Defense remains the hot topic in Dallas as the Cowboys hope to dramatically turn theirs around in 2026. It all starts with Christian Parker, who the fanbase is still getting to know… but so far, they seem to like what they’ve heard. In today’s headlines, we dig deeper into what made the 34-year-old an ideal match for Brian Schottenheimer’s second season, and Parker talks about coming to work for his former team’s bitter rivals. Find out what his former Eagles players had to say… and what Parker said about putting on the star for the first time.
But Parker will need players, and the draft should offer a healthy supply of defensive talent. We’ll go through which top prospects could be on Dallas’s big board (SEC standouts continue to be a popular pick), but we’ll also sneak a peek at some under-the-radar players who won’t even be at the scouting combine who could still be worth watching… including two homegrown defensive backs from the Lone Star State.
Offensively, there’s no George Pickens news yet, but that’s not surprising, given the Cowboys’ well-worn modus operandi. Also, the Cowboys could start planning now for the tight end position in 2027, and has Javonte Williams played himself right out of a job in Dallas? He’s one of several starters who may be in jeopardy this coming season.
The NFL scouting combine kicks off in a few days, and we’ve got a full list of which players have been invited, along with a special cheat sheet (that should interest Cowboys fans) for the best prospects at every position on defense. And with more and more players cherry-picking what testing they do at the combine or skipping the event altogether, we’ll look behind the curtain at how teams are still making the most of their time in Indianapolis.
Elsewhere around the league, the Chicago Bears may indeed be moving out of the Windy City. A deal to build a new stadium just across the border in Indiana is suddenly closer than ever, perhaps signaling the beginning of the end for Soldier Field, one of the historic jewels of the NFL. Six-time Pro Bowl tackle Lane Johnson has announced his intention to return to the Eagles for a 14th season, meaning the Cowboys will keep on seeing him twice a year. And the Cardinals’ new boss isn’t rushing into anything- even a definitive decision- on quarterback (and DFW product) Kyler Murray.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys Headlines: Future at TE; starters in jeopardy; Parker on Dallas-Philly rivalry
Reporting by Todd Brock, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
