Three men sat at the podium during Monday’s introductory press conference at The Star. One of them, the one taking over as the 10th head coach in franchise history, likely gave fans cause for optimism. Brian Schottenheimer came across as thoughtful, intelligent, and heartfelt as he previewed his offensive philosophy, explained where the team is in its retooling efforts, and talked about the impact his legendary coach of a father had on him. The two men flanking him, the ones who hired him, did little to reassure the faithful that the organization is capable of changing its mindset and rebranding itself as a legitimate winner. Jerry Jones rambled about himself and made the front office’s approach this coaching search even more confounding than it already seemed, while Stephen Jones got basic facts wrong and condescendingly dismissed the primary complaint that most of the fanbase shares. In addition to everything noteworthy that came out of Monday’s press conference, we’ll fill you in on the latest in the search for the new skipper’s coordinators and coaches as the Coach Schottenheimer era in Dallas officially begins. [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal] Brian Schottenheimer will call plays as Dallas Cowboys head coach :: Dallas Morning News Link The search for a new offensive coordinator continues, but Schottenheimer will call plays on gameday, the team has confirmed. In an interesting development, it was revealed Monday that former head coach Mike McCarthy would have continued to call plays had the team retained him as head coach… and Schottenheimer would not have stayed in Dallas. Stephen Jones told reporters that Schottenheimer “was ready to go somewhere, and he had opportunities to go call plays [elsewhere].” Brian Schottenheimer believes Cowboys can win ‘quickly’ :: ESPN Link The new head coach believes he’s already ahead of the curve in his takeover of the team that hasn’t been to a Super Bowl in 29 years. “We can hit the ground running pretty fast because I don’t need to learn the decision-makers. I don’t need to learn the quarterback. I don’t need to learn how things work,” Schottenheimer said. “I’ve had some opportunities when I was a much younger man that I didn’t feel like I was ready. I’m ready now. I know what I want. I know what it looks like.” Schottenheimer previews offensive philosophy :: Nicole Hutchison 5 opposing coaches Cowboys’ Schottenheimer is going to have prove himself better than in 2025 :: Cowboys Wire Link As a 51-year-old first-time head coach in a division that yielded the NFC’s top two teams, Schottenheimer will have his challenges laid out in front of him. Head-to-head matchups with other coulda-woulda-shoulda- Dallas candidates Ben Johnson, Pete Carroll, Aaron Glenn, Kellen Moore, and Kliff Kingsbury will settle the pecking order pretty definitively. Schottenheimer praises Prescott :: Clarence Hill Jr. Cowboys’ Jerry Jones likes Brian Schottenheimer’s ‘baggage,’ but says his coach’s hiring was a ‘risk’ :: The Athletic Link Referring to Schottenheimer’s many years on various NFL staffs without a head coaching gig as “baggage,” Jones also said “I like that experience” when introducing him on Monday. “He’s had 25 years being around the kinds of things that he’s gonna have to draw on to be a coach of the Dallas Cowboys.” Schottenheimer does know the system, has high energy, and is already well-liked by his players. But will he get the necessary support from the front office? Jones claims he’s still taking risks, and admits Schottenheimer is one of them. Cowboys Jerry Jones getting backlash for bizarre behavior during coach introduction :: Athlon Sports Link Jones gave a rambling 11-minute answer when asked about Schottenheimer’s qualifications, but the rant was far more about Jones rather than the coach he had just hired. At various points, Jones droned on about how many Senior Bowls he himself has attended and re-told (yet again) his well-worn story about getting picked up from a flight on his jet in an old Ford Bronco. Stephen Jones uses air quotes to dismiss Cowboys’ very real Super Bowl drought :: RJ Ochoa Stephen overshoots how many games Cowboys have won since 2010 :: Saad Yousuf The family business: Brian Schottenheimer reflects on his father’s impact :: The Mothership Link The Cowboys’ new head coach was quick to thank his dad for his new opportunity in Dallas. Marty Schottenheimer is one of the NFL’s all-time winningest head coaches and was Brian’s greatest influence. Brian pledged to dedicate his first Super Bowl win with the Cowboys to his late father but said he knows Marty would have advice for the here and now: “He’d say to me, ‘Brian, the easy part is over. It’s time to get to work.’” Jerry Jones confirms Deion Sanders was never a serious candidate for the Cowboys job :: Yahoo Sports Link The Cowboys owner told media members on Monday that his Hall of Fame cornerback was never a serious candidate to be the team’s 10th head coach, despite widespread rumor and speculation… and a very highly-publicized informal phone conversation. Jones explained that Coach Prime “already has a job” but admitted that he and his family “think the world of” Sanders. 2025 Staff Tracker: Jason Witten not expected to reunite with Cowboys :: The Mothership Link Earlier projections assumed Witten would be placed on the 2025 coaching staff, but the club seems to have cooled on the idea. The future Hall of Fame tight end is not expected to join the team in any capacity at this time, though Jerry Jones continues to praise Witten as a “great coach” and mentor. Cowboys interview ex-Bears head coach Matt Eberflus for defensive coordinator role :: Dallas Morning News Link The former Bears head coach was brought in to interview Monday at The Star in Frisco. Eberflus has a decade of experience as a defensive coach in the NFL, including seven seasons on staff in Dallas as linebackers coach and then passing game coordinator from 2011 to 2017. Bears secondary coach Andre Curtis and Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow are other names
