This coaching cycle was filled with big-time names and the candidate pool was large. There were some surprises along the way (see Ben Johnson) and some interesting hires. With that said, let’s break down each new coaching hire and offer grades for them.

Raheem Morris – Atlanta Falcons

It’s a full-circle moment for former Falcons interim head coach Raheem Morris. Morris spent 5 years in Atlanta and filled in as head coach when Dan Quinn was fired in 2020. He spent the last three years in Los Angeles as the defensive coordinator for the Rams. Morris was part of the Rams Super Bowl winning season in 2022.

No matter where he has been one thing is certain, the players love Morris. Over the years he has had several endorsements from players including this year when cornerback Jalen Ramsey praised the hire. The offensive staff will be key for Morris in Atlanta and the Falcons recently hired Zac Robinson to fill that role. Robinson worked with Morris in LA and was the quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator.

For Morris to have success in Atlanta it will come down to the quarterback position. The Falcons will likely look at the draft to address this but it appears Desmond Ridder‘s time in Atlanta is over. This is a solid hire for the Falcons as Morris is already familiar with the organization and we already know he will get the best out of his players.

Grade: B

Dave Canales – Carolina Panthers

One of the first coaches to be hired this offseason was former Buccaneers OC Dave Canales. Although raw, Canales was excellent in his role coordinating the Bucs offense. He also helped resurrect the career of quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield is now likely to sign with the Tampa Bay long term thanks in large part to Canales.

In Carolina, Canales will look to do the same for former #1 pick Bryce Young. Young had a disappointing rookie season but due to the coaching turnover and turmoil, it’s tough to judge his on-field performances. Next year will be different for Young. Canales will work with his strengths and get the most out of his talent. If Young fails again then it won’t be on coaching more so his limitations.

For me, this is an underrated hire for the Panthers. They didn’t go after the big name but instead found the next great offensive mind. The only part I didn’t like about this hire was the 6-year contract. It’s likely that Panthers owner David Tepper needed to add the extra year to seal the deal.

Grade: B+

Antonio Pierce – Las Vegas Raiders

When Antonio Pierce took over for the fired Josh McDaniels he wasn’t given much of a chance to keep the job long-term. As the season went on though it became clear Pierce was an excellent leader and he led the Raiders to a 5-4 record down the stretch. That was good enough for 2nd in the AFC West and once the season ended it was up to ownership to make the move.

Like Raheem Morris, Pierce received several ringing endorsements for current Raiders players. None bigger than Maxx Crosby who essentially stated he would want to be traded if the Raiders didn’t bring on Pierce long term. Las Vegas ownership heard the chatter loud and clear and decided to bring on Pierce full-time.

This is another solid hire and I give credit to the Raiders leadership for listening to their players. Pierce is a natural leader and will get the most from his players. There are also indications that Las Vegas will bring in Kliff Kingsbury as their OC which is a smart move.

Grade: B+

Jim Harbaugh – Los Angeles Chargers

Perhaps the biggest name on the market this offseason was former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh had just won the National Championship and there were many indications that this was the year he would jump back to the NFL.

No matter where he’s been, Harbaugh has proven to be a winner. From Stanford to San Francisco and eventually at Michigan, Harbaugh has been successful at each stop. The former Chargers quarterback will now get a chance to coach one of the best young quarterbacks in the league Justin Herbert. Herbert still has untapped potential and Harbaugh will teach him how to be a winner.

To me, this is the best hire of this coaching cycle. Harbaugh and the Chargers are the perfect match and I expect them to compete for Super Bowls. The only downside is how long he will last in LA. Harbaugh has a tendency to not stick around long at any of his stops. If the Chargers can get a Super Bowl out of him it won’t matter in the end.

Grade: A

Jerod Mayo – New England Patriots

After it became clear Bill Belichick would not be back in New England owner Robert Kraft had a choice to make. He could either go out and find a fresh face in the coaching pool or stick with the Belichick tree and hire within. Kraft ultimately decided to hire within and promote Jerod Mayo to head coach.

Mayo spent the last 5 seasons in New England as the inside linebackers coach. Like Antonio Pierce, Mayo was praised by former Patriots players including Tom Brady who called him an excellent leader. At just 37, Mayo is still young and if he works out the Patriots will be set long term.

