Mailbag: Improving return/coverage units?

The Cowboys already have one of the toughest strength of schedules in the NFL. Now a Sunday night game at New York in Week 1 means arriving back in Dallas early Monday morning. Then in Week 3 there is the long trip to Brazil. Are you worried about how the heavy travel at the start the season will also affect the team?

We've heard a lot about Caleb Downs' leadership qualities. As a rookie, how long do you think it will take him to actually assume a leadership role on the Cowboys?

I realize that the new base defense will be a 3-4 scheme, but are we making too big a deal about it? How often do you think the Cowboys will be in their base defense? Teams rarely run plays in a 21 offensive formation, and in the recent past Dallas has played big nickel against the 12 formation.

I'm genuinely curious about your thoughts on Terence Steele. I don't think his performance has ever been spectacular, so what is it that keeps him firmly rooted at right tackle? It feels as though there's never anyone put in to compete for his spot.

With George Pickens signing his tag (which I am so thankful for), the emergence of Ryan Flournoy last season and the offseason signings the Cowboys have made at receiver, is it fair to think we will see CeeDee Lamb in the slot more in 2026? Obviously, he is as effective on the outside as anyone, but I feel like his YAC numbers multiply with the mismatches he creates in the slot.

If you were an NFL general manager, would you rather be known for hitting on your top selections or finding the hidden gems? You have to choose just one.

Seems when teams trade for a player, a contract extension is often agreed to right after the trade, but that wasn't the case with Dee Winters. In your opinion, is this wait-and-see approach with him a pro or con?

It seems like the coaches want players who can play multiple spots, but I don't recall Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson or even Bill Parcells mentioning position flex. If I was a rookie, I would want to focus on the speed, physicality and complexity of the NFL in my natural position vs. learning how to play multiple positions. Am I wrong, or didn't those three Hall of Fame coaches let their guys learn how to dominate at one position?

I keep reading that the Cowboys can have great success with an average defense in 2026. But with all the painstaking work (success) over the past few months completely upgrading both the coaching staff and player talent, why are the expectations so low? Why not a top 10 defense?

What do you read into the Cowboys drafting Drew Shelton in the fourth round and being expected to sign both Sidney Fugar and Shiyazh Pete as undrafted free agents, all of whom played left tackle in Power 4 conferences? Has the team been concerned about the position?

I am excited to see Dallas drafting and trading for these defensive players. The offense is already really good, but with a younger and hungrier defense, it reminds me of the early 1990s. Do I have too much optimism?