Revel Jr. has seen the key differences from the defense under Matt Eberflus compared to what Parker is doing.
Shavon Revel Jr.'s rookie season with the Dallas Cowboys didn't exactly go to plan.
Recovering from injury, Revel Jr. missed all of the offseason work, and wasn't sighted in a game until Week 11 against the Las Vegas Raiders.
We saw some good things from Shavon, but also some mistakes, as it was clear he wasn't fully trusting his injured knee.
Wearing a large brace, it was evident that Revel Jr. wasn't himself, and while he managed to play in seven games (starting five), there was still a lot left on the bone.
But for a rookie, who has missed a lot of time through injury, to then slot into a starting role in "that" Matt Eberflus defense wasn't ideal.
Now, with Christian Parker as the defensive coordinator, and someone who has skins on the wall developing star corners, Revel Jr. appears to be in a much better place, both mentally and physically, with the brace no longer needed.
And when asked what it is like working under Parker, Revel gave a glowing endorsement of it, while also hinting at one of the biggest mistakes the coaching staff made last season.
“It's a blessing for real,” Revel Jr. said. “It's a lot of things that we didn't do last year that we do this year. You're cleaning up a lot of your techniques, mistakes the day before, he's very detailed and technical with his movement and what he want us to do. Each day it's nothing different, you know? He approached the day to get better each day with violence, determination, grit, and that's just how he taught us.”
So, it is clear there is a big difference between what Parker and his staff are doing and the group from last season.
But to Shavon and his own health.
Seen as one player the franchise has high hopes for, he's looked more confident in practice and, by all accounts, is moving far better than he did last season.
We always see players who are more than a year removed from their ACL injury be more productive.
But was there a moment this offseason where Shavon thought he was finally "back" to his old self?
"I can't really think of nothing specific, but I think I say I broke on a dig [route]," he said. "You know, I still had that twitch in me. I still got that twitch there, but I still feel I need to work on it a little bit."
So, it has been nothing but positive vibes from Parker and his staff, with Revel seen as one player fans want to see improve out of sight.
Things have gotten off to a good start for Shavon, and he'll be one player in Oxnard that I'll be watching intently to see how he progresses.