What’s interesting about the New England situation is that Mike Vrabel wasn’t considered. Vrabel seemed like the perfect successor to Belichick. For whatever reason the Patriots decided not to pursue him and it may come back to bite them. By all accounts, Mayo seems like a solid hire but I fear the Patriots will once again be looking for a new coach in just a of couple years.

Grade: C

Mike Macdonald – Seattle Seahawks

One of the hottest names of this coaching cycle was Ravens DC Mike Macdonald. He did wonders for Baltimore’s defense and shut down some of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL this year. Before his stop in Baltimore, Macdonald spent 1 year as defensive coordinator at Michigan.

Although only 36, Macdonald has also been praised for his leadership qualities. He will have big shoes to fill in Seattle taking over for Pete Carroll. The Seahawks have a bunch of young talented players on defense and solid pieces in place on offense. The question for Macdonald will be if he decides to keep Geno Smith.

In all, I am a fan of this hire for the Seahawks. Seattle targeted him early on and eventually got their man.

Grade: B+

Brian Callahan – Tennessee Titans

In Tennessee, it’s the end of the Vrabel era. This was perhaps the most surprising of the offseason firings. Although they had a down year the Titans were respectable with Vrabel at the helm. Former Bengals OC Brian Callahan will step in his place.

Callahan has been with Cincinnati since 2019 and helped to tutor quarterback Joe Burrow. He is somewhat of a quarterback whisperer as he was able to do wonders for Jake Browning who filled in for the injured Burrow this season. If the Titans decide to stick with Will Levis I expect to see a big improvement in his game.

I am somewhat neutral on this hire. It’s not flashy by any means but Callahan will come in and elevate the Titans offense. The big question is if he is a good leader as he will be replacing Vrabel who is known for his leadership.

Grade: B-

Dan Quinn – Washington Commanders

For Washington Commanders fans this offseason got off to a perfect start. The new ownership group led by Josh Harris was now fully in control and they took no time hiring new GM Adam Peters. Peters knows how to build NFL teams as he helped build the 49ers into a championship contender.

Many expected the next move for Peters and the Commanders was to hire Ben Johnson as their head coach. As we all know that didn’t happen as Johnson decided to stay in Detroit. We don’t really know what happened behind the scenes and perhaps Johnson was never their preferred choice but in the end, Washington decided to hire former Cowboys DC Dan Quinn.

Now Quinn was not the most popular candidate on the market but it’s hard to ignore what he has done for the Cowboys defense. Quinn completely turned around that side of the ball and will need to do the same for the Commanders. Like the other defensive coaches that were hired, Quinn will need to pick the right staff to run his offense. So the next few hires will be key.

By all accounts, Quinn seems like a great leader of men and should help change the culture in Washington. I am just not sure about the fit. I would’ve liked to see the Commanders go after a young offensive mind. Washington is going through a full rebuild and I think they should’ve gone outside of the box on this hire.

Grade: C+

The post Grading the NFL Coaching Hires of 2024 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: J. A. Massey

Beating a team led by Tom Brady has been a tall order for teams over the last twenty years. Brady has a record of 230-69 in the regular season, and he has been a part of seven Super Bowl winning Championship teams. So what does the Dallas Cowboys defense have to do to give their team a chance to win on Thursday night? The answer is pretty simple… Make his life miserable. Simple to say, not so simple in reality.

              To make his life miserable, you need to put him under pressure and keep him there. This is what it took to beat Brady in New England, but is it the same for beating Brady in Tampa Bay? Let’s look at how he performed under pressure last season. His completion percentage was 71.7% when he wasn’t under pressure in the regular season, but it dropped to 43.8% when pressured. According to Pro Football Focus, he averaged 3.1 fewer yards per attempt under pressure than when he was in a clean pocket, which was the seventh-largest drop in the league last year. He was one of only four quarterbacks to see his QB rating decline by more than 60 points when under pressure. Pretty simple right? Not so fast, because Tampa Bay’s offensive line is excellent, Brady only faced pressure on 17.2% of his throw in 2020. So how is Dallas going to accomplish this feat?

              The answer to that question involves many factors and a lot of things going right on Thursday night. The first factor will be whether the Cowboys can get a consistent push along the interior of the defensive line. Follow that up with the emergence of defensive end Randy Gregory and whether he can show he has finally put it all together, rookie LB Micah Parson, and finally Dan Quinn and his defensive staff. Put that all together, and you might have something cooking.