Cowboys’ Jones claims he’s constantly rolling dice, hiring Schottenheimer ‘as big a risk as you can take’
Cowboys’ Jones claims he’s constantly rolling dice, hiring Schottenheimer ‘as big a risk as you can take’ K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys held their introductory press conference of the 10th head coach in franchise history on Monday, bringing Brian Schottenheimer to the people. After Schottenheimer gave his opening statement, thanking the Jones family for the opportunity and giving his regards for his family’s support, the Q&A session began. The first question lobbed to the panel, as expected, was of Jerry Jones and why he decided to hire Schottenheimer. Why him? Jones took a deep pause of about 10 seconds before entering into a diatribe about how the decision was made. Jones cited how every Senior Bowl and scouting combine, he’d arrive early just so he can engage with potential coaches who might cross his path some time in the future. He spoke of his familiarity with the Schottenheimer family, Brian’s dad Marty and his mother Pat, from prior times on competition committees and basically saying Schottenheimer came from good stock. He spoke of how Schottenheimer showed deference to coaches with more experience, like Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer, “biting his lip” when he disagreed with some of their decisions. And then he dropped the money quote. Jones spoke on the accusations that he only operates within confines of people who have crossed his path. He believes the opposite, despite the evidence to the contrary. “I get my proverbial a– kicked over needing people in my comfort zone. Without this thing being about me in any way, ifyou don’t think I can’t operate out of my comfort zone, you’re so wrong it’s unbelievable. This is as big a risk as you can take… as big a risk as you can take. No head coaching experience.” Jones somehow believes that Schottenheimer’s 25 years of experience in the coaching profession is unique, angling that it’s not normal for someone only 51 years old. He then spoke about several of the coaches he’s had in the past, how it wasn’t only about Xs and Os, but more about life experiences in bringing in Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer and Chan Gailey. Jones has an unbelievable blind spot to the criticisms levied against his process. “I’ve read where I don’t have a penchant for risk taking. If you really knew my score sheet, you’d see that I have taken more risks in the last five years than the rest of my life put together.” In football terms, that’s a ridiculous statement to try to pass off on the general public. Jones’ team has signed no external risks in free agency. Taking risks is signing outside players to large amount of guaranteed money, something Jones has proven allergic to for over a decade. He’s taken really one noteworthy risk in the draft, gambling on the red flags attached to CB Kelvin Joseph in the 2021 draft, but that’s about it. It’s been eons since Jones gambled in the draft, trading up to snare a top prospect. Does he consider keeping Mike McCarthy to play out the final year of his five-year contract some sort of leap of faith? Waiting until the final year of CeeDee Lamb’s contract to offer him a near market-setting deal? Perhaps he’s speaking about the first extension for Dak Prescott, where he allowed Prescott to reach free agency, twice, and having to give him both a no-trade and a no-third-franchise-tag clause. Granted, Prescott was coming off a gruesome leg injury when he signed that deal in 2021, so Jones does get credit for that, but he had backed himself into a corner where the only viable free agent QBs were Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jameis Winston, Regardless, these are normal risks that every owner takes, and pretending like these decisions make him some sort of maverick is a confusing spin on the situation. But yes, hiring Schottenheimer is a big risk due to his lack of head coaching experience, but this is the exception to the rule, not the norm, and it’s still a move that checks all of the boxes of an owner who doesn’t want to stray from what’s familiar. This is hardly a knock on what Schottenheimer might do, he could be a fabulous coach and Jones knocked it out of the park. But pretending that in all of those casual interviews he bragged about hosting at the beginning of his soliloquy and there were only four coaches who interested him, and two of those had woefully bad records, is cap. Follow all of your favorite Texas teams at Cowboys Wire, Longhorns Wire, Texans Wire, Rockets Wire and Aggies Wire!
