • Recent experience with Sean McVay infuses modern concepts and adaptability ([27:22]).
• Potential Fit:
  • If not for schematic genius, perhaps for leadership and ability to assemble and empower a talented staff (like Dan Quinn’s early Dallas years).
  • “If Raheem Morris can do that better than the other two, maybe he should be the top option here.” – Marcus ([28:21])

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Brian Flores’s Aggressiveness:

  “He’s very aggressive, but I think what’s kind of unique is that he runs these aggressive attacking schemes behind open field coverage... It’s very hard to prepare for because it’s unlike a lot of defenses that get run.” – Landon ([02:36])

• On Defensive Philosophy Matching Offense:

  “If you’re going to give up points, give them up fast so your offense can get back on the field.” – Marcus ([03:57])

• On Flores’s Career Obstacles:

  “He’s kind of burned a lot of bridges over the course of his coaching career... I think he can be very abrasive.” – Marcus ([06:36])

• On Jim Schwartz’s Coaching Hallmark:

  “A good sign of a defensive coordinator is when you have non-superstar players who come in and have some of the best seasons of their career.“ – Marcus ([14:57])

• On Schwartz Versus Shanahan/McVay Offenses

  “His track record against the Shanahans and the McVeighs...is unbelievable.” – Marcus ([17:56])

• On Raheem Morris’s Role:

  “He’s a smart ball coach... I think he’s inspiring and he’s a good leader of men, but he didn’t get those jobs because of a propensity to create smothering defenses that dominate the league.” – Landon ([23:42])

• On Morris’s Strength as Staff Assembler:

  “If Raheem Morris can do that better than the other two, maybe he should be the top option here.” – Marcus ([28:21])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Top 3 Candidates Overview: [01:32] – [02:36]
• Brian Flores Discussion: [02:36] – [10:10]
• Jim Schwartz Discussion: [13:22] – [20:56]
• Raheem Morris Discussion: [23:17] – [29:07]

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Tone & Style

The hosts combine detailed football analysis with candid, conversational observations, bringing both statistical depth and a fan’s perspective. The discussion is lively and honest—they praise, critique, and joke in equal measure, keeping things engaging and accessible for serious fans and casual listeners alike.

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Final Thoughts

Mosher and McCool frame this coordinator search as unusually rich in strong options. Flores is the big swing—an aggressive strategist who can overhaul the system but needs runway. Schwartz is the proven hand, tough and adaptable, who could deliver rapid improvement. Morris is the trustworthy leader/coordinator hybrid, less about a signature scheme and more about fostering competence and cohesion. For the Cowboys, each offers a distinct path forward as the franchise looks to reset a defense in transition.

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Transcript

[Landon McCool]

Foreign podcast Network your team every day.

[Marcus Moer]

This is Tyler Rowland from the Locked on Titans podcast. This message is a paid partnership with Apple Card. I love how simple it is to pay using Apple Card with Apple Pay. It's built right into my iPhone so it's always ready to go. I was on vacation recently. I didn't even have to bring my wallet to the beach, but plus I earn up to 3% daily cash back on every purchase when I use my Apple card with Apple Pay. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app on your iPhone Subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City branch terms and more at apple card.com new year same extra value meals at McDonald's. So now get two snack wraps plus fries and a medium soft drink for.

[Landon McCool]

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[Marcus Moer]

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[Landon McCool]

And for delivery.

[Marcus Moer]

The Dallas Cowboys will have a new defensive coordinator in 2026. Let's take a deep dive on the top three candidates next.

[Locked On Network Announcer]

You are Locked On Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day.

[Marcus Moer]

Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. We'd like to thank you for making us the number one sports podcast network. And today's episode is presented by Prize Picks. Download the Prize Picks app today and use promo code lot NFL to get fifty dollars in lineups after you play your first five dollar lineup. Welcome back. I am your host, Marcus Moer. He is Landon McCool. And on today's show, we're taking a look at a look at three of the top defensive coordinator candidates for the Dallas Cowboys now that we officially know that they have an opening. And I want to start with Brian Flores. And this has been the name that has been floated around by NFL insiders for a couple weeks now. Now he's technically with the Vikings. Still. I don't think his contract has run up yet. He is, he's interviewing for head coaching jobs. His contract will expire this offseason. But in case you aren't that familiar with Flores, Lena, what could he bring to the table?

