Why Cowboys need to sign free agent Bobby Wagner to fix defensive woes, communication
Dallas kicked off its schedule with a 28-20 loss to the New York Giants, displaying persistent defensive struggles under coordinator Christian Parker despite his efforts to simplify terminology. After finishing 2025 with the league's lowest-ranked scoring defense, the Cowboys saw roughly half those defensive snaps turn over to departed personnel, yet their opening display rated as the NFL's worst Week 1 performance in defensive expected points added per drive.
In fact, TruMedia data placed the outing at 574th out of 576 total defensive showcases recorded since the start of 2025.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer highlighted pre-snap breakdowns among newer teammates as the primary culprit, noting instances such as running back Devin Singletary going completely unmonitored. The relay duties previously handled by DeMarvion Overshown have now shifted to first-year player Jaishawn Barham ahead of an upcoming clash with the Washington Commanders, as Overshown is sidelined by a hamstring problem.
