Whew. It’s been a wild NFL offseason for coaching, with the league up to 10 head coaching firings and resignations. And the latest one should interest the Dallas Cowboys a whole lot.

The Cowboys have nine known defensive coordinator candidates, three of whom are already in Round 2 of interviews. But Monday’s news could throw one more name into the mix if a recently fired head coach is interested in a job as defensive coordinator.

Sean McDermott fired by the Bills

Following another gut-wrenching playoff loss by the Bills, McDermott was fired on Monday morning.

According to multiple reports, he has already indicated he wishes to coach in the immediate future. I expect his schedule could get busy quickly. There are currently eight head-coaching vacancies he could be considered for, so I wouldn’t expect him to immediately consider taking a defensive coordinator job.

However, given how patient the Cowboys are with their own DC search and the fact that one of their perceived top candidates is still in the NFL playoffs, you have to wonder if McDermott would consider it, as long as he doesn’t receive much head coaching interest around the league. But one thing is clear: his resume is strong enough to be considered for either position.

McDermott knows how to run a defense

In 17 years as a defensive coordinator and head coach, McDermott’s defenses have finished in the top 10 in yards allowed 10 times, including four top-five finishes, per Pro Football Reference. In Carolina, he rebuilt the Panthers’ defense, which played in the Super Bowl in the 2015 season.

In Buffalo, the Bills have played solid defense under his watch, though roster construction has been an issue in recent years. With multiple injuries and key departures in the offseason, this year’s Bills still finished top 10 in yards allowed.

Over the years, McDermott has shown he can adapt to the talent at hand. Giving him a call to at least interview him would make sense, even if it’s unlikely he’s considering defensive coordinator positions right out of the gate.

Cowboys have strong DC candidates

Even if McDermott isn’t interested in interviewing for the defensive coordinator job, the Cowboys’ search for a new DC features some strong candidates. The three following candidates are in Round 2 of interviews, moving from a virtual setting to an in-person one:

• Daronte Jones, Vikings pass game coordinator
• Jonathan Gannon, former Cardinals head coach
• Christian Parker, Eagles pass game coordinator

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Mauricio Rodriguez