The Dallas Cowboys now have their new head coach in place in Brian Schottenheimer and have already hired two new coordinators. One is Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator.
Eberflus was most recently the head coach of the Chicago Bears, but has ties to the Cowboys going back to the days of Jason Garrett and Rod Marinell when he served as the team's linebackers coach.
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One common theme in the NFL nowadays is free agents following their former coaches to wherever their next stop is. Dallas saw this twice before recently when they hired Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinators. Quinn brought players from his past such as Dante Fowler and Keanu Neal. Zimmer did the same thing this past season bringing in Eric Kendricks and Linval Joseph.
With Eberflus having recent ties in Indianapolis and Chicago, it is not farfetched to think the Cowboys will try to bring in players through free agency who Eberflus coached previously. Free agency does not kick off until March, but teams are already bracing for letting guys walk. If these players hit the open market, they would be good fits for the Cowboys.
3 players with Matt Eberflus ties who would fit on the Cowboys
1. DT Chris Williams
Chris Williams has already followed Eberflus once in his career. After making the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2020, Williams was traded to Chicago in August. The move reunited him with Eberflus.
He saw significant playing time in 2024, appearing in all of the Bears 17 games and starting one of them. His numbers were not gaudy but he did register three sacks and seven quarterback hits during the season. For a former undrafted player, Williams took advantage of his opportunities to prove he can make a roster and be a contributor.
The Cowboys need to once again address defensive tackle in the offseason. Osa Odighizuwa is set to be a free agent and Linval Joseph will likely not return being a Zimmer guy. If the team loses both of those players, they have to bring it at least one defensive tackle in free agency. There may be a prospect they want in the draft, but depth matters in this league and that is what this team never addresses.
Dallas spent next to no money last offseason on exterior free agents, but Williams should be one of them the team should bring in. He more than likely will not cost a lot to bring in on a one to two year cheap deal. Based on the fact he followed Eberflus once, it should not surprise anyone if Williams comes to Dallas to reunite with his former coach again.
2. RG Will Fries
Eberflus might be a defensive coach, but Dan Quinn got offensive players like Tyler Biadasz and Noah Brown to follow him to Washington. One player on the offensive side of the ball who would be a solid get for Dallas is Will Fries, especially if Zack Martin does retire. Fries was a rookie in 2021 when Eberflus was in his final season as defensive coordinator for the Colts.
Fries was a seventh round pick who did not see much of the field as a rookie, but became a significant starter on the Colts' offensive line the next two seasons. He started 26 games during 2022 and 2023. This past season was the first where he missed time due to injury. He fractured his right tibia in week five and missed the rest of the season.
With the Colts needing to make decisions on other offensive line free agents in guys like Ryan Kelly and Mark Glowinski, they may opt to let Fries walk. They also may not want to invest in a player coming off a significant leg injury. If Fires hits the open market, teams will be looking at him.
While Eberflus might not have the closest relationship with Fries, he does know him from his days in Indianapolis. He is another player who would fit in well with what Dallas needs to address this offseason. One way or another offensive line is a group this team needs to think about in 2025. Veterans are departing and this group is getting younger and inexperienced.
Bringing in Fries would be an instant veteran starter at right guard and a good replacement for Martin. Jerry Jones admitted he might have expected too much from Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe as rookies replacing future Hall of Famers and Pro Bowlers. If he wants to avoid that mistake again, he should bring in Fries.
3. LB E.J. Speed
E.J. Speed is an Eberflus guy the Cowboys really need to look at in free agency. Speed was a fifth round pick in 2019 during Eberflus' second season with Indianapolis as defensive coordinator. During his six seasons as a Colt he went from part-time player to one of the Colts' best defensive players.
Speed has played in 92 games so far in his career and started 32 of them. He became a full-time starter at outside linebacker the past two seasons. The 2024 season marked his career-high in tackles with 142, which was third best on the team. At 29, Speed is smack in the middle of his prime and looks like a star in the making.
The Cowboys have a good group of linebackers highlighted by Micah Parsons, but he has become more of a strict edge rusher at this point in his career. It also looked like they hit the jackpot on DeMarvion Overshown, but he has now suffered two major knee injuries. It is unknown how much he will even play in 2025. Marist Liufau looked good as a starter towards the end of last season, but questions still linger about his size as an outside backer.
The bottom line is: Dallas needs to address linebacker this offseason. Bringing in Speed would be a big boost for the linebacking corp. Liufau and the other young players in this group could benefit greatly from having a six-year veteran will plenty of tread left on the tire leading the way. Speed would give Dallas an instant starter there.
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