This time last year, it would have seemed like a disaster for the Dallas Cowboys if they were to lose Dan Quinn. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach turned their struggling defense into one of the best in the NFL and it seemed as though this team could take on anyone as long as Quinn was calling the plays on defense.
During the 2023 season, he continued to put together some impressive games. Not only were they dominant at home but they were once again taking the ball away at an alarming rate. DaRon Bland even set the record for the most pick-sixes in a single year.
That all came to a crashing halt when Quinn's defense was steamrolled by the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs -- at home. Now, it feels as though it would be a welcome change if Quinn took a head coaching job elsewhere. If he did, that could be an issue for these six players.
6. Viliami Fehoko Jr., DL
A fourth-round pick in 2023, Viliami Fehoko, Jr. had an impressive career for San Jose State. He recorded 23 sacks and 46 tackles for a loss. And at 6-foot-4 and 267 pounds, he's built to play defensive end at the next level.
Quinn, however, seemed to prefer him in the middle of the line. Fehoko didn't see the field as a rookie but during camp and the preseason, he was working in a 3-tech role similar to Chauncey Golston. Should Quinn leave, there's a chance Feoko kicks back out to the edge.
If so, he might be in trouble. Fehoko spent the entire 2023 campaign learning a new position and that could hinder his growth going forward.
5. Dante Fowler, EDGE
When Dallas lost Randy Gregory ahead of the 2022 season, Dan Quinn turned to a familiar face. The Cowboys signed Dante Fowler spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons in Atlanta and worked with Quinn for just five games but the two got along well. Quinn loved the burst Fowler had off the edge and Fowler enjoyed being free to do what he does best — get after the quarterback.
During his first season in Big D, Fowler was a rotational pass rusher who played in all 17 games but never had an official start. He still racked up 27 tackles and 6.0 sacks while adding 21 pressures on the opposing quarterback. This year, his snaps went down thanks to the emergence of Sam Williams but Fowler was still effective.
Again playing in all 17 games without a start, the former No. 3 overall selection had 4.0 sacks but just 13 overall tackles. He also had just 12 pressures. None of that is an indictment on his skill but more a byproduct of Williams seeing the field more.
Looking ahead, there's a chance the Cowboys don't retain Fowler either way — he's set for free agency in the offseason. But without Quinn, that chance becomes very slim.
4. Markquese Bell, LB/S
A former undrafted free agent, Markquese Bell has always had a fan in Dan Quinn. The Dallas defensive coordinator followed Bell throughout his career at Florida A&M and wasn't shy about his belief that he could be a real player. In his second season, Bell got a chance to prove Quinn right as he was on the field for 61 percent of the defensive snaps this year.
Bell, who was a safety in college as well as during his rookie campaign, spent much of that time playing linebacker. With Leighton Vander Esch injured during the season and rookie DeMarvion Overshown going down in the preseason, Quinn tasked Bell with playing the same hybrid role he had Keanu Neal occupy in 2021.
Overall, Bell succeeded in this role. He finished with 94 tackles, four pass defenses, and two forced fumbles. However, there's no guarantee he would play in a similar role under another defensive coordinator. Perhaps he can move to a safety role once again but here, he would be behind Donovan Wilson who is a better 'in-the-box' safety. As far as coverage goes, Juanyeh Thomas might have the edge on Bell.
It's not as if he will be in danger of being cut, but Bell could wind up with a significantly lower number of snaps in 2024 without Quinn.
3. Chauncey Golston, DL
Just like Viliami Fehoko in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Cowboys added Chauncey Golston in the 2022 draft with a certain role in mind. Built similar to Fehoko, Golston is listed at 6-foot-5 and 268 pounds and played defensive end collegiately. For Dallas, he's still technically listed as an end but when he takes the field, it's often as a defensive tackle.
Throughout his career, he's been an under-appreciated player. He rotates into the defensive line and offers a consistent tackler who has 79 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and three tackles for a loss over 47 games. Despite his low sack totals, Golston often receives a solid grade when it comes to rushing the passer from PFF — earning a 75.0 this past season which is 29th in the league.
However, there's a chance he too could be in trouble if Dan Quinn were to leave. Right now, the Cowboys don't operate in a normal 4-3 defense, but it's also not exactly a 3-4. Quinn likes to use multiple fronts which sometimes has Golston on the edge in a three-man line while also moving him inside on a four-man line.
Should another defensive coordinator come in, they might focus more on one scheme or the other. That could be an issue for Golston who might not be an ideal fit. What makes him so valuable to Quinn is the way he can move from one spot to the other, whereas another coach might see him as a 'tweener' and want to look for another option.
2. Jayron Kearse, S
When Dan Quinn was signed to coach the defense in Dallas, their fans let out a sigh of relief. Mike Nolan had coached the unit the prior season and it was a mess. Before that, it was Rod Marinelli, who seemed to be universally loved even though his work as a coordinator left a lot to be desired. A whole lot.
Marinelli seemed to believe you didn't have to have a big run stuffer in the middle or good safeties. That led to several defensive tackles and defensive backs being plugged in while we all had to suffer through the atrocious yelling from the fan base as they cried: "Let Rod coach 'em up!"
Well, Rod typically coached them up to average. At best. Yet fans still loved Marinelli even though they gave up deep ball after deep ball and couldn't win at the line of scrimmage.
Eventually, that love started to fade and then when Quinn came in, they saw what had been missing. Dallas put some beef on the front lines and then added several safeties in free agency. The most impactful signing during his first season was Jayron Kearse, a safety who was a bit of an afterthought when signed.
A former seventh-round pick from Clemson, Kearse had just recorded 59 tackles in 11 games for Detroit. At 6-foot-4 and 215-pounds, Quinn used him as an enforcer in the secondary and he had 101 tackles, two picks, and a sack in his first season with the Cowboys.
In three years, he now has 250 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and four picks but could be on the way out — especially if Quinn leaves. This past season, Kearse played well but didn't have too many signature moments. Perhaps he could still have a role in Quinn's defense but another coordinator will likely want to get younger and faster at the position.
1. Malik Hooker, S
A first-round pick for the Indianapolis Colts, Malik Hooker had all the talent to be a game-changing safety. He just struggled with his health.
Hooker played in seven games as a rookie and then managed to suit up for 27 over the next two years. Then, an Achilles injury limited him to just two games in 2020. Indianapolis wasn't willing to bring him back and it took a while for him to land with a new team.
Late in the offseason, he signed with the Cowboys and was the third addition at the position. They already signed Jayron Kearse and Damontae Kazee — who followed Quinn from Atlanta — but Hooker was the one who they knew could give them their best deep coverage safety. They brought him along slowly in 2021 but once healthy in 2022, he became the player they hoped he would.
Hooker provided them with a safety net that helped eliminate the deep ball. In two seasons, he's played in 32 games and has 112 tackles, four interceptions, and six pass defenses. The numbers aren't bad, by any means, but they also don't do him justice.
So why would he be in trouble without Quinn? Simple, the Cowboys prior to Quinn didn't place much value on the safety position. They often tried to develop late-round picks and undrafted free agents. Despite seeing the way their defense improved with Hooker, Kazee, and Wilson, this front office might return to their roots without Quinn. That could be a problem for Hooker despite just signing an extension last year.