Report: Dallas Cowboys to hire Nick Sorensen as special teams coordinator
Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly hiring Nick Sorensen as their new special teams coordinator. The Dallas Cowboys introduced Brian Schottenheimer as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Monday and before day’s end his first coordinator was reported. Schottenheimer’s staff will have Nick Sorensen serving as the special teams coordinator. The #Cowboys are expected to hire Nick Sorensen as their special teams coordinator, per sources. Sorensen spent last season as the #49ers defensive coordinator. But he has special teams experience, most recently with the #Jaguars in 2021. pic.twitter.com/QvKWzhciEV — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 28, 2025 The post from Tom Pelissero notes that Sorensen served as the special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. Brian Schottenheimer spent that season as the Jaguars’ passing game coordinator so that is their most recent crossover with one another as Schotty joined the Cowboys staff the next year. It should be noted that Jacksonville finished 31st in special teams DVOA in 2021. Most of Sorensen’s career to date has been spent working on the defensive side of the ball which will make this a bit of an adjustment for the special teams group as they were recently coached by John Fassel who left for the same role with the Tennessee Titans. Bones was a special teams wizard with a wealth of knowledge on that side of the ball. That isn’t to say that Sorensen can’t succeed or thrive, just that this is a bit of new.
Cowboys LB Damone Clark named top cap-casualty candidate
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The Cowboys have a decision to make about Damone Clark. Entering his fourth NFL season and the final year of his rookie contract, Damone Clark has taken a backseat to other more recently added linebackers in Dallas. Could this trend go so far in 2025 as to push him off the Cowboys’ roster completely? A fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft, Clark felt like one of the bright spots of that class a couple of years ago. After quickly establishing his potential as a rookie, Clark started all 17 games in 2023. But after Dallas signed veteran Eric Kendricks and drafted Marist Liufau last spring, plus got DeMarvion Overshown back from injury, Clark’s involvement plummeted to just 18% of the defensive snaps in 2024. The fall in playing time, plus a ballooning fourth-year cap hit, prompted Pro Football Network to name Clark as Dallas’ top candidate to be a salary cap casualty this offseason. Largely due to his 2023 playing time, Clark is expected to count roughly $3.4 million against the cap after Proven Performance Escalators. And with less than $100k in dead money left on the contract, Dallas can clear nearly the entire amount off their books if Clark is released. From a financial standpoint, it sounds highly logical. While it’s not a huge chunk of cap space, $3 million is still worth more in other pursuits than to keep Clark around as a barely-playing backup and special teamer. But that’s where this gets a little sticky as his role in 2025 isn’t so certain. Kendricks is set to become a free agent again and one of the key things that brought him to Dallas, Mike Zimmer, won’t be back as defensive coordinator. While Kendricks could still work well in Matt Eberflus’s scheme, will he want to come back? He did well enough last year that other teams may want his veteran leadership and create a market. What’s worse, Overshown’s significant knee injury last year is expected to keep him out for at least a portion of next season. You could see Dallas riding comfortably into 2025 with Overshown and Liufau as their top-two linebackers but they won’t have that luxury. So for a least the first part of the year, Liufau may need a new fellow starter. Barring some surprising surge from a down-roster prospect like Brock Mogensen, or new options in the next free agent and rookie crops, Clark is the next man up at linebacker. But he has to get to training camp to compete for snaps and that cap hit is obviously going to be tough for Dallas to swallow given how last season went. Clark’s saving grace may be Eberflus’ arrival. Depending on what the new DC is looking for in his linebackers, perhaps Clark’s value to the team will rise from where Zimmer’s one year took it. But again, Clark’s best opportunity to impress Eberflus wouldn’t be until camp. So it really comes down to whether or not the Cowboys are willing to carry that cap number through the offseason and give him that chance. While not offering the highest potential cap relief of guys like Terence Steele and Donovan Wilson, Damone Clark’s far lesser role in 2024 would make him an easier cut. But given the Cowboys’ uncertainty at linebacker, will they pull that trigger or at least give Clark a chance to earn his way back onto the roster this year?
