Three former Pro Bowlers who could reunite with their former coaches in Dallas

Linking available former Pro Bowlers to the Dallas Cowboys current coaching staff.

The Dallas Cowboys recently cut their roster down in order to get under the league mandated 53-man roster. Despite that, roster building is an on-going process in the NFL. Now, or in the near future, the team might add more personnel.

Today, we will examine a few former Pro Bowl players (excluding Richard Sherman because of his off-the-field issue), the Cowboys could show an interest in who have a connection with the current coaching staff. Each one of the players listed below could possibly be considered an upgrade, however, like with anything their additions to the roster will largely depend on money and Dallas’ potential interest.

Olivier Vernon

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Olivier Vernon’s surprise connection with the Dallas Cowboys came as a member of the Cleveland Browns when his and Joe Whitt Jr.’s careers crossed paths in 2019. Whitt, the Cowboys current secondary coach and passing game coordinator, held the same title with the Browns during the first of Vernon’s two years in Cleveland. The two may not have worked directly with one another, but there is a familiarity there that could potentially put him on the Cowboys radar.

Vernon spent four seasons with the Cowboys division rival, the New York Giants, so they should also know him pretty well. During his four-year stint in New York he earned his one, Pro Bowl bid in 2018 as an alternate. With the Browns over the past two years he’s racked up 12.5 QB sacks, nine of which came just last season. Dallas can use certainly use that kind of production in their DE rotation in 2021, especially considering the depth behind DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory is questionable.

Desmond Trufant

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Desmond Trufant’s connection with the Dallas Cowboys is not so surprisingly with Dan Quinn. As the Atlanta Falcons former head coach, Quinn and Trufant’s time together overlapped from 2015-2019. It was during that four-year time span Trufant was named to his one Pro Bowl in 2015, which just so happened to be Quinn’s first year as the Falcons head coach. After being recently released from the Chicago Bears, reuniting these two could be mutually beneficial.

Even though he’s half a decade removed from making his last Pro Bowl appearance, Trufant could still compete with Anthony Brown for the outside spot opposite second-year CB Trevon Diggs. And, as luck would have it, considering the Detroit Lions still owe him $3.5 million, he could possibly be had on a rather team-friendly deal. That could play right into the wheelhouse of the Cowboys, who prefer proven veterans on affordable contracts. This could be a win-win situation for everyone.

Mike Daniels

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Mike Daniels connection with the Cowboys isn’t through Joe Whitt Jr. or Dan Quinn. It’s with his former head coach with the Green Bay Packers and current Dallas Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy. Their careers overlapped in Green Bay for four seasons from 2012-2018. Under McCarthy’s tenure, Daniels was a Super Bowl champion and a Pro Bowl player in 2017. A potential reunion for the two of them may not be a bad idea.

As things stand right now, the Cowboys are little thin at defensive tackle after Neville Gallimore’s elbow injury a few weeks ago, which will likely land him on Injured Reserve here shortly. That means he will miss at least three weeks of the 2021 season. While Gilmore is out, and even after he returns, the Cowboys could use some more proven depth at the DT position. Mike Daniels would not only provide just that, but would likely upgrade the unit as well. As such, this could be a situation for keeping a watchful eye on.