3 Dan Quinn replacements Cowboys should already have on their radar
By Jerry Trotta
The offseason has arrived for the Dallas Cowboys, and fans should brace themselves for seismic changes across the roster and coaching staff.
That’s why taking advantage of a great season is so important. The turnover year-to-year in terms of personnel and coaches means nothing can ever be guaranteed. While Mike McCarthy has instilled a winning culture in Dallas, he could lose a cherished assistant in defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
Quinn returning for 2022 after he was a finalist for the Broncos head coaching gig was considered one of the wins of last offseason. This year, however, it feels inevitable the touted defensive mind will become a head coach again.
As of this writing, Quinn has already secured interviews with Denver, Arizona, and Indianapolis, He’s already scheduled a second interview with the Cardinals and is considered the lead candidate for the Broncos gig if they don’t move heaven and earth to net Sean Payton.
Either way, McCarthy and the Cowboys should already have replacements lined up in the event Quinn leaves for a head coaching job.
3 potential Dan Quinn replacements for the Cowboys
3. George Edwards
The Cowboys will undoubtedly look internally to fill Quinn’s shoes, and Edwards should be on the shortlist of candidates. Currently Dallas’ senior defensive assistant, Edwards previously served as the team’s linebackers coach, so his fingerprints are all over this defense and he already has a relationship with players.
Before arriving in Dallas, Edwards served as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator for six seasons. While Minnesota’s defense is one of the worst in the NFL now, it flourished under Edwards’ tutelage. He willed them to finishing 11th in points allowed in his first year, before stringing together five straight seasons finishing in the top 10 in fewest points allowed.
During that span, the Vikings finished in the top five three times and boasted the league’s best defense by all metrics in 2017.
As we just alluded to, Minnesota’s defense fell off a cliff with then-head coach Mike Zimmer pulling the strings after Edwards left following the 2019 season and it has only gotten worse in the years since.
Edwards would be a quality internal hire by the Cowboys.