The Dallas Cowboys finally have their new defensive coordinator. Not only that, but they also actively hurt a divisional rival by luring Christian Parker away from the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, they have to finish the job by also stealing some of their free agents.
Parker's arrival should come with an obvious replacement for struggling LB Jack Sanborn, but he's not the only one who has to go. S Donovan Wilson will be a free agent at the end of the season, and with the way he played and Reed Blankenship up for grabs, Parker will probably have an easy decision to make.
Christian Parker Connection Could Lead to Reed Blankenship
The Eagles may not have enough money to throw around in free agency, meaning they will likely have no choice but to let Blankenship go. He's coming off a down year, and that's why the Cowboys might be able to lure him to Arlington at a major discount.
Blankenship struggled mightily this season. His Pro Football Focus grade of 46.5 ranked 92nd among 98 eligible players, and the sample size (1,009 snaps, 22nd most) was big enough to tell the whole picture. That being said, Wilson wasn't much better (50.8), is older at 30 years old, and hasn't had a 100-tackle season in four years. In fact, his numbers have gone down each year.
Blankenship's numbers this past season are far from impressive, but he's just 26 years old, and it wasn't that long ago that he became a feel-good story and a hometown favorite as a hard-hitting tackling machine.
Just two seasons ago, he posted a career-best 113 tackles (79 solo), two tackles for loss, one QB hit, three interceptions for 17 yards, 11 passes defensed, and one forced fumble. He's already familiar with Parker's schemes and defense, so he'd be a seamless fit as a plug-and-play type.
Of course, that's not to say that the Cowboys should go all-in or throw a bunch of money at him. Then again, he's most definitely worth the gamble with a short-term 'prove it' type of deal. Jerry Jones' team is also tight on available cash, and they must find low-risk/high-reward players at a discount, such as Blankenship.
The Cowboys' defense showed signs of life in the second half of the season, even for a moment. If Parker can work his magic and help the defense keep pace with the high-octane offense, this team might shock a lot of people next season.