[Landon McCool]

He's a very unique kind of coach, right? He's a very aggressive, he has a very interesting history. He comes from the Bill Belichick tree and he came down into the ranks in New England and, you know, started out as a, as a scout, if I'm not mistaken, a personnel scout, and then was brought in as a defensive assistant, made his way to defensive Coordinator. He actually only has, I think six years as a defensive play caller, three as a defensive coordinator, and three as a defensive play calling head coach when he was with Miami. But in his time that he's been a play caller, he's just kind of innovated a lot of different things and he's call defenses in a very kind of unique way. He's very aggressive. But I think what's kind of unique is that he, he runs these kind of aggressive attacking schemes behind open field, open field coverage. So it's, it's, it's, it's very just, you know, hard to prepare for because it's kind of unlike a lot of defenses that get run. And it's all sort of the, the, the details are what matter here, right? Like how it's coached, the rules that are applied and their coverages and that sort of thing. And it just allows them to play with the level of aggression that is just almost second to none in the NFL, maybe from peak Todd Bow Bowles, like back in the day. Right, like so. Yeah, it's really interesting stuff.

[Marcus Moer]

Well, and what's fascinating about Flores is that this, this year, 2025, was the first year that his defenses that he's coached ever finished inside of the top 15 in yards allowed. And honestly, it makes sense, right, because what happens in a lot of these, you know, defenses is they'll give up some yards, they'll give up some explosive plays, but they're generally pretty good at keeping points down. They were seventh in points allowed this year, fifth in points allowed. Last year in 2020 with Miami, they were six. Like, he does a pretty good job of, you know, of slowing down the scoring. And I think if you're a Cowboy fan, the reason why that's, I, I think he's so appealing is you have a high, you know, flying high scoring offense. You want somebody on defense that's going to be aggressive, either getting turnovers, you know, getting sacks, or hey, if you're going to give up points, give them up fast so your, your offense can get back on the field. There was too many times this year where Matty played this bend but don't break. And teams would have these 8, 9, 10 play drives that would take up 6 minutes the clock and then they would score anyways. And you're, you're not really accomplishing anything by doing that.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and here's the other thing too, is, is that, you know, in the sense that Bill Belichick kind of used to run these defenses with not a lot of let's say athletic superstars necessarily. I mean, obviously they had Vince Wilfeld and they had athletic freaks. I mean every NFL team has them. But what, what the calling card of of Villach defenses was, was, was they were smart, right? They had heady players that ran a complicated scheme. They understood the scheme very, very well and played it to that high level. So what does that mean? That means that kind of procuring players like that is a lot easier than going out and having to find the top athletes at every single position and try to build this defense in the Houston way. The downside to this is that it takes a while to learn a defense like that, right? So the installation may not be instantaneous. The, the returns that you get from a Brian Flores defense may not be immediate as you start to kind of build this defense from the ground up. And there is a lot more of a, a build that probably would have to happen with this defense versus a Jim Schwartz and Robert Morris, Raheem Morris situation. So, and so that's just something to kind of, you know, bake into your calculus. But having said that, I do think that, that, you know, if you're talking about, and I've said this before, talking about the long term health of, of the Dallas Cowboys defense, if you could find a way to pry him away from his current situation if he doesn't get a head coaching job, I think Brian Flores is the best candidate.

[Marcus Moer]

I think one of the reasons why we, we really like the Mike Simmer higher is because you felt like you were getting somebody who gave you a coaching X and O's advantage every single week. Now that defense started out really poor, but. And then you had all the injuries with DeMarcus Lawrence and Micah Parsons, but by the end of the year they were really starting to come on right. And I feel like with Brian Flores you might get that similar trajectory and you're also getting somebody who is at the very top of his craft. But the reason he's available, and I was listening to Ryan Fitzpatrick talk about him today, who was the quarterback in Miami, is that he's kind of burned a lot of bridges over the course coaching career. And I think there are some people that he rubs the wrong way. I think he can be very abrasive. I mean, honestly, it's not that different than Bill Belichick, who can be very abrasive and who kind of went through a lot of different coaches during his time. So that's part of the deal here and that's why he might be available at the same time it's worth it if you can get one of the best defensive coordinators in the league.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And. And, you know, I don't want to get too far into this because. But there was a lawsuit that Ryan Flores was involved in which, you know, revealed some information that was a private conversation between him and the owner. And to me, that, you know, I know that Jerry Jones was very heavily involved because it was. It was involved in the NFL overall. And so to me, I assumed that that would kind of rule him out, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys out of any kind of Brian Flores conversation. But the fact is that we've heard from multiple sources that are very tied into the Cowboys that, that. That they potentially could be some interest here. So I think it's was fascinating to hear that, and it just shows you, like, how good a defensive coordinator he is that, that Jerry Jones, of all people would be willing to look past something like that and still consider him a candidate.

