FRISCO, TX — When the Dallas Cowboys reunited with Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinator for the 2024 season, one of the top expectations was that he'd not only revamp the linebackers' corp, but also look to add a monster or two in the middle of the defensive line to aid Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa to upgrade the run defense.
Both of those things eventually proved true, and the latter included a trade for Jordan Phillips and the free agency signing of Linval Joseph in late August — Joseph having earned two Pro Bowl nods under Zimmer in their time together with the Minnesota Vikings.
That means McCarthy, former head coach of the rival Green Bay Packers, knows him quite well.
"In coaching, you just really, really appreciate a guy like Linval Joseph, who's played 15 years in the league," said head coach Mike McCarthy of Joseph ahead of the veteran defensive tackle's debut for the Cowboys against the Cleveland Browns. "That's incredible. But what he brings to your football team and to the locker room, I've always had a great respect for him — going against him — but he's a great addition, among a lot of others, too.
"He's a product of how our offseason has gone."
It's an offseason that was dipped in molasses at the outset, with Eric Kendricks being the only signing from outside of the building for quite some time.
Business picked up quite a bit as the summer went along and really hit fever pitch during training camp in Oxnard, when the Cowboys also added players like Nick Vigil to the LBs depth chart and Carl Lawson to help salve the wound created by the season-ending torn ACL suffered by defensive end Sam Williams.
Zimmer clearly has a specific plan for this Cowboys' defense in 2024, as evidenced by the additions to that side of the roster over the past several weeks.
And now it's time to see what it can do when the games count — effective Sept. 8 in Cleveland.
