Dan Quinn hasn't been the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys in two years, yet he's still making his mark on this Cowboys' defense. Not only is the unit trying to return to the relevance he led them to under DC Christian Parker, but they could sign one of his former players to get the job done.
Now that the opening wave of free agency is over, one of the biggest surprises is that Bobby Wagner has remained unsigned. Even at 35 years old and entering his 14th NFL season, Wagner is one of the best linebackers in the NFL, and could provide real value to any team willing to take a chance on him.
Thankfully, Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer has him finally landing in The Lone Star State. While predicting where many of the top unsigned free agents will end up, Iyer has Wagner signing with the Cowboys to fill their vacancy at linebacker for what should be a fraction of the price Nakobe Dean signed for.
The Dallas Cowboys should absolutely sign Bobby Wagner
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleIyer's prediction goes to show you how things always come full circle in the NFL. When Quinn was with Dallas, he tried relentlessly to sign the 10-time Pro Bowler, but he instead signed with the Los Angeles Rams and returned to the Seattle Seahawks in the two offseasons he did hit free agency.
The reason Quinn wanted him so badly is because he coached him when he was the defensive coordinator in Seattle early in the six-time All-Pro's career. So when he became the Commanders' head coach, one of the first moves he made was to reunite with the Super Bowl-winning LB.
You may be wondering how this relates to the current Cowboys, but it does more than we know. Linebacker is one of the biggest unfulfilled needs on this roster, and since Sonny Styles likely won't be available when Dallas is on the clock, DeMarvion Overshown needs a sidekick.
Parker has wanted to help the defense get younger and more versatile, but the most fitting player to sign is as grizzled a veteran as you'll find. Wagner has surpassed 100 tackles in every season of his career and has just reached the 2,000-tackle milestone in his career. He has ample wisdom to grant this young unit.
Wagner's declining athleticism gets exposed in coverage, but he is still capable of making plays all over the football field. He's as good as any linebacker at stopping the run. Signing him would strengthen Dallas' biggest weakness and weaken a division rival.
That isn't to say Wagner should be the only LB the Cowboys add to the roster between now and training camp, but they could do a lot worse than sign the future Hall of Famer.