DALLAS — When the Dallas Cowboys hired Mike Zimmer to be their defensive coordinator, change was expected.
Zimmer brings a new perspective and scheme, but for his vision for the defense to come to fruition, he’ll need players that he’s comfortable with that fit his style. Just as his predecessor had his types, Zimmer will get a say in who the Cowboys add to make his defense work. That could mean bringing in former players to facilitate the new DC's scheme.
Zimmer’s been out of the league for two years, but the veteran coach has a pipeline of guys who could help transition the Dallas defense.
Here are five former players Zimmer might think of adding for the 2024 season:
Danielle Hunter - Edge rusher
Since being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round in 2015, when Zimmer was the head coach, Hunter has been one of the league’s best pass rushers. In eight seasons with the Vikings, Hunter has 87.5 career sacks, including a career-high 16.5 last season. Hunter’s had double-digit sacks in five of his six seasons where he played a full schedule.
He’s a four-time Pro Bowl player, who also has a second-team All-Pro award to go with his dominance. Since entering the NFL, Hunter has the seventh-most sacks and is coming off his best season.
Hunter remains one of the best pass rushers in the game and pairing him with Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence would give the Dallas defense one of the most feared trios in the league.
The only knocks on Hunter might be his age – he’ll turn 30 years old in October – and the price. Hunter wouldn’t be cheap to sign but there are few better fits for Zimmer’s defense than Hunter, who would give the Cowboys another chess piece to terrorize opposing offenses.
D.J. Wonnum - Linebacker
Zimmer and the Vikings selected Wonnum in the fourth-round of the 2020 draft and he became an important role player for their defense as a versatile outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid.
In four seasons, Wonnum has 31 starts and 23 career sacks, including two eight-sack seasons with the last coming in 2023.
The Cowboys have a massive need at linebacker, and Wonnum could fill that void, while also improving their pass rush. With veteran edge rushers Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong both free agents, the team could find a replacement with someone familiar with Zimmer’s system in Wonnum.
Bringing in Wonnum would also be a fit with the salary cap, where Wonnum won’t require too much of the pie that Cowboys’ executive vice president Stephen Jones loves to talk about.
Eric Kendricks - Linebacker
With linebacker a massive need in Dallas, Zimmer could turn to one of his more valuable players during his tenure in Minnesota. Kendricks played under Zimmer for six seasons and did a lot of everything as one of the league’s most versatile linebackers.
The nine-year veteran has eight straight years with 100-plus tackles, nine career interceptions and 18.5 career sacks. Under Zimmer in 2019, Kendricks was an All-Pro and he’d fit a need for the Cowboys at middle linebacker.
If the team was interested in Kendricks, they would have to hope he gets released from the Los Angeles Chargers, who signed him to a two-year deal last offseason. However, they do have a new regime and he might not fit their scheme. He is due a roster bonus on March 16, and could be released, saving the Chargers from paying him $5 million in 2024.
The Cowboys could also trade for Kendricks if they have enough interest in bringing him to Dallas. Either way, he’s a good fit as a veteran linebacker that the defense will be coveting this offseason.
Harrison Smith - Safety
If there’s one thing that former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn accomplished in Dallas, it’s making the safety position a priority again. With Quinn packing up and heading off to coach the Washington Commanders, the Cowboys are left with some solid depth at the position.
However, if Zimmer wants one of his guys in the secondary, Smith could be the prototype. At 35-years old, his age is an issue, and Smith’s play dropped off last season, but the veteran safety is a six-time Pro Bowl player who also had two All-Pro seasons under Zimmer.
Smith is just one year removed from a personal best five interceptions in 2022 and he has 34 over the course of his career. He isn’t what he used to be, but Smith’s savvy enough to help teach Zimmer’s scheme to a defense that will need time to adjust, making him a solid fit.
Smith is still under contract with the Vikings, so the Cowboys will have to wait out the situation or make a trade for the veteran, just like they did last year with Stephen Gilmore and Brandin Cooks. That might make the most sense if Zimmer has designs on bringing in his former safety.
Anthony Barr - Linebacker
This would be Barr’s second go-around with the Cowboys after playing for the organization in 2021. The veteran linebacker wasn’t the same guy who was once one of the best in the league under Zimmer early in his career.
Barr was Zimmer’s first draft pick as a head coach in 2014, and he went on to become a four-time Pro Bowl player. The last few seasons have seen Barr slowing down so another Pro Bowl trip wouldn’t be the expectation. However, he is another veteran who can come in and help teach Zimmer’s complex scheme.
Money shouldn’t be an issue, either. The question is, can the Cowboys forget that Barr didn’t look anything like the player that he was in Minnesota in his first stint in Dallas? Zimmer has a different scheme than the one Quinn employed, which helps his case, but Barr’s tank might be empty.
Do you think the Dallas defense will improve under Zimmer in 2024? Share your thoughts with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
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