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Brian Schottenheimer defends Cowboys inactivity after A.J. Brown, Myles Garrett trades

Danby: Daniel Hager3 hours agoDanielHagerOn3

The NFL was shook to its core this week when future Hall of Fame defensive end Myles Garrett and All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown were traded. Garrett was sent from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster, and Brown finally received his long-awaited trade from Philadelphia to the New England Patriots.

Following big moves from the Rams and Patriots, the Dallas Cowboys received a bit of backlash for not making a big deal of their own. Second-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer was asked about not joining the party and trading for a star this week. He, however, defended Dallas’ offseason.

“It’s a competitive business,” Schottenheimer said. “Everyone is trying to get their roster right. Each roster is different. Each roster is unique to themselves. We feel like we’ve had an incredible offseason of additions.”

Dallas’ offseason was headlined by the addition of Pro Bowl linebacker Rashan Gary, who they acquired from the Green Bay Packers in a trade in March. Along with the addition of Gary, Dallas hit big in the NFL Draft. First, it selected two-time unanimous All-American safety Caleb Downs with the No. 11 overall pick. It then selected First Team All-Big 12 linebacker Malachi Lawrence at Pick. 23, adding two more strong pieces to its defense.

Dallas Cowboys overhauled defense with additions of Gary, Downs, Lawrence

The Cowboys defense was in desperate need of an overhaul this offseason, as they ranked 30th in the NFL in yards allowed per game (377.0) and last in the NFL in points allowed per game (30.1) last season. Schottenheimer, and certainly owner/president/GM Jerry Jones, believe that they’ve done enough to help will Dallas back to the Playoffs next year. With a bottom-three defense in 2025, the Cowboys missed out on the Playoffs with a 7-9 record.

With one of the most talented offenses in the league, and a revamped defense led by first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker, Dallas is looking to snap its two-year missed playoff skid in 2025.

“Absolutely. We all underachieved,” Jerry Jones said about the 2025 season, per 105.3 The Fan. “The fact we [weren’t] in the playoffs says that for you. …The question is, can we make some changes where we need to?”

With many changes made, the Cowboys head towards training camp with all eyes on an NFC East crown. Dallas hasn’t won the NFC East 2023, hasn’t made an appearance in the NFC Championship Game since 1995, and hasn’t made an appearance in the Super Bowl since 1995.