The Dallas Cowboys defense has been the subject of an unprecedented amount of criticism for the duration of the 2020 season. Sure there were some valid excuses for their poor start. The adjustment to coaching changes. The shortened offseason due to COVID. Being forced to defend poor field position after the offense kept turning the ball over multiple times while special teams consistently came up short. But even as the 2020 season progressed and there were some signs of improvement the Dallas Cowboys defense just couldn’t measure up when it really mattered. They failed to really deliver four quarters of great defense in any single game and are now on pace to shatter the franchise record for points allowed in a single season. Now as the season winds to end, Cowboys fans are left wondering; What went wrong? Who is to blame? And, how do we fix it?
The most obvious answer to those questions is by sacrificing the man in charge of Cowboys defense and that is defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Whether he is truly to blame or just the convenient scapegoat is irrelevant. It is a foregone conclusion that he will no longer be the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator for the 2021 season. On and interview on 105.3 The Fan on Radio.Com Jerry Jones made it clear that he has not been impressed with the Dallas Cowboys defense and that he would like a “do over”.
Further to that, according to Dallas Morning News Reporter Michael Gehlken, Mike Nolan’s fate has already been decided.
So with Mike Nolan out of the way, the next Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator should be able to step right in and turn this defense around next season, Right? That may not necessarily be the case. Whoever Mike Nolan’s successor will be, they will inherit the same roster of defensive players who have underwhelmed as a group in their own right. This is not excusing Mike Nolan and his performance. The Cowboys defense has been historically bad, he has had just as much time to prepare for this season as other new coordinators did, and the injuries on the defensive side of the ball have not been that bad compared to other teams. Nolan has to go but still the cupboard is a little bare on every single level of the defense.
First and foremost is the back end of the Cowboys defense. The secondary has been a complete mess. There are some young promising players such as Trevon Diggs and Donovan Wilson but veterans Xavier Woods, Chidobe Awuzie, and Jourdan Lewis never really developed into more than serviceable starters and all are due for new contracts. Meanwhile, depth pieces such as Darian Thompson and earlier in the year Daryl Worley have been absolute liabilities all year long. Fortunately, the frequency of incidents where the Cowboys secondary is completely blowing coverages and giving up huge plays has reduced from several times per game to few and far between. But, they are still getting consistently beat more often than not.
At linebacker the Cowboys were supposed to have one of the best units in the entire league at that position but the results have been disappointing. Jaylon Smith has regressed since his stellar 2018 season and despite having a strong work ethic and willingness to tackle, he has been exposed in coverage and as a player that can be fooled with misdirection in the run game. Leighton Vander Esch has not looked like the same player since his rookie season and has already sustained multiple injuries throughout his career. Sean Lee is long in the tooth now and as injury prone as ever. Lee is now considered more valuable as a player coach than as a contributor on the field.
The defensive line may be the root of all the Cowboys defensive problems. Despite some big names and talented individuals on the edge such as DeMarcus Lawrence, Aldon Smith, Randy Gregory, and Everson Griffen who was released earlier in the season, the production is simply not there. Free agent signings Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe were supposed to shore up their traditional weakness on the interior defensive line but McCoy was injured the first day of camp and the disappointing Poe was let go along with Griffen and Worley. The interior defensive line continues to be an issue for the Cowboys which is not surprising since they traditionally do not prioritise the position. Tyrone Crawford, who slimmed down in order to play defensive end was forced to switch positions and move inside. This seems to be a recurring situation for him as he either bulks up to play DT and is then moved outside or visa versa. Trysten Hill showed some promise as a pass rusher on the inside but he was lost for season due to injury. Veteran Antwaun Woods and rookie Neville Gallimore have also flashed at times but there is a serious lack of consistency at the position. For all the flashes some of these guys have shown for the most part they have all been bullied at the line of scrimmage game after game. That has been the biggest issue for this Cowboys team and has impacted the linebacker play, the secondary, and the outside pass rush as well. Teams like the Browns, Cardinals, and Ravens have completely embarrassed the Cowboys defense by putting up 200 plus and even 300 rushing yards on them. In my opinion, despite all the turnover that will be required in the secondary, the interior defensive line is the absolute biggest priority for the Cowboys defense this offseason.
