It is pretty crazy to think that Dan Quinn left the Dallas Cowboys and was essentially handed a blank check by Commanders owner Josh Harris to sign anyone he wants. That helped Quinn land Bobby Wagner, one of the best linebackers of his generation and a player that Quinn wanted in Dallas.
Well, it has helped Quinn sign yet another player whom the Cowboys had mutual interest in but failed to get over the line: eight-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champ Von Miller.
While Miller is well past his prime, he fills a big need for Quinn at defensive end. The Commanders arguably still need more help there, but this is just the latest example that Quinn's new team has a better understanding of the impact players outside the organization can make.
Commanders nab small victory over the Cowboys by signing Von Miller
The Cowboys made a run at Von Miller during the 2022 offseason. You might remember Randy Gregory leaving Dallas at the altar for the Broncos after he agreed to a deal to return to America's Team. Gregory's decision left the roster with a gaping hole at edge rusher.
A DeSoto Texas native, Miller went on the record to say that he would have taken a discount to play for his hometown Cowboys.
“I told them I was ready to come to the Cowboys,” Miller told Dan Pompei of The Athletic. “I would have taken less to go to Dallas because it’s Dallas. But I wouldn’t take that much less.”
Read more: Longtime rival just helped the Cowboys solve one of their biggest problems
In typical Jerry Jones fashion, he offered Miller the same contract that Gregory turned down at the eleventh hour. It was a five-year, $70 million offer and Miller predictably balked at it. He would eventually ink a six-year, $120 million pact with the Bills, including $51 million in guarantees. The $20 million per-year average blew Dallas' $14 million per-year offer out of the water.
Jane Slater of NFL Network reported that Miller had a strong desire to play for the Cowboys. It's still unclear how big of a discount Miller would have taken to sign with Dallas, but $14 million per year was never going to make it happen.
Jones pivoted by signing reuniting Quinn with Dante Fowler, whom he coached in college at Florida and later in the NFL with the Falcons. That's been the story of free agency for the Cowboys.
Something tells us Miller won't be the last player to join the Commanders that Quinn initially wanted while he served as Dallas' defensive coordinator.