After being one of the worst run-stopping defenses in the NFL in 2020, the Dallas Cowboys decided to change their approach. For years in the past, specifically under the direction of Rod Marinelli, the defensive front was charged with stopping the run on the way to the quarterback. Pass-rush skills was the preeminent skill-set for pretty much every defender drafted or signed. The problem was the club not only regressed in interior rush, the run defense fell off a cliff.
Brent Urban is not that kind of guy; he’s a run-first defender who should bring a lot of help in shoring up the interior’s play. By giving Urban a fully guaranteed base salary of $1.25 million, the Cowboys hope they have found a true solution, albeit for the short term. They again went cheap on the position, have they found a useful piece to the puzzle for low cost or will the addition be seen as a low-risk, low-reward mistake? Here is a look at the stout and versatile defensive tackle, who has also played defensive end in odd man fronts.