Another promising Dallas Cowboys season was torpedoed by its defense, and Jerry Jones is wasting no time in his search for a replacement to fix the broken unit. He made the call to fire defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus; therefore, they must get the right man for the job next season. For now, Jones’ search for a new DC is already underway, and the initial list of candidates suggests that he’s looking for a particular coaching profile to fix the league’s worst defense.

“The Cowboys have requested permission to speak with Minnesota [Vikings] defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones, Denver [Broncos] assistant HC/pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard, and [Cleveland] Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda for their defensive coordinator vacancy, according to multiple sources,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote.

It’s a pretty decent list, considering that Eberflus didn’t set the bar too high. Even after adding Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline and enjoying a brief three-game winning streak, Dallas still finished with the worst defense in football. They allowed the most points in the league (30.1), gave up the most passing yards (251.5), and ranked 23rd against the run.

Ideally, many Cowboys fans would have loved to see Brian Flores come back to Dallas. Since arriving in Minnesota, Flores has completely reshaped that unit. The Vikings have finished as a top-16 scoring defense in each of their three seasons, including top-10 finishes the last couple of years. That doesn’t appear to be where this is headed, though. And if you can’t go for the Vikings’ DC, go for their pass game coordinator. That’s what Jerry Jones wants to do with Daronte Jones.

Daronte worked with CBs and DBs for almost a decade and was integral in the Vikings’ pass defense performance in 2025. They ranked second in the league. He hasn’t called plays in the NFL, but he was LSU’s DC in 2021. This year didn’t go well, and after what Dallas just endured, Jones may feel like a riskier choice. Still, it all depends on how the interview plays out.

Leonhard might be the most sought-after name on this list.

If Broncos DC Vance Joseph secures an HC job somewhere, Leonhard could be next in line for Denver’s DC role. If not, Dallas would offer a clear path upward. Brian Schottenheimer and Leonhard go back to their days with the New York Jets from 2008 to 2011, when Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator, and Leonhard played safety.

He was the defensive coordinator at the University of Wisconsin from 2017 to 2022 and even served as interim head coach in 2022. He joined Denver last season and also became the assistant head coach in 2025. It’s a pretty decent résumé.

As for Banda, he just wrapped up his third season in Cleveland under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. He also lacks experience as an NFL defensive coordinator, but he does have a college résumé. He was co-DC at the University of Miami in 2019 and 2020 and the DC at Utah State University in 2021 and 2022.

Besides them, bigger names could emerge once the season fully ends and the staff starts shifting. Hiring the right coordinator is just the first step in what Jones promises will be another “controversial” offseason.

Jerry Jones signaled his intent to make dramatic moves beyond the coaching staff

The 2025 offseason was something. The very public standoff between Micah Parsons and Jerry Jones, which eventually ended with Parsons being shipped off to the Green Bay Packers, became the defining storyline across the league. And Jones is not looking to dial things down this time around.

“We want to get out here and do better than we did this year. (There’s) the incentive to, dare I say it, bust the budget to try to get something done now? Yes. Yes,” the owner said.

“We’ll do some dramatic things. That was a dramatic thing we did (trading Micah Parsons). We didn’t do it not to win games. The point is, this calls for some pretty controversial decisions,” he added.

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Cowboys fans would understandably hope that “dramatic” this time means adding talent, not picking another fight with one of the team’s best players. But listening to the way Jones talks about money, it does sound like Dallas is at least open to being more aggressive than it’s been in recent years.

“We’re gonna keep this thing as good as we can possibly be. Finances are no object. We’re gonna make it as entertaining as we can and keep it as lively as we can for everybody,” he said.

If the Cowboys truly lean into that mindset, the flexibility is there. With the right restructures and moves, they could open up as much as $147 million in cap space. The obvious starting point would be handling their own business, specifically re-signing George Pickens and Javonte Williams, both of whom are set to hit free agency.

Trades could also be part of the plan. Another “dramatic” swing wouldn’t surprise anyone, especially on defense. The Cowboys already made a call on Maxx Crosby this season, so the intent is clear. They’re looking for difference-makers. However it plays out, Jones sounds ready to push his chips in again.