5 opposing coaches Cowboys’ Schottenheimer is going to have prove himself better than in 2025
Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches warm up before the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023. The Cowboys indecision with McCarthy following the end of the regular season cost them a window to interview the Lions’ coordinators. As the No. 1 seed with a bye, their assistants were available the first week of the playoffs, but Jones wanting to low-ball and extend McCarthy meant they didn’t look elsewhere. The Bears cast a wide net, interviewing Johnson among a dozen other candidates, and soon after Detroit was eliminated in the divisional round, he agreed to terms with Chicago before ever meeting with Jones. The Cowboys face the entire NFC North in 2025, so this matchup is sure to draw attention. Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles Aug 17, 2022; Costa Mesa, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore reacts during joint practice against the Los Angeles Chargers at Jack Hammett Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports The Cowboys seemed to only have two genuine candidates under consideration, Schottenheimer and Kellen Moore, who was Schotty’s predecessor as Cowboys OC. Let go when McCarthy wanted to call plays, Moore was unavailable for in-person interviews as the Eagles have played the last three weeks leading to their Super Bowl appearance. Reports are that Moore, who had a virtual interview, was really keen on coaching Dallas, so them making a decision before getting their chance to talk to him in person is going to likely light a rage. If he stays in Philly (only the Saints still have an opening), he’ll be able to extract his revenge twice. Dan Quinn and Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 22: Head coach Dan Quinn of the Washington Commanders looks on prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Timothy Nwachukwu/Getty Images) An oldy but goody, but there’s an alternate universe out there somewhere that the Cowboys decided that they’d seen enough of McCarthy following the 2023 season and promoted Quinn instead of letting him walk to Washington. There’s also a world where the club saw what Kingsbury did with the Washington offense, and considered that after his failed stint as HC in Arizona, he looks to be the next “got it right the second time around” candidate. Aaron Glenn, New York Jets Jan 9, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn looks on during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports Along with Johnson, Glenn was also available to be interviewed during wild-card week, but Dallas was busy. Now the former Cowboys DB is headed to New York to take over that reclamation project. Glenn led a resurgent Lions defense that went from league worst before his arrival to one of the league’s best in 2024 before a ridiculous avalanche of injuries ruined them down the stretch and into their playoff failure. Still, if he can figure out a way to revive the Jets, that 2025 matchup will have a bunch of would’ve should’ve could’ve’s. The Jets are the Cowboys’ 17th game opponent in 2025. Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders Jun 11, 2019; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll answers questions during a press conference following a minicamp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Jones spoke to Carroll about the Cowboys’ opening, though no formal interview was made before he decided to take the Raiders job. The Super Bowl and CFB National Champion is 73, so it wouldn’t have been a long-term match, but the fact he was considered means there’s a storyline to be told when the two teams meet in 2025. The AFC West is the Cowboys’ cross-conference matchup this coming season. Other coaches of note: 2024 As mentioned with Quinn, the Cowboys could’ve chosen to go in another direction than McCarthy after being booted out the 2023 playoffs, but decided to bring him back in a lame-duck year that fizzled out early. After years of flirting with the idea, Jim Harbaugh ran out of dodge ahead of NCAA sanctions after finally getting the Michigan Wolverines to the promise land. If Jones was looking for a big name replacement for McCarthy, Harbaugh would’ve been a huge splash and he could’ve walked into an even better situation than the one he turned around with the Los Angeles Chargers. Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh looks on during the national championship celebration at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Another one to keep an eye on will be the progress of Dave Canales in Carolina. Canales was an interesting hire in Carolina and if the progress the Panthers showed down the back end of the season continues to trend the franchise early, he’ll be another opponent that can be thrown in Jones’ face. Carolina is the Cowboys’ NFC South opponent for next season.
