Why Coach Dan Quinn Replaced Dallas Cowboys Rookie Quinton Bohanna At DT

Dan Quinn once played defensive line, so what was the big deal about him taking a few snaps in Dallas Cowboys rookie minicamp practice on Saturday?

Well, he played at Salisbury State. And he’s about 100 pounds too light. And he’s 50.

“Everybody try to go back to their old glory days, but (Quinn) ain’t no me out there,” said Quinton Bohanna, whose brief minor-injury-related exit forced defensive coordinator Quinn into service. “So it’s a big difference when I’m in and when I’m out.”

That is indeed the plan for Bohanna, who despite being just a sixth-round rookie from Kentucky is being counted on to make a big difference as a rookie.

“He’s going to be right over the center,” Quinn said of Bohanna, who is listed at 6-4, 360 and might be especially helpful when Dallas is in a 3-4. “Sometimes here, other times right here.''

Quinn used his hands to indicate where "here'' is. His hands barely moved an inch.

This is not the sort of 1-Tech tackle Dallas has favored in recent years. Previous coordinators prefers guys with less bulk and more upfield ability. Bohanna calls himself "a plug,'' adding, “I take pride in stopping the run and letting those guys behind me run free and make plays. My physicality just fits well with the system that coach Quinn wants to run on defense.”

But on Saturday, just for a moment, Bohanna felt some soreness in his shoulder. So out he came ... and into the middle of the alignment went Quinn.

"He didn’t look too good,'' evaluated Bohanna with a laugh, "so I went (back in) and (replaced) him.''