Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images The latest news surrounding the Dallas Cowboys. Conor Riley on reunion with Beebe, Vaughn; blueprint for Cowboys’ offensive line – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com Multiple reunions are being had among the Cowboys’ assistant coaches. FRISCO, Texas — Reunited and it feels so good? Considering just how prevalent reunions are becoming within the Dallas Cowboys organization, to a level that would make the legendary musical duo of Peaches and Herb proud, it felt only right they figured out a way to deliver on a different angle of it — with the help of newly-signed offensive line coach Conor Riley. This is of course because not only is it Riley’s first-ever go at the NFL level, but landing in Dallas by way of Kansas State puts him back in the same room as Cooper Beebe, a former third-round pick of the 2024 NFL Draft who was groomed for professional dominance by none other than Riley in Manhattan, Kansas. And, interestingly enough, it was also Riley who moved Beebe to offense in the first place. “It was a unique situation in that Cooper was in high school when I took the Kansas State job, and he was initially going to be a defensive lineman,” Riley said of the young Cowboys’ starting center. “His dad joked to the staff [about the offensive line] in one of my home visits while recruiting. His transition to the offensive line and just how he attacks everything, every single day — and you guys know this. “It’s well-documented since his first year truly playing at center, and how well he was able to do. That’s just who he is. He continues to attack things.” “I think one of the best things about Cooper Beebe is his versatility,” Riley explained. “Yes, he was a two-time all American at guard for Kansas State, but he started games at tackle and at right guard or rather, excuse me, at right guard, right tackle, left guard and left tackle. So that versatility that he has really gives us a great opportunity to find the best fit for everybody up front.” Agent’s Take: Cowboys should call Micah Parsons’ bluff with new deal soon before star seeks full market value – Joel Corry, CBS Sports The Cowboys should be on the ball with Parsons’ new deal. How Cowboys should approach Parsons deal The Cowboys’ plan should be to call Parsons’ bluff so he can put his money where his mouth is with a contract extension coming as soon as possible. Dallas should try to get Parsons to follow in the footsteps of DeMarcus Lawrence although he is better than the 11-year veteran was in his prime. Parsons has 52.5 sacks in four NFL seasons, making him one of just two players to ever record at least 12 sacks in each of his first four campaigns. The other person in this exclusive club is Hall of Fame defensive lineman Reggie White, who is widely regarded as the greatest defensive player in NFL history. Cowboys need to act fast this time around This would require a big departure from the Cowboys’ typical negotiation time frame. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones dragged his feet on signing wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott to new deals in 2024. The delayed Lamb and Prescott’s extensions freed up $9.251 million and $10,516,867 of 2024 salary cap room respectively. The Cowboys could gain $12.3 million in 2025 cap space with this type of Parsons extension where he receives a $52.5 million signing bonus that’s prorated at $10.5 million annually from 2025 through 2029 and his $24.007 million option year salary is lowered to a $1.207 million 2025 base salary to make his 2025 cap number $11.707 million. Parsons would be getting a non-quarterback record signing bonus eclipsing Bosa’s $50 million, which is the current benchmark. The old saying, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is probably going to be applicable to Parsons’ situation although it would behoove the Cowboys to get a deal done quickly. Odds are the Cowboys will squander the opportunity to create goodwill with Parsons because there still won’t be a resolution as the start of training camp is approaching in the latter part of July. Matt Eberflus turns back the clock with Cowboys after losing Bears job – Schuyler Dixon, NBCDFW Eberflus is one of the other coaches having their own reunion on Schottenheimer’s staff. New Dallas defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus never really stopped to consider a year away from coaching after getting fired by the Chicago Bears. Not that his wife, Kelly, would have let him. “She said she wanted me to go to work now,” Eberflus said Tuesday in his first meeting with reporters since getting hired by the Cowboys. “And I did, too.” The 57-year-old Eberflus is back where his career took off. He had a seven-year stint on the Dallas defensive staff — from 2011-17 — that led to the defensive coordinator’s job with Indianapolis. Four years later, Eberflus took over the Bears, getting fired 12 games into his third season, the day after his poor clock management in the final seconds cost Chicago in a sixth consecutive loss. He was 14-32 with Chicago. “I was excited after a couple of days, a couple of weeks, taking that break,” Eberflus said. “I was excited about looking at different opportunities, and this was the best opportunity, that I felt was really cool for me to come back to Dallas. I have a lot of familiar faces here, starting from the top all the way to everybody in the building.” A first-time NFL head coach with the Bears, Eberflus is now under someone in the same situation, with longtime assistant Brian Schottenheimer taking over for Mike McCarthy. Latest NFL news leaves Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys with even less of an excuse ahead of free agency – Mauricio Rodriguez, AtoZSports.com Turns out the pie will be bigger than expected for Dallas’ front office this year. NFL

Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images Mike McCarthy’s old Dallas Cowboys staff is now sprinkled across the NFL in high-ranking positions. You may recall that when Mike McCarthy first took over the Dallas Cowboys that his staff featured plenty of people who had been head coaches before. Mike Nolan had been the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and McCarthy actually worked on his staff. Jim Tomsula, the defensive line coach, had also been the skipper for San Francisco, albeit for a brief cup of coffee. John Fassel joined as special teams coordinator, and while he had never been a head coach before, he did serve as the interim head coach for the Los Angeles Rams in their first season back in L.A. when they fired Jeff Fisher before the season was over. The overall point is that there was a lot of leadership on that staff. Obviously things didn’t fully materialize for that McCarthy staff (or any one for that matter), but interestingly a recent iteration of it is now spread across today’s NFL in all sorts of leadership positions. Mike McCarthy’s old Cowboys staff had several current head coaches and coordinators A common theme when coaches leave for promotions elsewhere is for them to bring people with them. Consider how McCarthy brought some people from his time in Green Bay and even Nolan from a previous stop. It was a year ago when Dan Quinn left his post as the Cowboys defensive coordinator to become the head coach for the Washington Commanders. He took several staffers (and players) with him and chief among them was Joe Whitt Jr. who became his defensive coordinator. McCarthy’s Cowboys moved on from offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after the 2022 season and he would go on to hold that same role for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 and then ultimately the Philadelphia Eagles this past season where he was a part of the team that won the Super Bowl. Moore finally parlayed it all into a head coaching role as he is now running the New Orleans Saints, and recent reports suggest that Doug Nussmeier, another former Cowboys staffer, is the favorite to be his offensive coordinator. Sounds like Doug Nussmeier is the favorite to be the Saints offensive coordinator, I’m told. Not done yet, but things are moving in that direction. — Nick Underhill (@nick_underhill) February 18, 2025 Quinn, Whitt, Moore and Nussmeier make for four former Cowboys staffers that now hold head coach or coordinator positions which is a high figure for one group that Mike McCarthy oversaw in his time as the Cowboys head coach. There is also the matter of the current Cowboys head coach in Brian Schottenheimer who was also a part of the group. Schottenheimer joined the Cowboys in 2022 when all four of the people we have mentioned so far were also a part of the team. Think about that singular group. 2022 Dallas Cowboys staffers who are now head coaches or coordinators Brian Schottenheimer, coaching analyst (Dallas Cowboys head coach) Kellen Moore, offensive coordinator (New Orleans Saints head coach) Doug Nussmeier, quarterbacks coach (expected New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator) Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator (Washington Commanders head coach) Joe Whitt Jr., pass game coordinator/secondary (Washington Commanders defensive coordinator) If you wanted to you could go a step further here and include the aforementioned Fassel as he is now the Tennessee Titans special teams coordinator, although that was the same position he held in Dallas and therefore it isn’t a promotion like the others. Ultimately we are talking about five staffers who received serious promotions almost directly after leaving the Cowboys. That requires context clearly as Schottenheimer’s was within the organization, Whitt’s was as a part of joining Quinn’s staff and Moore’s took two more years to fully happen. It is still interesting, though. What would you attribute all of that to? People talk so often about Mike Shanahan’s old staff in Washington and the number of future head coaches that it held and we can assign some level of credit to Shanahan for building the group. Do we give a similar sense of credit to McCarthy? Should we? Or does the credit, for lack of a better word, belong to the players? Do Kellen Moore, Doug Nussmeir and Brian Schottenheimer all owe a debt of gratitude to Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb for elevating their statuses? Should Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. send Micah Parsons and Co. an edible arrangement? If we include Fassel, should he thank Brandon Aubrey and KaVontae Turpin? It is certainly strange on some level that the Cowboys have failed (in terms of the overall goal) so much lately and did so with this entire group all working together and that something about them was deemed to be valuable enough in other instances. Sometimes things work out in a funny way like that. Who knows what else that 2022 group will ultimately yield. For now, Quinn and Whitt have an NFC Championship Game appearance and Moore has a Super Bowl title.