Cowboys Camp: Defense 'Ready to Prove Greatness'

The Dallas Cowboys have been lauded for their defensive unit under Dan Quinn, but safety Jayron Kearse says the team must again prove it ... starting here at training camp.

OXNARD, Calif. - The Dallas Cowboys' defense has been on the receiving end of plaudits ever since Dan Quinn took over the defensive coordinator's role before the 2021 season.

The improvement the unit has shown in each season under Quinn is a testament to not only his coaching ability but the willingness of his players to strive to improve.

Many see the Micah Parsons-led Cowboys defense as elite. But for safety Jayron Kearse, being good on paper counts for nothing - they have to prove it on the field.

"It's great on paper," Kearse said as the team arrived in here in Oxnard in advance of Tuesday's reporting deadline.. "But sometimes when you bring a lot of guys together, they're not as good as they are on paper. We just have to continue to work. We have things going in a good direction, but we gotta prove it day in and day out."

Iron sharpens iron, and for the duration of training camp, Quinn's unit will be up against Mike McCarthy's "Texas Coast Offense," which has weapons everywhere you look.

With some stating that the Cowboys' defense is the best in the NFL, Kearse revealed that this has been the mindset of the current group for a while now.

"We feel that way every year," Kearse said. "It's good to get that attention because we've been putting the work in but we gotta go out there and prove it day in and day out starting with tomorrow. We have to prove it every day with every way we do things. We have to think 'greatness."

At one stage last season, the Dallas defense was likened to the Cowboys' Doomsday defenses of the 90s, and while that in itself is a serious tip of the cap, the unit clearly wants more.

With the addition of Stephon Gilmore and retaining the majority of the defense, Quinn's unit feels primed to again be one of the NFL's best. But as Kearse states, they have to prove it every day in Oxnard. 

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