Dan Quinn is headed to Dallas.
Quinn, the previous Atlanta Falcons head coach, was hired by the Cowboys to function the workforce’s subsequent defensive coordinator. It with be a three-year deal, in response to ESPN. Quinn will substitute Mike Nolan, who spent one season on head coach Mike McCarthy’s workers.
It should nearly definitely be an improve.
Quinn’s tenure as the pinnacle coach of the Falcons, the job he was fired from halfway via the season, might be first to return to thoughts for Cowboys followers. And rightfully so. However it’s essential to acknowledge Dallas shouldn’t be bringing him in for that function.
As a substitute, the group is hoping Quinn will be capable of duplicate what he has achieved whereas solely a defensive coordinator. It’s a superb resume in that regard. Quinn was the defensive coordinator of the Legion of Growth Seattle Seahawks through the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Seattle completed first in each yards allowed and factors allowed throughout these two seasons and gained one Tremendous Bowl.
Quinn, nevertheless, has extra DC expertise the place he didn’t have as a lot success. The 50-year-old Quinn had the defensive coordinator title with Atlanta in 2019 when the Falcons ranked twentieth in yards allowed and twenty third in factors allowed. However once more, this time round Quinn gained’t have the added stress of being head coach, so perhaps he’ll be capable of do what he did eight, 9 years in the past? That’s what proprietor Jones Jones and Co. are hoping.
One query mark arises, nevertheless, when contemplating the Cowboys should not have items that resemble the Legion of Growth. Not many groups do. Cornerbacks Richard Sherman, Byron Maxwell and Brandon Browner, or safeties just like Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor will not be strolling via the door at AT&T Stadium. Sherman and Thomas, as chances are you’ll recall, had been named first-team All-Professionals in each 2013 and 2014 whereas Chancellor was a Professional Bowler each seasons.
The Cowboys are younger within the secondary with 2020 second-rounder Trevon Diggs and second-year security Donovan Wilson headlining the group. In addition they have the No. 10 decide within the 2021 NFL Draft, which probably may very well be used on a defensive again since three gamers — security Xavier Woods, cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis — are set to change into free brokers.
Cowboys followers must be comfortable about one particular factor, although. Quinn was the very best of the three choices — Joe Whitt Jr., Jason Simmons and Quinn — who had been within the operating. Whitt Jr. was the Falcons’ passing coordinator, and was coming off a season the place Atlanta allowed essentially the most passing yards per sport. Simmons served because the passing sport coordinator of the Carolina Panthers. Carolina completed 18th in passing yards and factors allowed per sport. Each labored with McCarthy on the Packers teaching workers, however neither had been deserving of the promotion.
Quinn’s return appears to depict the Cowboys will return to a 4-3 scheme. They did the identical from 2013 to 2019 beneath Monte Kiffin, Rod Marinelli and fellow Legion of Growth assistant Kris Richard. The Cowboys completed within the top-10 in factors allowed twice throughout that span and top-10 in yards allowed 3 times. It’s not precisely marks that resemble Seattle, but it surely’s fairly the distinction to the 2020 Cowboys which allowed essentially the most factors in franchise historical past (473) and completed with the league’s Twenty eighth-ranked protection.
Quinn will function an improve to Nolan. He’s a Tremendous Bowl-winning defensive coordinator, and the Cowboys might be higher off with him than they had been final yr.
Thumbnail photograph by way of
Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports activities Photographs
