Rex tries, fails to drum up interest as Zimmer agrees to terms

After multiple reports last week that Mike Zimmer was nearly a lock to replace Dan Quinn, but with no official announcement from the team, it got a little interesting over the weekend.

On ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, Rex Ryan seemed confident he had a chance to land the defensive coordinator job with the Cowboys instead of Zimmer.

ESPN reporter Adam Schefter reported on Monday morning that the Cowboys loved Ryan and the team reached back out to him amid the Zimmer “holdout” to discuss numbers.

As of Monday afternoon though, it became official, Mike Zimmer and the Dallas Cowboys agreed to terms after several days of negotiations.

So, yes, the #Cowboys and Mike Zimmer have officially agreed to terms after several days of negotiations.

He is flying in to Dallas this week and there will possibly be a press conference following his arrival — which is TBD.

Zimmer is back.

We move.

— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) February 12, 2024

“I’ve never called another head coach or anything like that. I called Mike McCarthy,” Ryan said.

Ryan called because he said he would only get back into coaching if it were the right situation.

“This team, it is interesting, because they are so close to getting over that edge, and that’s why I think people would be interested in this job.”

Check out the video below.

Rex seems very adamant he had a legitimate chance to land this job.

"The Dallas Cowboys loved Rex Ryan..

Mike Zimmer's deal isn't done yet and they've reached back out to Rex Ryan" @AdamSchefter #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/0iVXpKj7Ja

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) February 12, 2024

Was Rex Really Close?

Reports have said that Ryan’s interview went well with the team, but we all know Jerry Jones as well as the next person.

He loves his drama.

He was in Vegas for the Super Bowl this weekend and guess what was the most talked-about subject after the two teams playing on Sunday? The Dallas Cowboys.

I don’t disagree that Ryan’s interview went well; if he called McCarthy, he wanted this job for a reason, but Zimmer was the right hire.

It is hard to tell if Jerry wanted this to drag out, or if something was going with the contract, which is why Dallas reached back out to Ryan on Monday.

Either way, the drama is over and now Zimmer can get to work.

What Mike Zimmer Brings

Zimmer is 67, and most recently coached the Vikings from 2014-2021. He hasn’t been in the league since his Vikings exit.

He was a Cowboys assistant coach from 1994-2006.

He was once the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, from 2000 to 2006, under head coaches Dave Campo and Bill Parcells.

The Cowboys have hired former Vikings HC Mike Zimmer as their new Defensive Coordinator, Zimmer told ESPN's @WerderEdESPN. pic.twitter.com/aYJP52XYAu

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) February 12, 2024

Zimmer takes over a defense that has gotten shredded the last two years on the ground.

Although under Dan Quinn they finished fifth in yards and points per game, that was against a very bad division.

Like the offense, Quinn’s defense struggled against teams with winning records.

All I hope is that the defense under Zimmer will be consistent, not all this hit-and-miss stuff we saw under Quinn.

Sure, at times they looked dominant, but please just give us a unit that we can trust week in and week out.

Re-sign Stephon Gilmore, get Trevon Diggs back and draft some linebacker help. Hopefully, DeMarvion Overshown and Trevon Diggs will find their way back at some point in 2024.

This team will have the players to be very good again, but I expect it to take a few weeks under Zimmer before we truly see the type of defense he will bring to this team.