The Cowboys are searching for a brand new defensive coordinator – one that may train and talk clearly – after shifting on from Matt Eberflus. We already outlined 15 candidates that must be on their radar, however listed below are 5 names that must be crossed out immediately.
The Cowboys love a former head coach at defensive coordinator – it’s important to return to 2012 with Rob Ryan to search out the final one with out head teaching expertise – so, naturally, many have pointed to Jonathan Gannon, who was simply fired because the Cardinals head coach.
Gannon went 15-36 in three seasons and ended this 12 months with a nine-game dropping streak. It will’ve been a 14-game dropping streak if not for the Cowboys dropping to them in Dallas. As unhealthy as Gannon’s head teaching run was – this season set a franchise file for losses – he ran the Eagles protection earlier than getting the highest job out within the desert.
The Eagles reached the postseason each years, and narrowly misplaced to the Chiefs within the Tremendous Bowl proper earlier than Gannon’s departure. So why shouldn’t the Cowboys have an interest?
The truth is Gannon’s defenses had been by no means that nice. His first season noticed them end seventeenth in EPA/play and, whereas they improved to sixth the subsequent 12 months, Philadelphia needed to win a number of shootouts through the common season. He was typically criticized by native media for an absence of in-game changes, which got here to a head within the Tremendous Bowl when Andy Reid schemed up consecutive touchdowns with the identical play, each instances releasing up a large open receiver within the endzone.
Gannon can also be very younger, simply 43 years outdated, and has by no means been a coordinator anyplace aside from Philadelphia. Previous to that, he coached defensive backs for Matt Eberflus in Indianapolis and, earlier than that, assisted with defensive backs on Mike Zimmer’s Vikings employees. Does it actually make sense to usher in a coach whose strongest teaching influences are the Cowboys’ final two coordinators – neither of whom lasted greater than a 12 months – and Nick Sirianni?
Again when Dan Quinn first departed for the Commanders, there was a perception that the Cowboys considered cross sport coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. because the inheritor obvious. In spite of everything, he had been a detailed confidant of Quinn’s in Atlanta earlier than Dallas and even known as some preseason video games, normally an indicator of being groomed for the function.
However Dallas pivoted to Mike Zimmer, and Whitt left to run the protection and name performs in Washington. There have been some rumors on the time that Mike McCarthy needed to advertise Whitt, however was overruled by others within the constructing. Whether or not or not that’s true is irrelevant now, particularly with Whitt accessible once more after being let go by Quinn.
It’s simple to make the argument for Whitt’s candidacy – he’s the closest you will get to bringing again the Quinn days – however the final two years have irreparably broken Whitt’s inventory. In his first 12 months, Whitt’s protection completed twenty second in EPA/play allowed; they plummeted to thirty first this 12 months, simply barely forward of the Cowboys, and Quinn took over play-calling halfway by means of the 12 months.
Briefly, there’s a cause that even somebody as loyal as Quinn let him go. Whitt had items – Daron Payne, Johnny Newton, Bobby Wagner, Marshon Lattimore, Mike Sainristil, and others – however he couldn’t match them collectively. That’s not what Dallas wants proper now.
Simply the most well-liked place coach the Cowboys have had in a while, Al Harris rapidly gained a sterling repute for his work with the Cowboys corners. Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland each turned in All Professional seasons the place they led the league in picks at varied instances. Harris was recognized to be a robust instructor of strategies, and he was credited the event of each younger playmakers.
When McCarthy opted to depart Dallas this previous offseason, Harris discovered a brand new dwelling. He’s the defensive backs coach and cross sport coordinator for the Bears, who simply so occur to have led the league in interceptions this 12 months. Particularly, former Cowboys mission Nahshon Wright discovered a beginning function and snagged 5 picks, second-most on the workforce.
The explanations to keep away from Harris are two-fold, although.
For starters, Harris is extra of a technician than a tactician, by his personal admission. Whereas in Dallas, Harris stated that he was hardly concerned with the defensive scheme or sport plan, as an alternative specializing in instructing his gamers the strategies and fundamentals that make for good defensive backs. And whereas he holds the title of cross sport coordinator now, Harris nonetheless has an identical function in Chicago.
The opposite, extra regarding issue is the notion that some within the constructing had of Harris and the best way he handled Diggs and Bland. In accordance with the Cowboys’ personal Brad Sham, there was a way that Harris “babied” his gamers and didn’t push them sufficient.
