Cowboys' Christian Parker Scouts 'Safe Haven' At Minicamp

New Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker has finally been able to get on the grass at The Star as rookie minicamp has gotten underway. It has felt like forever since Parker was announced as the new defensive coordinator, and now is the first time he is able to get on the field with some of his players to begin the long road of nailing down his scheme. With Parker stating his defense won't be an "Eagles defense" or a "Fangio defense," but rather a "this is ours" defense, the first steps have been taken to bring that to life.

Caleb Downs, Malachi Lawrence, Jaishawn Barham, Drew Shelton, Devin Moore, LT Overton, and Anthony Smith were all put through their paces, along with Dallas' undrafted free agents as well. READ MORE: Jerry Jones Speaks On Cowboys' 'Unconventional' Trade Mentality But how was it for Parker to finally get on the field and begin executing his defensive vision? “It was good,” Parker said .

“I think anytime you get back on the practice field like that's a safe haven in a lot of situations, you know what I'm saying? So, seeing the coaches coach, the position coaches, their detail, and their emphasis on certain things, seeing the players moving around. "I think anytime you get out there, and you hear that music blaring, you're one step closer to really kind of getting to it.

" READ MORE: Cowboys First Look: Caleb Downs Hits Practice Field at The Star Downs is the big-ticket item for Parker, as the Ohio State stud is set to play a pivotal role in his defense from the outset. How Parker deploys Downs will be a fascinating thing to watch develop over the duration of the offseason as the Cowboys look to be a vastly improved defense compared to what it was last season -- granted, the bar isn't exactly set too high. But the rookies have been put through the paces, and it won't be until the veterans return for the offseason workouts that we'll see Parker's vision for the entire roster play out.