The Dallas Cowboys have several veterans looking to bounce back from rough 2020 campaigns. One of the most noticeable is linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who’s looking to make up for two consecutive seasons of unsatisfactory production. While injuries were the biggest factor that contributed to him underperforming, the former first-round pick is looking to rejuvenate a career that got off to such a fast start in 2018.
The “Wolf Hunter” will have a different teacher this season. Dan Quinn, who won a Super Bowl as the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks (producing the NFL’s top-ranked defense in 2013 and 2014) and took the Atlanta Falcons to the big game in 2016, will have the daunting task of fixing one of the league’s worst defenses from a year ago. As he looks to reestablish his spot in the Cowboys linebacker rotation, Vander Esch is already making a position impression on Quinn.
“I’ve been really impressed, not just from the OTA time,” said Quinn, via the team’s website. “Every once and a while you can just see a person that’s on a mission, and I think that’s what I’ve seen from Leighton from the time I arrived. You could just feel the energy and intensity that he’s putting into his workouts to change his body, to get as strong as he could. From then on, the questions, in the meetings, you could feel the urgency to go.
“I guess, just a quick story for him: the tackling. ‘Hey, I want to improve on this spot.’ The work that we did and the techniques to do it. It’s been so impressive to see him find little things to work on over and over again to complete his game. He’s been very impressive to me so far.”
Vander Esch being on a mission shouldn’t surprise anyone following his words once the Cowboys’ season ended against the New York Giants.
“I’m going to train my frickin’ butt off this offseason,” Vander Esch said. “I’m not really going anywhere. I’m going home for two weeks and I’m coming right back. I’m going to be here training all the way through February, March, and April. That’s just what it is. I’m already looking forward to it. I’m on a mission, and I think all the guys should be too.”
Vander Esch’s career in Dallas has reached a crossroads. After receiving Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie, he’s missed 13 games over the last two seasons with several injuries. His production has taken a major hit also as his 132 combined tackles over that span are eight fewer than his inaugural campaign.
This all led to the Cowboys declining Vander Esch’s fifth-year option that would have paid him a little over $9 million in 2022. In the NFL Draft, the Cowboys used a first-round pick on Micah Parsons and later selected Jabril Cox in the fourth round. When factoring in the addition of Keanu Neal during free agency who will make the transition from safety to linebacker, Vander Esch has plenty of motivation for the 2021 season, but none of those factors are driving him.
“I’ve always been motivated,” Vander Esch said during OTAs last week. “I didn’t have to use that to be motivated to play better or work harder. I’ve been on a mission since the season was over because we just can’t have a season like we did last season. And it’s coming this year. I’m just controlling what I can control, and the rest will take care of itself.”
Quinn has his work cut out for him if he wants to turn the Cowboys defense around after they yielded a franchise-record 473 points and finished 31st against the run in 2020. He mentioned shortly after he was hired that he was looking to find significant roles for players with unique skill sets, and it appears he’s found a way for Vander Esch to get back to his old ways.
“I’m going back to pretty much my old role from the first two years, which I think is what it should have been last year,” Vander Esch said. “But I think it’s going to be a lot more familiar to what we were used to running, which is running and hitting and making plays and having fun.”
Looking good in shorts and a helmet won’t get Vander Esch a second contract with the Cowboys in 2022. He needs to recapture the momentum from his rookie campaign and fast, or he will likely have a new home soon.
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