
A new era may be taking shape for the Dallas Cowboys as Stephen Jones drops major hints about building around defensive standouts Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and Osa Odighizuwa. Are the Cowboys fully committed to a dominant trench presence in 2026 and beyond?
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Marcus Moser
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Marcus Moser
The 2026 Senior bowl is often running, but the biggest news came from Stephen Jones. We'll tell you what that is next.
Locked On Cowboys Intro Voice
You are Locked on Cowboys, your daily Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day.
Marcus Moser
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 brought to you by Game time. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use promo code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. Welcome back. I am your host Marcus Moser. He is Landon McCool. And on today's show, we're going to talk to you guys about all the rumblings coming out of the Senior bowl in Mobile, Alabama. Some of the biggest standouts guys to watch throughout the remainder of the week. Tons of Senior bowl content coming up, but land of one of the things we always like about this week in Mobile is you get to hear from Stephen Jones, you get to hear from Will McLay. And it seems like they always drop a couple nuggets that are worth remembering and that was the case again this year. What did Stephen Jones had to say? What did he have to say that stood out to you?
Landon McCool
Well, I think more than anything it's just kind of the first time that we get to talk to him after some weeks after the season. Right. And kind of get a check in on on 20, 26, 6 and what's going to happen this the rest of the year and going on to next year. So I, I think that, you know, the, the first thing they usually are checking in on that, you know, we got some quotes about Christian Parker about the hiring of Christian Parker, obviously, right now it seems like the front office is very kind of LA on hiring a staff for Christian Parker and the kind of process of that. But one of the things that he kind of mentioned casually, I felt like, was the building blocks that they already had on this defense that they wanted to build around. And it was interesting to me, at least, that the first three names that he mentioned were. Were the three defensive tackles, Quinn and Williams, Kenny Clark, and also Digizua. Now, I think the reason that's interesting is because we've kind of had an open question since the end of the season what exactly the outlook would be for Kenny Clark next year. He has a very big number in the cap hit next year. Everybody was kind of aware of that when this trade was made, and we've wondered was, was this like a rental situation or was is this going to be a situation where they. They work this out? So I. I think it's at least noteworthy that he brought up Kenny Clark's name very early on when mentioning building blocks, because I think it obviously implies that they have at least some kind of plan to kind of keep them around for next year.
Marcus Moser
Yeah, I think we've all been of the belief that they're going to renegotiate this contract. They're going to extend them. I think there was always an outside chance that they could cut him, you know, if they wanted to go out and pursue maybe a defensive end in free agency, kind of reallocate that money, because you're right, they're paying Oso Digi Zuba a bunch of money. Quinn and Williams is going to be up for a deal either this offseason or next off season. And can you really justify paying three defensive tackles 20 plus million, you know, a season? I think we could have a debate about that. But I do like that Steven Jones believes that these guys are building blocks, and I don't blame them, Landon, because they're impossible to find. Yeah, you can figure out ways to utilize these guys. I think the Cowboys did a really good job at the end of the season mixing and matching and make sure that, you know, making sure that their snap counts were appropriate. I think we should plan on Kenny Clark being on the team in 2026 and maybe even beyond that.
Landon McCool
Yeah, I mean, spoiler alert, Marcus. I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan. I'm aware that finding defensive tackles is not exactly an easy thing to do. And I think, yeah, the question was, like, is this plan going to be to kind of just have three really talented, not just starter, but like, you know, borderline Pro bowl. And in Quinn and Williams case, borderline all pro level defensive tackles and just rotate them. I think, you know, the first kind of step in getting our answer was getting Christian Parker in here, who's obviously an accolade, a little bit of. Of. Of Vic Fangio and what he does. And Fangio has a lot of. Of, you know, five man surface stuff, one gapping five man surface stuff, which would really kind of fit exactly what we. What we were looking for and a lot of what they actually ended up doing a lot last year in order to get these guys on, onto the field. And I think that that's, you know, something the next step of this was kind of getting confirmation again, not just that they named Kenny Clark, but the fact that they named those three like in succession, like to me seems to indicate that, hey, we're building on the strength of us being able to use these three defensive tackles to kind of dominate the line of scrimmage and dictate what's happening up front and then figuring out the coverage on the back end with smart guys like Christian Parker.