2025 NFL mock draft database: Two early draft favorites emerge for Cowboys
Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images Our mock draft database is here. In our inaugural mock draft database of the season, we take a peek at 25 different mock drafts published over the last two weeks to see whether we can get a better feeling for the early names mocked to the Cowboys. As it currently stands, 22 of the 25 mocks are projecting the Cowboys to take either RB Ashton Jeanty (13 mocks) or WR Luther Burden (9). If you were locked in on an offensive or defensive lineman, you may have to start rethinking your position. Then again, it’s still January, and a lot of things can still happen. When we did a similar exercise in 2020, 29 of the 32 mocks at the time were projecting the Cowboys to take a defensive player, but the Cowboys ultimately ended up drafting WR CeeDee Lamb. The table below lists the 25 mocks by their publication date and shows which player is mocked to the Cowboys. Mock Draft Player Position College Last Updated NFL Spin Zone (Scataglia) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.26 CBS (Edwards) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.25 NFL (Jeremiah) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.25 PFN (Cannata) James Pearce Edge Tennessee 1.25 CBS (Trapasso) Tyler Warren TE Penn State 1.24 Walter Football (Campbell) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.24 PFN (Tate) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.24 Athlon Sports (Easterling) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.23 NBCSports Boston (Perry) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.23 NFL Spin Zone (Bedinger) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.23 Draft Countdown (Menendez) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.22 Draftwire (Popejoy) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.22 ESPN (Kiper) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.22 SB Nation (Acosta) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.22 SI (Flick) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.22 Sporting News (Iyer) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.22 33rd Team (Crabbs) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.20 Drafttek (Staff) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.20 PFN (Miller) Tyler Warren TE Penn State 1.20 USAToday (Middlehurst) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.20 Draft Network (Johnstone) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.19 Draftwire (Risdon) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.17 Foxsports (McIntyre) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.17 SD Union Tribune (Brown) Ashton Jeanty RB Boise State 1.17 The Athletic (Brugler) Luther Burden WR Missouri 1.15 25 mocks are obviously a lot to take in, so here’s simplified summary: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State: 13 mocks Luther Burden, WR, Missouri: 9 mocks Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State: 2 mocks James Pearce, Edge, Tennessee: 1 mock With such a “limited” set of prospects, you might be wondering where some of the other prospects not mentioned above were ranked in these mocks, and whether they might be available at pick 12 for the Dallas Cowboys. You could look up the player ranking on your favorite big board, you could make up your own ranking, and you could even use a consensus big board for such a player ranking. Or we could look at the average draft position for the key offensive prospects (WRs, Tackles, RB, TE) based on the 25 mocks above, and how often they were available at pick 12, which is exactly what you see in the table below. Avg. POS Player POS Available atNo. 12 7.1 Tetairoa McMillan WR 8% 9.6 Will Campbell OT/OG 20% 13.0 Kelvin Banks OT/OG 48% 19.8 Josh Simmons OT 72% 13.5 Luther Burden WR 76% 13.7 Ashton Jeanty RB 80% 15.0 Tyler Warren TE 92% 20.4 Emeka Egbuka WR 100% Within the narrow confines of this list, that gives the Cowboys three main options, all of them based on the way the 25 mocks collectively predict the first round will play out, with the big caveat that it’s January and there’s still a long way to go to the draft. Option 1: Sit tight for Burden or Jeanty There’s only one mock that has both Burden and Jeanty gone at #12, which gives the Cowboys a 96% of getting one of the two players. And in the case both are gone, maybe one of the top tackles drops to #12 and could be an enticing alternative. Option 2: Go defense. In the unlikely event that both Burden and Jeanty are gone and there’s an early run on offensive linemen, there are bound to be defensive blue chip players pushed out of the top 10. Option 3: Trade down for Jeanty. Five mocks (20%) have Jeanty drafted before the Cowboys are on the clock and 13 mocks (52%) have the Cowboys picking Jeanty at 12. But seven mocks (28%) have Jeanty dropping past the Cowboys, and it looks like it would be a long fall for Jeanty if the Cowboys don’t grab him. Five mocks have him falling all the way to #20 (Broncos), one has him falling to #22 (Chargers) and the last one to #26 (Rams). Would it make sense for the Cowboys to drop to e.g. #16 (Arizona) and possibly secure an extra second-round pick in the process? At 16, they’d still have a 96% of getting WR Emeka Egbuka out of Ohio State or a falling offensive lineman. What would be your choice right now? Tell us in the poll or in the comments below.
