DC Cowboys New Todd Archer, ESPN.com, says Mike Zimmer is “going to test your mettle.”
Former Dallas Cowboys players explain what the team will get in Mike Zimmer.
Marcus Spears, a former defensive end for the Cowboys and current ESPN pundit, said of Zimmer, “He’s a great man and he’s a phenomenal football coach.” Spears spent two seasons under Zimmer. “Hard but fair, and genuinely concerned for his guys.” Despite his curse against me, it was an honor to perform for Zim.
When Zimmer took over as the Cowboys head coach in 2003, Bill Parcells did not know him, but it did not take him long to win Parcells over. A great deal.
Parcells remarked, “I always liked that he’s a coach’s son because they lived it at the dinner table when they were young.” “Bill Belichick thought the same thing. They were the kind of guys that that was. However, Mike and I ended up being close friends.
They are in constant communication, and Parcells claims responsibility for introducing Zimmer to horse racing. But football became their shared passion. Although Parcells preferred the 3-4 strategy, Dallas had the players for a 4-3 defense when he arrived, and they won the 2003 NFL Championship.
Giants refuse to give the Cowboys an interview with Andre Patterson, the defensive line coach – Ryan Dunleavy, New York Post
The Dallas Cowboys tried to poach a division rival’s coach who is familiar with Mike Zimmer.
The Cowboys’ interest in interviewing Giants defensive line coach Andre Patterson for a lateral move across the NFC East was rebuffed Tuesday, a source confirmed to The Post.
ESPN first reported that an interview request was denied, but the message might have been translated in more informal conversations before permission was sought.
Either way, inject a new subplot into the rivalry, which has seen 13 wins by the Cowboys in the past 14 meetings.
Given that Patterson was employed by the new Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer during his eight-year tenure as head coach of the Vikings, the curiosity is not surprising.
Under Zimmer, Patterson progressed from associate head coach to co-defensive coordinator and then defensive line coach.
However, the Giants were not going to let Patterson go.
Especially not after spending their two seasons together helping tackle Dexter Lawrence evolve into an All-Pro.
Dallas Can’t Afford to Let These Three Cowboys Enter Free Agency in 2024: Devon Platana, Sport DFW
The Cowboys have a ton of free agents they could want to come back, but at the right price.
Cowboys Can’t Let CB Stephon Gilmore Hit Free Agency
Stephon Gilmore was a major factor in the Cowboys’ 2023 success as a top-five club against the pass.
Appearing in all 17 games, the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year finished with 54 solo tackles, 13 passes defended (his highest total since 2019), two interceptions, and one forced fumble. On 95 targets, he only gave up a 55.8% completion percentage and an 82.7 passer rating. After everything was said and done, Gilmore had an overall defensive grade of 71.2 and was ranked as Pro Football Focus’ 35th best cornerback for the season.
When Trevon Diggs sustained his ACL tear that ended the season, the Cowboys’ chances of winning appeared to be slim. Thankfully, Gilmore and rookie All-Pro wide receiver DaRon Bland were there to cover for him. Next season, Diggs and Bland will be a dangerous combination for opposing quarterbacks, but many Dallas supporters, like myself, would love to see what the three players could accomplish over a 17-game schedule.
Cowboys Can’t Let LT Tyron Smith Hit Free Agency
The Cowboys offensive line would be difficult to conceive without Tyron Smith’s shield. After all, since being selected ninth overall in 2011, the eight-time Pro Bowl blocker has started for Dallas and appeared in 161 games as a starter.
Still, Smith’s future in the Lone Star State remains uncertain. He will become a free agent next month, and although many fans would prefer to see him return, he will turn 34 in December and recently finished his eighth season of playing 13 or fewer games. If the Cowboys are unwilling to give him the large salary he needs to stay in town, it wouldn’t be shocking.
Defense coordinator Aden Durde signs with Seattle – Nick Harris, Dallascowboys.com
The defensive line coach, who was born in Britain, officially joins the Seattle Seahawks.
With the departure of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who took a head coaching position with the Washington Commanders and replaced him with secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator, this is the third Dallas defensive assistant to leave this offseason for another position. Mike Zimmer was hired by Dallas to be the defensive coordinator, so they have already replaced one position.
Durde was the Atlanta Falcons’ outside linebackers coach in 2020 before moving to Dallas. In 2018 and 2019, he served as the team’s quality control coach. Before entering the NFL, he spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator for the London Warriors of the BAFA National Leagues. This will be his second stint in that position throughout his coaching career. This past week, Durde had an interview to be the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, but Zimmer narrowly prevailed.
On January 31, he will be hired by former Ravens defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald, who will assemble a staff in Seattle. The 44-year-old Durde is pinned as the NFL’s newest and youngest head coach, serving as both his official assistant and defensive coordinator. In order to prepare for a crucial summer in which defensive linemen Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr., and Neville Gallimore reach free agency, the Cowboys under Mike Zimmer will want to hire a replacement for Durde.
