The Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a peculiar position once again.
A head coach who has back-to-back 12-win seasons under his belt is rare. He’ll potentially add another dozen at the season’s end.
Sitting in the background is one of the best assistant coaches in the entire league.
Dan Quinn represents the reclamation of this Cowboys’ defense. The unit boasts rankings of 7th and 5th in points allowed in 2021 and 2022.
That’s a massive disparity from 2020 when Mike Nolan’s crew ranked 28th in the same category.
Nevertheless, how long can Dallas have their cake and eat it too?
The marriage between Quinn and the Cowboys has been mutually beneficial, but will they be able to renew their vows after this season?
The smart money lands on Quinn finally cashing in on his coaching career resurgence, especially with no promotion available in Dallas.
There will be plenty of suitors, but one, in particular, would love to pull the rug from under America’s team.
I would argue that all money isn’t good money.
The Commanders have history but nothing to brag about lately
The Washington Commanders have been the little brother to the Dallas Cowboys in recent memory.
From James Washington and Deion Sanders to Stephen Bowen and Jason Hatcher, the Commanders habitually signed former Cowboys players.
Coaches weren’t off limits either with Bill Callahan or Norv Turner.
With all of their mimicking, the division rivals had minimal success with Dallas’ former personnel.
Turner had the longest tenure of the bunch going 49-59-1 with one playoff appearance.
The same quarterback issues that haunted the team then still plague them now.
Sam Howell is the projected starter for the 2023 season.
He could have potential or be their own Gus Frerotte, but we’ll dive deeper into that position later in the article.
There’s a new ownership group in town, but it’ll take some time for Washington to rebuild their brand from the Snyder era.
Turner and Callahan had messes to work through as head coach and offensive coordinator, respectively, but nothing to this magnitude.
The issues with the fan base, facilities, and toxic work environment will be a task for Josh Harris and his front office.
Quinn has been high on most teams’ help-wanted list and will continue to be.
With the history of the Commanders, he shouldn’t waste his second chance with their track record.
This may be the last year for this defensive line
The rumor mill is buzzing, and the word on the street is that the Commanders want to move on from Chase Young.
Why? Your guess is as good as mine.
He was the number two overall draft pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
His rookie season consisted of 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
The following season was marred by an injury that spilled over into the 2022 season.
Daron Payne worked his hind parts off and secured his long-term contract. For the 2023 season, the duo of Payne and Allen will be owed roughly $16 million.
It’s the 2024 season that should cause Dan to pause.
More than likely, Allen would have to be a cap casualty, especially when Payne’s salary increase kicks in.
At the bare minimum, Jared Allen would need to restructure his deal.
Throw in Montez Sweat needing a bag, and you have a good ole fashioned game of musical chairs.
Which one of the defensive linemen will sit down first when the music stops?
The organization’s use of draft capital was a classic case of near-sightedness.
While all four of their defensive linemen are good in their own right, using four straight first-round picks on that unit was reckless.
Watching the ultimate meltdown in 2021 with Payne and Allen should convince Dan that the nation’s capital is not the place to be.
Cross your fingers and hope they’ve landed their signal caller
Current Head Coach Ron Rivera has been on the hot seat for the last 2 or 3 seasons but has remained clear of the unemployment line.
Rivera may get a reprieve as this is the first full year with the connection of Sam Howell and Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
If it doesn’t work with that duo, it’s back to the drawing board for Riverboat Ron.
If you’re the Los Angeles Chargers or Cleveland Browns, you have a negotiating chip in the form of Justin Herbert and Deshaun Watson.
Washington has had eight different starting quarterbacks since 2020.
That’s a recipe for disaster.
The fact that Jacoby Brissett feels he has a chance to be the starter indicates that the number will increase to ten.
Dan’s last head coaching gig included Matt Ryan, who was playing at an MVP level.
It would help if you had that position to have any success in this lead.
Dan Quinn understands the importance of having a plan for that position.
There will be other jobs available for Dan Quinn.
However, if the Washington job is all that is available, Quinn would be wise to return to Dallas for a third straight offseason.
