Coaching
In his first season with the Cowboys, Mike McCarthy went 6-10. He had a successful 11-year run (114-61-1) with the Packers, leading to nine trips to the postseason and a Super Bowl win in 2020. Over his final two seasons with Green Bay, he went 11-16-1. Dallas made playoffs three times over the six years before McCarthy arrived while compiling a 56-40 record.
Last year the Cowboys fell to 14th in offense yards after losing their starting quarterback in Week 5. They finished 17th in points scored (395), 39 fewer than in 2019 (434).
Kellen Moore returns to run the Cowboys’ offense for a second season. He went from backup quarterback from 2012 to 2017 with the Lions and the Cowboys to a quarterbacks coach in 2018. Moore starts the year at age 32, putting on a path to a head coaching job down the road.
Their defense fell apart in 2020, leading to a fade to 23rd in points allowed (473) and 28th in yards allowed. Dallas gave up 152 more points than 2019 (321).
Regression on defense led to the Cowboys hiring Dan Quinn to be their defensive coordinator. Over five-plus seasons as the head coach of the Falcons, he went 43-42 with a trip to the Super Bowl in 2016 and another postseason appearance the following year. His defense helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl in 2013. Quinn has been an NFL coach since 2001.
Free Agency
The only offensive changes via free agency for the Cowboys were the loss of QB Andy Dalton and the addition of T Ty Nsekhe.
Dalton went 4-5 in relief of Dak Prescott, but he gained only 6.5 yards per pass attempt. Over 10 seasons, he had a 74-66-2 record with no wins in four chances in the postseason.
Nsekhe provides bench depth to their offensive line. He has never been a full-time starting player.
Their defense lost CB Chidobe Awuzie, S Xavier Woods, and DE Aldon Smith.
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The Cowboys added S Keanu Neal, DE Tarell Basham, and DT Brent Urban.
Neal is a talented player with a first-round pedigree (2016). He missed almost all of 2018 and 2019 with injuries. Neal played under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, where he flashed upside in all areas. His play should improve the Cowboys’ run defense. Neal will give up catches, but receivers tend to gain short yards per catch.
Basham improved defending the run over the past two seasons with the Jets while working off the bench. He has 5.5 sacks over his last 32 games.
Urban projects as a rotational player with early-down value in run support. He has never had over 2.5 sacks in any season.
Draft
LB Micah Parsons
Parsons should be a high-volume tackler with the speed and quickness to excel all over the field. His next step is finding a balance between attack and patience to help him find his assignments on time. He needs to improve his transition when facing traffic against blockers. Parson has the potential to add much more production in the pass rush.
CB Kelvin Joseph
Joseph brings the physical tools to support the run and work well in press coverage. His reads lack confidence at times, which should improve with more experience. Joseph can get unwound in the heat of the battle, leading to cheap shots and penalties. Quarterbacks will have success manipulating him with their eyes early in his career.
DT Osa Odighizuwa
Odighizuwa wins off the line with a disruptive first step, with the vision to keep an eye on his mark in the run game. His motor runs hot, helping him push to the quarterback. His challenge comes when facing bigger bodies on the interior of the defensive line. Odighizuwa plays too fast on some plays, inhibiting his success rate when adding a secondary pass rush move. The Cowboys' task is finding the correct position to play him in.
DE Chauncey Golston
Golston looks to have a misplaced skill set at this point in his career. He offers better success rushing the quarterback on the inside, despite having the build (6’5” and 270 lbs.) to play on the outer limits of a defensive line. Golston loses value when rushing the quarterback off the corner, which may come when adding more strength. For now, only a passing rushing option with plenty of questions about his run defense.
CB Nahshon Wright
Wright has a good feel for reading pass routes with the length to cover a big window over the short areas of the field. Unfortunately, his long speed is lacking, leaving him in the dust if beaten early in pass routes. He may develop in press coverage if his body (185 lbs.) catches up to his height (6’4”). His technique needs work when trying to match wide receivers in pass routes. I expect him to be a better player in red zone coverage.
LB Jabril Cox
Cox made the jump to a top college program in 2020 with minimal regression in his play. His attacking style improves a run defense, but Cox still has a looker feel, which leads to a slower first step out of his breaks. He will add value in pass coverage. Overall, Cox is an improving player with a chance to have success on all three downs.
T Josh Ball
An off-the-field issue led to Ball sliding below his talent and ceiling in the draft. His pass grades are ahead of his run blocking skills. He wants to protect the outside in the pass rush, leading to inside pressure by defenders cutting across his face. Ball fires into defenders, which can cause balance issues if missing his mark.
G Matt Farniok
Farniok adds flexibility and depth to the Cowboys’ offensive line. His game plays the best in a quick-hitting run game. He should handle most bull rushers while needing to improve in pass protection.
WR Simi Fehoko
He has a one-trick pony feel due to his lack of route running and questionable short-area quickness. His intrigue comes over the long field where Fehoko owns an edge in size (6’4” and 220 lbs.) while offering sneaky build-up speed.
DT Quinton Bohanna
Bohanna will be an early-down run clogger with minimal chance of seeing the field on passing downs. He plays with power with enough of a first step to put offensive linemen on their heels. His range is limited while losing value with each step away from the middle.
CB Israel Mukuamu
Mukuamu owns an edge in size (6’4” and 210 Lbs.) that should play well in press coverage in the red zone. His foot speed out of an early release could lead to some issue over the long field. His run support is trailing while lacking the foundation in his footwork to match top receivers in their route running.
