FRISCO, Texas — When Dan Quinn first arrived at The Star after being hired as defensive coordinator in January, he noticed a few highlights playing on the TV monitors around the team’s headquarters.
The highlight packages that play on a continuous loop throughout the facility included the successful onside “watermelon kick” that was executed against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 last year. The Cowboys trailed 20-0 after the first quarter but ended up rallying for a 40-39 victory as time expired. Quinn was the head coach of the Falcons that day.
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“I was like, ‘Hey, man, can we take this game off?’” Quinn joked. “I’m like, ‘Isn’t this part of the reason I’m here?’”
The Falcons fired Quinn in October after the team started his sixth season with the franchise 0-5. The Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Mike Nolan on Jan. 8. Quinn, who had offers from other teams, was hired by the Cowboys three days later.
“The reason I certainly chose to come here was the whole package of it,” Quinn said Saturday night in his first news conference with local reporters. “It’s Jerry (Jones), it’s Stephen (Jones), it’s Mike (McCarthy), it’s the defense. It’s what I think the type of program and place that I’d like to be a part of. So it really was a no-brainer for me when the opportunity was presented to me to come and be a part of this.
“I was very much looking forward to it. Over the last couple of months, I’ve been really impressed with the process of how it’s going. I’m pumped to be here, man.”
Quinn was 43-42 in Atlanta. He led the Falcons to the Super Bowl in 2016, where they fell to the New England Patriots in overtime, 34-28, after leading 28-3 in the third quarter. Quinn was hired by Atlanta in 2015 after being the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator the previous two years. The Seahawks reached the Super Bowl both seasons, winning it all in 2013.
Quinn was asked about his previous experiences as a head coach and defensive coordinator and specifically who the Cowboys are getting as their new defensive coordinator.
“Well, much like a player, I guess I have to prove it,” he said. “And what I would say is what you can count on from me is somebody that’s real specific in how we’re going to go about it and get after it. And I’m very much looking forward to proving that. The very best competitive moments in my life have come from prove-it moments. And like all competitors, I very much enjoy doing that. So I guess we’ll have to see.”
New Cowboys DC Dan Quinn never considered taking a full year off: “I absolutely love what I do. I think what I learned most about my life is I like to do hard sh*t with a group of people. Standing right on it, game’s on the line, 30 seconds left, I love that more than anything.” pic.twitter.com/zQnUkMVe3L
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) May 2, 2021
The expectation for Quinn now is to fix arguably the worst defense in franchise history. And while free agency saw Dallas continue its recent run of limited spending, the draft plan was to give Quinn several prospects to build the defense as he sees fit.
For the first time in franchise history, the Cowboys spent their first six picks on defense, adding linebacker Micah Parsons in the first round, cornerback Kelvin Joseph in the second, defensive linemen Osa Odighizuwa and Chauncey Golston and cornerback Nahshon Wright in the third and linebacker Jabril Cox in the fourth.
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Dallas ended up taking two more defenders, defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna and defensive back Israel Mukuamu, in the sixth round. The total of defensive eight players is the most by the Cowboys since the seven-round draft began in 1994.
It appears that the Cowboys just got done having what will be remembered as a “Dan Quinn draft.”
“No, it’s a Dallas Cowboys draft,” Quinn responded with a quick laugh. “I was glad with the process, but I still would have been happy if we came in here and had eight offensive players and three guys (on defense). I was happy with the process. It’s just how the board fell.”
A specific characteristic of the defenders the Cowboys drafted is exceptional height and length. Parsons is 6-foot-3 with 31.5-inch arms, Joseph is 6-0 with 32-inch arms, Odighizuwa is 6-2 with 34-inch arms, Golston is 6-5 with 34.8-inch arms, Wright is 6-4 with 33-inch arms, Cox is 6-3 with 32.5-inch arms, Bohanna is 6-4 with 34-inch arms, and Mukuamu is 6-4 with 34-inch arms.
“I think when you assess everything, you want to make sure from an entire package that you’re versatile enough defensively to have different packages, and also for the different styles of offenses that you play,” Quinn said. “Just think of our league today, to some who are wide open and spreading it out, to some who will pack it in and run some option stuff, the Baltimores. So you want to have enough different players that you’re versatile enough to adapt to any offensive scheme.Some are going to play in three-wide-receiver sets. Some are going to play in two-tight-end sets.
“Whatever size, style team you’re playing against, you want to be versatile enough to be able to say, ‘All right, this is how we’re going to match up and get it on.'”
A dramatic one-year turnaround on defense shouldn’t be expected. No NFC team allowed more rushing yards than the Cowboys last season, at 159 per game. No team in franchise history allowed more points than Dallas’ 29.6 per game. But there has to be a noticeable improvement. There can’t be routine questions about effort and missed assignments. Quinn’s background is more similar to what Rod Marinelli implemented as Dallas’ defensive coordinator from 2014 to 2019 than what Nolan ran last season. That should be a better fit for veterans DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch.
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It should be interesting to see how quickly Quinn can turn things around. After last year’s defensive performance, the bar should be pretty low. But if he can eventually build it into anything close to what he had in Seattle in 2013 and 2014, head coaching opportunities will probably return.
“I’ve learned to be where your feet are,” Quinn said. “In the past, I’ve maybe, even as a D-line coach, I was chasing. I just wanted to be a D-coordinator. I’ve just had way more fun and way more success when I was just trying to crush it where I was and having a blast. So where I’m at right now, I’m enjoying it, and honestly, just want to be right where my feet are and kicking ass and having a blast with this crew and this team and this organization.”
COWBOYS TAKEAWAYS: Best, questions, needs
WHO DALLAS PICKED:Analysis, grades
STURM: Breaking down Micah Parsons
STURM:On Kelvin Joseph over a safety
MACHOTA:Why Parsons at No. 12?
(Photo: Jon Machota / The Athletic)
Jon Machota is a staff writer covering the Dallas Cowboys for The Athletic. He previously covered the Cowboys for The Dallas Morning News. He's a Detroit native and graduate of Wayne State University. Follow Jon on Twitter @jonmachota
