The Dallas Cowboys defensive line better than last season?
Is the Dallas Cowboys defensive line better this season or last season?
Defensive linemen are becoming more valuable by the season. The Dallas Cowboys had their issues last season and needed change. They did lose some names, but they also added some.
Dallas needed to improve their line, and that brings up the question. Heading into the 2020 season, is this season’s defensive line better than last season’s?
Players Lost
With the big cap crunch, the Cowboys were forced to give up players that would go on to make good money. The most notable of them was the Cowboys sack leader in 2019, Robert Quinn.
The nine-season veteran has had a very successful career thus far. He is known for being a quick pass rusher, although he does need work as a run stopper, the Cowboys sure wish they could have kept him around.
He has four 10.0+ sack seasons to his name, including 11.5 with the Cowboys last season. There were only three seasons where the former first-round pick had 35+ tackles, totaling 34 last season.
His best years were when he was playing with the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams. The 2019 season showed he can return to his Pro Bowl level of play, forcing him out of the Big D.
Quinn went on to sign with the Chicago Bears for five years at $70 million. While his 2020 cap hit is only $6.1 million this season, it increases to $14+ million from year two and on. That is well out of reach for the Cowboys to match.
Another name that left Dallas is interior lineman, Maliek Collins. While he isn’t as big of a name as Quinn, Collins was a solid contributor to the team.
The former third-round pick’s best statistical season came in his rookie season. He sacked the quarterback 5.0 times and made 23 tackles. He has stuck around this level of play throughout his four seasons in Dallas.
He has never eclipsed 30 tackles in a season, and never had more than 5.0 sacks. He joins the Las Vegas Raiders on a one-year $6 million contract. The Cowboys did not believe that Collins was worth that cap hit, and opted for other options.