[Marcus Moer]

The last thing here is that one of the things that Flores really likes is having good defensive tackles, and that's why Minnesota went out this off season and spent a bunch of money on some defensive tackles, including Jonathan Allen, to kind of help stop the run. Because if you're going to be doing a lot of this amoeba defense and guys moving all around, you do need these defensive tackles. They can get up the field, they can take on blocks that can stop the run. And that's where I do think Dallas fits in really well with OSA De Gazoua, Kenny Clark, and obviously Quinn and Williams. Not Quentin Williams, as Jerry Jones called him about five times on Wednesday. But I think, yeah, I mean, he really did Quentin Williams about. Yeah, I do think the personnel, what they currently have on the roster would make some sense. And like, I even think guys like Demarvia Noversion, who's a really good blitzer, and Malik Hooker, who is incredibly smart, those guys would fit into this defense very, very well right away.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, look, I, I think it. It makes a ton of sense. The, you know, the only concerns that we came up with are kind of, like I said, the, The. The kind of learning curve stuff. And, and that was after having a conversation with Cody over a match quarter. So. And I think he has a valid point. Right. Like, it's just. It's not as quick a fix. I think as, you know, maybe some of these other guys that come from a tree that's very similar to what the Cowboys have played most recent years. Maybe they would pick it up a little bit quicker, but the truth of the matter is, is that the Cowboys are doing kind of a rebuild on their defense anyways. Why not just kind of fold this into that process? The question still it remains, if Flores becomes a defensive coordinator, how quickly would it could he get this defense up to snuff to the point where they would be able to be competitive this year? That's what you would hope for.

[Marcus Moer]

All right, let's talk about another candidate that could be available and right now is available, and that's Jim Schwarz of the Cleveland Browns. You might remember him when he was the defensive coordinator with Philadelphia or the head coach of the Lions. Let's talk about his fit in Dallas next This episode is brought to you by Rocket Money. Let's be real. Managing your finances can feel overwhelming. Between subscriptions that you forgot about, bills that keep going up, and trying to figure out where all your money is actually going each month, it's easy to feel like you're losing control and who has time to track every transaction or hunt down every hidden fee. But that's where Rocket Money comes in, the personal finance app that helps you take control. It finds and cancels your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps you lower your bills that you so that you can grow your savings. I was shocked when I started using Rocket Money how much money we were wasting on subscriptions that we weren't even using. And Rocket Money helped us save easily 80 and 85amonth just on those subscriptions alone. So let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join RocketMoney.com lockdown that's Rocket Money.com Loton Rocket Money.com Loton this episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The wild card round of the NFL playoffs are here and fanduel is officially in playoff mode. Every game day during the NFL playoffs, FanDuel is giving customers even more ways to get in on the action. Because right now, every NFL playoff game day, FanDuel users get a profit boost pack waiting for them inside the app in each game day, you're going to be loaded up with multiple profit boosts that you could apply to the bets that you like most. Like for me, I love Pittsburgh at home getting three and a half points. Mike Tomlin is not lost at home on Monday Night football. I think he's 220 his last 22 games. That's my favorite bet. And with FanDuel Profit Boost, you can get an even bigger payout. You make your picks, then you apply your profit boost to go after it. Even bigger payouts while the playoffs get rolling. So visit FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of the NFL, and grab your profit boost pack for every NFL playoff game day. Welcome back to the Loton Cowboys Podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. If you haven't done so already, go check out the Everyday or Club. You're going to get access to ad free audio of this podcast. You're going to get an invite to a members only Locked on Everyday Dare Club Discord server, which includes a group chat just for listeners of the show. So go to locked on cowboys.supercast.com or tap the link in the show notes to learn more. All right, let's talk about Jim Schwartz. He's easily the oldest candidate that we're probably going to talk about over the next couple weeks. He's 59. He'll be 60 when the season kicks off. Man, his resume is really good.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean he's just been a defensive calling a fool. I mean this is one of those guys who kind of fits the mold of what Jerry Jones is looking for in a defensive coordinator traditionally. Right. Like a long term, you know, former head coach who's been a defensive coordinator in the NFL for 3:30 plus years. He has a ton of different experience. His resume is positive too. It's not like he's got a bunch of necessarily a bunch of middling defenses. I mean he has at certain points when he was with Tennessee in the bad years. But when he's had talent on his defense, he's been really, really good. And, and, and for, you know, doesn't you don't have to be a very old Cowboy fan to remember his defense is terrorizing you at certain points during the, you know, the middle parts of the 2010s and later. So yeah, I think he's a guy that, you know, that has even in Cleveland, obviously Miles Garrett is one thing, but there's been times when the talent has been up and down because of injuries, because of whatever and he's always seemingly produced a defense that has been a terror to go against. So yeah, I think if you're looking for the the more kind of steady wheel route return to More4Three with a little bit of a tweak with his the way he plays the defensive ends and that kind of wide nine stance, I think it Schwartz kind of provides a little bit of of everything. Right. He's got some experience. He's a head coach. He's got some familiarity in the fact that kind of how he plays Some parts of his fronts, but then a little bit of a twist on it that gives you something new as well.

