Dallas Cowboys camp notes: This defense looked poised to take a leap. That was before adding Von Miller.
Also, Dak Prescott's MVP shot, two UDFAs aiming for the 53-man roster, a much quieter Jerry Jones, why extending George Pickens is a must, and more...
OXNARD, Calif. — Two press conferences, six months apart. Now a pair of bookends that speak loudly about where this Dallas Cowboys defense is going, and how far it may have already come.
On February 18, new defensive coordinator Christian Parker was introduced and wasted little time laying down one of the fundamental beliefs that would shape the Cowboys moving forward.
“The game,” he said, “is definitely won and lost up front.”
Exactly six months later — August 18 — Parker and Dallas added edge rusher Von Miller to that front. And during his press conference, Miller relayed a moment he shared with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the offseason, when the two unexpectedly crossed paths in Las Vegas.
“He was sitting in the high-limit gambling and I just sat down and we just started gambling together and talking,” Miller said. “I was like, ‘Hey man, it’s about time, Dak. It’s about time. You’ve got to break through with one of these teams. You’ve got to break through one of these years. I think this year you’ll be able to do it. You’ve got everybody to do it.’”
Everybody. And about a month after that conversation, Prescott had Miller, too.
For the Dallas defense, it’s an interesting six-month snapshot — the pair of press conferences introducing Parker and Miller, and everything that happened in between. Which, frankly, has been a lot.
This is not your 2025 Dallas Cowboys defense. When I went through training camp late in July, that was the first thought I had. Not only did it look better under Parker’s direction — including a remodeling that added several key players — it looked good. Maybe very good.
Before I get into that, there’s an important preseason caveat here. There always is at this time of year. Teams aren’t showing the full menu. Quarterbacks are protected in practice, offensive lines are shuffled, and coordinators spend as much time evaluating individual players as they do trying to win an exhibition game. August can create mirages. Particularly on defense, where a few sacks or turnovers can make an unfinished unit appear to be further along than it really is.
But what is happening in Dallas doesn’t feel like a few isolated plays. It looks like the early shape of an identity.
A sense of purpose that begins with Parker, who is only 34 and calling a defense for the first time, but has spent his NFL career shaping his ideology from an unusually strong group of defensive minds. First as a quality control coach in Green Bay under Mike Pettine. Next in Denver, coaching the secondary under Vic Fangio, Ejiro Evero and Vance Joseph. And finally in Philadelphia, where he reunited with Fangio as the Eagles’ defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator.
At each stop, the results were good. And they followed him. Consider a few of the high-end players he helped shape in his last two jobs: Patrick Surtain II and Justin Simmons in Denver, then Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in Philadelphia. Of course, Parker didn’t construct those units alone, and he wasn’t calling the plays. But when a young coach keeps being trusted with premium players and important responsibilities on excellent defenses, the trajectory tells you something. As does the variety of his education.
Pettine brought pressure concepts. Fangio’s influence is built around disguise, multiplicity and forcing quarterbacks to make decisions after the snap. Joseph has generally been more willing to bring pressure and play aggressively behind it. Evero offered Parker a close vantage at how a first-time coordinator organized and operated an entire defense.
Now Parker gets to look at that expanse of knowledge and decide what to make his own in Dallas.
He has been clear that Dallas will be a 3-4 defense by nature, but that description is more a starting point than a limitation. There will be four-man fronts, five-man fronts and nickel packages. There will be zone coverage, man coverage and simulated pressure. The same personnel grouping should be able to present multiple pictures, which is the point. Parker wants an offense to identify one thing before the snap and deal with something else afterward.
When you survey this Cowboys roster, he’s got the personnel to do it, too. Starting right where Parker did on Day 1 of his Dallas tenure: up front. Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark give Dallas two proven interior players capable of dominating blockers and collapsing the pocket. Rashan Gary — acquired from Green Bay — delivers power and explosiveness. Donovan Ezeiruaku and rookie first-round pick Malachi Lawrence bring a pair of athletic edge rushers to the Dallas rotation.
Then comes Miller.
At 37, he isn’t being added to play every snap or carry the front by himself. Dallas doesn’t need that version of him. It needs the one who produced nine sacks for the Washington Commanders last season and still understands pass rushing at a level few players ever reach. It needs him in favorable situations, attacking an offensive tackle who can’t count on the protection sliding his way. And it needs him to teach everything he can to a front seven that has gotten younger and deeper.
That’s where the collection of talent matters. Williams can demand a double-team inside. Clark can prevent the middle from becoming an escape route. Gary can dictate protection from one edge. If Lawrence or Ezeiruaku develops quickly, Parker can rotate waves of rushers without asking one player to solve everything. And Miller gets to become the closer.
That front should also change what is possible behind it. DeMarvion Overshown has the speed and range to become the central figure in the linebacker room if he remains healthy. Rookie Jaishawn Barham — who has been raising eyebrows for weeks — gives Parker another movable piece, capable of playing inside, rushing from the edge and bringing the physicality the Cowboys lacked too often last season. Meanwhile, veteran Dee Winters adds speed and experience to the competition.
