Dallas Cowboys: Is it crazy to think that most of this defense will be back?

The Dallas Cowboys have been awful on defense this season, but does that get everyone ousted?

The Dallas Cowboys defense has been historically bad this season. Practically allowing 100 rushing yards to the other team as soon as they step off of their team bus, there must be changes coming into next season.

While you imagine that the main change will be to the man calling the plays on the defensive side of the ball, Mike Nolan, I imagine that he might be the only one. As crazy as that sounds, it might not be the craziest thing in the world.

The Dallas Cowboys obviously need to address some things along that defensive line, with the aforementioned poor run defense and with those players that didn’t work out for them for one reason or another this season, but that’s the only real makeover type unit, right?

Also, we know they will do more fine-tuning and small additions to make every unit stronger if they can, but again, the defensive line is the only unit where there will be major turnover, specifically in the middle of that defensive line.

Will or should this historically bad Cowboys defense get another year to redeem themselves?

You say that because although the linebackers haven’t been having their best year, they have been bright spots at times and the thing holding this defense together in certain games, even if only by a slither of a thread and one that would eventually pop as well. The secondary has also played that role at times this year for this Cowboys team.

They have covered well at times and forced turnovers. However, they have also given up big penalties and more than their fair share of big plays over the top.

Regardless though, when you think about some of the names on this team outside of those that were injured, cut, trade, or play in the middle of the defensive line not named Neville Gallimore, they have actually been serviceable. They haven’t been great, not even good in most circumstances but with the switching of schemes and everything else that has gone into this season, they deserve at least one more year to see if it can come together.

They’ve shown some progress, as far as progress in the scheme itself this year and progress from year to year as far as their ability to generate turnovers. We’ve seen the emergence of two potential locks in the secondary for the future with Trevon Diggs and Donovan Wilson.

Nevermind the re-emergence of two terrorizing pass rushers when they are right in Aldon Smith and Randy Gregory. Basically, for as bad as they have been this season and with the fact that Nolan definitely needs to be gone being as true as it gets, they have shown enough in the circumstances to warrant another year.

Again, there should be tweaks, especially up front along the defensive line to help stop them from being gashed on the ground week in and week out. Between the offensive line and the defensive line, that’s where the majority of their resources need to be focused this offseason.

This Cowboys team is a long shot to make the playoffs but as we have discussed, this defense won’t allow them to advance that far even if they sneak in. Even still though, they should get another year before blowing it all up because that’s simply the most efficient thing to do from a financial perspective and a team success perspective as opposed to any other option.