The Dallas Cowboys are moving fast after their season ended. Over the past few days, three interviews have already gone down as Jerry Jones digs through every possible option to steady a defense that clearly lost its footing. Simply put, the Cowboys do not want last season’s defensive mess to bleed into another year.

Jerry Jones recently turned his attention toward Cleveland. The Cowboys brought in Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda for an interview as they search for a new defensive coordinator. This comes after Dallas cut ties with Matt Eberflus following just one season. Now, Banda’s resume brings an interesting angle to the table.

Before joining the Browns in 2023, when Jim Schwartz took over the defense from Joe Woods, Banda’s coaching life lived mostly on Saturdays. His background is rooted in college football at Miami and Utah State.

During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he handled both defensive coordinator duties and the safeties room. Even earlier, he wore a similar dual hat at Miami in 2019 and 2020 as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

Meanwhile, Banda is not the only name on Jerry’s long list.

The Cowboys have also spoken with Minnesota Vikings defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones and Broncos defensive pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard. Each brings a different flavor, yet all share one common trait. They are detail-heavy coaches who live in coverage rules and pressure structure.

However, not every door has opened. Dallas requested permission to interview Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, only to be turned away. Atlanta shut it down while searching for its own new head coach after firing Raheem Morris, another name once tied to Dallas.

This week, attention shifts toward Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. He is a high-profile target, no doubt. Still, Flores is also drawing head coaching interest, and a promotion likely beats a lateral move. For now, Jerry keeps pushing because in the Big D, fixing the defense comes before everything else.

Jerry Jones needs to fix his defense this offseason

As Jerry Jones continues another defensive coordinator hunt, the frustration feels louder this time. This marks the fourth straight NFL season Jerry Jones has gone back to the well looking for answers. Dan Quinn was fired in 2023, Mike Zimmer was next in 2024, and we all know what happened to Matt Eberflus this season.

But that didn’t change much, as the 2025 season went down as one of the worst defensive years for them.

Dallas finished the 2025 season allowing 477 total points. That averages out to 29.8 points per game. Worse yet, it ranked 32nd in the NFL. No other team gave up more points. Naturally, the pass defense stood out for all the wrong reasons and became the weak spot that teams attacked weekly.

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The Cowboys sat dead last against the pass. Explosive plays showed up early and often. Coverage rules broke down. Discipline slipped. Meanwhile, opposing quarterbacks kept circling the same flaws and exploiting them. And despite clear trends on film, Dallas never adjusted fast enough or cleanly enough to stop the bleeding.

On top of that, the overall defense could not hold its ground. The Cowboys allowed roughly 377 yards per game, placing them near the bottom of the league in total defense. Third downs rarely ended drives, red-zone trips usually ended in points, and turnovers stayed scarce. As a result, momentum rarely swung Dallas’ way.

Finally, the lack of real adjustment sealed it. In-game fixes failed. Week-to-week changes never stuck. When every major category painted the same picture, Jerry Jones had no choice. After months of noise, quiet talks, and growing pressure, the Cowboys committed to change. For America’s Team, fixing the defense is now the mission.