Marcus Moser
Well, and that's the other piece of this is we had Stephen Jones talking about Christian Parker and I think one of the not concerns, but we're trying to figure out what Christian Parker's scheme and his defense is going to look like because he's never called plays before and he hasn't designed a defense by himself. One of the quotes that we got was about him, you know, having Vic Fangio principles but not being a carbon copy. And it sounds like in their kind of interview, and he was able to shed some light on what his scheme is going to be and why it's going to differ from Fangio and why that could be a good thing for the Cowboys.
Landon McCool
Yeah, just a quick plug go read Nick Harris's wonderful article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram about it. It was, it was filled with all kinds of great stuff. Nick does a great job there. And this was no, no different. And in an article he talks about one of the things that, that, that the Joneses were excited about was that, you know, yes, these kind of comes from that Fangio tree, but apparently gave the. The front office the ideas of what he. What he wanted to do kind of different to differentiate himself a little bit from Banjo and that they felt that those, even those items, the things that he was talking about that were going to be different would be strengths of, of the defense. So we didn't really get any further details than that. And I'm sure the speculation on. Around that one sentence can go wild for. For a long time, at least in my head, but I think that that's interesting that, yeah, hey, it's not necessarily going to be a carbon copy of Fangio. But not only that, but the differences that he has planned are also sounding extremely interesting, at least to the Joneses.
Marcus Moser
We're going to talk about some of the players at the Senior bowl in just a couple minutes, but that's what makes this process harder than in previous years. And honestly, we've been going through that a little bit between, you know, Dan Quinn, Mike Zimmerman, Matt Eberfluss, and now with Christian Parker, it's even harder because with Dan Quinn and, you know, and Zimmer and Iberfluous, you're able to go back and watch their previous defenses. That's not the case here with Parker, and it's. It's really challenging to figure out, okay, what does he want in a cornerback? What does he want in a pass rusher? What does he want in a defensive tackle? I think we're going to learn a lot about this defense here. You know, in the next couple months, we'll start to get some things that leak out, but from a scouting perspective, at least from the outside looking in, it can be challenging.
Landon McCool
Well, you know, I mean, I will say this, that Parker seems to be the kind of guy to tailor, you know, his coaching to whoever he has. And I think he, you know, one of the other things that came from that article that Harris wrote was that he had a plan specifically for Revel. He has a plan specifically for Bland and for the safety. So, you know, it. Even with guys that may not be necessarily, you know, coming from his system or, or maybe guys that you would peg is perfect fits for his system, he probably has a good plan for getting them to where they need to be to operate inside the system so that you're getting. So that the system serves them right, so that they can play well. And I think that's kind of what we've been asking for. And that's. That's sort of the more modern stance of these younger coaches, is finding ways to communicate to these guys the. The nuances of the scheme so that they could play faster, they could kind of unlock their own skill set and then playing to those strengths.
Marcus Moser
I also wonder if you're looking at, like, the coaching interviews the Cowboys have been making over the last couple days, you know, on the defensive side of the ball, a couple, three, four outside linebacker coaches. Yeah, I have been interviewing and Listen, I don't want to have a debate on 43 versus 3 4, because it's so mixed anymore. I think if you're thinking of 3 4, you're thinking of it, you know, kind of a out of date version of that. But I do think they're going to be maybe a little bit more multiple than what we've seen, at least under Matty.
Landon McCool
Here's, here's where I think it makes a difference, right, Is that, you know, 3, 4, 4, 3. Some defenses do, and some defenses don't drop their edge players into coverage more.
Marcus Moser
And that's really it. Right?
Landon McCool
And that's what it is, right? Is that you want a coach that is not just teaching pass rush, because sometimes these guys are dropping into hook zones that they're part of the coverage, especially if you're playing these five man surfaces. These guys aren't always all coming. So. So having a coach who understands the nuance of how to adjust your stance so that you can look like you're going to move forward at the snap, but you're actually going to push off that front foot and start moving backwards and then drop into a passing lane. So I, I wouldn't. Again, don't get too much hung up on that. I mean, we're still talking about a one gap system. Getting up the field, taking that, taking a shoulder, taking a gap, having a half man responsibility on, on the offensive lineman. That's, that's, that's still what we're talking about here.
Marcus Moser
All right, let's talk about some of the biggest winners and standouts from day one of the Senior bowl and some players that could fit in with the Cowboys. We'll get to that next.
