Dallas Cowboys retaining Robert Quinn should be an easy decision

The Dallas Cowboys and Robert Quinn reportedly have mutual interest in keeping the defensive end in Big D and doing so should be an easy decision.

In late March 2019, the Dallas Cowboys took a low-risk swing by trading a sixth-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for defensive end Robert Quinn, who was on an expiring deal. Things got off to a rocky start as the veteran pass-rusher was suspended for the first two games of the season in August for a PED violation. But once he got on the field, it was clearly a fantastic move by Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones.

Quinn was a terror for opposing offenses all season with the Cowboys, leading Dallas in sacks by a wide margin with 11.5 as DeMarcus Lawrence was second on the team with five. Quinn also registered 14.5 tackles for loss, three passes defensed and two forced fumbles on the season, outplaying the value of the sixth-rounder he was traded for by a wide margin.

After his first year in Dallas though, Quinn is set to become an unrestricted free agent in March when the new league year begins. If the Jones family has anything to say about that, however, he won’t be hitting the open market.

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According to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network and rumors around the Senior Bowl, the Cowboys owner has made it clear to Quinn and his representation that the team wants him back for 2020 and beyond. Furthermore, Quinn has expressed a mutual interest in returning for the club that will now be led by new head coach Mike McCarthy.

Frankly, bringing back Quinn is an easy decision for the Cowboys. Yes, they have bigger fish to fry this offseason as they try to work out a new deal with both Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper while potentially making a tough decision with former first-round pick Byron Jones. Quinn, however, is a piece that was vital to the Dallas defense in 2019 and can continue to be the same moving forward.

Quinn’s presence gives Dallas consistent pop on the edge outside of Lawrence. While offenses were keying in on Lawrence this season, the veteran defensive end was able to feast on the opposite side and put up big numbers in only 14 games. Simply put, he opens up the defense in a way few of the players to come before him have.

Assuming that the Cowboys can reach a fair deal with him, keeping the pairing of Quinn and Lawrence together gives Dallas the best version of their defense to work with under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Furthermore, it’s clearly a place where Quinn is capable of thriving. With a mutually beneficial partnership in play, this should be an easy, no-brainer deal to get done going into the 2020 offseason.