FRISCO, Texas -- Except for the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are bringing back all 22 starters from the 2020 season, change is constant in the NFL. When you have a defense that was as porous as the Dallas Cowboys', change was more than needed. It was craved.
When the Cowboys' defense allows 473 points, the most in team history, and 2,541 rushing yards, the second most allowed in team history, you can't simply run it back.
The Dallas makeover on defense started with the hiring of coordinator Dan Quinn in January, continued into NFL free agency, where the Cowboys signed five defenders and moved through the 2021 NFL draft in which eight of their 11 selections were on Quinn's side of the ball.