Latest news with #MattEberflus
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Micah Parsons Poised for Breakout Season Under Matt Eberflus
Micah Parsons Poised for Breakout Season Under Matt Eberflus originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Dallas Cowboys superstar EDGE defender Micah Parsons is entering his fifth year in the league and is undoubtedly one of the NFL's best defensive playmakers. Advertisement He is stepping into a leadership role this season as he's talked about wanting the defensive line unit to work together more as a group during the offseason. "Just being vocal, understanding what looks right," Parsons said during minicamp. "They're going through the drills and guys ask me; 'How'd I look?', just simple things, 'How's my footwork?', it's not always the major things that make football great, it's always the small details, the footwork, the positioning, the angles, things like that I think I can contribute." Parsons will now have a chance to be an be even more dynamic chess piece in new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus' scheme. ... Maybe even the NFL's very best defensive chess piece. Advertisement Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleksi believes that under Eberflus, Parsons is a candidate to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award for the first time. 'Parsons is the most difficult pass-rusher in the NFL to contain because of his explosiveness and capability of playing multiple positions along the defensive front seven—which the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff plans to take full advantage of under the direction of new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus,' Sobleski wrote. Eberflus plans to utilize Parsons' full, versatile skillset as defender by putting him and his teammates in positions to succeed. "We had a meeting—him and I had about a half-hour meeting yesterday on that very subject, just him and I in my office," Eberflus told the Doomsday Podcast. "And for him, you have to move this guy around. Now, what's great about our current roster is that we have other rushers now that can rush. So to pay attention to one particular rusher is going to be more difficult than if you just had one on one side. That's going to be a good thing, too." Advertisement With a renewed focus on leadership, attention to detail, and a defensive scheme tailored to his strengths, Parsons is poised to take his game and the Cowboys defense to a whole new level in 2025. ... maybe all the way up to the point at which Micah wins the NFL's top defensive honor. Related: The Bar Is Low and That Might Be the Best Thing for the Cowboys Related: Sam Williams vs. Donovan Ezeiruaku Headlines Cowboys Camp Competition This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Trade For Trey Hendrickson Rumors Updated with Empty Connections
Cowboys Trade For Trey Hendrickson Rumors Updated with Empty Connections originally appeared on Athlon Sports. FRISCO - NFL reigning sacks leader Trey Hendrickson wants to leave the Cincinnati Bengals. That is there problem. Advertisement The Dallas Cowboys have around $32 million under the salary cap. Is that their solution? It's right around July 4, the slowest time of the year for "news" in the NFL, with rosters set and training camps still weeks away. Add it all together, and lots of purported insiders and analysts are throwing "Hendrickson" and "Cowboys" together in headlines to see it it sticks. They use words like "urged" or "proposed" or "blockbuster" or even "connected." There's lots of Hendrickson to Cowboys keyword smoke. But absolutely no fire. The latest to join the fray is a site called Last Word on Sports. Their supposed reason for writing about the potential blockbuster trade of Hendrickson to Dallas? Advertisement "The Dallas Cowboys have been stacking up on talent defensively ever since they hired new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus," LWOS writes. "After signing Jack Sanborn and trading for Kenneth Murray Jr., they have some type of life following Demarcus Lawrence's departure. The hope is that they can extend Micah Parsons, but it would be interesting to see if Dallas could one day get Hendrickson to boost them to a well-rounded defensive line." "Interesting'' and "journalism'' are not the same thing. We've checked with the Cowboys on this. They recognize that this is no more than some fan-run sites playing Fantasy Football. Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024. He wants a new contract, and might hold out of training camp looking for a hefty raise. The Bengals aren't biting (yet), and gave him permission to seek a trade. Advertisement But the truth? Hendrickson will likely cost $30 million a year. The Cowboys are currently negotiating a new contract with Parsons. They're not going to dump their entire salary cap on Hendrickson. ... and they are not in the end going to employ a pair of pass-rushers - awesome as a Micah/Trey combo sounds - at a cost of $70 million APY. The Cowboys report for training camp July 21 in Oxnard, California. ... where we hope a Micah deal quiets the ongoing empty media game. Related: NFC East Braces For Impact of McLaurin, Watt and Hendrickson All-Pro Holdouts Related: AFC Team Reportedly 'Eyeing' Micah Parsons Trade With Cowboys This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Making the case for Chicago Bears to win the NFC North in 2025
The Chicago Bears are primed for a bounce-back year in 2025, where there are high expectations under new head coach Ben Johnson. Kevin Patra recently made the case for the Bears winning the NFC North this season. Obviously, the addition of Johnson is a big one. But they also shored up the interior offensive line, added playmakers on defense and more weapons for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Still, having a competent head coach -- and one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds -- is a massive selling point. Advertisement "Last season, the Bears disintegrated despite boasting a talented roster, writes Patra. "Now, they've imported a first-time head coach who comes from a program proven to extract every ounce of talent from its players. Ben Johnson's arrival is the No. 1 reason the Bears could flip the script from worst to first in the NFC North. As a play-caller in Detroit, Johnson had defenses petrified. His pulse on managing a game is Sean Payton-esque. As far as head-coaching upgrades go, moving from Matt Eberflus to Johnson is about as big a boost as a team can take in one