Cowboys news: Some flowers for unsung players from Dallas’ 2025 season
5 unsung Cowboys who deserve Valentine’s Day cards after 2025 – Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire
These Cowboys deserve their flowers after their play last season.
February 14 might be a holiday hijacked by Big Flowers and the infamous Hallmark Syndicate, but it’s also a worthwhile chance to express love and gratitude to those who all-so-often slip through the cracks. On the Dallas Cowboys, these are the players who may lack name recognition or superstar status that unjustly leaves them afterthoughts this time of year.
It is these players, oftentimes playing on modest salaries, who are the glue of NFL rosters. In a salary capped age, the difference between winning and losing coming down to role players and rotational pieces.
In honor of those players, we turn our Valentine’s Day attention to some of the unsung heroes of last year. We offer a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates to these overachievers, these glue guys, and these all-important injury replacements.
Brevyn Spann-Ford, TE
Spann-Ford is fast becoming a fan favorite. In just two short years, the undrafted free agent from Minnesota has arguably become the best blocking tight end in the NFL. His 6-foot-7, 270-pound frame makes him the perfect compliment to TE1 Jake Ferguson and his steady progression as a downfield option puts him on the starter track moving forward. Spann-Ford has contributed over 300 defensive snaps both seasons in Dallas and he’s done so in multiple capacities playing multiple roles. He’s a big part of Dallas’ success both as a run blocker and as an added pass protector.
T.J. Bass, OG
Bass is considered one of the top reserve linemen in the NFL and it’s easy to see why. The heavy lifter from Oregon is a plug and play replacement on the interior. Capable of play guard on both the right and left sides, he gives the Cowboys a premium insurance policy should disaster happen. Likely to be tendered as a restricted free agent in coming weeks, Bass gives Dallas a key asset heading into 2026. Graded by PFF 29 of 79 in guard play last year, he gives the Cowboys a starting quality replacement should starting left guard Tyler Smith move to left tackle again.
New post-Super Bowl mock draft is nightmare fuel for Cowboys fans – Luke Norris, The Landry Hat
Mock drafts are in the eye of the beholder.
The focus now, of course, is getting Parker some new players to work with, and most are hoping the Cowboys will use both of their first-round selections in the 2026 draft on defensive talent. Dallas, of course, has its own first-round pick and also holds the Green Bay Packers’ selection as part of the Micah Parsons trade. And the Cowboys certainly need to make those two picks count, as they sent their second-round pick to the New York Jets in the Quinnen Williams trade and their third-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the George Pickens deal.
Our good friend Cody Williams at FanSided recently constructed a three-round mock draft, and while he does have America’s Team using both picks on defensive players, some could take issue with the fact that the secondary wasn’t addressed. And two of their biggest rivals scoring some of the best DB help this upcoming draft has to offer might not help matters.
The Dallas Cowboys get screwed in FanSided’s three-round mock draft
The statement above certainly isn’t meant to be a knock, as Williams has the Cowboys taking Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 12 overall and Clemson edge rusher T.J. Parker at No. 20, both of whom are excellent choices and could conceivably contribute immediately, as both positions undoubtedly need an upgrade.
Again, the issue is that he doesn’t have the Cowboys taking a defensive back, which is undoubtedly an area of concern, as Dallas surrendered the most passing yards in the NFL this past year at 251.5 per game. Now, perhaps Williams is confident that Dallas will add some solid DB help when free agency begins in March and won’t need to add that kind of help early when the draft rolls around in late April. And that would obviously be great for the Cowboys.
What wouldn’t be, however, is if a couple of Williams’ other projects come to fruition, as he has the New York Giants using the No. 5 overall pick on LSU’s Monsoor Delane, who many believe to be the top cornerback in this class. And then, he has the Washington Commanders using the No. 7 overall pick on Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, who many believe to be the top safety in this class.
2 Cowboys assistants could become head coach candidates in 2026 – Mark Heaney, Inside the Star
Here today, gone tomorrow. The Cowboys could lose these coaches almost right away with an outstanding performance this year.
We just got past the head coach carousel for this offseason, but it is never too early to start looking ahead at who could headline the next group of candidates in the NFL. For the Dallas Cowboys, they especially might want to start considering this, since Brian Schottenheimer’s staff seems poised to be poached if the 2026 season is an improvement for America’s Team.
“Schotty” has built an impressive group of coaches as he heads into his second year; on offense, these guys are all returnees, but the defensive side is new. If the offense continues to excel, and the new defensive staff turns that side of the ball around, Dallas could lose assistants from both units next offseason.
Klayton Adams: Offensive Coordinator, Run-Game Guru On The Rise
Background: 43 Years Old, Colts Asst. O-Line & Tight Ends Coach (2019-2022), Cardinals O-Line Coach (2023-2024), Cowboys Offensive Coordinator (2025-Present).
Klayton Adams, a Boise State alum and long-time offensive line, tight ends, and running game specialist, garnered a ton of attention after just one year in Dallas as the offensive coordinator, and he wasn’t even calling plays. The Sacramento native came in, and Dallas’s run game success skyrocketed, while Arizona’s plummeted; his impact on the offense was huge. Adams’ career-long focus on the trenches could make him a top head coaching candidate if he notches another successful season with the Cowboys under his belt.
Not to mention, he’s young, and his leadership seems impressive. Dallas was able to block Philadelphia from interviewing him for their OC opening in January, but they won’t be able to prevent the same from happening a year from now if teams with head coach openings come calling.
Symon Says: Cowboys add a havoc-wreaker in new linebacker coach Scott Symons – Dan Rogers, Blogging the Boys
Dallas’ new linebackers coach is going to be a wild card in what already looks to be a stacked deck of coaches on defense.
The Dallas Cowboys have embarked on a comprehensive restructuring of their defensive coaching staff following a 2025 season where the unit surrendered the most points in franchise history. This overhaul began with the appointment of 34-year-old Christian Parker as the new defensive coordinator. Parker, previously the defensive passing-game coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, replaces Matt Eberflus and is expected to implement a scheme rooted in deception and disguise. The move signifies a shift toward a younger, more aggressive coaching philosophy to revitalize a unit that struggled significantly last season.
On Friday, the Cowboys continued their defensive renovation by hiring Scott Symons as the team’s new inside linebackers coach. Symons arrives in Frisco after serving as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach at SMU for the past four seasons. Despite interest from several other NFL franchises during this coaching cycle, the Dallas native elected to stay in his home region and take his first professional coaching role under Parker. Symons was widely considered one of the premier defensive minds in the collegiate ranks.
What do the Cowboys have in Symons? Here are six things to remember about the team’s new linebacker coach:
Havoc-Wreakers – His squads are constant disruptors. Whether it’s sacks or turnovers, his guys are coming after you. Last year at SMU, his defensive unit finished fifth in total takeaways.
Rushing Defense Excellence – Under his guidance in 2024, the Mustangs finished seventh nationally in run defense, allowing just 100.2 yards per game. He turned the line of scrimmage into a brick wall.
Red Zone Dominance – One of his greatest strengths is tightening defenses when it counts the most. His units consistently ranked in the top 25 nationally in red zone defense, including finishing second in the FBS in 2024 and fifth in 2025.
Track Record of Success – He played a pivotal role in helping SMU reach its first college football playoff in program history during the 2024 campaign.
Disguise and Complexity – He is praised for his ability to simplify complex, multiple-front schemes for his players while disguising looks to confuse opposing quarterbacks. This has to be music to Parker’s ears.
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