PALM BEACH, Fla. – For the first time since he was a kid, Brian Schottenheimer is walking the halls of the NFL's annual meetings, this time as the Cowboys' head coach, not just Marty Schottenheimer's son.
"I had an ah-hah moment back to me being a 12-,13-,14-year old kid with my mom and dad and sister going to dinner," Schottenheimer said. "It was literally in that hallway. You look back, it just kinda reminds you how fast the journey goes. We're obviously thrilled to be here. Humbled and honored to be in this position as the head coach of the Cowboys."
The Cowboys' roster has already seen some movement in the offseason with various free agent additions and subtractions along with two trades. The plan is all coming together for Schottenheimer, but there's still work left to be done in the weeks ahead.
"We're always looking to create competition," Schottenheimer said. "We're certainly not done, whether that remains in free agency over the next couple of weeks or whether that's through the draft. We really wanted to attack the front on both sides of the line of scrimmage."
The offensive and defensive lines of scrimmage have been a big emphasis in Dallas' offseason, with the team resigning Osa Odighizuwa, adding Solomon Thomas, Payton Turner and Dante Fowler on the defensive line, and Robert Jones as an offensive guard. Schottenheimer believes it's not only important for the Cowboys to compete in the NFC East, but in the league as a whole.
"The game is played in the trenches. It really is," Schottenheimer said. "And it doesn't matter if that's the first play, the last play, whatever it is, but it's always played up there at some point, whether it's trying to stop the run or having a hold up in pass protection when you're playing in a two-minute drive. So I think we've done a nice job with that to start."
Schottenheimer reiterated that he's looking to construct the roster from the outside, in, with a focus on players that get isolated in their roles. That would include cornerbacks, wide receivers, defensive ends and offensive tackles. The Cowboys have made some additions at those spots in free agency but are still looking to find more game changers through avenues like the 12th overall pick in the draft.
"We don't want to ever pick 12th again, all right, let's be honest," Schottenheimer said. We don't want to pick that high. But you're looking for guys that influence the game. How do you influence the game? You rush the quarterback and you get sacks, strip sacks, fumbles, whatever it is. You score touchdowns."
An emphasis for the Cowboys, and every NFL team, has been setting up their free agency additions to merry along with draft targets, something Dallas is confident in with just over three weeks to go until the first round begins.
"I feel like we go into this draft with a lot of confidence," Schottenheimer said. "Again, we're not done in free agency. we're always looking to acquire; we're always looking to compete on the personnel side of it. But I do feel like we've set ourselves up going into the draft where hey, we're sitting in a certain spot, that's the best player available, let's go take him."
It's one thing to take the best player available, and it's another thing to make them better. Schottenheimer wants the Cowboys to be a team that excels at developing talent, something they certainly have an opportunity to do after adding several former first round picks this offseason that may have not reached their full potential.
"if we are a developmental staff, which we are, then it's our job to bring that out of them," Schottenheimer said. "Doing what? Working on fundamentals every day, going through the practice process… there's a ton of individual time. You're developing their skills. It's not all scheme; there's a lot of skill work. That's where all of that factors in."
