Should the Cowboys Have Let Al Harris Join Dan Quinn?
The Dallas Cowboys have their new defensive coordinator in former NFL head coach Mike Zimmer. Zimmer was once the head man with the Minnesota Vikings but was relieved after not taking the team to the big show in his tenure.
The Cowboys now have Zimmer to lead their defense, but it begs the question as to whether he will bring in his own supporting defensive staff. One such person is cornerback coach Al Harris, who Dallas blocked from joining Dan Quinn in Washington.
Jeff Cavanagh and Jesse Holley discuss what the Cowboys should do with Zimmer bringing in his own staff.
"There's so many layers to it. You bring in a guy, an established guy. This is a gift and a curse of bringing in an established guy. Established guys who have been in the league for a while have a standard and a way of doing things. In that, does Zimm get to bring in guys that do things the way that he is used to doing things?"
via Jesse Holley, Bleav in the Dallas Cowboys
Holley has a good point in that Zimmer bringing in his own defensive supporting cast could lead to a division between him and head coach Mike McCarthy considering they are two different minds. Does McCarthy let Zimmer take control of the defense, or will he have to adhere to McCarthy's way of things affecting his own coaching style?
It appears it could be a marriage between these ideas, as the Cowboys have already kept Harris.
"We know. Al Harris has publicly said and privately said that he wants to be in Washington with Dan Quinn."
Even with Harris stating he wanted to join Quinn's staff, the Cowboys elected to keep him instead. Will this mess with the plans that Zimmer has, or will he go along with it?
The defense for the Cowboys was great, but they didn't show up when the team needed it most. Zimmer will need to find the right balance with McCarthy to ensure they can make a deeper run in the playoffs in 2024.
