Why unexpected Cowboys defensive coordinator candidate makes a ton of sense

Asides from the greybeard coaches the Dallas Cowboys are interviewing for their vacant defensive coordinator position, a name popped up on Wednesday out of left field that sure deviates from the profiles they've been looking at.

Per ESPN's Todd Archer, the Cowboys are interviewing Marquand Manuel, who most recently spent 2021-2023 with the New York Jets as safeties coach. 

At 44 years old, Manuel is a totally different candidate from Mike Zimmer, Ron Rivera, and Rex Ryan (still confused by that one), who we know to have interviewed with the franchise.

The news also feels like a surprise given that it appeared the Cowboys were interested in people with head coaching experience only. But adding Manuel to the list of candidates even feels promising as it could speak volumes about an actual, in-depth search instead of them just calling their first old friend they can think of.

Per Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com, "there are expected to be multiple more names thrown into the mix in a search that the front office is willing to extend into next week."

Who is Marquand Manuel? 

Manuel's resume is intriguing, though. He played in 116 NFL games while starting 57 of them as a safety and has been a rising coach with defensive coordinator already. 

This year, he's also been interviewed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2023, the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans showed interest, as well. His young career has had some strong stops:

• 2012-2014 Seattle Seahawks: Assistant special teams coach, defensive assistant, and assistant secondary coach (three years of promotions).
• 2015-2016 Atlanta Falcons: Assistant secondary coach (Dan Quinn kept him from Seattle).
• 2017-2018 Atlanta Falcons: Defensive coordinator (2017-2018)
• 2020 Philadelphia Eagles: Defensive backs coach (Doug Pederson staff)
• 2021-2023 New York Jets: Safeties coach (Robert Saleh coaching tree influence)

Why Manuel would make a lot of sense for the Cowboys

Manuel is certainly an underdog in this search but he makes sense for a Cowboys team seeking to go "all-in" in 2024. He's worked with the Dan Quinn style of defense for six seasons and could come in and lead a smooth transition. 

He knows the system and most importantly, the terminology. Zimmer, Rivera, and Ryan would have to clear that hurdle. Not Manuel.

To be fair, the same goes for top in-house candidate Aden Durde, who coaches the defensive line for the Cowboys. But with experience on his side, Manuel could be a legit name Dallas is looking into. If he comes in and blows them away during the interview, he has a shot.