Change is needed, even if not at the top
The best thing you can say about the Cowboys these days is they’re working just as hard as the Rangers to turn this into a baseball town. Blaspheming the state religion surely harbors eternal consequences, but Jerry Jones doesn’t seem convicted enough to turn his back on his evil ways.
As awful as Sunday’s playoff exit was, an alltimer, the head coach will return.
The quarterback, too. And, yes, the GM. A moment of silence, please, in memory of our sanity.
The good news is we’ve got a working plan for what’s killing the Cowboys. Besides the owner, that is. If Jerry would only heed this advice, he might yet avoid 29 years in a row of failing to explain what went wrong.
First thing: Dan Quinn apparently is still a hot topic in NFL head coaching circles, considering he reportedly interviewed with the Panthers and Titans on Wednesday, with the Commanders and Seahawks on tap Thursday and the Chargers on Friday. That the performance of Quinn’s defense against the Packers didn’t impact his candidacy probably tells you why those teams are looking for head coaches in the first place.
Anyway, even if Quinn leaves, his defense may have already run its course.
Back in the day, it was a huge upgrade from Rod Marinelli’s. Made a god of Micah Parsons and Allpros of Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland. On the other hand, Quinn never really figured out a way to stop the run, and if a QB gets the ball out fast or throws off-platform, as Jordan Love demonstrated Sunday, it negates the pass rush. The Cowboys apparently don’t have a
backup plan.
They were 0-5 this year after coming up empty in sacks and turnovers. The longer they went without Leighton Vander Esch in a tricked-up dime package, the worse the defense looked. They need more beef in the defensive line. They need a real linebacker.
What they don’t need: a 205-pound safety masquerading as a linebacker going belly-to-belly with an NFL guard.
Demarvion Overshown might have supplanted Markquese Bell at LB had he not torn his ACL before his rookie season got started. Given how long it took other Cowboys to return to form after significant leg injuries (Dak Prescott, Michael Gallup, Tony Pollard), the Cowboys can’t afford to assume Overshown is ready. This draft is full of LBS. Find one.
Speaking of Gallup: No more long-term deals for No. 2 receivers who can’t crack the top three.
Texas’ T’vondre Sweat — big enough at 6-4, 362 pounds to fill two positions, if not his own ZIP code — could provide plenty of anchor for the defensive line and still give it a little push. He’s a top-75 talent. Depending on how Sweat grades out, the Cowboys should consider him in the first and take him in the second if he lasts that long.
Time to find a replacement for Tyron Smith, probably with the 24th pick, as well as a running back with a little bang to take Pollard’s place. But, please, Lord, no more tight ends.
Or safeties.
The Cowboys went from pretty much ignoring the latter to stocking up like the lovely wife hoarding cheese going into this week’s big freeze.
Before the draft’s over, Jerry also needs to find Dak’s eventual replacement. Even if you’d prefer someone to succeed him this fall, Dak’s not going anywhere because of his
cap hit, which is close to $60 million.
Frankly, I don’t know what they do about that mess. Giving him an extension would free up cap room, but do you really want to keep him around another four years after that playoff performance and a 2-5 postseason record overall?
No matter what they do with Dak, the Cowboys must draft a quarterback because of the age of the incumbent (31), the uncertainty of the position and the fact that some kids actually come prepared to plug and play. The Packers drafted Love while they still had Aaron Rodgers, and the 49ers took a flyer on Brock Purdy the year after trading their future for Trey Lance. Now Rodgers is chilling in New York and Lance is a distant third to Dak.
Meanwhile, Love and Purdy will meet Saturday to see who plays in the NFC title game.
Another draft note:
Recently I proclaimed Will Mcclay, the Cowboys’ draft guru, the MVP of the organization, but it’s not like he’s without sin, either. In ESPN’S rankings of draft impact this year, the Cowboys came in dead last.
They don’t have enough room under the cap this summer to fill holes. If they don’t get it right in the draft, they won’t get it right next fall.
One last thing about Quinn’s replacement and the staff in general: Try to instill a little discipline, would you?
Since 2021, the Cowboys have finished first in penalties, tied for eighth and tied for second. This season, Sam Williams was the only front seven defensive player among the top 100 most-penalized overall. Listen, it’s great that players and coaches get along these days.
Just the same, if one more Cowboy lines up offsides, I may revoke my lunch.