Dallas Cowboys: Replacing Gerald McCoy after season-ending injury
The Dallas Cowboys’ biggest free agent signing has suffered a season-ending injury
Fans of the Dallas Cowboys will have to wait another year before potentially seeing Gerald McCoy on the field wearing the Star on his helmet. On Monday, the six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle suffered a ruptured right quad tendon which will require him to have season-ending surgery. That according to DallasCowboys.com’s Rob Phillips.
McCoy’s loss is a big blow to the revamped Dallas defense under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. The 32-year old All-Pro defensive tackle figured to be the linchpin of the Cowboys’ defensive resurgence in 2020 after inking a three-year, $18 million contract in March.
Along with fellow free-agent signee and defensive tackle Dontari Poe, both he and McCoy represented a new level of investment for the Cowboys’ in the interior of their defensive line. Now, without McCoy, Dallas will be forced to lean on some of their younger players for increased production this upcoming season.
How will the Dallas Cowboys replace Gerald McCoy?
Luckily, the Cowboys invested a third-round selection in Oklahoma’s Neville Gallimore in this year’s draft. They also used a second-round pick on UCF’s Trysten Hill last year. Both Gallimore and Hill figured to benefit from the experience of playing behind McCoy. Now, they’ll have to get that schooling from the veteran defender on the sidelines and in the classroom instead.
While the Cowboys have two young studs in Gallimore and Hill to replace McCoy, don’t sleep on defensive end Tyrone Crawford. With the recent acquisition of defensive end Everson Griffen, Dallas could elect the shift the versatile Crawford back to the three-technique defensive tackle spot. It’s a position he was used in a lot during Rod Marinelli’s run as the team’s former defensive coordinator.
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Another option for the Dallas Cowboys replacing Gerald McCoy could come in using multiple schemes. Nolan could look to utilize the 3-4 defensive formation much more following the loss of McCoy, allowing Poe to anchor the middle and replacing the other defensive tackle with a pass-rushing linebacker like the newly added Aldon Smith.