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer introductory press conference live discussion
The Dallas Cowboys chose Brian Schottenheimer to be their next head coach, the 10th in franchise history, last Friday night and the reality of it has fully set in. Odds are you have some thoughts on the hire and while that can certainly be true, he obviously is the head coach and the set-in reality is not changing. The Schottenheimer era began in full on Monday with an introductory press conference at The Star in Frisco. This post is serving as a recap for all of the things that he, Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones touched on throughout it as there is obviously a lot for everyone to discuss. We will update it with relevant quotes and talking points hit on as the presser goes along. If you arrive here as the presser is ongoing, remember to refresh for constant updates. If you get here after the fact then head to the bottom and scroll up to read things in chronological order if you’d like. Here we go.
Report: Cowboys interview Schottenheimer’s former right hand to tutor Dak Prescott
Report: Cowboys interview Schottenheimer’s former right hand to tutor Dak Prescott angeltorres The Dallas Cowboys are off and running in looking to form their staff for 2025. While Jerry Jones likes his staffs small in nature, there will have to be some hires. Bringing Matt Eberflus aboard as defensive coordinator seems to have hit a compliance snag, and while waiting for that, Brian Schottenheimer is looking for other candidates. Dallas has interviewed former CFL standout Kerry Joseph for the team’s open quarterback coach opening. Joseph spent last season in Chicago developing rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. The Bears hired Joseph almost a year to the day, but a change in their coaching staff made him available. Before his lone year in Chicago, Joseph spent four seasons in Seattle serving as an offensive assistantm including in 2020 under then-offensive coordinator Schottenheimer. He would be Seattle’s assistant receivers coach in 2021, then an assistant quarterbacks coach from 2022 through the 2023 season. His potential addition would replace former quarterback Scott Tolzien who served as the Cowboys QB coach from 2022 through 2024 and spent the last four seasons as an offensive assistant in some capacity. Joseph was a dual-threat quarterback at McNeese State before latching on with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 1996. He also spent time with Washington before making the jump to defense for the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe. The switch to defensive back landed him with Seattle and played four seasons for the Seahawks appearing in 56 games including 14 starts. The Ottowa Renegades from the Canadian Football League (CFL) came calling in 2003 asking him to play quarterback. In 2007 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Joseph led his team to the Grey Cup Championship and was named the CFL’s Most Valuable Player.
