Cowboy Roundup: Missing Key to Defense, Latest on Defensive Coordinator Search

Happy Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys Nation. The team's search for a new defensive coordinator will continue throughout the day, with additional in-person interviews set to take place.

As the NFL season winds down, the race to reshuffle coaching staffs around the league is in full swing, though some jobs remain in flux with candidates still in the playoff hunt.

Names like Denver Broncos defensive pass game coordinator and assistant head coach Jim Leonhard and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak are among those who could receive big promotions.

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Leonhard has been one of the names on the wishlist for many in Cowboys Nation, so it will be interesting to see if the team gets an opportunity for an in-person interview when Denver's season ends.

Interim Wisconsin head coach Jim Leonhard during a game at Camp Randall Stadium | Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As we wait to see when there will be new developments with the coaching staff, let's take a spin around the web and check out some of the latest and news and headlines making waves online and across social media.

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Missing Key To Defensive Unit

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Leighton Vander Esch returns a fumble for a touchdown against the New England Patriots at AT&T Stadium. | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Linebacker is a major area of need for the Cowboys' defense, and there is one specific kind of piece that the team has been missing. InsideTheStar.com takes a look at the "linebacker archetype" that the team desperately needs.

"This isn’t about nostalgia, this is about a role, a type of player who can stabilize the middle of the defense that Dallas keeps pretending it can live without. When [Leighton] Vander Esch was right, the defense worked because it had structure. He would line guys up, he could stop the run, and erase mistakes before they turned explosive. Since then, the Cowboys have chased traits: speed, athleticism, and upside. What they haven’t replaced is that calming presence in the middle."

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Latest on Defensive Coordinator Search

Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach Daronte Jones against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC Wild Card game | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Dallas Morning News is keeping everyone up to date on the latest developments in the team's search for a new defensive coordinator.

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