              The Cowboys had one of the worst interior defensive lines last year, and they made sure to address it during the offseason. They brought in defensive tackles Carlos Watkins and Brent Urban and drafted Osa Odighizuwa in the third round. While starting DT Neville Gallimore is injured and will miss the game; Osa has stood out in his place, providing quality reps and a push from the center of the line. Brent Urban, more known as a run stopper (PFF’s third highest-rated run defender for interior DL in 2020), has surprisingly been pushing the pocket in camp and preseason. Even if they cannot generate direct pressure on Brady in the game, it will be a massive upgrade for the interior defensive line not to be pushed 5-10 yards downfield, allowing the QB a pocket to escape into when the rush comes from the outside.

              Speaking of the rush from that outside, that brings us to Randy Gregory. The Cowboys need him to have an excellent game opposite of DeMarcus Lawrence. Lawrence has consistently been one of the best pass rushers in the NFL (despite what the sack numbers will tell you), and having a consistent rusher opposite of him will only make the both of them better. Gregory has bulked up this year and has been a standout in camp, many calling him the best player all camp for the Cowboys. That needs to translate to the field on Thursday with consistent pressure on Brady all night.

              The next factor will be the Cowboys’ first-round pick in this year’s draft, Micah Parsons, and his unique ability to line up just about anywhere and make a play on the field. So far, we have seen him line up at LB, DE, and even at NT. In each position, he has shown an ability to get to the ball carrier and make a play, whether running with a wide receiver in coverage or beating a double team block to pressure the QB. The Cowboys would be wise to bring Parsons as an extra rusher early and often against Brady.

              Lastly, the addition of Dan Quinn and his defensive staff should be a massive upgrade over the disaster that was Mike Nolan last season. The Cowboys’ defense is noticeably faster on the field, which will be crucial in the game against a skilled Tampa Bay offense. The Cowboys blitzed on 46.4% of pass plays during the preseason, which is a considerable upgrade and would have been the highest blitz rate in the NFL last season. While a higher blitz rate does not guarantee pressure on the QB, a higher rate can mask predictability, something the Cowboys’ defense struggled with the previous season. I don’t expect the blitz rate to continue to be that high, but it does show the Cowboys’ willingness to bring the extra man if they feel it’s warranted this season.

The Cowboys’ defense will have their hands full on Thursday night with Tom Brady and his high-powered offense. On paper, it is a mismatch in favor of Tampa Bay, and most expect Brady to have his way. However, don’t dismiss this Cowboy’s defense just yet due to the shortcomings of last season. If these ingredients mix just right and the stars align, they might be able to put Tom Brady in the pressure cooker and make it a miserable night.

The post How the Cowboys defense can make life miserable for Tom Brady appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: (@AdamHulseSports)

The Dallas Cowboys are a team that is a real Super Bowl contender heading into the 2021 NFL season. They have a head coach in Mike McCarthy who has already won a ring with the Green Bay Packers, one of the best offensives in the NFL lead by superstar quarterback Dak Prescott, and an improved defense with a brand new, and highly respected, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. They are the current betting odds favorite to win the NFC East Division at +135 according to the Draft Kings Sports Book and they actually have the second easiest strength of schedule ranking. There are many reasons to believe that the Cowboys can compete for a Super Bowl this season.

Dak is Back

After missing the majority of the 2020 season due to injury, Dak is back and ready to go for the 2021 NFL season. He has consistently been one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and there is no reason to believe that won’t continue as long as he is fully healthy. In his last full season in 2019, he put up the best numbers of his career including 4902 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns, both of which were career highs. In fact, because he has consistently trended up each year in terms of production, it’s still very possible that he will be even better this coming season than ever before. The best version of Prescott may still be on it’s way and that’s a very exciting thought for the Cowboys.

Elite Offense

The Cowboys have one of the best offenses in the entire NFL. Last season, even without Prescott for eleven games, the Cowboys still ranked 14th in total offense at 371.8 yards per game and 17th in scoring offense with 24.7 points per game. This demonstrates that even with the terrible quarterback play, and a ton of injuries to the offensive line as well, their offensive weapons were still good enough to produce. Now that Prescott and the line are both healthy again, they can get back to being the dominant force that they were in 2019 or even better. That season the Cowboys ranked 1st in the NFL in total offense with 431.5 yards per game and 6th in scoring offense with 27.1 points per game.

