Getty The Cowboys could look to reunite Dan Quinn and Keanu Neal.
The Dallas Cowboys need to improve their secondary, and it is will be one of the top priorities of new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn heading into next season. Now, it is the job of Jerry Jones and company to figure out how to provide Quinn with the necessary talent needed to make a jump in 2021.
One idea that continues to be floated is reuniting Quinn with his former safety in Atlanta, Keanu Neal. The door is now open for Neal to potentially join the Cowboys after the Falcons opted not to use the franchise tag on the safety allowing him to hit free agency. The Athletic’s Jon Machota mentioned Neal as a name to watch if the Cowboys can make the money work.
“The most notable positions to keep an eye on are free safety, defensive tackle and cornerback,” Machota noted. “That doesn’t mean they will be targeting anyone at the top of the market, so try not to focus on players like safety Anthony Harris, defensive tackle Leonard Williams and cornerback William Jackson III. Think more along the lines of safeties such as Malik Hooker or Keanu Neal, defensive tackles such as Ndamukong Suh or Sheldon Rankins, and cornerbacks such as Richard Sherman or Kevin King.”
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Neal Missed the Majority of the 2018 & 2019 Seasons With Injuries
There are a few factors that could lead to the Cowboys getting a bit of a bargain on Neal, who made the Pro Bowl in 2018. The Falcons safety missed the majority of 2018 and 2019 after suffering a torn ACL in two straight seasons. Neal was able to bounce back last season playing in 15 games notching 100 tackles, an interception, one sack and three quarterback hits.
“The head coach who made Keanu Neal a 1st-round pick is currently in charge of the Cowboys’ defense. (I completely expect him to have a better market than the Cowboys would be willing to pay for, but where’s the fun in that),” DallasCowboys.com’s David Helman noted on Twitter.
CBS Sports’ Patrick Walker explained in January why Neal could end up in Dallas.
“[Donovan] Wilson has earned his role as starter and even played well when tasked with taking reps at free safety, the hard-hitting ballhawk giving Dallas flexibility in which safety position they address first in 2021, but Quinn loves elite safety play so expect him to do his best to ensure the Cowboys are finally all set at both the free and strong roles,” Walker said. “Keep an eye on players like Keanu Neal (safety) and Damontae Kazee (cornerback) as possible rollovers to Dallas from Quinn’s time in Atlanta, Kazee being a viable option to help resolve much-needed depth issues at CB while Neal’s youth and talent would be an exceptional complement to that of Wilson, if Neal can remain healthy — as he mostly did in 2020.
PFF Predicts Neal Will Sign a 2-Year, $10 Million Deal
The last time we played the Saints, Keanu Neal did this…
Pro Football Focus predicted Neal will sign a two-year, $10 million contract with the Texans. Given all the holes on the roster, this may be more than the Cowboys are able to spend.
The good news is the Cowboys are gaining some cap space with Prescott’s new contract compared to the quarterback playing on the franchise tag. Dallas still has a lot of work to do to create space.
ESPN’s Todd Archer reported that the Cowboys will have to make a few more roster moves even to get under the cap for free agency. Sports Illustrated’s Roy Countryman predicted the Cowboys will sign Neal, a move that was co-signed by SI’s Mike Fisher.
“Atlanta’s defense wasn’t good enough for Quinn/Whitt to win an argument about creating a talent pipeline from there to here,” Fisher explained. “But Dallas is being linked to Keanu Neal – and that makes sense. With Xavier Woods slated to become a free agent and only Donovan Wilson and Darian Thompson as playable names on the current depth chart, the Cowboys are looking for help at safety.”
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Cowboys Linked to Falcons Former Pro Bowl Safety: Report