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images The Cowboys really need to focus on improving their wide receiver room. One of the most hyped receiver prospects in the nation, Luther Burden was a 5-star recruit out of East Saint Louis, Illinois. He picked the Mizzou Tigers over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, and other blue bloods. Ranked as the second best high school receiver in the country and the 14th overall prospect, Burden arrived in Columbia with sky high expectations. Name: Luther Burden IIIPosition: WRHeight: 5’11”Weight: 205 pounds Luther Burden College Stats, courtesy of Sports Reference For the most part, Burden lived up to them too. Playing as a true freshman, he led the team in touchdown receptions and finished second in catches, immediately cementing himself as a reliable option in the passing game. Burden exploded in 2023, racking up 1,200+ yards through the air and finishing seventh in the nation in yards per route run. Burden’s numbers regressed in 2024, but that coincided with a decidedly more run-heavy offense for the Tigers. Still, Burden continued to show off his impressive ability after the catch and now enters the draft as one of the top receivers in his class. Burden could very well be a top target for the Cowboys as they look to upgrade Dak Prescott’s weapons. Route Running: Burden’s route tree was limited this past season, but the 2023 season shows he can run any route in the route tree. He could maybe be a bit more fluid in his movements, but Burden consistently managed to create separation at all three levels every year as a Tiger. Hands Burden’s hands improved greatly over his three-year career. He went from having seven drops as a true freshman to four as a sophomore and just three in 2024. His tape this past year shows great technical ability in being quick with his hands, allowing him to adjust faster to balls and not give anything away to his defender when playing in phase. Playmaking Ability Burden didn’t see much work as a deep threat receiver this past year, but his 2023 season was incredible. Burden generated 415 yards and four scores off passes more than 20 yards downfield and posted a 119.1 passer rating. He demonstrated an exceptional ability at tracking the deep ball and timing his jump right to sky to the catch point. Release Burden primarily played in the slot the last two years, which allowed him plenty of clean releases, but he’s demonstrated an ability to work off of press coverages as well. He does a good job to continue moving forward while working to get free, ensuring no wasted movement on his part. Run After Catch Burden’s best trait is the work he does after the catch. In 2024, Missouri clearly tried to get the most out of him in this facet, as Burden saw 63.8% of his targets travel fewer than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. Still, Burden’s 6.1 yards after the catch per reception is tied for fifth among receivers in this draft. His 30 broken tackles also led the entire nation, a solid indicator of the damage Burden does after the catch. Blocking No one is going to confuse Burden for the next Hines Ward, but he’s competent enough to succeed as a blocker. He isn’t someone who shows a desire to block, and his frame doesn’t do him many favors, but Burden isn’t a liability in this area by any stretch. Versatility Burden played almost exclusively on the perimeter as a true freshman before moving into the slot the last two years. While some analysts have pointed to Burden’s pedestrian numbers against man coverage this year as a reason to project Burden as a slot-only option at the next level, he only saw 19 targets against man this year. Burden saw double that in 2023 and was extremely productive. He can hold his own as a perimeter receiver in the NFL. Size Burden doesn’t have the largest frame but he’s not lacking for size either. His frame is fully filled out, and he has a low center of gravity that has aided his after-catch ability. He’s not the most ideal jump ball target, but Burden’s size makes him a viable target on any kind of route. Intangibles Some have suggested that Burden took plays off in 2024, with others pointing to his limited role as being something that mentally took Burden out of the game at times. He has natural instincts with the ball in his hand and is the definition of a gamer.

