The Dallas Cowboys have their preferred candidate for their vacant defensive coordinator role in mind but are unable to hire him just yet.
According to KRLD-FM Cowboys insider Bobby Belt, the team seems to favor longtime NFL defensive back Jim Leonhard as its defensive coordinator.
Leonhard is the defensive pass-game coordinator and associate head coach of the Denver Broncos. The Broncos finished the season as the top seed in the AFC and will host the No. 6 seeded Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional Round on Saturday at either 4:30 or 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
The Cowboys, of course, fired Matt Eberflus as their defensive coordinator Jan. 6 after just one season. The Cowboys finished 32nd in the NFL in points-against per game (30.1) and 30th in yards-against per game (377.0) while going 7-9-1 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year.
Jim Leonhard Is The Top Candidate For The Cowboys DC Job
There were surely fans hoping the rival Washington Commanders would fire Dan Quinn so he could fit neatly back in Dallas. But since he was not let go by Washington, Dallas is forging ahead with its defensive coordinator search.
The Cowboys interviewed three assistant head coaches for their DC role. Safeties coach Ephraim Banda of the Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings defensive-pass-game coordinator Daronte Jones and Leonhard were the trio who spoke with Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and head coach Brian Schottenheimer last week.
According to Belt, the Cowboys are expected to request interviews with more candidates, including Jonathan Cooley of the Carolina Panthers. But he would be surprised if Dallas hired anyone but Leonhard.
“They wrapped those three interviews [and] will probably submit more requests either [Monday] or [Tuesday],” said RJ Choppy of the Shan and RJ show, reading a text message from Belt from over the weekend. “I think Jim Leonhard will be their guy, so they have to wait for Denver to get bounced before they can hire him.”
Cowboys May Want The Broncos To Lose Soon So They Can Hire Jim Leonhard
Fans are superstitious, and Cowboys fans may be dubious of them getting their guy especially the way their defensive coordinator search has gone so far.
The Cowboys were denied access to interview Jeff Ullbrich, and they would have to wait until the NFL calendar rolls in March before they can consider Brian Flores, since his contract with Vikings will expire then.
So Shan and RJ laid out a concerning case about Dallas trying land Leonhard, notably if the Broncos decide to promote him if Vance Joseph gets hired to be an NFL head coach.
“If Leonhard is your guy, and you’re sipping that Kool-Aid, you do not want Vance Joseph to become a head coach somewhere else,” Choppy said.
Joseph is being considered for seven of the eight NFL head-coaching vacancies and has already interviewed for five of them. Only the Miami Dolphins have not considered Joseph for their head-coaching role.
Joseph already was a head coach with the Broncos in 2017 and 2018, and he could be a strong candidate for another coaching position, especially with either the Arizona Cardinals or Atlanta Falcons.
“I don’t think it’s gonna happen,” Choppy said of Joseph getting hired. “But maybe he blows someone away, and he certainly has the defensive resume and credentials to [get hired]. Then [the Broncos] would just elevate Leonhard. That’s what you don’t want to happen.”
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