[Marcus Moer]

One of the things I really like about Jim Schwartz, we'll get into his scheme and the fit here in a little bit is there's a certain attitude and toughness about him that I really, really like. And honestly the Cowboys just have not really had that. Zimmer had that. But it was hard to. I mean it was a really weird year for the Cowboys in 2024, but there is a toughness that I would like to see this Cowboys defense has. I think Brian Flores has it, I think Jim Schwartz has it and I do think that could be really. I think the Cowboys could really use that. Other part of it is, is I think a good sign of a defensive coordinator is when you have non superstar players who come in and have some of the best seasons of their career. And I'll give you some examples for this year. Devin Bush, who is a cast off from Pittsburgh who bounced around the league over the last couple years, he was a guy that was signing veteran minimum conduct contracts and he is like a borderline all pro linebacker for them this year. Malik Collins, same way. He's. I think he's like in year 10 at this point bounc around it. I don't even know how many teams over the last couple years. He was phenomenal. And maybe that's the Miles Garrett effect. Like I, I'll. I'll accept that as a reasoning as well, but I don't think it's a coincidence that a lot of these guys go to Jim Schwarz and suddenly they get a whole lot better. And that's the complete opposite of what happened to Matty Eber flu this year.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And, and I think, you know, part of the, the, the twist and the, the element of putting these guys in these wide nine stances is that it puts these edges into a position in which they can attack the, the tackles in a new way. And that's, you know, kind of difficult to prepare to. And I think that that's the sort of philosophy that kind of exudes out to the rest of his defense as well. He's very keen and look, all these defensive coordinators talk about this but you know, this is how he does it. He every. He's very keen on putting guys into position to, to make plays. Right. To put them into position to make plays. He. He has body types that he likes in certain, you know, spots, but he also is able to work with whatever is there it seemingly so. Yeah, I mean Again, again, a guy that you feel like has. You know, it's funny. It's funny that Miles Garrett has been his. His defensive end for this whole time, because to me, before he was with Cleveland, I always felt like what I knew about Jim Schwartz was that he could take any of these undersized, like, you know, defensive ends and to turn them into superstars. Like, you think about all the guys that the Philadelphia used to just run through on the outside in that wide nine who couldn't go off and do anything else anywhere else, but with Jim Schwartz, we're putting up nine, ten sacks, right? Then he goes to Cleveland. And Miles Garrett, you know, is obviously Miles Garrett, but that's what I. Where I think he's really interesting is like, you know, much like we had thought that. That Iberflus could do for linebackers last year, you feel like maybe Jim Schwartz has some history doing that for. For maybe undersized defensive ends.

[Marcus Moer]

And here's another reason, if you. If you want to believe in Jim Schwartz. His track record against the Shanahans and the McVeighs, you know, that style of offense like the Kubiax is unbelievable. And honestly, I would put his resume against those coaches, up against any other coach in the league. Like, he's. He's had a ton of success stopping those offenses. And frankly, Landon, like, if the Cowboys want to ever come out of the NFC or be contenders, you're gonna have to compete with The Rams, the 49ers, Seattle. Right now, who has got Clint Kubiak? You've got LaFleur in Green Bay, who runs, you know, a similar offense.

[Landon McCool]

That's right.

[Marcus Moer]

You might as well go out and get the best guy at stopping those. Those coaches.

[Landon McCool]

Well, and who's another guy who runs another Shanahan's tree? It was Stefanski.

[Marcus Moer]

Right?