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images How do you feel about the staff Brian Schottenheimer has put together for the Dallas Cowboys? The Dallas Cowboys will have a new coaching staff in 2025, led by first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. The former offensive coordinator’s staff is now complete, giving Dallas a clear direction heading into key player acquisition phases like the NFL draft and free agency. These coaching changes have been the response to Dallas dropping from a consistent 12-win team to 7-10 and out of the playoffs in 2024. As optimistic as some Cowboys fans have been about different hires like Klayton Adams as OC, Matt Eberflus as DC, or even Conor Riley and Aaron Whitecotton as OL and DL coaches respectively, this is a fanbase that should understand that players and on-field talent win games more than anything. Two former Cowboys coaches squared off in the NFC Championship Game in Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore, doing so with divisional teams that greatly surpassed the Cowboys in talent this year. The Eagles won and went on to win the Super Bowl in dominant fashion before Moore accepted his own first head coaching gig with the New Orleans Saints. Players matter. Without any indication yet that the Cowboys plan on backing up their willingness to shake up the coaching staff with the same intensity towards the roster, these coaching moves will still serve as the catalyst for discussing how this team may look different under Schottenheimer. One coach to strongly keep in mind here, although he won’t serve as a coordinator or play-caller, is pass game specialist Ken Dorsey. Dorsey’s 12 years of NFL experience is the second most of any of the new offensive hires, only behind tight ends coach Lunda Wells who was retained from Mike McCarthy’s staff and has been coaching in Dallas since 2020. At the time of his hire, the Cowboys had a vacancy at quarterback coach, which seemed like a natural fit for Dorsey. The former 49ers and Browns quarterback got his start in NFL coaching as the Carolina Panthers QB coach from 2013-17, and then held the same role for the Buffalo Bills from 2019-21 before being promoted to offensive coordinator. Most recently, Dorsey served as offensive coordinator for the Browns in 2024. Shortly after hiring Dorsey, the Cowboys decided to keep their QB coach hire closer to the vest and promoted in-house assistant Steve Shimko. Dallas favors familiarity and a tight circle around Dak Prescott in the QB room, but Dorsey has been a very well known name in the coaching circle for a while now and figures to play into the coaching of the Cowboys quarterbacks in Schottenheimer’s scheme as well as the offense as a whole. Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Let’s just get this out of the way. There is nothing anyone can do about the fact a large percentage of Cowboys fans will not give this team any chance on Sundays going forward because of the Schottenheimer hire alone. No matter what they do underneath the first-time head coach but lifelong assistant, this hire is understandably still a strange one and didn’t exactly rally the fanbase that things are going to get much better anytime soon. Putting that aside to take a closer look at who Schottenheimer will actually be working with on a staff he quickly and impressively pulled together, the Ken Dorsey hire should be near the top of the list of ones Schotty needs to get right. Without a ton of relevant experience when it comes to what qualified Schottenheimer to be the next head coach of the Cowboys, the three years he was on staff previously can be looked at even closer under the microscope. Schottenheimer was a non-play calling offensive coordinator the past two seasons under Mike McCarthy. This is a unique role in today’s game, and Schottenheimer had to hire for the same role right away as he will now serve as play-caller moving forward. The early reviews on Klayton Adams as OC point to Schottenheimer hitting a home run here, particularly when it comes to Dallas backing their talk of wanting to be strong and athletic in the trenches with an efficient run game. In his one year prior to being the Cowboys OC though, Schottenheimer was merely an assistant coach like Dorsey is now. If there is a spot on Schottenheimer’s coaching staff that most closely resembles the position he started in to eventually rise to head coach, it may be pass game specialist with Dorsey. Dorsey also served as a non-play calling OC in Cleveland last season, as HC Kevin Stefanski called the offense. Tim Heitman-Imagn Images The Cowboys have a young staff in place around Schottenheimer, which should help create a culture of competitiveness in replacement of some of the complacency that’s plagued this team for too long. The proof will be right in front of these coaches daily that good work even behind the scenes at The Star can be rewarding, with Schottenheimer now in the big chair for the first time after starting as a NFL coach in 1997. There’s an argument to be made that no coach will chase this worm on the end of the line more than Dorsey, who interviewed last offseason for the Panthers head coach opening. Dorsey is a well-respected coach that’s worked with the likes of Sean McDermott and Kevin Stefanski, as well as Joe Brady who was the Bills QB coach after Dorsey became OC. This is a coach Schottenheimer could lean on more than his title alone would suggest, and his track record of getting consistently good quarterback play in schemes similar to what Schottenheimer is desiring also suggest that could be a good thing. So much of the Cowboys plans towards turning their fortunes around and contending within their own division again hinge on the health and play of Dak Prescott. He will be the straw that stirs this drink more than any coach possibly can, but surrounding him

Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images Here is one way to go about fixing the Cowboys. With Brian Schottenheimer now taking over as the new head coach, and his coaching staff now filled, we are entering a new era for the Dallas Cowboys. The amount of unknown surrounding this organization is at an all-time high right now, not really knowing what to expect from the coaching staff or their plans for the offseason, but the one thing we do know is they have a lot of work to do and little time to do it. Due to the all of the unknown, all we can do right now is speculate what the Cowboys may do in both free agency and the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft. By now we all have a pretty good idea of their most pressing roster “needs” and the fact that they could have upwards of $100 million in salary-cap space at their disposal, despite Stephen Jones insistence money will be tight. Today, we go step-by-step through the offseason and share the moves we’d like to see the Cowboys make to put themselves back into contention once again. We start with the players they should re-sign and the ones they should let go, then move on to free agency and the NFL draft. 3 contracts to renew, 2 to let go Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images Players to Re-sign DT Osa Odighizuwa Other than locking up Micah Parsons long-term, re-signing Odighizuwa should be a top priority for the Cowboys. The 3-technique is one of the most important positions in Matt Eberflus’ defense, making No. 97’s return all the more important. PFF contract projection: 4-years, $21.25m ($42.5m guaranteed, $85m total) DE DeMarcus Lawrence D-Law was off to a really good start in 2024 before a foot injury ended his season prematurely. Although he’s on the wrong side of 30, he’s still an ideal fit in Matt Eberflus’ defense and would provide some much-needed depth/experience to the position. PFF contract projection: 2-years, $7.5m avg/yr ($8m guaranteed, $15m total) CB Jourdan Lewis DaRon Bland is the only CB the Cowboys can count right now. Re-signing Jourdan Lewis would add much-needed depth and experience to the position as well as lesson the need to use a premium pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Spotrac contract projection: 2-years, $4.5m ($2.25m avg/yr) Players to let go S Donovan Wilson Wilson was a liability in coverage last season and could be a salary-cap casualty because of it. Dallas can save $5.35 million releasing him out right or $7 million by designating him a post June 1 cut. LB Damone Clark Clark continues to slide further down on the Cowboys LB depth chart and played just 14.76% of the defensive snaps in 2024. Unless Matt Eberflus believes he still brings value, Dallas can save a little over $3 million by releasing him. Free agent moves to make Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images LB Dre Greenlaw Greenlaw missed the majority of the 2024 season, but is still considered one of the top LBs available on the open market. He’s one of the best coverage LBs in the entire league and fits what Matt Eberflus likes at the position at either MIKE or WILL. PFF contract projection: 1-year, $6m avg/yr ($5m guaranteed, $6 total) DT Poona Ford The Cowboys are extremely thin at DT and Ford would provide some much-needed depth and a potential starter. He was one of the top graded DTs last year according to PFF and is a disruptive player who would fit in nicely in Matt Eberflus’ defense. PFF contract projection: 1-year, $3.5m avg/yr ($1.5m guaranteed, $3.5m total) RB J.K. Dobbins Dobbins has a well documented injury history, but when healthy is capable of producing like one of the top RBs in the league. He is a Texas native and at the very least would provide some much-needed depth in Dallas at an affordable price. PFF contract projection: 2-years, $3.5m avg/yr ($4m guaranteed, $7m total) 2025 mock draft after offseason moves (Mock draft database simulator) Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images 1.12 – *TRADE* Buccaneers trade up for EDGE Mykel Williams, Cowboys receive 1.18, 2.53 1.18 – WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State Egbuka could be the ideal Robin to CeeDee Lamb’s Batman. He is a savvy route runner and at 6’1″, 205-pounds, he can play inside or out. He is extremely QB-friendly and has a blue-collar mentality doing the dirty work as a blocker. 2.44 – RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina Hampton is considered by some to be the best RB after Aston Jeanty in the 2025 draft class. He’s been one of the more productive backs in the NCAA the last few years and at 6’1″, 220-pounds he has the size and skill set to be a significant upgrade as the starter in Dallas. 2.53 – OL Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona Savaiinaea (6’4″, 339) played both right and left OT at Arizona and has the length (34″ arms) to remain there in the NFL, but kicking inside to OG may be best for his long-term future. His OT/G versatility could give Dallas another Tyler Smith on the right side of their OL. 3.76 – S Kevin Winston Jr., Penn State If not for a season-ending ACL injury Winston likely would’ve been a top 50 pick. At 6’2″, 208-pounds, he is one of the top safety prospects this year and could be an immediate upgrade over Donovan Wilson on the back end of Dallas’ secondary. *TRADE* Cowboys send 5.170, 5.172, 5.174 to Falcons for 4.117 4.117 – CB Nohl Williams, Cal Even after re-signing Jourdan Lewis, CB is a concern with Trevon Diggs working back from a season-ending knee injury and with DaRon Bland in the final year of his rookie contract. Williams (6’1″, 200) is a playmaker with 7 INTs and 16 passes defensed just last season. 5.150 – EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA Landing Oladejo here in the fifth-round would be an absolute steal. He spent his first three seasons

Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images All the up to date news around the Dallas Cowboys. Matt Eberflus on focus of 2025 Cowboys defense: ‘We will take the ball away’ – Grant Gordon, NFL.com The Dallas Cowboys new defensive coordinator looks to continue what Dan Quinn emphasized in 2021—taking the ball away. “Pretty simple: we will take the ball away,” Eberflus said, via the Cowboys’ website. “That’s what we will do. We will stop the run, and we want to make exciting plays for our football team.” It’s an unsurprising answer from Eberflus, who was Dallas’ linebackers coach from 2011-2017 prior to a four-year stay as the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive coordinator and the Bears’ head coach for two-plus seasons. Trademarks of Eberflus’ defenses have been stopping the run, causing turnovers and bending, but not breaking. Generating turnovers has been his most consistent calling card. From 2018 through last season, Eberflus’ Colts and Bears squads ranked in the top 10 in takeaways in all but one season – 2022 with Chicago when it was 14th. Last season, the Bears, who finished the campaign sans Eberflus after his firing, were 10th in takeaways (24 total). They weren’t too far ahead of the Cowboys (12th with 22). After what amounted to a disastrous 4-8 start rife with agonizing losses, chaotic finishes and unfulfilled potential, Eberflus was let go by the Bears. Landing on his feet with the Cowboys wasn’t a major shock considering his past experience with the club. Thus, he returns to a familiar spot in Dallas and a familiar role in being a DC. “I was here seven years before, so I know the [Jones] family well,” Eberflus said. “I know the community, I know the fanbase, and it’s exciting to be back. That’s what excites me the most: the fan base, the players that we get to work with and in working with the Jones family and Brian Schottenheimer.” Klayton Adams opens up on working with Schottenheimer, offensive identity, more – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com Klayton Adams wants his players to play with violence. “For myself being a background of an offensive line coach, the opportunity to be a coordinator, to sit in that chair was important to me and had been a goal, something that I wanted to do at some point,” Adams said. “Being able to do it with the Dallas Cowboys is a huge, even bigger opportunity.” Adams’ role on staff is not to handle play calling duties, and instead assist Schottenheimer in constructing his gameplan each week. They haven’t worked together before in the past, so the time they spent together now is all about figuring each other out and getting on the same page. “Trying to mesh what the vision of what he wants is because he’s going to call the plays, and so I think it would be dumb on my part to try to force a lot of things on that call sheet that he doesn’t want to call or he doesn’t feel comfortable calling.” Adams said. “We’re really excited. I’m very excited to work with him and just to continue to learn each other a little bit… we’re going to get out into some practices and talk through some things and I’m going to see some things differently, he’s going to see some things differently, and it’s going to be a growing process.” A large part of that process comes down to the players. With Rico Dowdle becoming a free agent this offseason and uncertainty about what the offensive line looks like next year, there’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to figuring out the pieces Adams and Schottenheimer will have to work with. That said, there are already some quality pieces in place in the Cowboys’ offense. “I don’t know that we’ve completely gotten that far yet,” Adams said. “We’re working hard to evaluate what we have here, I think that there’s a lot of nice pieces to work with and we’ll continue to go down that road as we work through player acquisition.” Jeffrey Lurie sets the example that Jerry Jones should be following – RJ Ochoa, Blogging the Boys If Jerry Jones follows the blueprint of the Philadelphia Eagles, it could lead to immediate success. That’s gross but a valid point. Consider that Lurie bought the Eagles just five years after Jerry Jones bought the Dallas Cowboys. Comparing which owner is more successful seems like a waste of time, but consider that the latter now only has one more title than the former. Albert Breer had a great piece about Lurie and his ownership of the Eagles relative to the success that they have had over the last decade. One part stood out where Lurie discussed finding financial liberty to keep the team competitive on an annual basis. “My philosophy is …” Lurie said, pausing for a second to consider the question. “You’re obviously trying to run a sound business, but I think success is determined by your success on the field and your success in the community. And so anything you can do to maximize those two, the value of the team is going to be appreciated more by your performance and your reputation in the community than anything else. It’s not going to be the EBITDA in a certain year, or two or three or four. “There’s a reason we just sold limited partnerships for the highest price in sports history. It wasn’t based on being the most profitable team at all. It’s based on the performance over time and the reputation in the community and the forecasting of where we hope to be able to sustain over the next multiple years. It’s much more than the financial bottom line. Now I guess you could get criticized by some Wall Street analysts, but we don’t operate that way. We just don’t operate that way.” Indeed, Lurie sold 8% of the Eagles in December to two family investment groups, with the valuation