That isn’t precisely how the Dallas Cowboys had their Sunday afternoon planned.
The Cowboys will now begin their offseason sooner than they had planned after losing to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round.
Furthermore, based on what we know of Jerry Jones, we should anticipate some extreme actions in the near future. But how extreme?
In the coming days and weeks, there are a few names to keep an eye on; these are men who may end up losing their jobs in one way or another. Which names ought to be on our screens? Let’s talk about a select few.
1. Johnathan Hankins, DL
Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins has been known as a strong run defender at times during his career, but after this last season and, specifically, what the Packers did to him on Sunday, he is as good as gone. Hankins is going on 32 years old and his contract is up.
There is no doubt he is going to be allowed to walk. The Cowboys gave up 143 rushing yards in that one, including 118 yards to Aaron Jones, alone. Hankins was a big reason why, and fans shouldn’t be surprised. He did, after all, end with a run defense grade of 49.9 on the season per Pro Football Focus
However, Hankins’ performance was exactly average, as was the Cowboys line’s overall performance. They weren’t particularly good at run defense during the season. They allowed more than 112 yards of rushing per game. To address this problem heading into the upcoming season, Dallas needs to somewhat restructure their inside line.
Where in free agency might Hankins end up? Given his age and the way he performed this season, it might take some time for him to sign, but it’s possible that a competitive club that just needs more depth will sign him.222. 2 2 2 2 Tony Pollard, RB
In the modern NFL, running backs do not have it easy. A running back rarely signs a second deal worth more than a few thousand dollars. Nowadays, by the age of 27, most backs’ careers are pretty well ended, or at least trending downward.
Pollard, who turns 27 in April, recently signed a one-year contract worth over $10 million. In addition, he just finished a season in which he averaged a meager 4.0 yards per carry and was not nearly as explosive as we had become accustomed to seeing him before the 2023 campaign.
Pollard ran 15 times for 56 yards against the Packers, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. If it wasn’t
.. Dan Quinn, coordinator of defenses
Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator, was, and perhaps still is, a man to watch in NFL head coaching circles until that humiliating playoff loss. But given how his defense performed—or failed to perform—against the Packers, I wouldn’t be shocked if Jerry Jones decided to let him go.
However, if they so desire, perhaps Quinn and the crew opt to refer to it as a “mutual parting of ways.” Jones might choose to go that way in order to show Quinn some respect and provide him with a better chance to get employment elsewhere.
