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The Dallas Cowboys have a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, and vice president Stephen Jones seeing a whole lot of changes coming on the defensive end as a result.
“The defensive system is going to change,” McCarthy said, according to Jori Epstein of USA TODAY Sports. “The terminology, there is going to be a big change there.”
The Cowboys didn't have many issues on defense this season, as they ranked seventh in the NFL in yards allowed and 11th in scoring defense, but Jones still thinks adjustments are needed, including player personnel:
“Player acquisition and coaching instruction is a two-way street,” McCarthy said. “I think if you have a system of defense where you need a certain player to fit your scheme, you’re limiting your personnel department. Let’s get as many good football players as we possibly can. It’s our job as coaches to make sure our scheme boundaries are plenty wide enough to fit any excellent football player into our program.”
Dallas parted ways with Rob Marinelli as defensive coordinator after six seasons, hiring Mike Nolan in his place, and Jones says that the Cowboys' new defensive scheme will be different from Marinelli's:
“To some degree, it is,” Jones said. “As you all know, Rod very (much) knew what he wanted in his defense and the type of players he wanted. So, there is some degree of flexibility there.”
The Cowboys were pegged as darkhorse Super Bowl contenders going into 2019, but they went just 8-8 and missed the playoffs in spite of a 3-0 start.
