DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys had one of the best defensive turnarounds in the NFL last season. The defense was one of the worst units in the league – and team history – in 2020, only to improve to become one of the better groups in the game in 2021.
There were a few reasons for such a quick reversal for Dallas on defense, and two of them were obvious to see. One was replacing head coach Mike McCarthy’s first choice of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan with Dan Quinn, who worked wonders in McCarthy’s sophomore campaign.
Another was drafting linebacker Micah Parsons, who was one of the best defensive players in the league as a rookie. The pairing of Quinn and Parsons became a strong combination that wreaked havoc on offenses.
However, one of the more underrated moves that helped Dallas bounce back on defense was signing safety Jayron Kearse in late March. The Cowboys inked Kearse to a one-year deal in the third wave of free agency for depth at the position, but mostly for special teams purposes.
Kearse wasn’t a standout during his first five years in the league with the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, but he was put in a position to succeed with the Cowboys. The former Clemson Tiger responded to the opportunity with his best football.
Early on in training camp, it felt like Kearse would be buried on the depth chart, and many roster projections didn’t even include the veteran on the 53-man team. The team did have other options who were more prominent players throughout their careers at safety. Quinn brought in a few safeties that he was familiar with in Damontae Kazee and Keanu Neal to pair with incumbent Donovan Wilson. Dallas also added Malik Hooker later in the summer, so it was difficult to find a place where Kearse would fit.
As the season arrived, Kearse found his way. Quinn utilized him in a hybrid role, where he was a force playing at the line of scrimmage and eventually became someone who had the difficult task of locking down opposing tight ends.
2021 proved to be a career year for Kearse across the board, who led the Cowboys in tackles with 101.
Kearse filled the stat sheet every game and led all safeties in the league with 10 pass breakups, doubling his career total in his first year with the Cowboys. This wasn’t expected but was a pleasant surprise, and Kearse can be credited with being a big reason for the defensive resurgence in Dallas.
If the Cowboys want to continue to play solid defensive football in 2022, they must be thinking about re-signing Kearse. Luckily for them, it appears as though Kearse is more than willing to stay with the Cowboys, especially with Quinn returning.
Speaking with 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, Kearse sounded like a player who prefers to be back with the Cowboys despite his impending free agency.
“Getting Dan Quinn back was a huge win, and it was much-needed just to try your best to keep this group together. Because the strides we made in Year 1, it can give us a lot of upside going into Year 2, with guys being together.”
The Cowboys do have a high number of free agents to consider re-signing and a very limited budget. As good as Kearse played in 2021, his cost shouldn’t preclude the team from bringing him back and reuniting him with the coach and system that helped him excel.
There will be some big name safeties available in free agency but the Cowboys aren’t expected to be bidding for their services. Kearse likely won’t command a top salary at the position, so he fits with what Dallas looks for in a free agent.
Everything appears to be trending in the direction of the Cowboys and Jayron Kearse continuing their successful relationship. Kearse may have let the cat out of the bag a tad early, but it’s easy to see that his preference is to continue in Dallas with the defense trending up.
Are you hoping to see the Cowboys retain Jayron Kearse next season? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