The CeeDee Lamb Factor

In addition to Ezekiel Elliot, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup, who were all a part of the team in 2019, is the now second year wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb. He had a very impressive rookie campaign in 2020 with 74 receptions for 935 yards and 5 touchdowns in a crowded passing offense. The fact that only five of his sixteen games played were with Prescott makes his season even more impressive. Most importantly, his best games of the year were when Prescott was playing including both of his games where he eclipsed 100 receiving yards, his only game with multiple touchdowns, and his most receptions with eight in a single game. This connection between Prescott and Lamb is something to keep an eye on in the 2021 NFL season and will likely be a huge weapon for the Cowboys.

Improving Defense

The Cowboys were a disaster defensively in the 2020 season. They ranked 23rd in yards allowed with 386.4 per game and 28th in points allowed with 29.6 per game. Despite not losing much in terms of personnel, this was a huge drop-off from their solid 2019 season where they ranked 9th in yards allowed with 327 per game and 11th in points allowed with 20.1 per game. This is why defensive coordinator Mike Nolan was fired after just one season with the Cowboys. They upgraded in a big way this offseason by hiring Dan Quinn to be the new DC, who was the mastermind of the famous Legion of Boom defense in Seattle with the Seahawks. With stars like Jaylon Smith and DeMarcus Lawrence to pair with exciting newcomers like Micah Parsons, Quinn has an excellent opportunity to get Dallas back into the top ten defenses in the NFL.

Season Outlook

Playing in the NFC East division that is fairly weak compared to the rest of the NFL gives the Cowboys an excellent chance to make a postseason appearance. The Eagles are in a complete rebuilding year, the Giants are improving but don’t appear quite ready to compete yet, and the defending division champions, Washington, are a solid team but definitely beatable and not as talented as the Cowboys are as a whole. This is why the Cowboys are the favorites to win their division and make an appearance in the playoffs. If Dak Prescott can continue to improve, and Dan Quinn lives up to his expectations of greatly improving the defense, then the Cowboys will be right in the mix as a Super Bowl contender.

The post Why the Cowboys are Super Bowl Contenders appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Adam Hulse (@AdamHulseSports)

After a very disappointing year defensively in the 2020 season, the Dallas Cowboys have made some big changes for the 2021 NFL season in hopes of improving on that side of the ball. Most importantly, they fired their defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and replaced him with Dan Quinn, who was the mastermind behind the famous Legion of Boom defense for the Seattle Seahawks for several years. This was a crucial move for the Cowboys and one that could really get things moving in the right direction.

Coaching Change

Nolan, who was appointed defensive coordinator by head coach Mike McCarthy, only lasted one year in the position, and for good reason. The Cowboys finished the 2020 season ranked 23rd in yards allowed with 386.4 per game and 28th in points allowed with 29.6 per game. They also ranked 31st in run defense with a massive 158.8 rushing yards allowed per game. This is a significant drop off from the Cowboys 2019 season where they finished 9th in yards allowed with 327 per game, 11th in points allowed with 20.1 per game, and 11th in rush defense with 103.5 rushing yards allowed per game.

The extreme regression between 2019 and 2020 without losing much in terms of player personnel was the reason why Nolan was fired after just one season. The hiring of Quinn, in theory, is a huge upgrade from Nolan. He has had great success as a defensive coordinator and even found some success as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons when he took them all the way to a Super Bowl at the peak of his time there. He is a widely respected and highly thought of coach who will bring fresh energy and brand new scheme to the Cowboys defense that already has plenty of talent.

Roster Changes

The defensive roster is going to look mostly the same this coming season as it did last year, lead by two stars in DeMarcus Lawrence and Jaylon Smith, but there have been a few key changes. The two biggest subtractions are due to the retirement of linebacker Sean Lee and the loss of pass rusher Aldon Smith. Randy Gregory, who had 3.5 sacks last season, will be the main player looking to replace the production of Smith, who ranked second on the team with 5 sacks last season. In addition, the Cowboys will look to get contributions from youngster Bradlee Anae and the newly signed Tarell Basham.

