The Dallas Cowboys decided to fire defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus this morning. The writing was on the wall, as the Cowboys’ defense was historically bad all season during his lone year in charge. The team gave up a franchise-record 30.1 points per game, finished last in pass defense, and ranked last in red-zone defense.
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Now, Dallas will set their sights on a new coordinator this offseason. But the question is, who? According to NFL insider Dianna Russini, the Minnesota Vikings’ DC could be seen as a potential replacement.
“One name to watch for the Cowboys’ new vacancy? Brian Flores,” Russini tweeted. The name naturally piqued the interest of Cowboys fans.
Flores is widely regarded as one of the best defensive coordinators in the league. In fact, some teams may interview him for head-coaching jobs this offseason, not just coordinator roles. In reaction to Russini’s post, Dallas fans all showed their support for the idea.
“Best coaching hire since Parcells if this happens,” one wrote. “Don’t do that. Don’t give me hope,” another joked.
“I’ll be back on my typical Cowboys hype train if we somehow hire Flores,” someone else commented.
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Parcells was one of the best coaching hires by the Cowboys in their franchise history. He never won a playoff game, but he came out of a five-year retirement to help turn around a stagnating team. Immediately, Dallas went 10-6 in Parcells’s first season and made the playoffs.
As mentioned, however, Flores is a man in high demand. Other teams, like the Las Vegas Raiders and the Cleveland Browns, will likely interview him for a head-coaching job. Surely, he would choose that over another coordinator role.
Furthermore, does it even make sense for Flores to go to the Cowboys at this stage of his career? It feels like a lateral move, and one that could invite more criticism if things go poorly. After all, it’s not like he took the job in Minnesota and things magically worked out overnight.
It’s taken time for the Vikings to get to where they’re at defensively under Flores. They started as a middling bunch these past few years. But this season, they’ve leaped into the top five in yards allowed, and are perhaps the league’s best passing defense.
If Flores were to go to Dallas and not succeed immediately, fans would become impatient. It would likely take two or three seasons before he has all of the defensive personnel he needs to run a tight ship. By that time, the criticism could be so loud that he’s pushed out the door.
We’ll see what ends up happening. But Flores to the Cowboys sounds like a bit of wishful thinking. He has head coaching roles on the table, potentially. And even though they are America’s Team, Dallas simply doesn’t have the roster or assets to be in Flores’s best interest.
