Quinnen Williams wants to make his mark on Cowboys' new-look defense

OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys opened training camp on Wednesday looking for significant improvement after fielding one of the NFL’s worst defenses last season.

Efforts to turn things around entered into a new phase for defensive coordinator Christian Parker and a revamped roster.

“Defense is flying around right now,” safety Jalen Thompson said. “Obviously, it’s first day, we had a couple mistakes, but flying around, CP getting us right in there.”

The Cowboys (7-9-1) were a mess on defense by any measure in coach Brian Schottenheimer’s first season, prompting the organization to replace coordinator Matt Eberflus with Parker from their NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles.

They ranked last in the league in points allowed (511), second-to-last in yards per play (6.1), and third-to-last in takeaways (12).

Those struggles were in stark contrast to one of best offenses in football, with the Cowboys averaging 27.7 points and 391.9 yards per game. With Schottenheimer dialing up the NFL’s No. 2 passing offense for quarterback Dak Prescott, Dallas went 6-1-1 when scoring at least 30 points.

“You know the whole offense is pretty much set,” said Thompson, who joined the Cowboys by signing a three-year, $33 million contract in free agency in March having spent the previous seven seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. “Now, it’s just time for the defense to get on board and communicate, do what we got to do in order to get that Super Bowl.”

While part of the hope for a turnaround rests with a reconfigured pass rush and secondary under the tutelage of Parker, who spent the past two seasons coaching defensive backs for the Eagles, standout defensive tackle Quinnen Williams needs be the unit’s centerpiece to take significant steps forward.

Acquired from the New York Jets in November, Williams had 1 1/2 sacks, three tackles for loss and an interception in seven games for the Cowboys, and the 28-year-old expects to be much more productive having had a full offseason to integrate himself into the team.

Williams also wants to reach the playoffs for the first time, having never won more than seven games in his previous seven seasons with the Jets and Cowboys.

“As a competitor, man, I want to win it all,” said Williams, who has 41 1/2 sacks in 105 career games.

Given the importance of a disruptive interior lineman in the system Parker brought to Dallas, Williams wants to do for him what Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis have done for the Eagles, including helping them win the Super Bowl following the 2024 season.

“It’s just phenomenal to see, like, the impact that my position, defensive tackles, they’re making. Like you always see the team that’s in the Super Bowl has phenomenal D-tackles with Seattle and the Eagles and Kansas City a few years (ago), man, and those guys being effective and things like that. So that’s all I focus on, bringing an impact to this team, bringing impact to the defense, and trying to get this team going in the right direction, so another D-tackle can be in the Super Bowl soon,” Williams said.

If it results in a Carter-sized future payday for Williams, all the better.

Williams is under contract with the Cowboys through next season and in line for a sizable raise considering his peers’ new deals. Carter agreed to terms on a four-year extension including $106 million in guarantees on Tuesday, resetting the market again following the three-year extension Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans signed in June.

Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Tuesday that the organization has had conversations with Williams’ agent about an extension. While Williams expressed his interest in remaining with Dallas for the foreseeable future, he is choosing to let his representatives handle the process.

Williams’ immediate goal is to develop a defense capable of helping the Cowboys succeed.

“Everybody know we have a great offense, and it’s our job on defense to win championships because that’s the saying,” he said. “So, we got a long way to go from last year, and I’m just extremely focused on that and extremely dedicated to that.”

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott yells instructions during the NFL football team's training camp, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer signs autographs during the NFL football team's training camp, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Dallas Cowboys co-owner, executive vice president, CEO, and director of player personnel Stephen Jones, left, chats with head coach Brian Schottenheimer, center, and Cowboys owner, president and general manager Jerry Jones during the NFL football team's training camp, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott signs autographs during the NFL football team's training camp, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott runs during the NFL football team's training camp, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Oxnard, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

SEATTLE (AP) — Bullets recovered from two bystanders killed during a shootout at a Seattle festival last weekend do not appear to have come from the gun that a 15-year-old arrested at the scene was firing, police said in court documents filed Wednesday.

The King County prosecutor’s office filed charges of first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement as well as unlawful possession of a handgun by someone under 18. In a statement supporting the charges, police said the teen was seen firing an untraceable ghost gun into a crowd, but preliminary testing of bullets recovered from two bystanders killed showed they did not match that weapon.

Shell casings found at the scene of Sunday’s shooting indicate four weapons were fired during the shootout.

Police say a 19-year-old suspect involved in the shooting was shot and killed at the scene. Police have been trying to identify at least one other person involved in the shooting. The statement did not indicate who might have fired the bullets that killed the bystanders.

Michelle Whitehead, right, cousin of victim Ashley Whitehead, attends the vigil for victims the day after a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Monday, July 27, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A memorial for victims of a July 26 shooting is seen at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Flowers and candles are seen placed with the Space Needle at background, during the vigil for victims the day after a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Monday, July 27, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)