[Landon McCool]

That's why he went out and hired Jim Schwartz as his defensive coordinator. Stevenski was one of the best X's and O's guys in that tree. He knew who. Who was stopping him, so he went to go out and get him as his defensive coordinator. Kept him for the entire. Entire length of his. Of his, you know, tenure there.

[Marcus Moer]

Well, so we should mention the reason why Schwartz could be an option for the Cowboys is because the Browns fire Kevin Stefanski, and usually that means the rest of the coaching staff will leave. Now, we have heard from Jimmy Haslam, the Browns owner, that they would like to keep Jim Schwartz. I think he's even interviewing for that head coaching job. But I won't be surprised if they Go out and get somebody else. And that means that Schwartz is available to look for deals. Maybe he wants a new challenge, and maybe the Cowboys would be that right spot for him.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and it's an interesting thing. Like you mentioned, this isn't a case where this guy got fired from his previous job. He's being let go, and he's not even being let go. They would like to retain him, but, you know, there is this opportunity for him to come to the Cowboys if, you know, the situation works out for them. If Cleveland goes another route for head coach. But maybe they want to hire his own defense.

[Marcus Moer]

If they go out and get, like, Chris Shula, who is the defensive coordinator of the Rams, I believe that's somebody that they are planning on interviewing. He's going to want to have his own style, and that means that Schwartz probably is going to look elsewhere. So if he is available, and it sounds like he will be, this is one of the very best candidates out there. You're going to have a hard time doing better than Jim Schwartz. I think he fits kind of what the Cowboys want, a defensive coordinator. His attitude fits. I think the personnel fits. You have two, I mean, really, three awesome defensive tackles that you really need to have if you're going to have your ends split out so wide. I think the personnel does fit here.

[Landon McCool]

Well, I agree. And I think this is kind of the thing we were talking about. We talk about, like, what a great candidate pool this is. Like, Schwartz to me, is like a really great backstop to some of the other incredible guys that are available. But Jim Schwartz himself, like, if you ended up, if you came out of this with Jim Schwartz, that's a standing triple in my mind. Like, I mean, it's really is like a really good pick. Maybe it's not the. The home run, but. But. But even if it's not, you're gonna really improve defense. And maybe Jim Schwartz could be the guy that gets the defense up the fastest because of all the experience that he has.

[Marcus Moer]

Absolutely. All right, let's talk about another name. Raheem Morris, who was fired from the Falcons. He's had a bunch of head coaching interviews. Could he be the next defensive coordinator in Dallas? We'll get to that next. This episode is brought to you by. Ultimate qb. The draft picks positions are set. We know that the Cowboys are drafting 12th, and so many teams are looking for a franchise quarterback. We obviously hope that a bunch of them go before the Cowboys pick. But if you've ever wished that you could become a pro quarterback, getting drafted first overall by let's say, the Cowboys, if they've ever had that pick. Well, now you can. There's a mobile game just for you called Ultimate QB Football Legend. In this game, you step into the cleats of a number one draft pick quarterback and it's your job to lead your team to greatness to help turn a failing franchise into a dynasty. This is the number one QB career mode game on the market right now and it introduces the most realistic environment. With full career control, you'll deal with the ups and downs of a quarterback career from rookie nerves to playoff drama and so much more. Ultimate QB is totally free to play, has no ads and works 100% offline. Perfect when you just want to sneak in a game or two on the go. So head over to ultimate-QB.com that's ultimate-QB.com or search for Ultimate QB in your app store and we've got something special for you guys. Use the promo code lockedon and in the game store to get a free boost at the start of your career. Ultimate QB Football Legend QB1. It's your legacy.

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[Marcus Moer]

Welcome back to the Lock On Cowboys podcast. We are discussing some coordinator candidates for the Cowboys on defense. And let's go over to Raheem Morris who was let go by the Falcons. This is somebody who's been a head coach twice. I have some major doubts that he'll ever get another coaching head coaching job. Which means he is somebody that could be a defensive coordinator for the next several years. Does he make sense for Dallas?

