Last season, miscommunication was a huge problem for the defense, and under Parker, it's clear that won't be tolerated.
New Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker is already getting things done his way as the offseason continues to roll on.
The big takeaway from Parker and how he does things this offseason is how detail-oriented he is, something that Dallas last season didn't have in its locker.
Well, it does now.
For new safety PJ Locke, who was with Parker in Denver, is now back with the defensive coach, but has Christian changed that much over the years?
“He's the same guy,” Locke said. “He's very observant, very detailed. He's just trying to get everything going in the right direction. That's it. So, everything's the same."
So, Parker might be the same, but the Cowboys' defense definitely won't be. Well, that's the hope anyway.
Being one of the worst defenses in football last season, the only way to go is up under Parker, but how that gets done is going to be an interesting study.
Granted, we won't know anything definitive about Parker's scheme until a month or so into the season, but stacking good days of practice, even at OTAs, and in the classroom, is crucial for Parker's vision to come to life in the manner he wants.
And for Locke, Parker isn't about to have communication issues like the ones that haunted Dallas last season.
“He definitely keeps you on your toes, he wants you to be engaged during meetings so he might ask you something, might be going over film and pop a question on you just making sure you're locked in," Locke added. "But also as a safety or as any DB, linebacker, anybody, you hate gray area, right?
"You can't practice over every scheme or every offensive route concept, and I think the gray area is him making sure everybody's on the same page. The communication is big on that. So if you got any type of questions, he always there to make sure he has answers for them.”
The grey area.
That was a huge problem last season. How many times did we see players struggling to get lined up properly, or looking like they didn't understand what was being asked of them?
And let's not forget, these weren't rookies. It as veterans who looked lost.
That won't be happening under Parker, who is clearly placing a huge emphasis on communication to ensure that, no matter what an offense is doing, everyone knows their assignments.
Communication was a big bugaboo for Dallas last season, and yes, it's early in the offseason, but it already looks like positive steps have been taken to ensure the defense won't be the basket case it was last season.
