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By Calvin Watkins Mar 28, 2019
Upgrading a roster is never easy. But it seems on the surface the Cowboys did so on Thursday while sacrificing very little.
Dallas gave up a 2020 sixth-round pick to Miami for defensive end Robert Quinn. As part of the deal, Dallas reduced Quinn’s $11.8 million base salary to $8 million with incentives. For a team in need of pass rushers, this was a smart decision.
Quinn adds a legitimate pass-rusher to a defensive line that has two on its active roster, DeMarcus Lawrence and Taco Charlton. The Cowboys placed a franchise tag on Lawrence, costing them $20.5 million of their salary cap space. Lawrence and the Cowboys continue to talk, and a source said the team presented a new contract proposal Wednesday, reducing Lawrence’s potential deal from six years to five.
Total compensation is the biggest stumbling block between Lawrence and the Cowboys. So while they play this game during the summer months, until at least July 15, the deadline for franchise players to sign contracts with their teams, Quinn is the best rusher under contract.
Dallas has other players under its control who are strong pass rushers, but they are unreliable. Charlton showed flashes of his potential, but an attitude problem and shoulder surgery have held him back in his first two seasons.
Randy Gregory, another defensive end, is suspended for violations of the substance abuse policy and any timetable for his return is unknown. The Cowboys remain loyal to Gregory despite the multitude of games he’s missed due to suspensions in three NFL seasons. Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett are sympathetic when it comes to Gregory because of his addiction problems and mental illness.
Gregory (available for 28 of 48 possible games) is a complex fixture because some believe his time with Dallas has reached its end. However, his illnesses allow the Cowboys to encourage him, maybe to a fault, to seek treatment and solve his problems.
David Irving is another strong pass rusher, but the Cowboys have no interest in bringing him back, so he’s become an unrestricted free agent. Irving is also suspended for violations of the NFL’s substance abuse policy and is under investigation for a domestic violence claim by his former girlfriend. Of course, Irving displayed what he truly cares about when he posted on Instagram he was retiring from the NFL while smoking marijuana.
All of this brings us back to Quinn, who is entering his 10th NFL season.
Last season, Quinn recorded 6.5 sacks with 15 quarterback hits and nine tackles for loss. He did this while undergoing back problems. Outside of not paying him his entire $11.8 million salary, the Cowboys voiced concerns about his back. Quinn visited The Star last week where team doctors were able to exam him and clear him to play. The team doctors told the Cowboys front office that Quinn’s back is healthy enough, but they have some long-term concerns.
When healthy, Quinn is a very good player and should provide the Cowboys with a strong pass rush off the edge if they can work a deal with Lawrence.
On this play, in a Week 10 game against the Packers, Quinn beats left tackle David Bakhtiari with a short karate chop to sack Aaron Rodgers.
Here’s an example of how Quinn makes a tackle on the backside in the season opener against the Titans.
The Cowboys have always liked Quinn, going back to 2011 when he was a first-round pick out of North Carolina by the then-St. Louis Rams. This is why scouts and personnel people evaluate nearly every available player in the draft; you never know if you’ll have a chance to trade or sign the player in free agency.
Now the Cowboys have Quinn, and this deal couldn’t have occurred at a better time.
“He still has juice and affectively can still rush the passer,” a Cowboys official said of Quinn.
In this clip, Quinn gets knocked down by a chop block by Raiders rookie left tackle Kolton Miller, yet he gets up and makes the play.
Quinn is not perfect; that balky back could cause problems down the line. But the Cowboys and Dolphins needed each other. Miami got $11.8 million off their salary cap and a late draft pick in 2020 as they seek a younger roster.
Dallas was able to add a pass-rusher, regardless of whether Lawrence signs the tender or reaches a contract extension. The deal also comes with minimal costs in terms of draft capital, and while the Cowboys probably didn’t want to pay $8 million, sometimes it’s the price of doing business. Keep in mind that if Quinn is signed by another team next offseason, the Cowboys would be in position to receive a compensatory pick in 2021; likely one higher than the sixth-rounder they conceded to acquire the pass-rusher.
Last season, the Cowboys tried to upgrade the wide receiver position when they released Dez Bryant. They went with Allen Hurns, a slot receiver from Jacksonville, and signed Deonte Thompson as viable replacements. By the end of the 2019 season, Hurns was an afterthought and Thompson was playing elsewhere. The struggles of Hurns and Thompson prompted the Cowboys to give up a first-round pick to the Raiders to acquire Amari Cooper.
It’s a small sample size — 10 games — but Cooper has provided dividends for the Cowboys and even forced the Raiders to acquire an elite receiver in Antonio Brown.
Fast forward to this season and the Cowboys, once again, needed to upgrade a position of need. The safety position got boosted on the cheap by the signing of George Iloka. With Cole Beasley gone to Buffalo, Dallas signed Randall Cobb as their No. 3 wideout.
As March nears its end, here comes the pass rusher the Cowboys have been seeking. Dallas’ decision with Quinn doesn’t impact their contract proposals to Lawrence or anybody else. Lawrence is going to get at least $20.5 million this season whether its through the franchise tag or some form of base salary.
He’s staying away from The Star until he gets his contract resolved, so the Cowboys will stick with Quinn as their best pass-rusher for the time being. Charlton is expected to compete with Quinn in training camp and maybe even Gregory, if he applies for reinstatement and gets cleared.
The Cowboys’ objective with Quinn was also to make sure they don’t place themselves in a box when it comes to the draft. With roster upgrades at safety, wide receiver, edge pass rusher and interior defensive linemen, the Cowboys are not forced to draft for need. They can find the best player available.
Quinn was the best player available from Miami and the only thing left to do is decide whether he takes Gregory’s No. 94 or finds a new number.
Dallas upgraded their pass rush and their roster. The rest of the ramifications? To be determined.