Another player that will help in the pass-rushing department, among many other things, is rookie first-round pick Micah Parsons. He is an extremely versatile player who will contribute in all aspects defensively, including replacing long time staple Lee in the linebacker group. Parsons is going to be an exciting player to watch this year and it will be interesting to see how creative Quinn gets with his unique talent. Theoretically, the Cowboys have an impressive group of linebackers when Parsons is added to Jaylon Smith and a hopefully healthy Leighton Vander Esch.

The Cowboys also added two hybrid safeties in free agency, Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee. Both of these players were a part of the Atlanta Falcons team that Quinn was the head coach of, so they are very familiar with his system. They should play a big part in bringing the rest of the defense up to speed and will be key rotational pieces as well. In his four-year career, Kazee has 10 interceptions and 199 tackles across 52 games played while Keanu Neal has been a tackling machine in his career with 338 tackles in just 49 games played spread across five seasons in the NFL.

In the NFL Draft this offseason, the Cowboys made it very clear that they were trying to add as much help as possible on the defense. They used their first six selections all on defensive players and used eight of their eleven total picks on defenders. Probably most importantly besides the potential game-changer and current favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year in Micah Parsons, is the fact that they drafted three cornerbacks, which is their weakest position group. Most notable of the three was their second-round pick of Kelvin Joseph out of Kentucky at 44th overall. He is a big and physical style of cornerback, which is exactly what Quinn prefers from his coverage players.

Expectations

It is reasonable to expect a huge improvement on defense from the Cowboys in the 2021 NFL season compared to the terrible one they had in 2020. Replacing Nolan with Quinn should yield much better results alone but the key additions, especially Parsons, without losing too much significance make their defensive outlook favorable for the upcoming year. In 2019 they were a top ten defense in the league and there is no reason to believe that they can’t be that or better this coming season. With a healthy Dak Prescott in 2019, the Cowboys were the top-ranked offense in the entire NFL at 431.5 yards per game and they should be right around there again this year now that he is back. If their defense can take the significant jump forward that they are expected to this season, the Cowboys are absolutely a contender to win the Super Bowl.

The post What to Expect from the Cowboys Defense in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Taylor Ford

Dan Quinn is the biggest off-season acquisition for the Dallas Cowboys thus far. He will be bringing much-needed hope with him as he is the most decorative defensive coordinator Dallas has had in a long time. Here are the things you need to know what Dan Quinn and his defense are bringing to the big D.

Getting back to the original plan

Mike McCarthy originally told everyone that the defense was going to be player over scheme. That unfortunately was obviously not true. The players were put into a situation that they were not comfortable and in turn, made tons of unnecessary mistakes.

Dan Quinn is going to be bringing a scheme that will intel Demarcus Lawrence to get back to a 5 technique. He will be put in the best possible scenario for him to succeed. Quinn is going to bring the 40 front back into Dallas. It will look slightly different than what we have seen in the recent past, but It should be a lot better for the players currently on the roster.

There will typically always be 4 rushing the QB in almost every base package. Quinn has recently claimed that he wants to more of a nickel set but does plan to more of a “3-4” style. He also has brought in a few guys that are already familiar with his scheme and will probably bring in more guys as well.

Cover 3 with giants

If you have not noticed, Dan Quinn has a body type in mind for his corners. He wants them to be super tall and lengthy. It does not stop there though. He also loves to have safeties that have ball hawk capabilities and a strong safety that drops into the box and could be considered as a linebacker.

Quinn had all these things in Seattle and now will have all these things in Dallas. He loves running the cover 3 zone scheme which could help any of the secondary players that do not have blinding speed. The middle-high zone is most of the time covered by the free safety. Therefore, he loves getting guys with ball hawk abilities to playback there. He had Earl Thomas in Seattle and there is no guarantee he will not go get him to play in Dallas this coming season.

If he does not end up with Thomas, he still has a guy in Kazee who has proven he can take the ball away. Kazee is smaller and coming off a major injury, but if he can withstand a full season, he will be a solid player in this scheme.

Championship Caliper Defense

Quinn’s most successful time as an NFL coach and what he will always be remembered for was his two years as the LOB defensive coordinator. He not only has been to the super bowl as a head coach in recent years, but Dan Quinn has been a huge contributor to multiple other super bowl appearances.

