Dallas Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator has some work to do soon
The Dallas Cowboys began their season change last Friday, separating from defensive coordinator Mike Nolan after a season on Big D. Three days later, and the Cowboys agreed to sign his replacement with former Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn .
While Quinn’s time in Atlanta led to a record of nearly 0.500 (46-44) over a period of just over five seasons with the Falcons, his two years as a defensive coordinator in the NFL are his biggest selling point. Like the Seattle Seahawks’ DC, Quinn’s defense helped bring Seattle to appearances in the Super Bowl in both seasons.
So there is hope that Quinn will be able to do the same kind of magic in Dallas. But the former head coach has some initial decisions to make this off-season to help the Cowboys defense recover after posting one of its worst performances in the franchise’s history under Nolan. Here are three items that we believe will be at the top of Quinn’s to-do list in the coming months.
Find a stabilizing force in the defensive attack
The Cowboys rocked and lost big in their two major free agent hires in defensive tackle last year. Gerald McCoy would suffer a hip injury before the start of the regular season, which resulted in his release. Dontari Poe would also be released, but after seven games and due to the bad game.
Defensive tackle for the second round of 2019, Trysten Hill, seemed to take a few steps in its second year, before suffering an ACL injury at the end of the season. But Quinn will need to find a more stabilizing force in the middle of his defensive line if he wants to improve the team’s running defense, which allowed for 158.8 yards per game, which came in 31st place in the NFL.
Find a safe place to pair with Donovan Wilson
With Xavier Woods scheduled to arrive at the free agency in March, Quinn and the Cowboys will need to find a new starter to pair up with Donovan Wilson safely this season. Dallas tried to do it through a free agency last year, signing former Green Bay Packers first-round security guard Ha Ha Clinton-DIx.
Unfortunately, Clinton-DIx failed to make the final cuts in Dallas and ultimately led the team to start Wilson in five games in the regular season. Perhaps Quinn’s influence will eventually lead the Cowboys to spend a high draft selection on a safe.
Decide the future of Jaylon Smith
Despite signing a five-year, $ 64 million extension in 2019, the future of Pro Bowl linebacker Jaylon Smith in Dallas may be in jeopardy. The decline of Smith’s game over the past two seasons is a serious concern.
And it’s one that Quinn is likely to be tasked with improving or potentially moving forward with. Although Smith’s contract may force Cowboys to keep him in the squad in 2021, that does not mean he has secured an initial role or even significant playing time.
Quinn must find a way to re-establish the promise that this talented positional group showed just a few seasons ago. This may mean finding substitutes for Smith and others.