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Revamping of the Dallas Cowboys defense continues

By Russell S. Baxter

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 16: DeMarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts won 23-0. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 16: DeMarcus Lawrence #90 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 16, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts won 23-0. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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The Dallas Cowboys fell apart this past season after a promising start. And now a once-promising defensive unit will have a slew of new faces.

Last offseason, the then-defending NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys added some depth to a defensive unit that had come into its own the second half of 2018. Then-coordinator Rod Marinelli led a group that featured defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, linebackers Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith and quality cornerback Byron Jones.

The club also swung a trade with the Miami Dolphins to obtain pass-rushing defensive end Robert Quinn for a sixth-round pick. Dallas signed defensive linemen Christian Covington and Kerry Hyder for depth as well.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the club looking for its first back-to-back playoff campaigns since the 2006-07 seasons. That defense did not pick up where it left off the previous year and it would one of the many reasons that Jerry Jones’ pride and joy turned into an 8-8 ball club after winning its first three games. Hence there’s a new head coach in Mike McCarthy and new defensive leader in Mike Nolan.

Quinn, who led the club with 11.5 sacks, is a member of the Chicago Bears. Jones signed with the Miami Dolphins and both Covington (Broncos) and Kerry Hyder (49ers) are gone. Interior defenders Maliek Collins and Daniel Ross and safety Jeff Heath all signed with the Raiders.

So the organization has spent the last month and a half restocking this side of the football. The most recent addition is cornerback Daryl Worley, late of the Raiders.

The new defensive tackle combination comes via free agency in recent Carolina Panthers’ teammates Dontari Poe and Gerald McCoy — neither which were drafted by that team but both are former first-round draft choices. Worley joins a secondary that added safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Bears) and cornerback Maurice Canady (Jets).

The Cowboys also used four of the seven picks last week on defense. Cornerbacks Trevon Diggs (2-Alabama) and Reggie Robinson II (4-Tulsa) and defensive linemen Neville Gallimore (3-Oklahoma) and Bradlee Anae (5-Utah) hope to provide depth up front as well.

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There’s plenty of excitement when it comes to the Dallas Cowboys’ offense. Once quarterback Dak Prescott is under contract, he will have the likes of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and 2020 first-round pick CeeDee Lamb to thrown to and Ezekiel Elliott to carry the rock. But the defense needs to bounce back from a disappointing 2019 and with all the new faces, it may take some time for Nolan’s unit to gel.

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