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Marcus Moser
This episode is brought to you by Game Time. There's nothing like being in an NBA arena. The crowd, the energy, the moment. But getting tickets, though, that part could always be a little challenging. But that's why Game Time has become the go to app for scoring tickets fast without all the hassle. It puts the advantage back where it belongs, and that's with the fans. I love how easy Game Time allows you to find tickets. Like in my favorite part is you're going to be able to go right to the app and find the view from your seats in the app before you buy. It takes all of the guesswork of searching for tickets. So download the GameTime app, create an account and use promo code locked on for $20 off your first purchase. That's promo code locked on for $20 off. Download the game time app today and remember it's gametime co not.com gametime co. Welcome back to the Lockdown Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. Thank you everydayers. You're going to get ad free episode to this podcast for just $5 a month. And if you love the show, you know how much you're going to love the Everydayer club. There's also so many other benefits, including a discord server where you can come ask us questions, hang out, talk ball all day long, go to lockdown cowboys.supercast.com or tap the link in the show notes to learn more. All right, Lane, let's talk about the Senior Bowl. Day one of the practices are in the books. Who were some of your biggest winners from Tuesday?
Landon McCool
I mean, let's start with like some of the top end guys, right? Just because there's so, there's so many names to talk about, right? I thought that TJ Parker was as advertised, right? Came in and was explosive there obviously was playing with incredible leverage. We saw everyone saw the clips of him lifting an offensive tackle off the ground with his leverage and, and I think, you know, that's what, what I expected him to do is I want to continue to watch him do that with against all kinds of different competition. But so far so good for day one of TJ Parker.
Marcus Moser
So here's the thing with Parker. I think he's one of the highest rated players in mobile. I think the only issue I he had A really good day. Just to be clear. I thought he was really good. There was a. The play that we were talking about where he took an offensive tackle and lifted him off the ground. It's awesome. I think the only thing I'm having a problem with with Parker is that it's the same move over and over and over again. It's. And this is what you watch on his tape. It's. He's going to use his power, he's going to use his long arm, and he's going to try to drive right through the body of an offensive tackle. If that doesn't work, then he's kind of stuck. Now, what I, what I'm hoping that we see the rest of the week is some different moves, some variety in his pass rush plan, because if he can do that, I'm always all the way back in on him being a top 20 pick.
Guest or Additional Host
Yeah.
Landon McCool
And I think that that's. That is exactly it.
Marcus Moser
Right.
Landon McCool
That's. That's what I want to see the rest of the week. Usually when it comes out the first day, these guys are giving you their fastball, right. Every single time. Because, hey, that we're best on best. I'm going to do what I know, I know how to do against you and see how that works. Right. And then as time goes on, you get a chance to study the guy that you're playing a little bit more. Even the tape that you of you practicing against him the day before, you get an opportunity to kind of build on that. And so the question is, will TJ Parker build on that? I think the same thing could be said for a guy like Derek Moore. I thought Derek Moore was violent on another level that almost anybody else in this practice. He almost killed a dude, you know, who, who actually later got him in another rep. But I thought overall, Derek Moore was incredibly physical. But. And even in run game and team stuff, he had a great, he had a great run stop where he basically drove the tight end back into the running back and tackled him with the tight end. It was awesome. But you know what? You same sort of thing right, where you saw him kind of bull rush almost every single time. And it's a good move, but you have to have another counter. You have to have a couple of different moves in order to be a successful rusher in the NFL. Now, Derek. Derek Moore is not quite the level I think of TJ Parker probably a little bit less probably the top 50 player. I don't know. I really have no idea. I haven't looked it Up. But I think same sort of situation is you need to see some of these guys kind of evolve as the week goes. Especially if they kind of just came out and are only throwing fastballs. You got to see the counter there.
Marcus Moser
So Derek Moore, he's a edge rusher for Michigan. The size 632 6. So he's a good size edge actually he was very productive at Michigan. He had back to back seasons with a pass rush win rate over 20% which is awesome. But again you just want to see these guys check boxes. And I think Derek Moore, he was another guy that had a really good day. I'm going to mention Colton Hood, a cornerback from Tennessee. I'm going to do my best to make sure that I mentioned the school and the position. Very good day. They had a compete period at the end of the practice where he was one on one on the island with no safety help. Stuck with the receiver the whole time, batted the ball away right at the pylon. I still have some concerns about him in terms of like being a little too grabby and what does it look like on in breaking routes. But I thought for the most part he was really good on Tuesday.
