Cowboys news: DTs Williams and Clark discuss new defense
Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark on Christian Parker’s ‘attention to detail’ defense – Tommy Yarrish, Dallas Cowboys.com
More discussion about the Cowboys news defense.
In 2026, the Cowboys’ defense will look completely different than the year before. Not just from a personnel standpoint, but schematically under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.
In their short time working together, Clark has recognized that the little things are a big emphasis for what Parker wants to do.
“Just the attention to detail,” Clark said. “This defense is going to be huge on the details, huge on pre-snap and all that kind of stuff. All that stuff is going to be really good for us. We’ve got a lot of smart players on all three levels of the defense, and that’ll be great for us.”
When watching some of the best defenses around the league, Williams sees a lot of the same things that Parker is looking to do for the Cowboys implemented in those elite units. With that combined with new position coaches and new personnel, it creates an enticing combination.
“90% of this whole entire defensive staff is turned over. The guys we brought in from coaches all the way down to players in unbelievable,” Williams said. “The scheme itself, you gotta see around the league. A lot of people run the same scheme and have unbelievable success… all the top defenses in the league kind of run this scheme. Super excited the way that CP runs it, how meticulous he is, the details he hones in, and to be around a great group of guys.”
Can Cowboys recoup value from draft pick, millions invested on this WR? – Reid Hanson, Cowboys Wire
Now buried on the depth chart, can the Cowboys salvage this trade for this wide receiver?
When the Dallas Cowboys looked at their roster midway through the 2024 season, they decided they needed to add something to the offense. Looking to a prospect they liked in the 2023 draft process, the Cowboys turned their attention to the Carolina Panthers and receiver Jonathan Mingo. Mingo, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, was the type of big-framed receiver they liked. Capable of playing the outside and freeing up space for Ceedee Lamb underneath, Mingo fit Dallas’ biggest needs: an X receiver.
Facing a year where Dak Prescott was likely headed to the IR, it was a move more about the future than the present. It’s safe to say as a former No. 39 overall draft pick, expectations were high in Dallas. Sadly, Mingo has struggled to live up to his lofty draft expectations. Posting just six receptions for 71 yards in his season-and-a-half in Dallas, Mingo is now on his last breath with the Cowboys.
2026 marks his fourth NFL season and a true make-or-break campaign for the 25-year-old pass catcher. After agreeing to an $820,000 pay cut prior to the season, it’s a reality he probably knows all too well. In all, the Cowboys have invested $2,131,433 in Mingo, according to Over the Cap numbers. Combined with the draft pick compensation of the No. 114 pick in 2025 — which turned out to be Trevor Etienne — Dallas has invested quite a bit in the Mingo Project.
In the investment world, these are called sunk costs. The capital has been spent and allowing it to influence future decisions is ill-advised and must be avoided.With the costs sunk, it’s up to Mingo to rise up. That’s the only thing that can get his career on track and the best way for him to see an NFL future. The trick is, on the 2026 Cowboys, it will have to happen in a supportive role. No longer do the Cowboys need a starting player who can take pressure off Lamb. George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy serve that role and they can each do it from the outside receiver positions.
Jaden Smith gives Cowboys a big wide receiver in 2026: Who’s Jaden Smith? – Cody Warren, Inside the Star
Getting to know Dallas’ huge new wideout.
The Dallas Cowboys added another wide receiver to the room, signing Jaden Smith as a free agent. I want everyone to know this is not the kind of move that’s going to take over sports talk. This move probably won’t change the offense overnight, if at all, but I do think it is one worth paying attention to.
Jaden Smith is a 6’6”, 210-pound wide receiver from Fort Worth. He played college football at Montana State, Tarleton State, and Nevada before getting his first NFL shot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent. Now he gets a chance with the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas doesn’t need Smith to walk in and become a top-three receiver. The Cowboys need camp bodies, different body types, players who have one clear trait that might translate to playing time.
Smith has that trait. He’s big, really big.
Jaden Smith Produced Before Getting to Dallas
One of the things I like about this signing is that Smith isn’t just some tall project, he produced in college. At Tarleton State, Jaden Smith had a breakout 2022 season with 48 catches for 822 yards and 10 touchdowns. The touchdowns caught my attention because that tells me he can finish a drive. Then he transferred to Nevada and showed he could make some noise at the FBS level. In 2024, he caught 62 passes for 849 yards and seven touchdowns. This is the best proof that he could do more than beat small-school defensive backs. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to sit here and act like Nevada production turns into NFL production, but the difference here is his size.
What Jaden Smith Brings to the Cowboys
The Cowboys receiver room is very top-heavy with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. After them, the most likely receivers are Ryan Flournoy and gadget guy KaVontae Turpin. The rest of the room is just fighting for oxygen. I believe the size of Smith will attract some attention. Not many receivers are 6’6”and that frame gives a massive target and catch radius, especially in the red zone. Sometimes a team just needs a guy who can go up and get a ball over a secondary player. He’s not going to make the roster because he is fast or runs pretty routes, he will make it by being physical and catching the ball in traffic. I couldn’t find much of a scouting report on Smith, but I did find this little nugget of information:
WR Jaden Smith: At 6-6 and 210 pounds, Smith is an elite red zone target, which makes up for his lack of top-end NFL speed. Smith spent six seasons in college but just one at the FBS level, so his sample size of film at that level is light. But in his lone season at Nevada, Smith caught 62 passes for 849 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging a good 13.7 yards per catch. His size and high-pointing ability could get him an NFL shot, and he gets high marks for character/intangibles.
Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: C Matt Hennessy – Jess Haynie, Blogging the Boys
The Cowboys have a solid option behind Cooper Beebe.
Some players you’re excited to see more of in the upcoming season, and some you hope you’ll never see. Matt Hennessy is in the latter group, but that’s not a knock on him as a player. That’s life for most backup offensive linemen, a role that Hennessy is projected to play as one of the newly-arrived Dallas Cowboys in 2026.
Background
Years in NFL: 6
Acquired by: Free agency (2026)A third-round pick in 2020 by the Falcons, Hennessy spent most of his rookie year in development behind longtime starter Alex Mack. He became the full-time starter in 2021 after Mack left in free agency and with Atlanta going into a rebuilding phase under a new head coach. While grading out as one of the NFL’s best run-blocking centers, Hennessy was one of its worst performers in pass protection.
In his third year, Hennessy lost his starting job but remained on as an interior backup. He would start three games in reserve duty, all at left guard. Any hope of retaining that role in 2023 was dashed when Hennessy suffered a season-ending knee injury in training.
After his rookie deal expired in 2024, Hennessy signed on with the Eagles to compete for a backup job. He was released at final cuts, then sat unemployed for about a month before Atlanta brought him back in on its practice squad. In late December, the 49ers poached Hennessy for their final games. He stuck with San Francisco in 2025 as a backup, starting two mid-season games.
Last March, the Cowboys made a choice between two free agent linemen in T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman. They gave Bass a $5.77 million deal as a restricted free agent and allowed Hoffman, also a RFA, to sign elsewhere. Needing a cheaper option to replace him, they were able to sign Hennessy for considerably less.
Contract Status
Years Left: 1
2026 Cap Hit: 1.26 millionHennessy got just a hair above the veteran minimum for a fifth-year player. But while his overall compensation, a key point in the deal is that it’s almost fully guaranteed. While Dallas could still eat $1.2 million if it has to, the guaranteed money suggests that Hennessy already has a strong grip on one of the backup jobs.
Daily discussion question: What still has to happen for you to feel like the Cowboys are ready for camp?
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