It's safe to say that the Jack Sanborn experiment was a massive failure for the Dallas Cowboys. He looked like a bargain hire at first, and his familiarity with ex-defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' scheme and defense made him look like a seamless fit in Arlington.
It didn't take long before the coaching staff and the fans realized that wasn't the case. Sanborn didn't play a single snap after Week 5, and while he dealt with some injuries, he was a healthy scratch for most of the season, proving that Dallas' staff didn't have much faith in his on-field capabilities.
That's why, now that the Cowboys are reportedly hiring Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker to be their next defensive coordinator, per NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
While Parker's arrival should inject some much-needed life into the Cowboys' defense, his connection to upcoming Eagles free agents might come in handy this offseason.
Cowboys Must go All-In on Nakobe Dean In Free Agency
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said that the team wants to keep the homegrown talent in Philadelphia. That being said, he may not be able to keep linebacker Nakobe Dean, as they've already spent big bucks on Zack Baun and have a potential replacement in former first-round pick Jihaad Campbell.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, don't have a hard-hitting, pass-rushing linebacker like him.
Meanwhile, Dean was stellar after missing the first stretch of the season with an injury, logging 55 tackles (30 solo). seven tackles for loss, six quarterback hits, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass defensed in 10 games (eight starts) for Nick Sirianni's team. He even made a major impact against the Cowboys, sacking Dak Prescott and logging five tackles, one tackle for loss, and one QB hit in the 24-21 loss to Dallas in Week 12.
Dean would bring some much-needed championship experience to the Cowboys' ever-struggling defense. Before his injury, he broke out in 2024 with 128 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, six QB hits, and three sacks, playing an instrumental role in Vic Fangio's Super Bowl-winning defense.
The Cowboys' run defense improved significantly after adding star defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the mix. Dean is more of a pass-rusher, but he's also a solid tackler who can hold his ground against the running game.
Besides, LB is a pressing need for the Cowboys, and signing Dean would allow them to go in a different direction with the 12th overall pick in April.
According to Spotrac, Dean is projected to earn an average annual market value of $15.5 million on his next contract. Although the Cowboys are on pace to be more than $32.1 million over the cap, restructuring some contracts and cutting dead weight can help facilitate a deal like that.
America's Team is trending in the right direction with head coach Brian Schottenheimer's offense, and adding a rising star in the coaching ranks to fix their defense might be the first step toward Super Bowl contention.
Hopefully, Parker will give this team some much-needed continuity on defense, as he'll be the Cowboys' fourth defensive coordinator in the past four seasons.