Cowboys Reacts Survey: Laying down a marker for expectations of Mike Zimmer’s defense

Will Mike Zimmer’s defense be better or worse than Dan Quinn’s?

The NFL scouting combine is here and free agency won’t be far behind. The player acquisition phase of the offseason is about to kick into high gear. Before we get there, let’s lay down a marker on the Dallas Cowboys defense.

That is the part of the Cowboys team that will change the most this season as Dan Quinn has left to be the head coach of the Washington Commanders. Quinn led a ball-hawking defense that was heavy on pressuring the quarterback with unusual alignments and heavy stunting along the line of scrimmage. He emphasized speed, even sacrificing some bulk at the linebacker position and using safeties who were lighter and faster to patrol the middle of the field. This led to a defense that was very tough against the pass, but that could be exploited by a decent run game.

In his place will be Mike Zimmer. He is a coach that has a different philosophy in the make up of his defense. He will likely want to bulk of the middle of the Cowboys defense with heavier defensive tackles and more traditional linebackers. He’s known as a taskmaster that will be a change from Quinn’s ‘player’s coach’ reputation. To get a better idea of Zimmer’s scheme, check out David Howman’s work on breaking down the front seven here, and the secondary here.

We wanted to get your thoughts on whether Zimmer will improve the defense, keep it about the same, or will we see a decline in the effectiveness of that unit. Zimmer does have the added benefit of getting Trevon Diggs back from injury, and of course he’ll still have Micah Parsons.

So what’s your call BTB? Vote in the poll then hit the comments and let us know your thoughts.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Dallas Cowboys fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

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