When he was the defensive coordinator for Seattle, they developed the well-deserved name legion of boom. He made the world of a difference when he was the actual defensive play-caller. He brings that championship pedigree and that winning swagger to the group. This organization continues to try to put the most proven coaches on the payroll.

Quinn has been to three super bowls and has won one. Between Mike and Dan, there are 4 different super bowls that they have coached in. I think it’s safe to say, they know how to win at the highest level. The best thing about Dan Quinn is that he knows how to shape his scheme to fit his player’s skills, but also knows how to scout the right players to fit his scheme.

The post Three things you need to know about Dan Quinn’s defense appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Why should you believe the Dallas Cowboys are actually going to have a better defense in the 2021-2022 season? I am going to give you three reasons–

Building the Defense through the draft

With a new season, comes new hopes and dreams for this franchise. The Dallas Cowboys have been on the chase for a super bowl ring for over twenty years and it seems to be an endless search for past glory. It is so cliché, yet so true, defenses win championships. The Boys seem to always fall short of having a good defense just about every year. That very well could change as this last draft has looked a lot like the 2005 draft. The Only other time the Dallas Cowboys have selected over 7 picks and came out with only 2 offensive players. That year they selected Demarcus Ware in the first round. They also acquired guys like””Chris Canty, Jay Ratliff, and Marcus Spears. Needless to say, after this year’s draft, the Cowboys have positioned themselves to get a lot better. Parsons was arguably the best defensive player in the draft and will immediately help the team. Kelvin Joseph and Jabril Cox are going to end up starters on the team as well. Jerry Jones literally drafted nine defensive players out of eleven picks. The team is bound to hit on a couple of them. Along with the three said players, the Boys drafted two defensive lineman that could fill the middle of the line nicely. The biggest issue for the Cowboys last season was stopping the run and defense in general, this draft helps fix that tremendously.

Bringing in the right personnel

Not only did the Cowboys have a defensive minded draft board, but before the draft, they have been actively trying to make it better. Jerry Jones brought in Dan Quinn to help fix the defensive woes. Quinn comes in as the defensive coordinator and possibly the answer to all the problems on defense. This is the same coach that was the defensive coordinator for the legion of boom in Seattle. He brings a fresh mindset and will have an actual offseason to get these guys prepared for the change in the system. He also has done everything in his power to get the guys he wants on that defense. That includes the free-agent signings like Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal who both played for him in Atlanta. Also, with the drafted players like the skyscraper cornerbacks he wanted. Dan Quinn said he will be bringing more of a 3-4 look, but really it will primarily be a nickel set. He will have four players rushing the quarterback and two “mid” linebackers, along with five defensive backs as the base package. With a full offseason, this package could help the players that he is bringing in, strive to become the best players that they can be. It also allows the veteran players to play in a versatile system that can maximize their abilities to make plays. Things like having Demarcus Lawrence stand instead of coming out of a three-point stance. Having Jaylon Smith blitz the quarterback more often instead of being a liability in coverage. Allowing Leighton to play weak side and drop in coverage on passing downs. With Dan Quinn’s defensive scheme and mindset, this team could look a lot better in just one year if he brings that LOB swagger with him.

It Can’t get any worse”¦ right?

Surely the defense could not get any worse from the atrocious season they had last year. Even though the Dallas Cowboys only gave up the 21st most passing yards last season, the stats do not show the truth in that aspect. Teams passed all over the Cowboys all season long at the beginning of games. After they gained a lead, they would run all over Dallas. The Cowboys gave up the 2^nd most rushing yards in the league last season (2541 yards) and it was a franchise record. Not exactly a record you want to break. Offenses seem to have had their way against the historically bad Dallas defense. So, what is Jerry’s response? An overwhelming number of defensive players through the draft and free agency, along with a great defensive coordinator. It is also possible and likely that the Boys will be bringing in more veterans to maximize this rosters potential. The veterans that have returned from last year will be playing with some boulders on their shoulders. They all should want to come out this coming season and prove to everyone that the problem was the system they were in and not them. The Jones’ have said in recent interviews that they realize there was a major problem on the defensive side of the ball. All boxes have been checked off to deem that statement to be true. The Cowboys entire organization has done everything they can to get help on defense and I do not think they are done just yet.

The post Will the Dallas Cowboys defense be better this year? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.