[Landon McCool]

He's, he's really interesting, right? Like I, I, it's hard to get a read on him. Like he, he had kind of an interesting rise to becoming a head coach. I mean, frankly, if I'm not mistaken, he became a head coach as he became a play caller or, or before he became a play caller. So it's, it's, it's only after having been head coach from Tampa. I think he started play. His play calling in Atlanta, if I'm not mistaken or. No, I'm sorry. It started it because he's look this, he's had a lot of movement, right. He was with Tampa, he was with Atlanta, then he was with the Rams and then he was back with Atlanta. Right. So I actually think it started when he became the, the defensive coordinator in Atlanta and then really kind of developed his few years with the Rams. And that's really where you're kind of pulling your, your opinion of him as a play caller, I would say. And then of course, it continued in Atlanta as well. He's interesting in the sense that he's kind of a little bit of what we talked about with Schwartz, where he's a little bit of everything because he has been around for a little while. He's been around in the NFL for 27 years, but like I mentioned, only, only a few as a play caller. And, and I think the thing that kind of concerns you a little bit is that, you know, I just don't know that he was ever like so awe inspiring as I don't think he got his head coaching job, either of them by being an elite play caller. No, you know, like I think he was. He's a good football coach and I don't think he knows how to identify with players and connect with players. And I think he's inspiring and he's a good leader of men and I think he, there's a CEO aspect to his head coaching, but he didn't get those jobs because of a propensity to like create, you know, smothering defenses that, that, you know, dominate the league. I think if anything it's just that he's a smart ball coach who I think inspired a lot of thoughts in the people beneath him. And I think that that's going to be helpful in the sense that I think he will probably, if he gets the defensive coordinator job, he'll probably bring with him a lot of great assistance because he has a lot of connections in the league and he's coached with a lot of people that really like coaching with them. But he himself as a scheme designer, as an X's and O's guy. I don't really know what to think about where he is on the kind of pantheon of the rest of these guys.

[Marcus Moer]

Well, it's hard because of all the time for him coaching as a head coach or as a defensive coordinator. His defense has finished inside the top 14 once and that was 2010 with Tampa Bay. So you're not Getting someone with like the track record of Brian Flores or Jim Schwartz. But one of the things I will say is he for the most part has had a lot of average defenses, and that's with varying levels of talent. And maybe that's the appeal for the Cowboys is they're not going to have elite level talent on defense. I mean, it would be great if they did. It's going to be probably a very mixed bag. But if he's somebody that you feel really good about getting to a standard of like, hey, we just, we want to be competent on defense. Maybe his style and the way that he connects with players and his relationships does help you get there the fastest. We talked about Jim Schwartz maybe having the fastest scheme to get up and running, but maybe Raheem Morris is the guy that you bring in and helps you get to league average quicker than the other two.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, I mean, I, I, the other thing too, that kind of insert to this is that he, he also kind of checks a little bit of the box of being, you know, despite having been in the league for so long, he, he's worked with a lot of kind of younger coaches who have sewn in a lot of interesting scheme stuff. Obviously, he spent three years recently as a defensive coordinator for a guy like Sean McVeigh, and you're not gonna like, spend time around Sean McVeigh and not kind of have some of those, know, principles rub off on you and understanding how a modern offense works and how to attack a modern offense. So I, I, you know, I think that there's aspects about this that are interesting that are obviously, you know, make him an interesting candidate. I just think that for the lay person, for the people looking on the outside in, it's tough for us to kind of know what to hang our hats on here. Right. Because it just feels like he's got a lot of experience as a coach, but not a ton of experience as a defensive coordinator, which is obviously what you're hiring to be.

[Marcus Moer]

Yeah, I think I feel better about Flores and Schwartz, but I'm not opposed to Raheem Morris. I mean, everybody talked to about Raheem Morris just cannot say enough great things about him. And the Falcons players were really upset when he left. So maybe this is a kind of like a Dan Quinn situation where you get him into just focus on defense, where he's calling the plays. He brings in a really great staff. And honestly, that was one of Dan Quinn's best traces. Go back and look at those staffs that Dan Quinn had in 2021. And 22, like with odd and Dirty and Al Harris and the linebacker guys that they had, like, they had really qualified people. If Raheem Morris can do that better than the other two, maybe he should be the top option here.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And that's obviously, I think one of the big appeals with Raheem Morris is that he's almost kind of a CEO type of defense coordinator a little bit. So it'll be interesting to see if he gets a interview and what, what it all pans out.

[Marcus Moer]

All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making Lockdown Cowboys your first listen every single day. If you never miss an episode, the Everydayer Club is built for you. Get locked on Cowboys ad free + members only, Discord server access and so much more. Head over to locked on cowboys.supercast.com to join the club. And for those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24. 7 national NBA YouTube channel. And on audio, make your second listen the Loton NFL podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter @McCool BCB. I'm @Marcus Moser and we will see you right back here tomorrow.

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