Landon McCool
Yeah, you know, look, he's, he's an aggressive pressman coverage guy. It comes with the suit, it comes with the meal as they say. Right. He's going to be a little bit grabby at the top of the routes. You got to find a way to coach it out of him. But I love the patient feed at the line of scrimmage. Right. He was at no point was he in panic mode. He's able to stay in phase with the wide receiver extremely well. And that's what you saw on his tape at Tennessee as well.
Marcus Moser
Who else stood out to you from Tuesday's practice?
Landon McCool
Well, okay, so now getting into some lesser known guys that I think just really had some good practice. You know a guy that we had mentioned previously, Chris Johnson from San Diego State, I thought looked the part. I mean he didn't necessarily have the same kind of win rate. I saw him slip a couple different times. I think, you know, trying to get his footing. But the movement skills, the ability to stay in phase. Again, he looks extremely smooth for his size, but his, his technique looked really good. I thought that he looked really strong. Another guy that really kind of kept on stepping up. To me there's two guys and I know we're not looking for interior offensive linemen necessarily here, but Samuel Hecht I think was his name. He's a center from Kansas State. I think he won every single rep I saw him take. And then Jalen Farmer, who is a guard from Kentucky, was another guy that I thought, you know, just, you know, look strong in a class in which you weren't really sure what you're going to get in this offensive line. And at certain points, you were looking at the list of pass rushers and defensive tackles that were coming in and you were kind of praying for certain guys to be okay. I thought that there were some, some interesting stuff in offensive line.
Marcus Moser
At least early on I got an offensive line take.
Landon McCool
It's.
Marcus Moser
It's wildly irresponsible, but I'm going to give it anyways. Based on one day of practice, there's a guy by the name of Jennings Dunker, and I promise that is a real name. Jennings Dunker from Iowa, who came in at 6 foot 5, 320 pounds. More importantly, he's got red hair with a red mustache and red mullet that's just flowing out of the back of his head, out of his helmet. He's got the Iowa helmet that's all beat up and dented and you know, it. It just scratched all up. And he was an awesome player on Tuesday. He. Nobody beat him. And he is a. Think of an Iowa offensive lineman, like, just close your eyes.
Landon McCool
Exactly.
Marcus Moser
He is him. And I think I saw some reports kind of going into the week of him being like a, you know, second or third round pick. That's too low. My. My prediction is right now he is a top 20 pick.
Landon McCool
Oh, wow.
Marcus Moser
I think he's. You see somebody who is physical, who was mean, who had no problem handling the speed of these guys. I think Jennings Dunker, that's a promise. It's a real name. It's going top 20.
Landon McCool
I. I'm gonna have to look it up because I still don't believe you, but. Okay, we'll. We'll.
Marcus Moser
I cannot wait. I cannot wait for the text in the middle of the night, like, hey, this guy's pretty good. It's gonna be great.
Landon McCool
Before we go to the break, I want to mention two more guys that the Cowboys probably aren't interested, but I think had a good day. Jake Slaughter, he was. He's a center from the University of Florida. I thought he looked really good at certain times, has, you know, some really good techniques. Probably a little undersized from what the Cowboys would want anyways, but I thought he really had a good day. And then actually, yeah, I think that was my last. I got a bunch of other guys that we should be interested in. Well, we could talk about those after the break.
Marcus Moser
Yeah, and I've got a cornerback that we actually talked about on Monday's show or, excuse me, on Tuesday's show that I'm really excited about for the rest of the week. We'll tell you who that is next Foreign this episode is brought to you by FanDuel. It's the last call for football on FanDuel. One final Sunday, one last kickoff, the final chance to get in on the action before the NFL season officially comes to a close this Super Bowl 60. And FanDuel is making sure you're right in the middle of the action with a special offer just in time for the biggest game of the year. Whether you're backing the favorite, riding with the underdog, or building one last same game parlay, this is the game that everybody has been waiting for. This is where predictions turn into plays, stats turn into storylines, and every snap just feels bigger. It's the perfect way to cap off a really fun season. If you're a new customer, bet just $5 and get $200 in bonus bets. And if you win, make it count because after the super bowl, the season is over. We gotta wait seven more months for football. It's the last call for football on FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of Super Bowl 60. Visit FanDuel.com to get started.
