The Dallas Cowboys are heavily focused on building a strong defense. After a season of defensive struggles, the head coach handed Christian Parker all the power to execute a master plan. Following the departures of Andre Curtis, Dave Borgonzi, and others, multiple coaching vacancies were created, and the team is making progress towards a significant decision that could pay dividends.

In a latest development of the Cowboys’ defensive staff rebuild, the team appears to be closing in on former defensive coordinator Zachary Orr. According to reporter Clarence Hill Jr., Orr recently met with the Cowboys’ coaching staff for discussions regarding a potential linebackers coach role. However, he is also drawing strong interest from Giants head coach John Harbaugh.

“Former Ravens DC Zachary Orr had dinner with the Cowboys tonight and is [in] line for an elevated linebacker coach position under Christian Parker,” Clarence Hill Jr. wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Orr has history with Brian Schottenheimer from their days with the Jaguars. He has a relationship with Parker. Orr is also drawing interest from the New York Giants and John Harbaugh. He also interviewed for the Chargers’ defensive coordinator spot. Orr is a DeSoto native and a North Texas alum.”

The changes came after the Cowboys found themselves in a bad situation right fromthe start. Injuries to Trevon Diggs (knee) and DaRon Bland (left foot) took away their best players in the secondary, and the front office didn’t do enough to fix the problem. Because of that, the team ended up with one of the weakest defensive back groups in the NFL, and the numbers say it all.

Only three cornerbacks played enough snaps to be ranked. Bland did the best of the group but still finished only 45th out of 112 players. Reddy Stewart struggled all year and ranked 99th. Rookie Shavon Revel had the toughest time and finished last at 112th.

Orr was previously considered for the defensive coordinator position before the team ultimately selected Parker.

Since Parker’s hiring, the Cowboys have conducted a wide-ranging search to fill the remaining defensive staff positions. Interviews have included former Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, Steelers outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin, Eagles assistant linebackers coach Ronell Williams, Cardinals’ CBs coach Ryan Smith, and Vikings defensive line coach Marcus Dixon. The front office appears to be focused on casting a broad net amid their move to evaluate experience across multiple defensive systems.

Orr, among others, brings familiarity with the leadership, having previously worked alongside head coach Brian Schottenheimer in Jacksonville during the 2021 season. The Texas native also has regional ties that could factor into the team’s evaluation. However, is still up for hire and remains an in-demand candidate after interviewing for the Chargers’ defensive coordinator opening.

However, despite the competitiveness, executive vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys are aiming to complete the coaching staff in the coming days.

“The goal would be by the weekend,” Jones said. “Could it linger? It could. We’ve had a lot of great visits, and we got a lot of guys who are going to be coming in. We’ve made the next step that we want to bring them in here and get on board with them. Coach Schottenheimer and Christian will get in there and see what we can do with it, and hopefully we can get a lot of good coaches in here.”

But is the locker room comfortable with all the changes? The head coach said he hasn’t asked the players for their opinions. He believes he already knows the answer, saying that if he were to take a poll, every hand in the room would go up.

Brian Schottenheimer clarifies his plans for the upcoming season

The Dallas Cowboys are leaving no stone unturned in the process of building a strong coaching team. While firing three members of their coaching team sparked doubts among the fans, the head coach didn’t back down from extending a clarification. According to him, the roster is heavily dedicated to following a strategy that he is building, and therefore, the management is focused on finishing “strong” in the upcoming season.

“We want to finish strong,” Schottenheimer said, as reported by Jon Machota on X. “We want to build on the momentum. … We play a physical game. Everybody understands that. These guys, when they go out, they don’t think that way. They play. That’s what they’ve been taught to do since they were 5 years old. You just go and you play.”

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Further highlighting the reason why he thinks the changes could be successful, he added:

“I’m not asking their opinion. We’re playing to win. But I guarantee you if I took a poll of guys in that locker room that wanted to play, every hand would shoot up, for all the reasons that I’ve said. They love one another. They know we’re building something special here. Quite honestly, we’d love to not have a losing record, and then potentially go 5-1 in the division.”

The ongoing discussions with Zachary Orr have yet to yield the expected results, while other teams’ interest adds a major hurdle to his signing. With Christian Parker holding the power, it remains to be seen if he ends up building a dream team.