Barham has been one of the more interesting players in camp because the role isn’t entirely defined — in a good way. He can line up next to Overshown on one snap, walk toward the line on the next and rush from the edge after that. Parker doesn’t need every player to live inside a positional box. He needs enough versatility to change the picture without substituting.
And maybe no player on the roster brings more of that exciting positional mystery to the table than first-round pick Caleb Downs. Drafted 11th overall, Dallas believes Downs can become more than a traditional safety. He can align deep, drop into the box, cover the slot and pressure the quarterback. His intelligence allows Parker to move him without compromising communication, while his tackling should help repair a run defense that spent too much of 2025 allowing manageable downs to become first downs. Effectively, Parker will be saying to opposing offenses, “This is Caleb Downs. Now figure out what position he plays once the ball is snapped.”
That versatility should accentuate what Dallas already has in DaRon Bland and Shavon Revel. Bland remains one of the NFL’s most instinctive ballhawks when healthy. Revel has the length and speed to challenge receivers at the line of scrimmage — a trait Parker specifically highlighted in his initial press conference. If the front can hurry quarterbacks and the coverage can create even a moment of hesitation, Bland’s ability to find the football becomes more dangerous.
At each previous stop, Parker learned that this is how defensive talent is supposed to work. Not as a collection of names, but as force multipliers.
The interior line makes the edge rushers better. The rush allows the corners to play aggressively. The secondary’s versatility gives Parker opportunities to disguise intentions. Downs and Barham create uncertainty because an offense can’t be sure where either will align. Meanwhile, Miller can play measured snaps and no longer has to beat an entire protection plan. And Williams no longer has to create pressure by himself.
One addition accentuates the next, and Parker is the maestro that connects them all in harmony.
A far cry from last season, when the Dallas defense finished at the bottom of the league in points allowed and too often appeared to be searching for answers after the ball was snapped. While the Cowboys could score, move the football and even play stretches of dominant offense, the 2025 defense sometimes couldn’t even communicate without players confusing each other.
In reality, Parker’s defense doesn’t even have to become a top-10 unit for Dallas to change its ceiling. It just has to become dependable. But over six months from Parker taking over, it could be more. Not simply better. But a lot better.
Yes, this is still August. Parker has never called a regular-season NFL game. Downs, Lawrence and Barham have never played one. Miller’s age will require management. Overshown, Bland and Revel have to stay healthy. A scheme that looks fast and aggressive in Oxnard still has to withstand the adjustments that arrive in September, October and beyond.
But the foundation is visible.
Six months ago, Parker stood at a microphone and explained that football is won up front. Six months later, the Cowboys placed Miller into a front that had already gotten better. Behind them is a defense with more speed, versatility, intelligence and depth than it had a year ago.
As Miller told Prescott in Las Vegas, this looks like a moment to break through.
“You’ve got everybody to do it,” he said.
Now Dallas — and Miller — have to prove it.
About the QB
When I arrived at camp, I wasn’t sure how realistic a Dak Prescott MVP campaign could be. By the time I left, I realized this might be the most legitimate shot to date. Prescott is still in his prime at 33. He’s in a rhythm with Brian Schottenheimer. And he’s operating with arguably the best two-wideout tandem in the league in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. What gives Prescott an added edge is that Lamb and Pickens have the complementary styles that can wreck opposing coverage in completely different ways. Lamb is the versatile piece that can move around in the offensive structure, while Pickens is an elite boundary player who necessitates additional attention from the secondary on a consistent basis.
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Tight end Jake Ferguson has had a good camp and eats yardage in the middle of the field, while having already become a bigger threat in the red zone last season. Meanwhile, Javonte Williams provides a very capable three-down running back presence to keep defenses honest. Simply put, the skill position pieces are there to set Prescott up in any manner that Schottenheimer chooses. And while the offensive line still has questions, they’re less about talent deficiency and more about achieving consistency as a unit. Nothing here feels like it’s going to have to be manufactured or covered up. So long as there aren’t health issues, this is a unit that should put up big numbers with both Lamb and Pickens getting their second season together. Of course, wins have to follow, too. But paired with the aforementioned defense, the table feels set for this offense.
Rookie to Watch
I’m going to violate protocol and call this one “rookies” to watch. Because tight end Michael Trigg and wideout Camden Brown may both make this 53-man roster. That’s a stunning possibility considering both were undrafted and this is a pretty talented Dallas roster with some depth to it. Frankly, if it were just for his tools, Trigg would have been drafted somewhere in the middle rounds. But he bounced around from USC to Ole Miss to Baylor in college and could never shake significant concerns about his maturity and dedication. The hope in Dallas is that something is finally clicking for Trigg and that he settles into being dedicated to his craft and his surrounding team. The signs thus far are encouraging. Not only has he flashed in camp, but he carried the momentum into the Cowboys’ first preseason game against Seattle, putting up four catches and representing the kind of receiving presence that Dallas could use behind Jake Ferguson.