Given how a lot Brian Schottenheimer has emphasised toughness and competitors, in addition to the falling out with Diggs this season, it appears the brand new head coach didn’t actually see room for Harris on his employees anyway. That may make for a poor match at coordinator, clearly.
Of all of the names on this checklist, Jeff Ulbrich is well the least objectionable identify. However given all the opposite potential candidates on the market, it does appear as if the Cowboys can do higher than bringing within the former Falcons and Jets defensive coordinator.
For a very long time, Ulbrich was a part of Quinn’s employees with the Falcons, teaching linebakers. When Quinn was fired and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris was named interim head coach, Ulbrich was named interim defensive coordinator. After that season, Robert Saleh employed him to run the Jets protection.
Throughout his 4 seasons there, the Jets had been twenty first in EPA/play allowed, however they did enhance. New York completed 2023 because the third finest protection by EPA. The following 12 months, Ulbrich was promoted to interim head coach early on, as Saleh was fired, and the protection fell off all through the course of the 12 months.
Ulbrich then got here to Atlanta, reuniting with Morris. Taking on a Falcons protection that had ranked twentieth in EPA/play, Ulbrich improved them to… 14th. He’s now accessible after Morris – one of many names most related to the Cowboys opening – was fired following a second straight 8-9 season.
Statistically talking, Ulbrich has solely had one actually good 12 months as a coordinator, and his groups have by no means reached the playoffs. Extra regarding, although, is the truth that all of his 5 seasons as a coordinator got here below a defensive-minded head coach. How a lot of that stellar 2023 season was Ulbrich, and the way a lot of it was Saleh, who’s as soon as once more getting head teaching consideration following a terrific 12 months main the 49ers protection?
One identify that’s picked up steam as of late is Matt Patricia. Sure, that Matt Patricia. At present the defensive coordinator at Ohio State, the place the Buckeyes boast one of many easiest defenses in school soccer, Patricia is having fun with a profession resurgence.
The longtime Patriots assistant rose by means of the ranks to defensive coordinator earlier than getting the Lions job. There, he took over a 9-7 workforce and changed Jim Caldwell, who was 36-28 in 4 seasons in Detroit. Patricia promptly went 6-10, 3-12-1, after which 4-7 earlier than being fired through the 2020 season. He alienated gamers, routinely confirmed up late to workforce conferences and practices, and one way or the other deflated a complete fanbase that had already grow to be used to dropping.
He would return to New England as a senior advisor, later sharing offensive play-calling duties with Joe Choose in a transfer that turned simply as disastrous as everybody – save for Invoice Belichick – anticipated. When Belichick was let go, Patricia joined the Eagles as a senior defensive assistant after Gannon left for Arizona.
Midway by means of the 12 months, Nick Sirianni turned over defensive play-calling to Patricia, in a transfer that was extremely controversial on the time. Whereas Philadelphia had struggled defensively that 12 months, Patricia’s expanded involvement made issues worse: they misplaced three of their last 4 video games and went from twenty fourth in EPA/play to twenty ninth.
The craziest half is {that a} nearer examination of Patricia’s Patriots defenses reveals they weren’t even that nice. He held the title of defensive coordinator for six seasons, and gained extra autonomy from Belichick with every new 12 months. There was additionally an inverse relationship with the protection’s effectivity: over his final 4 years, Patricia’s defenses had been prime 10 in EPA/play simply as soon as.
His last season was the worst, too. They had been twenty sixth in EPA/play, one of many worst years defensively of the Belichick period, and the Patriots misplaced the Tremendous Bowl regardless of Tom Brady throwing for 505 yard with zero turnovers. Not solely that, however backup quarterback Nick Foles dropped 373 yards and a 40-burger on Patricia.
The Buckeyes have undeniably had an excellent 12 months, particularly on protection, but it surely’s been a very long time since they weren’t good on that aspect of the ball. It’s not as if Patricia took over an ailing, and even mediocre, unit and turned them into all-stars. He merely prevented messing up factor in Columbus.
It’s the primary time he’s accomplished that, too. The Patriots acquired worse below his watch – heck, even their offense acquired worse when he acquired concerned – and so did the Eagles. The Lions had been virtually cratered into the bottom by his brief tenure. It’s not hyperbole to say Patricia has had a internet unfavourable impression in all places he’s coached within the NFL, and he’s the farthest factor from what the Cowboys want now or ever.