Brian Schottenheimer’s top objective as the Cowboys new head coach should be to fix the running game
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Brian Schottenheimer is going to need to seriously fix the Dallas Cowboys run game. A long, long time ago in a galaxy not so far away, the Dallas Cowboys were good at running the football. Whether it was DeMarco Murray or Ezekiel Elliott, the offense featured a fierce rushing attack as “establishing the run” became one of Jason Garrett’s biggest mantras. From 2013 to 2021, the Cowboys finished in the top eight in rushing yards per attempt seven times. But somewhere along the line, the Cowboys run game lost its way. They have progressively gotten worse in three straight seasons, finishing in the bottom half all three years. Last year, the Cowboys finished 30th in the league in yards per attempt. Running the ball well is no longer their thing. Here is how the team has ranked over the last 10 years. On the surface, this doesn’t bode well for Brian Schottenheimer. As much as Mike McCarthy complained about the offense lacking balance under Kellen Moore’s play-calling, he and Schottenheimer made things even worse in the ground attack. Meanwhile, Moore is part of the Philadelphia Eagles top-rushing offense. While that’s a snapshot view of what’s been going on, there’s a lot more to unpack. For starters, McCarthy has been the team’s play-caller these past two seasons. It’s unclear how much control of the Cowboys rushing attack Schottenheimer had during this time. It’s also unclear how much of the team’s run struggles had to do with coaching or other factors. Let’s lay out some numbers. As we stated, the McCarthenheimer run game was yucky, culminating in one of the worst outputs we’ve seen from this team in a long time. But both McCarthy and Schottenheimer weren’t bad at this before arriving in Dallas. Did you know that McCarthy’s Green Bay Packers finished in the top seven in rushing yards per attempt during his last three seasons as their head coach? And Schottenheimer’s Seattle Seahawks finished in the top 10 in rushing yards per attempt his last three seasons where he was calling plays. There’s evidence to show that both coaches can be efficient running the ball, so why did they struggle so immensely with the Cowboys? A big part of it is the Cowboys didn’t have adequate resources to sustain a strong ground attack. Since showing up in Dallas, McCarthy has constantly had to deal with an offensive line that has gradually fallen apart. All three of the team’s All-Pro offensive linemen took turns fading. Travis Frederick retired the year McCarthy took over so immediately they had to find a new center. Tyron Smith struggled to stay healthy and every snap he played felt like he was playing on borrowed time. And even the great Zack Martin has shown that Father Time is undefeated as his play eventually wilted. While this slow remodel was necessary, it hasn’t been pretty. Don’t even look at all the players who logged snaps along the offensive line in 2020 because it’s wicked nasty. That season, the offensive line was manned by three rookies and a couple of low-cost free agents. Over time, resources have been added but getting them up to speed came with a price, and that price has been the team’s ground attack. This season alone featured a heavy dose of Tyler Guyton, Cooper Beebe, Brock Hoffman, T.J. Bass, and Asim Richards. All of these guys are 25 years or younger and have limited playing experience. That’s going to be a challenge. But it’s not just the offensive line that’s been the issue. The Cowboys only had one viable running back on the roster, Rico Dowdle. For whatever reason, the front office thought they could get by using Dowdle with a worn-out Ezekiel Elliott and an undersized Deuce Vaughn. The offensive line showed improvement and this group will get better with more continuity from their younger players, but the Cowboys must address their running back situation this offseason if they expect to right this ship. It doesn’t mean they should use their first-round pick on Ashton Jeanty. McCarthy had success running the ball with Aaron Jones (fifth round) and Schottenheimer had success with Chris Carson (seventh round). But it does mean they need to make some type of effort to get a couple of good options in the backfield or else they’ll continue to have problems. The Cowboys’ recent run-game struggles paint a pretty good picture of what not to do. And to be clear, McCarthenheimer deserves blame too. Why it took so long to use Dowdle more will be a mystery we might never fully understand. But the front office needs to do a better job helping their coaches. Hopefully, the team will have a better plan to help their new head coach get back to running the ball effectively and create better opportunities for Dak Prescott and this offense.
