The Luka Doncic traded is still the lead story in Dallas Fort Worth, but that shouldn't prevent folks from praising the Dallas Cowboys for the work they've done in the last two weeks.
That can change at any moment with Jerry Jones at the helm. However, between retaining Lunda Wells as tight ends coach and appointing Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer has put himself in a position to succeed in year one on the job.
The most exciting hire to Schotty's staff, though, is undoubtedly Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator. While Adams doesn't have any play-calling experience, his exotic running and blocking schemes helped catapult the Cardinals into an elite rushing offense and upper-echelon pass-blocking unit despite middling to above-average personnel.
Adams' arrival supports Schottenheimer's desire to improve the running game and be a more physical team than Dallas was under Mike McCarthy. The move was praised by a variety of insiders and you can now add Cardinals guard Will Hernandez to the list.
Cardinals OG Will Hernandez raves about Cowboys hiring Klayton Adams as offensive coordinator
Joseph Hoyt of All City DLLS caught up with Hernandnez, who happens to be a free agent, in New Olreans ahead of Super Bowl 59. Hernandez gave a ringing endorsement of his former offensive line coach and confidently stated that the Cowboys "got the right guy."
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) February 4, 2025Had a great conversation with Arizona OL Will Hernandez — a free agent this offseason — about Klayton Adams. I’ll share the full interview tomorrow, but first here’s a teaser:
“I’m telling you: you got the right guy.” https://t.co/tIj6DZUQYA pic.twitter.com/auKJql7nPK
Get excited, Cowboys Nation. It looks as though Schottenheimer hit an absolute home run hiring Adams as offensive coordinator.
While OC is a big jump for Adams, it was only a matter of time until another team courted him. In fact, a recent report hinted Kellen Moore was expected to hire Adams on his staff assuming he takes the Saints' head coaching job after the Super Bowl.
Another potential domino effect? The Cowboys sign Hernandez in free agency. All-Pro guard Zack Martin is a free agent and is contemplating retirement. While former undrafted free agent Brock Hoffman impressed filling in for Martin last season, he has a limited ceiling.
Hernandez suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5, but he's been a steadying presence along the interior of Arizona's offensive line. He has experience at both guard positions, but played exclusively at right guard (Martin's position) with the Cardinals.
Hernandez didn't allow a single sack before the injury and was rock-solid across the board in 2023 when he started all 17 games. He posted a 74.2 pass-blocking grade and allowed just four sacks and eight quarterback hits in over 1,000 snaps, per PFF.
If Schottenheimer truly wants to change Dallas' offensive identity, they need to get more physical in the trenches. Tyler Smith is a world-beater at left guard and Cooper Beebe has a Pro Bowl ceiling at center. Hoffman is a nice story and plays with an edge, but that shouldn't dissuade the front office from looking for upgrades.
Hernandez went to school at Texas El-Paso, is clearly a huge Adams fan and the Cowboys have a glaring need at guard with Martin's future up in the air.
Who says no?