offseason." If the Bears are going to win the NFC North, which was one of the best divisions in the league last season, they're going to need solid play from their young quarterback. Given he impressed during a rough rookie season that included two head coaches and three offensive coordinators, as well as being sacked a league-high 68 times, it's safe to say he's in a much better place in Year 2. "The Caleb question is another significant piece of the puzzle. While I anticipate Johnson's arrival being the best antidote for what ills the young passer, it's possible he never becomes that franchise-changer. What if the Chicago curse is real? It might take more than nine months under Johnson to get things in gear. If Williams struggles and the offense sinks, the Bears won't have a shot to climb the NFC North ladder." Last season, the Bears went 1-5 in the division, although there were in a position to win a few of those losses. The Detroit Lions remain atop the division with the Minnesota Vikings facing a change at quarterback and the Green Bay Packers remaining a threat. It's certainly a doable feat for Chicago, but they also have the second-most difficult strength of schedule in the NFL this season. But winning those division games will prove to be crucial. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Making the case for Chicago Bears to win the NFC North in 2025
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Making the case for Chicago Bears to win the NFC North in 2025
The Chicago Bears are primed for a bounce-back year in 2025, where there are high expectations under new head coach Ben Johnson. Kevin Patra recently made the case for the Bears winning the NFC North this season. Obviously, the addition of Johnson is a big one. But they also shored up the interior offensive line, added playmakers on defense and more weapons for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Still, having a competent head coach -- and one of the NFL's brightest offensive minds -- is a massive selling point. Advertisement "Last season, the Bears disintegrated despite boasting a talented roster, writes Patra. "Now, they've imported a first-time head coach who comes from a program proven to extract every ounce of talent from its players. Ben Johnson's arrival is the No. 1 reason the Bears could flip the script from worst to first in the NFC North. As a play-caller in Detroit, Johnson had defenses petrified. His pulse on managing a game is Sean Payton-esque. As far as head-coaching upgrades go, moving from Matt Eberflus to Johnson is about as big a boost as a team can take in one offseason." If the Bears are going to win the NFC North, which was one of the best divisions in the league last season, they're going to need solid play from their young quarterback. Given he impressed during a rough rookie season that included two head coaches and three offensive coordinators, as well as being sacked a league-high 68 times, it's safe to say he's in a much better place in Year 2. "The Caleb question is another significant piece of the puzzle. While I anticipate Johnson's arrival being the best antidote for what ills the young passer, it's possible he never becomes that franchise-changer. What if the Chicago curse is real? It might take more than nine months under Johnson to get things in gear. If Williams struggles and the offense sinks, the Bears won't have a shot to climb the NFC North ladder." Last season, the Bears went 1-5 in the division, although there were in a position to win a few of those losses. The Detroit Lions remain atop the division with the Minnesota Vikings facing a change at quarterback and the Green Bay Packers remaining a threat. It's certainly a doable feat for Chicago, but they also have the second-most difficult strength of schedule in the NFL this season. But winning those division games will prove to be crucial. Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Making the case for Chicago Bears to win the NFC North in 2025
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys 'Urged' - Yet Again - To Trade For NFL Sacks Leader
Cowboys 'Urged' - Yet Again - To Trade For NFL Sacks Leader originally appeared on Athlon Sports. FRISCO - Urged? Yes. Predicted? Yep. Interesting? Absolutely. Actually happening? Nope. NFL reigning sacks leader Trey Hendrickson wants to leave the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dallas Cowboys have around $32 million under the salary cap. It's the slowest time of the year for "news" in the NFL, with rosters set and training camps still three weeks away. Advertisement Add it all together, and lots of purported insiders and analysts are throwing "Hendrickson" and "Cowboys" together in headlines to see it it sticks. They use words like "urged" or "proposed" or "blockbuster" or even "connected." There's lots of Hendrickson-Cowboys smoke. But absolutely no fire. The latest to join the fray is a site called Last Word on Sports. Their supposed reason for writing about the potential blockbuster trade of Hendrickson to Dallas? "The Dallas Cowboys have been stacking up on talent defensively ever since they hired new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus," LWOS writes. "After signing Jack Sanborn and trading for Kenneth Murray Jr., they have some type of life following Demarcus Lawrence's departure. The hope is that they can extend Micah Parsons, but it would be interesting to see if Dallas could one day get Hendrickson to boost them to a well-rounded defensive line." Advertisement You know what else would be "interesting": The Cowboys trading for Patrick Mahomes. Or luring Emmitt Smith out of retirement. We're not sure if the signing of Sandborn equates to "life," but LWOS' rationale offers zero real "connection" other than ... Hendrickson's a good player and wouldn't it be cool if he played for the Cowboys. Fantasy Football. Nothing more. Hendrickson led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024. He wants a new contract, and will hold out of training camp looking for a hefty raise. The Bengals aren't biting, and gave him permission to seek a trade. But the truth? Hendrickson will likely cost $30 million a year. The Cowboys are currently negotiating a new contract with Parsons. They're not going to dump their entire salary cap on Hendrickson. Advertisement The Cowboys report for training camp July 21 in Oxnard, California. Related: AFC Team Reportedly 'Eyeing' Micah Parsons Trade With Cowboys Related: Cowboys Have Rivals On Notice For One Clear Reason This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
