4 Cowboys who could follow Dan Quinn to the Commanders

Tony Pollard might not have been aware of it, but Dan Quinn decided to leave the Dallas Cowboys and is taking over as the head coach of the Washington Commanders. Quinn, who spent the past three seasons coaching defense in Dallas will now try and revive the Commanders and made an interesting hire with Kliff Kingsbury coming on as the offensive coordinator.

Adding the former Arizona Cardinals head coach to run the offense is proof of what we already knew, which is that Quinn is going to give much of his attention to the defensive side of the ball. That starts now as he looks to rebuild his roster and could try and lure these four players out of Big D.

4. Dante Fowler, EDGE

Dante Fowler, Jr. is one of several free agents the Cowboys could wind up losing this offseason. Originally the third overall pick out of Florida in 2015, Fowler missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL. He was able to return in 2016 but never became the force the Jacksonville Jaguars expected him to be.

Even so, he's had a decent career as a pass-rushing specialist. Fowler, who actually signed with Quinn while he was the Atlanta Falcons head coach, followed DQ to Dallas in 2022. Over the past two seasons, he had 10 sacks in a reserve role, and with Montez Sweat and Chase Young being shipped off this past season, he would be a welcome addition to the roster in Washington.

They would still need more help to build up their defensive line but his presence would give them a veteran capable of getting home on third-downs.

3. Jourdan Lewis, CB

The Washington Commanders were awful against the pass in 2023, but not for lack of trying to shore up the secondary. They used their top two picks in the draft on cornerbacks as they brought in Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16 overall and Quan Martin at No. 47. Both were featured in the defense and while Martin was solid in the slot, Forbes struggled on the outside.

With Kendall Fuller starting opposite Forbes, opposing teams attacked the rookie often. That led to a lot of success as the Commanders gave up 4,457 yards and 39 touchdowns through the air — landing in last place for each statistic.

With Fuller hitting the open market, Quinn might prefer to bring in a veteran corner he's more comfortable with while also saving some money. That could lead to Jourdan Lewis making the trip to the Nation's Capital.

Lewis, who was a third-round pick out of Michigan in 2017 has spent the past seven seasons in Dallas. There were those who were ready to see him leave in 2023 but when Trevon Diggs was injured and the Cowboys were able to turn to Lewis, they changed their tune.

He finished this past season with 52 tackles, five pass defenses, three forced fumbles, and an interception. Always known for being a savvy player, Lewis might see the chance to follow Quinn as a way to make sure he sees the field more frequently.

2. Jayron Kearse, Safety

Dan Quinn should always be thanked for reminding Jerry and Stephen Jones just how important safeties are. Under Rod Marinelli and Mike Nolan, the Cowboys constantly trotted out late-round picks, undrafted free agents, and bargain-bin veterans. When Quinn took over in 2021, he signed three players capable of starting.

Not only did they sign Damontae Kazee, who was with Quinn in Atlanta, but they also added Malik Hooker — a former first-round pick who was coming off an Achilles injury. They allowed him to get healthy and wound up with a starter capable of patrolling the field deep.

A third safety was signed that year as well, although his addition went under the radar. Jayron Kearse, a former seventh-round pick from Clemson, had just recorded 59 tackles the prior year for the Detroit Lions. Quinn saw the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Kearse as the perfect box safety and he quickly won the fans over.

Kearse had 101 tackles and two picks in his first season in Dallas and after three years boasts 250 tackles, 4.5 sacks, five interceptions, and 19 pass defenses. Now set for free agency, there's a chance the 30-year-old won't be retained. He could, however, follow Quinn who will be in need of help in his secondary. It wouldn't be easy to see Kearse, who became an emotional leader for the Cowboys, playing in D.C. but the move would make sense.

1. Dorance Armstrong, EDGE

When the Dallas Cowboys threw language in Randy Gregory's contract extension ahead of the 2022 season, the former second-round pick felt betrayed. He decided to back out of the agreement to stay with the team that stuck by him since 2015 and then signed a multi-year deal with the Denver Broncos.

Shortly after this went down, the Cowboys re-signed Dorance Armstrong for a fraction of what Gregory was going to get paid. They were then mocked when Stephen Jones said Armstrong (who had 5.0 sacks in 2021 compared to 6.0 for Gregory) was close in production. He was clearly right, but Armstrong didn't have the name recognition, so it was assumed this claim was ridiculous.

Now two years later, it's clear that Jones undersold Armstrong and everyone else oversold Gregory. Armstrong had 8.5 sacks in 2022 and followed that up with 7.5 this ytear. As for Grgeory, he appeared in 10 games over the first year and a half in Denver and had a mere 3.0 sacks. He was traded to the 49ers early in the 2023 season and had 11 tackles and 2.5 sacks for them.

All that was great for Dallas but it could lead to a problem with Armstrong set for free agency. With 16 sacks over the past two seasons, he could be in line for a pay raise and the Commanders — who are in desperate need of defensive ends — could not only offer him more money, but more playing time as well.

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