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Marcus Moser
Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys podcast. We are discussing some of the biggest winners from week from Excuse me. For the first practice of the Senior Bowl. It's been a long week already. Just so much has happened. Who else impressed you during Tuesday's practice?
Landon McCool
We got to talk about Gabe Akis. I I think it's Akis. It's extremely soft J and it's Jacas. He's a defensive lineman from Illinois. I thought he looked incredibly smooth and was athletic and he was just winning by stringing, you know, very fluid moves together one after another. You saw him reduce inside to play a little bit and rush the passer against guards and he won Big time there. In team drills, he won in a run play. Was able to kind of chase the quarterback back on a bootleg on the backside. I just, every time I was looking up and I saw a guy with illinois helmet number 15 and he was running around and causing problems. So yeah, I thought that he had a really good day. I don't know if you, if you saw him running around.
Marcus Moser
Yeah, I did see him. Another one that I wanted to mention is Malik Muhammad, a cornerback from Texas who we mentioned on yesterday's show. He. He was really good. Now there's a couple of receivers here that are like way, way bigger than him. And it did not matter. He was beating these guys up at the line of scrimmage. Was he a little grabby? Yeah, of course. But I would rather. I'm going to quote Mike Tomlin, which I never do in this podcast.
Landon McCool
Wow.
Marcus Moser
I'd rather say whoa. Than sicum. Right? Like I'd rather coach you to be not so aggressive than having to coach you to try to be aggressive. I think Muhammad had an awesome day. He's one of these guys, like in the mid rounds. If the Cowboys can get, you know, a third, fourth round pick, I would love to see Muhammad on this team.
Landon McCool
And he didn't look as small as I imagined he was going to. Right. Like he, you know, he looked a little bit. A little bit more filled. Filled out than what I expected. Another guy that had a really great day, I thought was Grayson Halton from, from ou. It's a defensive tackle, especially once they got into run drills and team drills. You saw him kind of make his presence felt inside. Bigger guy, it looks like. I didn't get, I didn't actually get his measurements, but he was, he's. He was looked like he's a big guy here. I got it right here. Grayson Halton. I'm sorry, it may say his normal 662-293. Yeah. So he's, you know, he's a three technique for sure. But yeah, it was just physical. Was able to move people inside. Another guy at another position that the Cowboys would be interested in. I thought that was good. Was. And we talked about him, I think in the preview show was Mike Washington, the running back from Arkansas. He had a nice cutback run where he was showing good forward balance. Was able to cut it back against the grain, pick up yards and then another nice run as well. And then a guy that I got to mention here that I just was. I had so many questions about. And just because I didn't know what happened this year, and I'm still not sure what happened this year. Jade Knott, running back from Oklahoma. And it was a guy that was very highly anticipated player going back to OU this, this, this fall, and something happened there. Falling out with the coaching staff or something. But he basically didn't play almost at all this season or played very little. It wasn't really part of their attack when they really were struggling to run the football at different points. So definitely was interesting to see him out there.
Marcus Moser
How do you view someone like Nick Singleton and who, again, we mentioned him on yesterday's show, he had a nice rep in pass protection. He had another rep where he got ran over. And I think that's what's so frustrating about him. And again, we shouldn't overreact to one play, positive or negative, but there's just so many inconsistencies in this game. And we talked about this, you know, earlier the week. We want to see these guys build on these practices. What you want to see is a guy get better as the week goes on. Day one's not all that important. If you're better by the third day of practice, that's phenomenal. I'm just still waiting for it with Nick Singleton.
Landon McCool
Yeah. And that's, you know, it. You gotta. You gotta find a way to kind of block out your own biases. And the problem is, is when they kind of are being immediately kind of supported by what you're seeing. Like, and that's what we're seeing with Singleton, is that, you know, he's. He's very good on one rep and very bad on the other rep. And I think the passport protection situation was. Was correct. Right. Where you. You watch him in the rep that he won, and it was because he's just a physical specimen. His technique was terrible. He almost tackled the guy like it was, but he beat. But he physically kept the guy away from the quarterback. Right. The second rep, he used that same technique, and it very much did not work. Right. So, yeah, I think it's just, you know, having to see these guys throughout the week, noting the good, noting the bad, and then kind of just adding it up at the end of the week to see exactly where they are.
