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Caleb Downs #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes will be a key addition for new Cowboys DC Christian Parker.

When the Dallas Cowboys hired Christian Parker, then the defensive backs coach for the Eagles under much-touted coordinator Vic Fangio, the move was hailed as a big moment for the franchise. That was not only because Parker was a young (he’s 34) and ascending coach–a departure from Jerry Jones’ preferred ex-head coach retread model–but also because it signaled the Cowboys would take their scheme in a new direction.

Last year, the Cowboys struggled defensively on every level. They could not stop the run, allowing 4.7 yards per carry, 26th in the NFL. They could not stop the pass, allowing 7.2 yards per play, which was 32nd. They did not force turnovers (12 for the year, which was 30th) or sack the quarterback much (35, which ranked 22nd).

No doubt, a significant part of the problem was personnel. The Cowboys have been addressing that this offseason, and Parker may have gotten his star in the draft, safety Caleb Downs.

Discipline and leadership were lacking, too. Again the Cowboys have been trying to address that. But the scheme was all wrong, and the hope was that now, Parker would bring a Fangio defense (his defenses have been Top 5 in points allowed in the past two years) down to Dallas.

Christian Parker: This Is Not ‘Vic’s Defense’

But on Friday, as the team opened its rookie minicamp, Cowboys reporters had a chance to ask Parker come questions. And notable in his answers was this: He is not just bringing Fangio’s schemes to The Star. He is trying to mold a defense that fits the kind of players he wants on the roster, and the tactics his coaches want to use on game days.

He does not want to be seen as a Fangio knock-off, and he has tried to use his staff as a resource.

“No. 1, I have had some really good examples to learn from. Mike Elko, Mike Pettine, Vance Joseph and Vic. They did that so I saw that, in that style. So it’s really just what is comfortable for me,” Parker said. “Meeting a lot together and kind of explaining the vision and getting that input, us kind of having a collective shared vision on what we want this defense to look like.

“Because this is our defense. I don’t want it to be called the Eagles defense or Vic’s defense, this is going to be ours. So, we’ve been real intentional about going about that process from language that we use and the workflow that we have and everything else.”

Cowboys Defense Bolstered by New Personnel

But building a new Cowboys defense will depending largely on the changes the team has made in personnel, and while Parker did not dictate free agents or draft picks to the team’s brain trust–owner Jerry Jones and son Stephen Jones, plus VP of personnel Will McClay–he made clear to them the types of players he was looking to add.

That’s worked out well, he said.

“I think we’ve done a good job,” Christian Parker said. “The Joneses and Will, they’ve done a good job over there assessing and evaluating talent, bringing players to us. We’re having great dialog, what the schematic fits are, what we’re looking for, what we expect those guys to do in different situations—if we have this, then maybe we don’t have that and how to piece it all together. Because the defense is going to get formed around the personnel we have.

“But their process has been very thorough.”