1. Dan Quinn, Defensive Coordinator
He may not be a player, but his necessity on this team is undeniable. His impact didn’t go unnoticed as the defensive coordinator took home the AP Assistant Coach of the Year award. Given the chaos of free agency, it seems like ages ago that there was a possibility of Dan Quinn leaving the Cowboys to become the head coach of another team. After interviewing for several head coaching jobs around the league, Quinn emerged as a favorite candidate for the positions with the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears.
But on January 27, Quinn gave a suffering Cowboys Nation a big breath of fresh air by announcing he’d be returning to the team. Quinn is loved by his players (especially Micah Parsons) and is credited with helping the young stars on the Dallas defense have standout years in 2021. As a whole, under Quinn, the defense had an impressive turnaround.
The Cowboys have mostly been known for their offense in recent history. In 2021, Dallas led the NFL with 34 takeaways and the squad set a franchise record with six defensive touchdowns. In 2020, the team was 28th in the league in points allowed. Last year, the team jumped to seventh in points allowed. The defensive squad often saved the offense from spoiling games and played a huge factor in the team’s 12-5 record.
Despite several losses this offseason, these returns will have a huge impact on the 2022 roster.