Marcus Moser
All right, that is it for today's show. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen every single day. We're going to have tons of Senior bowl content over the next two days, including winners, losers, targets for the Cowboys. So make sure you guys are downloading the podcast, wherever you get your podcast, and if you never miss an episode, the everyday club is built for you. Get locked on Cowboys ad free members only, discord access and so much more. And for those of you on video, we can send you the first ever 24.7national NBA YouTube channel and on audio, make your second listen the locked on NFL podcast. Follow Landon on Twitter @McCool BCB. I'm @Marcus Underscore Moser. We'll see you right back here tomorrow.
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Marcus Moser
Power.
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Episode: Stephen Jones DROPS BOMBSHELL on Dallas Cowboys Defensive Plans for 2026 | Senior Bowl Updates!
Date: January 28, 2026
Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
This episode centers on Dallas Cowboys executive Stephen Jones’ revealing comments regarding the team’s defensive vision for 2026, focusing on the defensive tackle group and the direction under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Marcus and Landon discuss the implications of Jones' statements, unpack the evolving defensive scheme, and provide in-depth updates and player standouts from Day 1 of the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.
[02:25 - 06:10]
First Postseason Comments:
Landon notes it’s the first time the media has heard from Stephen Jones since the season ended, providing insight into the 2026 plans.
Building Blocks Named:
Stephen Jones highlights three defensive tackles as foundational:
This is notable given uncertainties about Kenny Clark’s contract status and future.
"The first three names that he mentioned were...Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and also Digizua...the reason that's interesting is...we've wondered was this like a rental situation or was this going to be a situation where they work this out?"
— Landon McCool [02:44]
Contract Implications:
Marcus addresses salary cap concerns:
"Can you really justify paying three defensive tackles 20 plus million, you know, a season? I think we could have a debate about that. But I do like that Steven Jones believes these guys are building blocks..."
— Marcus Mosher [03:55]
Strategic Outlook:
Landon views the comment as evidence the Cowboys plan to “build on the strength” of the DT group, especially in schemes that maximize their talents (Fangio-influenced five-man fronts).
"We're building on the strength of us being able to use these three defensive tackles to kind of dominate the line of scrimmage and dictate..."
— Landon McCool [05:35]
[06:10 - 11:01]
Fangio Influences, But Not a Carbon Copy:
Christian Parker, a Vic Fangio protégé, is charting his own path, bringing Fangio principles but introducing his own twists.
"He’s never called plays before and he hasn’t designed a defense by himself. One of the quotes that we got was about him, you know, having Vic Fangio principles but not being a carbon copy..."
— Marcus Mosher [06:10]
Landon references Nick Harris’s article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, confirming the Cowboys liked Parker’s innovative ideas that differentiate from Fangio.
"...The differences that he has planned are also sounding extremely interesting, at least to the Joneses."
— Landon McCool [07:50]
Scheme Flexibility & Player Fit:
Parker is described as someone who adapts to personnel, not forcing square pegs into round holes:
"Parker seems to be the kind of guy to tailor...his coaching to whoever he has...he had a plan specifically for Revel. He has a plan specifically for Bland and for the safety..."
— Landon McCool [08:37]
Defense Structure: 4-3 vs 3-4:
The hosts discuss a modern, hybrid front where the labels (4-3, 3-4) matter less, focusing instead on player versatility and edge responsibilities.
"I don't want to have a debate on 43 versus 3 4, because it's so mixed anymore...I do think they're going to be maybe a little bit more multiple than what we've seen, at least under Matty."
— Marcus Mosher [09:34]
"Don't get too much hung up on that...we're still talking about a one gap system. Getting up the field, taking a gap, having a half man responsibility..."
— Landon McCool [10:44]
[13:59 - 27:48]
Top Defensive Line Prospects:
TJ Parker:
Landon describes Parker as “explosive," displaying elite leverage, while Marcus points out he’s reliant on a single power move, wanting to see more variety.
"He’s going to use his power, he’s going to use his long arm, and he’s going to try to drive right through the body of an offensive tackle..."
— Marcus Mosher [14:31]
Derrick Moore (Michigan EDGE):
Noted for violence and physicality — but also relied heavily on a bull rush. Marcus praises his two seasons of >20% pass rush win rate.