Cowboys news: Brian Schottenheimer assembling coaching staff
Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images Notable headlines surrounding America’s team. With interviews underway, Brian Schottenheimer’s Cowboys coaching staff is taking shape – Calvin Watkins, DMN Watkins with the rundown of the key names we know so far. Many reports had the Cowboys expected to interview Bears secondary coach Andre Curtis for their defensive coordinator position. The team will also interview former Bears coach Matt Eberflus for the same slot this upcoming week. And ESPN reported on Sunday that the Cowboys have requested to interview Dolphins outside linebackers coach Ryan Crow for the defensive coordinator position. Falcons tight ends coach Kevin Koger will interview for the Cowboys offensive coordinator role. A pair of assistant special team coaches, Chris Banjo (Broncos) and Carlos Polk (Bears), will interview for the vacant special teams coordinator post. Once the coordinators are hired, the team will move forward in hiring position coaches. A name of interest is Bears interim offensive coordinator Chris Beatty as a possible wide receivers coach. Brian Schottenheimer and the Cowboys: 5 priorities as he begins big new role – Saad Youssuf, The Athletic Figuring out his staff is an obvious priority, but Schotty’s ability to get the front office to give him the players he needs my be the one most critical to his long-term success. 1. Build the coaching staff This is Schottenheimer’s most important thing. He is a first-time NFL head coach and hasn’t had to deal with most that comes in that role in his two-plus decades as an assistant coach and coordinator. Even more comes with the role when you’re the head coach of the Cowboys. All of that will be much easier to navigate if there’s a quality staff in place. Mike McCarthy is one of Schottenheimer’s mentors and his approach to a coaching staff structure is a good place to start. McCarthy was more offensively-inclined, so he always made sure the defensive coordinator was experienced, preferably someone who had been a head coach. Matt Eberflus is a frontrunner for that role and would check those boxes. Plus, there are multiple position coaches on offense and defense. Schottenheimer needs to ensure that those hires match up with his vision and message. 3. Hash out personnel preferences with front office Schottenheimer needs to identify the roster’s most glaring holes. Obviously, there are players locked into roles due to contract status and the fact remains that Dallas’ front office doesn’t seem too intent on changing its lackadaisical approach to free agency. Still, the front office does take the coach’s opinion into serious consideration when adding players through free agency or the draft. It’s important for Schottenheimer to ensure that the communication is on point as the calendar enters the player evaluation phase — from draft prospects or veterans who could be options when free agency begins in less than two months. Report: Cowboys Eying Cardinals Coach as OC – Donnie Druin, SI.com Another name to add to the mix. Arizona Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams is reportedly a name to watch for the Dallas Cowboys’ offensive coordinator position, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones. “The Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer as their head coach on Friday, and Cardinals offensive line coach Klayton Adams is a name to watch for offensive coordinator in Dallas,” Jones reported ahead of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. Check out our tracker for all the interviews, rumors and news about Brian Schottenheimer’s coaching staff. Jerry Jones has specific reasons for choosing Brian Schottenheimer- Mario Herrera Jr, Inside The Star Good to know, Jerry. He has hired yet another “yes” man to patrol the sidelines, and he has his reasons for doing so. The Upper Hand As I mentioned above, Jerry and Stephen Jones value business over all. To them, the Dallas Cowboys are a for-profit business and the bottom line is king, no matter how it affects the product on the field. That’s why they choose coaches like Brian Schottenheimer. They choose selfish comfort over a coach who would be best for the team. Instead of a coach who can challenge people to change the way things have been for 30 years, they choose a coach who will do whatever they say. Schottenheimer didn’t draw interest from any other teams, so he didn’t have a strong leg to stand on when negotiating the terms of the deal. If he doesn’t call plays, the Cowboys can just blame his coordinators when the team doesn’t perform well. On top of controlling all aspects of the contract, they also don’t have to pay him as much as other coaches are making. They use his inexperience as a reason to warrant less than market value. NFL Mock Draft: 3-round Cowboys projection after hiring Brian Schottenheimer- Rucker Haringey, FanSided Unfortunately, it’s mock draft season. Round 1, Pick 12: OT Kelvin Banks Jr. (Texas) Admittedly, fan reaction in Dallas will be ugly if they pass on Jeanty in favor of Kelvin Banks Jr. with the No. 12 overall pick. The reality is that the Cowboys need to find a replacement for free agent Zack Martin at right guard if they want to run the ball effectively next season. Banks Jr. played left tackle during his collegiate career at Texas but he profiles as a player who will kick inside at the next level. He has good hand strength and agile feet which help him stymie opposing pass rushers at the point of attack. The Cowboys will be more interested in the speed he shows on pulls and second-level blocks as traits that can help unlock their ground game. Some fans might question the value of taking a guard with such a premium pick but Banks Jr. can be an immediate starter for the Cowboys. Getting that kind of certainty at a position of need makes taking a guard at 12 a smart move by Jerry Jones and his front office.
