DALLAS — The last Dallas Cowboys team to turn over this much of its defense went 1-15. That was 1989, Jerry Jones‘ first season as owner, and Jones brought it up himself Tuesday morning on the Shan & RJ show on 105.3 The Fan.
Jones bought the Cowboys in February 1989 and hired Jimmy Johnson away from the University of Miami the same week. Dallas won one game that year. It won Super Bowls XXVII and XXVIII after the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
Jerry Jones On The Scale Of The Dallas Cowboys’ Defensive Change
Christian Parker is the third Cowboys defensive coordinator in three seasons, after one-year runs from Mike Zimmer and Matt Eberflus, and roughly half the projected defensive starters are new.
“We want better than how we played last year,” Jones said. “And I think when you look at the fact that we’ve made the changes, period, not change for change’s sake, but I said it is for changes, but we’ve changed out really the face of the team on defense. We’ve not only changed the scheme, we’ve changed the coaching, and we’ve changed the most significant number of players that I’ve seen change since my first year with the Dallas Cowboys.
“That year we went 1-15, Johnson,” Jones continued. “And so those changes didn’t relate to success on the field that year. It’s changed the situation, not the same at all.”
Dallas finished 7-9-1 last season, scored 471 points, and allowed 511. Parker spent two seasons on the Philadelphia Eagles defensive staff and is calling plays for the first time. Pro Football Reference lists the Cowboys in a 3-4 alignment.
Christian Parker And The New Dallas Cowboys Defense
Dallas traded for Quinnen Williams on Nov. 4, 2025, traded for edge rusher Rashan Gary in March, signed Von Miller in free agency last month, and used the No. 11 overall pick on safety Caleb Downs. Kenny Clark, acquired from the Green Bay Packers in August 2025, anchors the interior alongside Williams.
Williams went third overall to the New York Jets in 2019 out of Alabama. He has 41.5 sacks in 105 career games, including 2.5 last season. Four straight Pro Bowls have followed, and he was a first-team All-Pro in 2022. He signed a three-year, $105.9 million extension through 2030.
The Cowboys also added Cobie Durant, Jalen Thompson, Dee Winters, and P.J. Locke in free agency, drafted edge rusher Malachi Lawrence in the first round, linebacker Jaishawn Barham in the third, and defensive end LT Overton at No. 137 overall.
Players voted Williams and Clark team captains for 2026 along with Dak Prescott and Brandon Aubrey.
More is still to come on offense in Jones’ view, and the young side of the roster is the defense.
“We’ve got a side of the ball on our offense,” Jones explained. “It’s really, really, really promising to really evolve even where we had last year, which last year did a lot of good things. We’ve got a chance to really improve on that offensively, and we’re sure going to improve on defense.”
Training camp ran at River Ridge Playing Fields in Oxnard, California, and the preseason closed at the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 22. Pro Football Reference lists the Cowboys at plus-3000 to win the Super Bowl with an over/under of 9.5 wins.
Week 3 takes Dallas to Rio de Janeiro to play the Baltimore Ravens. The season opens Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with kickoff against the New York Giants set for 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
