The Dallas Cowboys
' defensive line depth just took another hit, as a promising tackle is heading to an AFC rival. Earnest Brown has signed with the Tennessee Titans
. This move gives him a new chance to play and reunites him with a coach he knows well. Star-Telegram reporter Nick Harris
shared the news on X on Wednesday.
"Former Cowboys DT Earnest Brown has signed with the Tennessee Titans," the X post read. "Reunites with Aaron Whitecotton after narrowly missing out on making the 53-man roster coming out of training camp."
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After playing for the Los Angeles Rams
for three seasons, Brown moved to the Cowboys in 2024. His time with the San Francisco 49ers
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
included stints on their practice squads. When both clubs finished a rough year, Dallas brought him up from Tampa Bay's reserve group to join the active team.
After sticking around during Dallas' 2025 training sessions, he got cut when exhibition games ended. Though he didn't suit up once, his effort stood out to those watching closely. That season, the club added him back just for the practice squad and kept him all year. A new chance came by way of someone who'd worked with him before, Whitecotton, now in Tennessee.
When 2025 closed out, Dallas found itself packed at defensive tackle. Spring brought Perrion Winfrey
into the mix. Summer shifted things further with Kenny Clark
's arrival. Mid-season, Quinnen Williams
joined, reshaping what the line looked like. These additions give Dallas a formidable interior presence capable of stopping the run, a major weakness last season.
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So far, Brown's been part of 15 games without a sack; now he's aiming for one under Robert Saleh with Tennessee. Meanwhile, Dallas picked up ex-Titans defender Kenneth Murray
in a trade. He came off a 2024 season with 95 tackles, along with 3.5 sacks, filling gaps left by departures such as DeMarcus Lawrence
.
Earnest Brown joins the Titans to restart his career with coach Aaron Whitecotton. After limited action in Dallas with Brian Schottenheimer, he looks to make an impact, while the Cowboys bolster their defensive line by bringing in Kenneth Murray for the upcoming season.
Brown's departure is just one piece of a much larger offseason puzzle for the Cowboys, who are also completely revamping their defensive coaching staff under a new coordinator by bringing in Christian Parker.
Cowboys make big changes to defensive coaching staff ahead of 2026 season
Fresh faces are arriving in Dallas, where the defense needs fixing. Not long after a methodical hunt by head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Christian Parker steps into the role of defensive coordinator. His background includes stints shaping units in Philadelphia
and later in Denver
. Change is rolling through the team's defense as results dip too low to ignore.
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Parker pulled off assembling his team fast, mixing seasoned hands with new thinking. Ryan Smith will coach the cornerbacks, while the passing defense is shaped by Derrick Ansley instead. Up front, Marcus Dixon
takes charge of the defensive line crew.
Helping out up there is Demeitre Brim. Chidera Uzo-Diribe takes over the outside linebackers, whereas Scott Symons will lead the inside linebackers. Rounding things out, Robert Muschamp slots into the back end, adding depth behind.
On the other hand, the Cowboys add two new assistant coaches to the offensive staff. Kyle Fuller
takes on duties for the offensive line, along with quality control tasks. On the offensive staff, Stephen Bravo-Brown will work with the wide receivers, lending his support. With these picks settled, Dallas has nearly filled out its full coaching crew before camp begins.