So, how can the Dallas Cowboys fix this historically bad defensive unit? Hopefully they start with a bright young coach. No disrespect to the Wade Phillips or Marvin Lewis crowd but enough with the old guys already. The game has evolved and a there is a new breed of young, innovate offensive coaches out there and they are armed with talented and mobile quarterbacks that give this Cowboys defense fits. A young, motivated, defensive mind is what I believe this team needs. An article on FANSIDED identified a couple of intriguing names such as Ravens Pass defense coordinator Chris Hewitt. Or how about the Patriots current OLB coach and son of a genius Stephen Belichick? The Belichick tree has not been as fruitful as one might imagine it would be but this guy has a potential genetic advantage.
Now to address the roster. Well, there is a lot of holes to fill there and a potential top 5 draft pick could be helpful. A talented but somewhat raw player like Micah Parsons could be molded into a superstar with some luck and the right coach to develop him. Another young corner back to pair with the ascending young talent Trevon Diggs would provide a boost to the secondary. Perhaps Diggs former teammate at Alabama Patrick Surtain II or Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech. Both are popular picks for the Cowboys in early mock drafts. Ideally, the Cowboys can leverage the high draft pick and cash in for a massive haul in a trade back if a desirable quarterback like Zach Wilson is on the board when they draft. A lot of things would have to fall into place for that type of scenario to work out for the Cowboys but it plausible. Realistically, wherever they end up drafting all they need to do is have a draft like they did last year with multiple starters or contributors across several rounds. Hopefully, it works out that they are able to draft mostly defensive players while still picking the best players available and not reaching to fill their roster.
Free agency is going to be critical for the Cowboys defense this offseason. They may choose to retain some of their own players if the price is right but they will be as usual, notoriously frugal in spending in free agency. I am not necessarily opposed to this approach within reason but sometimes they need to loosen the purse strings for the right free agents. This offseason they spent some money but none of their marque signings actually worked out for them. We can almost certainly rule out the biggest names at the highest market values for their positions such as DL Leonard Williams (Giants) and Justin Simmons (Broncos). The more realistic targets in line with their usual spending habits are former first round draft pick reclamation projects such as DL Solomon Thomas (49ers) or Safety Karl Joseph (Browns). I am not opposed to adding some of the aging veterans at below market value as long as they can still contribute or provide leadership. Guys like DT Johnathan Hankins (Raiders) or CB Richard Sherman (49ers) immediately come to mind there. No matter who they end up signing, the Dallas Cowboys need to do a better job with their free agent class if they hope to improve their historically bad defense. Of course, they are not going to be able to have the freedom to do much in free agency short term unless they negotiate a long term deal with Dak Prescott. Theoretically they could let Dak Prescott walk, free up some short term cap money, and draft a young quarterback but at that point they would be rebuilding. This is not a roster that can take a young quarterback to a Super Bowl in my opinion and the dynamic offense they built simply is not as dynamic without Dak Prescott under center.
The Dallas Cowboys defense needs fixing without a doubt. But they will not become a top 10 defensive unit overnight. And you know what? That’s ok, they don’t have to be. The best bet for this team in the short term to improve dramatically is to rely on an explosive offense and try to improve the defense from abysmal to at least serviceable. With the weapons already in place, some better depth and injury luck at offensive line, and a healthy Dak Prescott, the Cowboys offense should be good to go for 2021. Improvement on the defensive side of the ball, any improvement whatsoever, could turn the fortunes of this team from laughing stock to contender in just one season.
*Photo by Joe Glorioso;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode