Do the Cowboys have a championship-caliber defense after huge offseason?
Has Dallas produced a sequel to Doomsday? The Cowboys defense earned the Doomsday nickname in the '70s when three Pro Hall of Famers (CB Mel Renfro, LB Chuck Howley and DT Bob Lily) carried it to a championship.
While comparing the Cowboys defensive unit to one that won a Super Bowl is bold, it's not baseless after it sustained core pieces and made a blockbuster trade on Tuesday.
The Cowboys retained their No. 1 and No. 2 tacklers from last season, agreeing to re-sign S Donovan Wilson and LB Leighton Vander Esch.
They also dealt a fifth-round pick (No. 176 overall) to Indianapolis for CB Stephon Gilmore, a five-time Pro Bowler.
After the Gilmore trade, Dallas has five players under contract who have made one Pro Bowl or more. The list includes 2022 Pro Bowlers CB Trevon Diggs, LB Micah Parsons and DE DeMarcus Lawrence.
As a result, a defense that was already solid last season, ranking sixth in yards allowed and first in takeways for a second consecutive year, can become exceptional.
Additionally, Dallas coaching staff knows how to maximize these assets.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn already has a proven track record with outstanding defensive talent. In 2013, he won Super Bowl XLVIII as Seattle DC, when it had CB Richard Sherman and LB Bobby Wagner.
If all of the Cowboys' pieces come together, they can become a unique defense capable of elevating a team to a championship.
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