- Joined
- Apr 7, 2013
- Messages
- 120,037
By Jon Machota Feb 26, 2021
With NFL free agency less than a month away, we’re breaking down the Cowboys roster to see where it has depth and where it will need to find help in the near future.
This is the first installment of a nine-part series split up among position groups.
We are beginning with the defense and Part 1 is all about the defensive line.
How the defensive line performed in 2020:
The Cowboys finished tied for 20th in the NFL last season with 31 sacks. They were even worse when it came to quarterback pressures, finishing 25th with 132. They ranked 27th in tackles for loss with only 54.
To compare, Dallas had eight more sacks, 17 more pressures and 22 more tackles for loss in 2019.
And although there was a scheme change under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and new defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, the Cowboys continued to get the majority of their pass rush from the players up front. They blitzed only 23 percent of the time, the same percentage as 2019. Only the Eagles, Bears, Browns, Colts and Chargers blitzed less in 2020.
The biggest personnel changes along the defensive line last season were the free agency additions of veteran edge rushers Aldon Smith and Everson Griffen and veteran defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe. Edge rusher Randy Gregory was also reinstated from suspension and played in 10 games after not having played in 2019. The Cowboys also drafted defensive tackle Neville Gallimore in the third round. The biggest losses were defensive end Robert Quinn and defensive tackle Maliek Collins leaving in free agency and defensive end Michael Bennett retiring.
The expectation was that being more multiple up front would lead to better results than Dallas had been getting from a more predictable defensive scheme in previous years. But the changes being implemented during the restrictions of a global pandemic proved to be a disaster. The Cowboys finished with the NFL’s second-worst run defense and one of the worst overall defenses in franchise history. No team in franchise history allowed more points than the 473 Dallas allowed in 2020.
All of that blame is spread throughout the entire defense, but the issues started up front.
DeMarcus Lawrence, the team’s best defender and highest-paid player in franchise history, was asked to change his game, rushing more from a two-point stance as opposed to his normal three-point stance. He never appeared comfortable rushing in a stand-up position, which was a much better fit for Smith. Eventually, poor results on the field and frustration from players led to Nolan dialing back the changes.
Lawrence ended up leading the team with only 6.5 sacks. Smith totaled five. Gregory finished with 3.5.
McCoy suffered a season-ending quad injury before the season started. Griffen and Poe were so ineffective that neither was on the roster by Week 8. Griffen was traded to the Lions and Poe was released.
The future:
For the second consecutive offseason, noticeable changes are coming. Nolan and Tomsula were fired at the end of the season, opening the door for new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
The expectation is that the former Falcons head coach will have the defense switch back to something that looks much more like the base 4-3 scheme they were running under Rod Marinelli from 2013 through 2019. Quinn’s specialty is defensive line play. His first coaching job was defensive line coach at William & Mary in 1994. He later was defensive line coach for the 49ers, Dolphins, Jets and Seahawks before becoming Seattle’s defensive coordinator in 2013.
Look for Lawrence and Gregory to be the major pieces at defensive end while Trysten Hill and Gallimore will be heavily involved at defensive tackle. There are others who will likely play key roles, like end Dorance Armstrong and tackle Antwaun Woods. But both end and tackle spots still need help in free agency and the draft.
Randy Gregory (Tim Heitman / USA Today)
How things could change this offseason:
The Cowboys have been much quieter than in previous offseasons. Quinn has not been made available to local reporters and there hasn’t been much said by Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones or Mike McCarthy since the season ended.
As usual, the Cowboys aren’t expected to be major players in free agency, but they should be able to add a couple of veterans so they aren’t forced to draft solely for need.
Smith and McCoy are two names to keep an eye on. If Smith is willing to take a somewhat team-friendly deal, perhaps Quinn would like to keep his pass rushing ability on the roster. If McCoy is healthy, he makes sense as a veteran leader for what should be a relatively young group of tackles.
This year’s draft is unlike most in recent memory when it comes to the defensive line. There isn’t an edge rusher or tackle expected to go in the top 10. There is no Chase Young, Nick Bosa, Quinnen Williams, Ed Oliver, Vita Vea, Myles Garrett, Joey Bosa or DeForest Buckner. There is expected to be good defensive line depth for the Cowboys to take advantage of after the first round, but right now, it seems unlikely that they will be spending the 10th overall pick on an end or tackle.
Regardless of who is on the final roster, look for the Dallas defensive line to have similar traits to what it did under Marinelli, solid fundamental football that won’t be overly complicated with scheme. They will be looking to win with great effort and everyone being on the same page, two things missing in 2020.
“Number one, create the identity where guys can play fast,” Quinn said in a Pro Football Focus podcast shortly after being hired by the Cowboys in January. “I think every really good defense, that has a part in it. It’s an aggressive front, and they play that way. That, to me, is where it starts. I’m looking forward to digging in on all those topics. But at the end of the day, how much you play of one thing or another, that’ll depend a little bit on the players.”
