Mailbag: Defensive changes with the hiring of Pettine?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

I like the move, but on the surface, hiring Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant gives the impression that Christian Parker wasn't quite ready for the defensive coordinator role. What do you think of the move? And what changes should we expect? – Michael Miller/Fort Worth, TX

Kurt: I have to admit that when I first heard the news, my initial thought was, have they lost faith in Parker? But upon further review, one, I don't think they have, and two, this is a move that makes sense.

I think we can all agree that the first five games of this season have seen the young defensive coordinator have his share of struggles. He's been teaching a new scheme to a largely new roster who didn't play a real game together until Week 1 of the regular season. Add in having to deal with his fair share of injuries, and that's a tough task even for the most tenured coaches. So of course there was going to be a learning curve.

Making matters more difficult, in trying to navigate these choppy NFL waters without experience in the role, Parker seemingly hasn't had a whole lot of experience surrounding him either. Aside from pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley, basically everyone else on the defensive staff is relatively young as well. So I think having someone else who can serve as a mentor and help him develop game plans and such is certainly a good idea. Pettine also has a history with both head coach Brian Schottenheimer and, more importantly, Parker. Pettine was Green Bay's defensive coordinator when Parker joined the club as a quality control coach. They already have a strong connection.

In fact, not long after Parker was hired, Pettine told Todd Archer at ESPN, "You're recognizing pretty quickly there's an 'it' factor with him." So good was their relationship that Parker actually had some discussions with his former boss last spring about joining him on the Cowboys' staff. At the time, though, Pettine was enjoying retirement.

Meaning that with Pettine now having a change of heart, this doesn't appear to be a move that's being forced upon Parker. Hopefully he has recognized that he could use some help, has been part of the process and is on board with the hire. Pettine is not here to make big changes. He's not here to take over. He is now with the team to help a young coach learn the ropes, gain some confidence and reach his full potential. Which is good for Parker and good for the Cowboys.

Nick: I think this move is probably the biggest one you could make at this juncture of the season, without changing too much of the structure that's already in place. The fact that Pettine has the history he does with Parker is a big plus here. I'm sure Parker had some say in this move and the Cowboys wanted to bring in someone that he has familiarity with and more than anything, trust.

And the same probably goes both ways. Pettine probably has strong admiration for Parker and so this should be a somewhat easy transition. My big question here is how the players see this move and what kind of respect they still have for Parker. I think that's a big thing moving forward, especially since Parker is expected to be the DC here for years to come.

Now, as far as the actual changes. I would think Pettine comes in and helps clean up what's going on in the running game. This is one of the worst defenses in the league against the run, and it has been for a while. So it's not just the scheme but the players are a big part of it, too. I think Pettine has a history of the quick fix and we'll see if he can do some things to tighten up the screws for this defense.

More than anything, I applaud the fact the Cowboys are just doing something. They're not waiting around and hoping things get better. In the past, we've heard the "got to get back to work" mantra but nothing ever changes. At least the Cowboys are doing what they can to make some changes. We'll see how it goes.