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Cowboys' Matt Eberflus Outlines Mazi Smith Plan

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Feb 19, 2025 1:01 PM ET

When news broke that the Dallas Cowboys were hiring former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator, most were excited about seeing him work with Micah Parsons and company.

But Eberflus also gets the chance to help change the career trajectory of defensive tackle Mazi Smith.

Having been in the minds of many on the borderline of so-called "bust'' status, it has been tough sledding for Smith in his two NFL seasons.

Last year under coordinator Mike Zimmer, he did show some improvement as he put games of solid contributions together. ... and Zimmer, after his one-year stint here, came away believing that the 2023 first-round pick selected from the University of Michigan can be a productive NFL player.

Granted, for a defensive tackle, there isn't a lot of stat padding going on, but Mazi, at times, seemed to have turned a corner.

Now he's under the guidance of Eberflus. ... maybe with another corner to be turned.

"I'm excited about Mazi," Eberflus said. "I liked him coming out, real explosive athlete, big body type that can move really well. So we're excited about bringing his games to the next level, and he could certainly do that.”

With Eberflus back in Dallas for the first time in seven years, many are wondering exactly what his defense will be known for.

Having had the Bears in the middle of the pack for points allowed, he has a very clear thought of what he wants his defense's identity to be in 2025.

"Pretty simple: we will take the ball away,” Eberflus added. “That's what we will do. We will stop the run, and we want to make exciting plays for our football team."

Stopping the run has been Dallas' kryptonite over the last few seasons, and Mazi was drafted to help fix that - he hasn't.

But under Eberflus, there appears to be a genuine desire not to let the Cowboys get run over as they have in previous years, and maybe the key to that is getting Mazi to an "elite level" in 2025.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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