After months of speculation, weeks of conflicting reports and days of misinformation it has finally become clear, the Dallas Cowboys are moving from their head coach Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys will no doubt have plenty of proven coaching candidates to choose from, as well a handful of young up-and-comers. One of those up-and-comers could be exactly what the Cowboys need, and his name is Joe Brady.

Brady, the Buffalo Bills offensive mastermind and coordinator extraordinaire, is a hot name on the coaching market these days. His ability to turn the Bills into one of the league’s most dangerous offenses has put him at the top of many teams’ lists this offseason.

Brady doesn’t have head coaching experience and that may cause some teams to shy away from him as an option, but he’s a coach whose star is on the rise and someone who, at age 35, is on the right trajectory for a top NFL coaching candidate.

In all fairness, this could be a tough pill to swallow for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jones made it a point to highlight McCarthy’s work experience as a head coach when selling his previous hire to fans and media. Jones knows the window in Dallas is closing, and at age 82, his own time at the helm is fleeting. He’ll be extra motivated to get this hire right.

Jones, a speculator by nature, also knows a thing or two about projection. Waiting until a bright young offensive coordinator proves himself as head coach is already too late. Those types of coaches rarely break loose and when they do, they typically come with strings attached. What Brady lacks in head coaching experience he makes up for in proven offensive success.

Brady got his start in the NFL as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints. Coming from the Sean Payton coaching tree Brady pivoted to LSU in 2019, serving as passing game coordinator and receivers coach. Brady practically ran the offense at LSU, building it into a juggernaut on the way to a National Championship.

From there Brady jumped at an opportunity to lead an NFL offense. His time as offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers didn’t go well and the rising star found himself knocked down a peg. Was it simply a matter of coaching a poor team in Carolina or did it have more to do with Brady’s limitations? His next stop would likely provide the answer.

And answer, it did. In 2022 Brady latched on with the Bills, taking on the coveted role of quarterback’s coach. A bit more than halfway through the 2023 season Brady took over the offensive coordinator role in Buffalo. He fundamentally changed the offense overnight, going from an offense that force-fed the ball to Stephon Diggs, to an offense that spreads the ball around. His balanced and opportunistic approach led the Bills to offensive turnaround in 2023. It set him on a path for 2024, eventually producing the NFL’s second-best offense (based on EPA standards).

Brady would appeal to Jones and the Cowboys because the similar situation he faces coming to Dallas. Like Buffalo, the Cowboys have been dependent on a Dak-Prescott-to-CeeDee-Lamb connection. Like Buffalo, the offense has been predictable, unbalanced and unimaginative. Jones, being someone obsessed with a balanced approach to offense, will fall in love with Brady’s commitment to the ground game. The analytics department in Dallas will fall in love with Brady’s efficiency in his balance, use of read options, personnel diversification, and lust for the big play.

Brady wouldn’t be able to use Prescott much as a runner, but he would be able to make up for it with more RPOs (which don’t involve the QB rushing) and more designed runs to receivers. Ranking No. 6 on recent play caller rankings, Brady would take the Cowboys offense to the next level and do it in a way Jones would appreciate.

Maximizing Prescott should be Priority No. 1 for whoever comes to Dallas. The fact Brady helped develop Joe Burrow into a Heisman winner and currently has Josh Allen on track for an All Pro, even MVP, season, speaks volumes about his ability to get the most from his signal callers.

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