OXNARD, Calif — New Dallas Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant knows what a winning culture looks like.
Durant, who spent the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, nearly helped his old team play in their third Super Bowl over the course of a decade this past year. Now, the fifth-year pro is being tasked with helping turn around a Cowboys’ defense that was statistically the worst in football last season — and he’s already making an impact in trying to turn things around.
During an intense, fully padded practice on Sunday, Durant and other Cowboys defensive players celebrated every pass deflection and forced turnover by rushing the field before aggressively trash-talking in the faces of Dallas stars Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
“Every day we come out here, we want to compete at a high level and do your one-eleventh,” Durant told me. “And it’s on display every day we come out here. High energy, everybody doing their part and bringing what we do in the classroom and make it come to life on the field.”
While Durant has brought an energy to the Cowboys’ defense so far in training camp, he’s not the key person who joined Dallas this offseason to revitalize that unit. Defensive whiz and new coordinator Christian Parker has been the heart of the reenergized unit. Parker was hired by the Cowboys to run their defense after serving as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive backs coach over the last couple of seasons, working under Vic Fangio in Philadelphia and Denver.
Christian Parker joined the Cowboys to beocme their defensive coordinator this offseason after a stint with the Eagles. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
And what has helped Parker form such a quick connection with his unit (which features eight new starters) is his age. The 34-year-old has brought a culture shift, wearing a pair of Jordan 11s, navy blue sweats and a cut-off hoodie with white sleeves while calling plays on a radio along the sideline during practice.
“That’s dead,” Parker screamed, high-fiving coaches and players nearby as his defense stuffed a red-zone run.
Durant said not only is Parker detailed, but his youthful energy is infectious.
“He’s a real players’ coach who’s willing to listen and see what our thoughts are,” Durant, who is only five years younger than Parker, told me. “And also helping us as defensive vets and as a unit. It’s good to have a coach pour into you and allow you to just be you when you’re on the grass.”
“He’s very direct. He knows what he wants out of his guys, and he does a really good job of teaching and communicating,” edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku added about Parker, who is also the youngest defensive coordinator in Cowboys history. “But he’s a cool guy at the same time. He’s very chill, very relatable. He’s got some swag to him.”
Cornerback Cobie Durant had three interceptions with the Rams in 2025 before signing with the Cowboys in March. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
And as the Cowboys’ defense has been fired up and ready to fight back at the offense, Lamb has taken notice.
“It’s fire, man,” Lamb said. “I embrace it. I love it. It’s good to see your defense come out with that type of energy, that type of fire, that type of aggression early on. And for our offense, they leave us no choice to either bow down or fight back and to get back on top.
“And I know one thing about us: We won’t bow down to anybody.”
However, Parker had some bumps in his early days at training camp. Parker said he’s not a fan of the flood of access available to fans and media at training camp practices, which includes live streams and videos from 11-on-11 team drills posted on social media by folks in attendance.
Parker noted that he picked up things as a coach for other teams watching those same videos. But owner Jerry Jones isn’t changing his training camp policy — the more eyeballs on his team, the better, and Parker is learning to adjust to the constant attention on “America’s Team.”
But as for on-field matters, one of the key chess pieces for Parker’s defense is first-round pick Caleb Downs, who provides the versatility Pro Bowl defensive back Cooper DeJean offered for the Eagles. The Ohio State product is working at safety and slot cornerback, showing up in pass coverage over the two days I watched practice, including breaking up two passes intended for Lamb.
A physical presence who provides leadership and playmaking ability, Downs is expected to thrive in Parker’s scheme.
“He’s a guy who’s not afraid to fail and is not going to make the same mistake [twice],” Durant advised me. “And that’s what you need on this league. Whenever you are available, and also you see all these huge names, with some guys that might mess together with your confidence. With him, it doesn’t faze him.”
And whereas Parker won’t like the quantity of entry outsiders have at Cowboys camp, the crew’s practices have been all about soccer this yr, which is a giant change from final yr. Gone are the fixed headlines generated by the contentious Micah Parsons contract negotiations and eventual commerce to the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
That is allowed Brian Schottenheimer to take an old-school strategy to follow as he enters his second season as head coach. On Saturday, Schottenheimer lit into coaches and gamers for what he deemed a lackadaisical strategy to the beginning of follow.
“I simply felt just like the power was somewhat bit off,” Schottenheimer stated. “I felt like we broke stretch in bag (drills) and went to circuit drills, and the coaches weren’t as organized as I assumed they need to be. And so, I’m all the time going to level out what I really feel. And I believe they obtained the message and ended up placing collectively a hell of a follow.”
Schottenheimer additionally has gamers run gassers on the finish of follow for additional conditioning.
“It’s in all probability painful since you simply did a complete follow,” receiver George Pickens stated concerning the end-of-practice conditioning. “However positively conditioning is one other part of the sport that may positively offer you an edge over guys.”
Clearly, the Cowboys hope that these conditioning drills might be a part of what will get them over the hump as they search their first Tremendous Bowl title in over three a long time. Prescott has made it clear within the opening weeks of coaching camp that he and the crew have the Lombardi Trophy of their sights, going so far as to say he’s “manifesting” it to happen.
Parker, Schottenheimer and Prescott will get take a look at of the place these goals stand throughout a joint follow towards the Rams at Los Angeles’ Woodland Hills headquarters on Tuesday. Final yr, the Cowboys had been overwhelmed by the Rams’ bevy of playmakers, with Davante Adams, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams going up and down the sector for scores in a foreshadowing of what was to come back in 2025.
Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb have Tremendous Bowl goals for 2026, they usually assume they’ve a protection that might assist them accomplish that. (Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photos)
Durant is hoping for a unique outcome towards his former crew this yr.
“I’m overly excited,” Durant advised me. “I went up towards that offense for 4 years. It’s a high-powered offense. You bought Matthew Stafford, the operating backs within the backfield and the extensive receiver core — it’s a sight to see if you’re in follow going up towards it.
“However now I’m right here with the Dallas Cowboys, operating a brand new protection with new guys on this protection. And now you’ll really get to see what the man subsequent to you is de facto about, going towards one other offense.”
And Schottenheimer is extremely anticipating Tuesday’s follow, too.
“I need to see these guys play,” Schottenheimer stated. “I need to see the identical ardour and play type that they do towards our guys. I need to see them do it towards them. However it’s a constructing block, one other ramp-up.”