"Derek Moore was violent on another level...he had a great run stop where he basically drove the tight end back into the running back..."
— Landon McCool [15:20]
CB Performers:
Colton Hood (Tennessee):
Excelled in solo coverage periods. Marcus notes he was sticky in one-on-one drills.
"He was one on one on the island with no safety help. Stuck with the receiver the whole time, batted the ball away right at the pylon..."
— Marcus Mosher [16:52]
Malik Muhammad (Texas):
Displayed feistiness in press coverage. Marcus cites Tomlin:
"I'd rather say whoa. Than sic'um. Right? Like I'd rather coach you to be not so aggressive than having to coach you to try to be aggressive..."
— Marcus Mosher [24:25]
Offensive Line Notes:
"Jennings Dunker from Iowa, who came in at 6'5, 320...He is him. And I think...he is a top 20 pick."
— Marcus Mosher [19:21-20:14]
Other Defensive Fronts:
Gabe Jacas (Illinois, DL):
Landon praises his athleticism and ability to string moves together:
"He looked incredibly smooth and was athletic and he was just winning by stringing, you know, very fluid moves together..."
— Landon McCool [23:15]
Grayson Halton (Oklahoma, DT):
Physical presence, disruptive in run drills.
Running Backs:
Mike Washington (Arkansas):
Shows good vision and balance on cutbacks.
Jade Knott (Oklahoma):
An enigma after disappearing this past season; intrigue remains.
Nick Singleton:
Flashes inconsistency in pass protection. Marcus wants to see improvement by final practices.
"He's very good on one rep and very bad on the other rep. And I think the pass protection situation was correct..."
— Landon McCool [26:53]
On Defensive Building Blocks:
"We're building on the strength of us being able to use these three defensive tackles to kind of dominate the line of scrimmage and dictate what's happening up front..."
— Landon McCool [05:35]
On Christian Parker’s Scheme:
"It's not necessarily going to be a carbon copy of Fangio. But...the differences that he has planned are also sounding extremely interesting, at least to the Joneses."
— Landon McCool [07:50]
On Scheme Adaptability:
"Parker seems to be the kind of guy to tailor, you know, his coaching to whoever he has...he probably has a good plan for getting them to where they need to be to operate inside the system..."
— Landon McCool [08:37]
On Senior Bowl Performance Approaches:
"Usually when it comes out the first day, these guys are giving you their fastball, right. Every single time..."
— Landon McCool [15:18]
On Aggressive DB Play:
"I'd rather say whoa. Than sic'um. Right? Like I'd rather coach you to be not so aggressive than having to coach you to try to be aggressive..."
— Marcus Mosher [24:25]
| Segment Topic | Timestamps | |------------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | Stephen Jones' defensive vision & DT discussion | 02:25 – 06:10 | | Christian Parker’s scheme, fit, and innovation | 06:10 – 11:01 | | Senior Bowl Day 1 discussion: DL, CBs, OL standouts | 13:59 – 21:05 | | Additional Senior Bowl risers; RBs; last reflections | 22:59 – 27:48 |
The Jennings Dunker Mystique:
Marcus’s enthusiastic, tongue-in-cheek campaign for Iowa OL Jennings Dunker as a top 20 pick, based primarily on his red mullet, physical play, and Iowa toughness, injects humor and color.
"Jennings Dunker, that's a promise. It's a real name. It's going top 20."
— Marcus Mosher [20:13]
Comparing Coaching Styles:
The “whoa vs. sic’um” Tomlinism, advocating for coaching down aggressiveness rather than trying to instill it.
Continuous Senior Bowl Coverage:
Hosts tease much more coming from Mobile as the event unfolds, making this episode just the start of the coverage.
This episode offers fans an insider perspective on the Cowboys' defensive philosophical shift, highlighting Stephen Jones' offseason priorities and the creative latitude of new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. With candid analysis of the team’s roster-building strategy, fresh insights into scheme versatility, and comprehensive Senior Bowl prospect breakdowns, Marcus and Landon deliver a rich, nuanced episode brimming with news, evaluation, and a healthy dose of football banter.
Listeners walk away with:
Missed the episode? This summary gets you caught up with all the important Cowboys talk and the early highlights from the Senior Bowl in Mobile.