The Dallas Cowboys introduced Brian Schottenheimer as their head coach on Monday. For an organization that loves to drag out even the finest of announcements and rumors, they have moved quickly to fill out Schottenheimer's staff.
For starters, Dallas would have been hard-pressed to hire a better defensive coordinator than Matt Eberflus. While the likes of Steve Wilks and Dennis Allen were available, Eberflus has a history with the franchise and his success as a DC is right on par with Wilks and Allen.
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The Cowboys also brought in Jets defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton for the same position. A former Robert Saleh assistant, Whitecotton may bring some of Saleh's concepts and ideology to Dallas on top of a proven track record of developing defensive linemen.
The search for an offensive coordinator is ongoing. That took a dark turn on Thursday, but there are still some promising names in the mix.
While the front office has made some slam-dunk hires this week, they made their best coaching move of the offseason on Thursday.
Cowboys finalize deal to retain beloved tight ends coach Lunda Wells
According to Patrik Walker of the Cowboys' official website, Lunda Wells as agreed to a contract extension that ties him to the franchise for years to come. The length of the deal has not been disclosed, but Walker's reporting suggests it's of the multi-year variety.
It's hard to put into words the importance of retaining Wells.
A longtime TEs coach in the league, Wells received interest from several teams this hiring cycle. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Wells took a visit with the Bears this week. That Dallas prevented Wells from leaving can only be considered a massive win.
Many Cowboys fans have called for Wells to convert to the team's offensive line coach. It seems, though, that Wells will continue groom Dallas' tight ends.
That is great news for Jake Ferguson, who enters a contract year in 2025, as well as 2023 second-round pick Luke Schoonmaker, who made a notable leap in year two. Ferguson made a Pro Bowl in his second year in 2023 under Wells' tutelage and Dalton Schultz developed into a prolific tight end before departing Dallas two years ago.
While Wells is a brilliant football mind, what makes him a truly elite coach is that he cares about his players and puts in the work behind the scenes to help them grow. He is one of the best position coaches in football and an integral part of the Cowboys' staff.
His return is enormous.