Dallas Cowboys: Position Coach Becoming a Key to Team's Success
The identity of the 2022 Dallas Cowboys will be defense. With all the stars, key roles players and young up-and-coming players, it's easy to see why. Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs, Anthony Barr and Jayron Kearse are the most well-known players on this defense. With depth that also includes players like Osa Odighizuwa or […]
The identity of the 2022 Dallas Cowboys will be defense. With all the stars, key roles players and young up-and-coming players, it's easy to see why.
Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs, Anthony Barr and Jayron Kearse are the most well-known players on this defense. With depth that also includes players like Osa Odighizuwa or Anthony Brown, the defense is going to be the strength.
Going into the off-season, the biggest questions on the defensive side of the ball came along the defensive line: What's the health of DeMarcus Lawrence? Who will be the opposite edge rusher after losing Randy Gregory? Will the defensive tackles improve?
Dan Quinn deserves the credit he gets for turning around the defense, especially the intensity they play with. However, credit needs to be given where its due. Defensive line coach Aden Durde.
Durde came over from Atlanta with Quinn to coach the defensive line, an area that has eluded the Cowboys for many years. Despite having a handful of solid players, the unit lacked depth and overall quality.
Under Durde's leadership, the results continue to shine with players like Dorance Armstrong and Carlos Watkins coming off career best seasons.
The development of young tackles like Odighizuwa, Chauncey Golston, Neville Gallimore and Quinton Bohanna. All of whom have taken large steps going into 2022 and will factor plenty on the interior.
This bodes well for rookies Sam Williams and John Ridgeway. A pair of young defensive linemen with high upsides.
What we see from practices and in the preseason is only creating more excitement for the line. It's as deep and physical across the board as it's been in years. With all the attention the Dallas Cowboys secondary gets, as well as the linebackers, the defensive line could end up being the difference in many of their games.
Coach Durde deserves the credit for what he's done and continues to do. At the rate he's going, it won't be long before he's getting calls to become a defensive coordinator himself.
Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