As for Brown, his climb has arguably been one of the most surprising in camp. First by working his way into some first and second-team opportunities, then by making the play of the preseason opener — snatching a contested Sam Howell pass and taking it for a 39-yard touchdown. It’s a good start that will have to continue, though, as Brown is likely going to have to dislodge Jonathan Mingo, who also has some special teams value. Neither has an easy path. Roster spots utilized on developmental players are usually reserved for those who were actually drafted. But Trigg and Brown are forcing themselves into the conversation. And the second preseason game is going to be vital for both.
What I Saw That Was Interesting
I guess I could say this is what I saw — or didn’t hear — that was interesting. I can’t remember the last time I went through a Cowboys camp and there wasn’t something going on that was drawing attention away from the field. Whether it was a holdout, some kind of dispute, some question about how much longer the head coach had to produce results, or something owner Jerry Jones was saying or doing, there was always some type of sideshow. And yet, it felt oddly settled when I visited. Not only that, the calm vibe seems to actually be lasting, with Brian Schottenheimer seeming to settle in as the daily voice of the team rather than ownership. As much as I wasn’t sure about Schottenheimer’s elevation to head coach in the wake of Mike McCarthy’s departure, something does feel dialed in right now under his watch in Dallas.
I’ll give you an example: In almost any other year, I think Pickens’ contract situation would have been a bigger thing. Even under the franchise tag. And most especially coming after a previous offseason when the Micah Parsons soap opera was so pronounced. But the whole Pickens situation has felt cordial and businesslike. That’s just one thing, of course. Yet it adds to an atmosphere right now that feels pretty uniform and functional. None of this guarantees the Cowboys will win anything. For any franchise, quiet vanishes the moment it is confronted with a losing streak. But for the first time in years, the head coach appears to occupy the center of a calm football operation. It’s hard not to notice.
Wild Card
Since I brought it up…about that Pickens contract extension: I’ve gone from wondering how Dallas could make it happen to feeling like the Cowboys have to get it done. I think Pickens is going to show this season that he isn’t a 1B wideout next to CeeDee Lamb. It just so happens that both Lamb and Pickens are 1As, and you can’t surrender that kind of tandem. Pickens looks exactly like what he was last season: a receiver who can dominate outside the numbers, win contested footballs and give Dak Prescott an option even when coverage is sound. He isn’t a complementary piece. He’s a foundational talent.
So what does the money end up looking like if this continues? The presumption has been a four-year deal in the $35 million a season range, similar to the one signed by Baltimore Ravens wideout Zay Flowers. We’ll see if that’s the case by the end of the season. A second franchise tag is coming in at $32.75 million, but I’m not sure Pickens would want to play a second straight season on a one-year deal. Dallas can’t negotiate with Pickens again until after the season, and the price isn’t going to get any friendlier than the Flowers deal if he produces another elite year. I still believe the Cowboys have the leverage of being the team willing to pay Pickens without the reservations others might have.
The staff at least knows him, whereas other teams are still going to be leery about Pickens being the guy the Pittsburgh Steelers wanted to get out of the building. But it’s still setting up to be an interesting next offseason. If Pickens plays toward his ceiling, Dallas is going to have to find a path to navigate it and get him locked in long term.
Veteran I’m Keeping an Eye On
On multiple previous training camp tours, I spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and listened to the leadership tell me how excited they were about Dee Winters breaking through. Now I think it might end up happening in Dallas. The Cowboys surrendered a fifth-round pick for Winters after he started every game in San Francisco and put up 101 tackles last season. Knowing what the 49ers thought of Winters for years, that deal looks like smart business for Dallas. Because there’s a larger opportunity in play here: what Christian Parker can make of him.
Winters has always had the speed and physicality to be a heat-seeking linebacker who can operate in space. What he needs is consistency and a defense willing to lean into expanding his opportunities. Dallas and Parker appear prepared to give him both, potentially including making him part of the green-dot conversation. There will be competition from rookie Jaishawn Barham, but Winters looks like a stabilizer. San Francisco kept waiting for all of his traits to become a finished product. The Cowboys may be getting him precisely when it finally happens.
Fantasy Thought
I’m a believer in tight end Jake Ferguson. Frankly, if it weren’t for all the mouths to feed in this offense, I think he could be a consistent top-five fantasy producer at his position. And if even one of the Cowboys’ top two wideouts goes down long term, I think Ferguson could exceed that. He already finished as the PPR TE5 last season, catching 82 passes with eight touchdowns, but those numbers don’t completely illustrate his ceiling.
His production was far less consistent when CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens were healthy together. That’s a problem. But Prescott trusts Ferguson in the middle of the field and near the goal line. And I have to believe opposing defenses are going to throw everything at Lamb and Pickens and dare Dallas to throw it to Ferguson. It might have peaks and valleys, but I’d bet by the end of the season Ferguson has the chance to meet or exceed last season’s eight touchdowns, while increasing the efficiency of his volume while upping his yards-per-catch average. And again, if either Lamb or Pickens goes down, I think he could be the No. 2 passing option.